The guru of grilling returns
REVIEWS BY SYBIL PRATT
Steven Raichlen, the man who wrote The Barbecue Bible, is back with a new ode to outdoor cooking,
BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes from All Across America.
Smoky Steve crisscrossed the country, sampling our "most distinctive culinary tradition" in all its magnificent variations, and the
result is this spectacular cookbook. A concise intro demystifies the art of grilling and smoking and explains how to set yourself up.
Then the fun really begins, and it starts with starters. Once a novelty, grilled appetizers, from honey-sweet Crusted Indy Wings to
Grilled, Chilled, Dilled Tomato Soup, are making their mouth-watering way into the outdoor repertoire. Delectably different salads,
breads and pizzas lead to the main event—beef, lamb, pork, chicken, burgers, fish and crustaceans, rubbed, marinated, mopped
or sauced. Enticing ethnic accents abound, such as Romanian Garlic Skirt Steaks, Cuban Lechon Asado, wasabi-laced tuna "Sushi"
Burgers and Greektown Kebabs. But, to borrow a non-cookbook phrase, this is a "sweeping saga" of America's long and lusty love
affair with its home-grown, fire-based cooking. From Kansas City smoked brisket, North Carolina pulled pork and Cajun beer-can
chicken to Alder-planked salmon from the northwest coast and planked Shad from Connecticut, all the regional specialties are
represented here. Veggies, sides and desserts get a fair shake too, and if you want to dine out on some of these treasures,
restaurant recommendations are included. Come on Steven, light our fire!
|
A fruitful endeavor
Now that we live in a global village, fruits have lost some of their seasonality; strawberries turn up in January,
melons materialize in March, grapes are always available, and most supermarkets offer an array of the exotic. Yet, summer
and early fall still seem to be the best time for succulent, tree-ripened, vine-ripened fruit and the perfect time to
pick up David Lebovitz's
Ripe for Dessert: 100 Outstanding Desserts with Fruit—Inside, Outside and Alongside and pick out some scrumptious recipes that celebrate this season's bounty and year-round favorites. A former pastry chef at the famed Chez Panisse, Mr. Lebovitz admits that he's passionate about fruit, and the fruits of his passion—his well-designed, well-introduced, carefully detailed recipes—lift desserts to a new level. Fruit stars in the ultra-simple and the super-sophisticated, in unconventional alliances and comforting classics. You'll find rosy-hued peaches simply submerged in red wine, poached in a white wine syrup or topped with an easy, but elegant Amaretti Crisp. A tangy, lemony gratin is a fine frame for juicy blackberries. Butterscotch Pudding with Coffee-Caramelized Bananas is a comforting wow, while Dark Chocolate Soufflé with Orange Sorbet ups the ante on divine indulgence. And don't let late summer pass without trying the unusually delicious Tomato Jam with Rosemary Cookies.
|
Summertime and the livin' is easy
And, yes, the fish are jumpin' too. If you have any qualms or questions about how to handle these wonders from the briny deep, or just
want some interesting seafood recipes, the book for you is The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook.
Legal Sea Foods, which takes its thought-provoking name from its motto and mantra, "If It Isn't Fresh, It Isn't Legal," started as a fish
market in Cambridge, Massachusetts, more than 50 years ago, added a restaurant in 1968 and now has 26 more along the Eastern Seaboard.
It's been an all-in-the-family business from the get-go, and Roger Berkowitz, at the helm for the last decade, remembers when they served
fish two ways—fried and broiled. Things have changed, to put it mildly, and here Berkowitz, with co-author Jane Doerfer, shares
Legal's expanded, innovative repertoire of finfish and shellfish recipes. You can angle among an ample array of appetizers, including
their signature Smoked Bluefish Pâté, troll for marvelous main dishes, from Arctic Char with Pears to Wolffish with Peppers and
Mushrooms, get the low-down on leftovers, salads, soups, sandwiches, sides, sauces, pasta and even a few fishless desserts. You'll also
learn the how-tos of storing and selecting, as well as cooking techniques. There's nothing fishy about this fish story—it's the
real deal and charmingly illustrated by Edward Koren.
|
Support your