BEYOND BURGERS

Remember when barbecuing was a simple matter of throwing burgers on the grill and keeping the smoke out of your eyes? Well, outdoor cooking has gone gourmet, with an array of barbecue books, accessories and top-of-the-line grills that really make you earn that "World's Greatest Chef" apron. Viking, for example, offers high-end gas grills up to 65 in. wide (in case you're entertaining the U.S. Army), fully equipped with side burners, wok ring and built-in smoker system, for a cool $4,500. Another nifty piece of equipment (for less than $400) is a smoker called the Big Green Egg. This ceramic oval, based on the traditional Japanese cooker called a kamado, uses no water yet keeps food moist and can smoke a turkey in just two hours.

Unusual flavorings are gaining popularity. When water smoking, creative barbecuers add wine or herb seasonings to the water for some extra zing. For more twists connoisseurs mix specialty hardwood chips with the charcoal: buttonwood from the Florida Keys, for example, gives meat and fish a woody flavor less sweet than mesquite. "It's like picking out a wine," says Scott Fine, editor of On the Grill magazine. Nor is barbecuing limited to meat, fish and chicken anymore. Bobby Flay, restaurant owner and host of Lifetime's The Main Ingredient, likes to put corn bread on the grill, as well as pineapples and peaches. Daniel Liberatoscioli, president of the Restaurant School in Philadelphia, grills grapefruit slices brushed with honey and thyme. Still, if no one is looking, you can sneak on a hot dog.