Taming the Feast

Ben Ford's Field Guide to Adventurous Cooking

Description

The guide to cooking with fire and feeding a crowd, restaurateur Ben Ford gives step-by-step instructions with photos and illustrations so that you can grill, smoke, or roast the whole beast outdoors—or prepare a “tamed” version of the feast in your home kitchen.

Cook big. Play with fire. Get your hands dirty.

Chef Ben Ford is known for wowing crowds with his handcrafted feasts of enormous proportions—a whole pig roast, paella for eighty, burgers for the block. Now, in Taming the Feast, his complete guide to outdoor grilling, smoking, and roasting, Ford divulges his secrets for nine jaw-dropping feasts for the adventurous home cook and DIY enthusiast.

From mouthwatering Texas-style barbecue to Wood-Fired Paella, these entertaining blueprints can be used to throw a party for the whole neighborhood or an intimate dinner for four. A culinary MacGyver, Ford also provides unique complete do-it-yourself primers for making simple custom outdoor cookers that coax the ultimate flavor out of salmon, pig, rabbit, burgers, bratwurst, turkey, and lamb. Here are easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, drawings, and timelines for constructing a baking barrel, cinder-block oven, smoking shed, and roasting box in your own backyard.

Ford’s food reflects his passion for artisanal techniques, innovative combinations of flavors, and seasonal ingredients. Delicious sides, including Avocado Crostini with Tomatoes, Capers, Olives, Almonds, and Arugula, Persimmon Salad with Goat Cheese and Candied Pecans, Cheddar Cheese Loaf with Artisanal Ham and Spicy Brown Mustard, complement hearty main dishes. Each feast ends on a playful note with delicious desserts like classic S’mores with homemade marshmallows and graham crackers and Coconut and Banana Cream "Pies." Each chapter also includes creative recipes to make use of the leftovers you’re sure to have.

Taming the Feast is further enlivened by gorgeous photography and Ford’s stories of growing up with his father, Harrison Ford, then a carpenter, and his life as chef at some of California’s most celebrated restaurants working under such pillars of California cuisine as Alice Waters, Paul Bertolli, David Tanis, Nancy Silverton, Mark Peel, and Eberhard Müller.

Whether you are hosting a pig roast, a fish fry, or a backyard barbecue family reunion, you can be sure everyone will leave your party entertained, well fed, and raving about the food.

About the author(s)

Ben Ford is the executive chef and owner of Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City, and an outpost at Los Angeles International Airport. He worked at Chez Panisse, Berkeley, and Campanile, Los Angeles, before opening his own restaurant. He is the author Taming the Feast and coauthor of Wings and Things with David Turofsky. Ford lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Emily, and two sons.

Carolynn Carreño is a James Beard Award–winning writer for magazines including Bon AppétitSaveur, the Los Angeles TimesGourmet, and Food & Wine, and coauthor of books with chefs Nancy Silverton, Kenny Shopsin, and Sara Foster. Her cookbooks are known for their distinct voice and storytelling style.

Reviews

"Ben Ford has knocked the ball out of the park with Taming the Feast. It's the book that every real man needs. This ain't about molecular tweezer food. This is a book for the outdoor cooking enthusiast. Ben Ford is so generous with how to information and gutsy delicious recipes meant for large gatherings."

Chef John Besh, Besh Restaurant Group

“Whether you are feeling adventurous, or have only a half hour to spare, you can find a great recipe in Ben’s first book. All his food has the same mission: treating fresh ingredients with lots of love and serving them with lively party-perfect presentations."

Daniel Boulud, Chef/Owner, The Dinex Group

“Chef Ben Ford from the American family that defines adventure has created a cookbook that will turn our country favorite the backyard bbq into a safari of delicious flavors for the palate and for the senses. Don't forget your bull whip!”

Chef Art Smith, Bestselling Author, James Beard Award-winner

“Wonderfully inventive, Ford’s unique approach to his craft is inspirational; his imagination and creativity know no limits. This highly engaging book will make you want to feast!”

Chef Kevin Thornton

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