Grilling and Summer How-Tos

Depending on your needs, some cuts are better than others.

Practically any food eaten outdoors in the company of another could qualify as a picnic — "A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and Thou" being among the simplest and best menus still in use more than a thousand years after a poet first suggested it. But once the guest list numbers above three, a few more dishes are in order and a little strategizing pays off. To help plan your next outing, we've assembled a list of totable foods that are easy to eat sprawled out in the sun, plus some handy gear for serving it.

Barbecue Basics

Learn how to cook and buy fresh tilapia the right way, plus get delicious easy-to-make recipes from the chefs at Food Network.

Heading to the supermarket with a shopping list is one thing, but leaving with what you need is another entirely. Yes, they stock charcoal; but should you buy briquettes or hardwood? Your buddy loves shrimp; do you get large or jumbo? For every summer essential, there seems to be a confusing variation — cilantro or parsley, whipping cream or heavy cream. Here, a cheat sheet to a half dozen shopping conundrums. Remember it the next time you hit the store and you'll come out a winner.

Use Food Network Kitchen's internal-temperature chart to serve perfectly cooked meat every time.

As shocking as it might be to believe, sometimes it’s not a scheming rival chef who’s throwing a wrench into your carefully planned meal. Sometimes the metaphorical call is coming from inside the house – or outside on the patio, as the case may be. Here’s a quick rundown of our top 5 grilling mishaps, and how to avoid them.

Planning a fire-free camping trip? Here are a few of our favorite no-cook meals.

Use our internal-temperature chart to serve perfectly cooked meat every time.

Try a new cookout dish: Food Network Magazine created dozens of fun and easy foil packs.

For starters, it's an outdoor cooker that acts like a smoker, grill and oven all in one.

Our top tips for picking and buying summer’s quintessential fruit, whether you're picking it fresh off the vine or off the grocery store shelf.

Plan your next picnic with our essential list of totable foods that are easy to eat sprawled out in the sun, plus some handy gear for serving it.