CAPSULE COMMENTS

May 29, 2008

Grilling Books

Summer is soon to arrive and in the next few months there will be opportunities for outside events, many of which have food as a central element. The following books provide recipes and advice for cooking at a variety of outdoor activities. All titles are available at the Main Library.

BORN TO GRILL: AN AMERICAN CELEBRATION, by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

The authors of this grilling guide endorse a back-to-basics, "open air, open flame" technique that doesn’t require the use of a fancy grill. They walk readers through how to use the different types of grills and the ingredients that should be stocked in the pantry before starting. All of the recipes included are divided into different types of food and there are sidebars with helpful tips sprinkled throughout the book.

THE TAILGATER’S COOKBOOK, by David Joachim.

According to the author, tailgating is an activity that can be enjoyed at any event where you are allowed to park your car, grill food and enjoy being with friends. Whether it is a professional sports event or just a local game of baseball at the neighborhood park, the recipes included in this book will make summer tailgating experiences fun.

The many helpful tips and the checklist of supplies will come in handy and make sure the tailgating run smoothly. A variety of tastes and needs are covered with the Rodman Public Library recipes that are divided into sections on foods from the cooler, the grill, the cooking pot, and the thermos.

CAMPGROUND COOKERY, by Brenda K. Kulibert.

One perennial favorite summer activity is camping. No matter how you camp, what to eat and how to cook it are issues that need to be covered. This updated guide provides valuable advice to make your camp cooking experience an enjoyable one. There is information on how to build a fire and cook over it as well as how to use grills. One especially helpful section is on how to use everyday materials in creative ways for cooking. Also included are recipes for breakfasts, snacks, main courses, side dishes, and desserts.

GRILLING FROM THE GARDEN: VEGETARIAN DISHES FOR THE OUTDOOR COOK, by Diana Shaw.

Summer gardens and farm markets provide a wealth of vegetables. The grill is another way to enjoy this bounty. In this guide, the author includes discussion on a few accessories that make grilling vegetables easier, such as a fine-mesh grill grate and wooden skewers for kabobs.

There is an alphabetical listing of vegetables at the beginning with instructions on how to cook them. Other chapters include recipes for lunches, simple suppers, and dinners using a skewer to cook the vegetables.