(ARA) - Nothing says summer more than backyard barbecues - and no mouth-watering outdoor meal is complete without hot dogs.

Entertainer Nick Cannon is getting in on the action and teamed up with contest sponsor Pepto-Bismol to be "Grill Master" of this year's Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

This Coney Island contest draws Major League Eaters, aspiring underdogs and footlong-aficionados from across the country. The event has become an iconic part of the holiday celebration and serves as America's unofficial kick-off to summer.

"You better believe I know my way around a grill, but my skills are so good, that sometimes my party guests eat a little too much," says Cannon. "That's why I keep Pepto on-hand at the house. I know it's got my guests covered, just like it has the contestants covered at Coney Island."

As barbecue connoisseur, Cannon shares some of his best advice to help make sure your next summer party is a success:

* Organization is the name of the game: Estimate the number of guests coming so you know how much food to buy and prepare. Once you are ready to start cooking, bring everything you'll need right out to the grill area, including utensils, serving plates, spices and sauces, so you can keep chatting with your guests outside and won't have to keep running back and forth to the kitchen.

* Give it a rest: Larger cuts of meat (like steaks) benefit from resting once off the heat, and before they are sliced up and served. Allow meat to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting to help the meat retain its juices and flavor.

* Put a lid on it: Get to know the best way to cook up your favorite foods. Traditional grilling foods - small steaks, burgers, chicken, fish - do best over direct heat (fire directly under the food), while thicker meats like roasts, brisket or pork shoulder benefit most from indirect heat (fire off to the side). No matter which way you're cooking, it's always best to keep the grill lid down - and don't peek too much! Heat escapes every time you open the lid.

* Get creative: Beyond the traditional hot dogs and hamburger favorites, try skewering innovative items like shrimp or pickles. Fruit, like mango and peach, can also be great grilled. Virtually anything in your fridge will taste better with some classic charcoal flavor.

* Relish the friends, food and fun: Try to prepare appetizers, sides and desserts ahead of time so you can enjoy your guests' company and the awesome food you've offered. Be sure to keep some Pepto on hand in case you enjoy it a little too much! This way, you can keep the party going all night.

Summertime is a season to celebrate all that the good weather can offer. If you want to join in on all the summer fun that Pepto has planned with Nick and others, like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/peptobismol.

Gulf Shores, Ala – June 17, 2011 - If you are searching for some tropical fun this summer, look no further. Tuesday, June 21st, at 11:30 AM, the City of Gulf Shores Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department will host the Sizzlin’ Summertime Luau at the Adult Activity Center.

Be sure to bring your flip flops, hula skirts and friends and join us as we jump into summer with tropical games, music and fun for all Seniors. This event will feature a potluck meal, so feel free to cook up your favorite dish for everyone to enjoy.

Please RSVP to Sylvia Lamberth at 251-968-1434. For more information about all of our events, please contact the Special Events Division at 251-968-1172 or visit our website at www.gulfshoresal.gov.

(Gulf Shores)

Tasty Sausage Rolls

Recipe sourced from Simon Rimmer

(PRWEB) June 7, 2010 -- According to Za Restaurant Chef/Owner Mark Valenza (http://zarestaurants.com/page/7154-About-Us) a common preservative used to extend the shelf life of deep water scallops has diners wondering if what they’re being served has gone bad or been contaminated.

Recent events have raised concerns about where seafood is caught or raised, how it is processed, and what methods are used to maintain freshness and prevent contamination.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/species/atl_sea_scallop.htm), part of NOAA, is not reporting any current scallop bed contamination. The Atlantic sea scallop population remains high and no overfishing is occurring. New Jersey scallops beds are managed under the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fisheries Management Plan (http://www.nefmc.org/scallops/fmp/fmp.html) to maximize scallop yields and protect the beds of young scallops.

“Menu labeling,” says Chef Valenza, ”claiming scallops are day-boat or diver scallops may not be a reliable indicator of whether the scallops being served are fresh and unadulterated.”

The northeast has the largest wild scallop fishery (Placopecten magellanicus). "The New Jersey scallop beds are a national culinary treasury," says Chef Valenza. "I hate to hear anyone has been served an inferior product. It casts suspicion over what should always be premier seafood experience."

Scallops range in both size and quality. The primary differences are ocean (large) and bay (small); fresh and frozen; and day-boat (dry) and preserved (wet). Frozen scallops may be of excellent quality but mishandling, especially during the thawing process, serves up an inferior morsel.

“My special wrath,” says Chef Valenza, “is saved for those processed scallops that are preserved.” Atlantic scallops are preserved with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) to maintain their moisture during processing and shipping. But the treatment leaves an offensive side effect.

Have you ever had scallops that taste soapy or like iodine? Then you’ve had preserved (wet) scallops. Buying fresh scallops? If they’re as white as a toothpaste model’s smile and/or swimming in liquid, they’re probably preserved.

Here’s the problem, many places play the game of passing off preserved scallops as “day-boat” fresh scallops. This switch can happen at the fish market, wholesale distributor, at a local restaurant or restaurant chain. It’s been going on for years. The reason is cost and availability.

Chef Valenza admits to being wary of ordering scallops when he dines out, especially when the price is out of whack with what a true, fresh, unpreserved day-boat scallop should cost.

Here’s why they call them day-boat and why they cost more. Simply put, as the last scallops caught before the boat returns to port, they haven’t been on the boat for more than a day and they have not be treated with preservatives.

True day-boat scallops can’t travel far because they won’t last more than a few days. But you’ll never taste a better scallop.

At Za, freshly delivered scallops are tested to make sure they haven’t been treated with STP. “We know, just by how they cook,” according to Chef Valenza, if they have been treated they don’t sear properly.

Chef Valenza insists that he will continue to serve scallops at Za Restaurant, so long as he can assure diners they are the real thing.

Za Restaurant, 147 West Delaware Avenue, Pennington, NJ 08534, 609-737-4400. www.ZaRestaurants.com . BYOB, open seven days, outdoor dining available.

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