Customer Reviews

Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned: A Complete Guide to Flavoring Food for the Grill

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4 star:		(1)
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Elizabeth Karmel did it again! I loved her first book on grilling but this one is a slam dunk! It gives you all the basics of grilling and then every way you could possibly marinade, brine, sauce and spice up your grilled food. I couldn't wait to try the Pernod Brine for Salmon, what a cool idea. It was amazing! There are about 20 brines, you can even make your own pastrami brine! The butters are awesome too. For all courses, sweet and savory, on the grill, this is the only book you need (and its not big and cumbersome). I'M FIRED UP!

There are several books that I consider essential for the outdoor chef. Among them are the Jamie Purviance/Weber quartet. For reasons set forth below, I add this book, and Ms. Karmel's "Taming ther Flame" to my shelf of "must haves".

What makes this an "essential book"?

First, it is unique; almost all grilling books have some recipies for rubs, mops and sauces, but this book is dedicated to them. In my opinion, it is these items that make or break what comes off the grill.

Second, the recipies are simple and easy to follow, yet the ones I have tried produce real "flavor bombs". They are intense, yet well integrated into the dish they go with. They support rather than overwhelm.

Third, the book is a teaching tool. Even the experienced chef will learn new techniques, and aquire new and useful information. For example, I learned asbout the differences in paprikas, and why different ones are preferred over others. Where I live, paprika is generic in the market, so learning about the differences, and going online to get them, produced improved results.

Fourth, and most important for most of us, it enables us to put more consistantly well flavored food in front of family and friends. Using this book has enabled me to improve much of what I cook, and I have been at the grill for a whole bunch of years.

My older son got this for me as a Christmas gift, when I was two weeks post hip replacement; I think he thought that it was time for the old man to get back to the essentials. Well, his ploy worked! We moved some snow to get at the grills and I started using these recipies. It's been a whole lot of fun!

There's one other plus, and I'm old enough to mention it without being called sexist: Ms Karmel is kind of cute.

If producing consistantly high quality food from the grill is your thing, I recommend this book to you without reservation. You'll find yourself using it a lot!

After getting this book I paged through it and immediately started thinking about ways to spice up my cooking. I am an avid griller and also enjoy smoking food and am always looking for new ways to marinade meat. I have been following Elizabeth for a long time and this book really takes the cake as far as her cookbooks go. I know it will get a lot of use. Not only does she make it simple to make greek chicken or incredible lamb chops, she gives you a map on how to make your own tastes translate into successful new dishes.

I would have to say that it is the ultimate kitchen reference for anyone who loves or even just likes to cook. In a matter of moments you can enjoy all the tips and tricks that it seems like the author has learned from all the friends she has made over the years. Buy this book, you will actually use it!

Because if you do, you will never get it back. I am on my third copy now, because my freinds keep "forgetting" to return the copy I lent them.

First, page through the book. Second, spend the next hour trying to decide what you want to make first!! I have used recipes from this book at least twice a week since I received it in early May. Everytime, the finished product has been a great success.

Easy to understand that I have been a huge fan of Elizabeth's for quite some time now. Her recipes are at the same time inventive and straight forward. This latest book has easily become my bible for upping the ante for every BBQ I host or attend.

The added bonus is the story line behind the recipes. Makes reading a cookbook fun.

This is a definate must have addition to Elizabeth's other books, Taming The Flame and Pizza On The Grill

You'll want to cook your way through this entire book. Filled with classic favorites and dozens flavorful twists, it's sure to become an oft-used part of your cooking arsenal. From brines and marinades to rubs and sauces, Elizabeth Karmel expertly and deliciously covers it all--and then some. I'm honored that a few of my recipes are included, too! Recipes run the gamut from vegetables to all cuts of meat and for both grilling and barbecue. This book is a must for people serious about cooking with fire.

I am a huge fan of Taming the Flame - I thought this would always be my go to book when grilling or barbecueing (Elizabeth Karmel taught me the difference between the two). However, I now have a new go to book, ELizabeth Karmel's new book Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned. I always loved the 101 section and now it has been incorporated into her new book and I can pick a marinade, sauce, rub, etc and use it with whatever meat I wnat to grill. This book is a must have. Thank you Elizabeth!

Beautiful book!! This is a cookbook I love to read and refer to over and over again. Not like others that I buy and try but never pick up again.Good, comprehensive and smart! Elizabeth is charming and fun. The pictures are beautiful. Susie

I bought a copy of this book when I stumbled on it here on Amazon, having never seen it before and knowing little about it. It did not take long at all to realize that this is the most useful book on grilling I have ever seen.

The subtitle of this book says it all concisely: "A Complete Guide to Flavoring Food for the Grill". This is not a how-to book on grilling. Rather, it is more of a guide on flavoring food. There are a few complete recipes with step-by-step instructions (such as Pork Tenderloin with Mustard-Molasses Glaze) but the large majority of the content is formulas for flavoring foods on the grill.

The formulas are broken up logically by type, as follows: Marinades, Brines, Sauces, Glazes, Mops, Sauces/Relishes/Jellies, Sweet Sauces, Rubs/Spice Blends, Vinaigrettes, Butters, Pestos/Tapenades and finally Dipping Sauces. There is a wide variance in the combinations of flavors that the author uses to create her formulas, so there is something for everyone and there's a recipe for any conceivable food for grilling. The author also includes a short list of what foods will benefit with each formula, which is a great help in narrowing down which to use when the decision may otherwise be difficult.

I have not tried a lot of the formulas but I have tried a few of them for specific dishes where I wanted "something different" and so far every one I have tried has been a huge success with my family. As a result I tend to reach for this book before I go after any of the other grilling books I own.

This is a great book for anyone wanting to really master flavorful grilling. It is not an in-depth study on the art of grilling and it covers only the most basic grilling techniques, but with the basics in hand anyone can create wonderful, flavorful grilled foods using the formulas provided in this book.

Elizabeth has done it again. There is a picture of this book under the word "comprehensive" in the dictionary.

She's covered every sort of seasoning for meat (and veggies) that you can imagine: from marinades and rubs, to glazes and chutneys--it's all here. I love the clear and concise recipes and her conversationally warm tone throughout. She genuinely seems to care whether or not you have fun grilling. Do you want some Latin flare for your next Cinco de Mayo cookout? How about a Polynesian glaze for your roast pig? It's IN THERE! Plus, she covers simpler classics that make the scaredy-cat cooks feel smart enough to improvise. (I will say that twice when I thought I was "improvising" I was just making one of her other recipes--cause this book has every marinade you can imagine.)

The only possible improvement I could imagine for this book is to make it more kitchen friendly. I use mine so often and it is not easy to keep it open!

If you like grilling, and want to grow your repetoire past oil/pepper/salt/teriyaki sauce--this book is indispensable, easy to follow, and it will grow with you over time. Like my Joy of Cooking and my Fannie Farmer, I consider it a classic.

I find it impossible to step away from the grill!! Elizabeth continues to find new, easy ways to put fun spins on classics. I am no longer a "flash cooker" thanks to her! Why is that my neighbors happen to stop by more frequently when they see me out by the grill?? Because her recipes and tips are crowd pleasers!!!