Grilling Cookbooks 2011

Cookbooks are released in batches, twice a year, in the fall and in the spring. My favorite of those two releases is in the spring.  Why? Because that's when all the new grilling cookbooks come out. There's nothing I like better than finding a new idea I can use with my grill.

Unfortunately, this year's selection is, well, kind of weak. My favorite cookbook authors all published books in the last couple of years, and this year seems like a bit of a lull. Here is a list of the cookbooks I'm excited to read.

This is the one cookbook that made me say "I need it! Right now!"  The moment I saw it, I pre-ordered The Japanese Grill by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat. I've been waiting for a cookbook on this topic. I had a heavenly yakitori meal at Kokekokko in Los Angeles a few years back. My attempts to duplicate it have been good, but not great. I'm hoping this book shows what I've been missing.

On the weekend, grilling can take time and attention; I love spending a Sunday afternoon working on a great meal. Weeknight grilling demands a different set of techniques, if I want to feed my family on a busy Tuesday. I do a lot of weeknight grilling, so I'm glad to see Jamie Purviance and Weber focus an entire cookbook on the topic.  Weber's Time to Grill: Get In. Get Out. Get Grilling. looks like a find for the busy griller.

I hear great things about Sam Zien's Sam the Cooking Guy show. Friends have said "This guy is exactly like you, only with his own show!"
*I dread the follow-up question: "So, when are you going to get your own show?" I always quote Tom Hamilton, the play-by-play guy for my hometown Cleveland Indians. When he's asked the same question, he says "I have a face made for radio."

I don't know how they're watching the show, when I can't seem to find it in my cable lineup. I've been meaning to pick up one of his cookbooks, to see what everyone is raving about. Sam the Cooking Guy: Just Grill This! looks like the one for me.

What do you think? Have you read one of these? Any other cookbooks you're anxiously awaiting? Talk about them in the comments section below.

*Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe using your RSS reader or by Email, recommend DadCooksDinner to your friends, or buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site. Thank you!