Hungry For New Ways to Raise Your Grilling I.Q.?

Grilling is a popular outdoor pastime, but a recent opinion poll found that when it comes to manning the grill, 54% of respondents felt that their best efforts were still only luke-warm! Fortunately, May is the USA's National BBQ Month and the perfect time to make catastrophic cookouts a thing of the past. The Hearth, Patio and BBQ Association has collected etiquette tips on everything, from the best place to put your grilling flippers to keeping vegetarian guests in high spirits. So if charcoal brings out the chef in you, step up for a scorching summer of blunder free barbeques!

Get Your Grill (Lessons) On!

When Invited To A Barbecue:

DO feel okay bringing your own sauce.

DO expect the meat to be provided by the host, but pull your weight by bringing your own sides and beverages, (cocktails are always popular)! Go the extra mile and bring enough to share with all the family.

DON'T touch the grill! Only the host/hostess should 'man' the grill. As a guest you can look, but don't touch.

As The Host Of A Barbecue:

DO have all grilled food ready at relatively the same time.

DO offer grilled vegetarian options.

DON'T feel obligated to invite your neighbors. There is no need to extend an invitation, even if they can see and smell that you're having a barbecue! (Unless you want to!)

In general, when grilling with others:

DO start eating your food if your meat is finished before everyone else's – after all you don't want your freshly grilled meat to get cold.

DO stake your claim at a community grill by laying out your grilling utensils or meat.

DO be considerate of others – it is only appropriate to flip your own meat and the meat of others when manning a grill.

For more grilling tips and recipes, visit www.hpba.org/nbm

If you would like a holiday while the family learns to spice up meal times:

http://www.travellady.com/Issues/March07/4009FamilyThatCooks.htm

Edited by Sarah Wilman