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Paleo Takeout Secret Menu Items

Hi everyone, just wanted to send a quick note to let you know that I’m releasing my Paleo Takeout Secret Menu Items list to the public. It features items that can be created using existing recipes and techniques found in the book; eagle-eyed readers might remember these secret menu items from the holiday package I offered last year.

To access your free, printer-friendly download, simply sign up for my periodic newsletter and it will be delivered to your inbox. My newsletter is the easiest way for you to get new info from me and my site – I send out a new edition every 2-3 weeks, featuring new recipes, tips, and news that I find relevant.

There are 32 secret menu items in total, bringing the recipe count of Paleo Takeout up to nearly 300 dishes! These items will make it into the next printing of the book, but for now, check out the list below.

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A Tale of Two Chilis: My Review of The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook (and a Giveaway)


Left: Chili Con Carne from The Ancestral Table. Right: Texas Chili from The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook

I don’t know about you guys, but my teenage years were not very productive. I played and sang in punk rock bands, and we churned out a cassette tape release every six months or so. That was about it. At the time I felt like a pretty prolific chap, but it pales in comparison to the milestones that teen blogger Joshua Weissman (the writer behind the website Slim Palate and the newly-released cookbook, The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook) has reached in the past couple of years.

Writing a cookbook is not easy. Surviving your teenage years is not easy. Somehow, Joshua managed both, and while I can’t speak for how easily his adolescence is going, this book is a significant accomplishment in and of itself. But this book is even more impressive; it is the tale of one young man’s journey from obesity to health (he lost 100 pounds along the way). Ultimately, this project is more than a cookbook – it’s an early chronicle of someone destined for great(er) things.

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US Wellness Meats $200 Gift Card Giveaway!

People say nice things about companies all the time, and I’m always leery of endorsements. After all, companies are just big, hulking, impersonal machines, right? While it’s probably easy or convenient to say that The Ancestral Table is solely the result of my own hard work over the years, the truth is that my cookbook wouldn’t have been possible without the support of many people, chief among them my friends at US Wellness Meats. I realize that sounds a little extreme, so hear me out.

Two years ago, I sent them an email asking if they were interested in partnering for some recipes. This was my first time putting myself (and this blog) out there like that, and I felt sheepish writing such an assuming email – after all, at the time I had only a few hundred Facebook “likes” and a regular readership of around 50 people. But the USWM team saw something they liked in my little site, and sent me a box of various meats to work with; they also added me as their April 2012 Featured Chef, and my website took off from there. I attribute the turning point of this blog – from something I was writing for mostly myself to what it is today – to their support in early 2012.

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The Ancestral Table Release Party!

I’m happy to announce that I’ll be hosting a release party for The Ancestral Table: Traditional Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle in just two weeks! Come celebrate, and bring your copy of the book to get signed! One of my favorite DC bookstores (Politics & Prose) will also be selling copies of book during the event (signed, of course).

Red Apron Butcher has been kind enough to host the event, keeping their lights on an extra two hours so we can enjoy the party exclusively. Light refreshments will be served, including Suet (Tallow) Fries with Rosemary and Garlic Confit, Pork Rinds with Lard Dip, and more! A cash bar (stocked with your favorite wine, beer, and hard cider) and butchery (charcuterie, lard, and broth) will be available.

Details:
Saturday, February 15th, 8pm-10pm
Red Apron Butcher (Union Square)
1309 5th St NE, Washington DC, 20002

Come meet some of your favorite Paleo bloggers, including Bill & Hayley from Primal Palate, Matt & Stacy from Paleo Parents, Alex Boake, and Brent & Heather from Virginia is for Hunter-Gatherers. More friends and bloggers are joining every day, so check back often!

Entry is free, but please RSVP as soon as possible so that I can get a proper headcount (we don’t want to run out of food!). Don’t miss out – free grub and great company!

See you there!

P.S. I just wrote a guest post for my good friend Michelle (Nom Nom Paleo): 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Russ Crandall’s The Ancestral Table. Check it out!

Book Review (and Signed Copy Giveaway!): Beyond Bacon – Paleo Recipes that Respect the Whole Hog

Congratulations to Abby F. who won the giveaway!

It’s with great pleasure that I take a minute and review Beyond Bacon: Paleo Recipes that Respect the Whole Hog, written by my friends Stacy Toth and Matthew McCarry (also known as the Paleo Parents). It’s the epitome of what I have been waiting to surface out of the Paleo world: a classy, beautiful, and relevant cookbook that holds its own against traditional cookbooks on the market today.

Beyond Bacon is a Paleo book with a lowercase “p” – the fact that the recipes happen to be Paleo takes a backseat, letting the dishes speak for themselves (and trust me, they can and do speak for themselves – more on that in a second). It’s the kind of book you’d expect people to buy only to find out later that it’s a book based on dietary restrictions.

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Book Review (and Giveaway!): Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry

Update: Congratulations to Erin W., who won the giveaway!

I think the upcoming release of Elana Amsterdam’s Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry marks an exciting time in the Paleo movement. This value-priced book is coming right when Paleo is spiking in mainstream appeal, and the book sports some really delicious and ultra simple recipes, which will be really helpful for those curious about changing their dietary habits for the better. Moreover, there are enough new recipes in here to keep seasoned Paleo eaters busy for a while.

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Book Review (and Giveaway!) – Gather: The Art of Paleo Entertaining

Hey folks, I’m starting to get quite a collection of cookbooks (although it pales in comparison to this stash!), so I’m going to review some Paleo-minded cookbooks as I receive them, and give a copy away as well. If you have a book coming out soon, I’d be happy to have a look and run it through its paces.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Molly D. from Houston, TX, who won the giveaway. Thanks to everyone for participating!

I’m really excited about Gather: The Art of Paleo Entertaining, which releases next week. Personally, I think it is a huge step forward in the Paleo cooking world. Not only have Bill Staley and Hayley Mason created some really tasty recipes, they’ve upped the bar in terms of presentation and thoughtfulness. This is the first Paleo cookbook I’ve seen that I think can stand toe-to-toe with the best non-Paleo cookbooks coming out this year.

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Nom Nom Paleo iPad App Giveaway!

Update: congratulations to Chris, Ethan, and Jamison, the three winners! The giveaway is now officially closed.

It’s probably no surprise that I’m a huge fan of Nom Nom Paleo. Michelle’s photos are always perfect and vibrant, and her recipes make it immediately apparent that not only does she know her way around a kitchen, she has a serious love of all things food. She’s a continuing source of inspiration for me in terms of presentation and healthful approaches to cooking. You might think it’s funny, but I only allow myself to visit her website every so often, mostly to make sure that my next recipe isn’t going to conflict with one of her recipes. And this is because I have serious blog envy; I’m afraid that if I go there too often, my cooking and website will mimic hers even more than it does already! I know, it’s ridiculous.

Her much-lauded iPad app received a serious update earlier this month, with a new pricing scheme – instead of in-app purchases for new recipes, you get the whole shebang for a one-time $6 price tag. I have put the app through its paces and I can say with conviction that it’s one of the best-designed apps I’ve seen, period. It has over 120 recipes, all of them both beautiful and delicious. I especially love her Walnut Prawns recipe, which made me realize that my own recipe for the dish is in serious need of updating!

To celebrate her new iPad app update, I’ve teamed up with Michelle to offer three download codes!

Here’s how to enter the giveaway (first one is required, second is optional):

1. Sign up for my newsletter (on the right sidebar of this page) and leave a comment on this post letting me know you did it.
2. “Like” The Domestic Man FB page and leave a comment on this post letting me know you did it.

If you do both options, I’ll give you two entries into the giveaway! You can tell me which options you did in one comment to save time. The giveaway ends at 10pm TONIGHT (January 27th, EST), and I will select three winners using a random number generator right afterwards. Good luck!

Fine print: the download codes expire on January 30th, 2013, so be sure to redeem it as soon as you get it!

Perfect Health Diet (Signed Copy) Giveaway!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Heather M., who won the giveaway!

Today I’m taking a break from my regularly scheduled recipe to host another giveaway. I feel like Father Christmas – two giveaways in one month! Don’t worry though, I will still be posting a recipe this week (on Thursday). And it’s a doozy.

The new edition of Perfect Health Diet comes out today, and I’m proud to say that I’m teaming up with Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet to host a giveaway: a signed copy of their new book! The Perfect Health Diet is the template I use to guide my own dietary habits, and it’s quite a coincidence that this book is coming out on the same week as my two-year anniversary of switching my own diet.

The Perfect Health Diet is a simple and thoughtful approach to eating, which could probably be summed up as 3/4 vegetables and safe starches, and 1/4 meats, with healthy fats and acids to taste. The diet avoids the same foods as a Paleo diet (cereal grains, legumes, added sugar, grain-derived oils) with the exception of white rice, which is considered a safe starch.

Here’s how to enter the giveaway (first one is required, second is optional):

1. Sign up for the Perfect Health Diet RSS feed and leave a comment on this post letting me know you did it. If you don’t use RSS feeds, you can “like” the PHD FB page or follow Paul on Twitter instead.
2. Sign up for my newsletter (on the right sidebar of this page) and leave a comment on this post letting me know you did it.

If you do both options, I’ll give you two entries into the giveaway! You can tell me which options you did in one comment to save time. The giveaway ends midnight Saturday, December 15th (EST), and I will select a winner using a random number generator on Sunday. Good luck!

Giveaway not restricted to US residents – international entrants are welcome!
Giveaway graphic by Alex Boake Illustration.

The Domestic Man’s US Wellness Meats Giveaway!

Edit: the giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to Maia Low who is the big winner!

You may have seen my recent recipes featuring some delicious meats from US Wellness Meats (including my liver and caramelized onions and honey and citrus glazed ham recipes). You may also have been salivating from the awesome looking meat and dreamed of making some of your own. Luckily for you, I am teaming up with US Wellness Meats to make your dreams a reality: we’re giving away a $100 gift certificate to their site!

And while a free $100 worth of meat sounds great, I have an even better proposal. How about you treat this $100 as a “grass-fed buffer” – in other words, calculate what you pay for the mediocre (and possibly toxic) meat that you can find at your local supermarket, and then use the $100 certificate to offset the cost of buying this delicious, healthy grass-fed beef. For example, let’s say you regularly pay $4/lb for ground beef at your supermarket. US Wellness Meats’ awesome 75/25 ground beef currently costs $6.45/lb. This means that if you win the giveaway, you could buy THIRTY EIGHT POUNDS of grass-fed ground beef for the same price as the same amount of conventional ground beef, and have money to spare even after paying their reasonable $7.50 handling fee (shipping on their site is free)! Just an idea – you can spend the $100 how you’d like, but that’s what I would do!

Here’s how to enter the giveaway (first one is required, second is optional):

1. Subscribe to the US Wellness Meats newsletter and leave a comment on this post letting me know you did it.
2. “Like” The Domestic Man facebook page and leave a comment on this post letting me know you did it.

If you do both options, I’ll give you two entries into the giveaway! You can tell me that you did both options in one comment instead of two. The giveaway ends midnight Saturday, February 11th, and I will select a winner using a random number generator sometime thereafter. Good luck!

Fine print: Giveaway for US residents only – US Wellness Meats is not able to ship internationally because of customs issues.