Friends, customers and grilling enthusiasts,

Welcome to the new issue of Hot Off the Grill! We created Hot Off the Grill! in order to share content that helps you maximize the joy and satisfaction of your outdoor grilling and entertaining experience. Thank you for your warm response to previous issues; please keep your stories, suggestions, and comments coming to hotg@kalamazoogourmet.com.

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March, 2006
Inside This Issue...

Master Grilling

Grilling the Perfect Asparagus or Green Beans

Grill: Smoked Tomato, Garlic and Sausage Lasagna

Bar: Port Martini

Grill Care

Getting Ready for Spring

Contact Us

1-800-868-1699

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Customer Service Email

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Techniques, Tips, Glossary and More

Check out the updated KalamazooGourmet.com

We've recently revamped our site to offer more content for grilling enthusiasts. Please visit our Recipes & Tips section for new resources including:

• Guide to grilling techniques
• Food temperature chart
• Glossary of grilling terms
• Grill care

We hope you find this new content useful, and we would love to incorporate your expertise in the future. If you have grilling tips you would like to share with fellow grilling enthusiasts, please email them to hotg@kalamazoogourmet.com.

Hybrid Grilling with Hardwood, Charcoal and Gas
We've also added a lot more information online regarding how our revolutionary hybrid grilling drawer system works. If you have one of our Dual-Fuel models, or are considering one, you may be interested in reading more on our Hybrid Grilling Advantage web page. We've included a few pointers on how best to take advantage of the system.

What's next for KalamazooGourmet.com? Expanded recipes with search functionality. We'll let you know when we get it finished.

Kitchen/Bath Industry Show

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet will be exhibiting at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, Booth #10115, April 21-23 in Chicago. If you are planning to attend, please stop by our booth.

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Another Fan of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Grills

Here's what Chef Michael Chiarello of NapaStyle has to say in his latest newsletter about his Steadfast Two Plus Smoker Box...

Art comes from grace. And grace doesn't come easy. I've tried a lot of high-end outdoor grills in my years, but this one really takes the steak. The Kalamazoo Steadfast Two Grill delivers the kind of performance I normally find only in restaurant kitchens. And the beautifully designed Kalamazoo Martini Bar is the perfect complement. Both elevate outdoor entertaining to an artform – and they’re so rich with great features that we've built extra space on our NapaStyle.com website to detail it all. Rediscover the art of outdoor entertaining!

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Master Grilling

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet's Guide to Perfect Grilling: Asparagus and Green Beans

This is another installment in our series of Guides to Perfect Grilling, and we hope you enjoy it. Green vegetables can be great off the grill, but sometimes a little tricky. Here's one tried and true method from our Kalamazoo grillmasters. We hope your family and friends enjoy green veggies as part of your grilling repertoire. Step One: Cleaning Select fresh green beans and/or asparagus and wash in cold water. For asparagus, snap off the bottom end of each spear. The natural breaking point varies slightly from spear to spear. Discard the bottom ends. For green beans, cut off and discard the stem ends.

Step Two: Marinating
Place the vegetables in a plastic zip-loc freezer bag and add fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, dried garlic flakes and coarse sea salt. For one bundle of asparagus, or enough green beans to serve two, use the juice (and pulp) from ½ of a large lemon, ¼ cup olive oil, about 1 tablespoon of garlic flakes, and a light sprinkling of salt. Seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and let marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Step Three: Grilling
Place the vegetables over direct heat on the grill surface in a loose pile, being cautious of flare-ups from the olive oil. If you take a little care to drop the vegetables on the grill one piece at a time, you shouldn't be bringing too much oil along with them. Discard the liquid. Our laser-cut vegetable grilling surface is perfect for these veggies, but if the spacing on your grill surface is wider than the beans or the asparagus, take care to place them across the grates. On the Kalamazoo vegetable surface, you can simply place the veggies in a loose pile. At 500 to 600 degrees the veggies should grill for a total of about 6 minutes with the hood closed. Halfway through, turn the veggies over. It is not important to turn each bean or asparagus spear over, just loosely turn most of the pile over using tongs and slightly redistribute on the grill surface.

When done, the vegetables should still be crisp and green, with blackened spots over less then 25% of the surface. Remove from the grill and serve. Add a little salt if necessary, but the veggies should still be glistening and moist, needing no butter or additional oil.

Serve grilled beans or asparagus alongside fish, steaks or chops, simply prepping them as the grill preheats and then adding them to the fire six minutes before the main dish is done. This method also works well for ¼” thick slices of zucchini, but you need to use only about a tablespoon of lemon juice. The sliced zucchini really absorbs the lemon flavor.

Look for more in our series of "Guide to Perfect Grilling" articles in future issues of Hot Off The Grill!

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Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Featured Recipes

For the Grill: Smoked Tomato, Garlic and Sausage Lasagna

This unique lasagna brings the best outdoor flavors to a dish traditionally prepared indoors. With smoked tomatoes, garlic and sausage setting the tone, we have eliminated ricotta and substituted cheeses that compliment the smoky flavors of the grill. You can prepare this lasagna almost entirely outdoors (if you have a side burner or cook top), or you can do the smoking outside and the rest of the work in your indoor kitchen.

Serves:	6 to 8
Total Time:	About 4 hours
Ingredients:	For the sauce:
	7 pounds fresh tomatoes, preferably on the vine
	1 ½ pounds mild Italian sausage, uncooked
	3 heads garlic
	2 tablespoons sugar, turbinado or “sugar in the raw”
	8 ounces heavy cream
	½ ounce fresh oregano leaves, chopped (about 6 or 7 stems)
	About 10 medium to large stems of fresh basil leaves, chopped
	Salt, optional
	Wood chips, preferably white oak, apple or cherry
	Inexpensive cabernet for soaking chips, or start with cabernet
	For assembling the lasagna:
	Lasagna noodles, dried or fresh
	1 ¼ pound fresh water buffalo's milk mozzarella (the soft kind sold in a milky liquid solution, not a mozzarella brick), sliced about ¼” thick
	1 pound asiago cheese, choose a softer variety, sliced about 1/8” thick
	1 pound brie, try goat's milk brie, and leave the rind/skin on, sliced between 1/8” and ¼” thick
	Freshly-grated or shaved parmesan, optional
	You will also need a heavy lasagna pan and tinfoil. We do not recommend using any non-stick cookware on a grill.

Prepare the grill and wood chips for smoking
Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet grill models featuring our traditional, side-mounted smoker box are ideal for this recipe, but you can successfully smoke on most grills. See the description for various smoking techniques on our website, and use the technique that is best for you: http://www.kalamazoogourmet.com/techniques.php#smoke

Soak half of the wood chips in the cabernet. If you are using a technique that is best with all of the wood chips soaked, soak the other half in water.

Prepare the grill for dry smoking at between 200 and 300 degrees. You will be smoking for a one to two hour session.

Smoke the tomatoes, garlic and sausage
Wash and dry the tomatoes, leaving them on the vine for easier handling. Cut off the top of each garlic head, exposing the tips of at least the largest, outer cloves.

Place the tomatoes, sausage and garlic (cut-side up) on the grill and smoke all with the hood closed for one to two hours. Turn the sausage about every 30 minutes. Turn the tomatoes once at about the halfway point. Keep an eye on the temperature, and keep it below 300 degrees. Maintain a good, even smoke for the entire time.

The skin of the tomatoes will blacken and start to peel away. The sausage should be well wrinkled on the surface and begin to dry out. You'll want to keep the sausage in a hotter area of the grill (still below 300 degrees). If the sausage is still plump and juicy, then you risk a greasy lasagna when finished, so be sure the sausage is fairly dry. The garlic may be “roasted” by the time the sausage is ready, or the cloves may still be more firm. Either is fine.

You are finished smoking at this point. If you don't plan to bake the lasagna on the grill, you are finished with the grill. If you do, the grill will need to be ready for indirect cooking at 350 to 375 degrees in about 60 to 90 minute's time. The smoking should be stopped as you don't want to add any further smoke flavor to the lasagna.

Making the sauce
Remove the tomatoes, garlic and sausage from the grill, placing the tomatoes in a large bowl. Brush, scrape or pull away the skins from the tomatoes and discard. Cut each tomato in half and discard much of the seeds, reserving the “meat” of the tomato and placing it in a food processor. If the garlic is roasted and soft, squeeze the cloves out of each head into the food processor with the tomatoes. If the cloves are still solid, peel and coarsely chop the cloves and add to the food processor. Process the tomatoes and garlic until smooth, or until it is the texture you prefer.

Cut the sausage into small pieces and place in a large pot over medium heat. Stir the sausage until either grease accumulates in the pot or you are sure there is little or no grease left in the sausage. Be careful not to burn the sausage, as it should have been fully cooked before you removed it from the grill. Discard any grease that may have accumulated and reserve the sausage in the pot.

Add the smoked tomato/garlic mixture, sugar and heavy cream in the pot with the sausage. Bring to a simmer of medium heat, stirring constantly, and then reduce heat to low. Keep sauce at a low simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will likely require an hour of simmering for the sauce to thicken to the desired consistency. Chopped fresh basil and oregano leaves should be added to the pot for the final 30 minutes of simmering. When the sauce is nearly finished, taste test and add optional salt as desired. When the sauce is finished, remove it from the heat.

Preparing the pasta
Follow the instructions on your pasta package for cooking the pasta. If it needs cooking, be sure not to overdo it. The pasta should still be firm when the lasagna is assembled. Some dried lasagna and most fresh lasagna noodles do not require cooking before baking the lasagna.

Assemble the lasagna
Adjust your grill for indirect cooking at 350 to 375 degrees, or preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the lasagna pan. Add a complete layer of pasta, followed by the asiago cheese and then another layer of sauce. Add another layer of pasta, then the mozzarella cheese and top with more sauce. Add what is likely to be the final layer of pasta, then the brie, and then sauce. You may have enough ingredients and enough room in the pan for a fourth layer, if so, proceed, combining any of the remaining cheeses in the top layer, and finishing off with the sauce. If desired, top with grated or shaved parmesan cheese, then cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake the lasagna
You can bake the assembled lasagna on the grill or in your oven. If you bake it on the grill, be certain to use indirect heat, to cover the lasagna tightly, and not to exceed 375 degrees. Keep the hood closed.

Bake the lasagna, covered for about one hour, until it has reached an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Then uncover and continue baking until the edges and top are slightly browned.

Wine recommendation: For an excellent wine pairing, try the 2002 Hermanos Lurton Tempranillo Red Rueda.

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For the Martini Bar: Port Martini

This martini combines ruby port and vodka with a hint of orange, and presents a beautiful color. We recommend using Ciroc vodka which, like the port, is made from grapes.

Combine all ingredients except garnish and shake vigorously until ice cold. Strain into martini glasses and add garnish. Also good with dry vermouth in place of Grand Marnier.

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Grill Care

Getting Ready for Spring

Supplies
As those of us who don't live in the Sunbelt get ready for “grilling season,” there are a few key grilling items to take inventory on.

Renew your supply of wood chips and chunks. Now may be a great time to try some new varieties. Also, if you are still using conventional charcoal briquettes, try the more natural hardwood chunk charcoal. It is easier to find than ever, and usually does not include the grill damaging heavy metals that some brands of briquettes do.

It may be a good time to replace your grill cleaning brush head or purchase a new brush. Make sure is has a stainless steel scraper and bristles of either stainless steel or brass. Choose one with a long handle to keep your hands away from the heat. We recommend using your grill brush on a warm or hot surface for the best cleaning. Also, try to find one with a strong handle. We hate it when a grill brush handle bends back as we apply pressure on the grilling surface.

Is your basting brush in good shape? If not, we recommend trying a brush with silicon bristles. Check the temperature rating. Many are rated to withstand 650 degrees, and all the ones we've used are dishwasher safe. Say goodbye forever to those unsanitary nylon bristles that can be so difficult to keep clean. Again, look for a tool with a longer handle to keep your hands away from the flame. While there are silicon basting brushes made specifically for grillers, we've been happy with the inexpensive Le Creuset brushes, keeping several on hand to avoid cross contamination and to make it easier to work with multiple sauces.

Maintenance
Spring is the perfect time for annual grill maintenance as well. Annual maintenance will help prolong the life of components and maintain the performance of your grill.

1. If you have not used your grill in some time, inspect under the grill, in the cabinetry and in the hopper to find and remove any accumulated debris, such as fall leaves (or critters that have decided your grill is a cozy winter haven).

2. Replace the old batteries in your ignition system with fresh ones.

3. Check natural gas or liquid propane gas supply hoses and connections for leaks. Apply a mild soapy solution and then turn on the gas (leaving the burner valves closed). Look for any bubbles. Use a damp cloth to remove the soapy solution after you have completed the leak check. If you do find leaks, turn off your gas immediately and do not use your grill until any leaks have been addressed. Call a certified gas technician if you need advice.

4. Turn over all of your ceramic heat-retention briquettes so that the side that has been down is now up. This will help burn off any drippings that have accumulated on the briquettes.

5. Light the main burners (not the infrared burners or side burners), and leave them on high for about an hour to help burn off any grease build-up in the fire box. As the grill cools, brush down the grilling surface with your brass or stainless steel bristle grill brush. Once cool, remove the grilling surfaces and the ceramic racks. Brush any remaining burnt debris off the burners and the sides of the hopper down into the foil drip tray. Throw away the drip tray and replace with a new one. Put back your ceramics and grilling surfaces.

6. If you have laser-cut grilling surfaces, now is a great time to re-season the surface. Laser-cut stainless steel surfaces should be kept seasoned much like a cast iron skillet. They should be black or nearly black, and not shiny. Warm the grilling surface and then scrub down with a rag and lemon juice. Follow with your grill cleaning brush. Then season your surface using animal fat or vegetable oil. For helpful tips on seasoning your surface see the grill care page on KalamazooGourmet.com.
   

   Note: Extreme care must be taken when seasoning your grilling surface. Your surface will remain hot even after you've turned the burners off. Do not spread oil on the surface over an open flame.
   

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We Want to Hear from You

As we continue our efforts to help our readers maximize the joy and satisfaction of their outdoor grilling and entertaining experience, we would love to know what you think:

• Share with us your favorite grilling recipes or outdoor gourmet entertaining tips
• Provide us with pictures of your grill or grill setting
• Tell us what you like most about your Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet product
• Tell us which product features you would like to see added to or improved on our products
• Let us know if there are any services Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet should offer

Feel free to drop us a line at hotg@kalamazoogourmet.com with your thoughts on any of the above, or just to say hello.

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Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Bringing Gourmet Lifestyles Outdoors Since 1906™
www.KalamazooGourmet.com
1-800-868-1699
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