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Beef Marinade

(For 4 to 6 steaks)
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon dry basil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients. Marinate steaks for about 20 minutes.

Chimmy Churry

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 large shallot
5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon sugar
2 limes juiced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Brunoise all vegetables. Combine all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.

Port Balsamic Reduction

3 cups port wine reduced to ½ cup
3 cups balsamic vinegar reduced to ½ cup

In separate pots, reduce the wine and vinegar over medium heat. Combine together and let cool.

Summer Salad

(Serves 4 to 6)
4 cups mixed greens
1 carrot, julienned
2 sliced radishes
½ pint fresh blueberries
½ pint fresh raspberries
½ pint sliced fresh strawberries
¼ cup candied nuts (almonds or pecans work best)

Toss greens, carrot, and radish with blueberry dill vinaigrette (see recipe). Garnish with fresh berries and candied nuts.

Blueberry Dill Vinaigrette

2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice (about 10 oranges)
½ pint fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

In a small pot, reduce the orange juice over medium heat to ½ cup. Do not boil. In a blender, combine the blueberries and the orange juice reduction. Add sugar, salt, and olive oil. Finish with the dill.

Angel Food Cake with Summer Strawberries

½ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 pints fresh strawberries
5 large basil leaves, chopped
Vanilla ice cream

In a small pot, bring the sugar and water to boil. Take the pot off the burner and add the basil and half of the strawberries. Cool the mixture in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes, then add the rest of the strawberries. Serve over angel food cake and ice cream.

Hot stuff: 6 tips to mastering your grill

Chef Jeff Rose has been working in the kitchen most of his life. Whether as a teenage dishwasher in New Jersey, a sous chef in Southfield, or as executive chef at Birmingham’s Big Rock Chophouse, Rose knows food. Here he shares some easy tips for summer grilling.

1. No flame ups. Keep a squirt bottle of water next to your grill. If flames shoot up, they can burn the steak.
2. Your grill must be hot. Preheat your grill for at least 20 minutes. The grates must be hot, other­wise the meat will stick and won’t get grill marks.
3. Let the meat sit. It needs to be turned every three-to-four minutes, not played with and moved all the time.
4. Wait until all the coals are gray and evenly heated when using charcoal. Then spread them out to cook.
5. Add a flavored wood chip to gas grills for more smoky flavor. Soak the chips in water for a few hours before adding them to your grill. You can use hickory, mesquite, apple, or cherry wood chips. Most are available at your local hardware store.
6. Grills aren’t just for meat. Fish, shrimp, vegetables, or calamari can be grilled. Use your imagination. I once made chocolate chip cookies on the grill.