Fire + Wine

Ready to up your grilling game? This cookbook by a pitmaster and a sommelier will turn your backyard barbecue into the tastiest place to be--with recipes that celebrate smoked and grilled food (and the wines that pair best with them). Every region has its barbecue, grill, and smoking food traditions. Now the Pacific Northwest can claim its place at the table with these recipes developed by sommelier Mary Cressler and pitmaster Sean Martin from Portland, Oregon. Not as sauce-dependent as Kansas City, not quite as beef-obsessed as Texas, these dishes bring the smoke to wild salmon, ribs and steaks, fresh apples, heirloom tomatoes, nuts and beans, and even chocolate pot de crème. Rubs and glazes draw on Northwest flavors such as soy sauce, rosemary, and wild blackberries. Whether the equipment at home is a basic kettle grill or a professional-grade outfit with an electric wood feeder, the instructions will turn even novices into masters of the grill. And true to the region, these recipes pair with wines such as pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon instead of the customary can of beer.