Summer Grillin'

June is the number one month for grilling according to the National Food Safety Board.  With holidays like Memorial Day weekend to kick off the official grilling season there's lots of events like the Cleveland Rib Burn off to get you motivated.  Just because the Amherst Fire Department heads over everytime you get the grill out shouldn't discourage you.

Warm weather, holiday entertaining, and just enjoying the great outdoors are reasons to fire up the grill and fire up some fun with some great books from the Amherst Public Library.

Barbecue Bible! sauces, rubs, and marinades, bastes, butters & glazes  by Steven Raichlen, is a great book to start with.  No matter what your taste, there's some easy recipes here for basic marinades that can also be used for basting sauces.  Marinating is a great way to tenderize meat and cheaper cuts of meat do great on the grill when they're prepared properly.

Emeril at the grill : a cookbook for all seasons by Emeril Lagasse will have you kicking it up a notch with some of Emeril's original spice blends.  You don't have to be a television chef to put together some of his recipes that go beyond the usual summer classics to include great grilling options for year round dining.

Lots of celebrity chefs jump on the grilling band wagon.  Bobby Flay started off at the grill when he first appeared on television.  Now his book, Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook : explosive flavors from the southwestern kitchen, will take you beyond the grill, with recipes full of fresh ingredients.  Flay holds true to his southwestern flavor palette but makes it accessible to the everyday cook.

Rick Browne, the host of the PBS series, Barbeque America, has put together his book The big book of barbecue side dishes : over 125 recipes.  There's more to grilling than just the main dish and Browne will show you great salads, sides, and even desserts that can round out your menu and keep you out of the kitchen a little longer. 

Depending on what type of grill you have there may be a specific cookbook for you.  Grillin' with gas : 150 mouthwatering recipes for great grilled food  by Fred Thompson is just one of many books that speak to specific cooking styles. 

If you'd rather stay out of the heat, and out of the kitchen, order a pizza and relax with a good  mystery while you're waiting for the delivery car. Pick up The Grilling Season by Dianne Mott Davidson.  This is the seventh book in her Cordon Bleu series and has Goldy being hired to cater a hockey party.  Will Goldy's fresh-baked Chocolate Comfort Cookies give her the strength to solve a baffling mystery that threatens her catering deadline, her relationship with her son, and even her life?  Recipes are included and maybe the Chocolate Comfort Cookie recipe will have you back in the kitchen.  Too bad you can't make these on the grill.

Two fire trucks!  Come on...I only used three habanero peppers just like Bobby Flay!