Grilling can seem like a lot of hard work if you are not in-the-know. Growing up in the South, I spent most of my youth presuming it was a man's activity — all of those 'secrets' and 'rituals' seemed best left alone by the ladies. And while, yes, when it comes to charcoal grills, smokers, and Big Green Eggs, there can be a certain amount of finesse involved, the actual act of cooking over fire doesn't have to be engulfed in a shroud of mystery. With this fabulous chicken recipe, grilling can be for everyone!

Q: I've been trying to figure out how to recreate gyro meat at home. Most recipes seem to bake it like a meatloaf, but it doesn't have the right texture. So my question is: How can you make gyro meat at home?

Sent by Veronica

I really don't know who designates days to be all about a certain food. The industry? Intensely enthusiastic fans of Nutella, Fig Newtons, and Peach Melba? Well, whomever decided that today is National Burger Day seems both a little late and right on time. Memorial Day is over, and with it a lot of burger grilling action. But the holiday kicks off a whole summer of burgers — are they in your menu plans? 

From a tutorial on grilling the juiciest burger ever, to homemade hamburger buns, to lots of vegetarian burgers (including my own favorite, black bean and edamame burgers — yum!), we have 10 recipes to get National Burger Day off to a good start! 

I don't know about the rest of the country, but Atlanta seems to be the epicenter of a giant burger boom. Everywhere you turn, there is a new chef-owned burger joint promising the best beefy bite between buns you've ever tasted. But are those $20 burgers really worth it? Perhaps once you try this Beef and Bacon Burger Blend you won't think so. 

Chicken salad is a favorite treat in my household.  Even though it's a simple recipe with easy to find ingredients, there's still something fancy about it.  So while it makes a nice lunch for guests — either in a sandwich or served on a bed of lettuce — I sometimes make up a batch for when it's just me and I need a pick-me-up.  This recipe is an old favorite, a real a classic that can easily be adapted to all manner of delicious variations and additions.  Perfect for picnics and pot lucks, too!

There are perhaps two universal truths that all of us (non-vegetarian) writers at The Kitchn share: a mutual love for flavorful, inexpensive chicken thighs and for rich, hearty braises. When the first is paired with the second, their powers know no bounds. And a braise might sound like more of a cold-weather meal, I really love the savory combination all year round — plus it's an easy one-pot dinner for weeknights. Here I added a plethora of bright bell peppers and sweet red onions to help shout "summer braise" from the rooftops.   

It might not seem like Korean food and Southern cuisine would have much in common — or even be able to share the same plate. Especially once you add a splash of classic French to the mix. But with Chef Edward Lee at the helm, these seemingly strange bedfellows start to make perfect sense. With this book, Smoke & Pickles, he's bringing his unique cuisine straight into our kitchens.

Perhaps it's my many years as a vegetarian or my general aversion to the way fried food makes the house smell that have kept me from making fried chicken at home. But really, if I'm honest with myself, the truth of the matter is: I have no clue what I'm doing. 

As much as I love eating out at fancy restaurants and watching TV shows like Top Chef, the cooking that is closest to my heart is home cooking — dishes that are humble and maybe a little homely, but feel like the food equivalent of a warm hug. This gingery chicken stir-fry is home cooking at its best: quick and simple to prepare, with a punch of flavor that manages to be both exciting and deeply comforting. Make it once and you may never call for Thai take-out again.

Q: I've been making my own chicken broth for years. After cooling and straining, I fill old spaghetti jars (leaving room for expansion), put them in the freezer (lids off), then put the lids on after they're frozen solid. And yet, I've broken more jars than I can count. Help! How do I prevent this?

Sent by Jen