Cannabis cookbook elevates the art of edibles

When you think of edibles, what comes to mind? Cookies and brownies probably, but co-author Laurie Wolf's Herb: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Cannabis is about making delicious dishes that just happen to include marijuana.

Wolf is a trained chef and recipe developer, so when faced with the challenge of creating 'green' meals that didn't taste like old school edibles, she approached it as she would any new food.

"It was like learning how to work with a new herb, and a new herb that wasn't that popular," she tells Shad.

While Wolf is licensed to possess pot, the way both the States and Canada are moving with regards to marijuana, she believes cookbooks like hers are the way of the future.

"I believe that there'll be a section in one of the supermarkets, like next to the gluten free. You know, maybe there'll be the cannabis," Wolf adds.

But whether you're giving cannabutter a try or preparing a dish from her cookbook, Wolf says when you find the dose that works for you, don't move on to a higher one.

"Too much is a nightmare." 

WEB EXTRA | Try out a couple recipes from Herb: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Cannabis for marijuana infused butternut squash soup and bone-in rib eye.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons cannabutter​
• 1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, finely diced
• 1 (2- to 3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 5 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Kosher salt and finely ground fresh black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot, melt the cannabutter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cream, then turn off the heat and let the soup cool slightly.
3. Working in 2 batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Or, if you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup directly in the pot.
4. Return the blended soup to the pot and rewarm it over medium-low heat. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper before serving.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (18-ounce) bone-in cowboy-cut rib eye, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons canola oil Kosher salt and coarsely ground fresh black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic-herb cannabutter or another compound butter of your choosing

DIRECTIONS

1. Put a 12-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 500F.
2. Rub the steak with the oil and season it liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Wearing an oven mitt, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and put it on the stove over high heat. Put the steak in the pan and sear it for 1 minute, then turn it and sear on the other side for 1 minute. Flip the steak and carefully return the pan to the oven.
4. Cook the steak for 3 minutes, flip it, and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 140F. Remove it from the oven and let it rest, tented with aluminum foil, for 10 minutes.
5. Slice meat off the bone and cut into thick slices. Top with cannabutter.