The only problem with Steven Raichlen's "The Barbecue! Bible" is that it will make you want to cook every meal out on a grill. And that much grilled food can be hazardous to your health.

When you start throwing around the word "Bible," you have to be able to back it up, and the Julia Child Cookbook Award-winning "The Barbecue! Bible" does just that. Bursting with more than 500 recipes, the newly revised classic is an encyclopedic look at grilled food from around the globe.

The Florentine-Style Steak comes from Italy, the West Indian Grilled Vegetables from Trinidad, the Balinese Grilled Chicken with Apple-Macadamia Sauce from Indonesia and the Great American Hamburger from the U.S. of A.

We tried Brazilian Beer Chicken, marinated two full days in a heavenly combination of malty Brazilian beer, Dijon mustard, paprika and garlic. The meat was bold and full-flavored, moist and delicious under a hearty char. We paired it, as suggested in the book, with Brazilian Black Beans with Bacon, which immediately jumped to the top of our list of favorite bean dishes.

We also made Afghan-Style Game Hens, a delectable dish that benefited from a 24-hour marinade in a combination of yogurt, lemon juice, onions, garlic and such spices as cumin and paprika. As was the case with the Brazilian Beer Chicken, as good as the dish was off the grill, the leftovers were even better.

Part of what makes "The Barbecue! Bible" so spectacular is its thoroughness. Along with the expected chapters on meat, poultry, fish and vegetables, Raichlen includes chapters on grilled bread, salads (some of which are grilled), sauces, rubs, side dishes, desserts (some of which are grilled) and drinks to go with grilled food.

Each chapter is filled with tidbits about restaurants around the world, stories and helpful information, such as an explanation of the various cuts of beef or how to peel and devein shrimp. One chart tells how long to grill various vegetables, another describes the four styles of American barbecue (from the Carolinas, Memphis, Kansas City and Texas).

We used the easy-to-follow instructions on how to spatchcock a chicken -- that is, how to cut it so the whole bird lies flat on the grill. But we ran into trouble when we tried to follow the instructions on grilling perfect chicken halves and quarters. Raichlen calls for cooking the chicken directly over the coals for eight to 12 minutes per side.

That's fine, if you have an unreasonable expectation of immortality or if you're trying to lose weight the salmonella way. We've always found it takes 30 minutes or more to cook a breast and at least 45 minutes for a thigh. But we were so taken with Raichlen's book we tried it his way.

The chicken was bloody inside. We tossed it back on the grill. The breasts took 30 minutes or more, the thighs took 45.

Published by: Workman
Price: $22.95 Pages: 556
Recipe worth trying: Lamb with Onion-Mustard Sauce, from Senegal