Grilling and Summer How-Tos

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.

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.

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

Pellet grills can do the work of a smoker, grill and oven — all in your backyard. Here's why you need one, pronto.

Whether you're using gas or charcoal, creating a hotter zone and a cooler zone is the key to perfectly grilled food.

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

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

Cooking meat low and slow requires a thermometer that can handle the heat — and keep you updated for hours.

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.

Say bye-bye to burnt kernels and dried-out cobs — follow these tips for perfect grilled corn.

Make sure you're ready with all the essentials this grilling season!

No matter what kind of vegggies you're grilling, get tender, perfectly charred bites every time with these tips.

Barbecue Basics

Take pizza night outside!

An apartment farm harvest is possible if you keep these tips in mind.