These reviews are of books I have bought and read from cover to cover. Because they are not made up of words copied from the dust jacket or a publicist's blurb, they might have the potential to offend some authors. So be it.

THE COMPLETE AUSTRALIAN BARBECUE KETTLE COOKBOOK
By Ross McDonald and Margaret Kirkwood (first published 1988)	TOP

This publication, now in its umpteenth printing, was written by Australian Weber Representative Ross McDonald and Margaret Kirkwood a gourmet cook and well known cookery educator.

It's a big book containing 216 oversize pages and many of these feature enormous photographs of beautifully presented dishes. Everything is there from bacon and eggs for breakfast through to barbecued leg of goat, braised buffalo and smoked wild duck. Salads, dressings, desserts and sauces are also featured in this full-colour, hard-cover publication.

In Australia, this book has long been a favourite present for the kids to give their Dad (or Mum for that matter) on the Christmas or birthday when he/she receives their first kettle barbecue. I think one of its great strengths is that it assumes nothing - absolutely nothing. The first 30 pages (and they're very big pages remember) take the novice through preparing the kettle for grilling or roasting including how to stack the charcoal, controlling the temperature, carving meat and trouble shooting. The rest of the book has many tips and new ideas for even the most experienced kettle cook.

My brother-in-law managed to cook a more than edible roast on his brand new kettle barbecue (his first Christmas present from his wife - is she saying something?) by following this book. The only other cooking appliance he owned before he was given the new Weber was his mobile phone (for reserving tables at restaurants!).

My copy cost just over $30 AUS and was published by McDonald-Kirkwood Pty Ltd, 190 Fullarton Road, Dulwich, South Autralia 5065.

VERDICT: Top quality and good value.

THE GREAT AMERICAN BARBECUE AND GRILLING MANUAL
By C Clark 'Smoky' Hale (2000)	TOP

If you could only have one book on the subject of barbecuing and grilling, this would have to be it. Smoky's new book has been eagerly anticipated since the success of his 1985 effort - The Great American Barbecue Instruction Book. In some circles, they are referred to as the 'Old and New Testaments of Barbecue'!

Along with many others who placed advance orders early last year, I waited patiently for months as Smoky battled production delays. In the end, he had to complete many of the illustrations himself (and some of them do show the scars) to get the book published. Worth the wait? It certainly was. This is the most comprehensive and authoritative book on barbecuing, grilling, roasting and smoking I have ever seen.

It's all here - from choosing the right equipment (even building it yourself) right through to buying, storing and, of course, cooking the meat. Smoky, a self confessed 'ol baster, cuts his way through the half truths and outright lies that buzz like flies around the subject of barbecue while cautioning readers about the terrible threat to world peace posed by food stylists.

He explains the origins of the word barbecue, describes how to prepare a whole hog, gives recipes for pigs' feet and frogs' legs, takes the reader through the preparation of the perfect steak and shows how to maintain, repair and clean barbecue equipment. This book has it all - absolutely appalling alliteration, references to Shakespeare, guidelines on investing in stocks, advice on how to get off the food fashion freeway and, most importantly, the first rule of barbecue: "Have fun!"

At $19.95 US (plus packaging and postage) for the soft cover version ($24.95 hard cover), this is a serious bargain. Buy one now or regret it forever - Postal orders: Smoky Hale, 8168 Hwy. 98 E. L3, McComb, MS 39648, United States. Email orders: cchale@telapex.com

VERDICT: Compulsory!

MEAT, METAL AND FIRE - THE LEGENDARY AUSTRALIAN BARBECUE
By Mark Thomson (1999)	TOP

Mark Thomson's earlier book 'Blokes and Sheds' established him firmly as a leading commentator on major sociological aspects of contemporary Australian life. His most recent work can only cement (weld?) his reputation.

In this book, he painstakingly investigates the legend that is the Aussie barby and concludes: "Take a slab of meat, a sheet of metal and a good smoky fire and you've got yourself the ingredients not just for a top-rate meal but for an event. It's part tribal bonding, part ritual ceremony, part bare necessity. That's the Aussie barbecue: a back-to-basics, one size fits all outdoor celebration".

Although this book contains a handful of really good recipes (try the Skippy marinade), its focus is clearly on people and their relationships with barbecue. The whole spectrum is covered from the simple way the Ngaanyatjarra people from the Gibson Desert cook emus to the megabarby - custom built monsters that have what the author describes as: "more than a hint of the pagan temple and a whiff of the sacrificial altar about them". The author also examines the dynamic nature of the Aussie barby and how it continues to absorb overseas influences - most notably from Asia and the Middle East.

Buy it for the great photos of people and their barbys from all over Australia. Buy it for the author's delightfully dry sense of humour. Buy it from leading bookstores throughout Australia or contact Harper Collins Publishers, 25 Ryde Road, Pymble, Sydney, NSW 2073 I happily paid $19.95 for my copy.

VERDICT: Highly recommended.

JOHN LAW'S BARBECUE COOKBOOK
By John Laws (1996)	TOP

John Laws is one of Australia's top 'shockjocks' with a nationwide radio audience made up largely of people you would not have in your own home because of what they might do to your pets and the furniture.

The king of the good 'ol boys has recently had a spot of bother with the Australian Broadcasting Authority which launched an inquiry into the links between what he says on air and how much he is paid by public relations practitioners, lobbyists and other bottom feeders representing major banks, property developers, airlines etc. It is dubbed 'cash for comment' and has been illegal in the US for many years.

The book is a lot like his radio program - superficial. It is made to look strong, simple and no-nonsense with a typewriter-style typeface and recipes that appear to be stuck on pages with pins and bits of tape. His listeners will, of course, without question accept that good 'ol John typed it with his own two fingers on a 1929 Imperial and then assembled the pages by candlelight in his rustic log cabin.

Not surprisingly, it is infested with personal endorsements. These range from dozens of restaurants (including Harry's Bar in Venice) to John Laws' brand grillers, the products of John Laws' vineyard, insect repellants (not John Laws' brand), John Laws' brand barbecue sauces and last, but far from least, the John Laws' barbecue album with 20 sizzling hits - the perfect music to accompany any barbecue!

First published by Pan Macmillan Australia in 1996, this book has a recommended retail price of $29.95. I paid $4.95 for my remaindered copy and felt I was robbed.

VERDICT: If barbecue books were people, this one would be a slut.

SIZZLE! Modern barbecue food
By Allan Campion and Michele Curtis (2000)	TOP

At last, a contemporary barbecue cookery book produced by Australians for an Australian audience. It's great to see ingredients such as blue swimmer crabs, Moreton Bay bugs, kangaroo fillets and our wonderful beef properly showcased.

The recipes (nearly 200 of them) are excellent and very easy to follow. They feature a list of ingredients on one side of the page balanced by the steps in the process on the other.Top marks for clarity.

And top marks for broad appeal. Some recipes offer variations on traditional barby favourites that could be cooked by anyone. Others are designed for those with a bit more confidence and many reflect distinct Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian influences. My particular favourites were the mushroom risotto cakes and the spiced beef in basil leaves.

However, the section on barbecue wines was disappointing. Surely it would have been better to leave it out altogether rather than include less than a dozen small paragraphs each giving a very superficial rundown on a particular style of wine.

I believe the authors lost an important opportunity by ignoring the fact that most trolley barbecues are sold with hoods. Another dimension would have been added to this book if the authors had indicated in relevant recipes how hoods could have been used to enhance flavour (particularly with smoke), shorten cooking times to retain maximum moisture and use less fuel. Something to consider for Sizzle Mark 2?

Sizzle! was published by Purple Egg , PO Box 931, South Melbourne, Vic 3205, Australia. It is available in leading bookshops for $35.

VERDICT: Great recipes, appealing layout and whimsical photography make it well worth the asking price.

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