"grilling" news and stories

Here's a little "striper" trivia: these big boys can reach a weight of 100 pounds (although most never get larger than 50), and can live up to 40 years. It's actually the big girls that pull in the weight -- female striped bass pack on more pounds than the males. I'm not recommending you throw a three-stone-strong fish on the grill, but it's nice to know they're out there, taunting fishermen with their heft.

Blogger Josh at the Meatwave prepares his striped bass steaks with a spice rub, then grills them and serves the fish with a tomato salsa (get the recipe here). Without the rub, though, fresh-caught striped bass are perfect (try this recipe for grilled bass with lemon and herbs). And it's a sustainable choice -- stocks have been managed so that the population is fairly healthy.

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It's our old pal summer squash again, but this time it's simply grilled and dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chile and garlic, and scattered with fresh basil leaves. You could make green and yellow squash more complicated (as we did in last week's posts about southwestern zucchini boats, and zucchini with peas and pasta), but when you're putting together a quick grilled dinner, this is the recipe of choice.

Feta and mint also make a good match with the squash, as in this recipe from Curtis Stone.

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Grilled pizza is a pure summer pleasure -- and easier than you think. Here's how to do it.

Summer means grilling season -- burgers, steaks, hot dogs, and chicken are the usual suspects. So what's a vegetarian to do? The good news is that there are lots of meat-free products on the market -- from "hot dogs" to garden burgers, even faux chicken patties. Problem is, they can vary wildly in how good they are.

We invited a few friends over, fired up the grill and taste-tested meat-free burgers and dogs. We opened up 16 products: a mix of varieties and brands.

Our top nine picks are below (including our favorite), taking into consideration the texture, flavors, seasonings and overall taste in each.

Keep reading for the seven products that did not pass our taste test -- and why.

Nothing wrong with beer or mixed drinks, but wine at a cook-out is a new twist if you're in search of something different. There's no reason why you need to save your favorite wines for multi-course dinners served indoors. Raid your cellar and see what you come up with, paying close attention to wines with incredible body and spices. Paired with grilled meats and vegetables - even grilled fruits like peaches - new flavor notes arise in the food.

Here are seven wines that are perfect for sipping at a cook-out. You might want to think about chilling the reds for a bit. This won't ruin the flavor profile but it will be more refreshing while you're baking in the sun.

2008 Kendall-Jackson Vineyard Estates Vintner's Reserve Pinot Noir, California ($18)
Pinot and salmon is a classic pairing and that doesn't change when the fish is grilled. A cedar aroma kicks off this Pinot, which is anything but mellow and has an undercurrent of cola flavors that dance with the wild-raspberry fruit notes. Although light in body -- which we like on hot days -- there is still enough spicy flavor that provides wiggle room to encrust spices on top of your salmon. (Because we wouldn't want you to forego any additional flavors, of course.)