BOOK REVIEW

BBQ and the Bacon Explosion

By Doug Mosley
dmosley@ulm.edu

First impressions mean a lot, so any cookbook that includes the words Featuring the Bacon Explosion on the cover…well, you know that makes a pretty strong first impression.

And that’s what is on the cover of BBQ Makes Everything Better by Aaron Chronister and Jason Day ($30, Scribner, 236 pp.). I’m glad to say that this book lives up to that first impression and more. Chronister and Day, members of the Burnt Finger BBQ team, have written a book that includes their signature dish plus plenty of other creative stuff to boot. This pair of first-time authors have turned out an excellent book, one that you’ll surely enjoy.

Why do I offer such a positively glowing review? Because this book is written by one of us, a pair of guys who quite evidently have been bitten by that competition barbecue bug that got each of us. And they write this book from that perspective, sharing their tales and experiences.

Take for instance the off-the-wall creativity that shines through in these pages. This book isn’t set up in the standard chapter construction where the recipes are grouped by food type (i.e., beef, pork, poultry, etc.). Rather, they take a creative turn to how they divvy this up. They start off with a fairly standard introductory chapter and then follow it with one titled “Bacon”. That’s unusual, but it makes sense here because they lead off with their famed Bacon Explosion and then go on to include a dozen more recipes involving bacon. From there, it seems as if they titled the chapters by whatever idea struck them. There’s a chapter on Parties and Tailgates, one on International Barbecue and a first-time-I’ve-seen-it chapter titled Leftovers. You’ll love the whole chapter dedicated to fatties and there are also chapters on drinks and desserts. But I found it very interesting that they included a chapter titled Wives, Girlfriends and Misstresses and I’ll save the explanation for that one for when you read the book.

Let’s admit it, there are those among us who have written books in these days of self-publishing that were better off left to be printed on the office copier. But in the case of Chronister and Day, they’ve pulled off the equivalent of nailing a Grand Champion at their very first cookoff.

While we’re talking about bacon, let me tell you about a book I recently came across. Seduced By Bacon: Recipes & Lore About America’s Favorite Indulgence by Joanna Pruess with Bob Lope ($14.95, The Lyons Press, 178 pp.).

Let’s face it: there’s not many foodstuffs that elicit the sort of global appreciation that bacon does. Perhaps one could make an argument for the joys of chocolate, but bacon prompts such a ubiquitous reaction. Why I even know a few vegetarians who drool at the sweet aroma of bacon.

If you’ve ever sought a book of bacon recipes, then you want this book. If you’ve ever sought a book of bacon dessert recipes, then you need this book. Either way, just make sure you stock up on your bacon. You’re gonna’ need it.

I’ve always enjoyed the books of Texas chef and author Grady Spears and he’s turned out another good one. Cooking the Cowboy Way: Recipes Inspired By Campfires, Chuck Wagons and Ranch Kitchens by Grady Spears with June Naylor ($29.99, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 222 pp.) takes a bit of a different tack than the Texas-centric theme of his previous books. It’s still focused on cowboys, ranches and that whole lifestyle, but this time he goes to different ranches around North America; from Texas to Arizona to Calgary to Florida to Kansas City. The selection of recipes reflect the different regions.

The pictures in this book don’t show the dishes as much as they set the tone of the book; as a matter of fact, many of the recipes don’t even include a picture of the food. The concept works well here because the look and feel of the cowboy way comes through. But if that weren’t enough, Spears and Naylor tell the story with their words so well that they’ll have you slipping on your cowboy boots, saddling up and heading out to buy this book.

Does your on-site presentation need some work? Let me tell you about a couple of books that are sure to give you some new ideas. Neither were written with competition barbecue in mind, but sometimes that’s where the freshest ideas come from. Both come from Schiffer Publishing: Food Presentation: Tips & Inspiration by Michelle Valigursky ($24.99, 128 pp.) and Table Décor by E. Ashley Rooney ($24.95, 144 pp.). Both books are richly illustrated with loads of full-color pictures. In Table Décor, top design and decorating pros offers tips and hints for putting together the perfect look. Food stylist Valigursky shares your wealth of knowledge in “Food Presentation”. Together, these books are sure to provide you with plenty of ideas to improve your look.

Remember a few months ago when I featured a variety of books about Indian cooking? Well let’s take another swing at that theme by surveying books about Asian cooking.

Some time ago I did a review of several books that dealt with knives and knife skills. I’ve seen a few books on that topic come through since, but none that I felt met the standard to share with you in this space. But now I have found an outstanding book on knives — Japanese knives. Japanese Kitchen Knives: Essential Techniques and Recipes by Hiromitsu Nozaki with Kate Klippensteen ($29.95, Kodansha International, 160 pp.) is equal to any of the best books on cutlery I’ve seen. It is thorough in covering its content, yet logical and easy to follow. The pictures are plentiful and instructional. I have no doubt that your knife skills and knowledge will improve through this book.

OK, now that we’ve improved our prep, let’s move on to a great barbecue cookbook. Asian Barbecue by Vicki Liley ($15.95, Periplus Editions, 96 pp.) features recipes on grilling with an Asian influence. The book features over 50 recipes and is nicely illustrated with full-color pictures. The recipes aren’t too exotic – most all of the ingredients can be found in any well-stocked supermarket.

OK, if Asian cooking has grabbed your interest at this point, this next book is one that will really get those creative juices flowing. Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook by Mark Robinson ($25, Kodansha International, 160 pp.) is the first English-language book to cover food in Japan’s izakayas. The author details offerings from eight well-known izakayas in Tokyo and along the way also shares the stories behind izakayas and their culture. Comparable to Spanish tapas bars, the izakaya menu is generally small plates across a wide range of flavors. The author tells the story well and takes care to carefully step the reader through some complicated recipes. There’s no doubt that this book will be enjoyed by all with that spirit of culinary adventure.

Next, let’s hop across the Sea of Japan to the west to the Korean peninsula. Many of you may already be familiar with bulgagi, or Korean barbecued beef. In The Korean Table: From Barbecue to Bibimap, 100 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes by Taekyung Chung and Debra Samuels ($27.95, Tuttle Publising, 160 pp.) offers that recipe and plenty more. This is another excellent book that covers a complex topic well. I know you’ll enjoy trying out all the Korean barbecue grilling recipes.

As long as we’re traipsing about, this time we’ll head south, across the South China Sea and around Vietnam to Thailand. This has always been some of my favorite Asian dishes, especially Waterfall Beef and Crying Tiger (both supposedly owe their names to juices from the meats dripping on the hot coals). I’ve also always been a big fan of Thai curries. The Complete Book of Thai Cooking: Over 200 Delicious Recipes by Linda Stephen ($24.95, Robert Rose, 288 pp.) is a great resource for these recipes and more. The recipes don’t get too exotic with the ingredients and the steps are easy to follow.

Perhaps you’d rather opt for one book to cover them all and I have one I can recommend to you. The Complete Book of Asian Cooking by Sallie Morris and Deh-Ta Hsiung ($20.99, Southwater, 262 pp.) combines a little bit from all of these and more. The authors do a nice job with a couple of introductory chapters and then divide their recipes by country/region: China and Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, Thailand and Burma, Indonesia, Vietnam and Phillipines, Japan and Korea. You don’t get as much detail as you do with the other books, but what they do offer is covered well just the same with plenty of illustrative pictures.

Let’s finish this off with a book on drinks. Japanese Cocktails: Mixed Drinks with Sake, Shochu, Whisky and More by Yuri Kato ($14.95, Chronicle, 96 pp.) offers more than 60 cocktail recipes that are the most popular in Japan. Some of the ingredients may take some extra effort to track down, but the book promises it will be worth it. If you’re a mixologist looking to expand your repertoire, then you’ll love what this book offers.

I couldn’t find anything about barbecue or grilling in this next book, but I just had to tell you about it. Lonely Planet is one of the best publishers on travel guides, but every now and then they release something a little bit different. I have very positively reviewed one of their books in this column previously – Lonely Planet Road Trip: Blues & BBQ. That book detailed their travels from Memphis to New Orleans seeking great blue music and awesome ‘cue.

This books is different. Extreme Cuisine: Exotic Tastes From Around the World by Eddie Lin ($9.99, 136 pp.) is about the sort of foods that might only be consumed after a dare or bet (and only then after a few stiff drinks!). Lin offers a wide variety of the most unusual from all around the world: cockscomb in Italy, fish sperm in Japan, grasshopper in Mexico, fermented herring in Sweden, scorpion in Thailand and tarantula in Cambodia. You will find a few familiar dishes; for instance, I never thought the lime green Jell-o salads that always seemed to show up at church suppers was a very extreme, but then again I also thought nothing of eating frogs or turduckens and those are both in the book as well. Nonetheless, I’m sure you’ll enjoy leafing through this one to consider just what could and could not show up on your plate someday.

Back to Top