When grilling there are a few things to keep in mind. First, as with all other culinary endeavors, you will need some basic tools:

-          2 sets of tongs with long handles

-          a clean vessel on which to transport fully cooked food to the serving table. For food safety reasons, do not transport cooked food on the same platter you used to bring the raw foods to the grill.

-          a stiff grill brush for cleaning grilling surface (I just bought a nice one at HomeGoods)

-          an old towel, rolled up and tied with butcher’s twine for oiling grill

-          a rectangle dish for canola oil to dip the cloth in

-          an instant read thermometer

-          a pastry brush for basting

Grill Preparation

-          pre-heat grill, preferably with 2 heat zones – one for searing items and one for longer, slower cooking or finishing . This ensures that the proteins you’re grilling are nicely browned on the outside and completely cooked on the inside. Many times, people char the outside and the interior of the meat is raw!

-          wipe grates several times with the towel roll that has been dipped in the canola oil (use the tongs to do this). You will find that you need to do this several times.

-          Use the grill brush to brush the grates as needed to prevent food from sticking.

It isn’t just the Asian culture who embrace the subtle spice of this knobby root, many Indian dishes are predicated on the use of ginger as well, such as Tikka Masala, Vindaloo, and hundreds more.

In addition to being a delicious flavoring agent in both sweet and savory recipes, ginger also has healing properties and nutritional value as well. Ginger is excellent for digestion, which is why, many times, people drink ginger ale or ginger beer to calm an upset stomach.

How to do it?  Use a good quality vegetable peeler (the OXO brand is fine), and shave long strips off of the surface of the fruit.  Don’t dig in too deeply, which would drag the bitter white pith along with the zest.

After the strips have been removed, they can then be sliced into julienne strips, and used in the appropriate recipe.

When using a recipe, like in a great Broadway show, improvisation, as well as a spirit of adventure, is a prerequisite.

Think of a recipe as a launching pad; use it to get you moving in the right trajectory. First, read the recipe once, familiarize yourself with the ingredients and instructions.  Next, gather your ingredients, and start to measure them out in advance, in the culinary world, this is known as mise en place.

Third, read the recipe again!  Check your measurements against the recipe.

Finally, prepare the recipe as directed, tasting along the way if applicable (do not taste marinated raw meats, raw eggs, other potentially hazardous uncooked foods).

Even if you have followed the recipe exactly, you may find that it’s “missing something”, or that it doesn’t taste the way that you hoped or expected.  In that event, revert to the timeless and sage advice of the Master Chef, and adjust the seasonings or consistency to suit your preferences.

Cooking like a pro is about confidence. Though altering and embellishing a recipe may sound intimidating, it’s essential to have the confidence to deviate from the printed word.  The art of cooking isn’t only in following the directions, but in having the confidence to cook using instinct and the sound principles of good taste.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to make a clean, smooth cut from the top of the avocado all the way down around the sides, and down to the bottom.  By starting at the stem end and slicing down on each side, you will be able to easily twist the halves, opening up to the center.

To remove the pit, simply hold the pitted half in the palm of your hand, skin side down.  Then, take a fork and stick it into the pit, being careful not to stab your hand.  Simply twist the knife so that the pit is separated from the flesh.

Finally, take a large spoon and gently slip between the soft flesh and the skin, taking precautions not to tear and mangle the flesh.

Once the avocado is removed from the skin, it is ready to be cubed, sliced, or mashed.

Today, they could be considered “super foods” because of their nutritional value.  Mushrooms are one of the highest antioxidant vegetables in the world. The antioxidant L-Ergothioneine is abundant in mushrooms, and enhanced by the presence of vitamin C and selenium.  Also, one Portobello mushroom has more potassium than a banana.

There are over 2,500 mushroom varieties that are grown worldwide.  Porcini, Portobello, Shiitake, Crimini, Oyster, Button, the celebrated Morel, and of course, the sumptuous truffle, are just a few favorites.

Cooking with mushrooms is incredibly simple, although many people are mystified by cleaning them.  The best way to clean mushrooms is to use a soft brush and gently sweep away the dirt.  Since mushrooms are very much like a sponge, due to their high water content, it is not a good idea to drench them in water.  Then, remove the stem and slice.

Stems can be cleaned and saved for soups, as well the “gills” from Portobello’s.

Mushrooms enhance pasta dishes, risotto, kebabs, burgers, roasts, soups, stuffing, rustic pizzas, appetizers, lending their distinct, warm and woodsy flavors to your recipes.

Can’t get your favorite wild mushroom?  Dried mushrooms are the perfect alternative in a pinch.  Simply reconstitute the dried mushrooms with boiling water or broth for 5 to 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.  Strain off the liquid, but don’t throw it away- it’s full of flavor, and can be used in sauces, soups, dressings, and braising broths.

Mushrooms can be used in almost any preparation, and any time of the year, especially

once dried mushrooms are a pantry staple.  Using mushrooms will add new flavor profiles to your favorite dishes and add nutritional value as well.

Limon, limone, limone, lemon. Perhaps the most popular citrus fruit, the lemon is prized internationally for its flavor and versatility.

It is unclear where this brightly colored gem originated, though it is widely thought to hail fromIndia.  Lemons have a rich history inItaly,Egypt,Spain, andAmerica.

There are at least 15 different varieties of lemons, withLisbonand theEurekabeing the most common.  These two varieties are so common, it is often hard to discern the difference between them.

Lemons have a bright yellow exterior, and a thick white pith underneath the skin.  The pith is extremely bitter and has an unpleasant taste.  The yellow skin is often removed for zest, which is used to flavor many recipes.

When zesting a lemon, remove only the thin yellow skin, avoiding the bitter pith under the skin.  There are several ways to zest a lemon.  One method is to use a vegetable peeler, and then julienne, chop, or mince the skin.  Another way is to use a tool called a zester.  These come in different sizes.  A box grater is also a useful, though awkward tool when zesting.  Finally, a microplane grater is the easiest tool to use for this task.

Once you have removed the zest from the lemon, it can be used to flavor cookies, cakes, pies, salad dressings, marinades and more.

When extracting the juice from a lemon, simply roll the whole lemon back and forth on a countertop to soften up the pulp.  By doing this, the flesh is essentially breaking down, making it easier to get the maximum amount of juice from the lemon.

Lemons are also a delicious flavoring agent when they are preserved.  Preserved lemons are a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cooking.  Preserved lemons are available in some specialty stores, but can be made in your own kitchen, if you have the time.  When making preserved lemons, it is important to keep all sanitation issues in mind, to avoid dangerous food borne illnesses that are a result of improper preserving methods.

Lemons brighten many dishes with their color and their flavor.  Consider pairing lemon with asparagus, artichokes, shrimp, almost any kind of seafood, chicken, pork, and berries.

Grilled Asparagus with Manchego

2 lbs. fresh asparagus, trimmed

2 Tb. pure olive oil

As needed, Matt’s Mix or salt & pepper

2 oz. Aged Manchego, grated or shaved

Method:

Heat grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, toss the asparagus with oil and season with Matt’s Mix. Grill, turning occasionally, until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the manchego and serve.

The optimum season forMichiganasparagus is late April through June, with the height of the season in April. You can still buy “hothouse” asparagus is easily found in produce markets all year.  The earliest stalks will be a bright apple green with purple accented tips.

There are several different types of asparagus.  The most common is green, but asparagus can also be purple or an ivory color.  Europeans prefer the white asparagus, particularly the French asparagus ofArgenteuil.

White asparagus is grown underground in order to prevent it from turning green.  White asparagus stalks are often thick and are smoother than the green variety.  However, they can have a stringy, and sometimes, woody, texture to them, which is less appealing to eat, according to different tastes.

Purple asparagus, known as Viola, is an unusual alternative to the usual.  Its stalks are a rich burgundy-purple color, irresistible based on the color alone.

When selecting asparagus, there are a few things to keep in mind.  Choose stalks that are vivid in color.  Also, avoid stalks that are extremely thick, as they are woody in texture and unpleasant to eat.  Look for stalks that are about the diameter of a pencil.

If you can’t find the thinner stalks, buy the thicker ones, and simply bend the spear until it breaks. It will snap right where the tender part meets the tougher end.

Because asparagus is grown in sandy soil, it’s important to wash it thoroughly to remove the grit from the stems.

Asparagus can be steamed, sautéed, or grilled.  It’s excellent on its own, or as a garnish in omelets and soups.

Asparagus pairs nicely with lemon, ginger, rosemary, and shallots.  Olive oil, vinaigrettes, and certain types of vinegar are flavorful accents to the stems as well.