General Books - Page 2

Beer-Can Chicken: And 74 Other Offbeat Recipes for the Grill

Steven Raichlen

Amazon Price: $10.36 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Workman Press - Model: 12016 Amazon Marketplace: 127 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Chicken on a beer can? You bet! When Steven Raichlen, America's barbecue guru, says it's the best grilled chicken he's ever tasted, cooks stop and listen.

An essential addition to every grill jockey's library, Beer-Can Chicken presents 75 must-try beer-can variations and other offbeat recipes for the grill. Recipes such as Saigon Chicken with Lacquered Skin and Spicy Peanut Sauce, Root Beer Game Hens, Beer-Can Turkey (uses the 32-ounce Foster's), Stoned Chicken (it's grilled under a brick), Dirty Steak, Fish on a Board (Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze), Mussels Eclade-grilled under pine needles, Grilled Eggs, Wacky Rumaki, Rotisseried Garlic Rolls-even Grilled Yellow Pepper Soup will have your mouth-watering. Whether on a can, on a stick, under a brick, in a leaf, on a plank, or in the embers, each grilling technique is explained in easy-to-follow steps, with recipes that guarantee no matter how crazy the technique, the results are always outstanding. So pop a cold one and have fun.

The Cook's Illustrated Guide To Grilling And Barbecue: A Practical Guide for the Outdoor Cook

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: America's Test Kitchen Amazon Marketplace: 53 new & used starting at $12.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue is a comprehensive nuts and bolts volume that thoroughly examines outdoor cooking—starting with the basics. The 12-page introduction to grilling, "Outdoor Cooking 101," walks you step-by-step through the essentials of grilling, grill-roasting, and barbecuing using both charcoal and gas grills.

And since outdoor cooking requires just the right tools and equipment, the editors of Cook's Illustrated share the results of their product tests in an extensive buyers guide, "Equipment and Tools for Outdoor Cooking," where charcoal grills, gas grills, grill brushes, tongs, instant-read thermometers, and more are rated. At a glance, you will know which brands we recommend (and why) and which to avoid.

Armed with the right equipment and instructions, you’ll be ready to tackle just about any recipe from a simple and perfectly cooked burger to succulent pulled pork and restaurant-perfect grilled tuna. You’ll find more than 450 recipes for all your favorites—steak tips, ribs, and barbecued chicken as well as some that will expand your repertoire—from Thai-Grilled Chicken and Skirt Steak Tacos to Grilled Corn with Spicy Chili Butter and Bruschetta with Fresh Herbs.

The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue also contains more than 300 step-by-step illustrations that walk you through the basics of food preparation, such as how to cut beef for kebabs, trim beef tenderloin, and grill-roast a turkey.

Whether you’re a novice outdoor cook or aspiring grillmaster, this encyclopedic examination of one of America’s favorite pastimes will be your guide to foolproof grilling and barbecuing.

Camp Cooking: 100 Years

The National Museum Of Forest Service History

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Gibbs Smith, Publisher Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $5.50

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Features:

• More than just a cookbook
• Legendary recipes for Dutch oven meals, open-fire dishes & other specialties
• Dozens of recipes, photos and anecdotes
• Great for the beginner or Pro!

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Must Have 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Absolutely the best camp cookbook I have had yet. Recipes are simple and easy to understand. Ingredients can all be found at any supermarket, even small ones. The breakfast section alone is worth the price of the book.(These cooks really liked a big breakfast) The book is durable and there are enough recipes to last the average camper years before having to repeat a meal. Most meals will feed 4 to 6 easily and the additional stories, tips and photos are a great bonus!

Great Ideas! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book offers some interesting background and stories plus lots of great recipes - mainly for dutch ovens but also for skillet cooking.

History buffs! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Not what I was expecting. There are some great recipes, but the real appeal of this book is the history. The photos and stories alone make it worth the price. Warning! If you aren't cooking for a large group you'll have to scale down a lot of the recipes.

Editorial Review:

The National Museum of Forest Service History presents a charming cookbook that celebrates decades of camp cooking by countless Forest Service agents in the field.

The Ultimate Wood-Fired Oven Book

Anna Carpenter

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Schiffer Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $18.78

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The book's title says it all 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

The book's title says it all. This IS the ultimate wood-fired oven book. I spent quite a bit of time browsing through several wood-fired oven books in a bookstore, and this one is far and away the best. It tells how to choose and prepare a location for your oven, and explains the different types of construction materials that are available and how to determine the best ones for your needs, as well as explaining how to install an oven. In short, it has everything you need to know. There are also some excellent recipes, and stunning photography throughout. If you are looking for a book on this subject, look no further-- this book has it all.

Editorial Review:

Join Anna Carpenter as she shares memories of growing up in Italy, where great meals were enjoyed around the fire with family and friends. Wood-fired ovens are enormously popular today because of who the unique taste only real wood fire can instill. This book equips you with information to successfully choose, install, and use your own wood-fired oven. Great tips concerning different kinds of insulation, tools, cooking techniques, and recipes. Step-by-step guidelines and plans for building are included. Great photos will inspire you to design the perfect setting for your oven, suited to your needs and budget.

Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking

Andrew Schloss, David Joachim

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books - Model: 0811849647 Amazon Marketplace: 79 new & used starting at $4.09

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Griller's Handbook 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Do you enjoy using a grill? Or do you aspire to begin grilling? Want to expand your storehouse of grilling recipes? If yes to any of those questions, this book is a treasure. It is massive and a bit unwieldy, but its contents make up for that. I first learned of this book when the authors were guests on the Food Networks "Emeril Live." Emeril introduced the two authors and then proceeded with an hour of grilling. After that, I felt the need to acquire this volume.

The upfront stuff, in some ways, is really important. I sort of bumble along on my gas grill, learning by doing, using recipes that I like, experimenting on different ways of cooking. But I really only know a handful of ideas and techniques (Including some simple maxims as some things need to be cooked on the side without flame; others are to be cooked directly over the flame). The authors assert that there is something unique about this book (Page 10): "In this book, we approach the grill from the perspective of science and mechanics. Our goal is to impart an understanding of what occurs during grilling, so that you can make better-tasting grilled food."

Introductory sections in Chapter 1 discuss the type of grills that can be used (from hibachis to gas grills and so on), how grills work, grill cleaning and maintenance (oops; I learned that I should do a better job cleaning the grill grates), requisite grill tools (I have a bunch, but could probably add some additional items, based on their discussion).

Chapter 2? "Mastering Your Technique." This explores what I always thought of as exotica, mastering the fire, the science of heat transference (conduction, convection, and radiant heat), grilling techniques (e.g., indirect versus direct grilling, and so on), and mastering temperature (judging doneness and making sure that one let's what is grilled "rest" at the end). Resting? Goodness. I take the food right off the grill and on to my family's/guests' plates. Not good! Grilled food (and other typed of cooked foods) should rest a bit, so that you don't get parts that are too dry. I am now trying to be a batter cook and let the meat thus cooked "rest" for 5-10 minutes.

Chapter 3 looks at the different foods that you can grill and a boatload of information about each.

Finally, the piece de resistance! Recipes! There are a lot of these; the text notes about 300 of them. They are divided into sections on burgers and their like; steaks and chops; roasts, ribs, and slow food; major, complex cooking projects; vegetables and side dishes; fruit, dessert, etc.; marinades, glazes, rubs, and the like.

The one downside of a number of recipes is that they take a great deal of upfront work and are complex. I prefer interesting but simpler recipes. However, for those who want to experiment, there are plenty of opportunities to do so with the recipes in this book. A few quick examples of recipes.

Buffalo blue cheese burger: Based on hot Buffalo wings. I'm interested, since I used to enjoy visiting the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, home of the chicken wing! Create a hamburger by mixing together ground chuck, celery seed, onion, garlic, blue cheese in a bowl. Then, separately, melt butter and mix in hot sauce (e.g., Tabasco Sauce). Put the hamburger patties created from the hamburger mix on greased grill grate. Cook. Put burgers in the hot sauce, coat, and eat with knife and fork (although I might be inclined to put the resulting burger in a nice Kaiser roll!).

With steaks, there is a nice looking recipe for Porterhouse au poivre that captured my interest. Or Tandoori chicken with Vidalia chutney (a little more complicated than I'd like, but boy does it sound yummy!), grilled summer vegetables with brown-butter vinaigrette, grilled maple-crusted apple rings. . . .

This is a terrific resource for those who want to go beyond simple grilling without really knowing what you are doing (that's been me!). Some of the recipes are over the top, I think, but these will doubtless appeal to some who are likely to be rewarded for their efforts. Worth a look!

Editorial Review:

Grilling is a science, and it's only when you understand the science of grilling that you can transform it into an art. That's what makes Mastering the Grill a standout on the cookbook shelf. From equipment (grill types and tools) to fire (wood, charcoal, or gas) to ingredients (meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables), the authors have shared their impressive grilling know-how to explain the whys and the hows and guarantee the wows clearly and comprehensively. In addition to hundreds of tips and techniques, this ultimate guide is packed with how-to illustrations and mouthwatering photographs plus 350 surefire recipes everything from rubs and marinades to appetizers, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. Mastering the Grill is a master class in cooking, destined to become a sauce-stained, well-thumbed classic.

Peace, Love, & Barbecue: Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies from the Legends of Barbecue

Mike Mills, Amy Mills Tunnicliffe

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rodale Books Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $8.93

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A one-of-a-kind collection of recipes, photographs, and behind-the-scenes stories from legendary pitmaster Mike Mills.In this unique combination of cookbook, memoir, and travelogue, Mike Mills, the unrivalled king of barbecue, shares his passion for America's favorite cuisine--its intense smoky flavors, its lore and traditions, and its wild cast of characters.Through conversational anecdotes and black-and-white photographs, readers meet a diverse circle of colleagues and friends and join Mills in a behind-the-scenes tour of the barbecue contest circuit, with stops at some of the best "shrines, shacks, joints, and right-respectable restaurants."Also included are prizewinning recipes that have earned Mills his fame and fortune as a barbecue maestro. These 100 recipes will enable anyone with a grill to achieve champion barbecue flavor right in their own backyard. The selection features Mills' own secret concoctions and treasured family recipes as well as choice contributions from his pitmaster friends, and it covers all manner of barbecued meat and fish, sauces and dry rubs, as well as the sides, soups, and down-home sweets that complete any great barbecue feast.With its folksy, fun-loving tone and its unique insider's take on a hugely popular--and deeply American--subject, this volume will appeal to barbecue lovers, food mavens, and cooks of all stripes.

Smokin': Recipes for Smoking Ribs, Salmon, Chicken, Mozzarella, and More with Your Stovetop Smoker

Christopher Styler

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: William Morrow Cookbooks Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $6.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Recipes! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is a must-have recipe book for users of indoor smokers. I use an Emerilware 5 in 1 smoker, but the recipes that came with it were limited, and in some cases required some expensive, hard-to-find ingredients and a great deal of preparation and cooking. Not very useful for people who want to use their smoker more than once or twice a month and are limited in cooking expertise and cash flow. It seemed more of a way to push Emeril cooking products on the consumer, like spices and sauces. I'm not knocking the recipes-they are great-but there had to be some way to utilize this smoker more often.

In comes "Smokin'". This is a cookbook for anyone who wants to use their indoor smoker to the fullest. Nothing is left to guess. Everything is explained thoroughly, from how to cut up a leek to choosing and brining meats, and wood selection. Recipes for smoking vegetables and cheese are there as well.

The best part of this book is use of leftovers. Many recipes that turn smoked leftovers into tasty meals are included. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an indoor smoker.

Editorial Review:

Get that great taste of wood-smoked food using the top of your kitchen stove.

Contains everything you need to know about smoking foods at home, using a stovetop smoker.

Chris serves up 36 master recipes for smoking everything from whole chickens to shrimp, plus 95 recipes for soups, salads, and sides that use smoked ingredients. There's Tea-Smoked Duck; Smoked Eggplant Soup; and Fettuccine with Smoky Salmon, Peas, and Leeks to name just a few. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination and your love for smoky flavor. With Chris Styler's tips, techniques, and pointers, smoking food is simple, fast, and the taste speaks for itself. Smokin' -- it's well, smokin'.

Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue Sauces: 150 Make-Your-Own Sauces, Marinades, Dry Rubs, Wet Rubs, Mops, and Salsas

Paul Kirk

List Price: $19.95 By: Harvard Common Press Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $19.35

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Learn from a master 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

You can buy lots of books on how to cook barbeque, but very few from accomplished masters such as Paul Kirk. Only two things surpass his ego in this book: His willingness to share some great recipes and insights, and his recipes themselves.

Pretty much every sauce, marinade, and relish I tried from this book turned out great. It's no surprise to me that Paul Kirk is so accomplished with several bold and unique recipes. Don't miss the orange-chile marinade, which he used to win a barbeque contest in Ireland.

I should mention that the book has a strong Kansas City-style slant to the barbeque, although Paul Kirk does make an effort to include different regional styles.

In addition to the recipes, Kirk provides "Master Classes" on barbeque sauces, rubs, and marinades. I took this opportunity to develop my special secret rub with secret spices reflecting my partly Greek heritage. Following Kirk's "Master Class" on rubs, I concocted a rub that I hoped would create gold in my Weber kettle. Have I developed a killer rub to take the barbeque contest circuit by storm? Well, probably not, but it was fun giving it a whirl, and if I say so myself, the results were pretty good.

But if you ask me, most of the fun of barbequing is coming up with secret recipes, and putting your own stamp on things, and Paul Kirk has got me going.

Editorial Review:

A renowned barbecue champ reveals the secrets of how to cook outdoors like a pro.

Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue: Barbecue Your Way to Greatness with 575 Lip-Smackin' Recipes from the Baron of Barbecue

Paul Kirk

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: THE HARVARD COMMON PRESS/HAROLD IMPORTS - Model: 3504 Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $3.53

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Features:

• Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue Cookbook
• THE HARVARD COMMON PRESS/HAROLD IMPORTS

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Recipes, Good Instruction 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'd rate this as a great recipe book, and a good but not great BBQ instruction book. The author is not shy about telling you how good he is and he wants you to be just as proficient at cooking up great food.

The book's recipes cover all kinds of meats, including beef, pork, lamb, chicken and even goat, plus there was a chapter on fish, an unexpected bonus. Whole sections are dedicated to rubs, mops, sauces, and all other manner of BBQ flavorings. The author includes some helpful information for hot grilling foods as well, because its not every day you can spend 16 hours smoking a brisket or 6 hours slow cooking spare ribs.

The only drawback to this book in my eyes is that its explanation of cooking techniques are adequate but not great. A few pictures or diagrams might have helped, as I found myself puzzled trying to figure out a few of his explanations for specific methods. Overall, however, I'm glad I bought this book and look forward to using it for years to come.

Editorial Review:

Chef Paul explains it all: the differences between barbecuing and grilling; how to build different kinds of fires and what kind of fuel to use; setting up the pit or grill; what tools are needed and how to prepare the food.

Lipsmackin' Backpackin': Lightweight Trail-tested Recipes for Backcountry Trips

Christine Conners

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Three Forks Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $5.45

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Don't buy for dinner recipes unless you have a dehydrator 2 out of 5 stars.
12 of 15 people found this review helpful.

I agree with the person who wrote that you need a dehydrator for this book's recipes. The author commented (rather self-defensively) that a full 2/3 of the recipes do not require one, but that's not true for the dinners.

I'll be honest and say that dinners are why I bought this - snacks and breakfast aren't that hard to make, but dinners, especially for a group, can be challenging. I did a quick count, and 40 of the 59 dinners require a dehydrator. Of the ones that don't, the authors include recipes with ramen, spam, and macaroni and cheese, none of which I need a cookbook for and two of which I bought the book to get away from.

And then there's the "Trail-grown sprouts" dinner which suggests growing sprouts for three days in netting, presumably in your pack, and then eating. This is hardly a full meal. There are also a few dinner recipes with the main ingredient being plants or fish caught while in the backcountry, such as "Sandy's Weed Salad" with "Collect greens along the way in a plastic sack and wash them in streams" and then toss with dressing as the directions. Most experienced hikers know to not plan on a meal being caught or harvested in the wild.

The book is also padded with information about National and Historic Scenic Trails in the United States, which is ok information I guess, but a) is of very little use to most people unless they plan on traveling the entire country, and b) odd to have in a cook book.

I will probably sell this book and look for another that doesn't have so many major meals (e.g. dinners) that require a dehydrator.

Editorial Review:

Tasty backcountry cookbook filled with trail-tested recipes providing nutritional information, food preparation and meal-planning tips from experienced long-distance hikers.