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BOUNTIFUL BARBIE

Expand your barbecuing horizons. Try cooking fish, seafood, chicken or vegetables in cedar grilling papers: You get a wonderful aroma, smoky flavour, moist steamed food and convenient individual serving bundles. Salmon fillets with julienned vegetables (top) are a classic combination. (Grilling papers can be found at some specialty barbecue stores and fireandflavor.com. )

Don't limit the grill to your main course. Roll out store-bought pizza dough, paint it with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and pop it on the grill. Serve the flatbread on its own (bottom) with dips or top it with pesto, gorgonzola and pears (middle) as an unexpected starter.

For dessert, grill pineapple quarters dressed with a little brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Serve them with ice cream as soon as they come hot off the grill. You can experiment with grilled fruit in other ways: Season apples or oranges with salt and pepper or add chili powder and lime juice to mango and you've got a trendy side to your main dish.

Grilling 101

To prevent food from sticking, always prep your grill. Using a cloth, rub it with oil. Heat the barbecue as hot as possible, then turn it down to the temperature you want to cook at.

Salt your steak just before putting it on the grill - too early and you'll extract too much moisture from the meat.

If you're still getting your grill legs, marinate everything. Buy less expensive cuts of meat that can't be overcooked. Marinating tenderizes the meat by breaking it down and you get a seared, caramelized crust. You can also add flavour with rubs and sauces.

Use precooked bacon for the grill. You'll easily be able to wrap it around scallops or vegetables - and nothing will get overcooked.

For perfect grill marks you need a searing hot grill. Turn the temperature down to medium when the meat goes on, and don't touch it until you're ready to turn it over. One flip only. And resist the urge to prod - you'll let the juices out.

Let the meat tell you when it's ready to be turned: If it comes away easily, it's ready for the other side; any resistance tells you it's not time yet.

Use the rule of thumb. Compare the texture of the meat to the firmness of the muscle at the base of the thumb of your completely relaxed hand - that's blue rare/rare. Touch your thumb to your index finger and again check the firmness of the muscle - that's rare/medium rare. Your second finger is medium, your ring finger is medium well and your pinky finger is well done.

Be patient After you take your meat off the grill, cover it with aluminum foil and let it sit for the same length of time it took to cook. The juices will redistribute and stay in the meat instead of pouring out with the first cut. Your meat will be more flavourful and look much more appetizing.

Don't discard overcooked meat - chop it up, mix it with barbecue sauce and use it in sandwiches.

SEXY STARTERS AND SIDES

Think small salads, not calorie-laden appetizers. To make a tiny Caprese salad, cut slits into Campari tomatoes and stuff them with bocconcini and basil. For a two-bite Greek salad, fill a cucumber cup with chopped tomato, black olives and crumbled feta.

To accompany corn or steak, prepare flavoured butter ahead of time: With a fork, mix ingredients such as port and fig, dill and watercress, lemon and chive, chili or blue cheese into softened butter. Firm it up in the fridge before serving. You can also spice up your mayonnaise with curry powder, garlic and lemon juice, or chipotle peppers.

Dress up your serving platters with grilled fruit slices. Lemons, limes, oranges and pineapple add colour. Lime leaves, grilled lemon wedges or rounds, roasted garlic and grilled onions tempt the eyes and the nose. Leave cherry tomatoes on the vine and grill them for a spectacular garnish.

JAZZED-UP DRINKS

Add elegance and a hit of colour to your summer drinks: Freeze edible flowers such as pansies, violets and chrysanthemums into ice cubes. (You can also use citrus peel, mint leaves or fresh berries.) Pour flavoured water - cucumber, lemon and ginger, or raspberry - from a vintage decanter over your floral cubes for maximum effect.

To jazz up punches and cocktails, swap swizzle sticks for skewers of lemon or lime pieces, cucumber ribbons or melon balls. Then finish your meal with affogato - espresso coffee poured over vanilla bean or dark chocolate gelato.

Time-saving tip: Quickly chill drinks that need to be served cold, such as beer and pop, in a bucket filled with ice and salt - they will cool down faster than putting them in the freezer.

PRESENTATION PIZZAZZ

Accent your white plates with coloured napkins or a patterned tablecloth. Textures are hot this year, so look for linen with detailed stitching or a tone-on-tone pattern. (Gingham is making a comeback.)

For a whimsical, seasonal nod, bundle napkins with your cutlery and a flower or herb and present them in ice-cream cone holders. Serve condiments in cups, cones and ramekins.

To dress the rest of your table, go natural with fruits, veggies and flowers. A halved tropical fruit studded with tropical flowers makes a great centrepiece. Float tropical flowers in long, low, rectangular vases and intersperse with your dishes on the table. Scatter vibrantly coloured flowers across the table for visual appeal and fragrance.

As the sun goes down, light votives with guests' names wrapped around the outside. They make great place cards when the candlelight shines through them.

When it's time to serve the main course, lay down a base of shredded lettuce, arugula, spinach, fresh herbs or tropical leaves before placing your meat or skewers on the serving platter. The leafy stuff will catch any stray juices while framing the meat and keeping your presentation clean.

Adele Hagan: foodstylist.ca