Memorial Day Recipes

by Kate Heyhoe

Memorial Day falls on the last Monday in May (Monday, May 25, 2009).

Grilling today goes beyond the traditional hickory-smoked barbecue sauce—chefs now fuel their patrons with exotic platters of Latin, Asian and Caribbean specialties, all flame-kissed on hot, smoky grills. Fortunately, these same chefs also share their tempting recipes with us, in cookbooks as luscious in their looks as in their recipes.

This Memorial Day, fire up the summer grilling season with at least one new cookbook and one new recipe to add to the festivities. The toughest thing will be figuring out which to sample.

The Stubb's Bar-B-Q Cookbook is tops on my list, and not just because I wrote it. See for yourself with these recipes: Wicked Jezebel Ribs, Rubmaster's Grill-Roasted Drums and Stubb's Cole Slaw. Buy the Stubb's Bar-B-Q Cookbook so you can refer to it throughout the grilling season.

Some other recipe suggestions: Try Omaha Steaks' Souvlaki with Grilled Vegetable Couscous, always a crowd-pleaser. Or, discover what the staff of an award-winning restaurant eats: Honeyed-Hoisin Grilled Chicken Wings, and Cucumber Salad with Red Onion and Chinese Sausage. For a South American spin with class, perhaps you'd prefer Douglas Ramirez' Salmon with Dill Chimichurri sauce. Then cool down with a 3-ingredient Rose Hips Sorbet, paired with pink pineapple. Add a salad to your menu and gloat as the compliments come in.

The following mouth-watering recipes should get you burnin' to go—they include main dishes along with grilling partners, such as sides and sauces.

Happy Memorial Day!
Kate Heyhoe
The Global Gourmet