THE KING OF THE GRILL
By Allan Campion

The 'King of the Grill' by Australian author Allan Campion is a different take on the same subject covered by Steven Raichlen - barbecue recipes from around the world. It is a far more modest publication (150 recipes) but is a similarly impressive effort in its own right.

Many of the dishes featured are also included in 'The Barbecue Bible' so it is obvious that both Allan and Steven have done their homework in regard to identifying those recipes which are most typical of a country's cuisine.

One of the best features of this book is the simplicity of the recipes and the clear, easy to understand preparation and cooking instructions. Although he is a chef as well as a writer, the author has avoided the trap that far too many cooking professionals fall into - featuring recipes with dozens of ingredients that are an immediate turn off for budding backyard barbequers.

'King of the Grill' follows the author's popular 'Secret Men's BBQ Business' book and Allan is obviously on a mission to inspire more Aussie blokes to take up the tongs. It's divided into two sections - the second of which contains the recipes.

The first part - 'The Drill' - takes readers on an often hilarious learning curve that includes fashion by the fire (being cool is more important than looking cool), barbeque beverages (Allan's advice is to match beers with food from the same country) and a guide to specialist ingredients and products - from smoking chips to bok choy (he recommends readers leave this to the female in their life).

ORIGIN: Australia
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2003
VERDICT: When the author dedicates a barbeque book to his butcher you know it's well worth buying.