Grill It!

Cookbook maestros Schlesinger (chef and co-owner of Cambridge, Mass.'s East Coast Grill) and Willoughby (executive editor of Gourmet magazine) return for their tenth inventive, flavor-packed collaboration, a worthy update on their 1996 barbecuing classic Thrill of the Grill. Novices will appreciate the duo's no-nonsense approach to preparation and equipment, as well as the characteristic DK treatment: bold, heavily illustrated and well-organized. Virtually all the recipes call for simple seasoning-often just salt and pepper-with flavorful sauces and glazes saved for either the final stages of cooking or after the food's off the grill. Using just a handful of ingredients, grillers will be amazed at flavorful results like Smoked Curried Baby Back Ribs doused in ""insanely hot"" sauce, Rosemary-Grilled New York Strip served with a caramelized red onion jam, and a Cuban-Style Smoked Pork Shoulder. Cooks at any level will get use out of the duo's simple and reliable preparations for ribs, whole chickens and pulled pork, but the book's real strength is its imaginative use of less-common proteins like quail, mackerel, oysters and duck. With tips on building and managing a fire, a rundown of essential tools and a tour of ""flavor footprints"" from around the world, this hefty volume makes a great and lasting resource for beginners, and should also get plenty of use from vets.