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Sousa Vide Cookbook Recommendation

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    Sousa Vide Cookbook Recommendation

    Can anyone recommend a good sous vide cookbook. I want to get one for my son as a gift. The situation is a little abnormal due to Covid-19.

    - mom and dad live in Port Moody, BC
    - son is in Seattle for work. Border is closed both so no visits (mom is struggling with this but FaceTime helps)
    - I started son on his SV journey before he left for Seattle with all I learned from The Pit. QVQ, SVQ etc.
    - He is a carnivore and is a healthy eater.
    - No deck for a BBQ at his apartment and although they have a communal BBQ pit it is closed for safety reasons.
    - He has tried finishing with cast iron but it sets off the smoke alarm so be has turned to using the oven broiler.
    - He does have a Ninja indoor grill on route so hopefully that will be a tool he can use.

    I’d like to surprise him with a SV cookbook but when I went to Amazon there were literally 100’s to choose from.

    Any suggestions would be appreciated.


    #2
    The only SV book I have is "Sous Vide for Everybody" - America's Test Kitchen.
    I have others in a waiting list but I find it hard to justify purchasing another because of all the sites on the web. Here are some of the ones that I go to:

    https://www.amazingfoodmadeeasy.com/ (also has a few books out on Amazon)
    ChefSteps is here to make cooking more fun. Get recipes, tips, and videos that show the whys behind the hows for sous vide, grilling, baking, and more.

    The #1 resource dedicated to the ways of sous vide.




    Comment


      #3
      I agree with JimLinebarger . When I started with SV I looked at several and couldn't decide which one was the most informative for me. I ended up reading several sites (many he has posted above) and keeping lots of notes on my cooks. Douglas Baldwins charts on pasteurization were very helpful IMO.

      Comment


        #4
        I agree that the best place to start is with Douglas Baldwin's Sous Vide for the Home Cook . It's $42 on Amazon. Much of the information contained in it can be found on Baldwin's website: A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking. The super scientific approach is calming for people struggling with the concept of cooking many foods in the food danger zone for long periods of time. It's the resource I reach for first. That said, the recipes in the book are dated and there are not many of them.

        The most accessible resource that I use are the built-in guides on the app that comes with my Joule. They're pretty foolproof, except for the one on pork chops, where I always ignore their recommended temp and set the Joule at 135°.

        I find the Chef Steps website SV recipes to be interesting but not always well-focused on the food safety aspects of sous vide. Plus the advice is inconsistent.

        I find the Anova site to be peppered with recipes that are not tested, much like the All Recipes site for regular recipes--anyone can post.

        I like the Serious Eats sous vide posts written by Kenji. I'm not as confident with the sous vide posts on that site written by others.

        I don't have the America's Test Kitchen book, but the ATK episodes I've seen have a lot of not-as-good advice and techniques, based on what I have learned about SV over the years.

        The site I like and trust the most is right here. Potkettleblack has a wealth of information and shares it generously. He often links to the more science-y sites for sous vide to illustrate a point. There are a host of other posters whose opinions on sous vide I respect as well. Much of the commentary is focused on SVQ, which your son can't use, but there is still a ton of good SV information to be had here.

        When first getting into any new endeavor, I find that selecting one or two good sources and trying out the recommendations is a good way to learn. Try a recipe, tweak it a time or two in subsequent cooks, and nail down the technique. Repeat with other recipes. I do that with the Joule app recipes. Not having that, Serious Eats website is probably the one I would recommend for Kenji's articles. He's not always on target, I have learned (at least for my needs), but he gets pretty close much of the time.

        Kathryn
        Last edited by fzxdoc; April 19, 2020, 06:15 AM.

        Comment


        • MBMorgan
          MBMorgan commented
          Editing a comment
          Well said, K!

          Mike

        • EdF
          EdF commented
          Editing a comment
          "King" Potkettleblack to us!

        #5
        I guess suggesting a "cookbook" certainly shows my age. There was always something that a nice glossy picture, together with instructions, that inspired me to try something new. Thinking back, rarely, if ever, did my efforts come close to looking like what I saw in the picture. Some did taste mighty fine though.

        But thanks to JimLinebarger Skip and fzxdoc the best source is indeed the internet and the links you have provided. Every skill I have acquired with respect to SV cooking started here in "The Pit" and the member suggestions. I'll send them off to my son hopefully he'll find them helpful.

        Thanks again.

        Comment


          #6
          Also, recommend he branch out from just meat that he sears. Fish can be excellent, as can some veggies. Eggs are an eye opener and things like a chicken breast might need to be seared but don't need the very high temps that set off an alarm.

          Comment


            #7
            Asparagus and corn on the cob are excellent SVd

            Comment


              #8
              rickgregory klflowers - great ideas. Up to this point he has been concentrating on proteins but SV can do so much more. As previously noted he is a carnivore but also a healthy eater.

              ​​​​​​​Thanks,

              Comment


                #9
                What klflowers said.

                Kathryn

                Comment


                • rodkeary
                  rodkeary commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I've tried the SV'd corn on the cob and it is brilliant. Best corn I've ever had. Local corn is a September harvest in my neck of the woods so we've got a bit of a wait.

                  Ever since we did Meathead's grilled asparagus recipe my wife does not want it any other way. Good excuse to get the kid to try it as he does not have a grill.

                #10
                Another suggestion is turkey breast. Haven't bought any Boars Head since I tried that one. I use the smaller split breasts from Publix rather than the large Butterball breasts - I don't have a container larger enough for the larger ones. Here is Kenji's recipe from Serious Eats:

                Comment


                • rodkeary
                  rodkeary commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I completely forgot about turkey breast. Glad that you reminded me. Thanks,

                #11
                The Baldwin guide is very good, but not super picture intensive.

                modernist cuisine has a ton of information, but is a ridiculous book for home cooking. modernist cruising at home is actually not super Sous vide heavy.

                i think web sites and social media actually have the best content. Lipavi and Sous Vide Resources being most fundamental after Baldwin. I’m not the biggest fan of Kenji’s SV content, though it’s solid. I like a couple of amateur sites a lot, The Alcoholian and Kosher Dosher. There’s a Facebook group around Sous Vide Resources that i think is one of the best resources around, particularly for searching what folks do.

                this site has a lot of great BBQ focused SV content. I make fun of Clint a lot, but he’s great. As is Meathead, and many posters beyond me.

                Comment


                • rodkeary
                  rodkeary commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Very much appreciate the reviews. I did send him the Kosher Dosher link as it is one of my favorites as well. My first thought was to get him a subscription to "The Pit". Kinda like the kid attending his dad's alma mate. I'll wait until he has access a smoker and/or grill before I do. It would be frustrating to read about all the wonderful smoking/grilling going on and not having the tools.

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