Amazon.com (ISBN 0761120165, Paperback)

Steven Raichlen's Beer-Can Chicken tells everything one should ever need to know about roasting a chicken upright on top of a can of beer. For those who find that premise strange or silly (Raichlen, in fact, thanks his publisher for being "wacky enough" to produce the book), the author describes beer-can chicken as "the perfect bird, crackly crisp, succulent within ... the most flavorful chicken you've ever tasted."

Raichlen's goal is to encourage grillers to have fun and use their imagination, and he presents 74 "offbeat recipes" as starting points. Notable selections include Beer-Can Turkey, which requires a giant 32-ounce can of Foster's to do the job; Welder's Chicken, a stewing hen wrapped in aluminum foil and turned with welder's gloves; Dirty Steaks, cooked right on the coals; and Diabolical Chicken, soaked with spicy French mustard and which Raichlen makes "whenever I'm short on time or fancy ingredients but want to impress the hell out of my guests." There are also recipes for "beerless birds" (Ginger Ale Chicken, Black Cherry Soda Chicken), side dishes, and desserts, as well as info on grilling techniques and equipment.

A chicken straddling a beer can, at the very least, makes a great conversation piece at an outdoor beer bash. Raichlen's most helpful hint? Make sure the beer can is open before putting it on the grill. --Andy Boynton