There's a world of grilled food out there, and Steven Raichlen seems to have wandered through all of it the State Department deemed "safe." No Afghanistan, for instance. No Iraq. But not to worry. Any decent conflict produces refugees, and nothing travels quite so easily as your own way with food. So Raichlen availed himself of restaurant cooks in this country where and when he had to--all to get right down to the meat of it.

"Barbecue," as Raichlen points out, is a confusing word in the U.S. because it means so many things, up to and including slow-cooked barbecue with its smoky aroma and succulent charm. The word stands in for the tool itself. It's an event. It's food. It's the style of cooking.

To set the record straight, 90 percent of Raichlen's recipes (there are more than 500, from drinks to appetizers to main courses, salads, and desserts, not to mention sauces and dry rubs) are for grilled foods--and that can mean cooked on a hot grill, a moderately hot grill, a relatively cool grill, or an indirectly heated grill (which is more like an oven than a grill, but that's another story). Raichlen gets into some barbecue recipes: pork ribs, for example, or beef brisket, or chicken. But the reader would be better advised to look elsewhere for instruction specific to barbecue (cooking for long periods of time with smoke at low heat). The results will be more appealing.

But grilling. Well, Steven Raichlen has a lock on grilling. This book is absolutely overwhelming it is so deep, so comprehensive, so far-reaching, so all-encompassing. This isn't one of those chefs with taste memories from a grill in Barbados, now let's try to jazz it up and be clever kind of books. No. This is a book by an author who squatted in the market in Vietnam eating whole grilled eggs dipped in a special sauce, and he gives you the recipe and the technique. You could go set up your own egg-grilling stand in a Vietnamese market with this book. You could open shop in Central or South America. Or North Africa. Or the Middle East. Or Korea. Anywhere food is grilled--be that meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables--Raichlen's been there and brought home the goods. The real goods.

Stupid title - great barbecue book

I take issue with other people who've said that this book's recipes are complicated. If you think putting ingredients in a blender to create a marinade or reducing sauces on a stove is difficult maybe you should be reading The Betty Crocker Kid's Cookbook.

This is not a how-to book, rather it is a cookbook packed with awesome barbecue recipes from around the world. I've made tons of them, including several of the satay recipes, steak recipes (I especially like the T-bone in Garlic/Lime marinade), deserts (his kheer recipe is great), and fish (the Salmon with the basil/wine/cream reduction is killer). Almost everything I've made in this book turns out great, and they are relatively easy to make.

Thou shallt LOVE thy BBQ!

This book is brilliant!

Around 300 pages - packed with Steven's wealth of experience with BBQ bastes, sauces, glazes, rubs, marinades etc!

He uses some pretty radical combinations of herbs, spices and kitchen ingredients - in ways that are guaranteed to transform how you BBQ or even just cook in the oven!

Guava BBQ Sauce, Sweet Sesame Soy Marinade, Balinese Seasoned Salt, Chinese Fire Oil to name only a few!

A favourite of mine was Berber Spice Paste which we used over BBQ'd Aussie Lamb leg! My wife thought that it was the best lamb she'd EVER eaten - period!

Buy the book - to my mind it's a MUST HAVE!

Steve

CALLING IT A BIBLE IS DEAD ON TARGET

At over 500 pages and over 500 recipes this indespensible guide is most definitely a bible for anyone who follows the religion of grilling. Author Steve Raichlen has traveled across not only the country, but around the world over a three-year span with recipes from over 25 countrys to add to all the great recipes from here in the states. Best of all that even if you live in an apartment this book is a must have because many of these recipes can be made on indoor grills like the George Foreman. Clearly Raichlen wants to hit as large an audience as possible. Want Exotic? How about Persian Chicken?

Fish, Beef, Poultry, Pork, Veggies, appetizers..No matter what you're looking for, you're sure to find it in this comprehensive book. Raichlen also provides great advice on what equipment to use and clearly says you don't need a $1000.00 grill to do great BBQ. Filled with great tips on sauces, marinades, and rubs, this book is designed for palettes that crave taste. Best of all Steve presents recipes that for the most part are made with very simple ingredients that won't have you needing gourmet food stores.

A grillers delight!