 BOOK
REVIEW
2011 National Barbecue News Book of the Year announced
By Doug Mosley
doug.mosley@uc.edu
Wow! Another year in the books! Did 2011 seem to just whiz by for you like it did for me? I even changed jobs and moved from one region of the country to another just after the turn of the calendar so this year has really flown right by. Well, enough of the wonderment over the passage of time – let’s get down to business.
For those of you who have been regular readers of this space, you know that every December we take a break from judgment and spend this month celebrating. And the object of that celebration is the announcement of the National Barbecue News Barbecue Book of the Year Award. This year will mark the fifth annual edition of this award. The previous winners are:
2007: Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Road Trip by Ray Lampe ($16.95, St. Martins Griffin)
2008: The Best Barbecue on Earth: Grilling Across 6 Continents and 26 Countries With 170 Recipes by Rick Browne ($22.95, Ten Speed Press, 254 pp.)
2009: Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book: Recipes and Secrets from a Legendary Barbecue Joint by Chris Lilly ($24.99, Clarkson Potter, 256 pp.)
2010: The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook 25th Anniversary Edition by Ardie Davis, Paul Kirk and Carolyn Wells ($24.99, Andrews McMeel, 318 pp.)
I’m proud to say that you have to hit a pretty high standard to earn this award and those previous four award winners are some incredible books. The rules for the award are fairly straightforward – a book has to have been printed within the calendar year for which it earns the award. However, since the December edition of the National Barbecue News goes to press in early November, I always allow for books released in November and December of the previous year. Fortunately, publishers rarely release barbecue books during those two months. The second standard is that it must come from the genre of outdoor cooking to be considered.
As is our custom, let me first tell you about the books that earned honorable mention status. These are the ones which have made the short list for the award selection but ultimately didn’t win the prize.
Weber-Stephens makes great grills AND outstanding cookbooks as well. The latest release, Weber’s Time to Grill. Get In. Get Out. Get Grilling, by Jamie Purviance ($24.95, Oxmoor House, 304 pp.), centered on the theme of grilling in a compressed time frame, or rather “30-minute meals on the grill”.
Jason Day and Aaron Chronister teamed to bring forth BBQ Makes Everything Better ($16, Scribner, 256 pp.). I really loved their creativity in this book and now I can’t get the Bacon Explosion out of my mind.
Rick Browne, the author of the 2008 award-winning book, released The Ultimate Guide to Grilling: How to Grill Just About Anything ($14.95, Skyhorse Publishing, 320 pp.).
I’ve always enjoyed Texas ‘cue and Big Ranch, Big City Cookbook: recipes from Lambert’s Texas Kitchens by Louis Lambert and June Naylor ($40, Ten Speed Press, 272 pp.) offered that and more in an upscale theme.
I’ve always been interested in what barbecue is in other countries and this year The Japanese Grill: From Classic Yakitori to Steak, Seafood and Vegetables by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat ($25, Ten Speed Press, 192 pp.) was the best book I saw that covered international ‘cue.
.jpg) That brings us to our top book of the year. Let me first say that I once entertained creating a physical manifestation of this award. A tropy or plaque, or perhaps an embossed certificate. I explored several different thoughts on what would be an appropriate prize. But in the end, economics killed the idea since I was going to create it out of my own pocket, and I finally realized that whatever I could afford to have made would likely pale in comparison to the massive trophies that most of these authors likely already possessed. Instead, I asked my kindly publisher, Kell Phelps, if I could affix the official endorsement of the National Barbecue News to the honor and he allowed it to be so.
I tell you all this because it would have taken a pretty incredible trophy to gain any attention among the awards this author has already won. Myron Mixon is one of the most decorated individuals on the competition barbecue circuit and it would be no surprise that he would be an outstanding author as well. His book, Smokin’ with Myron Mixon: Recipes Made Simple from the Winningest Man in Barbecue by Mixon and Kelly Alexander, with a forward by Paula Deen ($22, Ballantine, 192 pp.) is the National Barbecue News 2011 Barbecue Book of the Year.
Mixon’s approach to this book is much like the persona that he exhibits at competitions and on TV: brash, straightforward, and a supreme confidence that he is the best at what he does. At the same time, he tenderly tells the story of his roots in barbecue. It makes for a great read. I was impressed with all the tips, tricks and secrets that he shared, but at the same time know that this old fox hasn’t told all that he knows. All in all, it’s a great book and now goes down as the winner of our fifth annual award. Congratulations to Myron Mixon, his co-author Kelly Alexander, and his publisher Ballatine Books.
Before we wrap up this month, let’s take a quick look ahead at what is coming in 2012. There are a lot of promising books slated to be released next year, many by names you know and more by many you don’t. Paul Kirk and Ardie Davis team up again, as do Karen Adler and Judith Fertig. Noted authors “Dr. BBQ” Ray Lampe, Rick Browne, Ted Reader, and Steven Raichlen all have new books coming. Jamie Purviance will have another Weber-branded book out in the spring. Famed French chef Stephane Reynaud will take a shot at writing about barbecue. Andy Husbands and Chris Hart of IQUE BBQ – 2009 Jack Daniels champions – have a new book in the works. Bob Garner, who wrote an excellent book on North Carolina ‘cue that was positively reviewed in this space a few years ago, will have a new book on the shelf. I’m looking forward to my privilege of telling you about all of them.
Thanks so much to everyone for reading and also to those of you who take the time to drop me a note via my new e-mail address (doug.mosley@uc.edu). I always love to hear from you, even when you disagree with me. I enjoy this forum to share with you each month. I hope your holidays are great and safe and that 2012 rings in well for you and yours.
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