4 Responses to “The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition”

1. John G. Gleeson Sr. on July 23rd, 2010 11:08 pm

   As I see reviews, gentle reader, the reason is to help you to decide whether or not to part with some hard earned dinero to buy this book. In this case, the answer is a resounding “YES’!! There are two major reaons for this: first, the recipies are many, varied and uniformly good. Second (and this is very subjective), there is a real sense of who the folks are that helped generate this relatively recent interst in “barbeque” as the American cuisine.

   As to the recipies … there are over 200, and they range from entree dishes to appetizers to sides to desserts. Now in our house, each week we pick the entree (and which of us will cook it (and we are competitive on that issue, because we are both pretty good cooks), but each night we look at each other and wonder what we will serve with the entree. It’s a constant “oops!” This book has the most varied number of “sides” I have seen in a barbeque book: I think that there are ten recipies for baked beans alone. The term “side” has a kind of negative connotation to me: it’s what to put on the plate with the ‘que or whatever else comes off the grill. The “sides” in this book are rightious indeed. And so are the entrees: they include recipies and tips for the standard “low and slows”, but also include everything from poultry to game. And desserts … many and all high on the yummy scale. Oh, yes: there are recipies for neat rubs and sauces, as well as tips for the cooking process. And a whole lot of good veggie dishes, too.

   The second reason I recommend this book is personal and may not be shared by some. I’ve been cooking over live fire for a bit more than fifty years. “Back in the day”, you had to wing it. There were no books like this, no pre made rubs or sauces, and “barbeque” was known in the South, but not here in Michigan. Yet, this kind of cooking over live fire has been with us since the beginning. And once in a while, when I fire up, I think on that continuity. This book celebrates the folks who brought barbeque to the forefront; the pioneers, if you will. I like the anecdotes and the sense of history, much as I like Mike Mills (“Peace, Love & Barbecue”), Chris Lilly (“Big Bob Gibson’s Barbecue Book”) and Paul Kirk (“Championship Barbecue”) because it reminds me that we can plate extremely deilicious foods on a pretty routine basis because some folks got the recipies and the techniques that make it possible.

   To me a cookbook is “good” if it enables me to put a consistant and varied series of dishes in front of family and friends. In that sense at least, this is a “good” cookbook. And you get to see the pictures of the folks who made it so. Incidentally and concidentally, I got my KCBS membership packet two days before I got this book. One of the goals of the Society is to promote Barbeque as the American national cuisine. I happen to think that anything cooked over live fire beats the indoor version hands down! Now I can feel patriotic about it!
   Rating: 5 / 5

2. Midwest Book Review on July 23rd, 2010 11:33 pm

   Very few cuisines are as enduringly popular for the American male as the barbeque. There’s far more to barbequing than just tossing meat on a grill! The collaborative project of barbeque enthusiasts Ardie A. Davis, Paul Kirk, and Carolyn Wells, the 25th anniversary edition of “The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook” showcases more than two hundred mouth watering, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying barbeque recipes, along with succinct biographical sketches and anecdotes of the men and women responsible for them. All manner of meats and veggies are included with dishes ranging from Grilled Oysters with Orange-Walnut Vinaigrette; Grilled Greek-Style Zucchini; Redneck Mother chicken Livers with Bacon, Spicy Cheese Grits, and Crispy Onion Rings; and Grilled Venison Tenderloin, to Snail’s Smoky Chili Con Carne; Grilled Ahi Tuna Steaks; Flying Pig BLT Salads; and Wood-Grilled Philippine Pork Steaks with Pineapple-Tangerine Glaze. Of special note are the sauces, rubs and marinades including 3 X BBQ Sauce; Modified Paul Kirk Marinade; and Big Billy’s Very Cherry Dr Pepper Barbeque Sauce. There’s even a chapter on deserts offering such barbeque banqueting treats as Grilled Angel Food Cake with Fruit and Homemade Caramel Sauce! A 336-page cornucopia of recipes, “The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook” is highly recommended for all community library cookbook collections, and absolutely indispensable for dedicated home barbequing enthusiasts!
   
   Rating: 5 / 5

3. T. Dascoli on July 24th, 2010 2:19 am

   I was looking for at least a real deal great Kansas City style BBQ sauce. There was none. And like most books that print recipes from restaurants, these are probably only ‘based on’ recipes. Restaurants generally don’t give out their complete recipes, leaving a few ingriedients out. But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still good. In my opinion, too many things here that I will never use. But still has some good information in it. I think the ‘Barbeque Joints and Stories’ book, by the same authors, is much more interesting and useful, recipe wise. I’ve tried a few, and they were really good. And great stories too!
   Rating: 3 / 5

4. George A. Reynolds on July 24th, 2010 2:29 am

   This is a must have book for barbecue aficionados. Great recipes for barbecue, sauces and sides.
   Rating: 5 / 5

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