Cooking for the Apocalypse

Spaghetti alla Marinara, prepared under ideal circumstances, is begun by finely dicing one cup of carrots, one cup of celery, and two cups of onions. This is done best is a sunny kitchen, on an ample wooden cutting board, with a well-honed knife, Don Giovanni on the stereo, and a split of Prosecco. After letting the flavors of the mirapoix meld, tomatoes are added— fresh from the garden, sweet, and saturated with sun. A splash of wine might be added, a bit of garlic, some salt, pepper, or maybe even a hot chili. It simmers gently and reduces, while the sun goes down. Meanwhile, the pasta is being shaped by hand. The Prosecco is long gone, as is the Pinot Grigio, and the Chianti gets opened a little early. Finally, after the pasta has been boiled and tossed with the marinara, it is topped with freshly chopped parsley and grated Parmesan of the highest quality.

But what is a chef to do when the circumstances are not ideal?

What to do when the best equipment is not available, and you must make due with basic tools? What to do when there is no sunny garden, when the herbs have shriveled and dry, and everything fresh has long since rotted? What to do when you are forced to cook on the run, and scrounge among the remnants of better times for the scraps to turn into a meal?

Whether this describes your culinary journey through a post-apocalyptic wasteland, or through your very own kitchen, this book will give you the tools you need to thrive in an barren, inhospitable, culinary environment.