Weed connoisseur Pilcher (Spliffs 3: The Last Word on Cannabis Culture
) deals a gnarly collection of 35 starters, entrees, desserts and drinks, all using the kind of pot not generally found in the kitchen cabinet. Nor is this the type of cookbook that provides a list of suppliers for hard-to-find ingredients. But for the reader with a ready stash, these offerings are served up in a well-researched and easy to digest manner, with plenty of tempting color photos and helpful data such as the suggested amount of cannabis bud per person per meal, based on body weight. The key to being a successful ganja gourmet, it turns out, is to first prepare a smooth batch of either Cannabis Ghee or Cannabis Butter. This allows for easier measurement but more importantly ensures that the psychoactive chemical du jour, tetrahydrocannabinol, blends evenly into the dish. Thus three tablespoons of Cannabutter transform perfectly legal mushrooms into Really Wild Mushroom Sauté and the hopped-up ghee is at the heart of an in-your-face Charas Curry, where it mingles with red chilies, ginger and cilantro. There's a classic brownie recipe, of course, sweetened with honey. (Oct.)
