Long Way on a Little: An Earth Lover's Companion for Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies and Living Deliciously [Paperback]

Shannon Hayes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2012

"Every earth-conscious home cook who wishes to nourish his or her family with sustainable, local, grassfed and pastured meats should be able to do so, regardless of income," argues Shannon Hayes, "we just have to change how we're eating." In her largest, most comprehensive volume to-date, North America's leading authority on grassfed meat examines the conundrum of maintaining a healthy, affordable and ecologically sound meat-based diet, while simultaneously paying America's small sustainable farmers a fair price for their food. "But to do it," she adds, "we need to expand our menus to include more than just the prime cuts, and we need to learn how to work with leftovers."

More than just a cookbook, Long Way on a Little presents Hayes' practical knowledge about integrating livestock into a sustainable society with her accessible writing and engaging wit. Designed to be the only meat book a home cook could ever need, Long Way on a Little is packed with Hayes' signature delicious no-fail recipes for perfect roasts and steaks cooked indoors and out on the grill, easy-to-follow techniques to make use of the less-conventional, inexpensive cuts that often go to waste, tips on stretching a sustainable food budget, and an extensive section on using leftovers and creating soups; all with the aim of helping home cooks make the most effective and economical use of their local farm products or their own backyard livestock.

While addressing the topic of making local food more affordable, Hayes also frankly grapples with tough health issues confronting so many Americans today, from diabetes to grain and gluten intolerance. The result is a family-pleasing, nutrient-dense, affordable cuisine that is a joy to prepare, rich in authentic flavor, and steeped in the wisdom of the world's greatest culinary traditions, all bundled together in a thought-provoking and informative book that is as stimulating to the mind as it is to the palate. Features include:

• Recipes for cooking all major cuts of grassfed and pastured meats indoors and out on the grill
• Carbohydrate counts on all recipes for low carb and diabetic diets
• Guide to grain-free, legume-free, dairy-free and paleo-friendly recipes
• Recipes for using animal fats in traditional cuisine, as well as for soaps, salves and candle-making
16 page full-color insert illustrating fundamental techniques for working with whole animals: from making broth and demi-glace, grilling steaks and cutting up chickens, to rendering fat and soap, salve and candle making
• Extensive section on soups and leftovers
• Lively, up-to-date discussions of current issues pertaining to sustainable livestock farming in North America
• Money-saving tips for making delicious meals go as far as possible

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Resilient Farm and Homestead is a terrific book. Simultaneously inspiring and practical, Ben Falk takes you from the why to the how...a journey where you will create a present and future filled with optimism and joy."--Shannon Hayes, author of Long Way on a Little and Radical Homemakers

From the Back Cover

"Certainly Shannon Hayes' crowning achievement to date and most carefully researched culinary guide, this gem should grace every omnivore's kitchen - open, stained, spattered and loved."
-- Joel Salatin, Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer, author of Folks, This Ain't Normal and other books.

 "A necessary and important book for the conscious omnivore. Shannon Hayes gives practical advice on sourcing ethical meat and using the whole animal from snout to tail."
-- Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen, authors of The Urban Homestead and Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post Consumer World

 "Tired of spending $20/lb on grass-fed ribeye from Whole Foods? Read Long Way on a Little and you'll never have to do that again."

 -- Mark Sisson, MarksDailyApple.com, and best-selling author of The Primal Blueprint

 "Since the dawn of life on earth a dynamic interplay of plants and animals has ensured a stable biosphere. In this book you learn about how sustainable meat production not only works, but also helps to heal the planet. You will have a full accounting of where your food comes from, and how to prepare nutritious meals for you and your family."
-- Robb Wolf, NY Times best-selling author of The Paleo Solution

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Left to Write Press (September 28, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979439124
• ISBN-13: 978-0979439124
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.6 x 9.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

WARNING: BLENDING AUTHENTICITY WITH JOY MAY AROUSE CONTEMPT.


Shannon Hayes writes and farms with three generations of her family on Sap Bush Hollow Farm in West Fulton, NY, where she grew up. The family raises all-natural grassfed lamb, beef, pork, and poultry. She holds a BA in creative writing from Binghamton University, and a Masters and PhD in Sustainable Agriculture and Community Development from Cornell.

Shannon is the author of three books: The Grassfed Gourmet, Farmer and the Grill, and Radical Homemakers. The latter two are published by Left to Write Press, a company that Shannon and her husband Bob started as a way to enable them to live in Schoaharie County without having to sell-out to corporate media.

Shannon's essays and articles have appeared in myriad regional and national publications, including The New York Times, The Boston Review, and Northeast Public Radio. Hayes' quirky lifestyle, her controversial attempts to live a life of personal accountability and sustainability, and her current research and writings about homemaking as an ecological movement have landed her and her family on the pages of the New York Times, Brain Child Magazine, Lancaster Farming, Small Farm Quarterly, Hobby Farm Home Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, National Public Radio, American Public Media, Grit, Yes! Magazine, Elle Magazine, the national newspapers of Germany, Turkey and Canada, Arab News and the Pakistan Observer.

Shannon currenly blogs for Yes! Magazine, and her books are available through most conventional channels, as well as directly from the author at RadicalHomemakers.com and GrassfedCooking.com.

Shannon's newest book, Long Way on a Little: An Earth Lovers' Companion for Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies and Living Deliciously, is due out from Left to Write Press in 2012. Left to Write Press is distributed by Chelsea Green.

Contact Shannon Hayes directly through shannonhayes.info to learn more about her upcoming event schedule or to discuss speaking fees and scheduling.

Selected previous venues:

ACRES USA
American Dietetic Association National Conference, Philadelphia, PA
Citizens Alliance for Responsible Ecofarming, Lancaster, PA
Cornell University
Eno-Terra Restaurant, Kingston, NJ
GRAZE-Fest Alabama, U.S. Grassfed Society
JUST FOOD
Mansfield University
New York City Watershed Agricultural Council Farm to Market Conference
New York State Grasstravaganza Annual Conference
Northeast Organic Farmers Association-NY Annual Conference
Northeast Organic Farmers Association-VT Annual Conference
Organic Valley Kickapoo Country Fair
Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association
State University of New York at Albany
State University of New York at Cobleskill
State University of New York at Oneonta
Vermont Grassfarmers Annual Conference
Virginia Independent Farmers and Consumers Farm-Food Voices annual meeting
Whole Earth Center, Princeton New Jersey
Williams College
Wisconsin Graziers Annual Conference
Weston A Price Foundation

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nourishment and delight on a lot of levels! October 4, 2012

By Joellyn Kopecky

Format:Paperback

This isn't just a cookbook. It's a delightful history lesson, a paean to the belief that wise cooks can anchor their family in much more than just nutrition, a compendium of recipes, thrift in the kitchen, good farming practices, and the love of farmers for the earth and the animals they raise.

Shannon Hayes has combined her experience as a "radical homemaker" - someone who understands that more/bigger/faster is not necessarily the way to peace at the hearth OR in the heart - and a lifelong farmer to share recipes that surprise, nourish, and taste wonderful. Rather than follow the trend of low fat/ersatz adulteration of prime cuts and chicken breasts, her recipes illustrate that the judicious use of less favored cuts and good, healthy fats can bring delicious, nutritious foods to the table at a fraction of the cost you'd expect, even for pastured/grassfed products.

Instead of immediately seeking out a ubiquitous pork chop recipe, try her Slow-Cooked Pork Shoulder with Vegetables and a Creamy Red Wine Reduction! Forego the filet, and try the Brisket Hash with Sweet Peppers and Caramelized Onions! Shannon goes through the different cooking methods that can bring even the toughest cuts to savory perfection, with illustrations and examples that will delight folks from rookie cooks to seasoned chefs.

Remember the old saying, "to be thrifty, use everything from the pig but the oink"? That's what Shannon does, with two unusual chapters, "Leftovers and Soups" and "Heads, Tails, and Other Under-Appreciated Treasures." And for those of you who think, "my family would NEVER eat (fill in here)" - yes, her kids eat this stuff. And there are even photos to prove it....

While Shannon does not slant the book in any particular direction, for those who are either gluten or dairy-intolerant, or downright Paleo-based in their diet, there is an extra appendix listing the recipes that are grain- dairy- or legume-free. And for those for whom carbohydrates are medically a challenge (diabetics), there are carb counts for each and every recipe.

Finally, along with the recipes Shannon shares her knowledge on how to raise animals compassionately, families wisely, and how to be a good Earthsteward. Too many of us think that cows come from the meat case and milk from the dairy case. Reading through this wonderful addition to your kitchen reference shelf will remind you, once more, that every bite of food we eat should never be taken lightly. If we choose rightly, it can come from somewhere miraculous, holding within its savor the work of heads, hands and hearts that want to nourish the world. Read more ›

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Living for the Frugal Gourmet October 5, 2012

By Rebecca Brown

Format:Paperback

Long Way on a Little is an exceptional volume for anyone who enjoys grass-fed meat and healthy, delicious food in general. There is incredible variety in this book--from rack of lamb to ham hocks and the recipes hail from French, Spanish, Mexican, Japanese and Thai cuisine, just to name a few. But what makes it really special is its comprehensive inclusion of recipes dealing with parts of the animal that are typically ignored. Shannon Hayes shows you how to make the absolute most of bones, fat and organ meat in delicious (and sometimes surprising) ways. She also provides numerous recipes that enable the frugal gourmet to make extraordinary dishes using grass-fed products, without mortgaging the house to do so.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a cookbook for folks who purchase meat by the quarter and half. March 4, 2013

By Rebecca

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is one of the best cookbooks for using all cuts of meat. It really has helped stretch our budget. I love that the recipes have suggestions for leftovers!

I am coming to the last cuts of beef in our freezer, so I just pull out what is left and find a recipe in here. It has worked out wonderfully! The mac n cheese recipe in here is now one of my husbands and father's favorite meals. I used canned tomatoes since I am out of sundried tomatoes. But it is fantastic. I think it is Man Mac and Cheese.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Respecting the Protein and The Grass Farmer December 24, 2012

By The Grass Whisperer

Format:Paperback

Once again it's easy to get comfortable with tried and true recipes from national treasure, Shannon Hayes. But recipes aside she clearly explains why you should choose meat from a local grass-based farm and celebrate the interesting flavors that come from the soil, the pasture, the contented animal and the skill of a craftsman farmer to connect the dots to what you are enjoying and why you pay for it at the farmer's market. The techniques in preparing cost-effective plates of food for a family are spot-on and delicious and give new meaning to traditionally un-sexy cuts of meat. We love the way Shannon weaves stories and prose into her kitchen area and only recommends recipes that are tested by the family not some snooty food critic. This book compliments our Farmer and the Grill copy which is riddled with sticky notes on our favorite recipes which I'm sure this book will attain the same treatment. All Shannon's books are well worth the cost in the money savings alone from learning how to extend the leftovers into delicious entrees again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This Might Be My New Favorite Cookbook December 15, 2012

By J. T. Hyatt

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have perhaps 100 cookbooks. There are only a handful I use on a regular basis. Long Way on a Little is quickly becoming one in that handful and might soon jump to the top of the pile.

Every recipe I have tried has been excellent and easy. My favorite so far is the one the author says is the easiest in the book: sausage cooked with apples (I add cabbage). Really, all you do is throw everything into a pot and stick it in the oven. Incredibly simple but oh-so-good. This dish has become a staple in my household -- at least once a week I make this and I never tire of it. Yes, it's simple but I never thought of doing that!

But it's not just a book with recipes. Shannon's book is also a philosophy of cooking and eating and I completely agree with this philosophy. People say that organic and grass-fed it too expensive. Not true!! I have discovered that I'm actually spending less on food than I was (and I was already a fairly conscientious cook).

I think the best idea I have gotten from Long Way on a Little is Shannon's use of broths. I used to be intimidated about the idea of making stocks or broths and would buy them instead. Now, I have quarts and quarts of homemade "liquid gold" in my freezer and they couldn't be easier to make. No more wasteful packaging of store-bought broths and they are 100% superior. The liquid gold has positively transformed my cooking.

If you like good, honest, real food, get this book now. You will save money, eat more healthfully, and be a better cook.