Buying Your First Grill: Know What's Hot Off the Grill

Are you buying a grill for the first time, upgrading to a bigger one, or downsizing one? Which grill is the right one for you?

1. Is your grill budget: A. pretty limited B. fairly generous
2. You cook out: A. just once or twice a month in the summer B. every chance I get and every night
3. What you enjoy the most about grilling is: A. getting that smoky flavor of grill-cooked food B. being able to toss burgers or steaks on the grill at a moment's notice
4. Your favorite childhood treat to make was: A. s'mores over a campfire B. mini cakes in an Easy-Bake Oven
5. Your summer cooking motto is: A. be prepared B. carpe diem (seize the day!)

If most of your answers were A, invest in a charcoal grill. They're less expensive and smaller, therefore easier to store away. This grill will give a true smoky flavor. Make sure when buying that the grill is staple, sturdy, and easy to clean.

If you answered mostly B: a hassle-free gas grill is for you. You can light this grill and it's ready in 15 minutes or so. Look for a model with a fuel gauge and dual or extra burners. Get a good warranty, so a non-working part won't jack up your convenience.

Did you know that your backyard grill can do everything an oven can? You just have to know which of the two grilling methods to use. There's: Direct-heat cooking-This is placing food directly over the coals on a grill rack, similar to your oven broiler. The heat emanates from below. Hamburgers, steak, and sausage are best suited for this cooking method.

You can also saute' using this method. Set a skillet on the grill to heat it. Then, remove the skillet from heat, add oil, and place it back on the grill. You're ready!

Indirect-heat cooking-The hot coals are arranged around a drip pan so that the heat's restricted to the edges of the food. This causes food to cook slowly, like an oven. A pot roast, a whole chicken, or even a cake can be baked using this method! To achieve, place a drip pan the size of the food you're cooking, in the center of the grill and mound the coals around the pan. Place the grill rack and the food over the pan, so that drips don't hit the coals.

Remember : Remove chicken skin and trim fat from meat to prevent flare-ups and ensure even cooking before grilling. To prevent meat and veggies from sticking to the grill rack, coat it lightly with cooking spray or a little bit of oil at least 10 minutes before cooking. This will also "season" the metal. When making desserts, roasts, or whole chickens, make sure your grill has a cover and you use oven-and stovetop-safe cookware!

If you have a gas grill, light only one side of the heating element and place food on the other side. Also: bring food to room temperature before grilling. Coals are ready when covered with a thin layer of gray ash (within about 20 minutes).

To raise the heat on a charcoal grill, scrape away the top layer of ash from the coals and push them closer together. To lower heat, push coals farther apart, raise the grill rack, or mist coals with water. Always use a meat thermometer when possible. Chicken is cooked at 170 F, pork, 160 F, lamb and beef steaks at 140 F for rare (170 F for well-done). Always cook burgers until well-done.

For a crowd pleaser, set up a shish-kabob (or kebab) buffet so your guests or family can take wooden shewers (choose square-shaped ones instead of round to prevent food from sliding off into the charcoal. And the wooden ones will hold food more securely than metal. Soak wooden skewers in water 20 minutes prior to grilling to prevent them from burning) and string together their own combinations of fast grilling favorites (shrimp, scallops, thin chicken, pork, or beff strips, and an assortment of summer veggies like cherry tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and onion wedges). This instant icebreaker also saves you the pre-party prep work. For added flavor, let your guests brush their creations with mustard, prepared salad dressing, balsamic vinegar or olive oil and sprinkle with herbs. Finally, provide a selection of colorful nontoxic permanent markers so that the guests cam mark the dull skewer ends and identify their mouthwatering masterpieces once they've been grilled.

And to get the show on the road:

SEAFOOD KABOBS (KEBABS)

2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
3/4 lb. swordfish, cut into 1 and 1/2 " chunks
3/4 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
16 cherry tomatoes
6 scallions, cut into 2" pieces
3 cups cooked rice
2 Tbs. chopped parsley

Heat grill to high for direct heat or position broiler rack 2"-3" from heat source and heat broiler. In bowl, whisk together first five ingredients. Alternately thread swordfish, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and scallions onto skewers. Grill or broil 8 minutes, turning once, and brushing often with lemon juice mixture. On serving platter, combine rice and parsley, top with kabobs (kebabs). Total time: 20 minutes Makes 4 servings