John Willinghams World Champion Bar B q Over 150 Recipes And Tall Tales For Authentic
August 14, 2009 by Outdoor Cooking · Leave a Comment
John Willinghams World Champion Bar B q Over 150 Recipes And Tall Tales For Authentic
Willingham, who competes in contests nationwide, moves in a subculture where serious barbecuers guard their recipes like the most valuable of trade secrets. He defines barbecue, in contrast to grilling or roasting, as cooking meat at 250 degrees or lower for a long time with indirect heat. He encourages ‘cuers to build their own cookers and to use wood fuel rather than charcoal. No gas, please. Recipes (more than 150) kick off with starters and breads (using mostly indoor methods) and reach a section called Slow-Cooked Heaven?Real Barbecue, which contains Willingham’s World-Champion Ribs: beef, pork or lamb rib slabs marinated and massaged with a dry rub, refrigerated for 12 hours and cooked at 250 degrees for up to five hours. World-Champion Brisket cooks for up to 10 hours at 210 degrees. For those unable (or unwilling) to build or buy a serious barbecue cooker, Willingham provides a recipe for Screamin’ Mean Oven-Roasted Beef Barbecue, a three-hour chuck roast. Among the unusual ploys for standard backyard grills is Dancing Chicken, in which the bird is grilled with a half-full can of beer in the cavity. Although he provides many sauces, rubs and marinades, Willingham emphasizes the authentic barbecue cooking process, which makes his book most useful to those with the space and time for a serious commitment to ‘cuing.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
User Ratings and Reviews
2 Stars Overhyped - proof that a BBQ Trophy does NOT translate into good writing
I found this book to be an overhyped offering by a veteran of the competative BBQ circuit, and I’m of the opinion that their publisher went along for the ride and joined in the overhyping frenzy because they want to make money too … regardless of whether or not the book lives up to its own hype.
STRENGTHS:
* The author does at least cover some of the basics of classic BBQ, including dry rubs, mop sauces & marinades, basic wood use, and the like, and he waxes nicely poetic in places about the joys of slow cooking. Props for the latter, because it’s sadly going out of style.
* There’s some modestly decent introductory information in here on hardcore BBQing.
* Some of the recipes in back actually appear fairly decent old fashioned offerings … like shoofly pie.
WEAKNESSES:
* There’s only 150 recipes in here, many of them borrowed from friends and acquaintances, and ranging widely in quality from very good to merely adequate. So in a word, this book is thin on serious content, and it’s padded with recipes that aren’t even the author’s. Wait, lemme re-check the cover … yes, the cover clearly implies that the book is indeed SUPPOSED to be about ‘world champion’ BBQ recipes - so how did all the padding by non-champs and non-BBQ get in there ?
* You can’t have a serious book on BBQ without spending a decent portion of the page count on primal cuts of beef and pork, how best to break them down and approach each. The author spends too little time on such material, to the book’s detriment. I expected more effort from a ‘world champion’ - not that the title really means all that much.
* Many of the condiments, mixes, rubs, and sauces called out are proprietary, and are primarily available from the author’s own little startup company (very convenient and opportunistic, yes ?). The author does deign to lay out recipes for a dry rub or two, and a basic mop sauce or two, but he could have done more on that. My philosophy is simple - either tell me how to make it (and why), or keep the book (and the product placements) and get stuffed.
* Much of the equipment that the author waxes poetic about is his own personal (and highly customized) BBQing rig, which the readers will never have a chance to work with. He doesn’t spend enough time/depth covering the type of equipment commonly available to most readers (ex: basic ‘bullet’ water smokers, basic offset smokers, electric smokers), and the result of this somewhat self-serving focus is that the usefulness of the book to the everyday reader is significantly undermined.
BOTTOM LINE: Lots of hype, and a pretty cover photo, but thinnish on genuinely useful content. I’m not saying that the author can’t cook - rather, I’m saying that he doesn’t do nearly a good enough job passing such skill on the readers. So, this book is a bit like a meatball hero … it looks pretty when you order it, but one you bite in, it’s mostly filler and not enough meat. There are LOTS of better book on BBQ out there. Save your money, and avoid this one. This book is proof positive that having BBQ trophies on one’s wall does NOT mean that someone’s any good at writing cookbooks.
Incidentally, shame on everyone who raves about this book - it seems rather clear to me that people who do either know relatively little about serious cooking or reviewing books about the same, or they’re chiefly interested in boosting their personal amazon stats … perhaps both.
3 Stars Good book, for BBQ novices
This book has very good tips and methods on HOW to BBQ, and is then followed by a decent number of recipes. The recipes are not quite my style, but they are good anyway. One big positive thing about this book is how it describes building your own pit. Not all books do that, and information on building your own pit is fairly scarce. I agree with an earlier reviewer that this book tended to advertise the authors products a bit, but the author also gave some knock-off recipes so you don’t have to buy his products. I would recommend this book for a beginner who doesn’t want a really big book. This book is thinner than some of the other big BBQ compilations, and that is nice, but I prefer some of the larger books personally. My favorites and “Smoke and Spice” by Cheryl Jamison and “Paul Kirks Championship Barbecue”. These are both large books, but worth every ounce in pure BBQ heaven!
5 Stars How to Barbecue like a Champion
I received John Willingham’s book as a gift and have read it cover to cover. It’s packed full of bbq secrets from the greatest bbq contest cook to ever put on an apron. Willingham details basic cooking methods including what wood to use and what wood not to use, temperatures to cook at, and he provides his personal recipes. I especially like the rib recipe and his recipe for pork shoulder. These recipes can be used as written, or you can tweak them slightly to suit your personal taste. The recipes alone would be worth the price of the book.
5 Stars Great BBQ Book
Love this book. Haven’t found a bad recipe yet. The hot wings got raves from eveyone I’ve made them for. Have a huge collection of BBQ books. This one is in the top 10.
5 Stars Good Book for Starting
I have had Mr Willingham’s book for over 8 years now and still consider it part of my bbq inner sanctum. It’s not just his great rubs and sauces but his enthusiasm for the process! In my opinion the key to having fun with BBQ is experementing with various rubs, mops, marinades and pastes (wet rubs if you will). John’s book for me was what got me started “Having fun”. I highly suggest John’s rubs and sauses, espicially if you ar just starting out. They are very good and work with a wide variety of meat, poultry or fish. John’s instructions are very straight forward. If you catch the bug I also recomend Paul Kirk’s “Championship Barbecue Sauces”. Paul’s book will take you deeper into the variaties of rubs, sauces etc. Above all remember - Have Fun and eat well!
The Dream of the Earth
July 9, 2009 by Outdoor Cooking · Leave a Comment
This first volume in a new series, the Sierra Club Nature and Natural Philosophy Library, explores human-earth relations and seeks a new, non-anthropocentric approach to the natural world. According to cultural historian Berry, our immediate danger is not nuclear war but industrial plundering; our entire society, he argues, is trapped in a closed cycle of production and consumption. Berry points out that our perception of the earth is the product of cultural conditioning, and that most of us fail to think of ourselves as a species but rather as national, ethnic, religious or economic groups. Describing education as “a process of cultural coding somewhat parallel to genetic coding,” he proposes a curriculum based on awareness of the earth. He discusses “patriarchy” as a new interpretation of Western historical development, naming four patriachies that have controlled Western history, becoming progressively destructive: the classical empires, the ecclesiastical establishment, the nation-state and the modern corporation. We must reject partial solutions and embrace profound changes toward a “biocracy” that will heal the earth, urges the author who defines problems and causes with eloquence.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A MUST book for all seeking meaning in post modern life
Reading John Shelby Spong’s book _Jesus for the Non Religious_ has led me to recall this magnificent book as a beginning ot non theistic Christianity. This is the path of the 13,14th century Christian mystic that is apparently once more rising.
A MUST book for all seeking meaning in life.
5 Stars Dream of the Earth by Thomas Berry
The change in consciousness that is needed for the human race to achieve the nobility and wisdom we are capable of requires that we recognize Earth’s nonhuman beings and us as one interconnected community. This book outlines that this consciousness is required in all professions but none more than in our schools and religions. Presently most western peoples are radically cut off from this consciousness and the legs of our culture are becoming sand.
3 Stars A Dream, Not The Dream
With this book Mr. Berry created an important milestone in a late 20th-century environmental movement, which had begun to sour from an excess of quantative analysis. The Dream of the Earth helped restore some qualitative analysis to the discussion of where-to-next, which appropriately enough was published by an exemplary Sierra Club press.
At its best (and there are some gratifying moments) the narrative is an pointed critique of “western” civilization’s patriarchy. In that respect Berry strays from old-world Catholicism. At its worst (book title included) it is patriarchic itself. Whats with all the “the”s? Berry seems to be stuck in the western mentality, even though his training includes eastern philosophy, which would be more suggestive of possibility. Berry is describing A Dream, not The Dream. Further let us hope he comprehended that a universe this immense allows for myriad Earths.
Read the book. It presents a useful construct; biocentrism (aka ecofeminism).
5 Stars Powerful and Compelling!
The Dream of the Earth is a classic on environmental philosophy. It may perhaps be the most important environmental book ever written outside of Rachal Carson’s Silent Spring. Berry tells us what went wrong and what needs to be done to reverse the dysfunction. A must read for anyone who loves our Earth Mother.
5 Stars Healing the Earth
Our planet, Gaia, is sorely in need of healing. Her earth, waters, and air are polluted. Natural resources are being depleted. Thousands of plant and animal species are becoming extinct.
In this classic book, Thomas Berry summarizes and discusses the dire needs of our planet for healing. While not going so far as to advocate spiritual healing as a solution, Berry strongly advocates for awareness of the innate intelligence of Gaia.
Berry masterfully explores the mind-sets that have contributed to the dangerous depletion of our planetary resources. He suggests that we have yet to find the guiding myths and images to inspire us to relinquish our focus on personal and national material gains in order to properly focus our energies on relating to Gaia in a harmonious way.
The annotated bibliography invites focused further reading.
Manifold Destiny The One The Only Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine
June 25, 2009 by Outdoor Cooking · Leave a Comment
Manifold Destiny The One The Only Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine
Feeling a mite peckish on those long road trips? Pack along this humorous cookbook and whip up Cajun-style shrimp in your car or recreational vehicle. All you need are shrimp, pork fat, “whatever ‘Cajun’ seasonings you’ve seen advertised,” a set of wheels and someplace to go. Cook on a medium-hot part of the engine for about 55 miles. If that’s too much work, pick up several stuffed peppers (preferably from a backwater North Jersey Italian deli), wrap them in foil and pop under the hood. Maynard, a photographer, and Scheller, a travel writer, are as adept at roasting trendy cookery as they are at warming pastrami sandwiches while they drive an auto rally. They teach drivers to view their vehicles in a new way, locating cooking surfaces via the “burn your finger” method of temperature verification. They may even change the way people select new cars: the Chevrolet Celebrity GL offers six servings, while the Camry has only three but sports a bun warmer, a feature seldom mentioned in Toyota ads. The authors sober up to serve a clear warning: carelessness under the hood can be dangerous to car and driver. Illustrations not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great book, a must-buy!
Read Manifold Destiny review years before it originally went out of print, and very happy to be able to get it again! A great gift for any car buff or gear head that you know.
5 Stars great cooking at 65mph
this is just the cookbook for the lug nut in your life. fun to read and only a small fire hazard, who could ask for more.
5 Stars Totally entertaining read
The thought that someone would come up with the idea of cooking on a car engine is pretty strange. To think that a book could be written on this topic is stranger. To write such a book that’s this intelligent and this much fun is bizarre. I laughed out loud repeatedly at the preambles to each of these recipes, and salivated at the recipes themselves.
Maynard and Scheller explain how to cook everything from stuffed cabbage to venison cutlets via the magic of aluminum foil and internal combustion with great recipes, surprisingly interesting tidbits of automotive history, and a travelogue spanning the gustatory landscape from Patterson, New Jersey through the Donner pass.
A few pages in, and you’ll be seriously planning to foil some corned beef and take the DeSoto out for a spin.
Have some fun–read this book.
1 Star Out of Date, Out of Mind
I was given Manifold Destiny in the early 1990s for a college graduation gift because my friends knew that I was going to travel a lot (and did) by car. It was a hilarious read and I enjoyed it. However, unlike the majority of reviewers here, I actually TRIED a bunch of recipes. Folks, I’m here to tell you that your results aren’t as good as the read. I even secured the efforts of a couple of truckers (who had years of experience cooking food on their engines) and found out that newer cars are better insulated, making cooking anywhere on their engines mighty difficult. Not to mention that everything is STEAMED. Got that? You know what my steak with mushrooms looked like 4 hours after being attached near the hot part of the engine block? Disgusting and undercooked. Chicken wasn’t much better. Steamed vegetables weren’t ever completely done no matter where they were placed. I tested this in 8 different states (including Hawaii) and 4 different vehicles. My college buddy did try fish in a Chevy truck on the way to Montana. That seemed to work well, but the flavor was not that great. Manifold Destiny was a great idea whose time has passed. I’ll stick to wayside stops and my campstove, thank you.
5 Stars If Alton Brown’s not geeky enough for you…
To look at the prices being charged for used copies of this book is a somewhat frightening experience, because it makes quite obvious that Manifold Destiny is something of an unrecognized culinary classic when people will pay $50 and up for a paperback. But I tell ya something, for the truly hardcore kitchen geek, the same sort of person who might try cooking with lava or a bunsen burner, this would make an incredibly thoughtful present. One can only hope there’s a third edition in the pipeline for sometime in the next couple of years.
This book is about cooking in your car, and also eating in your car. That’s important, because it gives some nice information on a lot of unusual regional specialties around the United States and Canada (including Michigan’s now-famous pasties and Binghamton, NY’s spiedies, as well as the legendary smoked meat from Schwartz’s Deli in Montreal). It’s a nice little hors d’oeuvre for the food tourist.
But there’s also lots of good information about cooking on car engines, which is what you came to this review to find out about in the first place, right? Maynard and Scheller talk about all kinds of concerns — finding the best place on your engine block to secure a packet of food, what kind of aluminum foil to use (and how much — triple layers), and even a whole bunch of recipes based on American regional cuisine, from traditional Italian like uova in purgatorio to nouvelle-inspired dishes like Thruway Thighs (a stuffed chicken dish). While the info on reviewing cars for their suitability as cookstoves is rather dated, there’s still a lot of good information on a rather silly subject.
So find this book for someone very special who loves doing interesting things in the kitchen. They will appreciate it very much.
Bobby Flays Grilling For Life 75 Healthier Ideas for Big Flavor from the Fire
June 9, 2009 by Outdoor Cooking · Leave a Comment
Bobby Flays Grilling For Life 75 Healthier Ideas for Big Flavor from the Fire
Even though each recipe in Flay’s new guide to grilling is accompanied by an analysis provided by nutritionist Joy Bauer (including number of calories and grams of carbs, sugar, fat, sodium and fiber), the Food Network star insists this is not a diet cookbook. Flay’s goal, he says, is not to encourage high-protein living, but rather to give readers the nutritional information they need to support a healthy diet. Written with the help of Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson, the introduction and headnotes capture Flay’s tone and provide clear direction and interesting tips. It’s easy to make grilled food healthy, and therein lies Flay’s test: he must make this book necessary—otherwise readers could just throw some chicken and veggies on the grill and call it a day. He rises to the challenge by skipping fake, processed foods like Splenda and bottled barbecue sauce, instead favoring fresh herbs, spices and “good carbs” such as multigrains and vegetables and “good fats” like olive oil and salmon. Flay is an advocate of moderation, and his trademark use of bold flavors in dishes like Grilled Red Snapper with Grapefruit-Thyme Mojo, and (skinless) Grilled Duck Breast with Black Pepper-Sweet Mustard Sauce bring out appealing contrasts and result in food that’s satisfying even if it’s reduced in calories, carbs or fat. (May 10)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Bobby Flay helps you cook up healthier favorites on your grill
Having had great success with recipes from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors from the Southwestern Kitchen and also being interested in healthy cooking, this cookbook appealed to me.
Bobby’s philosophy in this book, as he explains in his introduction, is about showing people they can make healthy choices when grilling while still maximizing flavor. This book also seems to be a response to the Atkins Diet as several times throughout the book it is called out that Bobby is interested in carbs and wants to show people that good carbs can be healthy and delicious. It is also pointed out that the recipes are low in simple sugars and refined carbs. If this is one of the aims of your diet or lifestyle you will appreciate the focus of the book. It is worth noting though that this is not necessarily a low fat or low calorie cookbook. Many recipes are well above the recommended limit of 20 to 35 percent of calories from fat. However, most recipes are low in saturated fats and high in good fats. Many of the recipes could easily be lowered in fat by reducing the amount of olive oil used.
That said, if you don’t mind that many of these recipes are not necessarily low fat you will enjoy a diverse selection of recipes based around fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats, and seafood. The recipes are all very unique and pack the strong soutwestern flavors that Bobby has perfected. The recipes are not difficult to prepare and similar to other Bobby Flay cookbooks in the time and skill level required. I’m particularly fond of the Grilled Chicken Tenders with Spicy Chipotle Sauce and Blue Cheese-Yogurt Sauce, Grilled Duck Breast with Black-Pepper Sweet Mustard Sauce, and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Stacked with Spinach and Manchego Cheese. All are perfect for a delicious weeknight meal.
Thus, this is a great cookbook to turn to if you’re looking for healthy (but not necessarily low fat) grilling recipes. It’s great for when I want recipes that are healthier than average fare, but am not necessarily seeking low cal/low fat recipes. However, if you are specifically looking for low fat recipes I highly recommend books like Canyon Ranch Cooks: More Than 200 Delicious, Innovative Recipes from America’s Leading Health Resort, Conscious Cuisine: A New Style of Cooking from the Kitchens of Chef Cary Neff, or The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life. All three are great examples that low fat cooking can be flavorful and enjoyable.
5 Stars Every recipe has been a winner so far!
I bought this book on a whim for my father for father’s day. I couldn’t have made a better choice. Every recipe he’s tried has been fantastic so far and it’s really sparked his passion for cooking.
Flay gives easy step-by-step instructions and great advice on purchasing grill accessories, etc. I cook all the time and was able to glean some interesting information from the text as well.
I couldn’t recommend this book enough. It’s the best grilling book we’ve found (and we’ve tried a bunch).
5 Stars For a novice this is the best place to start
The recipes were easy to follow, his descriptions and advice were awesome and the food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommended.
5 Stars A Great Guide to Grilling
This is an exceptional grilling book. The information about how to grill is as important as the recipes. Mr. Flay deserves his excellent reputation.
5 Stars 1 for 1 - so far it’s been great
I’m by far an inexperienced amateur chef…I tried one recipe so far: Salmon filets w/ pepper relish & anchovie vinaigrette. It took me two hours to prepare a 1/2 hour meal but the end result was great. I’m looking forward to my next conquest. Give this book a shot. Happy Grilling!
Backpack Gourmet Good Hot Grub You Can Make at Home Dehydrate and Pack for Quick Easy and Healthy Eating on the Trail
June 5, 2009 by Outdoor Cooking · Leave a Comment
Yaffe, a librarian, camper, and author of High Trails Cookery, offers more than 150 recipes for hikers seeking an alternative to the expensive, often boring, freeze-dried prepared meals that are sold in stores. Most of them are for dishes that are completely cooked at home and dried in an electric dehydrator (or an oven), then simply rehydrated with boiling water, requiring no further cooking at the campsite. There are also trail snacks and other no-cook recipes, as well as cookies, muffins, and other baked goods. Some of the recipes are vegetarian, while others offer vegetarian (or vegan) options. For larger collections and others where camping and hiking books are popular.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars LOVED the recipes! And the directions!
Loved the recipes in this book! Probably my favorite recipe book that I have. The pesto recipe was better than any other I have ever made. The entrees are delicious enough to serve at a dinner party, not to mention on a backpacking trip. Tons of great vegeterian recipes too. And all super healthy and delicious and creative. Very good instructions on how to dehydrate too. Even easy in the oven!
4 Stars excellent book…
I got this book to get started into backpacking again after many years of not doing it. The recipes and instructions in this book sure beat the MRE’s and expensive stuff you get from the store. I’ve tried a number of the recipes at home and so far so good. I’m not a fan of TVP, which a number of the recipes call for, but hey we all can’t like the same stuff–that would be boring wouldn’t it? so I just substitute and move on…
2 Stars Not for everyone
This book is okay if you want to spend several days prepping food before you go on a trip that was planned ‘way in advance.
If you’re the type who only goes off when you get a chance, which might be three weekends in a row, then nowhere for 2 months because of work or other commitments, the recipes in the front of the book are not too time-intensive, but the cook-and-dehydrate recipes you can pretty much forget about unless you have a large dehydrator and don’t mind pulling an all-nighter just before a trip.
I did not care for the author’s views on campfires. True, not all places allow them, but not everyone makes a mess and if one is that adamant about polluting the environment, then don’t take a stove either–go raw food on a trip.
Recipes aren’t too bad but, if you backpack a lot, and have other friends who do, it would be much less expensive both in time and money to go in with your friends to buy the basic plain dehydrated or freeze-dried foods (not necessarily the meals) in bulk, and go from there.
Check out from the library first.
4 Stars A great place to start
This is a great book for backpackers looking to save $$$ on freeze dried foods. I consider it a starting point as after you make a few of these recipes, you realize that you can dehydrate anything you cook at home and turn it into a backpacking meal. I often found myself adjusting the recipie seasonings to suit my personal taste. The breakfast eggs weren’t a big hit, but the dips/spreads, jerky, pasta recipes, etc are quick, easy, nutritious and tasted great after a day of hiking.
3 Stars Useful, but not to my taste
This book will be a benefit to people enjoying long hikes deep into inconvenient territory. Beyond that, it is mostly useful only for the helpful hints and a few product reviews. I recommend finding this book at a library or paging through it at a bookstore to make sure it is really what you’re looking for before buying.
