Armed with industrial tongs, a basting brush, and over 350 new recipes, chef Jamie Purviance and coauthor Sandra S. McRae (Weber's "corporate poet") step back behind the grill with Weber's Big Book of Grilling, the searing follow-up to the bestselling Weber's Art of the Grill. We open to a brief history of Weber and a few colorful anecdotes about the early days of the company along with a crash course on choosing a grill, featuring a breakdown of grilling with charcoal versus gas and a quiz to help you determine which grill is best for your cooking needs. Each recipe features the requisite cooking method (direct or indirect heat) and temperature level with techniques that leave plenty of room for individual improvisation. James Beard Award-winning photographer Tim Turner returns with artfully styled color photos of hot-off-the-grill dishes that will make you want to stop reading and start grilling. Search for a favorite recipe or browse through individual chapters and benefit from Weber's grilling history with helpful guides and sidebars about cuts of meats, cooking methods, tips, glossaries, and illustrated instructions. Every barbecue lover has their favorite bottled sauce or over-the-counter rub, but "Sauces, Marinades, & Rubs" will inspire you to make your own (Crazy Cola Barbecue Sauce to an overachieving Type-A Rub) from scratch using common pantry staples. "Starters" includes a helpful chart to match up appetizers with entrées along with a recipe for Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup (yes, on the grill--the Asian marinade for the chicken becomes the base for soup). Meat is covered in chapters on beef, pork, lamb, game, poultry, and fish and seafood. Beer-Bathed Brisket gets a little help from a pint of Guinness while a half-filled can of beer props up (and moistens) Beer-Can Chicken. Baby Back Ribs with Spiced Apple-Cider Mop and Buffalo Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise will spice up any party, and Lobster Tails with Champagne Vanilla Sauce is every bit as decadent as it sounds. "Vegetables" includes a handy vegetable grilling chart along with sections on grilling for vegetarians and quick and easy meat substitutes. "Sides & Salads" serves up Couscous-Stuffed Tomatoes and Grilled Garlic Bread while "Desserts" wraps everything up with the basics on grilling fruit (Grilled Figs and Goat Cheese Drizzled with Honey or Peaches with Raspberry Sauce and Lemon Cream) and several different takes on campfire favorite, s'mores. Without a doubt, Weber's Big Book of Grilling will get you through the outdoor cooking season, but it will also inspire you to fire up your grill (rain or shine) all year long. --Brad Thomas Parsons
