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)