The Barbecue! Bible

The first book I purchased, by this author, was "How to Grill". I absolutely love this book-- especially since it turned my non-cooking husband into a grill master. I have made several of his sauces, that all turned out great. What I loved about that book were all the step-by-step photos, including how to set up coals, and even adapt to gas grilling. So, I bought this book at such a great price. Wow! It's thick! It has lots and LOTS of recipes, including cocktails. My only disappointment is that there aren't as many pictures, and I am highly visual. Still, I love the idea of learning international recipes to make this summer--and we will... from Thai to Indian flair. It's a great book, but I think "How to Grill" is the one to start for beginners.

I can't believe some of the criticism this book has provoked. Too many ingredients per recipe? Has 'no direction'? Skips the basics? Bah! It's best to keep in mind what Raichlen is aiming for: an accurate description of different grilling techniques the world over. He draws his recipes from virtually every reach of the earth, including Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East -- obscure recipes that otherwise may not have been available without this wonderful, all-inclusive compendium. I find it hard to believe that 'all the recipes taste the same', when a Guadeloupean Crayfish in a Curry Beure Blanche is about as similar to an Iranian Saffron and Lemon Chicken as, well, fish is to fowl. (Both, by the way, are delicious...)As far as covering the basics, he goes into concise and complete detail on all manner of technique -- everything from how to cook your basic hamburger, to how to properly segment a chicken, to how to arrange the coals in your grill. At the beginning of every major chapter, he describes how different foods should be cooked. If you look at each individual recipe that includes chicken breast, it will not include a description on how to cook chicken breast: it was covered earlier! Read the book!In short, this book comprises an eclectic range of tasty grill recipes, all explained in detail. There is also a great deal of food history included, as well as some very helpful glossaries. This is an essential book for any griller, whether you want to learn how to get your steaks just right, or want to branch out into less familiar territory.

The Barbecue! Bible is a great grilling and barbecueing reference and cookbook, suitable for cooks at any expereince level. The first great quality of this book is its breadth. In addition to hundreds of recipes it covers some of the basics such as, how to grill the perfect steak, temperature guides, and equipment suggestions. Second, the recipes cover the most simple (The Great American Hamburger) to some truly exotic dishes from the many cultures of the Pacific rim, to the spice of Latin America, to the classic tastes of Europe. Third, it is easy to use. Categorized by course (starters, salads, entrees) and by protein type (or vegetable), the book is easily navigable.I received this book as gift nearly two years ago. It remains one of my most frequently used cookbooks and has provided many, many crowd pleasing meals.

I received this book as a Christmas gift from my husband, and it is one of my favorite cookbooks! It has everything from appetizers, drinks, salads, main dishes and even desserts! My absolute favorite dish is the Grilled Pork with Fiery Salsa. It takes a bit of work, but the results are worth it! If you don't like your salsa so fiery-use a chile such as jalapeno instead of the habarenos as the recipe suggests-we have tried it both ways, and it turns out great everytime! (We are fire eaters though). The North Carolina Vinegar Sauce is just as good as I have had in the Carolinas. The variety of barbecue sauce recipes is an appealing part of this book as well. Many recipes are preceded by little vignettes about their origin-it is a combination travel book as well as a cookbook. With this book your taste buds can go from Jakarta to Greece and on to Morocco in one week if you wish. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves to cook, eat or just read about the different foods of the world.

I live near the ballpark and before games people come over for BBQs. I got this book as a present and I can't give it enough accolades. Everything that I have tried in it has gotten me rave reviews. The first recipe scared me because the maranade looked like this green scary stuff, but after cooking the Jamaican Jerk Pork it was gone in ten minutes and they were asking for more. This book has more than just great dishes like the Steak from Hell and the Bulgarian Burgers (which are excellent and suguest you try), but it has a plethora of tremendous sauces and dips from the miso sauce for the eggplants to the Oxsana guacamole. I never really cooked vegetables on the grill before this but now I do all sorts of things. The recipes are easy to follow too because I'm a single guy and have no clue on cooking. This is definitely a necessity for anyone who BBQs.

Let's face it, in our gender-stereotyped world, grilling is usually for the guys. Burgers, chicken, an occasional steak. Before I discovered the "Barbeque Bible," my cooking repetoire consisted of baked pizza, tacos, and hamburgers. Now I'm impressing guests with Grilled Pizza, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Memphis Style Ribs, Thai Sates, Bahamian Chicken, and even authentic grilled Indian food. I'm actually able to "hang with" my wife in the cooking department, and can outgrill most men. This book provides authentic recipes so that you can make everything from scratch. After a few recipes, you may never use prepackaged seasoning and sauces. What I like most is the excellent index; if you are feeling like something from the islands, there are dozens of recipes. In the mood for Asian? Take your pick of many excellent and exotic recipes. In short, this book can be the way to move to a "higher plane" of grilling; you will probably become a "grill snob" in only a few short weeks! Hamburgers? You've got to be kidding!