Weber’s Greatest Hits

Purviance, the Weber grill company’s master griller, has gone through more than 2,500 archival recipes from the past two decades to arrive at his favorite 250. His criteria were taste, ease of preparation, and creativity. These 250 recipes combine in a winning combination of classic backyard fare, simple snacks and entrées, and dishes with savory flavor pairings. For starters, there’s a grilled peach and blue cheese bruschetta. A beef and lamb chapter includes three types of hot dogs, six burgers, and numerous steaks, including a ginger porterhouse and a rib eye topped with portobello mushrooms (which won the 2006 cook-off held across 10 Marine Corps installations). The remaining chapters cover pork, poultry, seafood, and sides, leaving room for seven desserts, including skillet blueberry cobbler. Each recipe is accompanied by a full-page color photo from L.A. food photographer Ray Kachatorian. To Weber’s credit, there is barely a grill to be seen. The perfect char on a skewered shrimp and the uniform sear marks on a platter of pork chops are all the marketing needed. (Apr.)