Customer Reviews

The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, & Down-Home Barbecue

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm not going to try to add anything to the already wonderful comments on this cookbook. However, I would like to point out that the spiral version is nothing like the hard-copy version. The format is completely different, with the recipies being printed on 5x5" cards that are spiral bound and are designed to flip over a built-in easel to aid in cooking while cooking.

There are no pictures of any of the end results. I must admit that I get inspired by looking at pictures, so the lack of them really reduces the usability/desirability of this book.

I had seen the hard-copy,which I loved, before purchasing the spiral bound version which got exchanged for the hard-copy version.

The negative reviews of this book seem to fall into two categories: those who were expecting a book on barbecue and those who quibble with minor errors in the text. Admittedly, this book is not the bbq bible it has been hailed by some to be. Its main focus is on GRILLING. If you want a barbecue book (slow cooking with smoke), get something else. If you want fabulous grilled food with interesting and different flavors, this book is for you. The second criticism - that there are errors in the text - is also valid. Along with the previously mentioned shrimp problem, he occasionally calls for "skinless, boneless chicken breasts" that should be grilled until the "skin is brown and crisp." But really, live a little! Don't slavishly follow the recipe and panic when there's an inconsistency. His whole point is to be creative when you grill! And any inconsistencies are far outweighed by the ease and quality of the recipes, the entertaining writing style and the outstanding flavor of the food.

I have at least a dozen grilling/barbecue cookbooks and if I could only keep one this would be it. It's a classic IMHO. It covers grilling and barbeque and does justice to both. The pork rub (for shoulder/ribs) is great. I would recommend "License to Grill" as well.

I checked this book out of the library for my husband to learn to use his new grill. Last night we tried our first recipes, caribbean-style grilled seafood soup served with 1) cornbread salad with lime juice and cilantro, 2) grilled zucchini with thyme, 3) red onions with rosemary and balsamic vinegar and 4) east coast lemonaide. What a feast! What novel flavors and easy to follow instructions. Now it sits on my kitchen book shelf with the only three other cook books I found worth owning 1) Joy of Cooking, 2) Macrobiotic cooking for health, harmony, and peace, and 3) Chef Chu's distinctive cuisine of China.

This is a great cookbook for someone who wants to expand their grilling beyond 'dogs and burgers. Written with a wry sense of humor and good advice on drinks to accompany the act of grilling and the meal itself, it's lots of fun and makes a good gift. Emphasis is on southern-style BBQ but there's some Asian influences, and the author plays around with exotic ingredients in the marinades (green mango, for example.) Also receipes for side dishes.

This was the first 'serious' bbq book I bought and it has been through so much abuse since I got it that it's a credit to the bookbinding art in this country that it is still whole. I would have given it 5 stars were it not for some annoying formatting in the book that puts some recipes on too many pages; it would have been possible to reformat it to make the recipes easier to flip through. But that is a very minor complaint in comparison with the outrageously good information that this book provides.

After seeing some negative reviews, I had to respond. I have __never__ used a cookbook with as many recipes in it that opened my eyes and titillated my palate as this one. If you want straight-out BBQ there may be better books but if you want to enjoy great food, intriguing spice combinations, and simply have fun doing it -- BUY THIS.

My copy of Thrill of the Grill is dog-eared and stained from years of use, indoors and outdoors. I have given this book as a gift many times and everyone is always extremely delighted with the results from Chris Schlesinger's recipes.

I can think of no other cookbook author where I have thought - "boy, someday when I am in Boston I am going to this guy's restaurant!"

The book is well written and very informative on grilling techniques and preparation.

Afraid I'm in the minority here. While I use this book and am glad to have it, I've had mixed results from the recipes. In some cases, it seems the flavor combinations were chosen more for experimental reasons or to make a culinary statement, rather than because they taste good. Taste is always a matter of opinion, but I found that many of the recipes here are simply not for everyone. And it should be noted that a lot of the recipes have little to do with grilling or barbeque, as the book is a bit unfocused.

On the plus side, the text is more enjoyable to read than most cook books, with all sorts of interesting insights and recollections on most recipes. The southern, folksy demeanor of Schlesinger really makes this fun to read.

But cookbooks are usually bought for the recipes, and there are problems. The West Indies chicken calls for way too much rub, and I simply found it to be "an acquired taste". I simply didn't have the courage to try the Jerk Seasoning, which was basically a Scotch Bonnet chile paste with a whisper of other ingredients. Surprisingly, neither cloves nor allspice was one of them. I suppose one shouldn't criticize before trying it, but it's hard to imagine anyone other than the most bound determined fire-eater choking that one down. Does anyone really have time to simmer the tomatoes for 4 hours for the All-American Barbeque sauce, when so many other great sauces can be made in far less time and with less effort? Personally, I found some of the fruit and spice combinations to simply not work.

This is not to say that good recipes cannot be found. Some of the simple ones work well, such as the grilled bananas or the Greek-inspired lamb marinade. The Tidewater Coleslaw has become a fixture whenever I host a cook-out, but I do jazz it up with a tablespoon of yellow mustard. It certainly rounds out my cooking library and I expect to find some more good recipes here. But for my taste, there are too many clunker recipes for me to provide a ringing endorsement.

This is definitely one of my favorite cookbooks, one that I constantly go back to. It's a very good introduction to real barbeque, has some excellent drink recipes (if you're so inclined), and it's well written. You can actually sit down and read this book. The commentary on the recipes is amusing and insightful. Yes, the barbeque section could have been more extensive and some of the recipes call for ingredients that are not likely to be in the cupboard - but those are minor criticisms. If you like outdoor cooking, this one is a must-have.