Grilling With the Guru of Good Life

A sophisticated friend of mine looked confused recently when he saw me grab a perfectly beautiful log of white birch from his fireplace, and head for his back yard.

I'm not a pyromaniac by nature -- my intention was just to bring some life to the barbeque he was throwing.

At almost every party I go to, I inevitably end up doing something in the kitchen. This dinner was no different, but in this case, I was focused on flavor. ...