Memorial Day is just around the corner, folks! In honor of the holiday that officially kicks off summer barbecue season, we thought we’d go to the Grillmaster himself, Bobby Flay, for some of his best tips for backyard barbecues. Check out the excerpt at the end of the post for more tips and delicious recipes from Bobby’s new cookbook, Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction (Clarkson Potter, April 2013).

Bobby Flay’s Top 10 Tips for Backyard Barbecues:

1. Prep in Advance. Don’t wait until your friends arrive to start brining chicken, marinating lamb, or even forming burgers for that matter. Prepping in advance is key for any kind of party, outdoor ones included. Having most of the work done ahead of time frees you up to spend more time with your guests. Salads and relishes can be prepped a day ahead; veggies for the grill can be sliced; and pitchers of cocktails can be mixed in advance and refrigerated until guests arrive. Fill your chimney starter with charcoal and newspaper or have your gas grill preheating. Remember that preparation is half the battle.

2. Get organized. Before you light that first coal or flip the switch on your gas grill, make sure you have everything you need nearby so that you don’t have to run back and forth into your house to find that pair of tongs or peppermill while your food is burning on the grill.

3. Have extra everything. Make sure you have enough charcoal and wood chips; keep a spare gas tank on hand in case yours runs out in the middle of grilling dinner for ten of your closest friends. If someone wants to know what to bring, say a bag of ice! Which leads me to . . .

4. Stock the cooler. You can make a signature cocktail or serve beer and wine— just make sure it’s easy for guests to serve themselves and that everything is nice and cold when they arrive. Nobody likes warm beer, well except for the British . . .

5. Have something ready to nibble on. Whether you make a dip or cold appetizer that can be ready and waiting, or you’ve planned a super-quick grilled dish to start, make sure you’ve got something on hand for people to snack on while you get to the main event. Free-flowing alcohol and no food is a recipe for disaster.

6. No poking. This is a very common rookie mistake. If you poke meat on the grill, the juices will come out and your food will dry out. So using meat carvers or forks to flip your food is not recommended; go for tongs and heavy-duty spatulas.

7. Don’t slather on sauces until the end. You can marinate your food before grilling to make it more flavorful. But do not coat meat with barbecue sauce during the actual cooking process. This can cause flare-ups, and the high sugar content in sauces and glazes can burn, leaving you with an inedible mess. Resist brushing until the last five minutes or so, and always feel free to re-slather once the food comes off the grill.

8. Cook everything properly. Nothing really ruins a party like undercooked or overcooked food. When in doubt, it is always better to undercook because you can simply put the food back on the grill and continue to cook it until it is at the proper temperature. Unfortunately, once a piece of fish or a beautiful thick rib eye is overcooked, there is nothing you can do to make it moist again.

9. Take time to rest. Not you, the food. I have said it a million times and I will say it again: Never cut into meat or fish as soon as it comes off the grill. Let the food rest and relax to allow the juices to redistribute and stay inside. I typically rest smaller cuts like fish fillets and chicken breasts for 5 minutes, thick steaks and whole chickens for 10 minutes, and large roasts for 20 minutes. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

10. Keep it casual. A meal prepared outdoors on the grill invites everyone to loosen up and enjoy the party. The whole idea of grilling is to be relaxed and festive. Serve food family style on big platters, have cocktail shakers and ingredients for drinks ready to go, and lots of beer and sodas on ice so guests can help themselves. That’s my kind of entertaining. Give it a try and have fun!

Get free recipes from Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction here:

Get excited, Bobby Flay fans! His new cookbook, Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction, doesn’t come out until April 23rd, but we have a special one-month-countdown sneak peek of a recipe from the book. Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction presents Bobby’s secrets for cooking anything and everything on the grill—from quickly grilled steaks and seafood to smoky barbecued ribs and fork-tender pulled pork. Check out this recipe for Grilled Mango with Lime, Salt, and Ancho Powder and enjoy the addictive combination of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.

Grilled Mango with Lime, Salt, and Ancho Powder
Recipe from Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction
Serves 4
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder
4 ripe mangoes, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons canola oil
Juice of 1 lime

1. Heat your grill to medium for direct grilling.

2. Combine the lime zest, salt, and ancho powder in a small bowl.

3. Brush the mangoes on both sides with the oil and grill, cut side down, until slightly charred, about 1 minute. Flip over the mangoes and continue grilling until slightly charred, about 1 minute longer.

4. Remove the mangoes from the grill. Using a sharp paring knife, evenly score the flesh of each half lengthwise 3 times and then crosswise 3 or 4 times; do not cut all the way through the peel. Turn the flesh inside out so that the mango cubes stick out. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with the lime juice and sprinkle with the ancho mixture.

Check out some more recipes and pre-order your copy of the book here:

Allison Malec is a Marketing Manager at Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, and is an editor at The Recipe Club. She lives in New York City, and loves to cook, bake and eat. She loves anything sweet, especially Momofuku Milk Bar’s Compost Cookies, Ben and Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Crunch Ice Cream, and Vanilla Mr. Softee cones with rainbow sprinkles.

As summer comes to an end, I am already mourning the loss of grilling season. I wanted to sneak in a few more burger nights before I could no longer use our outdoor grill (although, I recently bought a grill pan that is a great substitute). As I poured through my dog-eared galley of The Epicurious Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, October 2012), I came across this recipe for Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers with Texas Barbecue Sauce and I immediately knew what we were having for dinner.

I am a sucker for burgers of any sort, but I am a particular fan of burgers with a unique twist. This coffee spice rub adds a fantastic flavor to these burgers, and the addition of homemade barbecue sauce and smoked Provolone cheese makes them a real standout.

The burgers, pre-grilling:

Recipe for Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers with Texas Barbecue Sauce
From The Epicurious Cookbook by Tanya Steel and the Editors of Epicurious
Makes 8 servings

For Coffee Rub
1 tablespoon freshly ground coffee powder
2 teaspoons (packed) light brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

For Burgers
8 slices applewood-smoked bacon
1 pound ground chuck, preferably grass-fed
1 pound ground sirloin, preferably grass-fed
8 slices smoked provolone, smoked caciocavallo, or smoked Gouda cheese (about 8 ounces)
8 potato-bread hamburger buns
8 slices red onion
8 slices ripe tomato
Texas Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
Special equipment: Gas or charcoal grill

Make Coffee Rub
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Make Burgers
1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Break in half. Gently mix the chuck and sirloin in a large bowl. Form the meat into 8 patties, each 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter and 1⁄3 to ½ inch thick. Using your thumb, make a slight indentation in the center of each burger.

2. Prepare the grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coffee rub on the top side of each burger. Place the burgers rub side down on the grill rack. Grill until slightly charred, about 4 minutes; turn.

3. Place 2 bacon halves atop each burger. Cook 3 minutes.

4. Top each burger with 1 cheese slice. Cover grill and cook until the cheese melts, about 1 minute longer.

5. Place the burgers atop the bottom halves of the buns. Top with the onion and tomato slices. Spoon a dollop of barbecue sauce over and cover with bun tops. Serve, passing additional sauce alongside.

Texas Barbecue Sauce
Yield: Makes about 1 1⁄3 cups

1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup ketchup
1⁄3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1⁄3 cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 chipotle chile from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced with seeds
¼ teaspoon cayenne

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic; stir 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup and all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer until reduced to 11⁄3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

See more recipes from The Epicurious Cookbook on Scribd!

Get out the grill for this easy yet flavor-packed preparation of rib eye, a cut of meat chef and author of Cooking Off the Clock Elizabeth Falkner says is a great because the fat around the meat keeps it tasty and juicy. Sour cream, brown butter, steak sauce, arugula, or another green vegetable are great accompaniments to this dish Chef Falkner likes to make in her downtime.

Rib Eye on the Grill

from Cooking Off the Clock by Elizabeth Falkner (Ten Speed Press, August 2012)

Serves 2

8-ounce rib-eye steak, about 1 inch thick 
(see Note, following)

¹/₂ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Small pinch of red pepper flakes

Let the meat sit out at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the grill to high heat.

Season the meat all over with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Grill on one side until nicely caramelized with dark grill marks, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn over and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes.

Let the steak rest for 5 minutes, then slice the meat and divide between 2 plates.

Serve with just about any of the side and supporting dishes in chapter 8 (page 159).

Note: I prefer to cook the whole 8-ounce steak, let it rest, and then slice it for 2 servings. But you can also cut the steak in half down the middle before you cook it and serve two 4-ounce portions.

For more recipes from Cooking Off the Clock, check out this excerpt:

Cooking Off the Clock by Elizabeth Falkner – Recipes and Excerpt

Grilling fresh summer fruit is one of the best ways to enhance its flavor. Pineapple and peaches work especially well in these skewers from BBQ king, Big Bob Gibson, because their juices blend perfectly with Bob’s spicy maple glaze. However, you can really use whatever fruit you like. No matter what fruit you choose, this dish will definitely be a hit at your next summer cookout.

Grilled Fruit Skewers with Spicy Maple Cumin Glaze
Recipe from Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book (Clarkson Potter, 2009)
Serves: 4 to 6

Cooking Method:
Direct heat

Suggested Supplies:
4 bamboo skewers
Cooking Time: 3 minutes

Glaze:
1⁄2 cup pure maple syrup
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups fruit chunks such as pineapple, peaches, and/or bananas

Build a charcoal fire for direct grilling. Soak the bamboo skewers in a bowl of water and set aside.

Combine the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the fruit and toss gently to coat with the glaze. Cover and refrigerate.

Thread the fruit on the soaked skewers, alternating each fruit type. Place the skewers on the grill and cook directly over medium-high heat for 1 1⁄2 minutes on each side, or until browned and caramelized. Serve warm.

Emma Shafer is a member of the Crown Publicity team at Random House. She is obsessed with one-pot meals, stovetop popcorn, and finding the perfect summer cocktail before summer is upon us.

Wedding season is gearing up, and last weekend I traveled to upstate New York to attend not one, but two bridal showers! As an added bonus, my parents gave me free rein in their kitchen on Sunday night (and even did the dishes – best parents ever). I wanted to try a recipe that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to do justice at home in my tiny Brooklyn kitchen, and Martha Stewart’s Tequila Grilled Shrimp, from the Southwest section of her new book, Martha’s American Food (Clarkson Potter, April 2012) seemed like a perfect choice.

The ingredient list is short and sweet: fresh shrimp, tequila, salt and pepper, a jalapeño, and fresh orange and lime juice. We didn’t make it to the local fish store before it closed, so we defrosted a bag of flash frozen shrimp from the grocery store. (I also cheated and used orange juice from the carton in my parents’ fridge.)

To make the marinade, simply combine the peeled and de-veined shrimp (in a non-reactive bowl) with the lime juice, orange juice, and tequila. Add salt and pepper to taste. While the shrimp sit for 20-30 minutes, heat your grill and very carefully seed and chop your jalapeño. Make sure you use something as a barrier between your hands and the pepper while you handle it, especially if you wear contacts. Otherwise, you are in for a world of pain when you try to take your contacts out at the end of the day! I used a small piece of saran wrap to cover my fingers that held the jalapeño in place while I chopped. Cumbersome, but worth the extra effort.

Next, I set my dad – or my sous-chef, as he likes to call himself – to work. He lightly oiled our grill grate and then grilled the shrimp for a little more than a minute on each side, working quickly to make sure the shrimp didn’t become overcooked.

This recipe was meant in the cookbook to be a cocktail hour snack, but since we were making it for dinner, we upped the number of shrimp and also grilled some fresh veggies, serving everything with brown rice. When the shrimp and veggies were ready, my dad scooped everything off the grill and brought it right to the table. For the final touch, we sprinkled the chopped jalapeño very liberally over the shrimp.

This recipe was a big hit with my family! The marinade was delicious and easy to make. Both of my parents admitted afterwards that they weren’t sure they would like the addition of the jalapeño, but we agreed that it really makes the dish. I will definitely be trying these again the next time I have access to a grill!

The classically American Caesar salad has taken on a life of its own with this recipe from Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries, and Shakes (Clarkson Potter, 2009). Forget about it as a starter—this salad has become a meal on menus across the country with the addition of chicken, steak, or shrimp. Why not take it one step further and put the salad on a burger? Refreshing romaine lettuce lends its crispness to the burger, but the zesty dressing and extra Parmesan cheese are what really make this so identifiable flavor-wise and so tasty. All of the classic components of Caesar dressing—garlic, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies (these can be your secret, but their rich saltiness is essential)—morph into a slightly spicy mayonnaise perfect for spreading all over this new way to make a meal out of Caesar salad.

Recipe for Caesar Salad Burger from Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries, and Shakes:
Serves 4

Caesar Mayonnaise
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Burgers
1½ pounds ground chuck (80 percent lean) or ground turkey (90 percent lean)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ tablespoons canola oil
4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired
12 romaine heart leaves
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. To make the Caesar mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

2. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a ¾-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper. Cook the burgers, using the oil.

3. Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and spread a few tablespoons of the Caesar mayonnaise on each burger. Top with the romaine leaves and sprinkle with Parmesan and black pepper. Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Victoria Craven is the Editorial Director for Potter Craft, Watson-Guptill and Amphoto at Random House. She enjoys crafting and cooking.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day that I spent most of it outside picking pumpkins and planting mums.

As is often true on Sunday nights, I was looking for an easy dinner I could grill on the barbeque.

I pulled out my Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast and made these grilled Greek chicken kebabs with mint-feta sauce and rice pilaf in less than 30 minutes (not including marinating time). They made an easy and delicious Indian summer dinner.

Next time I’ll soak the skewers in water first, though, so that they don’t burn.

Recipe for Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs with Mint-Feta Sauce
Excerpted from Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4), cut into 1-inch pieces (24 total)
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (16 total)
1/2 small red onion, quartered lengthwise, layers separated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grill
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish (optional)

1. In a resealable plastic bag, combine chicken, zucchini, onion, olive oil, oregano, and 2 tablespoons vinegar; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight; place bag on a plate, in case of leaks).

2. Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. (Alternatively, heat a grill pan over medium-high.) Onto each skewer, thread 3 pieces of chicken with zucchini and onion. Grill skewers, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 12 to 14 minutes.

3. To make sauce, blend feta, yogurt, mint, and remaining tablespoon vinegar in a food processor until smooth. Serve kebabs with dipping sauce and garnish with mint leaves if desired.