Ben Tish

Barbeque season is upon us, it is time to take it up a notch. With Grill Smoke BBQ, written by Ben Tish of Amber yard the grill restaurant in Burwick St., Soho, you can do just that.

Although this book does include the standards like steak and burgers, they favour the lighter dishes with more fish, vegetables and even desserts. Designed for the wood and charcoal barbeques the recipes can still be cooked using a gas barbeque.

Choosing and using your barbecue includes all you need from how to choose your barbecue to controlling the heat and more. See “Wood and Charcoal” for tips on using different kinds of wood.

With very little introduction the book cuts straight to the recipes categories. Categories include “Breakfast, Brunch and Bread”, “Tapas and Small Plates”, “Large Plates”, “Sides”, “Desserts”, and basics. Included is a small page of suppliers for barbecues complete with addresses for their websites.

One of the things I particularly like about this cookbook is that the pictures are big and beautiful. Each recipe includes specific details on exactly how to cook it with background and thoughts about the recipe.

With the focus off of the traditional recipes which we’ve all done many a time, it is nice to see such a variety of other ideas. I never thought I’d see a recipe for “Pancetta Poached Eggs” or “CharGrilled Pineapple with Yogurt Mousse and Pistachio Praline” which of course look delicious.

Focus On Family-Style Eating

A strong focus in the book is eating family-style. When I married into a European family I was introduced family-style eating. It is something that is new relatively new to North America but is becoming more popular.

Put a whole bunch of small dishes on the table, share amongst everybody at the table and you have family-style. The benefit is a much more social atmosphere. Great for actual family gatherings but especially good for dinner with new friends because it encourages conversation and sharing.

Several of the recipes are designed for exactly that kind of eating. See dishes in the “Tapas and Small Plates”, “Large Plates”, and “Sides” categories designed for this new style. I do strongly recommend that you give it a try.

Check out the original review at RecipesNow.com for the included recipe: Chargrilled Duck Breast with Peas, Broad Beans and Hot Mint Sauce.

(This review is based on a free copy of the book sent to me by the publisher in return for an honest review)… (mer)