By and large, the most convenient way to barbecue outdoors is with a gas grill. They light at the push of a button and are easier to clean than charcoal, making them ideal for backyard decks and patios. However, full-sized gas grills can stretch over five feet long, taking up valuable real estate on small decks and patios. Luckily, those with limited outdoor living space do not have to forego outdoor cooking. There’s a wide selection of small gas grills with foldable side tables that measure less than 3 feet wide and even come equipped with wheels that make them easy to maneuver into a corner or even an adjacent storage room when not in use.

Some small gas grills are compact and lightweight enough to take on the road for tailgating events and camping trips, too. If you’re looking to add a gas grill that fits a smaller deck or patio to your repertoire, here are some of the best small gas grills for your summer of outdoor cooking endeavors. 

Our Top Picks

• Best Overall: Weber Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill
• Best Value: Char-Broil Performance Series 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill
• Best Portable: Weber Q1200 Gas Grill
• Best Infrared: Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared 2-Burner Gas Grill
• Best for Camping: Coleman Roadtrip 285
• Best Natural Gas: Rogue SE 425 Natural Gas Grill

Best Overall: Weber Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill

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Primary Cooking Area: 360 square inches | BTUs: 26,500 | Material: cast iron | Item Dimensions: 48 inches wide by 57 inches high by 26 inches deep | Item Weight: 103 pounds  

Why we chose it: Weber’s gas grills are highly regarded for their heat output and durability. 

Weber’s grills are known for their excellent build quality, and the Spirit II is no exception. It’s constructed of much heavier gauge steel and a tighter build than you’ll find on lower-priced gas grills. Its burners easily get hot enough to achieve the sought-after Maillard reaction, so you’ll have no trouble achieving that brown crust that makes steaks and burgers so when cooked on the grill. 

While Weber offers many gas grills, the Spirit II is the most compact at just four feet wide with the side tables fully extended. And though It may be small, it still has more than 350 inches of cooking surface, plenty of room for a dozen good-sized burger patties or six New York strip steaks. The Spirit II also comes with additional features that make it cooking on it a breeze, including an infinity ignition and a smart thermometer system that allows you to monitor meat temperatures with your smartphone (if you purchase a compatible meat thermometer).

Best Value: Char-Broil Performance Series 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill

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Main Cooking Area: 288 square inches | BTU Output: 24,000 BTUs | Material: Stainless steel | Item Dimensions: 43 inches wide, 24.5 inches deep, and 44 inches high | Item Weight: 83 pounds

Why we chose it: With this stainless steel construction and high heat output, the Performance is the best of the budget-priced gas grills we reviewed. 

Most of the time you get what you pay for when it comes to grills, but that’s not the case with the Char-Broil, which has made a name for itself by manufacturing quality gas grills at a budget price through its Performance line. This 2-burner model is the line’s most compact model, measuring under 32 inches wide with the side tables folded down. That narrow profile coupled with casters that allow you to roll it into a corner when not in use makes it a great option for those with limited space on their patio or deck. And, with its stainless steel construction and a cabinet-style base that conceals the propane tank, it won’t detract from the aesthetics of your outdoor living space. Of course, looks and size would mean little if the grill didn’t perform. The Performance lives up to its name with two burners that pump out 24,000 BTUs, more than enough to heat up its 288 square inches of cooking surface.

Best Portable: Weber Q1200 Gas Grill

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Cooking Area: 189 square inches | Total BTUs: 8,500 | Material: Cast iron and aluminum | Item Dimensions: 41 inches wide by 16.5 inches deep by 15.5 inches high | Item Weight: 31 pounds 

Why we chose it: The Q1200’s compact size and smart design make it the best all-around portable gas grill. 

Weber’s Q1200 is easy to use, compact, and solidly built, making it the perfect companion for a trip to the beach, campground, or stadium parking lot. It’s easy to start with an electric ignition and heats up in about 10 to 15 minutes using a one-pound propane fuel canister. Dual porcelain-coated cast iron plates that are easy to clean post barbecuing. At 31 pounds and measuring just a few feet wide, you won’t struggle to get the Q1200 into the trunk of your car. And, even though it’s small, it still boasts 189 square inches of cooking surface, enough for half a dozen burgers or a few steaks. We also love the fold-out side tables that create valuable prep space you don’t usually get with a portable grill and the cast iron clamshell lid with an integrated thermometer.

Best Infrared: Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared 2-Burner Gas Grill

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Primary Cooking Area: 310 square inches | Total BTUs 18,000 BTUs | Material: Aluminum and stainless steel | Item Dimensions: 41 inches wide, 16.5 inches deep and 15.5 inches high | Item Weight: 96 pounds

Why we chose it: This grill can easily reach seer temperatures and features all stainless steel construction. 

The main criticism of many small gas grills is that they lack the ability to achieve that 550 degrees-plus temperature that really ensures a good sear on steaks and crispy edges on burgers. This model from Char-Broil uses infrared heat, allowing it to reach surface temperatures that exceed 600 degrees, plenty of heat for searing. 

We also like the compact size of this two-burner grill. With the side tables folded down, it measures just a hair over 27 inches wide, so it won’t crowd small patios and decks, but still has more than 310 square inches of primary cooking surface. And if aesthetics are important to you, you’ll like its stainless steel lid, control panel, and side tables.

Best for Camping: Coleman Roadtrip 285

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Cooking Area: 285 square inches | Total BTUs: 20,000 | Material: Aluminum and cast iron | Item Dimensions: 32 inches long, 18.5 inches deep and 15.5 inches high | Item Weight: 47 pounds

Why we chose it: We couldn’t find a portable grill with more cooking space and as many cooking zones as the Roadtrip 285. 

Coleman is one of the best-known names in RVing and camping products, so it should come as little surprise that its aptly named Road Trip is an ideal grill for cooking in the great outdoors. The main appeal is in its portability and well-designed cooking surface. And while at 50 pounds this grill isn’t light, it folds flat and has two large wheels that allow you to roll it behind you like a piece of luggage. 

The cooking surface features three gas burners, which is almost unheard of on a portable grill. With those three cooking zones, you can sear a steak, roast kabobs, and grill vegetables all at the same time with ample space for all, since it has 285 square inches of cooking surface. We also love the cast iron non-stick grill plates, which make post barbecue clean-up easy.

Best Natural Gas: Rogue SE 425 Natural Gas Grill

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Cooking Area: 425 square inches | Total BTUs: 70,500 BTUs | Material: Stainless Steel | Item Dimensions: 48.5 inches wide by 25 inches deep by 55 inches high| Item Weight: 146 pounds

Why we chose it: The Rogue manages to remain compact while still boasting three cooking zones, separate sear burners, and 425 square inches of cooking surface. 

What sets the Napoleon apart from other grills is its use of two types of burners. In addition to its four standard propane burners, the rogue features two infrared burners at the rear, allowing you to achieve a sear on steaks or even use the grill as a rotisserie. Couple that with its four front standard burners and you’ve got a grill that can create a lot of different cooking zones. There’s also an infrared side burner to boot, useful for heating sides or warming sauces. Even with its 425 square inches of cooking space, the Rogue manages to remain at a fairly narrow width of 48 inches, though the side tables do not fold down. We also like its all stainless steel construction, which includes the cooking grates, giving it a richer look for your outdoor living area.

How We Chose These Products

I used my experience testing dozens of grills to make our selection of the best small gas grills. We limited our selections to more compact grills that measure four feet or less long with preference given to those with folding side tables that offered even more space savings. I selected established brands that are known for their performance and durability. Additionally, BTUs are crucial for properly searing with a grill, so I chose those with ample BTU output for the size of their grilling surfaces. When possible, I selected grills that offer ample cooking space and multiple cooking zones for their size.

Features to Keep in Mind When Shopping for Small Gas Grills

Cooking/Working Space

Small gas grills that max out at around four feet wide with their side tables up aren’t going to offer the same broad swath of cooking space as full-sized models. Expect to get between 350 and 450 square inches of cooking surface for a small gas grill compared to the 600 plus inches of cooking surface you’d get with a full-size model. Portable gas grills typically have around 200 square inches of cooking surface. About 400 to 500 square inches of cooking surface is suitable for a family of four; if you’re entertaining with a small gas grill, you’ll likely have to cook in waves to grill enough food to feed everyone. 

Fuel Type

There are two types of gas grills: natural gas and propane gas. The latter requires a 20-pound propane tank, which connects to the grill via a regulator.  You’ll find 20-pound propane tanks at most grocery stores, home improvement stores, and gas stations. Since it’s notoriously difficult to gauge how much gas is left in a propane tank, it’s a good idea to have spare to avoid running out mid backyard barbecue. A natural gas grill ties directly to your home’s gas line, ensuring you have a constant supply of fuel and eliminating the need to lug a 50-pound tank around. But, unless you already have one, you’ll have to pay to run a gas line to your patio or deck, which can be expensive. Keep in mind that gas grills are made to operate with either propane or natural gas, not both. You cannot hook a propane gas grill to a natural gas line or vice versa without using a conversion kit.

Portability

Tailgating, camping, and beach trips are all fun opportunities to grill away from home. And for that, you’ll need a good portable gas grill. Portable grills are of course much lighter than their full-sized cousins, with most weighing around 20 to 30 pounds with a compact shape that makes them easy to fit into the trunk of a car. Some larger portable models may even come equipped with wheels, allowing you to roll them from car to campsite or wherever your remote cooking location may be.  

Gas Grill Cooking Power and BTUs 

A grill’s ability to heat the cooking surface to hot enough temperatures that make it possible to sear or provide even heat is directly related to the BTUs of its burners. For the uninitiated, BTUs stands for British Thermal Units, which is a measure of heat output. A quality gas grill’s burners will produce between 70 and 90 BTUs per square inch. So, a grill with 400 square inches of cooking surface should put out between 28,000 and 36,000 BTUs to evenly heat the cooking surface. Searing involves creating intense focused heat over a targeted area on the grill surface of at least 500 degrees (the higher the better). Some gas grills have a separate sear station, which consists of a single burner or cluster of burners that produce a higher BTU output and hence higher surface temperature than the other burners on the grill. 

Number Of Burners In Your Grill 

The number of burners on a gas grill determines the number of cooking zones you can create. A cooking zone is the number of different heat levels you can create on your grill’s cooking surface simultaneously.  Most small gas grills come equipped with two burners, which means you’ll be able to create two cooking zones that allow you to cook at two different temperatures simultaneously, which is ideal if you’re grilling different types of food.

Ask the Experts

Q: How do I set up a small gas grill?

Most small gas grills require some assembly after they arrive. Once it’s been assembled, find a flat, level location on your deck or patio away from flammable items like mulch or nearby hedges, out of the path of foot traffic. A gas grill has a threaded regulator that screws onto the grill’s gas valve. Make sure the regulator is securely attached before opening the tank’s valve. Gas grills light via a push-button piezo ignition or an electric ignition that requires a AAA battery. Always light the grill with the hood open to prevent a build up of gas that can cause an explosion. 

Q: What type of gas should I use with a gas grill?

If you’re using a propane gas grill, you’ll need to use a 20-gallon propane natural gas tank. Most portable gas grills use a one-pound gas canister. A natural gas grill will attach directly to your home’s gas line. Remember, you can only use a natural gas grill with natural gas and a propane gas grill with propane gas. 

Q: Are gas grills better than charcoal grills?

Whether a gas grill is better than a charcoal grill or vice versa is a matter of personal preference. Many people like the ease of use that a gas grill offers. Others are willing to deal with a labor-intensive lighting process and messier clean-up in order to get the smokey flavor and extreme temperatures you can only achieve with a charcoal grill. 

Q: Can I hook up natural gas to my propane grill?

You can hook up a natural gas grill to a propane grill, but you’ll need to purchase a conversion kit to do so. Since natural gas burns cooler than propane, natural gas grill burners have larger holes to allow the grill to reach high enough temperatures for grilling. This design difference means that it’s dangerous to hook up a propane tank to a natural gas grill. 

Q: How do I avoid flare-ups on a gas grill?

There are a few strategies you can employ to prevent flare-ups that can burn food and singe the hair off your forearms. Flare-ups are usually the result of meat juices dripping onto the burners, so trim excess fat off meat before placing it on the grill. Clean your grill regularly as built-up grease and char are the main causes of flare-ups. You can also leave one burner off while grilling, creating a safe zone for your food when flare-ups occur—no one likes a sad, smoke-blackened hot dog.

Q: Why won’t my gas grill get hot enough?

The most common reason why your grill is no longer getting hot is the regulator, which has a built-in safety that reduces the flow of gas if it senses a gas leak. These safety devices often trigger even when there is no leak in the line, preventing your grill from reaching temperatures over 300 degrees. Reset the regulator by disconnecting it, opening all the valves on the grill, closing them, then reconnecting the line. 

Q: How do I replace a gas grill igniter?

To replace the gas grill igniter, begin by unscrewing the ignition button of the starter. Replace the battery and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to replace the entire igniter. Begin by unscrewing the ignition button and pulling the starter out of the control panel. Snap a photo of the wiring with your smartphone to record its placement, then disconnect them from the old igniter. Insert the new igniter, which you ordered from the manufacturer, and install the wires into the same holes. Reattach the igniter to the control panel and insert a fresh battery.

Our Take

It’s hard to underestimate the importance of brand and BTU output when choosing a small gas grill. While the Weber Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill may be one of the pricier options on the market, it boasts a 26,500 BTU output and comes from a brand known for the durability of its products. In short, the Spirit II will sear food more easily and last longer than grills than more cheaply priced grills. Those on a budget should consider the Char-Broil Performance Series 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill, which comes from a manufacturer that also has a reputation for building quality grills at an affordable price. 

The post The Best Small Gas Grills for Decks, Patios, and Beyond appeared first on Saveur.

Outdoor cooking season is in full swing, but not everyone feels confident firing up the grill to sear steaks and char vegetables. In fact, using a grill can be downright intimidating, despite how easy your favorite grillmaster may make it seem. Luckily, there are plenty of  cookbooks that are chock-full of approachable tips, tricks, and recipes to empower grilling novices. 

“A good grilling cookbook is one that helps you reimagine possibilities,” says Carsten Johannsen, executive chef of Lindens at Arlo SoHo and managing partner at Renwick Hospitality Group. “Grilling is one of the oldest forms of cooking and is seemingly very straightforward. However, if you really explore the intricacies of heat sources, temperature, and technique, you can be opened to a new level of cooking.”

Below, you’ll find the best cookbooks to help you grill like a pro, from basic barbecue to innovative showstoppers.

Our Top Picks

• Best Overall: Playing with Fire by Michael Symon
• Best for Beginners: Smokin’ Hot in the South by Melissa Cookston
• Best for Advanced Grillers: How to Grill Everything by Mark Bittman
• Best Celebrity Chef Cookbook: Grill It!: A Cookbook by Bobby Flay
• Best Educational: Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling by Meathead Goldwyn
• Best Multicultural: Born to Grill by Rob Rainford

Best Overall: Playing with Fire by Michael Symon

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Print Length: 240 pages | Publisher: Clarkson Potter | Publication Date: April 2018

Why we chose it: Michael Symon’s unparalleled passion for American barbecue shines in this stunning hardcover that can easily double as a coffee table centerpiece. 

Cleveland-based Symon may be best known for his television appearances on Food Network’s Iron Chef, but the grill is where his heart is, a sentiment captured in this page-turner that is equal parts celebratory and educational. Not only does he walk us through different regions and their unique cuisine (brisket in Texas, burnt ends from Kansas City), but he also supplies photos and headnotes with detailed graphics that illustrate grilling techniques, as well as how to choose the right models, wood, rubs, and sauces.

Best for Beginners: Smokin’ Hot in the South by Melissa Cookston

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Print Length: 322 pages | Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC | Publication Date: May 2016

Why we chose it: Some like it hot, but we like it Smokin’ Hot with Cookston’s simple and fun approach to grilling. 

Cookston sets the foundation for successful grilling with a cookbook that brings readers back to basics. Including nine chapters of recipes with digestible bits of advice along the way, the book does a fabulous job of including  all the grilling essentials (like rubs, sauces, marinades, and fresh herbs) without cutting corners by using pre-made products.

Best for Advanced Grillers: How to Grill Everything by Mark Bittman

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Print Length: 576 pages | Publisher: Harvest | Publication Date: May 2018 

Why we chose it: Bittman takes grilling to the next level with an in-depth book that ranges from beginner basics to advanced recipes. 

When it comes to the art of grilling, this text is the holy grail. However, it can be quite intimidating for an amateur cook with more than 1,000 recipes, some of which call for specialty ingredients like quail, tongue, sweetbreads, and octopus. But, within the wide range) you’ll find a well-organized, comprehensive, and inventive cookbook that covers practically anything you can make on a grill. It’s a kitchen essential—and one that will keep you motivated for years to come.

Best Celebrity Chef Cookbook: Grill It!: A Cookbook by Bobby Flay

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Print Length: 288 pages | Publisher: Clarkson Potter | Publication Date: April 2008 

Why we chose it: A beginner-friendly cookbook that transforms basic ingredients into crowd-pleasing meals. 

Flay does an amazing job of taking staple ingredients and transforming them into complex and delicious meals. In this cookbook, he elevates everything from burgers to grilled fruit with excellent sauces, marinades, vinaigrettes, and grilling techniques. In addition, Flary supplies helpful buying guides for  different types of grillsl, indispensable tools, pantry must-haves, and high-quality products. 

Best Educational: Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling by Meathead Goldwyn

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Print Length: 400 pages | Publisher: Harvest | Publication Date: May 2016

Why we chose it: Meathead will educate even the most experienced of grillmasters with tips, tricks, and techniques that are researched and backed by scientists. 

This cookbook proves that grilling is so much more than just a cooking method — it’s an education in science, explaining  how and why chefs fire up proteins and vegetables to achieve charred,smoky perfection.. The college textbook of grilling, Meathead includes expert opinions from  a physicist and food scientist to help answer common questions, like whether or not you should bring meat to room temperature or soak wood chips before using. We also appreciate the book’s  humorous tone, which helps to lessen the feeling of information overload.

Best Multicultural: Born to Grill by Rob Rainford

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Print Length: 288 pages | Publisher: Random House | Publication Date: May 2012 

Why we chose it: This menu-driven cookbook provides full meals for the indecisive chef. 

There’s a whole world of grilling beyond the southern United States, as Rob Rainford reminds us with his multicultural cookbook that features ingredients and recipes from across the globe. Featuring 20 full menus and highlighting regional flavors, this book is great for the passionate chef who likes to entertain.

How We Chose These Products

We asked Johanssen and other grillmasters to share their all-time favorite grilling cookbooks. We purchased a variety of their selections, read them, cooked with them, and narrowed down our list to the best six on the market, ensuring there was an option for every skill level.

Features to Keep in Mind When Shopping for Grilling Cookbooks

Experience Level

Some grilling cookbooks are beginner-friendly while others are geared towards a more experienced cook.. Read the sleeves for a general description of the book and the type of reader for which it’s recommended—you don’t want to end up with an overly technical cookbook that just collects dust on your bookshelf. 

Recipes

Not all grilling cookbooks boast hundreds of recipes, though the majority will advertise their recipe count on the front cover. Grilling cookbooks often focus heavily on techniques like building the fire, heat zones, meat prep, and more. Many recipes may include things like sauces, rubs, and beverages, so your best bet is to take a look at the table of contents to determine if it will meet your culinary needs. 

Number of Pages

The page count  doesn’t always dictate the amount of recipes or information you may find in a cookbook. Keep in mind that many texts are chock-full of photos or graphics, , which can occupy page space . Be sure to flip through any cookbook prior to buying to get a better sense of its general style and format. And never judge a book by its cover.

Ask the Experts

To help you master the flame, we asked Chef Johannsen of Lindens at Arlo SoHo to share his expertise and answer your most burning questions. 

Q: How do I grill better?

Johannsen recommends using a natural fuel source, if possible. He says, “store-bought briquettes and coals are often saturated with a lot of synthetic add-ons, which will ultimately affect the flavor of your food. Natural fire sources can add clean, earthy flavors without chemicals. Also, there are a lot of nuances in flavor that can be achieved by using different kinds of wood.” Oak will add a lighter flavor than hickory, for example.

Q: Can I cook everything on a grill?

“Absolutely,” Johannsen says “The way that an ingredient can be transformed on the grill is really its own kind of magic. Lately, I’ve been grilling pineapples and melons at the restaurant. There is a great complexity that comes through when the sugars in the fruit caramelize under fire.”      

Q: What are the best meat alternatives to grill?

Johannsen says, “I am a big fan of grilling mushrooms as a meat alternative. Mushrooms have a natural hearty and earthiness that works incredibly well on the grill. Marinated portobello steaks or oyster mushrooms are a few of my favorites to fire up— they maintain their texture and flavor really well throughout the cooking process and make for a very satisfying main.”

Q: What’s the difference between smoking and grilling?

“Smoking involves cooking at a low temperature for longer amounts of time,” says Johannsen. “It’s a way to infuse your ingredients with that signature smoke flavor that many love. Grilling, on the other hand, is a faster technique that involves cooking quickly at high heat. You will still achieve a smoke or char flavor, but it won’t be saturated as deeply.. 

Our Take

Whether you’re a grilling greenhorn or a propane pro, a good grilling cookbook is beneficial for any cook. These chefs are experts at their craft and will undoubtedly share knowledge that even the most seasoned grillmasters can find useful. 

The post The Best Grilling Cookbooks Are the Perfect Gift for Summer appeared first on Saveur.

Fourth of July sales are heating up with great discounts on grills, smokers, and more. Brands like Traeger, Weber, and Char-Broil are all cutting prices ahead of the grill-centric holiday, from pellet grills to charcoal and gas. Our editors are staunch believers that there’s the right tool for every job. Sometimes, that means you need a charcoal grill for searing steaks, a portable grill to take with you to the lake, and a smoker for briskets and ribs.

Grilling enthusiasts should take a spin through some of the very best we’ve picked out below from a portable smoker to wireless, digital thermometers.

The Best Weber Grill Deals

• Weber Original Kettle 18-Inch Charcoal Grill on Amazon for $119 (Save $11.80)
• Weber Q1200 Titanium Liquid Propane Grill on Amazon for $259 (Save $27.80)
• Weber Spirit II E-210 2-Burner Propane Grill on Amazon for $399 (Save $151.80)
• Spirit E-315 3-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill at Home Depot for $599 (Save $100)
• Weber – Spirit E-310 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill at Best Buy for $599 (Save $20)
• Weber – Spirit II E-310 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill at Best Buy for $549 (Save $90)
• Weber New Genesis E-335 Propane Gas Grill with Sear Burner & Side Burner at BBQGuys for $1,319, plus Free iGrill Thermometer (Save $320)

The Best Blackstone Grill Deals

• Blackstone Tabletop Griddle Grill at Wayfair for $159.99 (Save $40)
• Blackstone 2-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill at Wayfair for $252.93 (Save $51.10)
• Blackstone XL Rangetop Combo Bundle for $999 (Save $350)

The Best Char-Broil Grill Deals

• Char-Broil Signature Series 3-Burner Gas Grill for $449.99 (Save $300)
• Char-Broil 4 – Burner Free Standing Liquid Propane 32000 BTU Gas Grill with Side Burner at Wayfair for $322 (Save $38.12) 
• Char-Broil Smokers Vertical Propane Portable Smoker at Wayfair for $239.22 (Save $49.78)
• Char-Broil  Performance Series Silver 5-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill with 1 Side Burner

The Best Traeger Grill Deals

• Traeger Grills Pro Series 34 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, Bronze from Amazon for $699.95 (Save $50)
• Pro Series 22 Pellet Grill in Bronze at Home Depot for $499.99 (Save $150)

The Best Kamado Joe Grill Deals

• Kamado Joe Classic II 18-Inch Ceramic Grill at BBQGuys for $999 (Save $400)

Other Great Grills Deals

• Cuisinart CEG-980 Outdoor Electric Grill with VersaStand on Amazon for $143.99 (Save $56)
• Pit Boss Navigator 1150 Wood Pellet Grill with Grill Cover at Best Buy for $699.99 (Save $200)
• Kenmore 4 Burner Cabinet Style Propane Gas BBQ Grill with Searing Side Burner on Amazon for $426.64 (Save $53.35)
• NewAge Products Stainless Steel 3 Burner Liquid Propane Infrared Gas Grill with Rotisserie Burner with Integrated Smoker Box at Lowe’s for $2,199.99 (Save $400)
• NewAge Products Outdoor Kitchen Kamado Pro Grill 22-Inch Charcoal Grill at Lowe’s for $1,424.99 (Save $375)
• Summerset Freestanding Propane Gas Outdoor Pizza Oven at BBQGuys for $1,699 (Save $150)

The Best Deals on Grill Thermometers

• ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Meat Thermometer with Dual Meat Probe on Amazon for $56.99 (Save $13)
• ThermoPro TP620 Professional Thermocouple Instant Read Meat Thermometer on Amazon for $49.99 (Save $30)

The post The Best Fourth of July Grill Sales Right Now: Traeger, Weber, and More appeared first on Saveur.

At the beginning of March, I got my first taste of the vibrant dining scene in Charleston, South Carolina with a mad dash through the Charleston Wine and Food Festival. Not only did I spend days and days chatting with chefs and food and wine folks, but I dined my little heart out at many of the city’s restaurants, throwing back as many oysters and shrimp as possible. From the dazzling seafood towers at The Ordinary to the fried shrimp at Leon’s Fine Poultry and Oyster Shop, there was no mollusk left unshucked, no crustacean left unboiled. 

Another constant in Charleston: Red Clay Hot Sauce, a line of hot sauces, hot honeys, and spices that are found on restaurant tables all over the city. (Truly, a drizzle of Red Clay Hot Honey on a juicy piece of fried chicken at Leon’s saved my life one hot afternoon.) In fact, it was co-founded by Geoff Rhyne, a chef who’s worked in some of Charleston’s best restaurants, like the Peninsula Grill and The Ordinary. So when I got my hands on a bottle of their new Spicy Cocktail Sauce, I had a good feeling that I’d soon be ditching the other sad bottles in the back of my fridge, and I was right.

Related: How to Shuck an Oyster

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This cocktail sauce is unlike any other I’ve tasted out of a bottle, delivering a rich tomato flavor that’s laced with the bright acidity of sherry vinegar and a healthy dose of pequin peppers (also known as “bird peppers”) and horseradish for heat. Part of the magic, I learned, is that Red Clay started their recipe creation by creating their own ketchup using San Marzano tomatoes and toasted spices like ginger and star anise, rather than using a commercial corn syrup-laced version as their base. In the final product, sumac, fennel seeds, and lemongrass all make an appearance, too. The result is a super flavorful sauce with heat that builds, then lingers. As much as I love my own homemade version, the layers of flavors in Red Clay’s make it a step above the classic.

How to Cook Your Shrimp for Shrimp Cocktail

Spring and summer are shrimp season on the coasts, and those sweet, fresh shrimp are just now starting to come in on the shrimping boats in South Carolina. And while there are many ways to cook shrimp, perfectly ocean-fresh seafood needs little intervention. Nathan Hood, a Charleston native, and chef of Post House Inn, recommends poaching rather than boiling your fresh shrimp, with the shell on. “​​I keep the actual shell on, which is kind of like cooking a piece of meat on the bone—it imparts more flavor and keeps them from shriveling up.” He likes to create a flavorful poaching liquid with onions, garlic, and bay leaf before adding the shrimp (head off, shell on), poaching until they’re about 80 percent done before pouring them out to finish cooking. “You want them to have a nice pop to them,” says Hood. Then serve them right away while steaming hot or cooled to room temperature on a platter; if chilling, put them in the fridge, but don’t throw them in an ice bath—you’ll lose all that good seasoning. Serve with spicy cocktail sauce and lemon.

How Else Should I Use This Cocktail Sauce?

Hood ascertains that cocktail sauce is the most important condiment at a low country oyster roast, a unique dining experience in which small clusters of oysters are steamed with seawater, then strewn across a table outdoors and shucked while hot. It’s also ideal with another low country classic, Frogmore Stew, which resembles a Louisiana crawfish boil but with shrimp, new potatoes, corn, some kind of sausage, and in Hood’s case, blue crabs, too.

Since I’m not currently dwelling in a region awash with fresh seafood, I’m inclined to put it on a variety of things, not limited to shrimp and oysters. The fried fish fillets I frequently cook for work-from-home lunches in my air fryer (yes, I finally bought this one and I love it) would benefit, as would a seafood pasta sauce with butter, or as a sauce for anything fried like a crab cake or even mozzarella sticks. 

Related: The Best Oyster Knives Make Shucking a Breeze

 Where do I buy it?

Right now it’s available via the Red Clay Hot Sauce website for $15/bottle, but keep an eye out at retailers and grocers in the next few weeks.

The post This Spicy New Southern Cocktail Sauce Will Give Life to Your Summer Seafood Feasts appeared first on Saveur.

The best steak knives are designed with a singular task in mind: slicing through steak. Though they can, of course, be used on other types of meat (or even an ambitious cauliflower “steak”), every element from the shape of the handle to the curve of the blade is designed to optimize your steak-slicing experience. However, unlike other cutlery in your kitchen, steak knives have another mission: Looking good on the table as part of a place setting.  

As accustomed as we now are to wielding these sharp table knives for steaks, this style of table cutlery was actually the norm until post-WWII. The dull, barely serrated knives that are found in most flatware sets took the place of sharper, thinner table knives when they became mass produced, says Josh Donald of San Francisco’s Bernal Cutlery. “Before knives were mass produced, everyday table knives were thinner and sharper, so there was no ‘steak knife,’” says Donald. “Instead, these table knives had thin, sharp blades.” During this era, knives were less of a mealtime essential and more of an ever present personal tool. “Everyone had their individual knife and would use it at the table and beyond,” says Jackie Blanchard, owner of Coutelier Nola. “They’d cut their steak with it, peel their apple, cut a rope.”

But today, despite the prevalence of mass-produced knives, many high-quality makers are producing great sets of steak knives that are readily available and blend right in to an elevated table setting. Our recommendations from the gamut from classic German steel to an upgraded version of the classic table knife that would suit any purpose.  

Our Top Picks

• Best Overall: Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro 4-pc Steak Knife Set
• Best Value, Wood handle: Opinel Olive Wood 4-Piece 
• Best Value, Plastic Handle: Victorinox Gaucho 4-Piece
• Best Modern: The Table Knives
• Best Classic: Forge de Laguiole Set of 6  
• Best Single Material: Wusthof 8-Piece Stainless Steel
• Best Gift: Rainbow Steak Knives Set of 12

Best Overall: Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro 4-pc Steak Knife Set

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Type of Edge: Straight | Blade Material High carbon stainless steel | Handle Material: Plastic 

Why we chose it: Full-tang construction and an easily sharpened blade make this knife a safe bet for daily use for decades.

Zwillings J.A. Henckels has almost 300 years of experience forging their knives in Solingen, Germany, and it shows in every one of their knives. Each knife in this set of four is made with all the care of a hardworking chef’s knife: full tang construction means they’re made from a solid piece of steel, from tip to end, and the handle is triple-riveted to the blade. Their ability to slice through gristle and tough cuts of meat also rivals that of an 8 inch chef’s knife, with the lightweight benefits of a table knife. The shape of the handle and curve of the blade allows for an easy, smooth motion when slicing. With regular sharpening, this set of knives will last decades.  

Best Value, Wood Handle: Opinel Olive Wood 4-piece

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Type of Edge: Straight | Blade Material Stainless steel |Handle Material: Olive wood 

Why we chose it: Classic French craftsmanship at a great price makes these knives an indispensable set. 

Opinel has manufactured classic French knives for everyday use since 1890, when its first wood-handled knife was designed “for the working man,” by Joseph Opinel. Their straight, strong blades are now available as chefs knives, mushroom foraging blades, pruning shears, and of course, steak knives. “I don’t like serration because I like knives to be able to be resharpened,” says Blanchard. “That’s a nice feature to have because plates can dull serration over time, just like carving onto ceramic or glass would.” This set is excellent for everyday dining, while giving your table the rustic elegance of a languorous lunch or dinner in the French countryside. 

Best Value, Plastic Handle: Victorinox Gaucho 4-Piece

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Type of Edge: Straight | Blade’s Material High Carbon Stainless Steel | Handle Material: Plastic  

Why we chose it: These Swiss-made knives are basically indestructible and razor-sharp, perfectly at home at the dinner table or in the kitchen.   

Victorinox, the company that produces the iconic Swiss Army Knives, is also known for its high-quality, affordable knives. Made from Swiss steel, this set of four knives is a great option for heavy-duty usage, from weeknight steak dinners to taking along on a camping trip. The Gaucho knife style is inspired by the knives carried by South American cowboys, or gauchos, who needed uber-sharp all-purpose knives. These smaller versions are just as versatile, and their plastic handles are easy to clean and disinfect. 

Best Modern: The Table Knives

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Type of Edge: Straight | Blade’s Material Stainless Steel | Handle Material: Matte composite

Why we chose it: Reminiscent of classic French knives and sleek Japanese style, these knives are a sharp, modern take on classic table knives.

While perfect for steaks, chops, and other cuts of meat in need of a sharp blade, these knives are ideal as part of any table setting. The handle is easy to grip, and comes in a variety of colors that fall within the Millennial colorway, from a warm persimmon to offwhite “glazed”; order them in a set of one color, or choose the mixed option for one of each color. A maple holder comes with the set that can either lay flat in a drawer or display them on your countertop or dining room console. These knives were made with modern diners in mind. 

Best Classic: Forge de Laguiole Set of 6

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Type of Edge: Straight | Blade’s Material Stainless Steel | Handle Material: Juniper 

Why we chose it: This set of hand-forged knives is beautiful, sharp, and iconic, making them a great investment for years to come.

The village of Laguiole in the Aubrac region of France is the location of storied knifemakers. None are more renowned than the Forge De Laguiole, which has been hand-forging knives with handles of wood, horn, coral, and more, that have been the centerpiece of French tables since 1828. Unlike many knives that are sold as “Laguiole,” these are true representatives of the traditional and authentic French style of knife-making. The knives themselves feel sturdy in hand, with a well-balanced blade and bolster. The Juniper is one of many gorgeous options for handle material, but are elegant and simple enough for everyday use. With proper care, these knives will become family heirlooms. 

Best Single Material: Wusthof 8-Piece Stainless Steel

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Type of Edge: Serrated | Blade’s Material Stainless Steel |Brand: Wusthof 

Why we chose it: The sturdy steak knives are stainless steel from blade to tip, rendering them nearly indestructible, while blending in with the rest of your everyday flatware.  

Wusthof’s legacy extends beyond its very reliable kitchen knives to this set of stainless steel steak knives. Saveur editor Samantha Weiss-Hills loves how they fit right in with her contemporary Mepra flatware, and they are as sharp as the day she and her husband got them seven years ago as a wedding gift. They are hefty in the hand, and don’t feel flimsy one bit. They come in a handy storage box that keeps the blades protected. The one drawback is that they easily show fingerprints, so one must be prepared for that even on a beautifully set table.

Best Gift: Rainbow Steak Knives Set of 12

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Type of Edge: Serrated | Blade’s Material Carbon Stainless Steel | Handle Material: Acrylic

Why we chose it: We couldn’t resist this rainbow array of knives in the classic Laguoiole style, a gift that satisfies both aesthetically and functionality. 

This set of brightly-hued knives was designed by Laguiole craftsman Claude Dozorme, credited as the first cutler to manufacture the Laguiole style of knife with a fixed blade (traditional Laguiole knives fold). The handles are acrylic, while the blades are a sturdy high-carbon stainless steel that will hold its sharpness for long periods of time, even with high usage. While billed as steak knives, this set is perfect for setting the table for any meal, from cheese boards to vegetable dishes.

Features to Keep in Mind When Shopping for Steak Knives

Straight Versus Serrated Edge

Be honest with yourself about how often you plan to sharpen your knives. To properly care for a straight blade, you’ll want to have them sharpened (or do it yourself) at least twice a year. Serrated knives do tend to hold their edge longer but are also harder to sharpen when they finally do need it. It’s really personal preference, says Blanchard. “I believe the serrations tear the meat, allowing the juice to run out and dry the meat; you retain more moisture and flavor with a straight edge, and damage less of the cellular structure.”

Handle Material

Steak knives are both functional and beautiful additions to a table setting; for that reason, they come in a wide range of materials, from durable resign and plastic, pakkawood and olive wood, or horns. Depending on how often the knives will be used is one consideration, as some materials will degrade in appearance and texture over time. Ultimately, handle material preference comes down to comfort (textured or smooth?) and style (rustic or contemporary?). 

Manufacturer 

There are many forges and manufacturers who have been honing their skills in the world of knives for hundreds of years. Zwillings and Wusthof offer solid German manufacturing while French makers like Chateauz Honoré, Laguiole, and Opinel offer a slimmer blade and style of handle. Knives from trusted manufacturers can last a lifetime—and may even come with a warranty stating as much. 

Storage & Care

Steak knives deserve the same care and attention as the rest of your cutlery— possibly  more, depending on what they’re made of. The main rule: never, ever put your steak knives in the dishwasher. Hot caustic water and detergent will dull, nick, and otherwise damage every part of your knife. Always wash knives by hand, dry them thoroughly, and return to their box or dock. When knives become dull, have them professionally sharpened (or if you’re comfortable with sharpening stones, do it yourself).

Ask the Experts

Q:  Can I use a regular knife for cutting a steak?  

If your steak is tender enough to cut with a regular table knife, then go for it. However, dull or lightly serrated knives will saw unnecessarily roughly through the tissues of your steak, letting flavor and juice out along the way, says Blanchard. 

Q: How do I sharpen my steak knife? 

A steak knife with a straight blade, like that of a chef’s knife, can be sharpened exactly the same way: either through a professional knife sharpening service, or at home with a home sharpener or whetstone. Blanchard recommends using a honing steel on straight-edged steak knives, in between sharpenings. “Cermaic honing rods are ideal,” says Blanchard. “I’m not looking for [steak knives] to be as sharp as a chef’s knife; I want it to cut cleanly to retain the juices and fat from the meat.” Depending on how often you use your knives, they could stay sharp for up to a year or more. 

Q: How long does a steak knife last? 

A well-cared for knife can last for generations. Like all sharpened knives, the blade will decrease in size over time, as the act of sharpening actively removes some metal on the blade to create a fresh, sharp edge each time. Make sure all knives are stored securely with their blades covered, whether in a box or block, and always washed by hand. 

Our Take

Steak knives are as much about aesthetics as the rest of your table setting, from the plates and napkins to the room you’re dining in, so choosing the right ones for you is often style-focused. However, we highly recommend that you also look to high-quality manufacturers like Wusthof or Victorinox, regardless of price; high carbon stainless steel blades will last longer when well-cared for. 

The post Sharpen Your Dinner Table Style with the Best Steak Knives appeared first on Saveur.

Wild game is having a renaissance in home kitchens and restaurants across the United States. Enjoying wild-caught meat can open up home cooks to a much more diverse world of flavors, including mallard, pheasant, venison, and crab. 

Game cookbooks are a great jumping off point to learning how to prepare these less commonly eaten meats, and there’s a wide range available today. Older classics written by woodsmen often provide historical background, idiosyncratic anecdotes, and small-town sensibilities. Some are collectibles now, no longer in print. Newer additions, however, emphasize respect for nature, seasonal eating, and the joy of cooking. These books, many of which are self-published, focus on accessible recipes anyone can recreate in their kitchens. Below are some of the best volumes, both old and new, that teach us how to cook and enjoy wild game at home.

Old Classics:

The L.L. Bean Game and Fish Cookbook (1983) by Angus Cameron and Judith Jones is a terrific single source—475 pages featuring more than 800 recipes from a company known for practical hunting apparel. This volume guides readers from field to feast, accompanied by warm and often hilarious anecdotes from the hunting world. You’ll learn techniques for preparing wild-caught meats in camp or in your home kitchen, and you’ll discover hearty and comforting recipes like stewed fricassee of pheasant and leg of venison with chocolate sauce.

Outdoor Life’s Complete Fish & Game Cookbook (1989) by A.D. Livingston is a wide-ranging recipe collection befitting a legacy outdoor magazine brand. The prolific author particularly shines in the wittiness of his game food lore, with intriguing stories accompanying the delicious recipes. You’ll learn how to make the most of nature’s bounty through culinary creations like crockpot goat with beer, venison coffee roast, and even a crow hash.

The Encyclopedia of Fish Cookery (1977) by A.J. McClane, the former fishing editor of Field & Stream and a widely recognized authority on seafood, is a comprehensive guide that could serve as the first and last word on the subject. You’ll learn all about the unique characteristics of different varieties of fish and shellfish and how they’re caught. The book also offers a boatload of recipes (many of which come straight from the world’s most renowned seafood chefs), as well as techniques and best practices for preparation, preservation, and serving.

A Taste of the Wild: A Compendium of Modern American Game Cookery (1991), also by A.J. McClane, is a volume I like to think of as a companion book to the above, with a focus on game meat. The book offers lots of practical tips, including guidance in how to properly age and freeze game. You’ll learn how to prepare a wide variety of game meats, from partridge and quail to boar, buffalo, and snipe.

Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices (1960) by George Leonard Herter and Bertha E. Herter brings readers along on a worldwide romp through famous eateries and food curiosities, accompanied by vintage photography, side stories, and unconventional recipes. You’ll also learn quite a few skills; the book takes readers through the art of knife sharpening, the keys to making good wine and beer, and even guidelines for making French soap.

New Classics:

The Hog Book: A Chef’s Guide to Hunting, Preparing, and Cooking Wild Pigs (2021), also by Jesse Griffiths, is a single-species cookbook in which the chef teaches readers how to hunt, butcher, and cook wild hogs. Across 420 pages, this massive self-published volume covers everything from butchering techniques—complete with helpful diagrams—to practical safety tips, all served alongside fascinating anecdotes from the field. More than 100 corresponding recipes teach readers how to cure meat, make sausage, and whip up sauces.

The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook (2018) by Steven Rinella, host of the podcast and Netflix original series MeatEater, is one of the best-known recent additions to the world of game cookbookery. This read is an exhaustive guide to game cooking, offering techniques and strategies for everything from butchering big game to cleaning freshwater fish. You’ll learn how to cook crayfish, snapping turtles, sea cucumbers, and mallards—with full-page photography to guide you through the steps.

Afield: A Chef’s Guide to Preparing and Cooking Wild Game and Fish (2012) by Jesse Griffiths is a masterpiece from the co-owner of Dai Due Butcher Shop and Supper Club and New School of Traditional Cookery in Austin. Through Griffiths’s stories and lessons from his own hunting experiences, the book preaches the principles of living on the land, with a strong emphasis on the importance of sustainable food practices and seasonal eating. Jody Horton’s vivid photography further elevates the recipes, imbuing them with a strong sense of place.

Duck, Duck, Goose (2013), Buck, Buck, Moose (2016), and Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail (2018) is a trio of cookbooks by Hank Shaw, an award-winning food writer and host of the podcast Hunt, Gather, Talk. His books are as informative as they are stunning to behold, and the recipes make wild game cooking very accessible for the average home cook. Shaw also frequently emphasizes use of the whole animal; for example, he teaches readers to prepare tartare puttanesca from duck heart, incorporates gizzards and livers into other recipes, and adds duck fat to his hollandaise sauce and pie crust.

The post These 11 Wild Game Cookbooks Will Teach You How To Prep Venison, Boar, and More appeared first on Saveur.

Ajika, the spicy, faintly smoky condiment native to the Caucasus, just hit the aisles of Trader Joe’s, and if you aren’t shaking it over scrambled eggs, swirling it into soups, and rubbing it deep into the crannies of a chicken before roasting it Georgian style, well, you deserve a good finger-wagging from a Georgian grandma.      

In Georgia, ajika takes countless forms: It can be saucy like jarred salsa, thick like tomato paste, or granulated like shichimi togarashi. Trader Joe’s version lands squarely in third camp, dusky red-orange and packed with loads of dried chiles, coriander, and garlic. Though perhaps not as potent as its fresh, perishable counterpart—nothing beats the heady aromas of just-pounded chiles, garlic, and herbs—the dried mixture lasts far longer, is shelf-stable, and comes with a shaker top for easy ad hoc sprinkling. 

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Anya von Bremzen, coauthor of Please to the Table, the current pick for the SAVEUR Cookbook Club, says she can’t live without dry ajika. “I do slow-roasted pork shoulder with it and it creates the most addictive juices,” she said. “Man, I’m literally the kind of person who sprinkles ajika on morning toast. It’s awesome with cold butter and on avocado toast.” She’s in good company: Reddit is currently abuzz with early adopters adding TJ’s ajika to everything from popcorn to pork chops to pizza.    

Once you’re sold on the sprinkle-able stuff, von Bremzen recommends dabbling with the wet ajika sold in jars at Eastern European groceries, the type she was weaned on in Moscow, which brims with vinegar, herbs, and tomatoes. “As kids we used to spread it on black sourdough bread and eat it with salo, which is basically Slavic lardo,” she said. 

In-between these two textural extremes is a third pastier ajika, which is common in Mingrelia and Abkhazia, the subtropical Black Sea regions where the condiment is said to originate. It’s perhaps the most complex of the bunch with ground coriander, blue fenugreek, marigold powder, garlic, salt, and red chiles smoked over hazelnut wood, plus other dried spices such as savory, dill, and black pepper. Locals scoop it by the heaped spoonful into stews like beef kharcho. And then there are the milder green ajikas, redolent of mint and cilantro, customarily spread between stretched-curd cheese layers and rolled up in a dish called gebzhalia that oozes fresh, cool cream like burrata.  

But for all you from-scratch diehards out there wondering if you can make your own ajika, the answer is a resounding yes, according to Georgian chef Meriko Gubeladze, who owns Shavi Lomi and the soon-to-open Ninias Baghi in Tbilisi. Whether you settle on a wet, pasty, or dry ajika recipe, “be sure to track down real Caucasian blue fenugreek and ground marigold,” she said, since together they are intoxicatingly floral. 

Special-ordering a couple of spices is one thing, but roasting red Georgian chiles over hazelnut embers, as is traditionally done in ajika production, is another entirely. Happily, Gubeladze has a hack for emulating that smoky undertone: a pinch of smoked Spanish paprika, or pimentón, thrown into the mix. “It’s amazing in ajika. I buy it whenever I’m in Europe and bring it back in my suitcase as contraband,” she said with a laugh. Gubeladze is also ruthless with the raw garlic, which she said is a much-needed counterpunch to the fiery chiles. “Oh, and one last tip,” she said. “Steer clear of ajika if you’re going on a date.”  

The post Georgian Ajika Goes Mainstream appeared first on Saveur.

Open Please to the Table to a random page, and you might land on a recipe for chicken Kiev, Armenian lamb dumplings, Uzbek cilantro buns, or Latvian cornmeal mush. Such dishes may appear to have nothing in common, but as this seminal cookbook on the cuisines of the Soviet Union reminds us, they once belonged to a rich culinary patchwork quilt that stretched 8.6 million square miles, from the Baltic Sea to Central Asia. 

That quilt came unstitched three decades ago with the collapse of the USSR, but the 400-some recipes in Please to the Table—the SAVEUR Cookbook Club pick for April and May—read as current as ever with dishes like rye cookies, tahdig, Georgian khachapuri, and foraged bitter-green salads in the mix. 

Georgian Cheese Bread (Adjaruli Khachapuri)

Shepherding us through the complex, variegated territories of the former Soviet Union is Anya von Bremzen, who was born in Moscow in 1963, and John Welchman, her coauthor. If von Bremzen’s name rings a bell, that’s because her byline has appeared in all the major food and travel magazines, as well as on award-winning books including The New Spanish Table and Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking, her memoir. 

Almost as enticing as the recipes in Please to the Table are the essays and anecdotes peppered throughout, which offer colorful glimpses into topics ranging from geography and religion to the etymology of kasha (it originally meant “feast”) and the proper way to serve Uzbek pilaf (rice buried under the meat in serving bowls; tea and pickles on the side). Literature buffs will be pleased to find a bevy of food-related excerpts from greats like Pushkin, Dumas, and Chekhov interspersed among the recipes.  

Von Bremzen is a cookbook writer with an emphasis on the writer. Her prose is snappy and evocative, especially when she’s on a jag about gastro-cultural curiosities. In the chapter on Russian cuisine, for instance, she recounts the cross-cultural horror story of a Russian friend who was invited to an American’s apartment, only to be offered a bowl of ice cream. “It sometimes takes years for Soviet emigrés in the United States to understand that a casual invitation to someone’s home doesn’t necessarily mean a full-scale meal,” she writes. Later, in an explainer on Armenian cuisine (the book is organized by main ingredient with explainers interspersed throughout), she paints such a vivid picture of her first breakfast in Yerevan that you can almost smell it through the page: “We were greeted with eggs scrambled with ripe tomatoes and green peppers, local sheep’s cheese (chanakh), a delicious spicy sausage called sudjuk, and generous cupfuls of strong black coffee. And there were freshly prepared stuffed vegetables (dolma) awaiting us for later.” 

Even the sample menus in the margins manage to be transportive. You can keep your Pinterest moodboards and Instagram recipe reels—I’ll be getting my cooking inspo on page 452 with “A Rustic Luncheon for Eight,” which reads: “herring in sour cream sauce, my mother’s marinated mushrooms, beet caviar with walnuts and prunes, pumpernickel bread, vodka, schi, meat-filled pirog, Russian cranberry mousse.” 

Last week I had the privilege of chatting with von Bremzen about what it took to produce this 659-page behemoth and how the cuisines explored in the book have changed since its first print run.  

BK: You’ve lived a fascinating and rather peripatetic life. Tell me about it. 

AvB: I was born in Moscow in 1963 during the Brezhnev years. It was a time of Iron Curtain stagnation. Like every Soviet kid, I wanted jeans and foreign commodities and was obsessed with the idea of being abroad, being a foreigner. My mom and I immigrated to the U.S. in 1974 because she hated the regime and was Jewish. She felt trapped. Being Jewish in the USSR then, you weren’t persecuted but you were discriminated against.

We wound up in Philadelphia, but weirdly I wanted to be perceived as a foreigner still. This early fantasy of not belonging was very powerful to me, and immigration was hard. I felt homesick because our past was so complicated. We were cooped up in the Soviet Union under a terrible, repressive regime, and when we emigrated, it was without the right to return. We were traitors of the homeland. To our friends and family, it was like dying with a right to correspondence. 

BK: In Please to the Table, there are recipes for a staggering variety of dishes from across the former Soviet Union. Give me the lay of the land. 

AvB: When I was growing up, the mindset was, you can’t see Paris or Rome, so why don’t you have a holiday in Odessa or Uzbekistan or Georgia? For us, these were exotic destinations. As a child, you could call me a propagandist because I was obsessed with this idea of the Soviet Union and fascinated by its diversity. At the market in Moscow, you’d see Georgians with mustaches in hats and Uzbek ladies in braids that sold very expensive produce that could cost a month’s salary. 

BK: Were you always a cook? 

AvB: God, no! I trained to be a concert pianist and went to Juliard. It was rigorous. But I got a hand injury in my 20s that forced me to look for another career. I spoke Italian from spending some time in Italy, and I wound up translating a cookbook from Italian to English. It made me think—shit, maybe I should write my own cookbook. My boyfriend was a British travel writer and a sort of academic type, and he and I wrote the proposal together in 1988. It got a James Beard Award the year they had started giving them, and the book [was] one of Amazon’s top 100 cookbooks. 

BK: 1988 was right when the Soviet Union started to disintegrate. 

AvB: Yes, and everyone was saying, right, a book about bread lines and shortages and herring? But I wanted to explore the whole diversity of Soviet cuisine. There were these Cold War stereotypes of gray clothing and people starving. Many Americans imagined the whole Soviet Union as a gulag, but the truth was, some of the food there was actually amazing. I think I was one of the first people to write about Georgian or Uzbek cuisine in such detail. In the end, Workman Publishing, which had just come out with The Silver Palate, bought the proposal. 

BK: What surprised you most in researching the book? 

AvB: Driving through Ukraine on Christmas, our car broke down. We wound up sleeping in a kind stranger’s hut, and there was this amazing salad of white beets, cracklings, and wild mushrooms. 

It was a long time ago now, but I remember other little things as well, like how in Uzbekistan they made pilaf with yellow carrots and quince and steamed cilantro buns that tasted almost Chinese. Other discoveries were Tatar wedding pie and an Azerbaijani pilaf with a chestnut and pumpkin crust. 

BK: A little birdie told me you’re working on a book about food and national identity.  

AvB: Yes, but I don’t have a name for it yet. It will look at how national identity is a social construct. We assume cuisines are primordial like languages, but we forget that nation states basically didn’t exist before the 19th century. The idea of cultural appropriation in food assumes an essentialist vision of a national cuisine, which is in fact a hybrid construction that is fluid. Take the current gastro-nationalist fight about borscht, for example, between Russia and Ukraine—it says a lot more about the state of geopolitics than the provenance of a dish that has been eaten in a wide geographical region. Dishes often existed long before current national borders did. So arguments about “whose hummus” or “whose baklava” are really about other issues. 

BK: So, food played—and continues to play—a role in post-Soviet nation-building?

AvB: Yes, but even today, there’s a pan-Soviet cuisine enjoyed across the region: Everyone makes salade olivier and vinegret [pickled vegetable salad] and kotlety [beef and buckwheat patties]. In Uzbekistan, the old Soviet dishes—herring, etc.—are still prestigious.  

BK: How has the way people eat in the region changed since you wrote the book? 

AvB: There are more ingredients available now. Some old breeds of goats and cows and vegetables are being revived. That’s different from the Soviet way, which favored monoculture—Uzbekistan made cotton, Moldova made wine. It’s a long conversation. 

And there is a new national consciousness around food that is not dictated by Moscow. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, food became more proprietary and gastro-nationalistic. Suddenly there were arguments in Samarkand over whose pilaf was better—the Uzbeks’ or the Tajiks’. Georgians were going on about Abkhazians having no cuisine and no culture. In Armenia, there’s an NGO that goes into the mountains to find 19th-century recipes; ditto for Azerbaijan, where they’re writing books about how Armenians plagiarized their cuisine. The thing is, cuisines don’t stand still—well, maybe except for in Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, where the food is still very 70s.   

BK: What Please to the Table recipes do you keep coming back to?

AvB: My mom’s borscht, of course, which is super quick and delicious. It’s the version she is teaching people to make in her new League of Kitchens online class. I also love the rice pilaf with almonds and orange zest—it’s my go-to side dish for everything. I make the Uzbek lamb and rice plov often. It’s a classic. Then there’s the beef stroganoff recipe, which is so good because it calls for filet mignon. 

BK: What are some popular springtime dishes or traditions? 

AvB: Winter was always so long, and the taste of the first dill or cucumber was always so special. People make cold borscht and soups this time of year. Maslenitsa, the blini and butter festival, just passed. There’s a whole section on Easter cooking in the book—we do a cheese mold that’s eaten with kulich coffee cake, but you can sub panettone. People love it. 

BK: For American food lovers planning post-pandemic travel, what country in the region should be at the top of the list? 

AvB: I was in Azerbaijan four years ago, and it has mind-boggling food. It’s sort of Persian with some Soviet influences. They have a million types of pilaf, some with tahdig. Many dishes are bright green with herbs—green stews and green meatballs and green omelets with green sauces. It all tastes so fresh. And because Azerbaijan has oil money, there’s a restaurant culture, and you can walk along the Caspian Sea and stop into tea houses where they serve teas with jams made from yellow cherries and figs.  

BK: Can I pick a bone? The title of the book is Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook. That seems a bit narrow, right? 

AvB: It’s true: The book goes from Lithuania to Central Asia and gives you the full scope of the former empire. When I published it, I thought, I can’t call it a Soviet cookbook, so this was the next-best thing. But then I got angry letters from Ukranians and Armenians. Who knows, maybe you could put “USSR” in a cookbook title now and it would be a retro cool thing. 

The post This 1990s Cooking Bible is as Relevant as Ever appeared first on Saveur.

It was 2013 when Ohio-based chef Justin Dean sent a congratulatory note, via Facebook, to Cincinnati’s MadTree Brewing. The fledgling operation had just released its first batch of beer, and Dean, always a stickler for sustainability, also had a question: What were they planning to do with their spent grains? The answer, as he expected, was to throw them out.

Dean had a better idea. He’d ferment the stuff, then age it in oak barrels to create a totally unique malt vinegar. He next joined forces with local farmer Richard Stewart, an equally environmentally minded type who’d made the switch from commercial crops to native produce a few years back, and MadHouse Vinegar Co. (starting at $12 for a 12.7-ounce bottle) was born.

The “mad,” of course, comes from that first distillery; “house” is an homage to Stewart’s 165-year-old Carriage House Farm in North Bend, Ohio, about 20 miles north of Cincinnati. It’s here, in an aromatic facility on the property that doubles as both farm stand and laboratory, that Dean and Stewart test the limits of what ingredients make for a good vinegar. In their alchemy, they’ve incorporated byproducts from local coffee roasters, wineries, an Amish syrup producer, and even a Cincinnati candy company with a surplus of peppermint sticks, all with surprising results. Beyond the malt-based elixirs, MadHouse also produces versions made with locally grown sweet corn and peaches, as well as foraged ingredients such as ramps, spicebush, persimmons, and papaws. These small-batch vinegars show up at some of the area’s best restaurants.

My wife and I favor the ramp vinegar, using it in barbecue sauces and salad dressings. Every now and then, though, I’ll take just a hit of the stuff as an afternoon pick-me-up in these troubled times. Sure, it stings some going down, but it’s also a not-so-subtle reminder of the culinary wonders of the Ohio Valley, and of the resourcefulness of its citizens.

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A love of sweets is firmly embedded in Austrian culture, from the classic Sachertorte with a ribbon of apricot jam to flaky apple strudel and the raspberry- hazelnut linzertorte. Equally mesmerizing is the Manner Neapolitaner Wafer, unmistakable in its iconic pink foil wrapping and far-reaching global audience. A confection that combines a triumph of engineering with a focus on quality ingredients, the wafer is so swoon-worthy that it has achieved cult status. In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, I took an armchair trip to Vienna for a little gift-giving and recipe inspiration.

My introduction to the hazelnut cream wafer began years ago: first, when my son Drew was studying in Vienna, then again when he and my daughter, Maggie were both in school in London. When academic breaks allowed, they criss-crossed much of Europe together; by train, by bus, on foot, cramming in as much history, culture, and local cuisine as possible. I lived vicariously from afar. Being part of a family fueled by our insatiable appetite for regional customs, it was just a matter of time before Manner wafers became an integral part of their travel itinerary. Tucked into backpacks and squirreled away in suitcases, the sweet souvenirs ultimately found their way into my eager hands when my young travelers returned from abroad. I was in love. Captivated by this hybrid candy-cookie, I doled them out judiciously, afraid my limited supply would quickly dwindle, announcing to anyone within earshot that Manner wafers would make the perfect base for a pie.

There is something decidedly different and richly satisfying about the five-layer wafer, perfumed with cocoa and hazelnut. From its distinctive pink packaging down to its perfectly mouth-sized rectangle shape, the confection provides more than a sugar rush. Maggie summed it up best when I recently confessed my obsession with the treats. “They are very easy to eat,” she agreed. “For something incredibly light, there’s so much flavor.” Maggie continued, “Manner reminds me of travels abroad with Drew, passing the pink package back and forth on long, cold, train rides, calculating who would get the last piece.”

Unlike the typical grab-and-go sweet that assaults from the checkout line of any American supermarket, Manner isn’t simply a snack, it’s an experience. The precision-cut of the wafers, the multiple layers of cream, and the pleasing way they shatter provide a distinctive texture not quite like any of our stateside counterparts. Unlike domestic cream-filled wafers, Manner’s are extremely flavorful without being cloyingly sweet. In short, their deliciousness is clearly a sum of its parts—and we have Josef Manner to thank for that.

In 16th century Austria and throughout much of Europe, quality sweets were primarily a fixture at royal courts. Because cocoa and sugar were expensive imports, chocolate drinks, in particular, were a popular treat at exclusive gatherings. The invention of the cocoa press in 1828 ushered in the modern era of chocolate. Cocoa could then be mixed with sugar and liquids, transforming it into a confectionery ingredient. The resulting drop in production costs made the it more widely available to the masses.

In 1889, Manner opened a small candy store in Vienna’s Stephansplatz, near the historic St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The shop started out selling chocolates and feigenkaffee—which translates to “fig coffee,” a mixture of ground roasted coffee and dried fig that was popular throughout Austria and much of Europe. Within a year, Manner was keen on expanding his business; he purchased a small chocolate production company and, in a conscious decision to make his product more accessible, sold his sweets by the piece. This reflected Manner’s confectionery philosophy: “Chocolate for everyone—good and affordable!”

Business continued to flourish, in large part due to the Manner Neapolitaner Wafers 239, a shelf-stable confection of fluffy hazelnut cream sandwiched between five paper-thin wafer layers. The wafer was so popular that Manner launched a ten-pack in 1907 in response to demand.

As for the mouthful of a name Manner bestowed upon the treat, that came from the original source of the hazelnuts used in the cream: Naples, Italy. Unearthing the significance of number 239, however, took some sleuthing.

To learn more about the history of the company and the enormity of Manner’s cult status, and to solve the mystery of “239,” I reached out to Karin Steinhart MAS, Head of Corporate Communications and Sponsoring at the Manner office in Vienna. Poring over the statistics she shared, it became abundantly clear that my kids and I were but few among many with an abiding love for the crisp, perfectly sweet-yet-not-saccharine wafer. Overall, the company produces 50,000 tons of sweets per year, which translates to the consumption of approximately 72,000 Manner wafers per hour, or two packs of Manner wafers every second. According to Steinhart, there is a significance to “239.” “The item was first found in the product catalog in 1898 under the rather technical name, “Neapolitaner Schnitte (wafer) No. 239.” She suggests that Manner worked and reworked the wafer until he was satisfied; 239 versions later, he finally was.

The Manner brand has since expanded its product line to include a range of treats; in addition to an assortment of wafer flavors, the company also sells marshmallow candy, chocolate dragées, and even a potent chocolate-hazelnut liqueur. However, the Original Neapolitan Wafers—still made according to that 1898 recipe—remain the company’s best-selling product. (My heart belongs to the original, but I can also vouch for the restorative power of Manner Liqueur.)

Another constant in Manner’s history is its logo, a silhouette of St. Stephen’s, Vienna’s 14th century Romanesque and Gothic cathedral. The ornate church with its multi-colored chevron roof tiles and towering 446-foot spire has served as the backdrop for both cultural and historic events. In times of joy (Wolfgang Mozart’s wedding) and sorrow (Antonio Vivaldi’s funeral) and through the ravages of two world wars, the cathedral, visible from almost anywhere in Vienna, has remained a beacon of the city’s skyline. In 1890, the Archdiocese of Vienna granted the Josef Manner Company exclusive use of the cathedral’s image for marketing purposes. In exchange, Manner agreed to fund the wages of one stonemason dedicated to repairs of the landmark church. This practice continues to this day. Dr. Carl Manner (Josef’s grandson) commented on this special relationship in a 2015 interview, observing that “the cathedral is holding a protective hand over Manner.” Indeed, perhaps humble beginnings and a little divine intervention can yield sweet rewards.

The prominence of St. Stephen’s peeking out from behind the Manner logo conjures the city of Vienna, and for many smitten with the confection, the cathedral is a subliminal reminder of the Manner brand. I asked Drew if he remembered his first Manner encounter; my son recalled a field trip through Vienna’s wine country, and a lunch as uninspired as the brown paper bag it came in. “The most memorable part of the meal,” he noted, “was a pink package of Manner wafers.” Today, whenever he finds them in a shop, he always buys a pack or two. “Nostalgia is a powerful thing,” he added.

As recognizable as the silhouette of St. Stephen’s is, the wrapper’s vivid pink color is equally iconic. Steinhart confirmed that the rosy hue was the color of the original packaging and that the Vienna headquarters has been painted to match. But it doesn’t stop there; the brand has even teamed up with the Pantone Color Institute to standardize its signature color. The result? “Manner Rosa by Pantone,” an easily recognizable pink that further cements the brand’s legacy. (So easily identifiable, in fact, that it’s virtually impossible to miss the wafers’ cameo appearance in two paragons of pop culture: alongside Austrian actor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and behind the counter of the Central Perk café in season six of the 90s TV sitcom, Friends.)

While Manner has a highly visible presence throughout Europe, it is not quite so ubiquitous here in the States. So, when I randomly stumble upon them, like in an off-the-beaten-path farm market in central New Jersey, I find myself grabbing as many packages as I can without drawing attention to myself. And every time I tuck them away in my pantry, I announce authoritatively, “Please don’t eat these- I’m saving them for a recipe.” With Valentine’s Day upon us, I now have all that is needed to reimagine another nostalgic Viennese treat.

A few years ago, during a long-overdue family trip back to Vienna, Drew steered us down a series of cobblestone streets to a quiet cafe away from the crowds. My first kaffeepause (a very civilized pause in the afternoon when one eats pastry and sips coffee) was memorable: a raspberry pastry, defined by a crunchy hazelnut base, jammy filling, and a dollop of rich cream. Between meals and additional coffee breaks, we devoured history and culture, occasionally taking refuge from the biting January weather by exploring the local BILLA and SPAR supermarkets, where, to my giddy delight, I discovered Manner wafers were sold by the 400-gram bag. This ensured a stockpile sufficient for a pie crust with plenty left over for snacking. I added the cookies to my hand-held cart along with a small jar of local honey and raspberry preserves, earmarking my souvenirs for a pie.

Standing in Stephansplatz, facing Manner’s flagship store, the majestic St. Stephen’s cathedral is still tended to by a Manner stonemason, easily recognizable in his Manner Rosa uniform. Folklore suggests when the breeze aligns with the Manner factory just so, you can detect the fragrance of hazelnuts and chocolate in the air; this is true. It’s also true that multiple 10-packs of Manner Neapolitaner wafers fit handily in one’s carry-on luggage, and the lightweight biscuits aren’t likely to tip any baggage weight restrictions. (Honey and jam, Maggie warned, are considered liquids and must travel in checked luggage.) A return trip to Vienna in the immediate future seems unlikely, but a Manner-inspired pie is the next-best thing to a restorative holiday.

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