Weber Charcoal Grilling by Jamie Purviance

Released February 2007
www.sunsetbooks.com

For many barbecue fans, spring is in the air. Home cooks are getting out of their kitchens and returning to decks and patios. If you are a skilled grillmeister, WEBER CHARCOAL GRILLING contains super recipes for appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts. If you are new to grilling, you'll find the handy tips make WEBER CHARCOAL GRILLING well worth the purchase price. Jamie Purviance's book bypasses propane grills and gets down to what I feel is the best barbecue method - charcoal.

I admit to owning two grills. We have a propane gas grill that is used when we are in a hurry. For most of our grilling, we prefer the charcoal smoker I purchased for Mother's Day last year.



The barbecue chicken we've created on the Charbroil Smoker grill is outstanding. Simply the best we've ever had. My kids love it, and I find myself craving it night after night. In fact, we could eat the chicken every night and never get tired of it.

WEBER CHARCOAL GRILLING contains more than 100 recipes. The book starts with a section on rubs, sauces and marinades and progresses into appetizers--the Beer Steamed Clams are fantastic. Other sections in the book include:

• Red Meat: Black Pepper New York Strip Steaks and the Family Fajita Bar are well worth trying.
• Pork: Baby Back Ribs and Pork and Mango Kabobs are both excellent.
• Poultry: Tequila Citrus Chicken Thighs and Garlic and Oregano Beer Can Chicken are favorites.
• Fish: Try the Fennel Spiced Salmon and Veracruz Scallops
• Sides: Highlights are the Bacon, Lettuce and Grilled Tomato Salad and Fennel, Pepper and Mozzarella Salad
• Desserts: Grilled Butter Rum Pineapple and Grilled Apricots and Pound Cake are exceptional.

The book adds tips on getting a decent bed of charcoals started, cooking times/temperatures for all cuts of meat and a section of blank recipes cards for you to create your own masterpieces.

Guilty Pleasure Books

I've been a book addict for years, but there are some books that I own that people, particularly my husband, ask why on earth I need so many--I'm taking cookbooks.

I love cookbooks and have hundreds of them tucked away, yet I really only regularly rely on about two dozen of them for ideas. Why collect so many? I am among the few who will sit down and read a cookbook from cover to cover to learn new tips, come up with new recipe ideas, and always view the pictures. I think pictures are the key to a successful cookbook.

My friend was asking if she could come look through my collection and take away a few of my least used books because her cookbook shelf is empty. I am always willing to share. My thing is that there are certain books I will not part with, and sadly two of them are done by a company with whom I don't agree--Marlboro cigarettes.

Marlboro rewards smokers with freebies from time to time. A decade or so ago, they came out with a series of cookbooks that are the best cookbooks I own. Like it or not for cowboy style cooking Marlboro's cookbooks are what you need.





The recipes in these cookbooks are not all healthy options, though some are, but it does offer excellent recipes for comfort food at its best. It doesn't matter who you are, comfort food is sometimes needed! One of the greatest recipes in this book is the recipe for a sourdough starter. I keep a batch of this starter on hand regularly now and have made incredible rolls, breads, and even pancakes from it. My son swears the country fried steak recipe is the only recipe to use. I find their chili recipes to be fabulous.

With the recipes are loads of pictures, handy tips, and even a glimpse at times on the cattle trail - a life that cowboys have lived and still live today. These cookbooks are definitely my keepers and the ones I will not hand over to anyone!