Customer Reviews

The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition

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As I see reviews, gentle reader, the reason is to help you to decide whether or not to part with some hard earned dinero to buy this book. In this case, the answer is a resounding "YES'!! There are two major reaons for this: first, the recipies are many, varied and uniformly good. Second (and this is very subjective), there is a real sense of who the folks are that helped generate this relatively recent interst in "barbeque" as the American cuisine.

As to the recipies ... there are over 200, and they range from entree dishes to appetizers to sides to desserts. Now in our house, each week we pick the entree (and which of us will cook it (and we are competitive on that issue, because we are both pretty good cooks), but each night we look at each other and wonder what we will serve with the entree. It's a constant "oops!" This book has the most varied number of "sides" I have seen in a barbeque book: I think that there are ten recipies for baked beans alone. The term "side" has a kind of negative connotation to me: it's what to put on the plate with the 'que or whatever else comes off the grill. The "sides" in this book are rightious indeed. And so are the entrees: they include recipies and tips for the standard "low and slows", but also include everything from poultry to game. And desserts ... many and all high on the yummy scale. Oh, yes: there are recipies for neat rubs and sauces, as well as tips for the cooking process. And a whole lot of good veggie dishes, too.

The second reason I recommend this book is personal and may not be shared by some. I've been cooking over live fire for a bit more than fifty years. "Back in the day", you had to wing it. There were no books like this, no pre made rubs or sauces, and "barbeque" was known in the South, but not here in Michigan. Yet, this kind of cooking over live fire has been with us since the beginning. And once in a while, when I fire up, I think on that continuity. This book celebrates the folks who brought barbeque to the forefront; the pioneers, if you will. I like the anecdotes and the sense of history, much as I like Mike Mills ("Peace, Love & Barbecue"), Chris Lilly ("Big Bob Gibson's Barbecue Book") and Paul Kirk ("Championship Barbecue") because it reminds me that we can plate extremely deilicious foods on a pretty routine basis because some folks got the recipies and the techniques that make it possible.

To me a cookbook is "good" if it enables me to put a consistant and varied series of dishes in front of family and friends. In that sense at least, this is a "good" cookbook. And you get to see the pictures of the folks who made it so. Incidentally and concidentally, I got my KCBS membership packet two days before I got this book. One of the goals of the Society is to promote Barbeque as the American national cuisine. I happen to think that anything cooked over live fire beats the indoor version hands down! Now I can feel patriotic about it!

Very few cuisines are as enduringly popular for the American male as the barbeque. There's far more to barbequing than just tossing meat on a grill! The collaborative project of barbeque enthusiasts Ardie A. Davis, Paul Kirk, and Carolyn Wells, the 25th anniversary edition of "The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook" showcases more than two hundred mouth watering, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying barbeque recipes, along with succinct biographical sketches and anecdotes of the men and women responsible for them. All manner of meats and veggies are included with dishes ranging from Grilled Oysters with Orange-Walnut Vinaigrette; Grilled Greek-Style Zucchini; Redneck Mother chicken Livers with Bacon, Spicy Cheese Grits, and Crispy Onion Rings; and Grilled Venison Tenderloin, to Snail's Smoky Chili Con Carne; Grilled Ahi Tuna Steaks; Flying Pig BLT Salads; and Wood-Grilled Philippine Pork Steaks with Pineapple-Tangerine Glaze. Of special note are the sauces, rubs and marinades including 3 X BBQ Sauce; Modified Paul Kirk Marinade; and Big Billy's Very Cherry Dr Pepper Barbeque Sauce. There's even a chapter on deserts offering such barbeque banqueting treats as Grilled Angel Food Cake with Fruit and Homemade Caramel Sauce! A 336-page cornucopia of recipes, "The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook" is highly recommended for all community library cookbook collections, and absolutely indispensable for dedicated home barbequing enthusiasts!

While the book is okay, its main thrust is to promote the Kansas City Barbeque Society. Thus, the book highlights a lot of the personalities from the KCBS, a bit of the history of the organization, some of the rules for their competitions, and so on. After reading the book, you'll know a lot about the KCBS. Sadly, though, you won't learn much about the wonderful history and style of Kansas City BBQ or why it's considered one of the country's great culinary traditions.

From Spam Candy (smoked over cherry wood) to Grilled Ahi Tuna Steaks, this eclectic collection of 200 recipes from the barbecue competition circuit reflects down-home Americana.

While there are plenty of recipes for barbecue sauce, lots of dishes call for "your favorite." These cooks use shortcuts wherever they want. Elk for Dummies uses a jar of beef gravy and a can of cranberry sauce and you are not expected to make your own pizza crust for the Hearty Stromboli, although there is a recipe for pizza dough - grilled, too.

On the side, in addition to the beans, coleslaws, cornbread salads and cheesy potatoes, there's Memphis-Style Barbecue Spaghetti, Grilled Garlic Tomatoes, Grilled Corn (gussied up or plain), Flying Pig BLT Salad, Green Bean Casserole, Couscous Salad and lots more.

There's all the barbecued pork, beef and chicken you could want, plus BBQ Smoked Meatloaf, Korean Fire Meat, Sausage from scratch, Cedar-Planked Salmon with Whiskey-Maple Glaze. Desserts range from traditional to imaginative (Grilled Banana Split, Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie), and a chapter of marinades, rubs, bastes and sauces will fire up the taste buds. Every recipe comes with a little background on its originator, including a snapshot.

Folksy and well organized, the authors round things out with several chapters on terminology, tips and contest advice. This book should see plenty of summer use.

I was looking for at least a real deal great Kansas City style BBQ sauce. There was none. And like most books that print recipes from restaurants, these are probably only 'based on' recipes. Restaurants generally don't give out their complete recipes, leaving a few ingriedients out. But that doesn't mean that they aren't still good. In my opinion, too many things here that I will never use. But still has some good information in it. I think the 'Barbeque Joints and Stories' book, by the same authors, is much more interesting and useful, recipe wise. I've tried a few, and they were really good. And great stories too!

While the info contained in the book is great, the book itself arrived damaged. The pages were separated from the spine. I glued it back myself.

This is a must have book for barbecue aficionados. Great recipes for barbecue, sauces and sides.

I gave this gift to my husband for the holidays. He is a great BBQ'er and said this book is just "ok." Book is more of a hodge-podge of recipes from random people versus hints and tips at becoming a better BBQ'er. Recipes look good but we haven't tried them out yet. A good book to get ideas from for side dishes for tailgates and picnics.

This publication was written with GREAT emphasis on including recipes from KCBS' membership. There are a wide range of entries, including the traditional BBQ meats and a host of side items. Personal touches from contributors make it a joy to just simply read without doing any cooking.

The book is ok, only i did not know that it would be dammaged. But it is ok. Thank you.