The Art of Eating through the Zombie Apocalypse - Lauren Wilson

5 Stars!

ABOUT THE BOOK -

Just because the undead’s taste buds are atrophying doesn’t mean yours have to!

You duck into the safest-looking abandoned house you can find and hold your breath as you listen for the approaching zombie horde you’ve been running from all day. You hear a gurgling sound. Is it the undead? No—it’s your stomach.

When the zombie apocalypse tears down life and society as we know it, it will mean no more take out, no more brightly lit, immaculately organized aisles of food just waiting to be plucked effortlessly off the shelves. No more trips down to the local farmers’ market. No more microwaved meals in front of the TV or intimate dinner parties. No, when the undead rise, eating will be hard, and doing it successfully will become an art.

The Art of Eating through the Zombie Apocalypse is a cookbook and culinary field guide for the busy zpoc survivor. With more than 80 recipes (from Overnight of the Living Dead French Toast and It’s Not Easy Growing Greens Salad to Down & Out Sauerkraut, Honey & Blackberry Mead, and Twinkie Trifle), scads of gastronomic survival tips, and dozens of diagrams and illustrations that help you scavenge, forage, and improvise your way to an artful post-apocalypse meal. The Art of Eating is the ideal handbook for efficient food sourcing and inventive meal preparation in the event of an undead uprising.

Whether you decide to hole up in your own home or bug out into the wilderness, whether you prefer to scavenge the dregs of society or try your hand at apocalyptic agriculture, and regardless of your level of skill or preparation, The Art of Eating will help you navigate the wasteland and make the most of what you eat.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -

Lauren was infected with a rare strain of undead enthusiasm over a decade ago while fighting off the zombie menace of Raccoon City in the original Resident Evil. From video games to comic books, zombie walks to online communities, there are few corners of the culture she has not explored. And she's got a decent zed t-shirt collection, to boot.
When not nerding out about zombies, space, or Adventure Time, Lauren works in the world of food as a professional cook and writer. Since completing her culinary training at Toronto's George Brown Chef School in 2008 she has done a variety of work--from restaurant cooking to cheesemongering, online sales to catering, teaching cooking classes to writing for print and online media. She completed research and course development work at George Brown examining the career motivations, ambitions, and expectations of students with the aim of better understanding low female representation at the executive level of professional kitchens.
After eating up all the good bits of Toronto, Lauren followed a trail of crumbs to Brooklyn, New York, where she is cooking, eating, writing, and teaching happily.

MY REVIEW -
You might be reading this and think "Didn't you already review this once?"
Yes, I did, but that was the netgalley copy and it did not do it justice! The actual book is soooo much better! So I am re-doing my review.

I don't think I have ever had a recipe/survival book be so much fun to read. This book is very practical! And, no, I don't mean fighting zombies... I mean just as a survival guide.
It shows you how to build a filtration system
A bear trap
A fire hole
A solar still
A fish trap
And lots more - it makes me want to go out in the woods and try some of these!

It is also a fun recipe book.
I love the different kinds of grilled cheeses! Who doesn't love grilled cheese (well except if you can't have cheese - then - sorry for you!)
~When things get messy - Gouda or Monterey jack, something red, spicy, and saucy, dry ramen, sourdough bread
~The all American - American cheese, lunch meat or hot dogs, ketchup, white bread
~Life's a fiesta - Monterey jack and manchego, refried beans, jalapenos, Adobo sauce, multigrain bread
There are a few others but these are my favorites.

Here are a few other recipes just to name a few -
Mental fruit lentil soup
I want my mommy casserole
Nice rice pudding
Mealworm fried rice - eewww
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Here is a recipe for you!

Overnight of the Living Dead French Toast
Yields: 4 Hungry Survivor servings, 6 Regular Joe servings

Welcome to the zombie apocalypse! Tomorrow is a big day: you will be losing your head (hopefully not literally) trying to fend off the newly infected. On top of that, those pesky little weak spots in your fortress will surely present themselves, leaving you overwhelmed with survival and physical defense–focused activities.
Before you go to sleep tonight (if it even seems safe to do so), why not plan ahead for breakfast? Not only will it help use up some of your perishables (milk, eggs, butter, bread), it will also give you a calorie-rich jumpstart to your undead-filled day.
If the power has already gone out, reduce the amount of time you soak the bread to a couple of hours and use an Oven Hack (page 6) to cook this bad boy.

Requires:
Chef’s or survival knife and cutting board
1 bread knife
1 small mixing bowl
1 mixing spoon
1 fireproof baking dish (preferably 7" x 11")
1 large bowl
1 whisk (or fork)
Piece of foil, to cover baking dish

Heat Source:
Indirect, conventional oven or other Oven Hack (page 6)

Time:
10 minutes prep
4-8 hours inactive soaking time
35 minutes unattended cooking time

Ingredients:
¼ c. (4 tbsp.) butter, melted
½ c. brown sugar
12 oz. bread (challah, raisin, French baguette, Wonder—whatever you got, preferably a mix of several different kinds), sliced into strips 2–3 fingers wide
½ c. dried cranberries or raisins
6 eggs
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 ½ c. milk, cream, or combination
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground ginger
Pinch of salt
3 tbsp. rum, orange liqueur, or brandy (optional)
1 c. nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds), roughly chopped and preferably toasted
Maple syrup, to taste

Method:
1.    Mix together the melted butter and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl. Spread the mixture along the bottom of the baking dish.
2.    Put down a layer of bread fingers, overlapping and filling gaps where needed. Sprinkle with dried fruit. Repeat with remaining bread and fruit.
3.    In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and granulated sugar together until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the milk/cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pinch of salt, and liquor/liqueur (if using). Whisk until incorporated.
4.    Pour the custard over the bread and dried fruit, sweeping back and forth to moisten the whole top layer, filling any nooks and crannies. Cover with foil and let sit for 2 hours (no refrigeration) or at least 4 hours to overnight (in the fridge).
5.    Preheat oven (for perhaps the last time!) to 375°F or set up an Oven Hack (see Judging Temperature, page 7).
6.    Remove foil from the baking dish and sprinkle with the toasted nuts (if using). Drizzle lightly with maple syrup.
7.    Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, then cover and bake for another 15 minutes to avoid overbrowning. Check after 20 minutes or so—cooking time will vary widely depending on your setup.
8.    The French toast is ready when the custard at the center feels set (i.e., not jiggly, squishy, or raw). Let stand for 5–10 minutes, then drizzle liberally with more maple syrup before tucking in.
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This book also teaches you how to forage and hunt. Growing your own and even preserving.
And of course you will need to know how to eat on the run (living off the land).

Like I said, this book is very practical.
But if you are one of the many people who are into the zombie thing - there are lots of undead tid-bits for you!
I think this would make a great gift for those Zombie loving friends and relatives!

Thank you so much "BenBella Books, Inc." for sending me this awesome book for my honest review!

Get your copy from Amazon - HERE