Pick 5 Grilling Essentials

Are you ready for the weekend? There are many types of grillers — the weekenders, the year 'round grillers, and the serious barbecuers; yet the essentials are fit to grill for us all. Check out my five grilling essentials and get ready to Know Your Fire!

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1. Kenmore Deluxe Grip Long Plastic Handle Grill Cleaner: Good grip + stainless steel scraper.

2. 12-Piece Barbecue Set with Digital Fork Thermometer: The complete collection of all the basic tools + skewers.

3. BBQ Pro Charcoal Starter: Have your coals smoldering in minutes; holding 4 lbs. of briquettes.

4. Kenmore 4-Burner Gas Grill with Open Storage: Full size grill with side burner, area for prep + storage.

5. Stainless Steel 3-Piece Barbecue Set: Rust Resistant + 19 inch handles for safety.

Helado-Gelato

Talenti began as a gelateria in 2003 and has since grown into the best-selling gelato in the US. Taking inspiration from Argentine helado—gelato brought to Argentina by Italian immigrants in the early 20th century, Talenti is made with the same uncompromising commitment to quality and artisanship that distinguished Italian gelato in the pre-WWII era.

Talenti offers a unique experience, using only the finest natural and raw ingredients, carefully sourced locally and from around the world—Belgian Chocolate, fresh whole Tahitian vanilla beans from Papua New Guinea, select coconuts from the Philippines, and real Argentine dulce de leche are just a few of the many fine ingredients used to create Talenti gelatos and sorbettos.

Our gelato is made with fresh, hormone-free milk and only pure cane sugar. Not only is it delicious, but with 30% less fat than regular ice cream, it’s also a healthier alternative. Our sorbetto is dairy free and 100% fat free and also made with pure cane sugar—never high-fructose corn syrup. Both Talenti’s sorbettos and gelatos showcase our commitment to providing wholesome, all-natural  frozen desserts that taste amazing. - Talenti

teuscher

Chocolates of Switzerland

Teuscher Chocolates was founded more than 70 years ago in a small town in the Swiss Alps. A master chocolate maker embarked on a path that would make him one of the world's greatest chocolatiers. Dolf Teuscher skillfully blended the world's finest and only natural ingredients to produce his now famous recipes. Chocolates are prepared fresh in the Zurich kitchen and flown directly to all their stores in Europe, the United States, Canada and Asia.
Frank on Swiss - post.

Opened in 1979, a visit to the Fifth Avenue store, nestled in the Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center - has become a tradition for New Yorkers and visitors from around the globe. The beautifully decorated store overflows with colorful fantasy flowers and unique trademark boxes. Teuscher's famous Champagne Truffles, pralines and marzipans are hand-made and flown in weekly from Switzerland. 

Teuschers house speciality, the famous Champagne Truffle made with a champagne cream center, surrounded by dark chocolate ganache, covered with milk chocolate and dusted with confectioner's sugar.

More On Chocolate

For Chocolate Lovers

Chocolat L'Africain

La Banderita

See George's January 2012 Good Stuff picks

La Banderita Authentic Mexican Tortillas are made using a traditional family recipe, the freshest ingredients and the latest production techniques. The result? A great tasting versatile tortilla that will make our great recipes taste even better. Available nationwide.

Chicken Chipotle Tostada
Makes 4 | From George Hirsch Living it UP! 
www.chefgeorgehirsch.com

4 6-Inch Flour tortillas; or very fresh corn tortillas 
2 Tablespoons olive oil; for tortillas
2 Chicken breasts, marinated grilled and thinly sliced 
1/4 cup monetary jack cheese, shredded 

Optional toppings: Pureed pinto beans, chopped sweet onions, finely shredded cabbage or lettuce, sliced jalapeños, guacamole, tomatillo sauce, salsa, crema fresca or crème fraîche, or sour cream.

For The Chicken Marinade: 
Juice of two limes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 oz Tequila 
2 Tablespoons cilantro 
4 cloves garlic, chopped 
1 Tablespoon chipotle hot sauce 
1 teaspoon cumin 

Combine all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and mix together. Pour over chicken, cover and place in refrigerator for two hours. 

Preheat grill or griddle to medium high. 

Grill chicken 4-5 minutes each side or until done. Do not overcook. After grilling and cooling chicken breasts, slice into small pieces.

For the Chipotle Sauce:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons barbeque sauce 
1 Tablespoon chipotle hot sauce 
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix all ingredients in a small pot and simmer for 3 minutes and cool. 

To Assemble Tostadas:
Lay tortillas flat and brush with olive oil, top with pureed pinto beans, sliced grilled chicken, cheese, chipotle sauce, and cilantro. 

Place Tostada on grill, griddle on a medium/ low temperature; or bake in a pre heated 375 degree F oven.  

Bake for 2-3 minutes, remove when cheese melts and tortillas are light brown. 

Serve with fresh cilantro, wedges of fresh limes and your favorite toppings such as chopped sweet onions, finely shredded cabbage or lettuce, jalapeños, guacamole, tomatillo sauce, salsa, crema fresca or sour cream.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie

There is nothing better than one freshly baked cookie, well, maybe two. I can actually eat one cookie and stop but that cookie better be really good. Don’t try to pass off a mass produced preservative enriched package cookie on me!
I am very fortunate know Kathleen Tate and live in close proximity to her bake shop, Tate's. There's no mistake why her cookies happen to be world famous. Even those who bake will admit to having a sleeve or two on their countertop for an instant cookie fix, like her Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Macadamia, Oatmeal Raisin, or Shortbreads.

I’ll borrow the description of Tate’s Bake Shop from Kathleen’s website because it describes Tate's best.

If you're in the Hamptons and walk around the charming little Atlantic coast town of Southampton, you'll see a charming sage green Victorian structure with white shutters, framed in flowers, that seems to attract people like bees to a hive. It's Tate's Bake Shop, the fairytale culmination of a dream that got started when 11-year-old Kathleen King began baking cookies to sell at her family's farm stand not far out of town. Today, those amazing cookies have attracted a loyal following from coast to coast. Crispy and buttery, rich but not overwhelming, they simply melt in your mouth… and just one is never enough!

But, lucky for those who can't visit Southampton, New York or the many food markets across the US where her cookies are available, Kathleen also ships! I’m a traditionalist and her Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorite with the perfect ratio of chip to cookie with a crunchy consistency. Tate's also bakes cakes, pies, muffins, and quick breads. 

image: George Hirsch