Smoke in the Mountains Cookbook

Southern Scribe
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Cookbook Review

Smoke in the Mountains Cookbook
The Art of Appalachian Barbecue
by Kent Whitaker
Quail Ridge Press, 2004
Spiral bound, $16.95 (285 pages)
ISBN: 1-893062-61-9

Kent Whitaker, the winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest, has compiled 300 recipes, the best BBQ restaurants in the Appalachians, and the lingo and tools to make even the novice a barbecue pro. He is known as The Deck Chef and has toured the South for years in search of great barbecue.

Smoke in the Mountains is a great guidebook for those traveling the South in search of great BBQ restaurants. Reviews provide location information, specialties, and what makes each place unique. Some that stand out: Alabama Grill, owned by Jeff Cook; Short Sugar's Bar-B-Que with three locations in Virginia and North Carolina; Mark's Mountain BBQ in Campton, Kentucky, featuring a scenic view; and Triple G Tradin' Post in Mentone, Alabama, where you can play checkers on the porch.

Recipes that you will be wanting to try: Parrot Head Barbecue Sauce (for Jimmy Buffet fans); Tennessee Whiskey Sauce; Tex Mex Rub; Hot as Heck Burgers; Cajun Pulled Pork; Smoked Coca-Cola Ham; Barbecued Rattlesnake Chunks; Barbecued Armadillo; Cajun-Grilled Crawfish; plus lots of salads, breads and desserts.

The cookbook includes a glossary of BBQ terms, such as: au jus, blackened, devilized, larding, and rub. It is also informative with cooking tips, wood chips for the taste you seek, and historical items from pop culture.

Kent Whitaker teaches cooking at Mia Cucina in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He has appeared on regional and national television and radio programs.

Joyce Dixon
Southern Scribe Reviews