Eat Like There's No Tomorrow [Perfect Paperback]

Hans Rueffert (Author), Amy Rueffert (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2009

Shortly after finishing third in the Next Food Network Star television series in 2005, one of Jasper, Georgia s favorite sons and culinary sensation Hans Rueffert was diagnosed with stage-three stomach cancer. He lost most of his stomach and esophagus to the disease, but gained more than he could have imagined a perspective which has heightened his childlike appreciation for the finer things in life; family, friends, colors and flavors.
You will be educated, entertained and inspired as Hans reveals his story through a beautifully written and illustrated cookbook, Eat Like There s No Tomorrow. A natural storyteller with an appreciation for irony and an eye for all things beautiful, Hans shares his optimistic measuring cup-half-full perspective with this light-hearted collection of original recipes, engaging narratives and glorious photographs.
The original photographs, magical moments harvested and preserved, will stimulate your appetite and the narratives will delight and satisfy you. Who knew growing your own tomatoes, searching for wild ramps, or breakfasting on a shrimp boat could be such an adventure? And though there s plenty of sustenance here to satisfy, you may not quite be ready to leave the table. You will likely crave a second helping of Hans' tales, restaurant boy revelations and quiet, cancer- wizened perspectives gleaned from living authentically and deliberately.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In the interests not of full disclosure, but of pride I must tell you Hans Rueffert is my dear friend, and has been for 13 years.  In that time circumstances have not always been kind to him, to say the least, but he has never once let go of his passion for life and it's pleasures, for friendship and it's comforts, and for art s visionary potential.  
Here is a snapshot of one of the most epic souls I have had the honor to know.
This book will make you laugh, make you weep, and make you cook.  There's never been a book quite like this volume, but then I can say without fear of contradiction that the world has never seen a man like Hans. --Clive Barker

To whom it may concern: Hans Rueffert is handsome, honest, and humorous; and he never served me any meal that was less than excellent! He is a hero in the kitchen. --Dr. Ferrol Sams

We ve long known Hans Rueffert as a gifted chef whose strength, resilience and focus shine through in his recipes and have now come to learn his story is every bit as compelling as his cooking. Â Â Brutally honest, yet handled with grace and confidence, Eat Like There s No Tomorrow is proof that you might be able to take a guy s stomach, but you can t take his guts. --Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh authors, Talk With Your Mouth Full

About the Author

Where some people have a soundtrack to their life, Hans Rueffert has a menu. Having been raised in one of Georgia's landmark restaurants, The Woodbridge Inn, Hans spent his entire life with food. In 2005, Hans finished 3rd in the first season of The Next Food Network Star. Two weeks after that competition, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and subsequently lost half of his stomach and esophagus. Hans currently hosts a cooking show on GPTV called Hans Cooks the South and teaches regularly at the Cancer Wellness Center at Piedmont in Atlanta.]

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Hans Cooks; 1st edition (January 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1607431718
• ISBN-13: 978-1607431718
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Food and Philosophy April 9, 2009

By St Choice Signsampson Presstko

Format:Perfect Paperback

In 2005 Hans Rueffert of Jasper, Georgia competed in the first season of the Food Network's incredibly popular special series, "Who Wants to Be the Next Food Network Star". Hans placed third, and went back home to his wife and children and resumed his job as chef for his family's business, the Woodbridge Inn. Shortly thereafter, on the day before he was to turn 33, Hans learned he had gastric cancer which led to the removal of half his stomach and a portion of his esophagus. Just one year before, he had lost his beloved sister Sonja to cancer.

Hans fought back against his disease, and in the process developed the intense appreciation for life experienced by those who have come so close to losing it. Seventy pounds lighter, he returned to public television and now he has written a high end soft cover cookbook that showcases his love for food, those who grow it, and those who consume it, but this is a bit more than a cookbook. With wry humor Hans talks some about his ordeal and offers his philosophy on cooking which is experiment, enjoy, share, and eat healthy.

There is much here for foodies like grilled quail with fig-chipotle BBQ sauce, tilapia en papillote, and smoked trout cakes with horseradish dill sauce. There are numerous German recipes like frittaten suppe, strips of crepes with a simple chicken vegetable soup ladled over them. Hans made this lovely soup when he appeared on the Food Network. There are also many recipes that the average home cook can easily manage like a splendidly sloppy Monte Christo sandwich, an especially moist cranberry orange cake that is a must for me next fall, and a Vidalia onion marmalade that looks irresistible. Hans's advice is to use the very best and freshest local ingredients you can manage no matter what you're making. The many photographs are spectacular and were taken by Hans and his wife Amy.

From the book I tried a savory bread pudding flavored with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, multi-grain bread, and cheese and enhanced with shredded zucchini. This bread pudding can be made in a 9x13 pan or in muffin tins. The proportion of ingredients was a perfect blend, and this dish is particularly desirable for its ease of preparation and reasonable cost. I used the muffin tins. The result was moist, dense, and flavorful mounds of bread pudding. The presentation is lovely with the vivid red and green of the vegetables. This pudding would be an ideal meatless lunch or a unique side dish to a paillard of chicken or broiled fish. I made a simple tart lemon cream sauce to drizzle over the puddings. It was delicious. This recipe is a keeper, suitable for a dinner party or anytime.

These recipes are hip, healthy, and unique. My own philosophy is that if I find just one recipe that becomes a family favorite, the cost of a cookbook is worth it. This cookbook has exceeded my expectations.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Talking to Hans March 21, 2009

By Sandra Ellis

Format:Perfect Paperback

This cookbook is wonderful. You will read it cover to cover. It makes you feel like you are sitting in the kitchen with the Chef, talking about life and joy and (of course) food. This is one book that will go on the coffee table, not in the bookshelf with 'other' cookbooks. Not your ordinary cookbook. Lots of information and great recipes.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite cookbooks March 1, 2011

By maryb

Format:Perfect Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Eat Like There's No Tomorrow" is a marvel. At times, you may feel you've opened a photography book or a novel instead of a cookbook.

Its author, Hans Rueffert, informs every page with his spirit of kindness, intelligence, love of food and family. The photographs, mostly by Hans and his wife Amy, are simple, clear and inviting. The narratives woven throughout are often funny and always hopeful.

Hans is a born encourager. Whether it's urging readers to consider eating from local sources as much as possible, starting a garden or a compost heap, or trying a new vegetable, he makes you believe that you can do it.

He's a teacher at heart.