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.

Is your grill ready for some serious action this summer? Chef Rob Rainford invites you into his backyard to push the boundaries of what you think you can do on the grill.

His new cookbook, Born to Grill, includes 20 full menus from around the world that will inspire you to host family and friends for a meal they will never forget.

We’re delighted to offer a signed copy of Born to Grill to 3 lucky winners! Enter below, and prepare to heat things up!

Rob Rainford is a professionally–trained Canadian Chef, who was born in Jamaica and grew up in downtown Toronto, surrounded by the smells of sizzling grills. He graduated from George Brown College and his professional career has taken him all over the world. Rob was host of the wildly popular Food Network TV show, License to Grill (which aired in Canada, the USA, Australia, Africa and Asia), and has spent the last two years perfecting his signature style, The Rainford Method, unveiled in this book. Rob has always loved mastering the challenges that unravel when working with a wider variety of foods, but his one true love has always been the grill.

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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.

Martha Stewart makes me homesick. Okay, let me clarify that.

I grew up in the American Midwest, surrounded by corn fields, farmland, and berry-picking expeditions every summer. When I started paging through Martha’s American Food I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. Several of these dishes made frequent appearances on our dinner table: meatloaf, chicken pot pies, tuna noodle casserole, pot roast, sloppy joes, kielbasa, creamy coleslaw, green bean casserole, strawberry shortcake, cherry pie. Oh, I’m drooling on my keyboard. That’s attractive.

This cookbook is full of Mom’s home cooking Martha-fied! The photos are gorgeous, the recipes are classic and easy—as American food should be, and she covers every region from coast to coast. But don’t fret, my Canadian friends, as “American” as this cookbook is, I think you’re going to absolutely love it.

In fact, I’m overjoyed to offer a copy to one of you lovely, lucky readers.

To enter this contest: Tell me your favourite “American” food in the comments below!

Contest closes May 2, 2012. Canadian residents only, excluding Quebec. Winner will be chosen at random from the eligible entries.

For more great articles and contests, sign up for our Joie de Vivre lifestyle newsletter here.

Full contest rules:

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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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For all the salmon lovers, like me, this one’s for you. The salmon cakes can be prepared in an easy three-step process and served at room temperature. I use crushed saltine crackers instead of bread crumbs in the filling and to coat the salmon cakes because they keep their crunch and actually become crunchier as they cook.

Serves 4 to 6

Salmon cakes
1 (14.75-ounce) can boneless, skinless pink salmon, drained
1 large egg, beaten
1?3 cup chopped fresh chives
26 saltine crackers, crushed (1 1?2 cups)
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Sauce
1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained, and chopped
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salmon cakes: Using a fork, flake the salmon into 1/2-inch pieces into a medium bowl. Add the egg, chives, 1/2 cup of the crushed crackers, the corn, mayonnaise, mustard, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix gently until just combined. Form into 10 patties, each about 3/4 inch thick (if the mixture is too dry to form into patties, add extra mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon at a time). Carefully coat the patties in the remaining crushed crackers and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter together over medium heat. Add the salmon patties and cook for 7 to 8 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Drain the patties on paper towels.

For the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Arrange the salmon cakes on a platter and serve the sauce alongside.

Excerpted from Weeknights with Giada by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2012 by Giada De Laurentiis. Photographs Copyright © 2012 by Amy Neunsinger. Excerpted by permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Break out the BBQ! These Dukan-friendly kebabs can be prepared on a grill too.

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Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus overnight marinating
Cooking time: 10 minutes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 green or red bell pepper, seeds removed, cut into cubes
8 shallots, quartered

1. Place the chicken in a shallow dish and toss with the garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. The next day, preheat the oven to Broil (or a grill to High).

4. Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers (see Note), alternating chicken, bell pepper, and shallots.

5. Brush the kebabs with the marinade and cook under the broiler or on the barbecue, 5 minutes on each side.

Note: You will need wooden or metal skewers for this recipe. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes so they won’t burn.

 
Excerpted from The Dukan Diet Cookbook Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Pierre Dukan. Photographs Copyright © 2012 by Ben Fink. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada. All rights reserved.