Where There's Smoke

April 15, 2013
Seaver, a D.C. chef and expert on sustainability and oceanic ecosystems, doesn't mind releasing a bit of carbon into the air in this collection of recipes for the grill that focus as much on seafood and vegetables as beef and chicken. Gas grill aficionados are asked to kindly step aside in favor of a charcoal fire seasoned with mesquite, hickory, oak, or cherry wood. Smoke, as the title suggests, lies at the heart of these offerings. Clams, lamb, pork ribs, and duck breasts get the smoke treatment, as do several other surprising foodstuffs. There's smoky lemonade, smoky gazpacho, smoky deviled eggs, and smoked mackerel dip. And when wood is just not enough, Seaver gets creative. For his spiced pork tenderloin he advises adding cinnamon and star anise directly to the fire for extra aromatic complexity. Bonus features include a source list for ordering eco-friendly food and a short section on wines for the grill where zinfandel battles it out against chenin blanc. Seaver includes clever tips on wine salts, seasoning blends which will "introduce complementary flavors to spark the wines." Pinot Noir salt, for example, contains cinnamon, fennel seeds, paprika, and grated shitake mushrooms.

April 15, 2013

Chef and sustainability advocate Seaver (For Cod and Country) adds to the growing body of artful grilling cookbooks aimed at readers who begin their barbecues with cocktails and appetizers. Recipes like Campari-Watermelon Cocktail, Peach and Ginger Soup, and Grilled Liver with Figs and Onions ooze sophistication, but are mostly easy to execute, and, more importantly, delicious. Seaver includes creative marinades, condiments, and pickles, as well as lists of sources and suggested readings. VERDICT More beginner-friendly than Perry Lang's Charred and Scruffed, Seaver's flavorful take on grilling will please high-end backyard barbeque enthusiasts.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2013
With the approach of summer, Americans break out their grills. Seaver hopes to reeducate the casual grill master to think beyond commonplace brats and burgers. Like most serious barbecuers, Seaver prefers a live fire to gas grills, but he does confess to a preference for briquettes' controlled fire over the unpredictable burn of lump charcoal, noting that any missing flavorsome smoke notes can readily be supplied by wood chips. Seaver's recipes emphasize vegetable offerings, not all of them necessarily subjected to a hot grill. His Catalan grilled version of ratatouille will consume summer-garden surplus. Grilling a whole flounder proves easy with his careful technique. Seaver takes no conventional approach to grilling meats. Writing thoughtfully on proper seasoning and searing techniques, he advocates sustainable animal husbandry. Seaver introduces a novel two-day method for producing grilled meatloaf. He also contributes some original insights on pairing wines with grilled foods.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)