Customer Rating: 
Summary: Just a bunch of recipes
Comment: The title of the book is misleading. I'm new to smoking and wanted a book that gave me some insight into the overall process and various methods. There are a handful of pages on such topics, then the rest of the book is just recipe after recipe. Now, if that's what you are looking for, then the book is great - it does have lots of interesting ideas. But, there is precious little "how to" in this how to book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Novice Information
Comment: This cookbook has given me the basic knowledge necessary to understand the smoking process and to independently expand my recipe base.
Customer Rating:
Summary: making use of my new smoker
Comment: The book in conjunction with the directions for my new smoker was very useful as it contains numerous recipes along with short shorties on the history of smoking
Customer Rating:
Summary: Recipes are inaccurate
Comment: First as another reviewer stated the salt to sugar ratios are off. Secondly the book tells you to smoke a brisket at 350 for about 1 hour per pound. I'm not an expert at smoking by any stretch of the imagination, but I know that brisket needs to be smoked low and slow, otherwise tough brisket and a ruined meal. I also have a problem with adding liquid smoke to recipes as a couple in this book have, it seems to have a chemical aftertaste. The game recipes are scant with only one for venison. I do like the tables in the back for brining and smoking times. If you want a book that gives a little information on everything with some interesting recipes go ahead and buy it. If you want a book that teaches you the art of smoking this one isn't for you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent variety of smoke cooking recipes.
Comment: A complete and interesting compendium of recipes and smoke cooking methods. The advanced smoke cooker will enjoy this book and find some new ideas within. The section on sausages and pemican, two of the advanced smoke cooking skills, are expecially helpful. The beginer may be disapointed in the results of applying the recipes due to one major oversight.The heart and soul of good smoked food is the cure. Smoke goes on the food last. This book although mentioning cures of many types fails to make this point clear and to provide the first time smoke cook with a simple first time recipe. In fact, the cure recipes provided do not have anywhere near enough sugar in them. Having smoked foods for 20 years I have found that the taste for sugar is strong and if not enough sugar is used the complaint of smoked food is that there is too much salt. First timers should use the cure on page 39 but substitute 4 parts sugar to 1 part salt. And don't leave the sugar out of meat cures like the author does.
Curing time is not covered adequately either. Lean meat absorbs salt while fat absorbs sugar (more or less), and time in the cure makes a huge difference in the saltiness of the food. The longer in the brine, the saltier the food will taste. The leaner the meat, the saltier the food will taste. Never leave your meat in the cure longer than the recipe states, or you will have salty meat.
Buy this book to improve your smoke cooking skills, but not to learn how to smoke cook if you have never done so before.
