25 Essentials: Techniques for Wood-Fired Ovens: Every Technique Paired with a Recipe

by A. Cort Sinnes

You’ve taken the plunge and invested in a wood-fired oven. You’re ready to cook delicious cuts of fire-kissed meat, but the wood-fired oven is a tough piece of equipment to master. They lack perfect temperature control, like a kitchen oven. And working with thick cuts of meat is something new to gas and charcoal grill veterans.

A. Cort Sinnes, author of five books on outdoor cooking and a longtime patio living expert at Sunset magazine, unravels the secrets of using a wood-fired oven in 25 techniques, each of which is accompanied by a delectably recipe--from a leg of lamb to a side of salmon to a whole roast turkey and beyond. His book is a reliable and useful primer for new owners of wood-fired ovens.

Genres: Cookbooks

128 pages, Hardcover

Published April 10, 2018

About the author

My family moved to Napa, California in 1952, when I was five months old. We moved to a house about five blocks from where I now live. Except for a few years in the Midwest, the Napa Valley has been home for my entire life. Growing up here in the 60's could only be described as idyllic – the freedom experienced by Matt (the protaganist in Silverado Summer) is based on my own experience, especially after I bought my first 10-speed bicycle! During the summer, my best friend and I could get on our bikes, leave our houses at dawn, and not return until sundown, without any of our parents batting an eye. We rarely had a specific destination in mind, eager instead to simply explore the valley from one end to the other – from the derelict stone ruins of Napa Soda Springs, to ghost wineries almost no one knew about, to the leafy shade of "broken dam" high in the western hills and, yes, to the summit of Mt. St. Helena – one by one, we uncovered many of the secret places this valley holds.

I attended local schools, went to the University of California at Berkeley, and went to work for the legendary editor of Sunset Magazine, Walter Doty, right out of college. Along with a handful of others, Walter and I started the immensley successful Ortho Book Series out of Walter's garage in Los Altos. He was 85 years old (not to mention legally blind and deaf) and I was 22. I went on to write some 36 books on gardening and outdoor living and six cookbooks, including The Grilling Encyclopedia, which was nominated for a James Beard Award. Along the way I have been editor-in-chief of three national magazines, authored and illustrated a nationally syndicated newspaper column, In Your Own Backyard, featured in more than 300 newspapers, and hosted a popular video gardening series called Hooked on Gardening.

Reviews

[Melanie Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a clear comprehensive way to enable you to make the most out of your backyard on those nice days or for a rustic cabin in the woods (I always wanted one). I am so glad someone took the guesswork (or as much as possible) out of cooking in a wood-fire oven. I always wanted one and now I know how to use one. I am sure it will take practice to perfect but now I have a guide. I think this book is perfect for the outdoorsy person and can help increase time enjoying your yard in the nicer months.