PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

We didn’t own a grill when I was a kid. My folks were German and midwestern and grilling was not in their wheelhouse. Cooking outside over fire was something that you did if you didn’t have electricity to fuel an inside stove or oven. Summer food for us was fried chicken, fried fish, massive potato salads, or cold lunchmeat sandwiches. I did eventually learn to grill as a newly married young adult, but it was still something reserved for camping or church cookouts.

I honestly don’t remember when I got my first real grill. I think it was when my husband and I bought our first house and escaped the regulations of apartment living. We had a nice, big backyard, perfectly sized for entertaining, and with no low-hanging trees that could accidentally be set alight. We still mostly cooked steaks and burgers, brats and chicken breasts, though, not venturing too far away from classic summer fare.

That changed when someone served me grilled zucchini. It had all the melting-sweet flavor of the fried zucchini I grew up eating, but without the mess or hassle. It was so easy! Just brush the sliced vegetable with oil, sprinkle it with seasoning, and grill until it was a little charred on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.

Eventually, my son took an interest in grilling, and I started looking for different ways to use the grill. While I still love it for steaks and burgers and brats, it's now an indispensable part of my summer cooking repertoire, a tool I use all summer long to create delicious and speedy meals for my family without heating up my kitchen, and I’m always on the lookout for new recipes and uses for summertime’s best appliance.

Grilling cookbooks have really taken off in the past few years, as people look for new food adventures and new ways to host friends outside. Here I’ve chosen some of my favorites. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced grillmaster, I’m sure these books will inspire you to get outside this summer and fire up your grill of choice.

This is probably my favorite book on this list. Argentine chef Francis Mallmann takes fruits and vegetables out of side-dish exile and makes them the smokey, caramelized stars of the show. Green Fire is filled with lush photography and mouth-watering recipes and is the perfect inspiration for using your summer bounty of produce.

Plant-based diets continue to gain popularity both for our health and that of our planet. Gone are the days when the only vegetarian option at a cookout was a sad veggie burger and maybe some corn on the cob. With recipes for sriracha-marinated broccoli, quinoa and sweet potato burgers, and a tempting asparagus pizza, there’s enough satisfying options that you won’t even miss the meat!

How to Grill Everything, at 1,000 detailed recipes, may seem intimidating, but Bittman’s style is accessible and informative, making this a terrific book for outdoor cooks, regardless of skill level. He outlines different kinds of grills, gives pointers for their use, and includes helpful timetables and recipe variations, making this a truly indispensable book.

I’m cheating here — this isn’t strictly a grilling cookbook, but with 100 different recipes for carb-laden, meaty meals, it is really a perfect summer cookbook. The recipes are easy, straightforward, and fun. I can’t wait to try almost everything in the burger chapter, and most of the tacos as well.

This is a curated “best of” collection of 125 recipes from Weber, one of the best-known names in American grilling. This is a great beginner cookbook, with easy, no-nonsense recipes and gorgeous photography.