BBQ Bash or Cajun Creole

BBQ Bash: The Be-All, End-All Party Guide, from Barefoot to Black Tie

Author: Karen Adler

Any party with Karen Adler and Judith Fertig at the helm is bound to be a success. With 100 creative, delicious recipes for entertaining with the grill or smoker, BBQ Bash is the key to partying with a touch of panache, from casual backyard get-togethers to more elaborate "black-tie" barbecues. The versatile dishes—from elegant appetizers and entrées, to refreshing sides and salads, to decadent desserts—offer all the flavor and flair of crowd-pleasing party food without any of the fuss. Recipes include Pancetta-Wrapped Radicchio, Fennel, and Potato Bundles; Creole Coffee-Rubbed Filet Mignon with Silky Crab Butter; Piquillo Pepper-Stuffed Chicken with Salsa Verde; Provençal Grilled Salmon with Rosemary and Mint Aioli; Grilled Pink Grapefruit and Orange Salad with Avocado; Planked Portobellos with Fresh Herb Grilling Sauce; Wine-Splashed Peaches, Plums, and Berries; and Golden Raspberry Meringues with Pistachios.

Judith Sutton - Library Journal

Here are three new titles to open the summer grilling season. Adler and Fertig (coauthors, Weeknight Grilling with the BBQ Queens) focus on entertaining, offering menus for a variety of occasions, helpful tips and suggestions, and a good introduction to grilling and smoking. Their recipes are fairly sophisticated, and many of them include variations as well as wine suggestions. For most collections.

Flay's first restaurant, Mesa Grill in New York City, now has locations in Las Vegas and the Bahamas. The owner and executive chef of several other restaurants, he is also one of the veterans of the Food Network. The recipes in Flay's eighth cookbook are organized by ingredient, from Asparagus to White Fish, and they feature his trademark big, bold flavors. There are full-page color photographs of many of the dishes, an introductory section on grilling, and a source guide for ingredients and equipment. Expect demand.

Schlesinger (chef/owner, East Coast Grill, Boston) and Gourmet executive editor Willoughby's Thrill of the Grill is a standard, one of the first grilling books to venture beyond all-American steak and chicken. Their latest title offers more mouthwatering recipes, from Coriander-Crusted Halibut with Tomato-Mint Chutney to Smoke-Roasted Oregano Leg of Lamb. First published in England and then Americanized, the book has the occasional odd Britishism (e.g., "joint" instead of "roast"). That aside, this attractive book is filled with dozens of color photographs; four-page spreads called "Flavor Footprints" provide basic recipes from the cuisines that have most influenced the authors, e.g., Mexican-Latin and Indian. Recommended for mostcollections.

Look this: Puff Pastry Perfection or Wine for Women

Cajun & Creole: 50 Classic Recipes

Author: Ruby Le Bois

Two deliciously distinctive cuisines united in one comprehensive, easy-to-use volume. Elegant and sophisticated Creole cooking ideas are presented alongside hearty and rustic Cajun food, so you'll never be stuck for inspiration.