When it comes to lighting up a charcoal fire many people think you dump in the charcoal, pour on the lighter fluid and throw in the match. After 10 to 15 minutes you can kick the grill to settle the coals and start grilling, right? Well, yeah, you could do it that way. You might end up with burnt burgers and raw chicken, but with a little practice you might get a good system going, and you might type “War and Peace” with two fingers.

What’s Cookin’

Before you build a fire, determine what kind of fire you need. By this I mean if you are cooking steaks, you should build a fire in one half of your pit so that you can sear the meat over the hot coals and them move it to the cooler side to achieve the required doneness you are looking for. If you are cooking hamburgers you want the grilling surface evenly heated, so the coals should be stacked to produce an even amount of heat over the entire surface of the grill. This is best achieved by building a pyramid with the charcoal. As the fire burns down, the top of the pyramid burns first and you end up with a flat bed of hot coals.

After you have determined how your charcoal should be stacked it is time to build the fire. A great invention that more and more people are using is the chimney starter. It is basically a cylinder which you load up with charcoal.

You then build a fire in the bottom portion of the starter and allow the charcoal to completely light. This takes about 15-20 minutes. The hot coals are transferred to the grill, more coals are added and the fire is created. Another option is to use lighter fluid. After you build your stack of charcoal, soak the coals with lighter fluid, wait a minute or so, then light the fire. Both methods work well, but using a chimney starter prevents you from having to soak your coals with a petroleum product.

After the fire is lit, it is important to know when it is ready to cook over. The coals will burn down turning white over time. As they begin to turn white, you will notice more flames. After the most of the charcoals turn white, the flames should die down, and the fire is ready. This is when the fire is at it’s prime.

A good measure of how hot the grill is is to use the hand-over-grill method. If you can hold your hand over the grill at a distance of about 2 inches for one second, the fire is at the hottest temperature, five seconds would be the coolest. I use this method all of the time. When I want to sear a steak, I shoot for one second. I want the cooler side of the grill to be at about three seconds. If you are cooking hot dogs, three-four seconds would be ideal. You will learn this method over time.

An Even Fire

One of the keys to good grilling is an even fire. The only variations in heat should be the ones you plan for. Randomly spreading hot coals in your charcoal grill will make a series of hot and cool spots. Even distribution of coals reduces this variation to a minimum. This is important to get even grilling, especially if you have a large amount of food on the grill.

Two-Level Fire

Once you have mastered even heating its time to step up to the professional level. Chefs like to have controlled temperature variation, meaning a hot area and a not so hot area. In grilling we call this a two level fire. If you imaging a dual burner gas grill set one burner on high and the other on medium. The advantage of this is that you have an area to sear foods and an area to cook them through. In a charcoal grill you will want to set up half you fire grate in a single layer of coals and the other half in two or three layers of coals. This will give you the hot and medium areas to do your cooking. This method is also good if you are cooking different types of foods. For instance if you were grilling up some fajitas, you could sear the steak over the high heat and cook the peppers over the lower heat. Once you have mastered the two level fire you will definitely see the advantages.

Indirect Fire

Another fire you need to know how to build is the indirect fire. In its simplest form you can put all the coals on one side of the grill and leave no coals on the other side. In a gas grill this is the equivalent of turning the burner on one side on and leaving the other off. Of course you can do much more with this. For instance the ring of fire is a great strategy if you are using a kettle style grill. Once you have hot coals, push them to the outside of the coal grate leaving the middle empty. This will give you good even heat all around and a good indirect cooking space.

When it comes to building an indirect fire one of the most frequent problems is having the fire on just one side of the grill. With gas grills there isn’t much you can do about this. The problem is that the heat is uneven. One side of the food you are cooking will get more heat than the other, forcing you to turn frequently to keep it even. With a charcoal grill you can build the fire everywhere but under the food you are cooking this gives a more even heat.

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The unprecedented attention to detail in the production of this cheese begins with the fresh spring water located on the farm, the homegrown fodder fed to the cows, and the use of only the lactating cow’s milk from the first 100 days after giving birth.

Millesimato literally means detailed to the 1000th degree.

Out of 453 certified producers of parmigiano reggiano, only Bertinelli produces Millesimato.

Break off a shard and inhale the full bouquet. With less aggressivity and piquancy, Millesimato parmigiano reggiano is characterized by a desirable palate which inspires uninhibited consumption.

Bertinelli SRL, established in 1895 in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, is a 700 cow agricultural firm which produces this specialty parmigiano reggiano cheese Millesimato

Millesimato is an exclusive and unique cheese.

It enhances any connoisseur’s table or chef’s fine cuisine.

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1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ears yellow corn, husked, halved crosswise

Heat the oil in a heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and cool. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese and stir the rest into the garlic mixture, along with the parsley and salt.

Cook the corn in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the corn to a platter. Brush the cheese mixture over the hot corn and serve. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of the corn.

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3 heads broccoli (about 3 pounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Trim about 1 inch off the ends of the broccoli stalks and cut the broccoli lengthwise into spears. Arrange the broccoli on a nonstick cookie sheet, drizzle with some olive oil and season with a little bit of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and bake until the cheese melt and forms a crisp shell over the broccoli, about 10 minutes. Lift the broccoli out onto a platter with a spatula and drizzle with fresh lemon.

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Most people know about smoked ham, bacon or fish. In the world of traditional barbecue, whether it is Texas or North Carolina, smoking means something else. In barbecue, smoking takes anywhere from 1-2 hours up to 20 or even more. To do the really long smoke will require the right kind of equipment.

To smoke something you need a container to hold in the smoke, a source of the smoke, and something to smoke. A smoker can be anything from a hole in the ground to a $2000 smoker. The source of the Smoke is typically hard wood. There have been people who assert that what you burn to make the smoke really doesn’t matter. Long time ago there was a guy in Kansas City who claimed that he had fed people in his restaurant ribs smoked with Hickory and some smoked with corncobs. Supposedly no one could tell the difference. He passed on a while back and the restaurant that bares his name denies that it ever happened. Believe what you will. I myself stick with the traditionally hardwoods like Hickory, Oak and Apple.

What to smoke is purely a matter of taste. The most popular items smoked by enthusiasts are ribs, brisket and pork shoulder. But don’t limit yourself to these. You can smoke just about anything, from nuts to cheese to steaks. However, the process of smoking has grown around cuts of meat that traditionally don’t come out well in any other cooking method. A good example of this is brisket, which is very tough and not very easy to eat if you bake it in the oven.

The Basics

The basics of smoke are as follows. You need to practice good temperature control. Meat smoking is best done in the range of 200-220 degrees. You need to bring the internal temperature of the meat to at least 165 degrees to be safe for consumption, but you don’t want to go too far above this. I recommend two accurate thermometers for smoking. One inside the smoker in the area where the meat sits to tell you the smoker temperature and one meat thermometer in the meat to tell you the internal temperature of what you are smoking. Whatever it is, take it out when it hits a safe temperature.

There are two reasons to keep the temperature low. One is to give the smoke enough time to sink in and the other is to naturally tenderize the meat. Slow cooking gives the natural fibers in meat time to break down and become tender.

Another basic rule of smoking is to place the meat inside the smoker so that it is surrounded by smoke. You want a good thick stream of smoke around the meat at all times to give it the kind of exposure you need to enhance the flavor. The smoke needs to be moving, always moving to maximize exposure and prevent the smoke from making the meat bitter because of a build up of creosote.

Choosing Wood

Now while you don’t have to use prepackaged wood chips to add a little smoke to your fire, you do want to make sure that what you’re using is all wood, no glues, nails, chewing gum; well you get the picture. And more than this you need to pick the right wood for the job. Different woods leave different flavors. But before we take a closer look, there’s one more thing to wrap up. Do you burn the wood or not? When using gas grills it’s best to put presoaked wood chips in a smoker box or wrap them in a piece of aluminum foil with a lot of holes in it. This keeps your grill from filling up with ash and clogging the burners. But get that wood close to the heat. You need the heat to smolder the wood and this means a pretty high heat. If you are using a charcoal grill or smoker then you can either put the wood directly on the coals (once they’ve heated up) or place them in a box. Experiment a little and find out what works best for you.

Generally speaking any wood that is hard and free of resin (or sap) is good for making smoke. If the tree makes fruit or nuts you enjoy eating then the wood is typically good for smoking. Some wood, of course make better smoke than others. Woods like Apple have a mellow flavor and won’t give you much in a short amount of time but if you’re cooking for a while then it has time to add that mellow flavor without overpowering the food. Woods like mesquite are very strong and while it gives you a good flavor quickly that flavor will become bitter fast so don’t use too much or for too long.

If you haven’t used wood before, start small. Use a 1/4 cup of presoaked chips on your grill and see what is does for you. One of the great things about barbecue is the wide variety of experimentation available to the backyard cook. Wood smoke is what gives outdoor cooking its outdoor flavor. A great way to experiment with wood is actually on the grill. Instead of risking that 20 hour brisket with a wood you’ve never tried before, try putting that wood to test on your grill next time you cook up some steaks or chops. Make sure you catch the scent of that wood. If the smoke is bitter and noxious you probably shouldn’t be cooking with it. Read on to get an idea of the kinds of woods you can use.

Woods Types

Acacia is similar to mesquite but not as strong. This wood burns very hot and should be used in small amounts or for limited amounts of time.

Alder has a light flavor that works well with fish and poultry. Indigenous to the northwestern United States, it is the traditional wood for smoking Salmon.

Apple is very mild in flavor and gives food a sweetness. This is good with poultry and pork. Apple will discolor chicken skin (turns in dark brown).

Ash has a light, unique flavor. This wood burns fast.

Birch has a similar flavor to maple. This wood is good with pork and poultry.

Cherry has a sweet, mild flavor that goes great with virtually everything. This is one of the most popular woods for smoking.

Fruit, like apple, apricot or cherry, fruit wood gives off a sweet, mild flavor that is good with poultry or ham.

Hickory adds a strong flavor to meats, so be careful not to use to excessively. It’s good with beef and lamb.

Maple, like fruit wood gives a sweet flavor that is excellent with poultry and ham.

Mesquite has been very popular of late and is good for grilling, but since it burns hot and fast, it’s not recommended for long barbecues. Mesquite is probably the strongest flavored wood; hence its popularity with restaurant grills that cook meat for a very short time.

Oak is strong but not overpowering and is a very good wood for beef or lamb. Oak is probably the most versatile of the hard woods.

Pecan burns cool and provides a delicate flavor. It’s a much subtler version of hickory.

Walnut has a heavy, smoky flavor and should be mixed with milder flavored woods.

Woods to AVOID would include: cedar, cypress, elm, eucalyptus, pine, fir, redwood, sassafras, spruce, and sycamore.

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Salmon is a wonderful food. The omega-3 fatty acids are not only good for your body, but recent studies have found that they act as an anti-depressant. Smoking is a great way to trap in the good stuff and make it even tastier than salmon already is.

There are two ways to smoke salmon. You can cold smoke it at temperature very low over a very long time to get the kind of smoked salmon you are used to buying at the store, or you can hot smoke it to cook the salmon with smoke flavor. Cold smoking preserves the fish without cooking it. Hot smoking, makes some equally great, but quite different. The advantage of hot smoking is that you can do it in hours instead of days.

You can smoke salmon steaks or fillets. The fillets will absorb a little more of the smoke flavor but can be a bit more difficult to work with. I recommend placing the salmon on a piece of aluminum foil when you place it on the smoker. Cut or fold the foil to the size and shape of the fish so that it doesn’t block the rising smoke. You want the smoke to be able to move over the surface of the fish as much as possible. You want to smoke your salmon around 220 degrees F. for about 2 hours per pound. Watch the internal temperature and you’ll be safe to eat this salmon when it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees F.

As for smoke the traditional wood for salmon is alder. This is what the Native Americans of the northwest used for a thousand years or so and it imparts a great flavor to the salmon. They didn’t use chucks or chips for their salmon, they used planks. By placing your salmon on a plank you not only hold it together better but the smoke generated from the burning of the plank adds great flavor to the salmon.

Now just because you didn’t get the cold smoked salmon doesn’t mean you can’t do most anything with this hot smoked salmon you would with cold smoked salmon. Try a Peppery Smoked Salmon Dip for a really great appetizer. Smoked salmon will not last long so you need to use it quickly, but you can use it for virtually anything.

Hot Smoked Salmon

2 large salmon fillets
Zest and juice of 2 to 3 limes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves*
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse or sea salt**
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (depending on size of fillets)
1 lime for finish
Coarse or Sea saltBRINE: 2 1/2 tablespoons plain salt (without iodine) to 1 cup water.

Rinse the salmon steaks in cold water. Prepare a salt-water brine of 2 1/2 tablespoons plain salt to 1 cup of water, using approximately 1 quart of water; heat to just lukewarm. Add salt and stir until dissolved. Add warm salt water to approximately 4 quarts cold water (I use my sink as a bowl for this step). Place salmon, skin side down, in brine at for 20 minutes (make sure the fish is entirely covered by the brine).

After 20 minutes, gently remove salmon from brine and lightly rinse both sides with cold water to remove all traces of salt; gently pat dry with paper towels. Let salmon air dry on wire racks for at least 2 hours (this causes a “pellicle” - a tacky glaze on the fish to form. This indicates that it is ready for the smoking process).

Prepare your smoker according to manufacturer’s directions.

The smoking temperature of your smoker should be between 200 to 225 degrees F. (no higher).

The easiest way to help keep the temperature low, is to almost close down the vents. Do not open or raise the lid of the smoker any more than you absolutely need to (it reduces the temperature inside every time you do). Monitor your temperature of your smoker during the smoke time.

Smoking the Salmon:

Place salmon fillets (skin side down) on sheets of aluminum foil and cut the foil around the fillets approximately 1/4-inch bigger (this keeps the fillets from sticking to the racks in the smoker). I also spray the racks with vegetable oil (makes for easier cleaning).

Grate the zest from the limes then squeeze the juice. In a small bowl, combine lime zest, lime juice, thyme (or other herbs), pepper, salt and olive oil; stir to mix. Rub the seasoning mix on the salmon fillets; coating them well.

Place salmon fillets (with the aluminum foil) on the oiled smoker rack. Smoke until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. in thickest part of salmon (salmon will be slightly opaque in thickest part).

Remember the salmon continues to cook after it is removed - you don’t want an overcooked and dried out salmon. I prefer a moist salmon and not dried out.) Remove salmon fillets from smoker.

Cut extra lime in half and squeeze the juice over the cooked salmon fillets. Sprinkle lightly with more coarse salt. Serve salmon either warm, cool, or chilled (refrigerate until ready to serve). If making ahead, cover airtight and refrigerate up to 3 days.

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1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 bulb fennel
water
black pepper

Place salmon in a shallow baking dish. Place enough water in a saucepan to cover the salmon. Add salt and heat until salt is completely dissolved. Cool and pour over salmon. Let sit in the refrigerator over night. Place salmon on wire racks to dry for about 30 minutes. Prepare smoker. Slice fennel bulb into thin slices from top to bottom. When the smoker is ready place the fennel on the grating and place the salmon on top of the fennel. Sprinkle with pepper and let smoke for about 1 to 2 hours. Salmon is done when it no longer appears wet, flakes easily, but is still moist.

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8 medium leeks (3 1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons salt
2 oz thinly sliced pancetta, chilled
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cut off dark green tops of leeks and trim root ends. Halve each leek lengthwise to within 2 inches of root end. Rinse well under cold running water to wash away sand. Cover leeks with cold water in a 12-inch heavy skillet. Add salt and simmer leeks, uncovered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer leeks to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.

While leeks simmer, finely chop pancetta, then cook in 1 tablespoon oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, remaining 1/4 cup oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl until emulsified. Add leeks and gently toss to coat. Serve topped with pancetta and parsley.

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5 leeks, washed and chopped (use just the white part)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 liter bouillon (chicken or vegetable)
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
salt and pepper
1 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 bunch chopped chives (for garnish)

Cook the leeks in the olive oil for five minutes, without browning. Add the bouillon,the potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Remove from heat and let cool a bit. Pour the soup into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour it back into the pot, stir in milk and heavy cream, and simmer for five more minutes without boiling.

Let cool completely and than refrigerate for at least two hours. You can make it a day ahead and leave it to chill overnight in the refrigerator as well.

Serve cold with chopped chives for garnish.

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