B O O K R E V I E W BY TO M F I RT H
Project Fire
By Steven Raichlen Workman Publishing $33
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teven Raichlen may have already written “The Barbecue! Bible” but this is an essential tome of sorts for both the barbecue enthusiast and neophyte. Written in both an easy going and concise manner, this book covers the very basics with some of the hows and whys of your flame-based dishes, but still provides relevant information for the experienced grill master in your life – meaning if you think you already know it all, don’t skip the first 47 pages. From there, sections are devoted to everything from breakfast (really!), most of the major proteins, veggies and tofu, and dessert and drinks (seriously!) with plenty of sauces, rubs and accoutrements for lots of variety, whether you entertain a lot or just like to keep things fresh. The photos are fantastic throughout,
but still manage to look possible for trying dishes at home. These don’t look like expertly staged, teams of chefs on hand looking images, but close to what most can achieve at home. This is barbecue meant to be a little dirty, but always delicious. Raichlen starts off with “The seven steps to grilling nirvana”, which at first glance seems a little overly enthusiastic, but topics cover choosing the grill, the fuel, the tools, and so on. This becomes everything you wanted to know but you were afraid to ask or didn’t want to Google, with even a small section on winter grilling which might come in handy here at home. Recipes start with breakfast where the Bacon and Egg Quesedilla (p.52) should fire up anyone’s morning, to Black
Pepper Baby Backs with Whiskey Vanilla Glaze (p.157), to Maple-Sriracha Chicken Drumsticks (p.211). Meats are covered with clear instructions, while on the sides Coconut-Grilled Corn (p.271) should hit the mark once local corn is on the shelves. This is a solid addition to the bookshelf for anyone interested in grilling or cooking with fire, and while I’m not quite a newbie to working the ‘cue I found most pages offered something new, or at the very least, an explanation of why it’s done a certain way by those in the know.
