Page 37 - Barbecue News DEC 2020 Digital Issue
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ous consideration for a spot on the Mount Rushmore of barbecue book authors. That was originally the husband- wife duo of Bill Jamison and Cheryl Alters Jamison. They authored some of the most important books on barbecue back in the mid 90s which likely laid the groundwork for barbecue’s rise. Bill Jamison passed away in 2015 but Cheryl Alters Jamison has carried on, writing three books since then including this excellent one focused on Texas barbecue.
“The Smoke Shop Backyard BBQ: Eat, Drink, and Party Like a Pitmaster” by Andy Husbands and Will Salazar ($30, Fair Winds Press, 224 pp.) – I really enjoyed this book, particu- larly for the creative dishes it presented and its format of arranging these as a menu for different occasions. Andy Husbands is a two-time honoree for this award for books he co-authored with Chris Hart.
“Mastering the Big Green Egg: An Operator’s Manual and Cookbook” by Craig Tabor ($21.99, Page Street Publishing, 160 pp.) – Eggers tend to be all-in and Craig Tabor might be the most all-in of them all. This book is definitely all-in when it comes to the Big Green Egg. If you have a BGE then you have to have this book. If you don’t have a BGE...what are you waiting for?
“Barbecue: The History of an American Institution, Revised and Expanded Second Edition” by Robert F. Moss ($34.95,
The University of Alabama Press, 312 pp.) – I know, I know, I’m bending the rules here. This isn’t the original edition of this book (that one came out in 2010). I really enjoyed the original but I like the second edition even better. Besides, you know I always love books on barbecue history, espe- cially ones that are done really well. This one is excellent. “How to Cocktail: Recipes and Techniques for Building the Best Drinks” by America’s Test Kitchen ($24.99, 272 pp.) – Yes, I realize this book isn’t in the outdoor cooking genre. But let me tell you why I’m including it. Each year whatever book I’ve made the most use of personally automatically goes onto this list. It’s probably telling of the year that 2020 has been that a book on cocktails is that book this year. Besides, I’ve regularly included books on beverages in this column (need something with which to wash down that great barbecue, amiright or amiright?). This book of cocktails is probably the best one I’ve had the privilege to review.
There’s your finalists, all great books and any one of them could’ve been this year’s honoree. But there was one book that stood out for me, the best of the best. The 2020 Barbe- cue News Barbecue Book of the Year Award winner is “Award-Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them: The Secret Ingredient to Next-Level Smoking” by Ray Sheehan ($21.99, Page Street Publishing, 176 pp.).
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