America's Top BBQ Joints

Put down that pack of hot dogs and try some of these

(NEWSER) - This Independence Day, don’t limit yourself to burgers and dogs on the grill. Mark Bittman offers up 101 innovative ideas for your backyard BBQ, from meat and veggies to desserts, in the New York Times :

• Tomatoes: Grill ripe tomatoes until hot and lightly charred; serve with olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh mozzarella, and grilled bread.
• Duck à l’orange: Score the duck breast skin and press with rosemary leaves, salt, and pepper; grill skin-side down over somewhat low heat, then turn. Serve with oranges.
• Chicken parmesan: Pound chicken breast thin, top with tomato, mozzarella, and parmesan; then fold in half, seal with a skewer, and grill on each side.

Newkirk suggests her flesh be barbecued, skin made into purse

(NEWSER) - The president of PETA has written a will donating her body to the organization along with suggestions about how best to use various body parts, TreeHugger reports. First on the list is the request that her “meat” be used as “human barbecue,” to remind the world “that flesh foods are not needed.” For similar reasons, Newkirk also suggests that her skin be fashioned into leather products, and feet turned into umbrella stands (à la elephants). More»

(NEWSER) - You probably won’t find it in the supermarket, but out in a parking lot in Missouri, you could easily cross paths with a raccoon, the Kansas City Star reports. Not one ravaging the Dumpster, but one dressed and packed for dinner. A best guess has Missourians yearly consuming about 100,000 of the varmints, which are said to be delicious after brining, parboiling, and slow roasting or barbecuing. “Good things come to those who wait,” one lifelong aficionado says. More»

Beer, BBQ and ramen will tempt your palate next year

(NEWSER) - Industry publication Flavor & The Menu predicts that casual, comfort flavor cues will drive restaurant trends in 2009; via MarketWatch, what your palate can look forward to:

• Top culinary trend: Craft beers paired with sophisticated pub food.
• Top concept trend: Urban barbecue, with more interesting preparations and sides.
• Top comeback trend: The French bistro now has low-on-pretension appeal.
• Top menu-making trend: Expect a snack attack, with small plates and their wine-bar kin spreading farther afield.
• Top ethno-cuisine trend: Asian noodles, a la ramen and soba, get a variety of new interpretations.

Star-powered road trip will air on PBS next fall

(NEWSER) - While one usually associates road-trip cuisine with a 7-Eleven, two foodies and two actresses today embark on a four-month culinary tour of Spain. Gwyneth Paltrow, chef Mario Batali, New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman, and Spanish actress Claudia Bassols will sample traditional cuisine for a 13-part PBS series called "Spain ... on the road again" due next fall. More»