Barbecue With Beard: Outdoor Recipes from America's Master Chef

Rating:
Summary: Useful book, but antiquated in some respects
Review: "Barbecue With Beard: Outdoor Recipes from America's Master Chef" (the title as listed by Amazon is incorrect) is a nice cookbook from the revered James Beard. It features a wide variety of grilling and barbecue recipes for beef, poultry, game and pork, as well as side dish, sauce, summer drink and dessert recipes. Given that the book was published in 1987, some out-of-date characteristics or plain omissions are not unexpected. No mention is made of gas grills, for example. And, against all common sense, Beard inexplicably recommends using paint thinner to start your charcoal! (A brief tip for charcoal users: never use any oil-based fluid to start your coals, not even charcoal starter fluid. The odor and toxic chemicals will find their way into your food. Use a chimney starter instead). Also, perhaps reflecting the differing tastes of the 80's, there are several recipes for variety meats such as heart and kidneys, which most folks these days probably could do without. Despite these quirks though, this is a book worth having in your cookbook collection.

Rating:
Summary: Useful book, but antiquated in some respects
Review: "Barbecue With Beard: Outdoor Recipes from America's Master Chef" (the title as listed by Amazon is incorrect) is a nice cookbook from the revered James Beard. It features a wide variety of grilling and barbecue recipes for beef, poultry, game and pork, as well as side dish, sauce, summer drink and dessert recipes. Given that the book was published in 1987, some out-of-date characteristics or plain omissions are not unexpected. No mention is made of gas grills, for example. And, against all common sense, Beard inexplicably recommends using paint thinner to start your charcoal! (A brief tip for charcoal users: never use any oil-based fluid to start your coals, not even charcoal starter fluid. The odor and toxic chemicals will find their way into your food. Use a chimney starter instead). Also, perhaps reflecting the differing tastes of the 80's, there are several recipes for variety meats such as heart and kidneys, which most folks these days probably could do without. Despite these quirks though, this is a book worth having in your cookbook collection.