I was browsing the cookbooks at Amazon recently and came across three books dedicated to using grill pans. The best part was that I could order used copies of all three books and have them delivered for just under $25. How could I say no?
The first up was Grill Pan Cooking by Elsa Petersen-Schepelern. This is a simple little book coming in at just over 60 pages. There are some good ideas and a few nice recipes and the photography is pretty. I have made the grilled polenta and grilled bananas out of this book and they came out pretty good. She has an excellent recipe for char-grilled paneer that I will definitely cover in an upcoming post. She has several fish and seafood recipes that look interesting but, since I am not a big fish fan, I can’t say how they are in reality. This book is worth a few bucks to have around the kitchen.
Next up was Modern Grill Pan Cooking by Gina Steer. The book touts 100 innovative recipes for perfect results. There are a few highlights in the book but I have to say that I would not recommend it to anyone. One of the highlights is that the author explains the odd looking lip on my Roch Guss grill pan. Apparently this design feature enables me to pour off accumulated fats and greases for a more healthy cooking experience. Um….I can’t imagine cooking anything in a grill pan that gives off that much fat. Of course, I don’t use my grill pans to make fried chicken like this author does. If you would like my copy of the book leave me a comment with your e-mail and I’ll send it your way for free.
The last book was Grill Pan Cookbook: Great Recipes for Stovetop Grilling by Jamee Ruth. This was the best book of the bunch and actually inspired me a little. There is a grilled shrimp and andouille sausage skewer that I will be turning into a post pretty soon. Same goes for the lobster tails with roasted garlic. The author also includes a recipe for eggplant parmesan but the thought of tackling another grilled eggplant just makes me sad. The book comes in at a little over 100 pages and has beautiful photography. There is a great selection of recipes and all of them look very workable. I was able to pick up a used copy of this book for about five bucks. I would encourage you to do the same.