Don't underestimate the importance of having enough room to work. Grilling is much more relaxing when you are not trying to juggle a whole collection of plates and bowls as you do it. If your grill doesn't have enough workspace - and they almost never do - set up a table right next to your grill.
The key to good grilling is to recognize that you are setting yourself up to cook in a whole new environment. This is actually one of the main purposes of grilling - to get yourself outside.
I think that if you can roast a chicken, you can get whatever you want out of a woman. Maybe it's just me but I would suspect that a man trying to impress a woman would be more likely to bring out the steak - "I killed this for you, now I'm grilling it for you. " A man that can cook you a proper meal that is like a weekday meal - which I think cannot be better than in the form of a roast chicken - that's the greatest.
I love the culture of grilling. It creates an atmosphere that is festive but casual.
As our leader Saddam Hussein said, 'God is grilling their stomachs in hell. '
A grill is just a source of heat. Just like a stove, it is very user-friendly.
I love using gas grills because they are easier to heat and it's much easier to control the flames with a gas grill than with a charcoal fire. Grilling is not just about lighting a fire.
One of the things I do in my cookbooks is I will do a conversion from outdoor to indoor grilling so you can do it year-round.
Obviously this is the next frontier - once you've mastered grilling, smoking is what you're going to want to do.
Grilling takes the formality out of entertaining. Everyone wants to get involved.
What we call barbecuing in this country is actually direct grilling. In many countries, it also means cooking in an enclosed box with a heat source, ideally wood, all year round.
My sisters and I can still recite Dad's grilling rules: Rule No. 1: Dad is in charge. Rule No. 2: Repeat Rule No. 1.
