Selecting a Grill for Outdoor Cooking: Part One

Today, I'm presenting a special guest post from the handsome and talented Papa Diva - who, incidentally, is in the market for a new grill himself. He has graciously offered to share his thoughts on the various types of outdoor grills ... for those lucky enough to have outdoor space in which to grill! This post is the first in Papa Diva's Out Door Grilling Series. Enjoy!

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Papa Diva is aware that not everyone lives in NY City, some of us actually live in the provinces where cooking outside is a requirement; along with lawn mowing and mulching. I thought some thoughts selecting and using a grill might be in order as we near the official opening of the potato salad season.

First, we need a glossary of terms:

Barbecue or barbecuing: You will notice that I avoid the use of the term barbecue. That actually refers to a method of very slow cooking of inexpensive cuts of meat. Southerners wince when we Yankees refer to grilling as barbecuing.

BTU: Stands for British Thermal Unit. One BTU equals the energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one (1) degree Fahrenheit. Many gas fired grills are rated in BTU's/hr. It is usually best to buy a grill with the highest BTU rating your budget allows. We will tell you why that's important when we talk about grilling steaks.

Fuel: You can buy a grill that burns charcoal, charcoal briquets, natural gas or propane gas. There are also electric grills.

Natural Gas: Natural gas is a utility delivered to your home through pipes in the street. It does not burn as hot as propane. The purchased grill must be set up for burning natural gas. It requires a different nozzle than a grill specified for use with propane gas.

Propane Gas: This is the most common grill in the Northeast. Grillmiesters in the South and Southwest think we are barbarians for cooking with gas.

Charcoal: This is the stuff for real grillmiesters. Real charcoal (often called lump charcoal) provides the hottest fire of all fuels. This is very important for searing steaks and such. If you are the Diva Hubby, who likes his steaks black on the outside and red on the inside, searing is important. The Diva Hubby is actually a certified grillmiester. A temperature of at least 600 degrees Fahrenheit is needed for searing. A charcoal fire will yield a temperature from 850 to 1,000 degrees. Real charcoal also imparts a smoky flavor to the food that can't be duplicated by any other fuel.

Charcoal Briquets: Made with charcoal, some fillers and some chemicals to facilitate faster lighting. Less expensive than real charcoal. Will not add the same flavor as real charcoal. Some Southerners thing it adds a chemical flavor.

At least one company, Brinkmann, makes a duel fuel grill that has a charcoal grill on one side and a propane grill on the other.

Brinkmann also makes a model with a separate sear burner. You sear the steak on the sear burner and then move it to the regular grill surface to complete cooking. Unless you are the Diva Hubby, in which case you are through cooking when the sear is complete!

What to buy? It all depends on what you're looking for; ease of use, availability of fuel, cost, etc., are all important factors. A grill set up to burn propane gas will be the easiest to find, and the easiest to use. Once ignited, you will be cooking in ten minutes, or less. A charcoal grill will not be ready to cook on for approximately 30 minutes after lighting. Weber makes a grill that uses a small propane tank to light the charcoal (or briquets) so can begin cooking in 10 to 15 minutes with a model such as this.

Many gas grills now include a side burner, usually rated at 12,000 BTU's. The side burner is useful for boiling water for the ears of corn that go well with seared steaks.

Stay tuned for Part Two in our series, as we have not exhausted this complex subject!

So, what sort of grill do you fancy? Hungry Diva family wants to know! And, if you have any questions for Papa Diva, shout them out in the comments.

Happy Grilling!

The First Deadly Sin ...

In lieu of our (now) traditional Friday snack program, today I'm going to confess a little ... and you'll have to do your snacking vicariously. The last Friday of Lent seems like a good time for a confession - and this one's all about lust. My lust for the shiny, happy, ultra cool Electrolux ICON Professional appliances pictured above.

Tuesday evening, the good folks at Electrolux treated a number of the NYC Foodbuzz bloggers to an evening of fun, facts, and some seriously good eats featuring the food of Chef Brad Steelman from The River Cafe. The event was held at the Desiron Gallery and a more delicious way of spending an evening I cannot imagine.

Chef Steelman kicked things off with a few passed hors d'oeuvres - my favorite among them was this delightful curried lobster salad on a crisp, savory lentil wafer. What an amazing combination of flavors! The salad contained some golden raisins that had been plumped in Sauterne and was garnished with micro cilantro. ~swoon~ I could have devoured a plate of these on my own ... and I don't even like lobster!


Some seared tuna on a bed of seaweed and wasabi mayo, and a beautifully seared breast of duck with a rhubarb reduction followed. Will anyone be surprised if I tell you that I passed on the tuna? No? Right. I did try the duck and it was delicious. Moist, tender and the piquant rhubarb reduction was the perfect foil for the rich duck.

The Electrolux ICON series really shined in the two demonstrations that followed. Chef Steelman prepared an exquisite spring risotto while highlighting some of the unique features of the ICON Induction Cooktop. The asparagus bedecked risotto was so good I failed to take a picture of it ... because I was too busy scarfing it down! I did take some notes on the cooktop though and I must say - its impressive. Induction cooking is fast, accurate and thoroughly eco-friendly. The pans heat as a result of an electromagnetic connection between the burner and the pan - meaning the pans heat rapidly, evenly, and both the surrounding air and the chef stay cool. How sweet is that?!

He then prepared a luscious loin of lamb that was dusted with some dried porcini prior to being rolled inside a mixture of ground lamb, rosemary and mushrooms. Chef Steelman pan seared the roulade on the cooktop and finished it in the super sexy ICON Wall Oven. He used the convection setting and the whole dish was finished in about 12 minutes. And to think ... I usually spend 7 hours crafting my Easter leg of lamb!

A braised spring onion accompanied the finished lamb, and a happy combination it was indeed. Magnificent! The wall oven features smooth-glide racks, a stay cool door, and a stunning wave-touch control panel. I want it. I want it now.

Again, it should come as no surprise that the molten chocolate cake was the star of the show for me. Chef Steelman used this classic dessert to highlight the features of the ICON High Speed 3 in 1 Oven. Its a convection oven, microwave and high speed oven all wrapped up in one sleek little package. These stunning little, gold dust-topped treats were ready in about 4 minutes. Will wonders never cease?

Suffice it to say that I am in lust. Deep, deep lust with the ICON series. I want it all. And I would have it all ... if only the husband would let me renovate the kitchen ... again!

HUGE thanks to both Electrolux and Chef Brad Steelman for treating us to such a spectacular feast!

Have a beautiful weekend and bon appetit!

Cooking Green ...

I know what you're thinking ... its a new week, a new month, a new year - so naturally, today's post will be about resolutions. Right? Not exactly. Those of you who've been with me from the beginning will know how I feel about resolutions. I don't like them and, in general, I resolve ... nothing. Its my belief that change happens when we are ready to embrace it and not because the calendar turns.

I do, however, recognize that others enjoy engaging in such folly and, gracious hostess that I am, I like to encourage them to do so at my annual New Year's Day party. Its our tradition to have the guests write their resolutions on slips of paper and place them into a bowl. Eventually, we all draw a slip from the bowl and read it aloud. My theory being that we seldom keep our own resolutions, perhaps its easier - and certainly more comical - to adopt someone else's.

Some of the resolutions are genuine and others ... mine, usually ... a bit more frivolous. In past years I've resolved to: "moisturize more" ... I didn't; "wear more hats" ... I didn't; and this year I resolved to "form a better relationship with my crock pot." You can probably guess how that will pan out ... and you can read about the only resolution I've ever kept here.

All of that to say that today's post isn't so much about resolutions as it is a confession. I suck at cooking eggs. Really. The husband is the breakfast chef in Divaland and we are all the better for it. I can tackle the most complicated recipe with ease, but ask me to scramble you an egg and you will be sorry indeed ... until now.

Much to my surprise and delight, Mama and Papa Diva gifted me with a wonderful new pan on Christmas morning and I think its going to revolutionize my breakfast cookery! This pan and I have produced two incredible, edible, egg dishes so far and we've only just met. Color me happy! The pan is part of Cuisinart's GreenGourmet line and I adore it. It has a ceramic based, petroleum-free, non-stick surface that provides quick and even heating - which makes cooking (and cleaning up) a dream. And, happily, its as green as green can be.

The stay-cool handle is made from recycled materials, the anodized construction provides superior heat conductivity, requiring less energy to heat it; and it is free from the nasty off-gassing chemicals that are typically used in creating non-stick cookware ... meaning, nothing gross or toxic will leech into your food. Bonus!

You can read more about these magical pans on Cuisnart's site and they can be purchased there as well. They are also available at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I'm thrilled with this gift and can't wait to explore its wonders more fully. I've so far used it to saute spinach, pan fry some tilapia, and have even managed to scramble myself up some amazing eggs. Will wonders never cease?! I recommend it highly and thank the parental units profusely ... breakfast is on me next time you visit!

Now, if only I can get this excited about that crock pot ... stay tuned. Meanwhile, what's your resolution? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetite!