The Common Grill Cookbook [Hardcover]

Craig Common (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2000

Among the many reasons for visiting Chelsea, Michiganthe quaint village located 15 miles west of Ann Arboris The Common Grill. Owned by local resident Craig Common, who also works as Executive Chef, The Common Grill is a delightful combination of big city cuisine, bountiful beverages, to-die-for desserts and casual atmosphere. In the nine years since its opening, the restaurant has consistently received outstanding reviews and ratings from critics and patrons alike. Chef Common, however, is well aware that many people enjoy cooking as much as he does. So within these pages youll find recipes to inspire the experienced home cook as well as the beginner.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

First of all, there is nothing common about this cookbook, and it is not about grilling. Rather, it is a compilation of more than 150 recipes from the Common Grill, chef Craig Common's restaurant in the quaint town of Chelsea, Michigan. Common's food has been described as a combination of "big city" and "casual comfort," and with recipes such as Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Warm Garlic Custard, it's easy to see why.

Common's work is well organized. He starts with a chapter of basics, such as stocks, basil pesto, and a roasted-tomato sauce, and then presents a chapter of sauces, some of which are called for later in the book and some of which will make a dish all on their own. A little note at the end of a recipe for Mint Aioli says, "A great addition to grilled lamb chops"; Tomato and Roasted Pepper Compote is "great on grilled fish"; and Bacon-Balsamic Vinaigrette is used in a salmon recipe but would be tasty also on a spinach salad.

Once you get past the basics, however, Common gets less common and more complicated. While there are a number of recipes with short lists of ingredients and manageable time frames, such as Skillet-Roasted Mussels, Dungeness Crab Cakes, and Apple Praline French Toast, most are quite complex and time-consuming, requiring a bit of expertise in the kitchen. Fortunately, many are beautifully photographed and all are laid out well, with the lists of ingredients separated into mini-recipes and printed on an off-white background to help you keep your place as you look back and forth at the instructions alongside. Tuna Salad Niçoise, for example, is a work of art, made with fresh Ahi tuna and served on mesclun with beans, potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and ricotta or feta cheese with Roasted Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette. The recipes for the Tuna Marinade and the vinaigrette are called out separately.

Pan-Seared Whitefish with Cajun Ragout Sauce, Chilean Sea Bass with New Bedford Littleneck Clams, and Roasted Vegetable Cannelloni are all worth the trouble, but the key to these recipes is to really read them, as the instructions sometimes oversimplify the work involved. While this book is certainly something a kitchen novice could aspire to, it is geared more toward cooks who are already quite comfortable in the kitchen. For them, Common is sure to be a source of inspiration. --Leora Y. Bloom

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Huron River Press (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886947880
• ISBN-13: 978-1886947887
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #773,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Professional Cooking > Quantity

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Move over, Emeril!, December 31, 2000

By 

Chris Herald (Mackinaw City, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Common Grill Cookbook (Hardcover)

This book was given to me as a Christmas gift and I couldn't have been more pleased. The simple but elegant layout, the photography, and the homey comments make this more than a cookbook; it's lovely enough for a coffee table book! The recipes are not complicated and the items needed to complete a dish are for the most part already in any kitchen. No need to shop for additional exotic spices. This is a cookbook I'll surely use again and again. Congratulations to Chef Craig and his Common parents. They can be proud of their son.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For those who like a little challenge, March 18, 2002

By 

grandma judy "grandma judy" (State College, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Common Grill Cookbook (Hardcover)

I have completed three dinner parties using recipes from this cookbook exclusively, and have gotten rave reviews on all three. The ingredients lists are long, sometimes with unusual ingredients, so this is a book for someone who enjoys a little challenge. The Chinese Chicken Salad is delicious, the desserts are rich and wonderful, and the pictures allow you to produce meals that look like a professional chef is hiding in your kitchen.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very special cookbook, June 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Common Grill Cookbook (Hardcover)

My husband was attracted to this cookbook because of its appearance, but once we really looked through it, we had to have it! The recipes use the ingredients that we prefer and keep around. The last dinner I made, the Marinated Grilled Ribeye with Gorgonzola sauce and the Smashed Redskins w/parnips and carrots, was a unqualified hit for a birthday dinner. These recipes are so good you 'ummmmmm!' while you eat. The fish recipes are easy and unusual. He also offers suggestions on a wine to accompany the meal. Everything we've made, we've loved. THEN we went to his restaurant. What a wonderful experience. Chelsea is close to Ann Arbor. Make a point to go.