How can I tell that grilling season is officially upon us? During the long Memorial Day weekend, we grilled outdoors not once, not twice, but three times. Our grilled meals included barbecued pulled chicken, grilled corn and zucchini; mahi-mahi on a Maplewood plank with grilled cauliflower tossed in vanilla and white wine vinegar; and chicken brats with yet another batch of corn on the cob.

Our penchant for grilling is relatively new. Living in New York City apartments for 10 years didn't really afford us the opportunity to do much open-fire cooking... and during the time my husband, Chip, lived in an apartment with outdoor space, one of his roommates had already commandeered the Grillmaster title.

But at our house, Chip's Grillmaster title is uncontested. Why is it that grilling seems like such a man's sport, even to this writer's feminist sensibilities? (Secretly, part of the reason I leave the grilling to him is because I can't stand the zillions of mosquitoes that lie in wait in our back yard...)

Last year, I shared some tips for environmentally friendly grilling. But this year, I'll impart some of the wisdom we've attained over the past two years we've been grilling.

1. Use the cover. The cover of your grill is not just there to protect the grill while you're not using it. It also serves to contain the heat so that your food can cook quickly and more evenly.
2. Don't go flip-crazy. Many people think that grilling is more involved and complicated than it actually is. In reality, you should only need to turn your food over once, halfway through cooking. Flipping it back and forth not only disturbs and interrupts the cooking process, but also will increase the odds that you end up breaking that burger or dropping precious zucchini slices between the grates.
3. Grill til it's done, not burnt. Unless you're making blackened food, a la Cajun style, your food should not be black. It should have some nice dark grill marks on it, but it shouldn't be burnt.
4. When in doubt, use a thermometer. When you're grilling foods like chicken or pork, that should not be eaten raw or undercooked, use a thermometer to check for proper internal temperature. You can use a basic probe version, but there are fancy ones out there that can monitor temperature remotely so you don't have to keep lifting the grill lid to check.
5. Let it rest. After you take it off the heat, let your meat sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes. The temperature within the meat will likely rise a few degrees (this is called carryover cooking). Also, letting the meat rest will also enable the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the food.
6. Don't overlook vegetables. There's a whole world of grilling options out there besides just corn on the cob. Pretty much any vegetable could benefit from being cooked on a grill. Some of our favorites are bok choy, zucchini (cut on the bias into large "surfboards" so they don't fall through the grate), cauliflower, potatoes and sweet potatoes (cut into wedges).
7. Take advantage of those dying coals. When I was a kid, we used to toast marshmallows over the remains of the hot grill coals. But these days, I don't have the patience. Instead, we usually buy a fruit pie and put it on the grill after we've taken our food off and closed the flues. It slowly heats up while we're eating dinner, and when it's time for dessert, we'll have warm pie a la mode... with a faint hint of smoke.

Hopefully these tips will encourage you to become your own Grillmaster... and feel free to share any tips you've learned or favorite foods to grill.

Photo courtesy (nutmeg).