Getting a good grip on grilling
Get a grip on hot stuff (up to 482 degrees F) with these Kitchen Gloves from Trudeau. They're heat- and flame-resistant, so are good for prolonged handling of hot items. Silicone patterning improves the grip, flexible fabric enhances dexterity, and the size provides wrist and forearm protection. But they're not waterproof, so don't use when wet. For grill cooking or kitchen tasks (say, draining bacon grease from a hefty iron skillet or removing heavy pans from the oven), we found them easier to work with than kitchen mitts. A set of two is $39.99 at shoptrudeau.com.
Chef’s book big on fire cooking
"Michael Chiarello's Live Fire: 125 Recipes for Cooking Outdoors" (Chronicle Books, $35) is a big, muscular book. And chef/TV celeb/Napa restaurateur Chiarello fills the pages with big, muscular images and recipes (including how to roast a whole lamb, make a 3-pound beef burger for six on country bread and prepare Italian cowboy steaks). Not all recipes are, well, so muscular, but many are seasoned with his Italian roots. Chiarello is a thorough coach, taking cooks beyond the grill and rotisserie to hearth, plancha, fire-pit and hot-box cooking. At amazon.com.
Keeping your summer sip cool
Keep your cool - and your coolers cold - this summer with help from a Mason Tumbler from Aladdin. The 20-ounce insulated blue-tinted mug works well with lemonade, smoothies or something more potent (we're thinking strawberry margaritas). It features a metal lid, no BPA, a no-sweat exterior and a smoothie-friendly straw. To help make the season's livin' easy, it's also dishwasher safe. The suggested retailer price: $12.99. At retailers nationwide or at aladdin-pmi.com.
