Cooking with Marijuana: Blending a Balance of Potency and Taste

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Many doctors agree that smoking is not the best delivery system for medical marijuana. Medical edibles have come a long way since the infamous pot brownies of the 1970's that were consumed with crunchy, awful-tasting leaves and stems. Aunt Sandy's Medical Marijuana Cookbook (Quick American Publishing-11/15/2010) is a collection of recipes by cooking teacher, Sandy Moriarty, who has been experimenting with, developing and improving marijuana edibles over the past decade.

The cookbook is upbeat retro and nostalgic in design and content, reminiscent of classic Betty Crocker-type comfort foods. Some of Sandy's favorites include mac & cheese, spicy Buffalo wings, blue cheese dip and scalloped potatoes.

The book visually demonstrates and reveals the "secret" process for creating the "magic ingredient," Sandy's 10x Cannabutter, which replaces the bitter "grass flavor" with a tasty, nutty butter flavor. It includes 49 easy-to-prepare, delicious dishes from her signature dessert, Blue Sky Lemon Bars, to the Dizzy Bird Turkey with Stuffing for a festive holiday dinner. The book updates some of the classics with low-calorie, vegetarian, vegan, sugar-free and gluten-free options.

Sandy says, "Controlling the potency is an experimental process I call 'titrating.' You basically cut food into small pieces (1-inch x 1-inch) and eat one every half hour. Each individual's potency level is different." In the book, the author teaches how potency can be adjusted by the amount of plant material used in the butter, oil or tincture, and how to adjust the strength of the butter and the serving sizes.

Aunt Sandy's cookbook arose from her popular cooking classes at Oaksterdam University in Oakland, California (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fj3JwIV8jU), which has pioneered training for jobs in the booming marijuana industry. In just three years, Oaksterdam has trained more than 12,000 students from all over the country.

Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have now legalized the use of medical marijuana and another six are in the process. The American Medical Association has now recognized the medical value of marijuana and the federal government has provided medical marijuana to selected medical patients for many years.

http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-human-condition/2009/11/13/the-american-medical-association-reconsiders-marijuana-will-the-justice-department-follow.html

Aunt Sandy's Medical Marijuana Cookbook may be purchased through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Borders or at your local bookstore.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sandy Moriarty loves to cook. She has been feeding her friends and family for more than 30 years with creative, comfort food that people just love. Her parents were both great cooks and she grew up enjoying hearty, down-home cooking.

Her foray into cooking with marijuana began when several sick friends asked her to try and make some of her desserts with marijuana. Sandy explains that marijuana is medicine and it can relieve pain, nausea, anxiety and sleeplessness, as evidenced by the popularity of her food that patients purchase in legal dispensaries. Her development of intense potency in butter changed the process of cooking with marijuana, making it better medicine and a more pleasurable eating experience.

http://www.mmcookbook.com

Moriarty began teaching cooking classes in 2008 at Oaksterdam University in Oakland, California.  She has three daughters and resides in Northern California, where she runs a property management company and is a licensed real estate agent.

ABOUT QUICK AMERICAN PUBLISHING/PUBLISHER: ED ROSENTHAL

"Mr. Rosenthal is the pothead's answer to Ann Landers, Judge Judy, Martha Stewart and the Burpee Garden Wizard all in one." - NY Times

Ed Rosenthal is recognized worldwide as a leading authority on marijuana. In his more than 30 years as the "guru of ganja," he has written or edited more than a dozen books about marijuana cultivation and social policy that cumulatively have sold more than one million copies. One of his books on marijuana cultivation is the only book of its type to be reviewed by the New York Times.

Rosenthal views marijuana law as a crucial social issue. His commentary on issues like Proposition 19, the legalize, tax and regulate cannabis bill on the California ballot appears throughout his blog,  http://www.edrosenthal.com.

He teaches horticulture at Oaksterdam University, the leading trade school for the cannabis industry.  His classes teach how to use the latest equipment along with lessons for the best growing techniques.

Books by Ed include: Ed Rosenthal's Marijuana Grower's Handbook (2010); Medical Marijuana Handbook; Why Marijuana Should be Legal; The Big Book of Buds Series; Marijuana Garden Saver; ASK ED: Marijuana Law, Don't Get Busted and The Best of Ask Ed.

http://www.quickamerican.com

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SOURCE Quick American Publishing