It’s hot. Unbearably hot, and the kitchen seems to be at its broiling point. Simple solution: Start the grill and heat the coals. Take the heat outside and solve the barbecue craving. We’ve come a long way from simple burgers and dogs to a new cookbook, Wicked Good Barbecue from two Northern guys who showed the southern entrants at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue Competition that they could cook. They traveled south after numerous New England and New York state wins.
Andy Husbands and Chris Hart came up with a whole cookbook of recipes to move you from indoor stir-fry to outdoor solace. Name your protein and watch how it becomes transformed on the grill. There’s “Hickory Smoked Beef on Weck,” which uses a beef chuck shoulder roast.
For the Brisket aficionados, there’s their 1st place, “American Royal, Beef Brisket. ” They take you step-by-step starting with a 16-18 pound untrimmed whole brisket. You’ll learn to trim it, find the delicious flat side, and use the rub recipes and the marinade before you add the sauce that turns this almost unmanageable slab into finger licking goodness. Plenty of beef rib recipes and the other obvious protein players, chicken, fish, and pork. Maybe the book’s greatest strength is in its pictorials and tips to turn the simple, as an ear of corn, into a cheesy grilled veg.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats cookbook by Allyson Kramer which solves numerous allergic issues whether the cook or diner is classified as G-F or Vegan or just an individual who wants to control several food issues. Here you can follow a plant-based lifestyle and at the same time eliminate the gluten. The book begins with the essential logic: How to have a pantry that meets gluten-free and Vegan needs.
You’ll learn about gluten-free flours and which are adaptable for which recipes. Then there’s the egg, dairy, and honey substitutions that make going Vegan an easier process. Whatever the route, the instructions are clear to keep you in more of an allergy-free food environment. What I like most about this book is the ease of preparation that helps eliminate the gluten and move toward a plant-based lifestyle. Name a meal part and you’ll find plenty of recipes to turn a standard favorite into one that meets dietary needs.
Having guests over has become complicated as every individual seems to be on a different planet in relation to foods that are acceptable and those that are on a “watch list.” Following the guidelines in this cookbook makes everyday cooking and entertaining easy.