From Library Journal
The barbecue season is upon us, and here are two timely books on outdoor cooking. Kansas City has its own reputation for barbecue, and the Kansas City Barbeque Society is a dedicated group of amateur chefs. The Society's membership has grown from the original 12 to 500 members, and its self-published cookbook has sold more than 50,000 copies. Though serious about barbecue, the Society does not take itself too seriously; the recipes are unpretentious, undemanding (sometimes relying on bottled sauces), but usually tasty. They include grilled steaks, chicken, and so forth, with a mixed bag of "sides" and some more ambitious undertakings. Livingston, author of Cast Iron Cooking (Lyons & Burford, 1991), among other titles, takes a more philosophical approach, writing in a conversational tone about his barbecue experiences and providing more information on the various types of outdoor cooking, equipment, and ingredients. His recipes are more exotic, from Prawns Mozambique to Smoked Duck. The simpler dishes in the KCBS book are, in the main, probably what most barbecuers actually cook; Livingston's more varied and unusual choices offer the next step for ambitious cooks. Both titles are recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.