Crank up the barbie with this

The Great Bloke's BBQ Cookbook,
by Kim Terakes, Penguin, $45
I want a new barbecue ... I've wanted one for a few years now, but something always seems to come up. That something is usually my husband saying, "there's nothing wrong with the old one".
And he's right, there isn't anything wrong with the old one - but I want to be able to rotisserie a chicken, I want to be able to close the lid and cook a leg of lamb ... and I want to be able to produce the fabulous meals Kim Terakes introduces us to in The Great Bloke's BBQ Cookbook.
Barbecues aren't just the domain of men ... in our household I take over. I love it. I love being outside on the deck, I love the smoke, the flames ... and I love the fact our kitchen's oven and stove top don't get splattered in oil or fat.
Terakes' book is written for a man by a man with quips like, "a jerk is not only the mate who feels up your wife or girlfriend at your barbecue - it's also one of the most popular types of Caribbean cooking," ... but the recipes, they are for everyone. Terakes keeps things simple and includes the basics. The recipes cover traditional (lamb cutlets), to stylish (milk-fed veal), to total bloke fare (the great Kiwi steak sammie) and back again. Some dishes would look quite at home in a swish restaurant, others ... well, they're best left in the backyard.
There's a section on hints and tips and tools of the trade. There's starters or, in Terakes' words, "to kick things off", and the pictures will have your mouth watering. Grilled prawns with Thai dipping sauce and spicy minute beef in lettuce cups are two to try this summer. All the meats are covered ... and if you're anything like my husband you'll do it in one hit with the mixed gorilla. Terakes also has a chapter on salads - the spring salad is fabulous - and ends with something sweet, all done on the barbecue.
I'm taking this book home to my husband ... I may get a new barbecue out of it, and first on my list will be the jerk beef brisket. Not only does it look delicious, but it needs a barbecue with a rack and a lid! Admittedly, most of the recipes I could cook on our old barbecue, but they will taste better on a new one!
Ideal book for Father's Day ... let your dad take over the summer meals!