It’s All Going to Pot – The Fun Willie Nelson Cannabis Cookbook

Margaret 00:00:04 Welcome back, friends to episode 287, where I'm doing a review of Willie and Annie Nelson's Cannabis Cookbook. Welcome to Bite Me, the show about edibles, where I help you take control of your high life. I'm your host and Certified Ganjier Margaret and I love helping cooks make safe and effective edibles at home. I'm so glad you're here. All right, and welcome back, my friends, to another exciting episode of Bite Me. I am so glad you're here. I am your host, Margaret, and thank you for tuning in and sharing your time with me. It really means a lot. And if you're just tuning in for the first time, I'm so glad you found me. Let me know how you discovered the show and if you've been around for a while, my heartfelt appreciation goes out to you. And this is particularly relevant today, because I am going to be doing a review of Willie and Annie Nelson's Cannabis Cookbook that was gifted to me by Steve and Terri out of Minnesota. They have been longtime listeners and supporters.

Margaret 00:01:01 This was a delightful surprise not that long ago, and I really appreciate it when listeners go out of the way to do kind things for me, because it really means a lot, and I'm so grateful to have wonderful people like Terry and Steve listening. And there are many others out there. You know who you are. So all this love and support. It really does mean a lot to a small independent podcaster like myself. I am independent. I sometimes make choices for this podcast because I don't. I don't want the podcast to start sounding a certain way. I listen to a lot of podcasts myself. I mean, that probably doesn't surprise anybody. That's why I got into podcasting, because it's the medium itself that I really love and the one that I consume most when I am not recording my own. But I have found that a lot of podcasts now sort of join these podcast networks. And of course there can be power and networks, but a lot of the times what you do end up giving up is the ability to control what types of ads play on your podcast.

Margaret 00:02:02 For the most part, I don't do a ton of ads except things that are advertising my own stuff, if you will like, they bite me. Cannabis club is something that I founded, or perhaps affiliate partners that I have for products that I've been using a long time in my own kitchen. And sometimes when you join these networks, you might have access to higher revenue, but what are you giving up for that? And I listen to a lot of great podcasts that are doing gambling ads and ads for things that I don't necessarily personally align with. And so it's a real creative decision to sort of go the route that I'm going to remain independent. I digress, this was not I do know where I was going with this. It was just it's listeners like you that really go a long way to making this show wonderful and keeping me on track and delivering something that I would also want to listen to. And that's often not a bunch of ads from big companies that I have no personal experience with just so I can make a few extra bucks.

Margaret 00:03:04 Today we are doing a review of the cookbook Willie and Annie Nelson's Cannabis Cookbook. Now, I am somebody that has quite a number of cookbook cannabis cookbooks specifically on my shelf. I had a quick peek before I came to do this recording this morning. I do tend to record in the mornings. I have about a dozen cannabis cookbooks on my shelf, and I feel like each one of the ones that I have sort of has a different angle, introduces something new to the reader. Some of them have been books that I've purchased from podcast guests because I had them on the show, because I was really impressed with their work and liked the direction and what they were doing in the world. So I am kind of selective, though, about the cannabis cookbooks that I buy. However, this gift was a very nice surprise. I wasn't really aware that they had come out with a cookbook. Or maybe I've heard about it a little bit somewhere online, but when I received it, I was immediately excited to dive in.

Margaret 00:04:04 And there is something really cool about the fact that Willie and Annie Nelson came out with this cookbook. It is truly a celebration of food, family, and the healing power of cannabis. Whether you are familiar with the work of Willie Nelson or not, it's pretty clear that he is a huge advocate for cannabis. Once I got this book, I have to admit I'm not a big country fan listener, and I haven't listened to a lot of Willie Nelson's work. But as someone who is such a tireless advocate for cannabis and breaking stigma because you can't really argue with the lazy stoner stereotype when you have a man of his vintage still actively producing work. I mean, it's incredible. So today we're going to be discussing some of the cookbooks origins, some of the standout recipes, and how it reflects on Willie and Annie's personal journey with cannabis. Bucklin is going to be a fun little ride. So to start out with Willie Nelson, as I already mentioned, has been a long standing advocate for cannabis legalization. And of course, as his role as a cultural icon in the cannabis community.

Margaret 00:05:11 And there is a podcast that I listen to periodically and that is great Moments in Weed History with David Bienstock, who has been a podcast guest a few years ago. I'll link to that in the show notes. But he has done, I'm certain I've listened to it. An episode on Willie Nelson smoking a joint on the roof of the white House. So this man is brazen, but in in very smart ways. He also has founded Willie's Reserve, which is a cannabis brand, and he's been outspoken in his support for hemp farming. And at the age of 91, he is currently 91 years old. I looked up his birthdate. It is 1933, which is makes him two years younger than my own father. And this man has done 102 studio albums. 102. That's wild to me. Like, what a career. And of course, that doesn't even include live albums and collaborations and all the other things that you can do that he has done with his music career. Just outstanding. And if you weren't aware, Willie Nelson is on tour in 2025.

Margaret 00:06:21 So at the age of 91, this man is still on tour. And I love how he starts out the book because he dedicates the book. So they dedicate the book. Excuse me, they dedicate the book to all the family farmers who cultivate the food, fiber and fuel necessary to keep the world fed, clothed and moving forward in a wholesome way. And to all those who make sure the hungry have access to the sustenance they require. I thought I would start out with the intro that Willie Nelson himself wrote for the book Eating and Eating. Well, another matter altogether. How do you define well? Well, everyone would define it differently. I'd say well means healthy and hearty eating with gusto, eating food that hasn't been tainted with chemicals, farm to table food that tastes real and right. Cannabis is food. It's medicine. It's energy. It's health. Without this special herb we affectionately call weed. I'd never be offering up a cookbook at the age of 91 without weed. And my wife, Annie, I'd probably be dead decades ago with weed.

Margaret 00:07:29 I'm still striving and thriving and creating new music, not to mention having cool chefs like Andrea, Drummer, and Annie to cook up cannabis flavored meals that provide nourishment for body and soul. Before pot, I was one of those fools who, throwing back bourbon and beer, thought I could take on the world. That meant picking on guys bigger than me. Those are the stories I'm happy to forget. The pot stories are the ones I'm glad to remember. That's because they're good hearted stories, mostly with happy endings. I say mostly because there were, in truth, a couple of decidedly unpleasant busts. Overall, though, cannabis turned my mean to mellow. It helped me find the groove in the grind of a hectic but beautiful life creating music. Now I want us to help you create something. Some beautiful food. I love the idea of incorporating cannabis into a wholesome diet. I've been a champion of its legalization since the Stone ages. I couldn't be happier that the arguments advocating the many uses of the plant have finally prevailed.

Margaret 00:08:35 Over a lifetime of study, I learned that pot is more than pleasure. Its positive properties are limitless. It's a blessing and a blast. It's good fuel. Together with Chef Drummer, one of the most celebrated cannabis chefs, and my wife, Annie, the most celebrated chef in our home. I'm excited to help you cook up a whole mess of wholesome meals. There's an abundance of information here. Abundance is the key. An abundance of care about the food we eat. An abundance of creativity in preparing the food. An abundance of love in sharing the food with others. And because I'm a storyteller by trade, an abundance of stories that carry the fragrance of the precious plant is, after all, the centerpiece of this book. Be patient and get to know the dosage that suits you the best. Willie Nelson. Of course, he mentions Annie and she is a contributor to the contributor to this book as well. And she has a passion for organic, sustainable living. And they have shared values around health and wellness, which in large part inspired this cookbook.

Margaret 00:09:40 And I'll just take a second to read her introduction. Start low, go slow. I've always said that about cannabis. Well, actually, I say that about life in general. If you believe in the many benefits of cannabis, you'll want to bring folks to understand it instead of scaring them off with a bad experience, especially when it can help so many when dosed properly. I started making edibles for my husband when he had a bad bout of pneumonia and couldn't smoke. For him, it was medicine because he needed to leave his lungs alone. I have a bit of a scientific mind and a pretty good working knowledge of the human body, so I began my mission to create an edible he would like. Concentrating anything means you concentrate. Good or bad, always choose good. I found the best and cleanest cannabis to create my chocolates. I'm not a smoker, so creating an edible to bypass the smoke was a steep learning curve for me, and very much had its ups and downs. I haven't smoked pot since the 70s.

Margaret 00:10:42 Back then I would take a hit, laugh my ass off, and binge munchies. My only reference at the time to current pot strains was Willie offering me a hit, and me thinking it was going to be a fun afternoon. I spent it asleep because bed was the only place safe enough for me while it wore off. Yes, I'm a supreme lightweight. So when I started developing edibles for him, I focused on a dose that would find a happy medium, knowing he had a sweet tooth and would likely eat more than one. The experience was hysterical at times. One night, after having finally gotten the five simple ingredients perfected, I slipped into bed. Maybe a little too high. Not wanting to wake him because sleep is so good, I lay there vacillating between oh my God, I'm way too high to laughing so hard and trying not to wake him. In the end, I'd found a great dose and he became my guinea pig from then on. Turns out everyone loved the ones Willy taste tested for me.

Margaret 00:11:41 A friend was going to travel and had anxiety so asked for some chocolate to help help through the flight. Willie gave him some. It turns out this friend had an edible company and wanted mine. We didn't agree on ingredients, but it started people coming to us with business proposals. That's the genesis of us getting into the cannabis business. We named the company Willie's Reserve. I've used my base and made other bases in many recipes and always enjoy. Andrea. Drummer's always. I'm celiac and have friends with glucose issues, so my edibles needed to be gluten free with an even glycemic level. Cooking gluten free is not difficult. Ingredients can be substituted easy enough in all recipes without compromising the integrity of a dish, including flours, sauces, and condiments. I hope you find adventure and always remember the basics. Have fun and remember to never dose anyone. It's unkind, turns them off unnecessarily, and breaks our Nelson family rule of don't be an asshole. Don't be an asshole. Don't be a goddamn asshole. It sounds like Annie Wilson is also a big fan of edibles, so I applaud that.

Margaret 00:12:51 This cookbook, of course, does aim to destigmatize cannabis use and promote its benefits for health, relaxation, and creativity. And it does talk about responsible dosing and education for beginners. And with that, I am going to read the note from Chef Andrea, who was the creator of many of the recipes in this cookbook. My career as a cannabis chef began out of sheer necessity. If you're at all familiar with the grueling work of cooks the world over, you'll understand the toll it can take on one's body. Oblivious to this truth, my reality check came after one year in the kitchen in the form of sciatica. After several prescriptions of opiates literally flushed down the toilet, I began experimenting with infusing food with cannabis as an alternative to living with chronic pain. My intention for myself was the same as I share in these recipes to make cannabis cuisine safe, accessible and easy while consuming too much THC will do no harm to the body, the ramifications can prove unpleasant. To that end, brands are creating safely packaged products with easy dosing directions.

Margaret 00:14:03 In addition, trained chefs are introducing recipes suitable for regular use and that integrate easily into your lifestyle. On average, the legal single dose of THC equates to ten milligrams per serving. This book contains recipes that make it easy to tailor the dosage to the individual using simple mathematics. The THC component can also be eliminated altogether for a family friendly meal that's just as appetizing. Dosages in the recipes range from 8% THC to 46% THC per serving. The intent is to present the possibilities and to acknowledge the varied tolerances. The number of milligrams one should consume is contingent upon a number of factors body weight. Metabolism. Tolerance. Dosage. Type of edibles. Other factors to consider are the strains of cannabis used, the maturation process of the plant, your and your overall experience with edibles. Since the body metabolizes THC differently through the liver when you're eating, then it does through lungs when you're smoking. The experience can vary from person to person. For most, the effects lasts longer. For some, they are more intense.

Margaret 00:15:17 To simplify edible THC consumption, the standard recommendation is as followed 1 to 2.5 milligrams is considered a microdose, 3 to 5mg is low dosage, 10 to 15mg is moderate, 20 to 30mg is high, 50 to 100mg is acute. 100 to 500mg is considered macro dosing. My recommendation would be the same as I adhered to when first using edibles for medicinal application. Start low and exert patience, and you can easily adjust the dosages in the recipes in the book. And most important, enjoy! I love how she breaks down the different factors that can affect the number of milligrams which one should consume, because a lot of people often erroneously think that if you have a monster tolerance to smoking cannabis, that that will translate into edibles. And I've seen time and time again over the course of personal experience and anecdotally through people I've interviewed on this podcast, of which there are probably close to 60 by now, that is just untrue. As she mentions, there's a whole bunch of factors that go into how you might process the milligrams in an edible, and none of it has to do with your tolerance to smoking.

Margaret 00:16:33 There's something good to keep in mind, and I also like how she breaks down the the doses. And if anybody is just starting out with edibles for the first time, start with the microdose. Because I've also met people that find two milligrams to be just enough if you start with a five milligrams dose. I know people were five milligrams is a lot, so always start with that microdose and work your way up from there. According to her chart, I have a high tolerance when I'm in and around 20 to 25mg. I can tolerate that and often consume that in the evenings. But sometimes, depending on what I'm doing, I'm going to aim for a 15mg dose. And I do find that the cannabis beverages on the legal market anyway with their nanoemulsion can hit me at ten milligrams and on an empty stomach at five. These are all sort of fun things that you learn about yourself as you begin to experiment, which is another reason why it's good to write this stuff down or to keep a log. The Bite Me Edibles Journal is a great resource, but you can put a note on your phone or a blank notebook Book whatever suits you best.

Margaret 00:17:38 Now, the one thing I also like is, of course, they show you how to do the base infusions, and they focus on some that often don't get covered in a lot of cannabis cookbooks. They start out with cannabis ghee, they next to vegan cannabis butter, cannabis, avocado oil, cannabis coconut oil and cannabis grapeseed oil. So they show you how to infuse all of these different base infusions so you can use them throughout the book. And a lot of these ones will also have a relatively decent shelf life and are stable when used in cooking. So that's another wonderful thing about the particular infusions that they chose. They didn't do butter, they didn't do olive oil, they didn't do alcohol. Some of those classics that you see in a lot of cookbooks, they're doing something different there as well. And of course, they start out by how to do the THC dosing for the recipes, which is always important. And again, like any recipe, as she says, you can change the the infusion level and you don't have to infuse it at all.

Margaret 00:18:34 The variety of recipes in this book is really what sets it apart, in my opinion, from the a lot of other books that I have on my shelf, because the number of savory dishes is remarkable. A lot of the times when I get cannabis cookbooks, the focus is probably more largely on the sweet side. That's what we tend to think about. This one, I would say more heavily focuses the savory dishes. There are, of course, desserts and beverages, but they do focus on the savory side, spicy foods, and of course, the gluten free and vegan options as well. So here are some of the recipes that make this book stand out to me. The vegan crab cakes with mango jalapeno butter. If you're looking for something vegan, this I love crab cakes and my daughter used to make crab cakes as a special in her restaurant. And of course they were vegan and the jalapeno butter is with a vegan butter. They were so delicious! I'm excited to try these out. There was a number of other vegan recipes.

Margaret 00:19:30 Again, like I mentioned, I think there's some vegan ice cream options. Just so many things that if you are trying to issue dairy and animal products, then you're going to have a lot of options in this book. Now they also have classic comfort foods like the truffle mac and cheese, the herb crusted grilled cheese and a curry ketchup. And I mention those too, because I have tried those recipes the herb crusted grilled cheese and the curry ketchup. And they turned out beautifully. And sometimes you just want that comfort food. Grilled cheese and mac and cheese are two of those things, so they have a beautiful selection of comfort foods. There's also condiments and dressings like miso Caesar salad dressing, infused mayonnaise, kalamata olive butter, sriracha ranch sauce, all kinds of beautiful condiments and dressings. Now, of course, there's creative mains. These mains are meat based, but you have your grilled pork chops with pineapple, pico de gallo, cacao, cacao, which I bring up specifically because I did a couple of episodes recently on chocolate, a 50 over 50 burger.

Margaret 00:20:33 There's steak recipes in there with beautiful sauces to go with it. Those were the standouts to me. And then there were beverages to serve yourself or to friends. Hot and cold. The one that I'm probably going to be trying first is the emboldened Bloody Mary. I don't necessarily do a lot of Bloody Marys in Canada. We tend to do Caesars, which are a little bit different. I love them both, and anything with a little bit of heat or spice is welcome in my home or in my hand. And then of course, you have your expected sweets that any book should have. But the ones that I am have my eye on, or the fried apple pies. And these are like little hand pies, and the photograph of them looks so good that I have to try them. And then the next one, southern hot cakes with Calabrian honey butter. Now, I'm not really sure what a whole cake is. I've never had something like that. It looks like a stack of pancakes. And I love pancakes.

Margaret 00:21:27 I don't make them too often because there's something about the combination of the all the carbs in the pancakes and then the maple syrup on top. Canadian maple syrup, of course. I don't know, it's just so carby and delicious, but every so often it's such a lovely treat on a slow Sunday morning. And the picture of these looks so good. Honestly, the food photography is second to none. The other fun thing about this book is interspersed with quotes from Mr. Nelson himself, and sort of his philosophy of living. It's interspersed with stories, but I did find one that I really liked that I think really exemplifies his feeling about about food, vegetables as well as meat can be tainted with pesticides and poisons. Organic and regenerative farmers are a gift, and we should recognize and support them. Farming, like music, is magical. Songs and soil are rooted in mystery. Both require loving cultivation. I've lived the farm life. I love the tastes and smells. I've been shaped by the farm life as a kid, that's all I knew.

Margaret 00:22:29 It grounded me. I learned the satisfaction of cultivating the land in a way that the land allows you to live. Picking food in the fields. Picking on my guitar. Getting the right rhythms, the natural rhythms. Staying in tune with the mystical forces that feed our souls. It's beautiful and a little poetic. And he is correct that the organic and regenerative farmers are a gift and we need to support them. And that's one reason why I love to shop at my local farmers markets, because a lot of those farmers are making the choices that will allow them to farm the land that they're on for centuries to come, hopefully. So this book is a lovely stand out amongst other cannabis books, and I'm really excited to dig more into this book. I have to admit that I'm recording this in February. My cooking habits change a lot in the winter time. I tend to do a lot of like roasted food in the oven, roasted stuff in the oven, and maybe that's. I haven't actually even been making that many stews or chilis this year, but sometimes maybe it's just a little bit of more lazier cooking.

Margaret 00:23:26 I'm hibernating. I'm not focusing on that as much. There are so many dishes in this book that I will definitely be getting into, especially as the bounty of the local farmers market starts to wake up again, because I do try and buy locally as much as possible, which means I'm eating a lot of root vegetables right now, which I love. But you know, after a winter full of squash, potatoes and carrots and parsnips and squash, potatoes and carrots and parsnips and squash potatoes. Oh, and sometimes you throw in an odd rutabaga. It can get to be maybe a little bit boring. And these recipes are bright and fun and exciting. And I would love to have Chef Andrea drummer on the show. So if any of you have contacts, let me know. I mean, it would be cool to have Willie and Annie Nelson, but honestly, Willie Nelson's going to be touring all this summer. I think it would be a lot of fun to get her on the show, but she has a huge following, so that might be that might prove difficult.

Margaret 00:24:17 But I'm not. Not up to the task. Of course I would. I'd be remiss if I say that this book was perfect. There is one thing, and I find this with a lot of of cookbooks. Not just cannabis cookbooks, but my one critique. Not the stories, not the excellent selection of recipes, not the beautiful photography, not the fact that it's hard cover, but the fact that these books are never bound in such a way that they lie flat when you're cooking. So, I mean, it depends on where you are in the book, but if you have like a recipe that you're doing at the end of the book, you're going to have, it's not going to lie open. Why do they make cookbooks like that? Why don't they make them so they can just lie open properly? That would be my one complaint about this book, which is also a complaint that extends to a lot of cannabis cookbooks because they don't lie flat. Now I turn the table to you. What is your favorite cannabis cookbook? Do you have one you go back to time and time again, or a favorite recipe from one of your cannabis cookbooks on your shelf? And have you tried the Willie and Annie Nelson Cannabis Cookbook? I would love to hear you share your thoughts with me, and I can always shout them out on a future episode.

Margaret 00:25:17 If you have any friends or family that are Willie Nelson fans, maybe you'll consider sharing this episode with them. That's it for this week, my friends. I am your host, Margaret. And until next time, stay high.