Fire For The Barbecue

 Barbecue food can be somewhat routine. It's the same old burgers and dogs or ribs and chicken. The salad are blah as are those ears of corn. What do do ? Add some spice and fire to your grilling.

Fiery marinades are nothing new. They've been in Asian cooking foe centuries, livening uup all sorts of meats and veggies.One such ingredient chili crisp is becoming flavor of the summer with many home chefs adding it to their menus.It's actually an easy make and can be used in not just grilled food but to liven up omelets and even spaghetti and pizza sauces.It starts with frying shallots and garlic in peanut oil. Since it;s the crisp part that makes it so special, you can also add some peanuts or sliced ginger. Add to tat sugar soy sauce and the appropriate heat.Gochugaru, or Korean chili flakes is highly recommended but if you can;t find it a mix of cayenne and paprika will do the trick..Also add a cinnamon stick and star anise which brings some sweetness as does the sugar to the chili crisp. The peppery mix is added to the shallots and garlic after they've been removed from the oil.This allows them to  crisp up and give the mix that nice crunchiness. They're added back into the oil while the cinnamon stick and star anise pods are taken out. The entire oil is them left to refrigerate , usually overnight. Use a few tablespoons of this on burgers or even slather ribs in it before grilling.

Of course sriracha also works well in spicing things up. Add a few drops of it to ketchup to liven up sliders and any sausages. Sriracha mustard is another great condiment that can be drizzled on dogs or added to any potato salad. It's an easy make by combining a cup of yellow mustard with a quarter cup of the hot sauce, two tablespoons honey and a teaspoon of lime juice. Mix and serve how you like. Simple salads such as macaroni can easily get a lift from diced pepperoni. Spiced ham can also be added to this to make it more substantial. A teaspoon of pepperoncini flakes can also bring up the heat and make any salad  - even three bean much more interesting.Even grilled seafood can get a lift from some tasty fire. Whip up some bang bang shrimp sauce that's a signature Bonefish Grill dish.It's combining  half a cup of mayonnaise with two tablespoons Thai chili sauce (this can be found in your grocery's international aisle) with one tablespoon Sriracha sauce . A teaspoon of rice vinegar is added to thin it out. This is also good on grilled crab legs too.

Liven up your Memorial Day barbecue by adding some heat.  There's nothing like  some zing with the hamburgers or hot dogs, ribs chicken or shrimp. It's makes for a more exciting grill.

A Dash Of China

One of the best aspects of cooking is getting creative. It could be adding a never tasted before veggie or trying out exotic spices. Chinese influenced dishes are always a crowd pleaser and fun to make, It's easy to add a touch of the Far East to everyday dishes.

Soy sauce is usually used just for splashing on lo mein or as a dip for egg rolls and spring rolls. Did you know that it could give the humble hamburger some oomph? Ground meat can be marinated in a mix of  one-half cup of soy  and one half cup of Worcester sauce. it's just molding the patties , laying them down in a glass baking dish and pouring the marinade over them.Let sit an hour before cooking. Unlike regular burgers, do not flip.They're too moist and may break apart. The patties can also have a dash of grated ginger and chopped scallions too for some heat.Soy sauce and Szechuan peppercorns can also be added to meat loaf as well as hoisin sauce. Many home chefs may have some qualms cooking with  it but once tried is a kitchen staple. It's great in  giving meat loaf a nice dark glaze along with a rich unami flavor.  Try it for a tastier barbecued and roasted chicken. It'can be mixed with soy but also works well with such everyday ingredients as brown sugar, ketchup and  honey.  Hoisin sauce can even be made at home. It's a no-cook recipe that calls for soy sauce, peanut butter, and molasses mixed with rice vinegar and sesame seed oil. Minced garlic and black pepper are added for zing along with Chinese hot sauce. This last can also be made at home, using anaheim peppers and garlic in  a mix of vegetable oil and rice wine vinegar.

Many home chefs are intrigued by the Chinese five spice blend.It's  actually a blend of rather unusual herbs such as star anise, cinnamon, Szechuan pepper, fennel seeds and cloves. You don,t have to to go to an Asian supermarket for it. McCormicks' make their version of it. (keep in mind it is expensive at $17 for 2.75 ounces). The blend can be made at home. The recipe is easy. Mix cinnamon with anise seeds, and black peppercorns, if you can't find the Chinese kind,. Fennel seeds are easy to come by, Just check out the local grocery's spice section. All the spices are then ground in a coffee grinder and can be stored for up to two months. Any meat from pork to chicken can benefit from this amazing marriage  of hot and earthy. There is a famed pork dish called Five Flower pork that has the mix  livening up a simple cut.  Vegans will love the fact that it complements tofu . Add Five Spice to stir fries grilled meats or even to sautes. Veggies can be spiked with them giving them a spark of the exotic.Combine cauliflower, squash  and corn with snow peas and mushrooms.Add the Five Spices along with soy sauce  and saute in canola oil.  Two teaspoons of flour is also used to thicken the sauce.It can even be used in a vinaigrette , perfect for a grilled chicken or   beef salad.

Chinese sauces and spices are great in livening up everyday recipes.  Try hoisin sauce for jazzing up meat loaf or Five Spices for livening up veggies. It  makes for fun cooking and fun eating!