Williams-Sonoma has a new gadget that makes cooking pizza on an outdoor grill easier. It's the Pizza Que Grill, made of porous clay with a stainless-steel stand.
To use the stone (dimensions are 15 by 16 by 2 1/4 inches), you place it and its stand directly on the grill grate and crank up the heat. A thermometer in the stand tells you when it is hot enough to cook the pizza. Add some wood chips to the grill for a wood-fired, smoky flavor. The Pizza Que is $99.95 at Williams-Sonoma stores. It can be ordered at www.williams-sonoma.com or (877) 812-6235.
Food Network's hot August
Armchair chefs, take note: The Food Network is serving up three new series in August.
On Aug. 2, Aida Mollenkamp hosts "Ask Aida," an interactive cooking show. Viewers ask Mollenkamp cooking questions, which she answers during the broadcast. The first show's theme is outdoor grilling. Other segments will be on steak, pie and eggs.
On Aug. 20, "Dinner Impossible" premieres. The series stars chef Michael Symon, who takes on culinary challenges to serve dinner before time runs out. The challenges include scenarios such as creating a kosher meal for a congregation or serving 300 fans and musicians at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
Aug. 30 is the premiere of "The Cooking Loft" with chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli. The chef invites students into her cooking loft to learn restaurant secrets. Each week, she breaks down food topics such as pasta, turkey and holiday cookies.
Also, "Iron Chef America" returns Aug. 3. The Kitchen Stadium is the stage where challengers are pitted against "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto as they create dishes using the secret ingredient.
Pectin for freezer jam
Ball has a new pectin for making freezer jam. The pectin can be used with any type of fruit, and you can use sugar or Splenda sweetener. That's great news for people with diabetes.
The Simple Creations No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin is sold at Wal-Mart. One pouch is about $2; it makes five half-pint jars of jam with 4 cups of fruit.
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