When Julie Reinhardt offered to send me a copy of her new book She-Smoke: A Backyard Barbecue Book
I wasn’t sure what to expect. Over the past month or so I had gotten to know Julie in a “Twitter” sense, but really had no idea how extensive her experience and knowledge in the BBQ world was. With over 20 years in the BBQ and catering business she has probably forgotten more than I know at this point.
So just who is this Julie Reinhardt? Julie Reinhardt, owner of Smokin’ Pete’s BBQ, a Seattle joint, is passionate about the slow smoke of barbecue and understands the difference between ‘cuein’ and grillin’. Born into an extensive Southern family, Reinhardt is ready to talk pork butt with the most macho grillmaster. She plans and caters big events, and teaches smoking and grilling classes for women, Reinhardt lives with her husband, son, and daughter in Seattle, Washington. “–She-Smoke back cover
Continue reading “She-Smoke: A Backyard Barbecue Book”
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I have a new favorite cookbook!
Okay, so I have a new favorite cookbook every couple of weeks but this week it’s Ham: An Obsession with the Hindquarter. Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough have come up with a well written, enjoyable book to read If you enjoy ham as much as I do, you’re going to want this book.
Bruce and Mark are the authors of the “Ultimate” cookbook series. Even those this book doesn’t have the word Ultimate in the title they have written what may be the ultimate ham cookbook.
The cookbook is divided into four primary sections that deal with the four basic types of ham: Fresh Ham, Old World Dry-Cured Ham, New World Dry-Cured Ham and Wet-Cured Ham. Each section not only has representative recipes from around the world it is interspersed with stories, definitions, cooking tips and humor that illustrate the versatility of the back-end of the pig.
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I’ve been reading a great deal about wood plank grilling lately, in preparation for a blog series on the subject. There are several great books on plank grilling, but without a doubt the foremost authority is Ted Reader. His “Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet” cookbooks are a must reader for the backyard grilling enthusiast.
Last year Ted published, Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Plank Grilling, what may be the definitive plank grilling cookbook and will be discussed in-depth in future blog posts. Today’s post deals with his book Sticks & Stones: The Art of Grilling on Plank, Vine and Stone which was published almost 10 years ago. I came across several references to this cookbook and knew I had to add it to my library.
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Savage Barbecue: Race, Culture, and the Invention of America’s First Food
by Andrew Warnes is not your normal everyday BBQ book. And it’s certainly not a BBQ cookbook. With words like etymology, and quoting the plays of of 17th century English playwright Aphra Behn, this is not going to be a book you’re going to read laying in your hammock while tending your stick burner on a Saturday afternoon while performing some low & slow mastery on a pork shoulder or brisket.
The origin of the barbecue cooking process along with how the word came about is debated around bbq pits all over America. I don’t think anyone person can explain it the same way any other BBQ enthusiast might.
There probably isn’t a BBQ forum on the internet that has not been turned into a fire storm of contention and arguments over how, when and where barbecue started. Because of cultural and regional pride no one has probably ever had their mind changed during the inevitable spats that occur whenever this subject is brought up. Warnes tosses all the normal assumptions out the window with a well researched and highly scholarly examination of the origins of America’s first food.
Continue reading “Savage Barbecue”: The etymology of the word BBQ
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When Julie Reinhardt offered to send me a copy of her new book She-Smoke: A Backyard Barbecue Book
