Grilling

For our best grilled vegetables recipe, we found that most vegetables are best cooked over a medium-hot fire. Lower heat is needed to cook through vegetables with a low moisture content, like potatoes. As for wood chips, we found that vegetables do not cook long enough to pick up any wood flavor. A better way to add flavor to a grilled vegetable recipe is to brush the vegetables with a flavored oil just before grilling. (Marinating makes vegetables soggy.) 

You might not think you really need a recipe for a grilled cheese sandwich, but the technique and the ingredients you choose can make all the difference between a good sandwich and a great sandwich. We wanted to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Here’s what we discovered:

Also known as elote, Mexican-style corn on the cob can be boiled first or grilled over hot coals until the kernels are charred and toasty. It’s a dish that began as street food and is now served in good restaurants. The white cheese cotija is at many specialty markets, but you can substitute a dry, crumbly cheese such as feta. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper for a kick of spice, guajillo for smoky notes, or paprika for sweet earthiness. Finish with a spritz of lime to make it pop.

Most freshwater and ocean fish can be marinated for only 30 minutes at most—or they turn opaque and are essentially "cooked" before you even go out to the grill. The exception, though, is strong-flavored, oily fish like amberjack, bluefish, salmon, mackerel, marlin, mullet, or even our old standby, farm-raised catfish, which can stand up to longer marinating. In fact, marinating these oily fish for a longer time makes them taste even better.

We love Sriracha's heat, which is warm, lasting, and assertive without being overbearing. The oil and sugar give the marinade some viscosity so it doesn't just season the shrimp but clings to it. But it's the sugar that makes this dish -- on the grill, the sugar caramelizes, giving the shrimp a laquered feel, and its sweetness balances the kick of the Sriracha. Recipe courtesy of the cooks at food52.com. Photo by Sarah Shatz, courtesy of food52.com.