Italian Grill: 100 Recipes for the Best of Summer Cooking Book

Bored with the same old hamburgers or hot dogs?

How about spicy brine-salted chicken, garlic-studded pork loin, or rosemary-rubbed rib-eye steak? In The Italian Grill, you’ll learn how to grill Italian style, with simple ingredients, no-fuss techniques, and fresh, satisfying flavors. From appetizers through desserts, you’ll see how easy it is to put together an unforgettable weeknight meal or a crowd-pleasing weekend cookout.

• Antipasti and breads such as Grilled Pizza with Fresh Diced Tomatoes, Oregano, and Shaved Pecorino; Bruschetta with Chopped Tomatoes, Tuna, and Capers; and Thinly Sliced Seared Salmon with White Truffle Olive Oil, Three Peppercorns, and Chives

• Main courses like Herbed Shrimp Threaded on Rosemary Skewers; Chicken Stuffed with Fennel and Prosciutto; and Herb-Marinated Pork Chops over Grilled Pepper Salad

• Side dishes like Sausage-Stuffed Onions and Frying Peppers; Seared Asparagus with Lemon Zest and Chives; and Herb-Basted Portobello Mushrooms Caps

• Desserts including Caramelized Blood Oranges over Creamy Ricotta Mousse; Honeyed Bruschetta with Gorgonzola; and Pears Glazed with Barolo Wine

With the clear, reliable recipes that Micol Negrin is known for, The Italian Grill captures the warmth of Italian entertaining at its casual best. Cooking outdoors will never be the same.

Publishers Weekly

This tightly focused volume may be less comprehensive than Negrin's first cookbook, the James Beard Award-nominated Rustico, but it's no less appealing. The grill's draw is that it turns out uncomplicated food without much stress, and Negrin respects that philosophy with such recipes as Tomato-Rubbed Bruschetta, and Sea Bream with Caramelized Lemons and Fresh Bay Leaves on skewers. On the other hand, a book on Italian grilling could have devolved into a series of similar recipes instructing readers to rub-with-olive-oil-and-sprinkle-with-garlic. Instead, Negrin offers many unusual ways to cook over an open fire. An entire chapter on bread preparations includes Focaccia Stuffed with Mascarpone and Truffled Olive Oil, and a Black and White Pizza with ricotta, goat cheese and olive paste. Fish recipes are equally inventive: a Sardinian-style Lobster, Lemon, and Mint Salad can be served warm or at room temperature. Basic information on both grills and ingredients is excellent. Negrin never calls for grilling where baking would do, and even simple desserts such as Summer Fruit Packets with Moscato d'Asti have a quiet sophistication that is welcome in a guide to using our most rustic cooking method. Combining two of the hottest, most long-lasting trends in cookbooks (Italian food and grilling), this book's only drawback is the scant number of recipes (85 total). 50 color photos. Agent, Judith Riven. (May) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.