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July 14, 2010

Cookbook Corner

By Meredith Goad mgoad@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

Summer grilling season is the perfect time to grab some thick steaks, mix a martini and listen to the sizzle while Frank Sinatra croons "Come Fly with Me."

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Not sure what cuts of meat to buy? Or maybe you're on the hunt for classic preparations, such as Steak Diane or Filet Oscar. Make "Steak with Friends: At Home with Rick Tramonto" (Andrews McMeel, $35) your guide to good meat for the grill.

A Chicago chef and James Beard-award winner, Tramonto teaches the difference between skirt steak, hanger steak and a flatiron cut.

He also offers handy advice on how to tell if the meat is done, how to prepare kebabs, and how to choose and grill the perfect steak.

Sure, this cookbook is a little quirky. Tramonto begins each chapter with a list of musicians he likes to listen to while cooking. (For some reason, Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton are "Soups and Sandwiches," while Metallica and Alice in Chains are "Hot Appetizers.")

Every chapter also begins with a Bible verse.

But this is a great book to go to for classic preparations such as Oysters Rockefeller or Beef Wellington.

One chapter zeroes in on stocks, marinades and sauces, including Bernaise, Bordelaise and au poivre.

There are even recipes for retro cocktails, in case you come down with a case of "Mad Men" fever and get a sudden hankering for a Manhattan.

 

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