“Barbecue cooking is man’s oldest form of meal preparation. Prehistoric man was the first to barbecue” - Ed Bell
Being a barbecue lover myself (anyone who grew up in Arizona is automatically a barbecue lover), I pored over the book and found it to be a lot of fun. Dated a bit (the book was published in 1966), especially when it comes to the technology of barbecuing. However, overall, it remains a quite useful cookbook. Unfortunately, the poor-quality photographs in the book make the food appear unappetizing. Take a look:
My God, the food looks like something a cannibal would cook. It seems that all of the mid-century cookbooks have this color problem. Thankfully, most of the illustrations are hand-drawn in black and white, which is much, much better.
I like the way the cover design is so bold: red tends to dominate, with greens and light blues to complement. The food looks awful, but Ed has a jaunty hat and is working at the barbecue. It’s a nice touch to have the family around the pool in the back. The rest of the book has a good layout with clearly defined chapters (Pork, Fish, Seasonings, and my favorite, Fruits and Vegetables). There’s an index of recipes, and (for the reader in 1966) you could answer a few questions, send in 50 cents,s and get a diploma from Ed Bell’s Barbecue College.
Little is known about Ed Bell, even when using AI internet searching. I suppose the library would have info in its newspaper and periodical sections, but I prefer to let my imagination be my guide. Still, this cookbook will go into my collection, and I’ll try some of his barbecue recipes. Certainly, the book is a snapshot of mid-century cooking and a lot of fun. As one blogger called it, “Vintage Beef”. Oh, here’s a shot of Ed with his funny hat:
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1. Fun article on Modern Barbecue Cooking that follows several of Ed Bell’s recipes