AmazingRibs.com is supported by our Pitmaster Club. Also, when you buy with links on our site we may earn a finder’s fee.
Click to see how we test and review products.
Cookbooks, Food Books, And Magazine Reviews (2 Pages)
Published On: 5/16/2019 Last Modified: 6/16/2025
Every year there is a new trunkload of books stuffed with knowledge and recipes. We read a lot of them and I have more than 100 books on barbecue and grilling alone, and at least 200 other cookbooks. Here are some of our favorites.
Also included are more of our favorite food books, magazines, newsletters, and periodicals.
Also be sure to click here for a complete list of all of the cooking books on Amazon.com. They also offer many books in audio form and they gift wrap. If you have others to recommend, please share in the comments on these pages.
Click Here To Search Our Reviews And Ratings Of Tools, Toys, And Accessories
Turkey On The Grill Or Smoker Made Easy: A Downloadable Deep Dive
Create the best turkey of your life and side dishes for Thanksgiving with this e-book containing countless recipes, tips, and techniques.
Sous Vide Que Made Easy: A Downloadable Deep Dive
By marriage of water and fire, we can achieve extraordinary results. With this exclusive book you will learn all the basics of sous vide que.
Amazing Ribs Made Easy: A Downloadable Deep Dive
Discover everything you need to know for preparing America's favorite food, pork ribs, with this comprehensive book.
Barbecue Chicken Made Easy: A Downloadable Deep Dive
With this ebook, you can master the art of perfectly grilled chicken. Say goodbye to charred skin, burnt sauce and undercooked meat.
Peace, Love, and Barbecue: A Must Own Cookbook
Peace, Love, and Barbecue not only contains the expected count of recipes and tips, but includes interviews with the legends of bbq.
Paul Kirk’s Championship Barbecue Sauces Cookbook Review
This book has 175 sauces, marinades, rubs, mops, and salsas. Nothing fancy, no long-winded stories, just tried and true recipes.
The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen
The Barbecue! Bible was Raichlen's first book on the subject. This 556 page tome with 500 recipes covers everything from hamburgers to bread.
Barbecue! Bible: Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades Cookbook
Barbecue! Bible Sauces: Rubs, and Marinades, Bastes, Butters, and Glazes is a comprehensive collection of flavors from around the world.
Planet Barbecue! by Steven Raichlen
Beautifully photographed in color, this book won a Julia Child Cookbook Award. Raichlen's most recent book, it is the best of his five books.
How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques by Steven Raichlen
With his range of experience, Raichlen has had the kind of influence on men who cook that Julia Child had on women who cook.
Serious Barbecue: A Must Own Cookbook By Adam Perry Lang
Serious Barbecue is a must own for barbecue lovers. The recipes are creative, insightful, and beautifully photographed.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay
Franklin Barbecue in Austin is widely considered the best in the world and people stand in line for hours to get in.
Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) Cookbook Review
Pure fun. Founded in 1986, the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) is an international association with thousands of members.
Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book By Chris Lilly
In this book, Chris Lilly shares with us what it's like to work at a small town barbecue joint, the legend of Big Bob and countless recipes.
Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook By Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe
Very few people know barbecue and grilling like Ray Lampe and he's got a room full of trophies to prove it.
America’s Best BBQ by Ardie A. Davis and Chef Paul Kirk
Davis and Kirk probably have visited more barbecue joints than anyone I know, and they have picked some of their favorites with recipes.
Steak: One Man’s Search for the World’s Tastiest Piece of Beef by Mark Shatzker
This book is great story telling as we follow an inquisitive writer on his quest for great steak. We highly recommend for any meat lovers.
The South’s Best Butts—Pitmaster Secrets for Southern Barbecue Perfection by Matt Moore
In this book, Moore takes his small plane all over the South visiting a dozen BBQ joints in as many states from Texas to North Carolina.
Serial Griller, Grillmaster Secrets For Flame-Cooked Perfection By Matt Moore
A fun, beautifully photographed cross country visit with some of the top grillers in the nation including Meathead
300 Big and Bold Barbecue and Grilling Recipes by Karen Adler & Judith Fertig
As the title says, 300 Big and Bold Barbecue and Grilling Recipes is all about the recipes, and they look wonderful.
Fire it Up – More Than 400 Recipes for Grilling
A big, heavy, beautifully photographed book that feels authoritative. The intro material is short, but high quality.
Weber’s Time to Grill: Get In. Get Out. Get Grilling. by Jamie Purviance
Chef Purviance has another winner for Weber. This one has the 200 plus recipes divided into two categories, "Easy" and "Adventurous".
Weber’s New Real Grilling Cookbook by Jamie Purviance
Purviance begins this book with managing the grill. Although Weber's grills are featured, the advice is broad enough to cover most grills.
BBQ Secrets by Rockin Ronnie Shewchuk Review
Shewchuk is a competitor who really knows his stuff. This is a beginner's guide to serious barbecue with many of his competition recipes.
Low & Slow: Mastering the Art of Barbecue in Five Easy Lessons by Gary Wiviott
If you have a new Weber Smoky Mountain smoker you absolutely positively must buy Gary Wiviott's book: Low & Slow.
Steak And Cake by Elizabeth Karmel
So you're asking yourself "how many steak recipes are there?" Well, far more than even I dreamed. In this case, about 50 steaks and 50 cakes.
Thin Blue Smoke By Doug Worgul
If you're a fan of good writing, good barbecue, and good stories, we highly recommend pulling up a chair and settling into this book.
Catching Fire, How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham
In the book "Catching Fire, How Cooking Made Us Human", Richard Wrangham describes how cooking changes the chemistry of food.
The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas BBQ
Daniel Vaughn knows Texas barbecue so well that in 2013 Texas Monthly magazine hired the Dallas architect to write about the subject.
Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook Review
In his book, Walsh has delved into the history and lore of Texas barbecue, it origins, its ingredients, its personalities, and its tall tales
Barbecue: A Texas Love Story Review And Rating
Barbecue: A Texas Love Story is a 46 minute DVD narrated by the late Governor Ann Richards and directed by Chris Elley.
Startin’ the Fire by George Hensler
Hensler is the captain of a bbq team, and he has written a helpful book on what you need to know before your first Barbecue Society contest.
The Hamburger: A History by Josh Ozersky
A cleverly written, well researched, fun tale of the history of the hamburger and how it has evolved in step with American culture.
Hot Dog: A Global History
A well regarded culinary historian and Professor Emeritus of History and Humanities at Roosevelt University in Chicago.
Hamburger: A Global History
This definitive little book unwraps the mystery of the origin of the hamburger and its name, and traces its spread across the globe.
Hamburgers & Fries: An American Story
This book follows him cross country as he seeks regional styles and techniques that help him unravel the story of the All-American burger
The Chili Cookbook by Robb Walsh
If you're a fan of chili then this is the book for you! Discover recipes for dishes like Texas chili, Cincinnati chili, and more
Hamburger America, A Tour Of The Nation’s Top Burger Stops
George Motz has traveled the four corners of the nation to find the best and most interesting burger joints.
Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan
A short paperback that you can easily swallow on a short airplane trip, Pollan summarizes what he has learned about good eating habits.
Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes by Harold McGee
From the country's foremost expert on the science of cooking, Harold McGee, Keys to Good Cooking is a concise guide to help home cooks.
The Art of Beef Cutting: A Meat Professional’s Guide to Butchering and Merchandising By Kari Underly
The best teachers can address the novice and still educate the expert, and that is exactly what Kari Underly does in this fine guide.
The Cook and the Butcher: Juicy Recipes, Butcher’s Wisdom, and Expert Tips by Brigit Binns
Four chapters: Beef, Pork, Lamb, Veal. A lifetime of incredible recipes for cooks who are bored with the same old same old.
The Great Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells Review
Bruce Aidells has been a working butcher. He founded a sausage company and I'll bet you've seen Aidells Sausages on your grocery shelves.
Whole Beast Butchery: The Complete Visual Guide to Beef, Lamb, and Pork By Ryan Farr With Brigit Binns
Farr is a classically trained chef, butcher, and butchery instructor. In three chapters he demonstrates his craft in hundreds of photographs.
The Meat Buyers Guide: Meat, Lamb, Veal, Pork and Poultry by NAMI (North American Meat Institute) 8th Edition
Edited by NAMI, this is the definitive reference on all the cuts of meat, with charts, excellent photos, a glossary, and nutritional info.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
This may be the most important book about food since Upton Sinclair's The Jungle drew back the curtain on the Chicago stockyards in 1906.
The Food Lab, Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
This is the best cookbook I own. It has also won the Cookbook of the Year from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
The Science of Good Food by David Joachim and Andrew Schloss
The authors explain what ingredients are made of, how they behave, and how methods work. A thorough A to Z encyclopedia of food science.
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee
If you want to know why we do what we do in the kitchen, not just what to do or how to do it, this fat tome is a must have.
The Bacon Cookbook by James Villas
The standards such as quiche, carbonarra, BLT, are there among 168 intriguing recipes by an experienced cookbook author.
25 Essentials: Techniques for Grilling Fish by Karen Adler & Judith Fertig
This pretty, little, inexpensive, spiral bound cookbook explains the simple guidelines for grilling seafood beautifully.
The New Wine Country Cookbook: Recipes from California’s Central Coast By Brigit Binns
This book whisks readers back to a time when California was a simpler place. Before it overflowed with too many people seeking Paradise
DIY Cocktails: A Guide To Creating A Variety Of Mixed Drinks
A quality cocktail recipe book like "DIY Cocktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks" is a must for any home bar.
The Tummy Trilogy By Calvin Trillin
The Tummy Trilogy is actually three books in one, all long out of print, but occasionally available to purchase used.
The Foie Gras Wars: A Story Of The World’s Fiercest Food Battle By Mark Caro
In this book, author Mark Caro outlines how a 5,000-year-old delicacy inspired the world's fiercest food fight.
Cook’s Illustrated
The authors have grown from a really good magazine, to a great website, to a TV show, and have recently added another magazine.
Bon Appetit
A big, sumptuous feast of recipes and ideas, drool inducing photos, probing interviews, restaurant guides, product reviews, and much more.
All About Beer
Easily the leading beer magazine, each of the six issues per year contains features about different beer types, places to drink it and more.
Wine Advocate
Robert Parker and his associates taste thousands of wines each year, and that's pretty much all you'll find in this newsletter.
Wine Spectator
There is a special issue devoted to their Restaurant Grand Award Winners, another on the Top 100 wines of the Year, and on Great Wine Values.
Nation’s Restaurant News
A classic trade publication, this glossy color tabloid comes out 50 times per year and is fat with trends and much more.
Real Food/Fake Food By Larry Olmsted Review And Rating
In the comprehensive book, Real Food/Fake Food, acclaimed author and reporter Larry Olmsted tells a sordid tale of fraud in our food supply.Related articles
- BBQ And Kitchen Tools, Toys, And Accessories Rated And Reviewed (23 Pages)
- Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
- Books By AmazingRibs.com Team
- Free Downloadable “Turkey Outdoors Made Easy” E-Book
High quality websites are expensive to run. If you help us, we’ll pay you back bigtime with an ad-free experience and a lot of freebies!
Millions come to AmazingRibs.com every month for high quality tested recipes, tips on technique, science, mythbusting, product reviews, and inspiration. But it is expensive to run a website with more than 2,000 pages and we don’t have a big corporate partner to subsidize us.
Our most important source of sustenance is people who join our Pitmaster Club. But please don’t think of it as a donation. Members get MANY great benefits. We block all third-party ads, we give members free ebooks, magazines, interviews, webinars, more recipes, a monthly sweepstakes with prizes worth up to $2,000, discounts on products, and best of all a community of like-minded cooks free of flame wars. Click below to see all the benefits, take a free 30 day trial, and help keep this site alive.
Post comments and questions below
1) Please try the search box at the top of every page before you ask for help.
2) Try to post your question to the appropriate page.
3) Tell us everything we need to know to help such as the type of cooker and thermometer. Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F so if you are not using a good digital thermometer we probably can’t help you with time and temp questions. Please read this article about thermometers.
4) If you are a member of the Pitmaster Club, your comments login is probably different.
5) Posts with links in them may not appear immediately.
Moderators