Ten Things We Learned From Willie Nelson’s New Weed Cookbook

For a 91-year-old, Willie Nelson is a pretty busy guy. On top of his still very active recording and touring career , the singer/songwriter from Abbott finds time to advocate for policies that decriminalize marijuana. Most recently, he endorsed a Dallas proposition that prohibits arrests for carrying four ounces or less of the substance. ( It passed .) He also owns a cannabis brand called Willie's Reserve . It should come as no surprise, then, that when Willie and his wife, Annie, set out to write a cookbook, there was only one topic to cover.

Out now, Willie & Annie Nelson's Cannabis Cookbook (Simon & Schuster) is a combination food-travel memoir and primer on cooking with cannabis, and I learned a whole lot while reading it, from the couple's favorite strain for cooking to the maximum temp THC can handle. (Note to any narcs out there: I did not partake while writing about this book.)

Yes, There Are Legal Disclaimers

Cannabis cookbooks require different considerations than those with "regular" recipes, or even cocktail books (alcohol is arguably just as or even more intoxicating). For starters, there's a legal disclaimer on the copyright page that absolves the publisher of blame in case you get way too bonkers-stoned off the recipes and/or do something stupid when high. There's a less formal warning in the introduction that basically advises readers to take it slow and know your limits, and a lot of info on how to calculate dosages. (Know your local laws when it comes to products that contain cannabis.)

Other Cooks Collaborated on Recipes

Willie and particularly Annie are adept at cooking with THC, which is the active compound in marijuana. Annie even once had her own line of chocolate edibles sold through Willie's Reserve. The cookbook is strewn with references to her prowess with edibles and all the healthy cooking she does for the family. Oddly, though, the book doesn't always provide the Nelsons' version of dishes. Instead, they brought on Andrea Drummer, a Los Angeles–based chef whose specialty is cooking with cannabis, to help out with some of the recipes. It is a bit strange to read about how delicious Annie's chicken and dumplings are and then turn the page to find . . . Andrea's recipe for collard green potstickers with peanut agrodolce and crispy lace.

No Dosing Allowed

Speaking of Annie's introduction, she says dosing people (feeding them cannabis-laced food without their knowledge) is against the Nelson family rules, which are: "Don't be an asshole. Don't be an asshole. Don't be a G-Damn asshole."

Willie Is a Good Tipper

Nelson credits Annie and his first wife, Martha, both former servers, for instilling this habit in him, and calls serving "noble work." He also quotes Anthony Bourdain: "If you are a cheap tipper or rude to your server, you are dead to me. You are lower than whale feces."

Cannabis Strain Names Continue to Be Silly

The Nelsons' preferred strain for most recipes in the book is MAC, which stands for Miracle Alien Cookies and clocks in at 22 percent THC. The Bloody Mary mix, however, calls for 24 percent Watermelon Zkittlez (vodka optional).

Willie Loves Bananas

There is a recipe floating around the internet called Willie Nelson's Famous Banana Bread , although it is unclear if it is actually his recipe. This recipe is not in this book, but there is one for roasted banana pudding.

You Don't Have to Get High to Try

Not all recipes in the book contain THC! These are helpfully labeled. Additionally, all of the recipes can be made with regular, unenhanced oils or butters.

THC Degrades at 392 degrees F.

That means certain types of recipes are off the table, namely anything cooked at a high temperature. You can get around this by, say, tossing roasted vegetables in cannabis butter after taking them out of the oven.

Willie Once Fired a Tour Chef for Cooking Delicious Food

This mysterious man nicknamed the Beast was let go because he was too good at cooking bacon and eggs, and everyone on the tour was gaining weight. "But the story has a happy ending," Nelson writes."The Beast went on to feed hundreds of other hungry musicians."

Willie Credits Weed for His Longevity

Nelson has had a long, productive career, and it's because of this style of eating, he says. "Without this special herb we affectionately call weed, I'd never be offering up a cookbook at age ninety-one," Nelson writes in the intro. "Without weed and my wife, Annie, I'd probably be dead decades ago. With weed, I'm still striving and thriving and creating new music."