Global Grilling

By Lisa McLaughlin

This summer topnotch chefs are moving the backyard grill, source of much of America's classic cuisine, beyond the realm of traditional burgers and hot dogs to a more global way of cooking outdoors. Three new cookbooks show how the American barbecue can embrace ingredients and influences from regions as diverse as Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean.

Douglas Rodriguez's Latin Flavors on the Grill, by the eponymous New York chef, features involved and somewhat complicated dishes, like the odd-sounding but surprisingly tasty clam-onion quesadilla. Best is the shrimp grilled on raw-sugarcane skewers, which add Latin flavor and flair to a simple dish.

Grilling, by London's Eric Treuille and Birgit Erath, mixes Asian, Mexican, Middle Eastern and European ideas to produce such creations as curried coconut chicken, cinnamon quail with pomegranate glaze and red-snapper tacos topped with chili lime mayo.

Best of the bunch, though, is celeb chef Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill. The book showcases international flavors with dishes like a sweet-and-sour brick-grilled baby squid that features a tamarind-mint dressing with Middle Eastern and Indian spices. Simple, user-friendly instructions make for easy preparation of an Asian-and Caribbean-influenced grilled chicken with toasted chilies, coconut milk, lime and crushed peanuts. There are also recipes for Peking duck and pizzas--all cooked over the coals. Even the all-American burger gets a global makeover with a pressed, Cuban-style rendition, Flay's fusion of "a big, fat burger oozing melted cheese and pickles" and "a big, fat Cuban sandwich oozing melted cheese and pickles." Mmmm.