Slappy: You are right about the protecting group, but one can make the alcohol without it , hence "a mixture of NaBH4 and I2 has been used to reduce amino acids to amino alcohols" see Mckennon, M.J.;Meyers, A.I.;Drauz, K.; Schwarm.M.J.Org. chem., 1993,58,3568
Primo : page refrence on your post should be 1556 on your March's refrence.
Note: SWIJ efforts are to make honey from Phenylalanine so I'm always looking. So with that said (see )"Carboxylic acids can also be converted to alkanes , indirectly , by reduction of the corresponding tosylhydrazides (RCONHNH2) with LiALH4 or Borane" quoted from Marche's 5th edition page 1552.
Note: on this procedure one will have to use a protecting group for the amine since we want it to behave as an acid.
Ref:
Degani,I.;Fochi,R.J. Chem.Soc.,Perkin Trans. 1,1978,1133.
for a direct methos , (see) Le Deit, H.;Cron, S.;Le Corre, M. Terrahedron Lett.,1991, 32, 2759
Attanasi, O.;coglioti, L.; Gasparrini, F.; Misiti, D. Tetrahedron, 1975, 31,341,and cited refrences
Note :seehttps://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/amphetamine.phenylalanine.html I think something here will be extrapulated to use for the final step from alcohol to an alkane hence honey...........will report on the effort.
Saludos (Greetings), from Latin America