Here is a Korean marinade that I use. Not as much oil as Nancy's, but because there is sugar, watch that it doesn't burn (ask me how I know....) Barbecues & Grilling - Bulgogi Marinade By Derrick Riches, About.com This is the traditional marinade recipe for Korean Bulgogi1, which is a marinated steak cut into strips and served up on lettuce leaves or rice. This is also a great marinade for most cuts of beef. Prep Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup sugar 3 tablespoons sake (or rice wine or sherry) 2 tablespoons sesame oil 8 cloves garlic, minced 4 scallions (green onions), minced 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Slightly heating the marinade may help it mix better. Note: To toast sesame seeds place them in a hot saute pan and gently toss until they start to brown. This takes just a few seconds. Pour off into a bowl. This marinade is used to make Bulgogi or Korean Sesame Beef. It can be served with a spicy dipping sauce. For chicken and salmon, Sunset magazine's Lime Chipotle sauce. A favorite here on the forum, and you can can it! This is also good just as a chip and dip side dish, but beware it goes fast. Lime-Chipotle Sauce 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup lime juice 1/2 cup honey 2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chilies in adobado sauce 3 tablespoons brown mustard 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice Season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce with grilled meats, poultry, and fish. Makes 1 1/2 cups. NOTE: IÂm afraid of the heat so I use 1 Tbsp of the chilies. I freeze the rest of the can in a ziplock and and chop off frozen pieces as needed for other recipes. I also double this recipe and can it in a BWB in ½ pint jars for 15 minutes.

Mustangs, that's the one I bought! Fortunately, I had a gift card (for anyone who doesn't know, you can purchase Williams Sonoma gift cards with AMEX points) that covered most of it. I love it, and I've only just started using it. The grill plates pop right out to clean, and food slides right off them. I believe you can even put them in the dishwasher, although I prefer to wash them by hand. The grill also opens up completely flat. The other night I cooked cod filets in foil on the Breville, although I didn't get the timing right and overcooked it. It's going to take some time for me to figure things out. We have a gas grill, but I find this so much easier during the week, with my crazy schedule.

Congrats Alexa!!!! What a great accomplishment. I'm smoke free 10 years last month. Like FOAS says it gets easier especially once you start hating the smell of smokers ! I posted a very easy "Greek" Scampi recipe on the New recipes thread. I think it would make a great starter. Ina's Scampi is delish too. For the entree I would go traditional surf and turf . The Iceberg wedge with Blue Cheese is so retro, fits perfectly with Surf and Turf. If you want beyond decadent I had lobster mashed potatoes at a sea food restaurant that was to die for! Very smooth, creamy mashed potatoes with lots of fresh ground pepper, chive snips and chunks (no shreds , chunks) of lobster. Now you have me jonesing for lobster! Broiled Greek Scampi 1/2 stick butter 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice 1 TBSP minced garlic 1/2 tsp dried dill ( I omitted) salt and pepper to taste 2TBSP fresh bread crumbs 1 TBSP grated Parmesan 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp paprika 10-12 extra large shrimp, deveined, peeled, tail on ( butterflied) Preheat broiler with rack placed 6-8 inches from broilers Melt butter in large sauce pan. Stir in lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt and pepper. Let stand off heat to steep. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, oregano, and paprika. Set aside. Coat 2 6 oz casserole dishes with non stick spray and place on baking sheet. Arrange shrimp evenly on each dish. Divided butter mixture evenly between dishes. Top with bread crumb mixture. Broil until shrimp are cooked and topping is golden brown ( about 5 minutes) Let cool one minute before handling Baked Shrimp Scampi 2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved Serves: 6 servings Ingredients 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell  3 tablespoons good olive oil  2 tablespoons dry white wine  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature  4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)  1/4 cup minced shallots  3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves  1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes  1 teaspoon grated lemon zest  2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice  1 extra-large egg yolk  2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)  Lemon wedges, for serving Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined. Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute

Bisteces Rancheros Flank or Shoulder Steaks Braised with Tomatoes, Potatoes & Poblano Peppers From "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens serves 4 to 6 2 mdm poblanos (about 8 oz) 2 lbs Flank steaks Or thin-cut chuck or shoulder Coarse salt and pepper 4 tbsp olive oil 2 mdm white onions 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted/ground 1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted/grounds 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, with juice 1 lb small red or white potatoes 2 tbsp red wine vinegar Heat oven to 325 degrees Roast peppers - directly on gas burner until charred, about 8 minutes) Transfer to a mdm bowl, cover. Peel peppers - When peppers are cool enough, slip off the charred skin with your fingers. Slice the peeled peppers open, cut away stems, remove seeds. Cut into 1/4" strips. Set aside. Prep steaks - Lay steak flat on a large cutting surface. With a large knife, cut the steak crosswise into 8 to 10 thin slices, holding the knife at a very steep angle so you are cutting more horizontally than downward. The steaks should be about 1/4" thick, 3" wide, and a long as the flank steak was wide (about 6 inches). Brown steaks - Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over mdm high heat until it shimmers. Add 1/2 the steaks and cook, turning once with tongs, until they develop a ruddy brown exterior, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the steaks to a large cazuela or shallow, 3 quart, baking dish. Brown the second batch. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan before adding the steaks. Remove browned steaks to the shallow baking dish Aromatics and braising liquid - When the steaks are browned, pour oil out of the pan. If the skillet is blackened, clean before continuing, but if there is just a chocolate-brown crust of drippings, continue with the skillet as is. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat over mdm-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, stir and saute until limp and beginning to brown in spots, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook for another minute. Pour juice from tomato can into the skillet. Then break up whole tomatoes with your hands and drop them into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, stir and simmer the juices to thicken them a bit, about 4 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Braise - Slice the potatoes into 1/8" thick rounds, and layer them over the steaks. Stir the vinegar into the tomato sauce and spoon it over the potatoes. Top with the strips of peppers. Cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty foil and slice it onto the middle oven rack. Braise until steaks and potatoes are fork-tender, but not falling apart, about 1 hour. The finish - Remove the foil, increase oven temp to 375 degrees, and braise until tomato sauce is brown and crusty around the edges, another 20 to 25 minutes. Serving - Carry the dish to the table with thick pot holders, and use a large serving spoon to serve. Enjoy. Ann H.