{"id":17333,"date":"2026-05-06T15:41:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T15:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/?p=17333"},"modified":"2026-05-14T13:04:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:04:13","slug":"sizzle-into-summer-with-these-new-bbq-cookbooks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/spring-summer-2026\/sizzle-into-summer-with-these-new-bbq-cookbooks\/","title":{"rendered":"Summertime and the Living is Easy with New Cookbooks"},"content":{"rendered":"

T<\/span>he smell of charcoal in the air. Fresh corn sizzling beside burgers. A picnic table filled with friends, grandchildren, and summer salads. Outdoor cooking season has officially arrived.\nOutdoor cooking is also one of the easiest ways to turn a simple meal into an experience\u2014whether you are hosting neighbors, traveling by RV, or simply enjoying a quieter evening on the patio.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to get grilling outdoors, whether it is in your own backyard or off to the campground. To excite you about the prospect, we offer three new cookbooks that will arm you with new methods, recipes, and flavorful inspiration for the season ahead. From portable griddle cooking and regional barbecue traditions to restaurant-style sauces you can recreate at home, these books offer plenty of inspiration for outdoor meals all summer long.<\/p>\n

The Blackstone Griddle Camping Cookbook: 100 Easy, Flavorful Recipes to Fuel Your Outdoor Adventures<\/strong><\/a> by food blogger Cheri Renee<\/p>\n

AC BARBEQUE: The Husky and Handsome Guide to Grilling<\/strong> <\/a>by Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer, comedic royalty, award-winning actors, and hosts of A&E\u2019s Kings of BBQ<\/p>\n

Secret Sauce: 200 Copycat Recipes to Re-Create Your Favorite Restaurant Sauces, Dips, and Dressings<\/strong><\/a> by Kelly Jaggers<\/p>\n

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Blackstone offers a 22-inch-square, foldable, portable gas griddle with wheels and foldable legs to make it easy to transport. Photo: Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n

Griddles for Camping<\/h3>\n

If you are planning a camping trip this summer, consider packing an outdoor portable griddle. Sure, you can build the campfire and put a grill over it, but if you want to spend less time over the fire, the griddle might be a fun and convenient addition to your camping gear.<\/p>\n

Unlike traditional grills, griddles make it easy to prepare everything from pancakes and eggs in the morning to stir-fries and seafood dinners at night\u2014all on one flat cooking surface.\nThese handy griddles provide a flat steel cooking surface ideal for outdoor cooking. Powered by propane or electricity, they range in size from compact portable models to larger backyard versions. Because heat is distributed evenly across the surface, cooking tends to be more consistent and versatile than on traditional grills.<\/p>\n

Many campers also appreciate the easier cleanup and flexibility, especially for longer RV trips or multi-day campground stays.<\/p>\n

For example, Blackstone offers a 22-inch-square, foldable, portable gas griddle<\/a> with wheels and foldable legs to make it easy to transport. You can basically carry it like a suitcase.<\/p>\n

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Caprese Brie and Crostini. Excerpted from \u201cTHE BLACKSTONE GRIDDLE CAMPING COOKBOOK\u201d By Cheri Renee. Photographs by Harper Point Photography. Copyright \u00a9 2025 by SIMON & SCHUSTER, LLC. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.<\/p><\/div>\n

With your griddle in tow, a go-to resource for what to cook can be found in The Blackstone Griddle Camping Cookbook: 100 Easy, Flavorful Recipes to Fuel Your Outdoor Adventures<\/a> b<\/em>y food blogger Cheri Renee. She is also the author of I Love My Blackstone Griddle Cookbook.<\/em><\/p>\n

To note, the cookbook is an independent publication not endorsed by Blackstone Products and the recipes are the sole creation of the author.<\/p>\n

Renee has created recipes that generally have five or fewer ingredients. Many of the recipes are intentionally uncomplicated, making them especially appealing for campsite cooking where simplicity matters. The focus is on approachable meals with minimal prep and easy cleanup after a long day outdoors.<\/p>\n

Through her 100 recipes, she covers the gamut of breakfasts (Avocado Hash Brown Toast, Huevos Rancheros Stir-Fry), snacks and sides (Caprese Brie and Crostini, Mini Zucchini Pizza Rounds), sandwiches and wraps (Shrimp Po\u2019boys, Vegetable Gyros), main dishes (BBQ Salmon and Broccoli, Italian Vegetable Stir-Fry), and desserts (Ooey Gooey S\u2019mores Sandwiches, Jasons Deli Creamy Fruit Dip, Bourbon Peaches and Cream).<\/p>\n

The cookbook also encourages campers to move beyond traditional burgers and hot dogs by experimenting with vegetables, seafood, breakfast dishes, and even desserts prepared outdoors.<\/p>\n

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(Left to right) Cedric The Entertainer (Photo: Courtesy of Cedric The Entertainer); Anthony Anderson (Photography by Tommy Garcia Courtesy of FOX Entertainment)<\/p><\/div>\n

AC BARBEQUE<\/h3>\n

AC BARBEQUE: The Husky and Handsome Guide to Grilling<\/em> <\/a>feels less like a traditional cookbook and more like an invitation to a lively backyard cookout hosted by longtime friends Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer.<\/p>\n

The title alone lets you know you are in not only for a food treat, but also for hilarious stories about the people who influenced them, the musicians they admire, and the fans they have met along the way.<\/p>\n

Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer bring far more than celebrity status to the mouthful of a title,\u00a0 AC BARBEQUE: The Husky and Handsome Guide to Grilling<\/em>. Anderson, an Emmy Award and Golden Globe\u2013nominated actor known for black-ish, Transformers, The Departed, and numerous Food Network appearances, has long combined his love of food with entertainment. Cedric The Entertainer, star and executive producer of CBS\u2019s The Neighborhood and one of the iconic Original Kings of Comedy, has built a career spanning television, film, comedy, directing, and producing. Together, the longtime friends launched AC Barbeque and chronicled their journey into barbecue culture on A&E\u2019s Kings of BBQ, where humor, storytelling, and a genuine passion for grilling take center stage.<\/p>\n

The duo launched AC Barbeque<\/a>, a line of BBQ rubs available at Walmart nationwide, in 2023. Their first sit-down restaurant opened at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles in May 2025. The restaurant features slow-smoked BBQ dishes from ribs and brisket to pulled pork with signature sauces and sides. And now, the new cookbook.<\/p>\n

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AIN\u2019T YO ANCHO CHILE BABY BACK RIBS. Photo: Ed Rudolph<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe aim to redefine grilling and inspire backyard cooks and professional pitmasters alike. These finger-licking rubs are only the beginning,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

Beyond the recipes themselves, the cookbook celebrates the social side of grilling\u2014bringing people together around music, laughter, storytelling, and great food.<\/p>\n

Organized around iconic barbecue regions including Memphis, St. Louis, Texas, and the Carolinas, the cookbook explores the traditions, flavors, and personalities that helped shape American barbecue culture. Alongside mouthwatering photos are stories, memories, and playful commentary from Anderson and Cedric that give the book the feel of a family cookout rather than a formal cookbook.<\/p>\n

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Cheesy Corn Combo<\/p><\/div>\n

Recipes range from pork belly burnt ends and jerk ribs to Korean hot cauliflower wings, fried catfish, hush puppies, and peach cobbler. There is also an entire chapter devoted to sauces and rubs\u2014perfect for backyard grillers looking to experiment with bold new flavors this summer. Among the standout recipes are Ain\u2019t Yo Ancho Chile Baby Back Ribs and Cheesy Corn.<\/p>\n

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Jasons Deli Creamy Fruit Dip from Secret Sauce by Kelly Jaggers. Copyright \u00a9 2025 by Simon & Schuster, LLC. Photographs by Kelly Jaggers. Published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, LLC. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.<\/p><\/div>\n

Secret Sauce<\/h3>\n

Now that you have the BBQ basics down, finish off the recipes with your favorite sauce. After all, for many backyard cooks, it is the sauce people remember most.<\/p>\n

If your favorite happens to be one you only have at a restaurant, Kelly Jaggers, author of Secret Sauce: 200 Copycat Recipes to Re-Create Your Favorite Restaurant Sauces, Dips, and Dressings<\/em>,<\/a> has a solution.<\/p>\n

Jaggers offers a collection of recipes that re-create a variety of favorite restaurant sauces. From Benihana\u2019s Ginger Sauce and KFC\u2019s Comeback Sauce to Olive Garden\u2019s Marinara and Dairy Queen\u2019s Hot Fudge Sauce, these easy, affordable recipes put restaurant favorites at your fingertips.<\/p>\n

For example, Jason\u2019s Deli Creamy Fruit Dip is from Jason\u2019s Deli which was founded in 1976 in Beaumont, Texas, by Joe Tortorice Jr., Rusty Coco, Pete Verde, and Pat Broussard. In 1988, Jason\u2019s Deli began franchising, and today they have over two hundred locations across the United States.<\/p>\n

Known for their sandwiches, salad bar, giant baked potatoes, and an array of soups, another popular item on the menu is a creamy dip served with cups of fresh fruit. The recipe for this dip contains a tablespoon of orange syrup, but if you can\u2019t find it, you can use the recipe in the sidebar or swap it for 1 \u20444 teaspoon orange extract and 2 teaspoons water. The sauce is typically served with fresh fruit.<\/p>\n

Whether you are serving burgers on the patio, grilled vegetables at a family gathering, or chicken skewers by the pool, the right sauce can instantly elevate the meal.\nWhether you are cooking beside a campsite, hosting a neighborhood cookout, or simply enjoying dinner outdoors on a warm summer evening, these cookbooks offer fresh inspiration for making the most of grilling season.<\/p>\n

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