Books hot off the grill—August 29, 2008
After the scorching days of this summer the cool evenings are a welcome respite. How better to enjoy the beauty of fall than to relax outdoors with a cool beverage and the aroma of dinner on the grill? Tired of the regular burgers or hot dogs? Try something new. The library has a variety of cookbooks for the outdoor chef.
Unlike what you would expect, “Omaha Steaks, Let’s Grill” doesn’t just feature recipes for grilling steaks but includes other tasty dishes like sweet-rubbed raspberry glazed ribs, amber nectar drunken chicken, tequila-marinated shrimp or tomato shiitake mushroom grilled pizza. The photographs make you want to fire up the grill and start cooking.
In addition to variations on standard recipes for chicken, beef, pork, lamb and fish, “Betty Crocker’s Great Grilling” includes delectable appetizers such as focaccia stuffed with cheese and tomatoes or zucchini bites and even some delicious sounding desserts like peanut butter-banana rolls and crunchy peach upside-down cake.
Al Roker learned to grill at his father’s knee whose policy was “the more lighter fluid, the better.” You can imagine the blazes that ensued. Years later when Roker covered a Barbeque Championship in Memphis, he came away with a new appreciation of the art of barbequing. Check out “Al Roker’s Big Bad Book of Barbecue” for some of his favorite recipes. He also includes salads and desserts to accompany the main courses cooked on the grill.
A cook book without photos is like opening up your recipe box stuffed full of favorites and “wanna try somedays.” But despite its total lack of photos to tempt the tastebuds, “Skinny Grilling” contains recipes that sound good and are healthy, to boot. Nutritional data is provided for all the recipes.
Grilled meat loaf, chicken satay, stuffed shrimp kabobs, and grilled whole chicken are just a few of the mouth-watering recipes in “Cooking Class Grilling.”
I am amazed that there can be so many different ways of cooking the same cut of meat, poultry or fish. “Weber’s Art of the Grill” again reinforces that observation with butterflied chicken under bricks, halibut with tomato-tarragon cream sauce and burgers to die for.
Grilling usually creates a casual party atmosphere. Where better for a party than a sports field or the stadium parking lot? Keeping the party preparations and cleanup simple and easy are the caveats in “The Tailgater’s Cookbook.” Tips for keeping foods safe while transporting them or getting them ready to cook can be found in this handy cookbook. Simple recipes, detailed instructions plus a little bit of history about tailgating thrown in for good measure make this a fun book to just read.
Now that I’ve perused all these cookbooks, I’d better head home and fire up the grill.