Published in Internet Newsroom's July 1997 issue.

During the hot summer months, folks enjoy barbecuing on backyard grills, having leisurely picnics at the beach, or even putting up fresh produce to use later. The Internet offers everything from hints on how to grill out safely to summer recipes of all kinds, and even food preserving tips. Journalists can find many ideas for future articles at these sites.

If you're interested in a site that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about barbecuing and grilling out, Barbecue'n on the Internet is it. You'll find detailed descriptions of the different grills, such as wood and water smokers, and wood and gas grills. You'll learn about the cuts and tenderness of meats, grilling tips, and types of wood. And of course, the site features recipes, such as Mop Sauce for Pork Shoulder and a simple but elegant Barbecue Sauce. There's even a complete listing of recommended temperatures for your outdoor cooking. Honestly, this site is like taking a course in Barbecue 101.

More barbecue recipes, plus Pancetta the hostess pig, can be found at the Backyard Barbecue Buff. The site includes recipes for Crazy Chicken and Finishing Sauce for Ribs. You'll also find hints for barbecuing pork shoulder and pork ribs.

If you're a meat and potatoes person year round, Texas' Best Beef Recipes and Cooking Tips will give you tips on buying, storing, and preparing beef cuts. The site features recipes for grilling hamburgers and steaks, recipes prepared in thirty minutes or less, and tips for successful grilling.

What about barbecue recipes for vegetarians? At the VEGetariAN Barbecue site, you'll find meatless substitutes for the "pleasures" of the conventional barbecue. Simple Vegetable Kebabs or BBQ'ed Broccoli and Cauliflower sound scrumptious.

For summer food safety hints, A Barbecue Handbook will instruct you on how to purchase and transport the foods from the grocery store to marinating and grilling them outdoors. The site discusses the question, "Does Grilling Pose A Cancer Risk?"

The Best from the Farmer's Market, 27 Great Summer Recipes, features recipes for fresh fruit and vegetables, such as Puff-Pastry Fruit Tarts and Grilled Sweet Corn.

Since your camping trip will certainly include fishing, The FisherNet Cookbook--Fish Recipes will help by providing such recipes as Broiled Fish and Vegetable Sauce or Creole Bouillabaisse.

Have you ever eaten biscuits cooked in a solar cardboard box? If not, you're missing a wonderful treat, plus a lot of fun. The Solar Cooking Archive provides construction plans for box-style cookers such as a solar oven made from a pizza box as well as hints and directions for their use.

No doubt about it, homemade ice cream is a must at your summer gatherings. The Ice Cream page features recipes such as Marshmallow Vanilla, Strawberry, or Chocolate Banana.

How long has it been since you went on a real picnic? Doesn't it sound like fun--packing a basket and heading for the beach or park? At Picnics, you'll find recipes and suggested settings such as A Mediterranean Picnic in the Middle of an Urban Park, A Traveling Picnic, Different Flavors for a Barbecue-Picnic, or even a Picnic in Bed.

What could be better than a big, juicy, mouth-watering apple? Not much. At the Apple Recipes site, you'll not only discover delicious sounding recipes such as Apple Crunch and Fingerapple Pie, but you'll also find some tips on storing apples.

This one has got to be my favorite: The too busy to cook, I'm surfin' the Net Page. How do cool, summer recipes like Crab and Cream Cheese Spread or Poppy Seed Dressing sound? You'll find Five a Day From Dole recipes for fruits and vegetables and The Kid's Fun Cookbook.

When I think of summer food, I think cool and light. At Aunt Libby's Recipe Site, you'll find delicious salads such as Apple Cheddar Salad and Hawaiian Coleslaw, both perfect for a hot day.

Even though we prefer simple and fast recipes in the summer, it's still important that our diets are well balanced. At ZIA's Food Resources, you'll find an interactive multimedia Food Pyramid, a guide to daily food choices, and tips on healthy eating. Tips, recipes, and links are included for food categories such as Barbecue & Wings, Camping & Backpacking, Seafood, and Vegetarian & Vegetable.

Do you enjoy the pleasure of growing your own food? To some people, gardening is relaxing--a way of breaking out of the hectic pace of the normal day. There's nothing quite like fresh, homegrown vegetables, crisp and loaded with flavor. Even if you don't have time for gardening, you still may want to put up fruit and vegetables to enjoy later.

Preserving Food Safely offers detailed instructions on the canning, freezing, and drying of food. For example, under asparagus, you'll find asparagus facts and how to can, freeze, or dry it. The site explains how to prevent spoilage of jams and jellies, how to store peanuts, and even general information on salting fish. This is a no-nonsense site loaded with helpful information.

A fabulous site "jam-packed" with home canning tips and recipes is Home Canning Online. The Home-Canning Magazine features articles such as Freeze Now, Preserve Later, or Lids, Not Wax. You'll learn the history of home canning, the science of food preservation, and even food preservation spoilage factors. The Home-Canning Forum is where you can share your home canning successes and stories with other Net surfers.

Canning Basics offers a step by step approach for boiling water canners and pressure canners, as well as how to identify and handle spoiled canned food.

A rather unique site, to say the least, is the Pickle Preservation Society, where you'll learn how to make your own pickles, how to spice up pickles, and how to use pickles in your drinks. If you can't find the recipe you're looking for, submit your request to Pickles Wanted and they'll help you find it.

So Easy to Preserve, Freezing contains detailed directions on freezing fruit. You'll learn how to freeze almost any type of fresh fruit, such as sour cherries in a syrup or sugar pack.

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer who can be reached at robinnobles@robinsnest.com.

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