Cookbook: Born to Grill

Cookbook

Born to Grill

Outdoor-Cooking Experts Capture the Rapture of the Open Flame

People love to cook over an open flame the world round, but Americans do it more and do it better. Grilling is the essential American culinary art, a glorious birthright celebrated every day from coast to coast. In Born to Grill, Cheryl and Bill Jamison capture the many peerless delights of grilling. The exhilaration of the open air and open flame; sear marks on a juicy steak, a succulent filet of salmon, or a crispy chicken wing; a cool drink in one hand and a spatula in the other—these rewards await us at the grill.

More than any other way of cooking, grilling's a way to cook up a great meal while having loads of fun along the way. In over 300 recipes, Cheryl and Bill Jamison reveal the tremendous variety of flavors that can come from the primal encounter of food and flame. Technique tips, serving suggestions, and grilling anecdotes galore make Born to Grill the essential grilling cookbook. Whether you champion a serious steak like Basil and Sage T-Bone, contemporary fare like Sea Scallops on Confetti Goat Cheese Sauce, or repertoire-broadening vegetarian dishes like Artichoke and Leek Pizza, Born to Grill has the recipes you need. "This enticing, handy, beautifully researched volume might well go down as the definitive book on the American tradition of grilling," raves James Villas, food editor of Town & Country magazine.

"From the preeminent authorities on outdoor cooking, Cheryl and Bill Jamison, this incredible volume is destined to become a classic," enthuses Stephan Pyles, adding that "there are enough exciting recipes in this book to keep the home griller busy well into the new millennium." and what better pastime than firing up the grill and making Balsamic-Glazed Strip Steak, Garlic and Guac Burgers, Church-Picnic Pork Chops, Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts, Margarita Shrimp Skewers, Sage Trout with Apple-Pecan Crunch, Crispy Spud Skins, Asparagus with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette, Campfire Classic S'Mores, and three hundred more sizzlingly satisfying All-American recipes?

Authors of the pioneering and bestselling Smoke & Spice, which won a James Beard Book Award and reintroduced America to authentic smoke-cooked barbecue, the Jamisons here aim their expert sights on grilling. The most popular way to cook outdoors, the American grilling heritage is celebrated over 2.7 billion times per year. The Jamisons devoted years of travel, researching, testing, and tasting to perfecting the art of grilling, whether indoors or outdoors, or over a gas or a charcoal flame. They argue for a back-to-basics, "open air, open flame approach that focuses not on fancy equipment but on fresh ingredients, full flavor, and the kiss of the flame. Born to Grill reminds us first of all that grilling is elemental, born of a forthright love of food, not fuss. Once the basic techniques of preparing the ingredients and the equipment are established, the Jamisons exuberantly explore the limitless potential of the grill, serving up everything from classic burgers, steaks, and chicken dishes to elegant pasta toppings, pizzas, salads, and more.

A joyous romp through the history, tradition, lore, and practice of grilling, Born to Grill is an inspired and inspiring volume. "The Jamisons offer a veritable manifesto of grilling ideology, "Publishers Weekly affirms in a starred review, adding that Born to Grill delivers a concise education in the wonders of fire rightly applied." Whatever your taste, and whatever your grilling style, Born to Grill will have you grilling better than ever, and having a good time all the way.

About the Authors:
Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison are distinguished travel and food writers and authorities on American regional cooking. Their previous cookbooks include two volumes on smoke-cooked barbecue, Smoke & Spice (winner of a James Beard Book Award) and Sublime Smoke. They have also written The Rancho de Chimayo Cookbook, Texas Home Cooking, and The Border Cookbook (also winner of a James Beard Book Award). They live in New Mexico, where they develop and test their peerless recipes.

Born to Grill

Recipes

Born to Grill
by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison
The Harvard Common Press
1998, Hardcover, US $27.95

The electronic Gourmet Guide launched in 1994 and later merged into the Global Gourmet website in 1998. This is an edited archive of one of those early pages.