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It Takes Guts: A Meat-Eater's Guide to Eating Offal with over 75 Delicious Nose-to-Tail Recipes

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Food (and life) is all about having an open mind and an adventurous spirit can take you to wonderful places you’d never experience otherwise.

From health and nutrition writer, podcast host, and self-proclaimed health nerd Ashleigh VanHouten comes this entertaining and user-friendly guide to enjoying some of the more adventurous parts of the animal, as well as understanding the value of whole-animal cooking. Enjoy 75 delicious and uncomplicated recipes sourced from an enthusiastic advocate of nose-to-tail, ancestrally inspired eating who does not have a background in cooking or organ meats—so if she can do it, so can you! Ashleigh has also enlisted the help of some of her chef friends who are known for their beautiful preparations of nose-to-tail dishes to ensure that her recipes nourish and satisfy both your body and your palate.

There are many great reasons to adopt a truly whole-animal, nose-to-tail approach to eating. It Takes A Meat-Eater's Guide to Eating Offal with over 75 Healthy and Delicious Nose-to-Tail Recipes is more than a it’s about education and understanding that the way we eat is important. Our choices matter, and we should seek to know why a particular food is beneficial for us, the ecosystem, and the animals, and how our food choices fit into the larger food industry and community in which we are a part. Through interviews with experts, more than a few hilarious and thoughtful anecdotes, and of course, delicious recipes, you’ll learn the cultural, environmental, and health benefits of adding a little “variety meat” to your diet. As the saying goes, the way you do anything is the way you do everything. So let’s all approach our plates, and our lives, with a sense of adventure and enthusiasm!

In this book, you will find
• An entertaining introduction into the “offal” world of organ meats, and why it’s more delicious (and less scary) than you may think
• A breakdown of the healthiest and tastiest organ meats, from heart, liver, and kidney to tongue, bone marrow, and blood
• An interview with a butcher on how to source the best organ meats, including what to look for and ask about
• 75 delicious, fun, and easy recipes that you don’t have to be a chef to prepare
• Plenty of background and personal anecdotes about specific where they come from, why they’re special, and why you should add them to your meal plan
• A number of contributed recipes from respected chefs, recipe developers, and fellow health nerds, including the Ben Greenfield family, Beth Lipton, and Tania Teschke

From the “I encourage, whenever I can, a little adventure when you eat. One bite of something new won’t hurt you, and it just might open up a whole new world of pleasure and health. By eating nose-to-tail, we’re also honoring and respecting the animals who sacrificed for our dinner plates by ensuring none of it is wasted.”

256 pages, Paperback

Published October 20, 2020

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About the author

Ashleigh Vanhouten

10 books1 follower

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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
1 review1 follower
February 3, 2021
This is such a beautiful and informative book. I have learned so much and the author has thought of everything a beginner would want and need to know before introducing more offal into their diets. It has been fun trying new recipes that are more nutrient dense and going out of my family’s comfort zone a bit. I’m so glad I got it!
Profile Image for Monica.
22 reviews
January 30, 2021
It Takes Guts is an excellent introduction to the world of offal. The recipes are simple and easy to follow the food is scrumptious. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to try a new and healthier way of eating.
Profile Image for Kristina Seleshanko.
Author 23 books16 followers
February 25, 2023
There are many things to love about this book: The author's down-to-earth, perky writing style, the readability of the recipes (almost all have actually interesting introductions), the wide range of recipes (desserts, appetizers, sides, and main dishes), and the know-how on using unfamiliar cuts, to name a few. There are many recipes here I will definitely try, and I appreciate that the author has kept in mind how easy (or not) certain offal is to obtain at butcher shops and grocery stores in the U.S. and Canada.

I do, however, wish the recipes included nutritional information - at least the macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs). I also think the side dish recipes that don't include offal have no place in this book.

That said, I highly recommend "It Takes Guts" to anyone interested in eating healthy - especially those who want to introduce super-nutritious offal into their diet.
Profile Image for Abby Jones.
Author 1 book35 followers
February 14, 2024
I didn't read all of this, mostly just the beginning information and then glanced over a few recipes. I did get some helpful information, but I still need to find places to actually get any of this meat before I'm ready to start any of these recipes, but the whipped marrow, the make-your-own-ground-beef ratio was what I needed, and just the exposure to some of these other cuts. All that was helpful. Why not more stars? Probably because I'm not thinking about buying it right now. There just weren't enough recipes that I thought I would personally use.
Profile Image for Charmaine.
37 reviews3 followers
August 27, 2024
I am so happy I bought this cookbook for my collection! It is incredibly well organized and educational. So many of the recipes look amazing and I can't wait to add more of them to my rotation.

I love all the information about the importance of quality for your source of ingredients, along with the beautiful explanation about being responsible consumers.


Now to find a local source for all of these healthy yet uncommon ingredients!
51 reviews
June 19, 2022
The most unique recipe book I've seen so far. Alot of ingredients are hard to find at your local market, so you going to need a good butcher. Overall, I was hoping for a more informative approach on how to utilize the different cuts and what they would be suited well for. Instead it more of a recipe compilation
Profile Image for Sarah Ryburn.
682 reviews35 followers
May 15, 2021
A treasure trove of culinary information and ideas, all of which I want to try immediately. Even sliced beef tongue sandwiches and spicy Portuguese tripe stew. Feeling quite adventurous!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews

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