Orgasmic Onion Burger Seasoning will add life to your burgers. Take a couple of pounds of ground meat, sprinkle the Orgasmic Onion over it – enough so you can’t see the meat. Mix it, shape your burgers, refrigerate it for an hour, then grill ’em up and watch your burgers shake, rattle, and roll!

Makes about 3 cups

1/2 cup crispy fried onion pieces
1/4 cup powdered beef stock base
1/4 cup dehydrated onion flakes
3 Tbsp dehydrated granulated onion
2 Tbsp dehydrated granulated garlic
2 Tbsp Cream of Wheat powder
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp butcher’s ground black pepper
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

• In a bowl, combine onion pieces, beef base, onion flakes, granulated onion and garlic, Cream of Wheat, kosher salt, sugar, black pepper, mustard, coriander, and cayenne.

• Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place.

• Keeps up to 3 months.

Excerpted from Beerlicious by Ted Reader. Copyright © 2012 by Ted Reader. All rights reserved.

World Famous BBQ chef Ted Reader combines his favourite passions—beer & BBQ—and launches his most daring collection of grilling recipes yet!

In this cookbook you will find recipes from Ted Reader, his family, friends and fans. Each recipe is made with a different beer that Teddy chose for unique reasons and flavours. He believes that the essence of great backyard grilling and smoking comes from having fun and if you know Ted, you know that he lives to have fun.

I’ve used my gas grill a lot but as I get older I find myself gravitating toward charcoal. I’m not quite sure if it’s the taming of the fire that fires me up (no pun intended) but I’m excited to be out recreating some of my favorite nostalgic flavors over charcoal.

1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey
1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cumin
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sweet paprika
12 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
2 handfuls hickory wood chips, soaked in water for at least 2 hours

The Rainford Method

1. Combine the lime juice, oil, mustard, honey, garlic powder, cumin and paprika. Place the chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag with the marinade and refrigerate For 2 hours.

2. Fire up your charcoal grill and prep the grill for cooking over indirect heat. You need a temperature of around 350ºF (180ºF) to grill the chicken. For gas grills, preheat the grill to 350ºF (180ºC) then turn off one side of the grill to achieve indirect heat.

3. Once the charcoal grill is heated, place two handfuls of soaked hickory wood chips on top of the lit charcoal. For gas barbecues, place the hickory chips in a foil pouch and place the pouch directly on the heated side of the grill.

4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place over the cooler part of the grill. Allow the smoke to penetrate the thighs. Cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Move the thighs over direct heat and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side or until well-marked and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170ºF (77ºC).

Makes 8 servings

Excerpted from Rob Rainford’s Born to Grill. Copyright © 2012 by Rob Rainford. Photographs Copyright © 2012 by Mike McColl. Excerpted by permission of Appetite by Random House, a division of Random House of Canada, Limited. All rights reserved.

Summer sunshine is just around the corner, and I can’t think of a better way to spend a warm afternoon than lounging in the back yard with fresh seasonal food. Here is a perfect summer appetizer recipe from Food Network star Ted Allen that will surprise and delight your guests!

Yep—strawberries and tomatoes. I love serving this to people who don’t know what’s coming. They scratch their heads, expecting bruschetta to be topped with tomatoes, but what’s that other familiar flavor? They always love it. Consider: tomatoes and strawberries are both sweet, tangy, and juicy. They’re both fruits. They’re even both red. The more I think about it, the more I want to try this on top of pasta. . . . For now, though, the combo makes a perfect summer appetizer.

makes 10 to 15 hors d’oeuvres

1 cup diced fresh ripe strawberries
1 cup diced grape tomatoes
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons thinly sliced basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra–virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal 1/2 inch thick

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Fried chicken is among the most emblematic foods of the South, and you can hardly find a Southerner who doesn’t have an opinion on what’s best—battered or floured, pan–fried or deep–fried, served hot with waffles for breakfast or eaten cold on a picnic. The crowning glory of fried chicken is its crisp, subtly spiced crust, and this recipe, which calls for the meat to be simply dredged in seasoned flour before pan–frying, will not disappoint.

If you prefer a thicker crust, double dredge: coat the chicken in the flour mixture and let sit for fifteen minutes, then dredge in flour again, tapping off excess. Buttermilk makes the chicken incomparably moist, so don’t skip the important step of marinating (preferably overnight).

Allowing the chicken to drain for a good hour before you dredge in flour will help ensure an evenly coated, lump–free crust.

1 whole fryer chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut into 10 parts
1 quart buttermilk, well shaken
1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard powder
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups all–purpose flour
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
Neutral–tasting oil, such as safflower, for frying

1 Place chicken parts in one or two shallow dishes, just large enough to hold them snugly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mustard powder, and 1 teaspoon cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Pour marinade over the chicken, making sure the parts are completely submerged.

(Alternatively, divide the chicken and marinade evenly among large resealable bags; rest the bags on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any leaks.) Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

2 Remove chicken from the marinade and allow to drain on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet for 1 hour before cooking (discard marinade). Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture in a shallow dish.

3 When you are ready to begin frying, pour a scant 1/2 inch oil into a large cast–iron skillet and heat over medium until oil registers 375°F on a deep–fry thermometer. (Alternatively, test by dropping a cube of white crustless bread into the oil; it should turn golden brown within 1 minute.)

4 While the oil is heating, and working with a few parts at a time, dredge chicken in the flour mixture, turning to completely coat. Shake off excess flour and set chicken on a parchment–lined baking sheet as you work.

5 Preheat oven to 200°F. Set a clean wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet with several layers of paper towels on top of rack. Working in batches (skillet should be filled but without pieces touching each other), arrange chicken, skin side down, in a single layer. Adjust heat so temperature of oil remains between 330°F and 340°F during frying. Cover and cook until chicken is crisp and golden on bottom and parts remove easily from pan, 4 to 5 minutes.

Carefully turn chicken and continue frying (covered) until crisp and cooked through (breasts should register 160°F and thighs 165°F on an instant–read thermometer), 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove each part as soon as it is ready (wings, drumsticks, and thinner breast pieces cook faster than thighs). Transfer to prepared rack on baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking remaining chicken, returning oil to 375°F before adding each batch. Serve chicken hot.

SERVES 4

Excerpted from Martha’s American Food by Martha Stewart Copyright © 2012 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. Photograph Copyright © 2012 by Romulo Yanes. Excerpted by permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

When we first opened the Creamery, we featured two different coffee flavors in our case: plain Coffee as well as Coffee Toffee, which was the plain coffee base with almond toffee bits folded in. The crunchy Coffee Toffee became so popular that we eventually took the plain version out of rotation.

For a smoother ice cream, use coarsely ground coffee beans and the finest mesh strainer you have.

The strength of flavor can also be intensified or lightened by extending or shortening your steeping time, respectively.

At a glance

Technique: Ice cream (see below)
Special equipment: Ice cream machine
Infusing and Chilling time: 2 hours or overnight
Shelf life: 1 week

1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup 1% or 2% milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (3/4 ounce) finely ground coffee
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large egg yolks

Infuse the milk/cream

1. In a nonreactive heavy saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, half of the sugar (1?4 cup), coffee, and salt.

2. Put the pan over medium-high heat. When the mixture just begins to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let steep for about 10 minutes, or until the cream has taken on a strong coffee flavor. (Stir occasionally and taste it to monitor the progress.)

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This jam, featured in The Canadian Living Complete Preserving Book, uses pectin designed to work with a reduced amount of sugar. It requires a shorter cooking time, so the jam has a fresh, intense blueberry flavour. It sets up fairly firm—perfect to spread on toasted crumpets.

12 cups fresh wild blueberries
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pkg (49 g) light fruit pectin crystals or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin crystals
3 cups granulated sugar

In Dutch oven and using potato masher, crush blueberries, 1 cup at a time.

Measure 6 cups fruit. Add lemon juice to blueberries. Mix pectin with 1/4 cup of the sugar; stir into blueberry mixture.

Bring to boil over high heat, stirring often. Gradually stir in remaining sugar; return to full rolling boil. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

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Curb those carbs with this healthy breakfast option from Dr. Natasha Turner’s The Carb Sensitivity Program.

1 serving whey protein isolate (vanilla)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
2–3 fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 small fresh or frozen banana, chopped
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stevia to taste (optional)
4–6 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add extra water if desired.

Calories 325 | Protein 28 g | Fat 11 g | Carbohydrates 34 g | Fibre 6 g

Excerpted from The Carb Sensitivity Program by Natasha Turner, N.D. Copyright © 2012 by Natasha Turner, N.D.. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

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This is quite a useful thing to have in the back of your head if people happen to show up uninvited, although I only ever seem to have eggs in the house when that happens to me, and I have to pretend that, yes, I really did mean to make a frittata for dinner. The soup is dead quick, yet delicious, and hopefully the uninvited will provide their own dessert, or at least have brought some chocolate.

SERVES 4

For the pesto

A large handful of fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
A few tablespoons of pine nuts
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup/25 g grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 small zucchini, chopped
3 1/2 cups/875ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 package (1 pound/450 g) frozen peas
A large handful of arugula
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Salted lemon, fresh mint, and fennel shake up wholesome wheat berries. Some wheat berries are quite large; I prefer small kernels, like the ones I buy from Heritage Prairie Farm, for their lighter texture. If you see similar wheat berries for sale at the farmers’ market, try them out. Curly pea shoots and pops of sweet peas sweeten the deal. When I can find it, I also like to stir in anise hyssop, a licorice-flavored herb.

I have another neat trick to separate this dish from weightier whole-grain salads. I dehydrate some of the cooked wheat berries, then fry them until crisp. To do so, set up a dehydrator or preheat the oven to 135F and oil a baking sheet. Remove 1/2 cup of the cooked wheat berries and spread out onto the baking sheet. Dehydrate them for five hours. To fry the wheat berries, heat 1/2 inch of oil in a wide pot or straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, scatter the wheat berries into the pot and fry until crisp, about 1 minute. Drain the wheat berries on paper towels and season with salt. While the dynamic texture is worth the effort, you can skip this step without compromising the flavor of this honestly good—and good for you—salad.

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