“Part travelogue and part culinary adventure . . . a quirky, entertaining ramble through the many ways wood lends its flavor to food” (Bob Holmes, author of Flavor). Most people don’t expect wood to flavor their food beyond the barbecue, and gastronomists rarely discuss the significance of wood in the realm of taste. But trees have a far greater influence over our plate and palate than you might think. Over the centuries, it has been used in cooking, distilling, fermenting, and even perfume creation to produce a unique flavor and smell. In The Flavor of Wood, food communications expert Artur Cisar-Erlach embarks on a global journey to understand how trees infuse the world’s most delectable dishes through their smoke, sap, roots, and bark. His exploration covers everything from wooden barrels used to age scotch in Austria to the wood-burning pizza ovens of Naples to Canadian maple syrup producers—as well as cheese, tea, wine, blue yogurt, and more. Brimming with fascinating characters, unexpected turns, beautiful landscapes, scientific discoveries, and historic connections, The Flavor of Wood is the story of a passionate flavor hunter, and offers readers unparalleled access to some of the world’s highest quality cuisine and unknown tree flavors.

James Beard Award Winner A trailblazing chef reinvents the art of cooking over fire. Gloriously inspired recipes push the boundaries of live-fired cuisine in this primal yet sophisticated cookbook introducing the incendiary dishes of South America's biggest culinary star. Chef Francis Mallmann—born in Patagonia and trained in France's top restaurants—abandoned the fussy fine dining scene for the more elemental experience of cooking with fire. But his fans followed, including the world's top food journalists and celebrities, such as Francis Ford Coppola, Madonna, and Ralph Lauren, traveling to Argentina and Uruguay to experience the dashing chef's astonishing—and delicious—wood-fired feats. The seven fires of the title refer to a series of grilling techniques that have been singularly adapted for the home cook. So you can cook Signature Mallmann dishes—like Whole Boneless Ribeye with Chimichuri; Salt-Crusted Striped Bass; Whole Roasted Andean Pumpkin with Mint and Goat Cheese Salad; and desserts such as Dulce de Leche Pancakes—indoors or out in any season. Evocative photographs showcase both the recipes and the exquisite beauty of Mallmann's home turf in Patagonia, Buenos Aires, and rural Uruguay. Seven Fires is a must for any griller ready to explore food's next frontier.

Revel in the fun of cooking with live fire. This hot collection from food historian and archaeologist Paula Marcoux includes more than 100 fire-cooked recipes that range from cheese on a stick to roasted rabbit and naan bread. Marcoux’s straightforward instructions and inspired musings on cooking with fire are paired with mouthwatering photographs that will have you building primitive bread ovens and turning pork on a homemade spit. Gather all your friends around a fire and start the feast.

Join authors Dick Cantwell and Peter Bouckaert as they tell the story of the marriage between wood and beer from Roman times through medieval Europe to modern craft brewing. Cooperage is a long and venerable craft and here the authors give a description combining the evocative and technical. The smells, the heat, choosing the wood, drying, fashioning staves, steaming, firing, and assembling into a perfect container—at least perfect until the bunghole is drilled to accommodate the precious contents. Barrels and foeders have gone from an oddity of traditional breweries to a commonplace feature at the heart of the craft brewing industry. It is estimated that 85% of US breweries now use wood as part of their process. Maintaining wooden vessels requires care and meticulous organization of cellar space. The authors discuss the vagaries of temperature, humidity, seasonal changes, mold, and evaporation, and how breweries new and old deal with these challenges. The basics of selecting, inspecting, cleaning, and maintaining barrels are detailed. Finally, of course, the wood must be united with the beer. The complexity and variations that govern how wood imparts flavors to beer can be overwhelming. The authors guide the reader through wood's characteristic flavor compounds and the nuances of toasting and charring. Oak is the focus, American, French, and Eastern European, but other woods get their due. As well as intrinsic flavors, the microflora that take up residence in a barrel or foeder are the living, beating heart of a barrel-aged beer, able to create sour and unique beers of fascinating complexity. The authors pepper the text with stories and experiences from some of the giants of the craft brewing scene, discussing how they monitor their barrel programs and taste and blend their beers to create something truly special. All this will inspire professional and amateur brewers alike. At the end of the book the authors give some helpful advice on wood aging for homebrewers, including the uses for chips, cubes, spirals, staves, powders ... and the odd chair leg. Get ready to embrace the mystical complexity of flavors and aromas derived from wood.

New York Times Bestseller Named "22 Essential Cookbooks for Every Kitchen" by SeriousEats.com Named "25 Favorite Cookbooks of All Time" by Christopher Kimball Named "Best Cookbooks Of 2016" by Chicago Tribune, BBC, Wired, Epicurious, Leite's Culinaria Named "100 Best Cookbooks of All Time" by Southern Living Magazine For succulent results every time, nothing is more crucial than understanding the science behind the interaction of food, fire, heat, and smoke. This is the definitive guide to the concepts, methods, equipment, and accessories of barbecue and grilling. The founder and editor of the world's most popular BBQ and grilling website, AmazingRibs.com, “Meathead” Goldwyn applies the latest research to backyard cooking and 118 thoroughly tested recipes. He explains why dry brining is better than wet brining; how marinades really work; why rubs shouldn't have salt in them; how heat and temperature differ; the importance of digital thermometers; why searing doesn't seal in juices; how salt penetrates but spices don't; when charcoal beats gas and when gas beats charcoal; how to calibrate and tune a grill or smoker; how to keep fish from sticking; cooking with logs; the strengths and weaknesses of the new pellet cookers; tricks for rotisserie cooking; why cooking whole animals is a bad idea, which grill grates are best;and why beer-can chicken is a waste of good beer and nowhere close to the best way to cook a bird. He shatters the myths that stand in the way of perfection. Busted misconceptions include: • Myth: Bring meat to room temperature before cooking. Busted! Cold meat attracts smoke better. • Myth: Soak wood before using it. Busted! Soaking produces smoke that doesn't taste as good as dry fast-burning wood. • Myth: Bone-in steaks taste better. Busted! The calcium walls of bone have no taste and they just slow cooking. • Myth: You should sear first, then cook. Busted! Actually, that overcooks the meat. Cooking at a low temperature first and searing at the end produces evenly cooked meat. Lavishly designed with hundreds of illustrations and full-color photos by the author, this book contains all the sure-fire recipes for traditional American favorites and many more outside-the-box creations. You'll get recipes for all the great regional barbecue sauces; rubs for meats and vegetables; Last Meal Ribs, Simon & Garfunkel Chicken; Schmancy Smoked Salmon; The Ultimate Turkey; Texas Brisket; Perfect Pulled Pork; Sweet & Sour Pork with Mumbo Sauce; Whole Hog; Steakhouse Steaks; Diner Burgers; Prime Rib; Brazilian Short Ribs; Rack Of Lamb Lollipops; Huli-Huli Chicken; Smoked Trout Florida Mullet –Style; Baja Fish Tacos; Lobster, and many more.

The most ambitious book yet by America’s bestselling, award-winning grill expert whose Barbecue! Bible books have over 4 million copies in print. Setting out—again—on the barbecue trail four years ago, Steven Raichlen visited 60 countries—yes, 60 countries—and collected 309 of the tastiest, most tantalizing, easy-to-make, and guaranteed-to-wow recipes from every corner of the globe. Welcome to Planet Barbecue, the book that will take America’s passionate, obsessive, smoke-crazed live-fire cooks to the next level. Planet Barbecue, with full-color photographs throughout, is an unprecedented marriage of food and culture. Here, for example, is how the world does pork: in the Puerto Rican countryside cooks make Lechon Asado—stud a pork shoulder with garlic and oregano, baste it with annatto oil, and spit-roast it. From the Rhine-Palatine region of Germany comes Spiessbraten, thick pork steaks seasoned with nutmeg and grilled over a low, smoky fire. From Seoul, South Korea, Sam Gyeop Sal—grilled sliced pork belly. From Montevideo, Uruguay, Bandiola—butterflied pork loin stuffed with ham, cheese, bacon, and peppers. From Cape Town, South Africa, Sosaties—pork kebabs with dried apricots and curry. And so it goes for beef, fish, vegetables, shellfish—says Steven, "Everything tastes better grilled." In addition to the recipes the book showcases inventive ways to use the grill: Australia's Lamb on a Shovel, Bogota's Lomo al Trapo (Salt-Crusted Beef Tenderloin Grilled in Cloth), and from the Charantes region of France, Eclade de Moules—Mussels Grilled on Pine Needles. Do try this at home. What a planet—what a book.

“A one-stop guide for anyone truly interested in elevating their BBQ experience into a culinary work of art”—with 75 recipes that pair smoky goodness from the grill with the wines of the Pacific Northwest (San Francisco Book Review). Introducing a marriage between two unlikely characters—wood-fired food and well-chosen wines—brought you by the real-life marriage of a pitmaster and a sommelier. Ready to up your grilling game? This cookbook by a pitmaster and a sommelier will turn your backyard barbecue into the tastiest place to be—with recipes that celebrate smoked and grilled food (and the wines that pair best with them). Every region has its barbecue, grill, and smoking food traditions. Now the Pacific Northwest can claim its place at the table with these recipes developed by sommelier Mary Cressler and pitmaster Sean Martin from Portland, Oregon. Fire + Wine highlights the ingredients and flavors of the Pacific Northwest to create a fresh, often lighter take on smoking and grilling. They put their spin on the classics as well—brisket, ribs, steaks, pulled pork—and offer up wine pairings to complete your meal. Recipes include: • Pinot Noir BBQ Sauce • Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs • Rosemary Buttermilk Grilled Chicken • Pulled Mushroom Sliders • Perfect Smoked Salmon Fillet with Beurre Blanc • Grilled Pork Chops with Dried Cherry Relish Master the fundamentals to successful grilling and smoking on any grill and discover the secret sauce (and the wine!) that will take your grilling to the next level. Get fired up though 75 recipes and the wines that love them.