On the thrill of the grill

As was Andy, we, too, were enticed by Thrill of the Grill last night, after an afternoon episode of Memorial Day grilling (chicken breasts, boneless, rubbed with chili powder, sprinkled with garlic powder and black pepper and doused in beer near the end of their cooking.)

Part of our attention to TOTG came because the 5-year-old keeps wanting Bobby Flay to come down here for a cornbread throwdown with her. She wrote him a letter to that effect and got an autographed picture in return; a big hit. Her cornbread is good, real good, by the way, especially with a side of pulled pork barbecue.

Anyway, the grilling culture in the U.S. continues to be a source of fascination and cookbooks. In Wednesday's food section, we've got a slew of grilling recipes that are a little different from the traditional fare. Mario Batali lends an Italian twist to grilling, and it's an interesting result.