There are 370 pages in this book -- with at least one HELPFUL HINT on almost every page. Here are some examples.

SNEAK PREVIEW HELPFUL HINTS
From:
Lazy About Grilling:
the feet up, hands down easiest ways to barbecue 

• Mix up an extra batch of marinade using extra virgin olive oil, divide it in half, and call the extra "vinaigrette." (My Easy as ABC: Add Balsamic Cod in Chapter 10 is especially good for this! It's delicious drizzled over the greens and veggies in your sidedish salad. That marinade is also delicious with shrimp and scallops, too.)

• In a marinade, an acidic liquid -- such as vinegar, wine, or a citrus juice -- will help tenderize meat.

• Place meat on top of a sheet of aluminum foil before you apply a dry rub. It'll keep your counter clean and after you transfer the entrée to the grill, you can simply fold up the foil and throw it away.

• You can easily create your own ginger paste by following these steps I give with a recipe in Chapter 6. Buy 1/2 pound of ginger root and wash thoroughly. Chop and place in a blender with a small amount of water and cooking oil. Blend until a paste forms. If the mixture isn't smooth, add equal amounts of water and oil until it reaches the consistency of toothpaste. Store leftover paste in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. (To keep the paste fresher longer, pour in a thin layer of oil before you put on the lid.)

• Save some time on cleanup by marinating food in a large, zip-closure, plastic bag. These bags are great for large cuts of meat, pork chops, whole fish, etc. Remember to turn the bag occasionally to marinate each side evenly.

• Never use the same dish that held the raw meat as your serving platter without washing it first. Also, don't let any of the utensils that came in contact with the raw meat touch the finished meat. Avoid cross-contamination and think "food safety first" at all times.

• Most supermarkets now carry flash-frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs as well as flash-frozen, unbreaded fish fillets. When you factor in the time you save skinning and deboning the meat, the price per pound is reasonable indeed. (And you'll find LOTS of ways to prepare them for the grill in Chapters 7, 10, and others.)

• Bonus Tip: A wonderful, quick rub for rib steaks is Minor's Chinese Black Bean & Garlic. It only takes around 1/4 teaspoon of this global sauce base to flavor a steak. (I've tried it with other cuts, but it seems to work best with rib steak. Your tastes may differ, so feel free to go wild.) Bone-in is okay for the grill, but boneless steaks work best on the indoor grill.

The 3 Worst Things to Do with Salt:

1. Add salt to any of the recipes using soy or Worcestershire sauce. The sodium content in those sauces is sufficient to act as a flavor enhancer.

2. Use garlic salt as a substitute for minced garlic or garlic powder. You'll end up with a recipe far too high in sodium, and the flavor will suffer, too.

3. Forget to throw some over your shoulder for good luck if you spill any.

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