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It’s been unseasonably hot here. On the one hand, I love it. We’ve been wearing full-on summer clothes, sipping lemonade and lounging around drinking wine on the patio into the wee hours of the night. It’s fantastic!

That said, I find carbs are the downside of heat wave weather. While you can grill a few lamb chops or a steak in less than 10 minutes in the relative cool of the shady side of the house, boiling pasta, rice and potatoes is just no fun in this kind of weather. So, this week, I’ve started a new trend at our house: bread as a plate.

As you can see by the picture above, I’m using flat breads to cradle a tomato and cucumber salad tossed with pesto and balsamic vinegar. In some ways it’s like a deconstructed bread salad – perfectly delicious and perfectly easy and cool to make.

What hot weather cooking strategies help you make it through heat waves? Do you get up early to boil potatoes, pasta and grains to use later in the day for salad bases or do you just resort to the deli for their ready-made versions?

Generally, I love being a Canadian — but when I learned last week that Brits have a Bonfire Night every November 5th to celebrate the capture of renegade Guy Fawkes in 1605, I was bitter. Why don’t Canadians have a bonfire night? Just for surviving our crazy climate we deserve a bonfire. We do! We really, really do!

So, since we have no culturally sanctioned bonfire holidays here, I decided to put my pyromaniac urges to good use by lighting up the charcoal grill over the weekend while I was raking leaves.

During the summer, standing over a smoky, hot charcoal grill can be uncomfortably hot. But, stoking up the coals as you do your yard cleanup in the fall is actually a pretty fantastic way to make an afternoon spent outside in the crisp fall air more enjoyable.

So, why not create a low and slow grilled brisket or flat chicken this weekend? Or, just use the hot coals to make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and to warm your hands after planting bulbs?

Be sure to have lots of marshmallows around and cups of hot chocolate so that you can bribe your helpers to stick around and help for more than a few minutes!

Is your grill kit packed away for the winter or are you still grilling and barbecuing?

Some days words just flow out of my fingertips and onto the computer screen in an effortless cascade. Today, not so much. In fact, as I sit here trying to form a few coherent sentences, it’s as excruciating as if every word is a hair being plucked from my skin with tweezers. Not fun.

But, since I am very dedicated to this blog, I am here trying to tell you about my new favourite grill.

My son and I spotted this disposable grill at Shopper’s Drug Mart the other day. We couldn’t believe that the regular price was just $3.49 so we bought one immediately. We were sure that once we tried it out that we’d be able to reveal to the world that this device was a piece of crap.

Well, guess what? We were 100% wrong. This grill that costs less than the grande latte I bought on the way home from the drug store worked like a charm. It had lots of heat: I started it at 11:50 am and at 2:45 pm it was still warm enough to melt chocolate or keep a cheese dip molten and ready for tortilla chips to be dunked.

Will you buy one of these grills? If so, what will you make on it?

Ah, my precious grill. How I miss thee. Sigh.

As the winter starts to wind down, I’m more than a little excited about getting out into the backyard so that I can have regular dinner dates with an open flame once again. Last week I ducked out for a clandestine quickie to try out a new grilling technique. While I’ll certainly be using my tried and true recipes when the weather warms up, I’m also excited to have discovered the Cedar Smoking Sheets pictured above.

I don’t know much about the origins of this concept (one package I read said they were Japanese-style but none of my Japanese friends seem to have used them before), but the idea is clever: you soak these supple sheets in water, wine, tea, etc. and then wrap them around raw pieces of fish, chicken, cheese and such before trussing them closed and placing the bundles on the hot grill.

The result: smoky flavour and no scorched or torn pieces of food.

Have you tried these sheets? If so, how would you rate your attraction to them? Do you love ‘em, like ‘em or think they’re just not all that?

FYI: I bought my first pack online but I know that Sobeys will be carrying these sheets in their stores this summer.

Links to other grilling related posts:
• Smoke Chips
• Smokin’
• International Grilling Atlas
• Best Rib Recipe
• Instant Read Thermometers
• Burger Tips
• Spring Grilling
• Cold Weather Grilling
• Cheeseburger Tips

It’s not news that many grillers have an emotional connection to both seared foods and the backyard appliances used to make such recipes. The picture above illustrates test kitchen assistant Amy Grigg’s passion for grilling. While I admire Amy’s affection for her grill, I caution her and other grill lovers never to kiss a hot grill. Instead, show your commitment to grilling by testing your knowledge.

Did you know that…?

• More than 7 billion grilled hot dogs will be eaten this summer in America with many more consumed here in Canada
• Our top four favorite burger toppings are: cheese (70%), ketchup (63%), mustard (50%)
• 76% of households own a grill of some kind
• 75% of grill owners have a gas grill
• If you don’t have a gauge, you can weigh propane tanks on a bathroom scale. An empty tank will weigh between 17 and 19 pounds so if the scale reads less than 20 lbs, refill before you try to cook

If you had these facts top of mind, it’s likely that you are, indeed, a grill master. However, if you want more proof of your grill master status before bragging to your friends, try this quiz to test the limits of your knowledge.

Or, skip the test and take a second to share your secret grilling tips with the rest of us by commenting below.

Like a good burger, there’s something about feasting on a platter of sticky, gooey pork ribs that epitomizes summertime in Canada. This particular rib recipe is a hit during hot weather since it eliminates the precooking step by using a foil-grilling packet to steam cook the meat and glaze it simultaneously. It’s also one of the recipes that my guests always ask for when I make these ribs for a backyard barbecue. You’ve gotta love it when an easy recipe with a short ingredient list is also a crowd pleaser!

Althought the word ‘chili’ is in the title, the flavour of these ribs is sweet and only slightly spicy since Thai sweet chili sauce is not nearly as hot as the unsweetened versions. Perfect with a cold, frosty beer on a hot day, these ribs can be served with rice or a grill top baked potato. Regardless of what you serve with these ribs, make sure you have plenty of napkins – or better yet finger bowls – handy because they are notoriously sticky!

Thai Chili Glazed Ribs

2 lb (1 kg) pork ribs, sliced into single pieces
1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) Thai sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup (50 mL) hoisin sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil
Chives or green onions

Preheat the grill to medium. Sprinkle the ribs evenly with flour. Stir the chili sauce with the hoisin sauce and sesame oil. Pour the sauce into a large, foil-grilling bag (or place in the centre of a very large piece of heavy duty foil that has been brushed with oil), set on a baking sheet.

Add the ribs and spread evenly in the bag in a single layer. Fold over the open edge of the bag and seal tightly and so that the foil fits around the food snugly. (Alternatively, scrunch up the edges of the foil to create a secure packet).

Slide the bag onto the preheated grill. Cook, flipping bag every 15 minutes, for 65 minutes. Let ribs rest in the bag for 10 minutes. Cut bag open using kitchen shears. Arrange ribs on a platter and sprinkle with chives before serving. Makes 4 servings.

I’ve been called a food snob. What with my $22 bottles of balsamic vinegar, penchant for foie gras and routine indulgence of Lanson champagne; although I do love all of these things, I’m anything but a snob.

I also love many humble, everyday foods. In fact, hot dogs are one of my favourite summertime treats. I like a good quality hot dog and it needs to be grilled until it’s just ready to burst so that the skin is crunchy and the hot dog is super juicy. During the 90’s Martin and I lived next door to Maple Leaf Gardens; there was an excellent hot dog cart downstairs at the corner of Carlton and Yonge. Their hot dogs were so good that sometimes I zipped 26 floors down the elevator just to pick up one of these stellar hot dogs for lunch or supper.

Hot dogs, I’m pleased to see, are being rediscovered and given TLC by a few savvy restaurateurs. When I was in Vancouver recently I noticed a Gourmet Hot Dog place on a trendy downtown street and here in Toronto there is a newish place called Buddha Dog that I’m hoping to try out sometime soon.

Until I can get to one of these venues that respects the hot dog for the pleasure it truly is, I’ll be buying Kwinter’s hot dogs, the best I’ve found at my local grocery store, to cook on my home grill.

Hungry for more? Check out these blogs that celebrate the hot dog:
http://www.hotdogkids.blogspot.com/
http://www.roundonline.com/dogblog
http://wvhotdogblog.blogspot.com
http://www.thehotdogtruck.com
http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2008/04/22/day-113-pocket-dogs/

All winter I dream about sun-drenched summer evenings and eating a juicy char-grilled burger fresh off the grill. Bliss! As it happens I’m not alone. According to a study conducted by Weber Barbecues, 98% of Canadians like to grill burgers of one kind or another in the summer. Although it wasn’t super warm last night, it was sun drenched so Oliver and I did indeed grill burgers and the results were stellar!

So fellow burger lovers follow these suggestions for making terrific tasting burgers from pantry ingredients. I’ve tried to give you a summer’s worth of tips so I hope you’ll bookmark this page.

The Basic Burger

1 small onion, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp (45 mL) barbecue sauce
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh bread crumbs
1 lb (500 g) ground beef

Preheat grill to medium-high. Mix onion, garlic, egg, barbecue sauce, salt, and pepper until well combined in a large bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs. Crumble beef into bowl and toss gently until evenly combined.

Divide mixture into four. Use your hands to shape meat into 4 patties, each about 4-inches (10-cm) wide. Lightly grease grill and add patties. Grill, covered and turning just once, for about 10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the patties is 71°C (160°F). Makes 4 burgers.

10 Beyond Basic Burgers

1. Ginger-scallion: Substitute 1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped green onions (also called scallions) for grated onion. Omit barbecue sauce and add 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh ginger and 3 tbsp (45 mL) soy sauce to meat mixture. Ideal for ground beef or pork.
2. Texas: Omit barbecue sauce and add 2 tbsp (30 mL) grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder and 1 tsp (5 mL) oregano leaves. Ideal with ground beef.
3. Moroccan: Omit barbecue sauce and add 1 tsp (5 mL) dried mint, 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each cinnamon, cumin and coriander seed and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) hot pepper sauce. Excellent with ground lamb, pork or chicken.
4. Lemon-dill: Omit barbecue sauce and add 11/2 tsp (7 mL) dried dillweed and 2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated lemon zest. Ideal with ground veal or chicken.
5. Greek: Omit barbecue sauce and increase garlic to 2 cloves. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) each dried mint, oregano and dill, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon and cumin and finely grated lemon peel. Good with lamb or pork.
6. Caesar: Replace barbecue sauce with 1/4 cup (50 mL) creamy Caesar salad dressing and bread crumbs with grated Parmesan cheese.
7. Peking: Omit salt and replace barbecue sauce with hoisin sauce and substitute 1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped green onions for grated onion. Increase garlic to 2 cloves. Good with ground beef or chicken.
8. Thai: Replace barbecue sauce with 1 tbsp (30 mL) each fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated lime peel and 3 tbsp (45 mL) chopped fresh coriander. Increase breadcrumbs to 1/2 cup (125 mL). Press 1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame seeds into patties as they are being shaped. Good for ground chicken.
9. Pesto: Replace barbecue sauce with 3 tbsp (45 mL) basil pesto and 1 tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon peel. Good for beef or veal.
10. Pizza: Replace barbecue sauce with tomato sauce. Add 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped black olives, 1 tsp (5 mL) each dried basil and oregano and 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Italian blend cheese.

Dana’s Hot Tips for super sizzling burgers:

• For homemade club pack convenience, make double or triple batches of patties. Layer them between pieces of waxed paper and freeze. Be sure to make patties no more than 1/2-in (1-cm) thick so that they will grill quickly and evenly from their frozen state.
• To grill 1/2-in (1 cm) thick frozen burgers, reduce heat to medium and grill for 15 to 18 minutes, turning once.
• Although choosing extra lean ground meat for burgers has health appeal, burgers made with lean and medium ground meats will be juicier and freeze better.
• For tender burgers, form patties by pressing the ingredients together lightly so that the mixture doesn’t become too compacted.
• If making cheeseburgers, drape cheese over patties and cover for the last 60 seconds cooking time.
• For optimum safety, choose meat at the grocers with today’s packaging date, then prepare and cook or freeze patties on the same day.
• No matter how you like your steak, always cook burgers to well-done to ensure that any bacteria the meat may have come in contact with while being ground is eliminated.

Get more burger grilling tips from the experts at Health Canada.

Now that you have your grill, it’s time to buy a steak and cook it. But before you preheat the grill, peruse these tips I’ve picked up during my years as a professional chef. After all with the price of steaks, don’t you want to ensure that every grilled steak is a wonderful meal?

• Steaks for the grill need to be tender cuts. Choose rib eye, filet mignon (tenderloin), strip loin, T-bone and porterhouse varieties.
• For optimum tenderness, choose steaks that have plenty of marbled fat (don’t worry, most of this fat renders out as the steak cooks leaving only flavor and moisture behind, not extra calories) in the flesh and a modest amount of white fat (known as leaf fat) surrounding the flesh.
• Avoid buying steaks that are cut thinner than 3/4-inch (1.5 cm) thick since they are often dry and difficult to sear without overcooking.
• If steaks are very thick (more than 1 1/2 inches/4 cm) cut notches in the surrounding fat so that the steak doesn’t curl as it cooks.
• Bring steak to room temperature before cooking.
• Although marinating tender steaks is optional, all steaks taste better if lightly brushed with oil and sprinkled generously with salt and pepper just before cooking.
• Preheat the grill on high before adding meat.
• Place a 1-inch (2.5 cm) rib eye, porterhouse or T-bone steak on your hot grill. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, turning only once, for 6 to 7 minutes for rare (135F/57C), 9 to 12 minutes for medium (155 F/68C) and (I’m cringing, but if you must), 12 to 15 minutes for well-done (166 F/72C).
• Still worried about cooking to the perfect doneness? Use an instant read thermometer. I’ll be talking more about them tomorrow so if that term just confused you, check back in 24 hours.
• Flank steaks benefit from being marinated overnight and should never be cooked beyond medium. Place a flank steak on a preheated grill and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, turning once. After resting, cut across the grain into thin strips.
• Tenderloin or filet steaks should not be marinated for longer than 1 hour and, because they are so lean, should not be cooked beyond medium doneness. Place a 1-inch (2.5 cm) medallion of tenderloin on a preheated pan and cook, turning once, for about 5 minutes for rare or 6 to 7 minutes for medium.

All across this great nation spring is, if not in full bloom, at least in the air at last. That means that many of us will be turning our thoughts to grilling once again. The first flush of grilling euphoria is usually happily satisfied with a juicy burger or a competently cooked steak. To ensure that our first efforts this year are as enjoyable as the practiced ones were at the end of the season last year, I thought we should revisit the basics this week. This week I promise to share my grilling wisdom, such as it is. Whether you use this info this week or wait one or two or a few more, I hope this series of posts will put you in to a warm weather state of mind.

But, before we get cooking, let’s kick off the grilling season with some tips about buying a grill:

I find shopping (except for food and throw cushions – don’t ask, I know it’s weird) generally daunting but buying a barbecue can be a truly overwhelming experience for anyone. How do you choose between the copious number of models available within the staggering price range out there? It’s not easy my friends, so take a moment and read these few points. They might help you when you get to the store:

• BTU’s (British thermal units) measure a grill’s maximum heat output. More doesn’t mean better, just hotter. Plus, the more BTU’s, the more gas the grill burns and the more expensive it is to operate.
• Assess your needs. For most families a 400 square inch grill is sufficient and will allow you to grill more than one recipe at a time. Remember that you only need a space about the size of one hand to cook enough food for one person.
• Buy a grill with a rotisserie spit attachment if you like to cook whole chickens or large cuts of meat. Rotisserie cooking bastes foods continuously with natural juices and prevents food from scorching. It’s one of the summertime pleasures I look forward to all winter long.
• Manufacturers say modern stainless steel grates are better than cast iron or porcelain grates found on less expensive grills since the convex shape of today’s stainless steel grates traps heat, making up for the fact stainless steel is a poor conductor. Stainless steel and porcelain also won’t rust and don’t need to be seasoned the way cast iron does. That said, professional chefs stand by their cast iron grills for durability, even heat distribution and great grill marks. Whatever the material, grates should be thick enough to sear meat nicely.
• Natural gas grills cost significantly less to operate than propane grills and you never have to worry about running out of fuel. That said, the cost of having an outdoor natural gas hook-up installed is at least $125 and it cuts down on the flexibility of moving your grill. This is a consideration since more of us are barbecuing year round and most people like to move the barbecue to a more sheltered spot once fall arrives.
• Check for wobbling. If the stand wobbles on the showroom floor just imagine what cooking will be like when it’s sitting on interlocking brick.
• What’s under the grill? Good gas grills have ceramic briquettes or heat deflector plates that disperse heat evenly, create smoke when juices dribble down, and act as a buffer between the heat source and the food to prevent flare-ups.
• Ignition switches help to light the grill safely and quickly without using lighter fluid or matches.
• Domed lids reduce cooking time, conserve fuel and trap in the smoke that makes food tasty. High domes mean larger foods like turkeys and roasts can be cooked. Best quality grill lids are coated in porcelain to create a thermal convection style-cooking chamber.
• Consider how difficult the unit will be to assemble and transport home. Average assembly times for gas grills is 2 1/2 hours so you may want to buy from a store that offers assembly and local delivery (usually about $50 extra).
• Charcoal grills have the advantage of being portable but require patience and finesse to create a good fire. They are less expensive at the outset but over time cost more to fuel than gas grills. Good charcoal grills have a steady base, a firebox that is easy to empty, good flow through ventilation, an easily raised or lowered heavy-duty grate and a domed lid with adjustable vent holes in the top.

And that is what I have to say about buying a grill. May the force be with you as you shop!