The four hour chef is just, everything. As others said 'chef' is a misnomer and really this a journey through Tim Ferriss's mind - which can be pretty interesting. My only advise is don't give up if there is a few things you don't like about this book - there are nuggets of pure GOLD in this book that far outweigh the little nuances, which I'll break it down further. But, overall this book gives a TON of VALUE for a low price. I'll also preface this with I was not given an early copy of this, nor was I paid to write a review or anything like that.
The book is broken down in this order:
Intro
Meta-Learning - This is where Tim breaks down how to learn everything. Some may glance over this to get straight to the cooking, but there are some useful advise in here. I personally love the concept of the cheat-sheet. It's basically a one-page note to highlight the most important things. Also he shows how to identify different taste, which I am horrible at (I still think parsley taste like nothing). He uses an acronym to describe the whole process of learning, but I'm not sure it makes it any easier to understand (DiSSS and CaFE). Also, just to throw in more value he gives a list of links and videos on how to do random things like fold a shirt in 2 seconds, prepare for public speaking, and tying a tie (I found the last one most useful). Again, he's just throwing everything at you.
Domestic - The good stuff. This is the recipe section, learning to cook section, with full coverage on the best kitchen tools, dishware, ingredients. I'll break it down here"
Equipment/Pantry Items: I loved this section. The stuff he recommends is really good, and he obviously put a lot of thought into this. My personal faves which I bought were the Polder thermometer and the Maldon sea salt (which I now call crack salt). Some other stuff I put on a Christmas wish list, because they just seem awesome (Aeropress coffee maker anyone?)
Recipes: (these are the ones I have made so far)
1. Osu-Buko - This is the first recipe in the book, it's really easy to make, and it teaches braising. Just a warning it uses lamb shanks which I find taste a little too "game-y." Also for being the first recipe, it can be difficult to find lamb shanks and he recommends cooking 4 of them. I would buy maybe 1 or 2 at first just to see if you like it.
2. Scrambled Eggs w/ different spices - This section shows how to make scrambled eggs using different spice combinations. Personally, I didn't like the taste of ground spices in my eggs, but the lesson here is to see how different spices combine to make a ethnic dish, which he shows an entire list of different countries and spices. A useful chart.
But here's a quick tip to make DAMN good eggs. Use ghee to coat the pan, add the eggs, and use the 'garlic spatula' (garlic clove with a fork through it) to stir them. Don't forget the S&P. Delicious. Try it, then thank me.
3. Coconut Curry Mash - This recipe is delicious! Don't forget to add the cinnamon on top. My mom is gluten-intolerant and she agreed this recipe is devine.
4. Union Square Zuccini - Also tried this recipe. Very good. This is where he uses the garlic spatula - it's easy to make and makes a great appetizer. If you don't have the star peeler he recommends I used a regular vegetable peeler and it worked fine.
5. Sexy Time Steak - This is by far the BEST steak I've ever had. So it took me a day of waiting to 'prep' the steak, but it's easily the best recipe in this book (I'm assuming). Really, this recipe alone is worth the cost of this book. Tip - I like it better with the Montreal Steak Seasoning, and I also bought the Polder digital thermometer he recommends which ensures it will cook incredibly accurately. I've already ensured my friends I will cook this for them (once my cooking skills get more up to par).
6. Eggocado - Another winner. This is an awesome appetizer that is a sure crowd pleaser.
The next recipe I plan on making is the gazpacho which looks fantastic.
The Wild - This part may be a turn-off to some, but this is where Tim shows how to hunt. And not just hunt, hunt ANYTHING. He gives full reviews of the best of the best of what equipment/guns to use when entering 'the wild', how to make "acorn pancakes" (somehow they actually look delicious), and hunting big and small game. The most shocking part is he literally devotes an entire chapter on how to catch a pigeon and then dissect it for cooking.. I somehow lost my appetite. Again, some will find immense value out of this chapter, others can pleasantly move on.
The Scientist - There are some good 'lessons' in this chapter that some may pass up just because it's too "science-y." There is also a limit here since the ingredients he uses in this section you may have to buy online for some of them. The two I've tried are the bacon-bourbon (yes bacon bourbon) and the chopping wine. The chopping wine method really works and I ended up buying a wine aerator for a christmas gift.
The Professional - More good stuff. And advanced stuff. I am from Chicago and his writing on Alinea Restaurant made me really want to try it (not to mention yelp review are out of this world). I haven't actually tried these recipes but some of them look pretty good and a little bizarre (cigar-infused tequilla hot chocolate..?)
Appendix: Again a lot of people will pass this up but there's more gold in this section. Like how to shoot a three pointer and tricks to remember a deck of cards. There's also tips on being "VIP" which I now always ask the waiter/waitress on what the most underrated dish on the menu for some new perspective.
So that's it. This is a massive book and there are good parts for everybody. I'm reading it in the kindle format now, but I plan on buying the physical copy since it can be tedious to scroll page by page and try and find the right spot.
One last awesome tip from the book - If you like to listen to music while cooking like I do, try Tim's tip of putting your cell phone on pandora/playlist and putting it in a metal mixing bowl - it will instantly sound 10x better.
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Reviews with images
Great content - physical book is poorly made
I’ve just started working through this book and so far love all of the content. However, as you can see in the attached photo the book is already becoming unbound in multiple places. Not very happy about this considering it is something i will likely flip back through as a reference from time to time. I have multiple other hardcover books of similar size and have never seen this happen before.
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