Simple tips and smokin' hot recipes to get you all fired up about grilling

For a long time, barbecue was considered a meat eater's domain. "At best, vegetarian grilling was an afterthought," says Andrea Chesman, author of The New Vegetarian Grill: 250 Flame-Kissed Recipes for Fresh, Inspired Meals. "People threw a couple of veggies on a skewer and that was all you got as a vegetarian option."

But barbecuing can add a whole new dimension to summer vegetables. A brush of olive oil brings fragrance and flavor to summer produce. And veggies don't just cook on the grill, they caramelize-the high heat releases their natural sweetness. "Smoke gives a flavor that's very compatible with vegetables as well," Chesman adds. The following tips and recipes will prove beyond a doubt that, when it comes to grilling, veggies rule!

Smoky Baby Portobello Sliders (pictured)
Serves 4
Big or small, portobello mushrooms make the perfect grilled "burger." Portobellos' meaty texture and rich, robust

I was being interviewed for a radio show the other day and the host asked me about summer comfort foods-what to grill, what to bring to a party and of course, what's for dessert. I immediately suggested one of my absolute top picks for summertime comfort food recipes: Beer-Barbecued Chicken (see recipe below). The EatingWell test kitchen developed this recipe as a healthier version of the famous beer can chicken. If you're not familiar with that method, you basically stick a chicken on top of an open can of beer and stand the whole thing up on your grill over indirect heat to yield a moist flavorful chicken. Someone who called into the show said it's also known as "beer-butt chicken." I think I'll go with that name from now on!

Regardless of the name, our recipe makes the most juicy and succulent chicken. Our method doesn't involve a can so you can use a tasty micro brew instead of a less flavorful mass-produced beer. Yes, we can be a bit beer-snobby over here at EatingWell, but

Our list of tips for taking food outdoors will help you easily pack and plan a moveable feast.

1) Choose recipes that can be served at room temperature and don't require a knife and fork. Wait to dress salads until you reach your destination and are ready to eat.

2) For salads and dips, use square or rectangular storage containers. They take up less space than round containers when packed into a cooler.

20 delicious summer salads to serve at your next picnic or barbecue.

3) Before sealing lids on containers, use a layer of plastic wrap to help minimize leakage. Pack dressings and sauces in containers with a layer or two of plastic wrap under the lid and then sealed inside one or two resealable plastic bags.

4) Don't forget serving utensils and sharp knives.

5) Remember to pack a corkscrew, bring boxed wine, or bring wine in a screw-cap bottle.

20 great wines for $10 or less.

6) Pack cloth napkins and tablecloths. They're great for wrapping sharp knives, serving utensils,

Recipes and tips for the season's best ingredients

It's summer, and throughout the land there are tall stalks waving in the breeze, sweet kernels ready for harvest. To make the most of the golden ears filling the markets, we've got dozens of recipe ideas.

Recipe tips:

• Shop for the Best

When selecting ears of corn, look for bright green husks with damp, light yellow silk poking out.

• Prep Easily

To wipe silk off an ear of corn, rub with a wet paper towel. To cut kernels off the cob, stand it on end and run a sharp paring knife straight down the sides.

• Fire Up the Grill

Grilling is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to cook corn-the heat caramelizes the natural sugars, imparting a sweeter, more intense flavor than boiling. To grill corn, use a hot fire and simply toss the ears on the grill, silk and all. (If you want a smokier flavor, first remove a few layers of the husk.)

Soups and Salads

• Cold Avocado Corn Soup with

Like many other Americans, I hosted a BBQ on the 4th of July. Unlike many Americans, I was expecting some seriously finicky eaters to attend: vegetarians, food critics, and a whole posse of eco-conscious yoga instructors. Frankly, I was nervous about crafting a menu. I felt like I had two choices: Go fancy or go traditional. In other words: Pander to the need for diversity (salmon, turkey, and veggie burgers) . . . on whole-wheat buns . . . with exotic spices and condiments. Or fire up a mountain of 80% lean beef burgers, toast the regular-Joe buns, simply point at the ketchup bottle, and let the anti-carnivorous eat grilled peppers, salad, and chips and dip.

Love burgers? Check out 21 top-rated burger recipes including beef, turkey and veggie

Thanks to the input of my wife, Dorothy (a vegetarian with unusual compassion for meat lovers), we made a little bit of everything. She is Polish so this is in her blood; she makes way too much food knowing that we can always store

When I was a kid, my parents owned a fried chicken restaurant for a couple of years ("TJ's Fried Chicken"... I don't know who TJ was, they bought the business with the name). I ate a little too much chicken during those years. I would go to the restaurant after school to help out cleaning up and sometimes taking orders. My after school snack was anything we served in the restaurant, most of it was fried (chicken, egg rolls, biscuits, rice...) and as an eleven year old, that was A-Okay with me. But after a couple of years of after school snacks, I was "over" chicken... or as my friend PJ might say "Chicken and I broke up." I do still love fried chicken on occasion, but generally I have a love-hate relationship with chicken. So imagine my surprise when I started craving BBQ chicken. Usually when my stomach wants BBQ, I think of ribs or pulled pork or maybe brisket. But chicken? I don't crave chicken. (Well, except for an occasional perfect roast chicken).


Most of the BBQ chicken that I

Intimidated by the grill? I was: Visions of burnt burgers or, worse, a burnt-down house danced through my head. Then I read these awesome grilling tips for women from Elizabeth Karmel, founder of GirlsattheGrill.com and GrillFriends.com, author of Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned: A Complete Guide to Flavoring Food for the Grill, and executive chef at New York's Hill Country barbecue restaurant. Use these seven tips for everything from lighting the grill to figuring out when the burgers are good and ready:

Love BBQ but afraid you'll overdo it? Check out these 10 perfectly-portioned grill meals.

1. Charcoal versus Gas

There are two kinds of grills: charcoal and gas. If you're looking to buy a grill, here's how to decide which type you want:

Charcoal. If you like the hands-on experience of building a fire and can wait 30 minutes for the coals to be ready, charcoal is for you.

* Requires building, starting, and maintaining the fire

* Requires disposing of

bigwine4th.jpgJuly 4th is days away. By now, your grilling menu is set (if not, check out our extensive July 4th menus). The next decision is what wine to serve? Look no further. BA's resident wine expert, Senior Editor Heather John, shares her ultimate grill wine as well as four other top picks. Happy 4th!

THE ULTIMATE GRILL WINE:

2005 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge, France ($12)
The most versatile barbecue wine, this Cotes du Rhone red is a blend of Syrah and Grenache with raspberry, rosemary and classic white pepper notes that stands up to steak but won't overpower pork
PAIR WITH: Grilled lamb, steak, pork, vegetables

Related: 80 different hot dog toppings you've probably never thought about.

BEST OF THE REST:

2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($14)
Citrus and tropical fruit flavors balanced by crisp acidity.
PAIR WITH: Grilled seafood or trout, turkey burgers, grilled vegetables

2007 Pewsey Vale Riesling, Eden Valley, South Australia ($14)
A lush, dry Riesling