MrsK Books: The Big-Flavor Grill by Chris Schlesinger

Friday, August 8, 2014

The Big-Flavor Grill by Chris Schlesinger

The Big-Flavor Grill: No-Marinade, No-Hassle Recipes for Delicious Steaks, Chicken, Ribs, Chops, Vegetables, Shrimp, and Fish

by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby

ISBN: 9781607745273

Good Read Synopsis:

The best-selling team of chef Chris Schlesinger and Cook's Illustrated executive editor John Willoughby

present a radically simple method of applying flavor boosters to ingredients hot off the grill,

maximizing flavor and dramatically reducing grilling time over traditional marinades.

Schlesinger and Willoughby wield spices and condiments from around the world masterfully in these 130 minimal preparation, maximum flavor recipes inspired by Asian, Mediterranean, Latin, and Caribbean cuisine. In contrast to grilling books that require long-lead marinating and time-consuming steps, The Big Flavor Grill's no-fuss approach means lightning-quick prep and grill times. Their new take on using spice rubs to coat ingredients before they go over the coals trumps traditional marinating by providing stronger, better-defined flavors--and rubs can be used at the last minute instead of having to think ahead, as with marinades. Willoughby and Schlesinger then take flavor to the next level by tossing just-grilled items with marinade-like ingredients--citrus, hoisin, fish sauce, ginger, basil, fresh chiles--resulting in bolder, more complex dishes and lots of saved time and effort

MrsK's Review:

Summer time is always about grilling, that is unless you know that "grill master" who is always "firing-up" their grill in rain, or sleet, or snow... their "grilling" season seems to depend on which type of meat or fish will be served.

Does your "grill master" need a "flavor booster?" The "buzz" about this grilling book is that it will only take 3 "quick" steps to add an incredibly tantalizing taste to "what's being grilled" for dinner tonight. These flavor boosting steps are really as simple as:

Prep: coating ingredients with spice rubs before grilling
Grill: grilling for the length the recipe recommends
Toss/Top: tossing the grilled with added "vibrant" ingredients

"We want to take you back out to the grill, where cooking can be spontaneous

and the food is easy but full of bold, intense flavors...

In addition to being simple, grilling should be easy.

So in the pages of this book, we hope to remind

those of you who already know, and show those who don't,

that big flavor

does not need to be the result of big effort."

What is the "big flavor" approach? This is the greatest tip in the cookbook. Instead of marinating before grilling, you grill first. Then you put it in a stainless steel bowl and add all the ingredients you would have marinated with...and toss it together (a rolling-flip motion) ...and you will taste that it is truly so much better.

"...you experience each ingredient in its full-on,

distinctive glory as opposed to having all of them soaked and discarded...

it's à la minute, which is chef-speak for made to order."

With a "dash" of "how-to" with tools, fuels, fire, and processes... you get the flavor boosted recipes for steaks-lamb-pork-chicken-shrimp and fish-vegetables and the much desired...drinks.

In our back-yard the taste wars can focus on mushrooms-no mushrooms, no one will turn down the bacon-mushroom relish rub (pg. 25). I personally like the sweet-sour combo, so the grilled pineapple & sweet-sour sauce was a promise for late August evenings (pg. 39). For what seems like ages, I have not had great lamb chops so my hat is tipped to the guys for the feta and sun-dried tomato relish topping, yum...(pg.47). With chicken, the Latin flavoring combo of the cilantro-lime vinaigrette creates an illusion of sun, sea, and great friends...this is the pick for our end of summer grill-out (pg.98). For a newer "BBQ" version of chicken, corn, and potato salad... we will be grilling South Carolina-style BBQ sauce (pg. 136) with grilled corn-basil and Parmesan (pg. 208) and hot grilled potato salad (pg.198). Now that's grillin'.

I must confess, the drinks are just to refreshing to make a choice... but I'm sure you will find a few on your list of must serves. What was an added bonus is that there is a page for what is the length of time the meats should be on the grill, the heat of the fire/flame, and how to check if the entree is done. Grilling is yummy... but not burned to a charred piece of leather.

What's grilling in your back yard,

MrsK

3 steps to Yum! Flavor enticing... must get a copy for any "grill master!"

Meet the Chefs:

Chris Schlesinger is the former owner and chef of East Coast Grill in Boston. He was the winner of the 1996 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast and is a contributing editor for Saveur. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

john-willoughby

John Willoughby is a writer, editor, and the former executive editor at Gourmet; he currently serves as the editorial director for magazines at America’s Test Kitchen and publisher of Cooks’ Illustrated magazine. He was the co-author, with Chris Schlesinger, of a monthly feature in the New York Times food section. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review."

Random House Publishers

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MrsK's Reading Bio

Reading is important! No questions asked, not even a blink of the eye from any student I grew up with. On the first day of the First grade, we were given our first books. Day two we all read aloud, round robin of course. Day three we were place in our first basal, now known as a lit circle group. Books were so important, publishers designed new curriculum so that every student was reading by the end of the first week. These early readers had images that looked like what we could see in the classroom, beyond the classroom, even on the big screen. Reading is important, throughout history every generation has believed that “Reading” opens up the world for endless possibilities.

I adore the 1950’s Dick and Jane books. Actually, most reading specialists and experienced (45+) educators believe that every student learned to read with Dick and Jane. Since these books are being re-issued, I have heard many parents, grandparents, and students claim that Dick and Jane stories of repetition does teach students to read.

Early influences from my mother influenced my desire to read. I would watch her read and we would go on “secret” excursions to the library. The library became my playground. I owned every book I could carry home, of course they needed to be taken back to their home after visiting with me for a week or two. My first book that I could pull off of the library shelf and read was, Father Bear Comes Home. I only saw my dad on Sundays for a few hours. I would pull this beginning reader off of the library shelf every week. Every week I would try to read the first chapter. Every week I got further in the story. My mom would let me check it out, only if I could read it myself (She didn’t like the illustrations therefore she didn’t want to take time to read it to me). One day, I pulled the book from the shelf and when mom came to get me from the children’s corner, I realized that I had read the whole story. I ran to the check out desk and the Librarian KERCHUNKED the checkout card. My mother, brother and neighbors read. My teachers read. We all read aloud all day long in school. The Priest read aloud every day at mass, even in Latin. Everybody in the Doctor’s office read. People on the bus read. Dad’s waiting in their cars as the Mom’s and children grocery shopped, read. In fact, once you could read and write, Sunset Magazine considered you a reader and sent you mail every day.

Reading is important; I’ve spent my life reading. I’ve traveled around the world and into space through books. My favorite genre is whichever book I have open at the time. Children’s Literature is my passion. Book clubbing is one of the best past times, especially if food is involved. In fact my friends of old are in a book club and we are about to embark on a beach trip to “read” and discuss our newest selection.

My “home-run” book story has helped every student find his or her own “home-run” reads. Every year, I have shared my, Father Bear Comes Home, and every year my students have brought in their “home-run” books. That’s the “diving board” into our Lit. Studies.

In “Growing Up Digital,” Tapscott’s insights into the new generations enthusiasm for the Net reminded me of my generation’s enthusiasm for reading, movies, TV, parties and our driving permits. The Net-Generation, as Tapscott describes, “are learning, playing, communicating, working, creating communities, and enforcing a social transformation.”
N-Geners are interactive “techies” who are always looking for a way to “work it” verses the TV Generation of “Baby Boomers” who started out looking for “how it works.” Reading development is tougher today, society moves too fast to invest their “non-working” free time into a book or even “home work.” Since I stepped into my own classroom, I have seen students being told to read, being forced to read, and threatened into reading. Homework is not any longer the vehicle for students to gain their future lifestyles or careers with. Yet, the Internet does create an enthusiasm for learning. Since I have been enrolled in these courses, I have used the computers in every subject. My students are using the newest technology in the classroom because I am giving them investigative sites to use as they learn from each other and books. I agree with Tapscott, in order to bridge the gap with this up and coming generation we must “live and learn with them.”

FTC Required Disclaimer: I receive these books from the publishers. I did not receive monetary compensation for these reviews. These reviews have been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)