DR BBQ'S ALL YEAR LONG COOKBOOK
By Ray Lampe aka Dr BBQ

Ray Lampe's second book was released just 12 months after the publication of his top selling original Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook. And that is quite an achievement for a guy who says he didn't know he was an author until he wrote a book.

This really is an all year long cookbook as Dr BBQ shares my belief that life is too short not to barbeque during the colder months. We also share a healthy respect for Big Green Egg smokers and it probably comes as no surprise that these unique ceramic grills/smokers keep chugging away in rain, hail, sleet or snow.

Unlike Ray's first book which was all about passing on some of the skills he had honed over decades as a top level BBQ Cook Off competitor, this new book features barbeque as a year long celebration.

Ray takes some classic American holidays and major events (and a few from other places including Australia) and creates menus for their celebration based on slow smoking or grilling. Groundhog Day, the Daytona 500, Bastille Day, Patsy Kline's birthday and April Fool's Day are among 40 special events (10 for each season) which are each celebrated with unique menus featuring three, four or even more courses.

The range of recipes is huge with detailed instructions for preparing everything from Thanksgiving Turkey to Atomic Buffalo Turds (No, I'm not telling you - you'll have to buy the book). For Melbourne Cup Day, Dr BBQ suggests Grilled Mango Salad followed by Shrimp on the Barby, Dinkum Chilli and Shortbread Biscuits. "Gambling and barbecue - what a great combination!" is how Ray sums up the race that stops a nation.

While Fosters gets a mention as a Melbourne Cup party ingredient, other beverages are suggested in the book to complement the menus. These range from the innocuous Old Fashioned Lemonade to the tequila-fuelled and aptly-named Dangerous Slush.

The All Year Long Cookbook also has sections entitled The Drawers , The Patio and The Pantry in which he details the things you need to have around to barbeque such as tools, grills, fuel and basic rubs and sauces.

The big strength of this book is in the recipes. I honestly don't think I have ever come across such a great collection of completely original recipes. There's about 200 in the book and I wanted to try every one - except perhaps for the Atomic Buffalo Turds.

ORIGIN: United States
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2005
VERDICT: You won't be disappointed with this beaut book.