Wood-Fired Cooking

February 2, 2009
Karlin has passed down the knowledge of wood-fired cooking for nine years as an instructor at the Ramekins school in Sonoma, Calif., so it is not surprising that her first cookbook is a teacherlike endeavor. It begins with an extensive review of the basics, including a chart that looks at the “appliance characteristics” of a vertical clay top-vented oven, a list of woods and their proper uses (red oak for beef and fish) and a survey of various wood-burning devices including the classic La Caja China Box, a pig roaster on wheels. Next, there is a treatise on “Becoming an Efficient Wood-Fired Cook.” Finally, she challenges her readers with 100 recipes ranging from academic to scholarly. Her specialty includes entrees that include the word “smoky” or involve a plank or a brick. Smoky barbecued oysters, grilled on a campfire grate, are served with an intense vinegar-based sauce. Smoked chicken and herb dumplings uses bacon, as well as smoke, to flavor the bird. And mushroom-rubbed plank-roasted steak employs a water-soaked aromatic board to flavor and keep the meat from drying out. For extra credit, there are several complex choices that seem a tough match for the open fire, such as an apricot tart with lavender crème anglaise.

Starred review from April 15, 2009
Karlin teaches at Ramekins cooking school in Sonoma, CA, and cooking over fire is one of her specialties. Here, she thoroughly introduces home cooks to all sorts of wood-fired cooking and presents more than 100 mouthwatering recipes, some of which come from well-known California chefs and cookbook authors. A good companion to William Rubel's "The Magic of Fire: Hearth Cooking", this is recommended for most collections.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.