Grilling

The glaze gives the chicken a sweet, spicy kick. What to drink: Zaca Mesa 2003 Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley ($15).

Improv: You can also use the spice mixture on salmon, chicken pieces, or shrimp.

Jan Esterly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, writes: "Even though it gets cold where I live, I love grilling outside year-round. This recipe makes a regular appearance at our dinner table."

Be sure to buy the salmon with the skin on, which makes it much easier to handle as it grills. Keep in mind this is a special cut that your fish market or supermarket seafood counter may have to order. What to drink: Tom Douglas likes to pair this with a Washington State Chardonnay. Try: Columbia Crest 2002 Grand Estates Chardonnay ($11).

Planking is one of Ted Reader's favorite ways to cook because it simultaneously bakes, grills, and smokes the meat or fish. It's an especially good technique for barbecuing fish, which has a tendency to flake and fall apart on the grill. For this recipe, begin soaking the cedar plank one day ahead. what to drink: J.L. Wolf 2003 Riesling, Wachenheimer Belz, Pfalz, Germany ($20).

To make this fresh American rendition of panzanella (the Italian bread-and-tomato salad), bake the cornbread one day ahead so that it will be firm enough to toast on the grill.

The skewers grill above the flames, suspended between two bricks to keep them from touching the grates of the barbecue. No bricks handy? Substitute disposable foil mini loaf pans (found on the baking aisle at the supermarket).

Tony Matranga of Los Angeles, California, writes: "When I started cooking, the process was a mystery to me. I would try to re-create other people's dishes but couldn't get them quite right. After working in an Italian bakery and several restaurants, and observing chefs, I began piecing together recipes and finally came up with some great results of my own."

Here's a grilled chicken technique that's become a cult hit with backyard barbecue masters. For luxe and delicious twists on the technique (from the Japanese-flavored "Roppongi Roaster" to the Italianate "Toscana in a Can"), see the article "Beer Can Chicken Goes Upscale" in the Starters section of the August 2005 issue of Bon Appétit.

In this recipe, a long marinating time allows many powerful ingredients to penetrate the skirt steak: the acid in balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce doesn't just flavor the meat; it also breaks down connective tissues, making the meat tender. Serve this with tabbouleh salad or stewed tomatoes.

The first time my Nantucket Island friends Nigel Dyche and Sarah Chase made this for me, I was incredulous at how fabulous it was, yet so simple. The fish tastes of the sea and the smoke from the grill with no extraneous flavors to mask the ocean-fresh steaks. The mayonnaise coats the thick pieces of fish, keeping them moist inside and promoting a golden caramelized color on the outside. Nantucket Islanders use this recipe mostly for swordfish, and it is one of their favorite summer meals, especially when paired with thick slices of ruby-red garden tomatoes.

If you get a package containing two tenderloins of uneven size, you may have to cook the larger one a little longer than the smaller one. Prepare all the sauce ingredients before grilling the pork, then cook it while the pork stands.

We tested this recipe using a charcoal grill and a gas grill and found that grilling the dough over charcoal required both direct and indirect heat, a process too involved for Quick Kitchen. We prefer supermarket mozzarella rather than fresh for this pizza because fresh mozzarella exudes too much liquid when cooked. If your pizza dough is frozen, allow 2 to 3 hours to let it thaw.

Great for a summer party, this recipe doubles easily, and most of the elements can be done ahead. "This dish exemplifies the lively and engaging nature of the Vietnamese table," says Mai Pham, "the ritual of wrapping meats in crisp lettuce with fresh herbs, then dipping them into a zesty sauce." Provide each person with a little bowl of sauce, as well as the usual plate to make assembly easier.

Chimichurri is an Argentine parsley sauce with bright flavors and a kick from crushed red pepper. To save time: Prepare the fresh parsley and cilantro for the processor by simply cutting off the tops of the bunches and discarding the bottom stems.

To pit a cherry, place the flat side of a large knife on the cherry; press gently until it splits open, then pull out the pit.