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The sun is shining, the holidays mean gathering friends and family, more time to cook, and helpers at hand. No one wants to be shut up in the kitchen, and summer is the prime time to cook outside.
An open fire is our original heat source, and the most fundamental way to cook. But used, as we are, to temperature controls and precise cooking times, how do we approach the naked flame? We have two books newly added to ckbk to help you harness the capabilities of that flavor-giving heat source.
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Derek Wolf is the founder of Over the Fire Cooking, a website and social media platform dedicated to sharing his passion for food and fire. Derek’s two books, Food by Fire, and Flavor by Fire (written with barbecue author, journalist and barbecue expert Steven Raichlen), are each written to continue that mission, bringing extensive know-how, a wide range of recipes, and that fire-first attitude.
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‘Cooking with fire is one of the few things that makes us human. Everywhere you go in the world, you find traditional recipes using similar ingredients for the same purpose: feeding the ones we love. When it takes 8 to 12 hours to cook something over the flames, you are doing it for more than just fun. You are doing it to share the experience with others. When I cook over fire, it is because I am on a journey to bring fire, food, and people together.’ Derek Wolf
In Food by Fire Derek gives extensive guidance on equipment and technique for direct and indirect fire cooking. Meanwhile in Flavor by Fire Derek and Steven approach the subject through the Five Major Categories of Taste.
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You’ve seen multiple books on Southern BBQ and African-American BBQ, but nothing on the third great barbecue tradition—Hispanic barbecue. Here to fill that gap at last is Brandon Hurtado, the most celebrated practitioner of Tex-Mex barbecue around with his book Barbacoa: The Heart of Tex-Mex Barbecue.
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While you are cooking for the holiday vibe, you could also explore Mediterranean Everyday: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food by Sheela Prakash. As food writer and dietician Sheela puts it: ‘The flavors of the Mediterranean—the grassy olive oil, the sweet tomatoes, the fragrant herbs—are what most inspire me and also just so happen to be ingredients that naturally lend themselves to wholesome, satisfying eating.’
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What could be better to put on that shaded table under the trees and feed the assembled company, alongside meat or fish cooked on the open fire, or not. The book is full of recipes that are straightforward to make, and flavor-packed.
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Pictured above: Sweet Tomatillo Grilled Salmon from Flavor by Fire by Derek Wolf
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Afternoon tea is that wholly unnecessary indulgence of a meal to tide you from lunch until supper. A meal of finger sandwiches and mini-cakes and loaded scones. It might look dainty, but at its best it is filled with fine patisserie, a rich variety of tastes, and clotted cream! Precisely because of its decadence, the afternoon tea is always a treat—a particularly British one at that, having been popularised by Queen Victoria in the mid-1800s.
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You mustn’t, on any account, forget the scones. Here is a collection of Scrumptious Scones, so you can be sure to find a recipe, whether you want the classic Rich Fruit Scones, or to try something new such as these saffron-scented and apricot-studded Souk Scones.
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Ingredient focus: damsons
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The damson is a small oval plum, of an older variety that the plum proper. There is evidence of damsons in Western Europe since prehistoric times, and it was also growing in the Near East. The flavor of damsons is much prized, although they are usually sufficiently astringent as to require copious amounts of sugar to make the most of their deep fruity taste and bright acidity. For this reason they are often enjoyed as Damson Jam, or Damson Cheese—a kind of stiff preserve used to accompany hot or cold meats.
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An autumn fruit, they begin to appear in August. Because of their intensity of flavor damsons work well in both sweet and savory dishes. Try Saddle of Red Deer, Perl Las Cheese, Damson & Kohlrabi, or bake this Damson Tart with Plum Zabaglione. For a fruity tipple, steep damsons in vodka or gin with sugar—try this Damson & Fennel Vodka.
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6 of the best rum recipes
The dark tang of rum is both delicious to drink, and an asset in the kitchen. August 16 is National Rum Day, so here are six rum recipes to enjoy.
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from A Long and Messy Business by Rowley Leigh
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from Prue: My All-time Favourite Recipes by Prue Leith
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from Bold: Big Flavour Twists to Classic Dishes by Nisha Katona
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from Couture Chocolate by William Curley
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from Bountiful by Diane Cu and Todd Porter
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from Bold: Big Flavour Twists to Classic Dishes by Nisha Katona
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