My Take on Grilling, and Books by Real Professionals

Looking through the news for something about grilling, I found quite a few articles.

Reviews, anyway.

Some of them were more of editorial advertising. My opinion.

Not that I blame anybody involved. If I'd written a how-to book for grillers, I'd want to sell it, too. Maybe I will, someday. Just to give you a sort of head-start on later readers, here's the secret of my success as a year-round griller.

I put the burger, steak, whatever, on the grill. Then I wait until it starts turning brown on the top side. (This isn't generally recommended, but it works for me since this household eats fairly thin slices of burgers and steaks.)

Then, I flip it. Or, more often, them. And, repeat the process until they feel done - and, if I do it right, before they catch fire.

There you have it: my secret of grilling, in 68 words. Add another 9,932 to 199,932 words, and you've got a cookbook. (source: "Guidelines to Average Manuscript Lengths," Gloria T. Delamar)

There's a bit more to how I turn frozen slabs of meat into something distinctly better than what comes off a stove top: but don't bother waiting for that book. I've written about what I do on a not-quite-ready-for-prime-time website, Easy Griller. (easygriller.com)

Or, see what the professionals are selling this year, in this nowhere-near-extensive set of links:

• "Chef Emeril Lagasse Q&A: New books on grilling; quick healthy meals"
  Entertaining, Home & Garden, nj.com (November 10, 2009)
• "Favourite cookbooks of 2009: The chef is talking to you"
  The Gazette (Montreal) (December 4, 2009)
• "Holiday Books / Cooking"
  Sunday Book Review, The New York Times (December 3, 2009)

Thanksgiving: "The The Rodney Dangerfield of Holidays" - Which has Nothing to do With Grilling

This op-ed piece doesn't have all that much to say about grilling (just one word, actually: "grilling.") On the other hand, it's a pretty good set of observations: and a somewhat thoughtful variation on the traditional 'whatever happened to the holidays' laments we get this time of year.

"Second Thoughts:The Rodney Dangerfield of Holidays"
EDITORAL by Dave Mishur, The Community Times, Pontiac, Illinois (November 26, 2009)

"Thanksgiving gets no respect. It's like the fat little kid on the corner of the playground that everybody ignores at recess. Like the scrawny non-athletic runt surrounded by two all-star older brothers, Thanksgiving languishes, almost forgotten, between the twin towers of Halloween and Christmas. Those are the major Feasts.

"From late October through December there now exists a bacchanalia of syrupy songs, glaring lights and infantile decorations. Whoever invented the miniature pumpkin lights strung on trees, or worse yet, miniature skeletons, should be strangled by them. If we have to put up with these things, where then, are the little turkey and cornucopia lights to wrap around our homes at Thanksgiving? Where are the Thanksgiving carols, the gifts, the tricks and treats?

"Thanksgiving it seems, is like the giant meal the Romans fed to their gladiators before sending them into the arena of slaughter. For some, it's no more than a big preparation for the real thing, the real deal of Christmas shopping, which begins the very next day.

"It's a preamble to Black Friday. Eat your fill now, because once you start shopping there won't even be time for a snack. Most stores and shops are open on Thanksgiving, just like any ordinary day...."

I wrote something like this - in desperation, since I had no original ideas whatsoever - for another blog. It doesn't have anything much to do with grilling, either:

• "The True Meaning of Christmas, Robot Dinosaurs, Designated Drivers and Julekaga"
  Loonfoot Falls Chronicle-Gazette (December 4, 2009)

There must be something in the news about grilling. I'll take another look.

Grilled Chicken Salad: A How-2 With a Photo

"Can’t Cook . . . Try Delicious Grilled Chicken Salad"
Eat. Drink. Better. (November 3, 2009)

"For this post I am going to express one of my favorite simple recipes, and a very healthy one at that–Grilled Chicken Salad...."

Which is just what Jason Karnosky proceeds to do. The blogger also addresses a concern many people seem to have: that a meal can't be good, unless someone wastes spends hours of laborious preparation. And, preferably, uses exotic ingredients like yak butter and hummingbird lips.

"...Now your probably thinking, this is probably too simple to be expressed on a Blog. Well I disagree. If a little extra time is spent with preparation, this can be one of those great easy meals, that you can remake again and again...."

The rest of the post describes how to make this meal - which is a (fairly) simple process - and discusses how it can become a regular part of your eating habits.

I suppose a purist could quibble about the lack of the traditional ordered list of ingredients and outlined procedures. But, in my opinion, if a reader can't figure out how to make this grilled chicken salad from Mr. Karnosky's paragraphs: that reader had better stick to TV diners.

Finally: there's a photo of the end result (pre-meal). Looks good.

A Really Fine Grill: For Someone Else

"Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™ Hybrid Grills Bring Precision, Versatility to the Outdoor Kitchen During the Fall Grilling Season"
Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet press release (October 2, 2009)

"With football season underway and the fall holidays fast approaching, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™ says it's time to kick off grilling's second season.

"The Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association estimates that 40 percent of Americans close up their grills for the fall and winter seasons.Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™ thinks that amounts to too many people missing out on the enjoyment that comes from grilling in their outdoor kitchens later into the year...."

I took a quick look at the Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet website - it's fairly impressive. They sell outdoor grills, outdoor refrigerators - outdoor kitchens, even. And T-shirts.

The press release isn't just fluff and 'buy our stuff' rhetoric. There are some pretty good bits of advice - like 'keep the grill lid closed.' They say it's important in fall, when the temperature goes down. True enough, but it's a good idea in summer, too. As the press release points out, with the lid down, you concentrate ("lock in" they say) the smoke - which in my book is the reason for outdoor grilling in the first place. It's the smoke that gives meat a taste you won't get on the stove.

Me? I'm not likely to buy their products. Their outdoor grills start at a mere $1,895 and work their way up to a beauty that goes for $11,995. The grill I'm using now, I bought at Wal-Mart. For about a tenth the price of their low-end unit.

It looks like Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet has a great product line - but it's not for someone at my end of the economic spectrum.

Which is okay.

From the looks of it, that $12,000-minus-$5 grill is (probably) worth the 'extra' $11,845 I'd pay for it, compared to what I've got. There's a plethora of controls, trays, storage space, and the option to use wood for grilling - which should add significantly to the flavor.

That super-grill looks great.

But - and this is important - pretty good results are possible with a $150 grill. I'm all for someone who's got the income and the interest to go high-end: provided they get high quality as well as a hefty price tag. But there's no reason to feel left out at the other end: I enjoy what I've got.

One thing I really appreciated about the press release was the emphasis on out-of-season grilling. I think American culture's pegged grilling as a summer-only activity. I'll grant that it takes someone like me to grill in anything short of a blizzard - but grilling in autumn would be a great way of stretching the 'outdoor activities' part of your life.