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More Grillers Having A Gas

Rick Bonino Food Editor

These days, more dads are cooking with gas in the great outdoors.

Just five years ago, the Weber GrillWatch Survey found that 57 percent of American households owned a charcoal grill, compared to 43 percent with gas grills (no, not every household has a grill; some have both). Today, those figures have flip-flopped, to 58 percent gas and 42 percent charcoal.

And while 61 percent of the people polled in 1993 thought charcoal grills made food taste better, the new survey shows it’s a wash — 42 percent for charcoal, 43 percent for gas. (Scientific studies have long shown that most people can’t taste any difference.)

Among the other findings:

* Americans grill out an average of 2.3 times per week, with 62 percent of households using their grills year-round.

* Steaks and hamburgers are the favorite foods for grilling (prepared in 97 percent and 96 percent of households, respectively, the same as in 1993), although vegetables are gaining in popularity (63 percent, up from 53 percent five years ago).

* Men are in charge of the grill in 61 percent of the households surveyed, with women holding sway in 28 percent and the duties divided in the remaining 11 percent. (No word on who gets stuck cleaning up.)

Fire sales

Looking for a grilling gift for that special someone on your list, but you can’t quite afford the latest supercharged charcoal/gas/nuclear reactor contraption?

“The BackYard BarbeQuer” is a bimonthly 12-page newsletter filled with grilling trends, tips and recipes. To order, send a check for $24 to The BackYard BarbeQuer, P.O. Box 767, Dept. NP8, Holmdel, N.J. 07733.

The Barbecue Source offers an array of spices, sauces, cookbooks and accessories. Visit the company’s Web site at www.bbqsource.com (which also includes recipes and links to other grilling sites), or call 1-888-252-7686 for information.

Lentil appointment

The 10th Annual National Lentil Festival in Pullman isn’t until Aug. 22, but you’d better not wait too long if you’re planning to enter this year’s festival cook-off.

Postmark deadline is July 15. Six finalist recipes will be picked by a panel of expert judges, with the $250 grand-prize recipient and other winners selected by popular vote at the festival.

Recipes must be original and use no more than 10 ingredients, including at least 1/2 cup raw lentils or 1 cup cooked.

For a registration form, write to the National Lentil Festival, 415 N. Grand Ave., Pullman, WA 99163, call (509) 334-3565 or 1-800-365-6948 or e-mail to pullmancofc@completebbs.com.