We thought summer might be a good time to explore the thrill of the grill, so this month found us knee-deep in smoke boxes, rubs, and hot fires!  People found the book visually pleasing (with lots of drool-worthy photos) and well laid out. Our experienced grillers were motivated to try new techniques, such as using a smoke box.  Newbies found lots of helpful tips, including charts to let us know “When is it Done?” and “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Flavor.”  Most people strongly agreed with the basic (but often ignored) tip to let grilled meats rest after cooking.

Recipes that the group tried and liked included:

p. 117 Tuscan rosemary-smoked whole chicken – a first attempt at using wood chips turned out great. Tip -Remember to read the recipe all the way through before starting to get the timing right.
p. 128 Peruvian chicken
p. 159 Italian sausage hoagies – “Delicious”
p. 182 Grilled strip steaks – were very good and the garlic aioli sauce was highly recommended
p. 199 Pimento cheese-bacon burgers – we all got to try a sample of the pimento cheese – YUM
p. 241 – Grilled tuna with caramelized onions – a quick dish with a very good relish

Non-grillers focused on the excellent sides.  Top marks were given to:
p. 54  Grilled asparagus with figs and cabrales – a tasty side for a steak or burger
p. 57  Guasacaca – guacamole with texture and an attitude
p. 90 Grilled peppers with feta and dill – delicious,not too spicy and can be made ahead
p. 91  New potato-corn chowder salad – mixed reviews- you need to like the tang of a German potato salad to appreciate this one.
p. 99  Brown sugar-rum grilled sweet potatoes – very tasty

Join us next month as we enjoy the bounty of summer vegetables – check out the book display near the Reader Services Desk,  and come to the next session on August 29th at 11 AM.

June’s Bibliobites title was The Summer Shack Cookbook by Jasper White. Reviews were decidedly mixed! People mentioned that they liked some of the recipes they tried, but not enough to make them again. Some participants also said they already had recipes they loved for some of the classic fish dishes in the book (for example, baked scrod or fried fish). One person took the trouble to make the dried-cod fishcakes—a time consuming recipe that she felt wasn’t ultimately any better than fishcakes made with fresh cod. But a worthwhile attempt with a historically important ingredient (try reading Mark Kurlansky’s fascinating The Cod’s Tale for more information on the economics of dried cod from the 17th-20th century. This is a children’s title; for a longer treatment of the same subject, by the same author, see Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World). One person mentioned that the book’s sides were excellent, specifically a green bean and blue cheese salad; she also gave a thumbs-up to a basic vinaigrette and a soy-ginger sauce. We thought many of the desserts sounded summery and delicious—cobblers, pies, and the like—though no one had tried them out.
One deficiency noted was the lack of photographs; there were some, but not enough for most people. The recipes themselves were easy enough to follow; in fact some were amazingly simple. White points out, and participants verified from their own experience, that the quality of the fish is the most important factor in the success of a dish. This book seems worth a read for an overview of seafood in general, with many simple, classic New England recipes. But no one in the group was ready to run out and buy a copy. Sorry Jasper!