Customer Reviews

Country Living Eating Outdoors: Sensational Recipes for Cookouts, Picnics, and Take-Along Food

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Look at the title again: Eating Outdoors. My mind interpreted this as, "cooking or grilling outdoors." Certainly the recipes are for grilling outside, but the editors of Country Living are making a point here: cook outdoors -- eat outdoors. Enjoy the dining experience "alfresco". This is the main thrust of the book's delightful introduction.

The editors distinguish between cooking with a gas grill and cooking with charcoal grills. Neither method is favored, but each is explained, along with the associated terminology. Indirect and direct cooking methods are clearly explained. A list of grilling tools and how to use them, grilling times and grill temperatures round out this straightforward, informative introduction to outdoor cooking.

Each recipe includes a mouthwatering one or two-line description in italics. I enjoyed each description on its own merits -- those alone make for delightful reading. There are introductory pages to the sections on grilling beef, poultry, pork, and lamb which list grill times and temperatures. The nutritional information for the recipes are found at the bottom of each recipe page: proteins, fats, carbs (and fiber), sodium, cholesterol, and calories per serving.

The recipes are true to taste and full of flavor. My favorites include Grilled Shrimp, Pink Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad (I love the combination of shrimp and grapefruit), Lime-Marinated Halibut with Tomato Salsa (a fabulous melding of flavors), and for a creative cocktail to enjoy outdoors, try the Watermelon Cooler which calls for whirring up frozen chunks of watermelon in a blender: not to be missed!

Are we going to use this as an everyday cookbook? Not likely, especially for those of us who suffer long, cold, snow-laden winters. Even those living in sunny climates may not use this cookbook everyday. But Country Living's Eating Outdoors will inspire you when you are ready to fire up your grill to experiment with new flavor combinations and inspiring pairings of meat, fruit, and veggies. Make sure you enjoy all of them "alfresco"!

Have not yet tried any of the recipes-it is hard to get past "nothing tastes better than"- mentioned in just about every recipe

This is a good book, basically all tried and true recipes to get you going for the Summer months.