THE TIMEKEEPER CHRONICLES

Here's a recent article from the Happy Cookers Group about women and grilling. This actually sounds like a great way to cook, though I'll just use the grill since Susan would probably burn the house down. :-)

Women take to grilling

You'd think women would embrace their freedom from cooking once they've introduced their men to the grill.Not so.The number of outdoor female grillers is up 20 percent from just a few years ago, according to the 2005 Weber GrillWatch Survey conducted for Weber-Stephens Products Co. in Palatine, Ill.Women are hot for the heat for several reasons said Karen Adler, co-author of "The BBQ Queens' Big Book of Barbecue."Women who have their own apartments enjoy entertaining, and grilling is part of that. And if they were brought up on a Foreman grill, they know the pleasures of a crust-coated burger.What are women preparing?Food grilled on wood, said Adler, who runs an online barbecue business in Mission, Kan. "Planking is one of the hottest new trends," she added.Purchase a fancy grilling plank at specialty stores. Or make your own.Any clean, 1-inch thick piece of untreated wood will work; cedar, oak, cherry and apple are popular choices. Soak the wood plank in water for at least an hour, so the plank will withstand the heat of the grill without burning.Most any food you grill can be prepared on a plank: fish, chicken, small roasts. Cuts of meat that require quick, high heat, such as steaks and chops, are better off on the metal grill.One of Adler's favorite "planked" recipes for the holidays is Brie with cranberry chutney. Just place a wheel of Brie cheese on a wooden grill plank. Place the plank on the grill's grid over low heat just until the cheese begins to melt. Top with cranberry chutney and arrange crackers on the side.