Doctor Kansas City

Barbecue America, the companion to the thirteen-part PBS series of the same name, is a gastronomic odyssey through the contests, restaurants, cities, and towns that have become America's barbecue shrines. From the most outlandish barbecue competitions-like the Greater Columbus Pig Jog Barbecue Cookoff in Columbus, Georgia-to the smokiest back-alley pit grills in the country, this is the complete guide to the character-filled world of barbecue. Including more than a hundred recipes for the finest barbecue dishes ever concocted, Barbecue America celebrates the diversity of the nation's various barbecue styles, and along the way introduces some of the quirky personalities, like the guy who quit his country club so he could afford a barbecue smoker costing upward of fifteen thousand dollars. Experience the pageantry and the homespun humor of the legions of barbecuers and shrines that make up the varied-and flavorful-world of smoking and grilling food, truly the jazz of world cuisine. (9 x 9 1/2, 216 pages, color photos) Rick Browne, a writer-photographer whose food shots and stories have been published in many leading travel, food, and wine magazines, holds an honorary Doctorate of Barbecue, is a member of the Kansas City Barbecue Society, and serves as a certified BBQ judge. Jack Bettridge, a senior editor of Cigar Aficionado, writes about celebrities, travel, sports, lifestyles, and cigars, and is a KCBS member and judge. "Browne and Bettridge's ode to everything 'Q, as they put it, has homespun and exotic recipes from around the country, but that's not its only big plus. This 216-page book is rich in the history of barbecuing and has all sorts of arcane facts. I'm convinced. Put me downfor a double order."-Los Angeles Times "There's a whole world of barbecue out there and if you're not already part of it, you're in for a treat! Here's all the culture, the competitions, the characters, plus more than 100 of the dangdest barbecue recipes ever.