Mark Bittman’s 101 fast recipes for grilling

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   >>> this morning on "how to cook everything today" we're talking about some grilling recipes just in time for your fourth of july holiday. "new york times" columnist mark bittman is the author of "how to cook everything." mark, good morning.

   >> good morning.

   >> happy holidays. you're preaching to the choir here. i think just about everything is better on the grill .

   >> people always want ideas for grilling. which is why the story's been so popular.

   >> hot dogs , hamburgers, chicken, we all know about that. you've got some unusual things here. you're starting off with grilled guacamole. you put the avocado on the grill ?

   >> cut it in half. grill it just until it softens up a little bit. don't use super, super ripe avocados here and scoop it out. grill onion first so you can get some nice, smoky grilled onions. and the usual, tomatoes, garlic, salt, cumin.

   >> you've got this more over a griddle grill . could you do this on an open flame grill , as well?

   >> absolutely. that's actually better. we're trying to conserve space here.

   >> okay.

   >> artichokes, a lot of people think they're hard to cook, hard to eat.

   >> these are great. you have to par boil or microwave them a little bit first. five or ten minutes so they become at least half cooked. and then now you've got a sort of soft, half-cooked artichoke and it's very easy to take out the choke. and you just do that with a spoon.

   >> okay. then what do you rub a little olive oil or butter on them?

   >> you oil them and then you grill them. the great thing is, i'm not going to finish this.

   >> that's okay.

   >> the great thing is you then grill some onions --

   >> that's a lemon.

   >> thank you. look at that. and the juices come right out and now you have this smoky lehman juice.

   >> because you could also just cut the lemon in half and do that.

   >> this is really great. if it's warm you get more juice out.

   >> okay, fine. i'm not doubting you.

   >> and look at that. how nice.

   >> all right.

   >> grilled coleslaw.

   >> okay.

   >> you're absolutely going to put the vegetables on the grill . again are you looking for color or are you looking for flavor?

   >> you're looking for both. you get a little char on there. some nice, dark color on your cabbage and carrots and stuff. chop it up in the food processor . mayonnaise with vinegar --

   >> when you're talking about artichokes and cabbage, you don't want to cook them too long on the grill .

   >> the artichokes we want tender. these you want to remain a little of their crunchiness. so you want to char them a bit, and sear them.

   >> typical mayonnaise?

   >> with a little --

   >> you wait until this cools down. you don't put the mayonnaise on something warm.

   >> right, right.

   >> clams on the half shell?

   >> clams casino or whatever. the easiest way to open clams, if you don't have someone who wants to do it for you, is to microwave them for half a minute or so and they will pop.

   >> i didn't know that.

   >> and this nice mixture of bread crumbs and parsley and garlic. typical thing right on top. you do this hours in advance, and then reheat them on the grill .

   >> one of the things you don't get this way, normally clams casino they kind of get that crust on the top.

   >> right. you get a little of that and you get the great smokiness, too. how we doing?

   >> timewise we're okay.

   >> good.

   >> back to things more recognized. it's nice of you to check. you're becoming a director.

   >> all right.

   >> you wrapped them in bacon, why?

   >> we wrapped -- why? matt. why would you wrap a hot dog in bacon? why would you not wrap a hot dog in bacon?

   >> it's just a heart attack right there.

   >> if for a penny, in for a pound.

   >> so you don't cook the hot dog before you wrap it in the bacon?

   >> the hot dog is precooked anyway.

   >> all right.

   >> and as soon as we're done here. now you're talking.

   >> those are good hot dogs .

   >> as far as i know these were invented in new haven, connecticut. the bacon wrapped hot dog .

   >> are you serious?

   >> yankee doodle . a coffee shop about the size of this piece of apparatus --

   >> grilled dessert.

   >> grilled pound cake . just brush it with a little butter, i mean look at that. how could you resist? and sock chocolate sauce or fruit or fruitcom post, what could be better.

   >> all these things can be done on open fire grills as opposed to the kind you've got here?

   >> oh, yeah.

   >> mark bittman . 101 things to put on the barbecue. appreciate it. happy fourth of july.

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