This is a close-up view of what I see nearly every weekday morning just a few blocks from my home. Seattle’s  Fisherman’s Terminal is located on the freshwater shipping lane constructed in the early part of last century and fishing boats have been moored here for more than 100 years. If you are a fan of the cable TV show “Deadliest Catch,” boats just like those featured fishing in the icy cold and dangerous waters of the Bering Sea in Alaska are also moored here. (That’s a fire boat in the foreground.)

I like to buy fresh fish here, either at the fish market called “Wild Salmon” or directly from one of the fishing boats tied up on the western moorage. I get fresh salmon, halibut, cod, tuna, snapper, clams, mussels, crab, shrimp and prawns here. It’s fresh and it’s almost always perfect for grilling!

This last week I purchased two 6 oz. fresh wild salmon fillets and several dozen prawns and decided to grill these for a meal of combined ethnicity:  CB’S EZ Grilled Teriyaki Salmon Burritos.  I know, sounds kinda goofy – but it is so tasty!

First I prep the salmon with just a bit of salt, pepper and spray with canola oil (paying particular attention to coat the skin.) Placing it skin-side down on very hot, clean grates I turn the heat to about MEDIUM-HIGH (because I was using porcelain coated cast iron grates this technique works, if you have stainless steel tubes or grates, then leave the heat higher.) I close the lid and check it in about 4-5 minutes.  Then I brush on a light coating of bottled teriyaki sauce – you can make your own with a touch of brown sugar and soy sauce.

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One of the earliest contributors to Sizzle on the Grill was Mike Stines – accomplished chef, writer and author of one of my favorite cookbooks – “Mastering Barbecue.”  Every week or so he sends me a couple of the recipes he’s working on and they are tasty tasty tasty!  I love pesto sauce on pasta and with grilled meat – especially grilled chicken – and when he sent me this recipe I had to pass it along to you! It’s pretty easy to make and if you’ve never enjoyed pesto – this would be a good starting point.
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This time of year many of my neighbors are experiencing the farmer’s dilemma – too much harvest and not enough market – and I’ve been the grateful recipient of numerous baskets of this excess.  On Sunday afternoon as I stroll the local farmers market the stalls showcase an abundance of fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables that are a feast for the senses.

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The Char-Broil INfrared Tour stopped into the Old Pecan Street Festival in Austin, TX this past weekend and WOW – Texans love their grilling! The infrared grills were all the crowd could talk about!

This week we will be heading to the Taste of St. Louis in downtown St. Louis, MO. Make sure to stop by and see us, as well as the Taste main stage where there will be cooking demos on the 100% infrared Char-Broil RED grill!

St. Louis, Char-Broil is coming….Are you IN?

To see the map of all Char-Broil summer tours and find one nearest to you – CLICK HERE

When you drop into take a look at the new Users Forums you may notice that TMB is a pretty active contributor.  It’s obvious he is enthusiastic about cooking and especially enjoys sharing his ideas for using one of his favorite tools – The Big Easy. This week he sent me an email with several pictures of his latest efforts along with some tips he’s developed for preparing ribs. I want to point out that he offers up a technique for preparation that involves “cookus-interruptus” – whereby he removes the ribs after cooking a short while to apply seasoning and wrap in foil before returning them to the cooker to finish.  This is a technique you can use to prepare ribs regardless of what type of cooker you have. (more…)

“I am shopping for a fresh turkey because I do not want the hassle of defrosting a frozen one. When should I buy it and how do I know if it is fresh? What does – fresh, on the label really mean?”

September is National Chicken Month and the holidays are already here for many or are just around the corner.  You may be considering preparing a delicious oil-less ‘fried’ turkey in The Big Easy, rotisserie turkey on the grill or barbeque turkey in a smoker at one of your family gatherings. With all of the changes in how food is farmed, harvested, shipped, stored and labeled I thought it might be helpful if you had some information about the USDA definitions for “fresh” poultry.

For a free copy of the USDA PDF entitled The Poultry Label Says “Fresh” – CLICK HERE to read or save as a file on your computer.

To view PDF files you must have Adobe Reader installed on your computer.

My good friends Linda & Gary are retired school teachers who have earned the time to spend a couple of months each year in a climate much warmer and dryer than may be experienced in Seattle during the annual rain festival. (For those of you interested in attending this event it usually begins in early September and ends in late August.) During their winter trip last year they took some absolutely beautiful photos of their experiences in Mexico. Each has a great ‘eye’ for noticing and then framing an interesting shot so the colors, shapes and scenes of street markets and seascapes were delightful. One photo, actually taken upon their return to the U.S. and somewhere in California, features Gary sitting on the street curb with a plate of ribs in front of him. He’s using both hands to hold a big ol rib to his lips and there’s a smear of sauce on his cheeks. Linda refers to this as his “Meat Fury.”

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Cooking and eating together is a wonderful thing.  Preparing meals, regardless of your expertise, with friends and family and then enjoying them together makes the food even more nourishing!  I enjoy hearing from folks all over the world who want to share their stories of great meals, recipes, tips, questions and comments because it seems like, for just a moment or two, I get to share in their gathering.  How fortunate am I? Very!

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When I was in junior high school I had a crush on the prettiest girl in my grade. Robin was both intelligent and beautiful.  An only child, her parents took her everywhere with them and at the tender age of 12 or 13, while most of us kids were enjoying the delicacies of take-out pizza, chicken & Chinese food (hey it was the 60’s!) – she was already experiencing the splendor of wonderfully prepared “adult” fare.  I was invited to her home for a dinner and my mother made me wear a dress shirt and slacks.  I felt like a goof – but was glad I did dress up because, unlike our family meals around a kitchen table in regular clothes, her family of three ate in the dining room and dad wore a coat and tie.  I thought I was in a TV show!
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Regular readers know I prefer to taste the meat and not the spices or sauce. And I also preach the concept of “Searing & Holding” to get the best tasting steaks, chops, chicken, burgers, etc. that are grilled to perfection.  Those are two things I heartily endorse. And here is a third:

This summer I’ve been using a collection of new accessories from Char-Broil that I have to tell you – are great. Simply great. It’s called the Magneto series of Clips, Hooks, Paper Towel Holder, Coozie Holder, Tool Rest and the ‘little knobby things.’ (OK that’s not the name of the last item but it’s exactly what they are!) All of the Magneto accessories solve real problems and I’m pleased to recommend them to you.  I do have two favorites that I simply don’t know what I did before they came around…oh yes I do remember – I was frustrated and complained a lot. (more…)