Grill Italian: 100 Classic Recipes Alla Griglia

Additional Details

Description: The grill cuisine of Italy offers the same understated, earthy kind of fare as trattoria cooking. Add to that the smoky, caramelized flavors of cooking over fire and you've got Grill Italian. 

Sure, Italian cooks throw chops or steaks on the grill, but first they might marinate the meat in fruity olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and basil. Spit-roasting is another favorite way of grilling large meats and whole birds, so Clifford Wright gives us recipes for a leg of lamb, Cornish hens, and duck on the rotisserie. 

Italian-style grilling goes beyond meat and poultry. There's an entire chapter on vegetables every which way in Grill Italian. Tomatoes are stuffed with bread, garlic, and herbs before grilling. Artichokes are grilled and drizzled with lemon juice and oregano. Italians do extraordinary things with seafood, too. Even the simplest grilled shrimp is unforgettable. And what do you serve with your classic Grilled Tuna "Originata"? In Grill Italian you will find a chapter of traditional pasta and salad accompaniments. 

In his introduction, Wright tackles the burning questions about grilling: Which makes better-tasting food, gas or charcoal? Supermarket briquets or hard-to-find hardwood lump charcoal? It doesn't really matter, Wright says. The reason food tastes good when grilled is that fat drips down on hot coals or lava rocks and returns in the form of smoke to flavor the food. 

Ever hear that lighter fluid gives grilled food overtones of gasoline? Not true, says Wright. Just wait until the fuel has burned off -- the coals won't be ready until then anyway. 

While your backyard may not overlook the azure waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, with Grill Italian you can bring the intense, natural flavors of Italian grilling to your table. 

---- 

Condition: Good condition.