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

~ Christopher Schlesinger (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In his jacket photo, ace grill chef Chris Schlesinger has the look of Howdy Doody with a stomach full of barbecue. It's a speechless kind of look. Schlesinger, however, is not a speechless kind of guy. Starting with the motto, "Brown food tastes better," Schlesinger and his writing partner, John Willoughby, show the reader exactly why that is. The ride lasts nearly 400 pages.

It's hard to imagine a pre-Thrill of the Grill time in American culinary life, so mighty has the impact been. It's a book with a built-in virus of insidious and infecting qualities that will have even the least interested among us out at the grill, getting the fire glass-melting hot, trying a few ideas like Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple-Ancho Chile Salsa, or Grilled Chicken Rubbed with Ethiopian Berbere (hot, hot, hot), or Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Yucatan Orange-Herb Paste, or maybe Beef Heart Grilled and Marinated in the Peruvian Way (or maybe not).

Actually, that right there--beef heart--is rather telling. Who else in their right minds would include grilled beef heart in their cookbook? These guys, Schlesinger in the lead, breaking trail, will go anywhere, do anything, and bring it all home to grill and eat.

The sheer love of food pours off these pages--the way it tastes and feels, the way super spices fire up your nervous system, the way the juices run down your forearm and off your elbow--and that's the way it should be. Relaxed. Determined. Thrilled. And with Thrill of the Grill tucked under one arm, you are sure to have the time of your life every time you fire up your grill and start cooking.

Plan on buying a couple of copies. This is one of those cookbooks that will get so grease- and sauce-splattered it will become unreadable. --Schuyler Ingle --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

The "new wave" of grill cookery pits smoky tang against searingly hot seasonings. And fans of the capsicum genus will find plenty of it here: tabasco, serrano, jalapeno and habanero permeate recipes, with fresh ginger and garlic running a close second. Schlesinger, co-owner of the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Mass., and coauthor Willoughby, a contributor to Cook's Magazine , seek raw, strong savor in what they serve. Some preparations are basic: grilled toast canapes, chicken hobo pack (a Boy Scout campground favorite) and barbecued bologna--"the cutting edge of new barbecue"--are well suited to beginning grillers. More intricate are the accompaniments suggested. Not all cooks, for example, will want to concoct their own banana-guava ketchup. And the authors' version of Valley-Girl-speak--they provide "Totally Awesome Rosemary-Grilled Rabbit with Cumberland Sauce," and their grills, they say, "just wanna have fun"--may amuse or annoy. Yet their enthusiasm for good times and good grilling is catching. Photos not seen by PW. Advertising; author tour; first serial to New Woman.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks (May 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060084499
• ISBN-13: 978-0060084493
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #72,509 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love it, love it, love it, June 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, & Down-Home Barbecue (Hardcover)

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My first grilling cookbook and still the one must have, June 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, & Down-Home Barbecue (Hardcover)

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You are not a serious griller if you don't have this book, May 29, 2000

By	Wonton Excess (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, & Down-Home Barbecue (Hardcover)

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.