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# The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life

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The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life [Ferriss, Timothy] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life

Review: Tim Ferriss is naked - In interest of full disclosure, before you read this review, I should mention that I am featured in a chapter and mentioned elsewhere, and that Tim is a friend of mine. Having said that, both the review and the book are worth reading. No, to business: the 4-Hour Chef is described as a cookbook for people who don't buy cookbooks. I would say that is a slight misnomer, especially in my case. For me, it's been a cookbook for people who don't USE cookbooks. I buy plenty of cookbooks, generally those that are written by celebrity chefs and pertain to either steak or cake, these being the two foods I most enjoy eating (and don't even get me started on a cake made of steak--I hope that's Tim's next project). I read them and enjoy them, but I almost never USE them. If I get one usable recipe out a cookbook, it's a lot. Still, I never consider it money wasted, because cookbooks like nice on the shelf, and to me books are as much for decoration as they for utility and pleasure. Tim's book serves all three of these purposes. Unlike most cookbooks that just give you ingredients and directions, the 4-Hour Chef doen'st just TELL you how to took; it TEACHES you how to cook. Since getting the book two weeks ago (advance review copy, I have made three recipes: the salt baked sweet potatoes (easy and delish), the go-carb yeast waffles (holy crap amazing) and the bacon infused bourbon (had to. as good as it sounds). Of course, my copy is now getting beat up and has a few stains on it, but, you know, that's the price of glory and all. I decided to actually try these recipes because not only was there progression in terms of difficulty, but because Tim actually explained the science of how they were made; learning about everything infusion to gels to powders--this is the stuff that made me WANT to try these recipes. Of course, they all looked and sounded delicious, but I really just enjoyed the process of learning. And that's what 4HC is really about: learning. And more specifically, learning how to learn. Learning the skill of learning skills; or, as Tim dubs it, "meta-learning." If you're familiar with Tim's work, you know that cooking isn't his thing. And if you read the 4-Hour Workweek and the 4-Hour Body, you know that neither task and time management or fitness are really his "thing" either; he wrote about those things BECAUSE of his thing: breaking down complex skills and learning them quickly. As I see it, the 4 Hour Chef is Tim at his most "naked." Since 2007, when 4HWW came out, we've heard Tim talk about learning tango in 4 weeks, or learning how to swim, competing and medaling in Chinese kickboxing with very little time to train--or any of the other accomplishments that he's become well known for. But we've never SEEN him learn these thing in real time; we always get the stories long after the fact. While all of the feats in both 4HWW and 4HB are impressive by any measure, there is something very different in this book. In the 4-Hour Workweek, Tim was focusing on his job. While he wrote some revolutionary stuff, ultimately you'd EXPECT a Princeton grad to be smart and good at his job. In the 4-Hour Body, Tim is writing about fitness, a hobby of his for nearly 20 years. Again, some very smart and revolutionary stuff in there, but after 20 years, you would expect him to know what he's talking about. That's what makes 4HC completely different: Tim is learning as we learn. Prior to this book, Tim was not a cook. It's not even that he wasn't a "good cook" -- he just didn't cook at all. (Evidence: his youtube video of making eggs in a microwave.) At 34-years old, Ferriss went into this project with NO skills--and in about 6 months, came out on the other side of the ordeal being more proficient in the kitchen than many people are after 20 years of cooking for their families. I'm sure Tim isn't a master chef, but he learned an incredibly complex series of skills and built his proficiency to a high level in a very short period of time. And that, after all, if his THING. For the first time, Tim isn't just telling stories; he's taking the reader along for the ride. And because he wants the reader to be able to do what he does and learn as he learns, the first part of the book gets you read to do exactly what he does: learn. The first section of 4HC is called "META" and in that section reveals his strategies for learning, and creates and lays out an entire framework for learning any skill or becoming extremely proficient at just about anything in six months. Whether it's shooting hoops or speaking Spanish--yes--learning to cook, the section on Meta-learning along is worth the price of the book. And, in fact, is the real POINT of the book. From my perspective, cooking is the vehicle of demonstration; it's the particular skillset that Tim chose to illustrate both meta-learning and it's benefits. The recipes are fantastic, the skills he covers are valuable, and the education in the culinary arts and culinary world are invaluable. So it the nutrition information. But learning. Learning is where it's at. And this book will help you learn anything. But first, you must learn how to learn. If you haven't already picked this up, do so. It's worth the read, worth the time, and certainly worth the money.
Review: 4 Hour Everything - A journey through Tim Ferriss' mind - The four hour chef is just, everything. As others said 'chef' is a misnomer and really this a journey through Tim Ferriss's mind - which can be pretty interesting. My only advise is don't give up if there is a few things you don't like about this book - there are nuggets of pure GOLD in this book that far outweigh the little nuances, which I'll break it down further. But, overall this book gives a TON of VALUE for a low price. I'll also preface this with I was not given an early copy of this, nor was I paid to write a review or anything like that. The book is broken down in this order: Intro Meta-Learning - This is where Tim breaks down how to learn everything. Some may glance over this to get straight to the cooking, but there are some useful advise in here. I personally love the concept of the cheat-sheet. It's basically a one-page note to highlight the most important things. Also he shows how to identify different taste, which I am horrible at (I still think parsley taste like nothing). He uses an acronym to describe the whole process of learning, but I'm not sure it makes it any easier to understand (DiSSS and CaFE). Also, just to throw in more value he gives a list of links and videos on how to do random things like fold a shirt in 2 seconds, prepare for public speaking, and tying a tie (I found the last one most useful). Again, he's just throwing everything at you. Domestic - The good stuff. This is the recipe section, learning to cook section, with full coverage on the best kitchen tools, dishware, ingredients. I'll break it down here" Equipment/Pantry Items: I loved this section. The stuff he recommends is really good, and he obviously put a lot of thought into this. My personal faves which I bought were the Polder thermometer and the Maldon sea salt (which I now call crack salt). Some other stuff I put on a Christmas wish list, because they just seem awesome (Aeropress coffee maker anyone?) Recipes: (these are the ones I have made so far) 1. Osu-Buko - This is the first recipe in the book, it's really easy to make, and it teaches braising. Just a warning it uses lamb shanks which I find taste a little too "game-y." Also for being the first recipe, it can be difficult to find lamb shanks and he recommends cooking 4 of them. I would buy maybe 1 or 2 at first just to see if you like it. 2. Scrambled Eggs w/ different spices - This section shows how to make scrambled eggs using different spice combinations. Personally, I didn't like the taste of ground spices in my eggs, but the lesson here is to see how different spices combine to make a ethnic dish, which he shows an entire list of different countries and spices. A useful chart. But here's a quick tip to make DAMN good eggs. Use ghee to coat the pan, add the eggs, and use the 'garlic spatula' (garlic clove with a fork through it) to stir them. Don't forget the S&P. Delicious. Try it, then thank me. 3. Coconut Curry Mash - This recipe is delicious! Don't forget to add the cinnamon on top. My mom is gluten-intolerant and she agreed this recipe is devine. 4. Union Square Zuccini - Also tried this recipe. Very good. This is where he uses the garlic spatula - it's easy to make and makes a great appetizer. If you don't have the star peeler he recommends I used a regular vegetable peeler and it worked fine. 5. Sexy Time Steak - This is by far the BEST steak I've ever had. So it took me a day of waiting to 'prep' the steak, but it's easily the best recipe in this book (I'm assuming). Really, this recipe alone is worth the cost of this book. Tip - I like it better with the Montreal Steak Seasoning, and I also bought the Polder digital thermometer he recommends which ensures it will cook incredibly accurately. I've already ensured my friends I will cook this for them (once my cooking skills get more up to par). 6. Eggocado - Another winner. This is an awesome appetizer that is a sure crowd pleaser. The next recipe I plan on making is the gazpacho which looks fantastic. The Wild - This part may be a turn-off to some, but this is where Tim shows how to hunt. And not just hunt, hunt ANYTHING. He gives full reviews of the best of the best of what equipment/guns to use when entering 'the wild', how to make "acorn pancakes" (somehow they actually look delicious), and hunting big and small game. The most shocking part is he literally devotes an entire chapter on how to catch a pigeon and then dissect it for cooking.. I somehow lost my appetite. Again, some will find immense value out of this chapter, others can pleasantly move on. The Scientist - There are some good 'lessons' in this chapter that some may pass up just because it's too "science-y." There is also a limit here since the ingredients he uses in this section you may have to buy online for some of them. The two I've tried are the bacon-bourbon (yes bacon bourbon) and the chopping wine. The chopping wine method really works and I ended up buying a wine aerator for a christmas gift. The Professional - More good stuff. And advanced stuff. I am from Chicago and his writing on Alinea Restaurant made me really want to try it (not to mention yelp review are out of this world). I haven't actually tried these recipes but some of them look pretty good and a little bizarre (cigar-infused tequilla hot chocolate..?) Appendix: Again a lot of people will pass this up but there's more gold in this section. Like how to shoot a three pointer and tricks to remember a deck of cards. There's also tips on being "VIP" which I now always ask the waiter/waitress on what the most underrated dish on the menu for some new perspective. So that's it. This is a massive book and there are good parts for everybody. I'm reading it in the kindle format now, but I plan on buying the physical copy since it can be tedious to scroll page by page and try and find the right spot. One last awesome tip from the book - If you like to listen to music while cooking like I do, try Tim's tip of putting your cell phone on pandora/playlist and putting it in a metal mixing bowl - it will instantly sound 10x better.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #53,827 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #19 in Professional Cooking (Books) #369 in Quick & Easy Cooking (Books) #953 in Success Self-Help |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (3,273) |
| Dimensions  | 7.5 x 1.98 x 9.12 inches |
| Edition  | Illustrated |
| ISBN-10  | 1328519163 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1328519160 |
| Item Weight  | 3.94 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 672 pages |
| Publication date  | November 20, 2012 |
| Publisher  | Harvest |

## Images

![The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61mIt0JA7aL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tim Ferriss is naked
*by J***O on November 20, 2012*

In interest of full disclosure, before you read this review, I should mention that I am featured in a chapter and mentioned elsewhere, and that Tim is a friend of mine. Having said that, both the review and the book are worth reading. No, to business: the 4-Hour Chef is described as a cookbook for people who don't buy cookbooks. I would say that is a slight misnomer, especially in my case. For me, it's been a cookbook for people who don't USE cookbooks. I buy plenty of cookbooks, generally those that are written by celebrity chefs and pertain to either steak or cake, these being the two foods I most enjoy eating (and don't even get me started on a cake made of steak--I hope that's Tim's next project). I read them and enjoy them, but I almost never USE them. If I get one usable recipe out a cookbook, it's a lot. Still, I never consider it money wasted, because cookbooks like nice on the shelf, and to me books are as much for decoration as they for utility and pleasure. Tim's book serves all three of these purposes. Unlike most cookbooks that just give you ingredients and directions, the 4-Hour Chef doen'st just TELL you how to took; it TEACHES you how to cook. Since getting the book two weeks ago (advance review copy, I have made three recipes: the salt baked sweet potatoes (easy and delish), the go-carb yeast waffles (holy crap amazing) and the bacon infused bourbon (had to. as good as it sounds). Of course, my copy is now getting beat up and has a few stains on it, but, you know, that's the price of glory and all. I decided to actually try these recipes because not only was there progression in terms of difficulty, but because Tim actually explained the science of how they were made; learning about everything infusion to gels to powders--this is the stuff that made me WANT to try these recipes. Of course, they all looked and sounded delicious, but I really just enjoyed the process of learning. And that's what 4HC is really about: learning. And more specifically, learning how to learn. Learning the skill of learning skills; or, as Tim dubs it, "meta-learning." If you're familiar with Tim's work, you know that cooking isn't his thing. And if you read the 4-Hour Workweek and the 4-Hour Body, you know that neither task and time management or fitness are really his "thing" either; he wrote about those things BECAUSE of his thing: breaking down complex skills and learning them quickly. As I see it, the 4 Hour Chef is Tim at his most "naked." Since 2007, when 4HWW came out, we've heard Tim talk about learning tango in 4 weeks, or learning how to swim, competing and medaling in Chinese kickboxing with very little time to train--or any of the other accomplishments that he's become well known for. But we've never SEEN him learn these thing in real time; we always get the stories long after the fact. While all of the feats in both 4HWW and 4HB are impressive by any measure, there is something very different in this book. In the 4-Hour Workweek, Tim was focusing on his job. While he wrote some revolutionary stuff, ultimately you'd EXPECT a Princeton grad to be smart and good at his job. In the 4-Hour Body, Tim is writing about fitness, a hobby of his for nearly 20 years. Again, some very smart and revolutionary stuff in there, but after 20 years, you would expect him to know what he's talking about. That's what makes 4HC completely different: Tim is learning as we learn. Prior to this book, Tim was not a cook. It's not even that he wasn't a "good cook" -- he just didn't cook at all. (Evidence: his youtube video of making eggs in a microwave.) At 34-years old, Ferriss went into this project with NO skills--and in about 6 months, came out on the other side of the ordeal being more proficient in the kitchen than many people are after 20 years of cooking for their families. I'm sure Tim isn't a master chef, but he learned an incredibly complex series of skills and built his proficiency to a high level in a very short period of time. And that, after all, if his THING. For the first time, Tim isn't just telling stories; he's taking the reader along for the ride. And because he wants the reader to be able to do what he does and learn as he learns, the first part of the book gets you read to do exactly what he does: learn. The first section of 4HC is called "META" and in that section reveals his strategies for learning, and creates and lays out an entire framework for learning any skill or becoming extremely proficient at just about anything in six months. Whether it's shooting hoops or speaking Spanish--yes--learning to cook, the section on Meta-learning along is worth the price of the book. And, in fact, is the real POINT of the book. From my perspective, cooking is the vehicle of demonstration; it's the particular skillset that Tim chose to illustrate both meta-learning and it's benefits. The recipes are fantastic, the skills he covers are valuable, and the education in the culinary arts and culinary world are invaluable. So it the nutrition information. But learning. Learning is where it's at. And this book will help you learn anything. But first, you must learn how to learn. If you haven't already picked this up, do so. It's worth the read, worth the time, and certainly worth the money.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Hour Everything - A journey through Tim Ferriss' mind
*by C***S on December 5, 2012*

The four hour chef is just, everything. As others said 'chef' is a misnomer and really this a journey through Tim Ferriss's mind - which can be pretty interesting. My only advise is don't give up if there is a few things you don't like about this book - there are nuggets of pure GOLD in this book that far outweigh the little nuances, which I'll break it down further. But, overall this book gives a TON of VALUE for a low price. I'll also preface this with I was not given an early copy of this, nor was I paid to write a review or anything like that. The book is broken down in this order: Intro Meta-Learning - This is where Tim breaks down how to learn everything. Some may glance over this to get straight to the cooking, but there are some useful advise in here. I personally love the concept of the cheat-sheet. It's basically a one-page note to highlight the most important things. Also he shows how to identify different taste, which I am horrible at (I still think parsley taste like nothing). He uses an acronym to describe the whole process of learning, but I'm not sure it makes it any easier to understand (DiSSS and CaFE). Also, just to throw in more value he gives a list of links and videos on how to do random things like fold a shirt in 2 seconds, prepare for public speaking, and tying a tie (I found the last one most useful). Again, he's just throwing everything at you. Domestic - The good stuff. This is the recipe section, learning to cook section, with full coverage on the best kitchen tools, dishware, ingredients. I'll break it down here" Equipment/Pantry Items: I loved this section. The stuff he recommends is really good, and he obviously put a lot of thought into this. My personal faves which I bought were the Polder thermometer and the Maldon sea salt (which I now call crack salt). Some other stuff I put on a Christmas wish list, because they just seem awesome (Aeropress coffee maker anyone?) Recipes: (these are the ones I have made so far) 1. Osu-Buko - This is the first recipe in the book, it's really easy to make, and it teaches braising. Just a warning it uses lamb shanks which I find taste a little too "game-y." Also for being the first recipe, it can be difficult to find lamb shanks and he recommends cooking 4 of them. I would buy maybe 1 or 2 at first just to see if you like it. 2. Scrambled Eggs w/ different spices - This section shows how to make scrambled eggs using different spice combinations. Personally, I didn't like the taste of ground spices in my eggs, but the lesson here is to see how different spices combine to make a ethnic dish, which he shows an entire list of different countries and spices. A useful chart. But here's a quick tip to make DAMN good eggs. Use ghee to coat the pan, add the eggs, and use the 'garlic spatula' (garlic clove with a fork through it) to stir them. Don't forget the S&P. Delicious. Try it, then thank me. 3. Coconut Curry Mash - This recipe is delicious! Don't forget to add the cinnamon on top. My mom is gluten-intolerant and she agreed this recipe is devine. 4. Union Square Zuccini - Also tried this recipe. Very good. This is where he uses the garlic spatula - it's easy to make and makes a great appetizer. If you don't have the star peeler he recommends I used a regular vegetable peeler and it worked fine. 5. Sexy Time Steak - This is by far the BEST steak I've ever had. So it took me a day of waiting to 'prep' the steak, but it's easily the best recipe in this book (I'm assuming). Really, this recipe alone is worth the cost of this book. Tip - I like it better with the Montreal Steak Seasoning, and I also bought the Polder digital thermometer he recommends which ensures it will cook incredibly accurately. I've already ensured my friends I will cook this for them (once my cooking skills get more up to par). 6. Eggocado - Another winner. This is an awesome appetizer that is a sure crowd pleaser. The next recipe I plan on making is the gazpacho which looks fantastic. The Wild - This part may be a turn-off to some, but this is where Tim shows how to hunt. And not just hunt, hunt ANYTHING. He gives full reviews of the best of the best of what equipment/guns to use when entering 'the wild', how to make "acorn pancakes" (somehow they actually look delicious), and hunting big and small game. The most shocking part is he literally devotes an entire chapter on how to catch a pigeon and then dissect it for cooking.. I somehow lost my appetite. Again, some will find immense value out of this chapter, others can pleasantly move on. The Scientist - There are some good 'lessons' in this chapter that some may pass up just because it's too "science-y." There is also a limit here since the ingredients he uses in this section you may have to buy online for some of them. The two I've tried are the bacon-bourbon (yes bacon bourbon) and the chopping wine. The chopping wine method really works and I ended up buying a wine aerator for a christmas gift. The Professional - More good stuff. And advanced stuff. I am from Chicago and his writing on Alinea Restaurant made me really want to try it (not to mention yelp review are out of this world). I haven't actually tried these recipes but some of them look pretty good and a little bizarre (cigar-infused tequilla hot chocolate..?) Appendix: Again a lot of people will pass this up but there's more gold in this section. Like how to shoot a three pointer and tricks to remember a deck of cards. There's also tips on being "VIP" which I now always ask the waiter/waitress on what the most underrated dish on the menu for some new perspective. So that's it. This is a massive book and there are good parts for everybody. I'm reading it in the kindle format now, but I plan on buying the physical copy since it can be tedious to scroll page by page and try and find the right spot. One last awesome tip from the book - If you like to listen to music while cooking like I do, try Tim's tip of putting your cell phone on pandora/playlist and putting it in a metal mixing bowl - it will instantly sound 10x better.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by M***S on January 25, 2016*

Muy recomendable, al principio pensaba que era un libro de cocina, pero tiene mucho más. Es un libro de autoayuda genial

## Frequently Bought Together

- The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life
- The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman
- The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich

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