Customer Reviews

Better Homes and Gardens Grillin' and Chillin' (Better Homes & Gardens Cooking)

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This weekend, I expect to fill my propone tank and fire up my grill. And this volume from "Better Homes and Gardens" has arrived in the nick of time! I have a couple other cookbooks that focus on grilling. But this is a welcome addition to my cookbook collection generally and my grilling section specifically.

The cover says 164 recipes (the brief introduction says 200, but I'm not going to count). The front section of the book has a series of helpful suggestions, such as how you fire up your grill (whether charcoal or gas), how to enhance flavor (such as patting meat dry before grilling, to avoid braising the meat instead of grilling it), testing doneness, temperatures and cooking times for different meats, and so on.

Then come the recipes. Most seem pretty doable; some may be a bit more challenging. Nonetheless, a scrumptious lot of recipes. Color photos illustrate nicely what the finished product looks like. Examples of some recipes that I intend to try this summer? "Beer marinated pork chops with cheddar." Or "Tex-Thai chicken breasts." Or "Grilled trout stuffed with lemon and herbs."

Or "Grilled cheesy potatoes." Let's walk through this recipe, because I aim to make this very soon. Lightly coat aluminum foil with cooking spray. Place small red potatoes, red onion cut into thin wedges, and garlic cloves in center of foil. Add salt and pepper. Top with some butter, Swiss cheese, and parmesan cheese. Fold foil and grill. Another that tempts me--"Pulled pork shoulder with dry rub." At the end is a hot dog recipe--pretty simple. But what makes this section cool is that a whole bunch of variations on a plain hot dog are provided.

An Amazon Friend reviewed this, I read the review, then bought this volume. And I'm happy that I did. A very nice addition for the summer grilling season.

So, you have your grill on your deck and you are tired of making the same hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue chicken, and the other few things you might attempt. Here is a very nicely done book from Better Homes and Gardens that can help you extend your grilling repertoire. The 164 recipes included are nicely presented, show you how to kick up the taste in your dishes, and show you how to use your grill in ways you may not even have considered let alone attempted! There are also some recipes for cold drinks and ice cream dishes to complement all your fire prepared food.

The book organizes the recipes into fourteen short chapters. The first chapter is a terrific primer full of tips on how to grill well and safely. I really liked their chart of what high, medium, and low heat mean on a grill and then the table of items you can grill, the kind of heat you should use for them, what it will look like when done, and how long it will take. The chapters are: 1) tips for grilling, 2) chilled drinks to sip while cooking, 3) starters you can make on your grill, 4) bread, 5) beef, pork, and lamb dishes, 6) ribs, 7) poultry, 8) fish, 9) smoking dishes, 10) fresh sides, 11) BBQ on your grill, 12) hand held dishes like sausage, brats, and burgers, 13) desserts, 14) ice cream treats, and then comes a nice index. You also get side articles that provide quick looks at this or that. For example, I liked the photo and table of 10 ways to prepare and season grilled corn on the cob.

Most recipes have a lavishly produced photo of what you are aiming for and if you look closely you can see what you are supposed to do to get there. These are not complex dishes, but not all are for beginners. You get a good timing for the dish start-to-finish (I would add 50% to their time so you can prep the ingredients list), and the number of servings the dish is intended to provide. Each recipe also lists the steps required to accomplish the dish. Sometimes it is two or three while other times it is 8 or more. Nutrition information is provided at the end of each recipe and you should consider this carefully as you put your menu together. There is nothing wrong with the occasional calorie binge or sodium indulgence if you are aware of it, plan for it, and make the necessary adjustments in your eating before and afterwards.

Have fun, enjoy yourself, and broaden your grilling horizons!

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI