Cannabis cook shares knowledge through book

Travis Petersen of The Nomad Cook has been hosting pop-up cooking demos and infused dining experiences since 2018, when it was legalized in Canada.

With his book “The Nomad Cook: Introduction to Culinary Cannabis” (Dorrance Publishing Co.; $52) he wanted to share his knowledge on cooking with cannabis safely and responsibly.

In the book, Petersen shares recipes as well as tips for cooking with cannabis and discusses its affects on the endocannabinoid system.

The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, native, has lived in Arizona for about two years. He wanted to do a book for years and wrote it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic really gave me time to sit down, develop the cookbook, take a look at what I’ve learned over the last couple of years and put it into text,” Petersen said.

This is his first book, and it features 80 pages of educational information and 40 recipes.

“It’s designed for both the home cook and the budding culinary student who is looking to take this on as their trade,” he said. “It’s really focused to give you confidence in dosing and really understand the plant and the different ways other than weed brownies to enjoy cannabis through food.”

Recently, he has been offering culinary cannabis certification classes and infused dinners throughout the country. He hosts residencies in Boston, New York, St. Louis, Chicago, Portland, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cave Creek, Scottsdale and Phoenix.

He has served over 10,000 people their first infused dining experiences.

“It’s a great opportunity for strangers to sit at a table and really come together,” Petersen said.

“When I do my events, I dose everyone individually based on their own tolerance level. Whether you have never enjoyed cannabis before, whether you just have a little bit or use it every day, we offer a safe space to come and explore this new culinary frontier. It’s not so much about getting high but utilizing the terpenes from the plant to create this arc of experience for our guests from beginning to end.”

The dinners can take place at any location.

“We can go in the middle of a field and set up a dinner. We can go in the middle of the desert. We can go on top of a mountain. We can go to someone’s house,” Petersen said.

“This is really the new age for chefs. We no longer have to stay up in a restaurant in that traditional format. I think over time, we will see more chefs look at what I’m doing.”

Petersen said the focus is on the food and experience, which happens to involve cannabis.

“Stoner culture has its place, but this is a fine dining experience. Cannabis is really just another ingredient we are incorporating into the menu,” Petersen said.

Cannabis is optional at the dinners, however. The events attract a variety of guests, including those who want a fine dining experience and those interested in the anti-inflammatory and body-rejuvenating effects of cannabis. Attendees get a chance to ask questions about cannabis in a safe space.

Petersen said diners can benefit from learning more about terpenes in cannabis.

“We try to educate people about what terpenes are, how they react within the body and why they feel the way they do throughout the experience,” Petersen said.

Petersen hosted his first infused dinners in April 2018.

“We had 194 people come over four days. What was supposed to be a one-time thing just spiraled and grew. This summer, I’m heading to Europe to tour through eight countries to present this. It’s taken me all over the world,” Petersen said.

When he started, the biggest learning curve was understanding how to incorporate extractions into sauces and recipes. He said that there is a lot of preparation and math involved.

He also needed to learn how to plate meals properly for presentation purposes and to plan cohesive five course meals.

Working with and learning from other chefs helped him to get acclimated to the culinary industry.

“That’s the great thing about what we do. It’s all about growing and sharing with others. You can always learn something new in the kitchen,” Petersen said.

Before his infused dinners, Petersen had never worked in a restaurant. He spent 15 years working in the oil and gas industry as a business development manager. This especially gave him experience in sales and marketing.

A veteran of “MasterChef Canada,” he enjoyed cooking for people at his home.

“I was someone who finally went after something he loved doing,” Petersen said.

“When I worked in oil and gas, I had everything society said you wanted to work for, all the six figures, the vacations, the golf. I had a giant hole in me…Once I stopped looking so much at the end goal and really enjoying everything I was doing, I realized this was the real reward of it. I would like to encourage people to follow their passions. I started this at 31.”

After his first dinners, he jumped headfirst into culinary cannabis. Over the years, education has become central to Petersen’s mission.

He often trains other chefs and has worked with celebrities like Sylvia Barban from “Top Chef.”

Petersen said that part of his job is re-educating others about the cannabis plant.

“We are really working up against 80 years of propaganda and misinformation about the plant,” Petersen said.

In 2021 in Canada, he was part of launching the first recognized culinary cannabis certificate.

Petersen said that his cookbook is an extension of his certificate classes. He, himself, is continually learning and growing in his knowledge so he can teach others.

“I just am extremely passionate about what I do and am trying to be the person to lead the way. I make sure I’m confident in what I speak about,” Petersen said.

He said it’s going to take a bit for the culinary industry to incorporate cannabis. He hopes to bring change.

“We still are in a space where the culinary industry isn’t sure how to implement cannabis into restaurants,” he said.

“My goal is to help get the education out there. I want to reach out to the states to help them implement programs they can put their chefs through to make sure they have a license and understand the responsibility aspect of it.

“I’m looking to work with state legislators and post-secondary culinary institutions and lead by example to show this can be done in a restaurant.”

Petersen will be offering a culinary cannabis certification class Thursday, May 18, in Scottsdale. The course is followed by a 100-question multiple choice test, which participants need to score a 76% on to pass.

He will have a Nomadic Nights dinner for people 21 and older Saturday, May 20, in Scottsdale. There will be a three-course brunch or a five-course dinner option. Dinners and brunches start at $75, with add-ons available. The certification class is $95.

To find out more about certification classes and dinners, visit exploretock.com/nomadcookus.

“The Nomad Cook: Introduction to Culinary Cannabis”

Dorrance Publishing

Available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon

This article appears in May 4-10, 2023.