Mastering the Grill or Ham Biscuits Hostess Gowns and Other Southern Specialties

Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking

Author: Andrew Schloss

Grilling is a science, and it's only when you understand the science of grilling that you can transform it into an art. That's what makes Mastering the Grill a standout on the cookbook shelf. From equipment (grill types and tools) to fire (wood, charcoal, or gas) to ingredients (meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables), the authors have shared their impressive grilling know-how to explain the whys and the hows and guarantee the wows clearly and comprehensively. In addition to hundreds of tips and techniques, this ultimate guide is packed with how-to illustrations and mouthwatering photographs plus 350 surefire recipes everything from rubs and marinades to appetizers, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. Mastering the Grill is a master class in cooking, destined to become a sauce-stained, well-thumbed classic.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: The Science and Mechanics of Grilling     9
The Grillmaster's Manual
Mastering Your Equipment
Types of Grills     14
How Grills Work     17
Grill Cleaning, Maintenance, and Repair     19
Grill Storage     20
Grill Tools and Accessories     20
Grill Fuels and Fire Starters     25
Mastering Your Technique
Mastering Fire     30
Starting a Wood Fire     31
Starting a Charcoal Fire     31
How to Maintain a Live Fire     33
The Science of Heat Transference     34
Conduction     34
Convection     34
Radiant Heat     34
Mastering Grilling Techniques     36
Direct Grilling     36
Indirect Grilling     36
Rotisserie Grilling     37
Adding Smoke     37
Barbecuing     39
Cooking in the Coals     39
Wrapping     40
Cooking on a Plank     40
Mastering Temperature     40
Judging Meat Doneness     42
Judging Produce Doneness     43
Judging Doughs' Doneness     43
Resting     43
Mastering Your Ingredients     45
Mastering Meat     46
Protein     46
Fat     47
Grass-Fed, Grain-Fed, and Organic     47
Cuts of Meat     48
Ground Meat     49
Grading     49
Beef     50
Veal     55
Pork     57
Lamb     59
Game Meats     62
Mastering Poultry     63
Poultry Cuts     64
Fat and Skin     65
Mastering Seafood     65
Fish     65
Shellfish     68
Mastering Produce     71
Roots     72
Stems     72
Fruits and Vegetables     72
Leaves     73
Flowers     73
Grilled Cheese     74
Grilled Dough     75
Mastering Your Flavors     77
Seasoning     78
Rubs     84
Mops     84
Brines     85
Marinades     86
Glazes and Sauces     87
The Grillmaster's Recipes
Mastering Burgers and Other Quick Meals     89
Mastering Steaks, Chops, and Other Quick-Cooking Cuts     131
Mastering Roasts, Ribs, and Other Slow Food     183
Mastering the Big Kahuna and Other Incredible Grill Projects     225
Mastering Vegetables and Other Sides     259
Mastering Fruit, Dessert, Dough, and Everything Else     305
Mastering Marinades, Mops, Brines, Rubs, Wet Pastes, Glazes, Sauces, and Dips     349
Index     401
Bibliography     415
Table of Equivalents     416

Go to: A Revolution in Taste or Cooks Tour

Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes)

Author: Julia Reed

Julia Reed spends a lot of time thinking about ham biscuits.  And cornbread and casseroles and the surprisingly modern ease of donning a hostess gown for one’s own party. In Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns and Other Southern Specialties Julia Reed collects her thoughts on good cooking and the lessons of gracious entertaining that pass from one woman to another, and takes the reader on a lively and very personal tour of the culinary—and social—South. In essays on everything from pork chops to the perfect picnic Julia Reed revels in the simple good qualities that make the Southern table the best possible place to pull up a chair. She expounds on: the Southerner’s relentless penchant for using gelatin; why most things taste better with homemade mayonnaise; the necessity of a holiday milk punch (and, possibly, a Santa hat); how best to “cook for compliments” (at least one squash casserole and Lee Bailey’s barbequed veal are key). She provides recipes for some of the region’s best-loved dishes (cheese straws, red velvet cake, breakfast shrimp), along with her own variations on the classics, including Fried Oysters Rockefeller Salad and Creole Crab Soup. She also elaborates on worthwhile information every hostess would do well to learn: the icebreaking qualities of a Ramos gin fizz and a hot crabmeat canapé, for example; the “wow factor” intrinsic in a platter of devilled eggs or a giant silver punchbowl filled with scoops of homemade ice cream. There is guidance on everything from the best possible way to “eat” your luck on New Year’s Day to composing a menu in honor of someoneyou love. Grace and hilarity under gastronomic pressure suffuse these essays, along with remembrances of her gastronomic heroes including Richard Olney, Mary Cantwell, and M.F.K. Fisher. Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns and Other Southern Specialties is another great book about the South from Julia Reed, a writer who makes her experiences in—and out of—the kitchen a joy to read.

Table of Contents:

I Eating the South

Miss Congealiality 3

Stilettos in the Grass 13

The Literary Club 21

Green Party 29

Mellow Yellow 37

Applause, Applause 46

My Blue Heaven 54

The Insider 62

Prep School 71

Hostess Cupcakes 79

A Fan's Notes 86

Bighearted Shrimp 94

Making the Cut 102

Classic from a Can 111

The Picnic Papers 119

Rich and Famous 130

Frozen Assets 138

Giving a Fig 145

Extremely Gifted 153

Eat the Rich Stuff 161

Pump It Up 169

Party of One 178

II Chefs I've Known

Panning Out 189

Getting Personal 196

Friendly Persuasion 203

Into Plein-Air 212

Tip of the Iceberg 219

Swan Song 227

The Comeback Kid 235