asian food: Juicy tips for Memorial Day barbecuing By Natalie Haughton, Daily News Food Editor Shine up that grill. It's time to get ready for some sizzle, smoke and spice with juicy, flavorful steaks, ribs and burgers, awesome vegetables and delicious desserts. With Memorial Day festivities just around the corner, more than 70 percent of Americans are expected to fire up their grills. And although grilling is a favorite pastime, Americans could use a little help. According to a finding in this year's just-released annual Weber GrillWatch survey, "The majority of Americans (66 percent) still rate their skills as average," notes Sherry Bale, public relations director at WeberStephen Products Co. in Illinois. With conflicting information from various sources, grilling can be confusing because there is no one right way to do it. "Grilling is such a personal experience. I think people should learn the basics," Bale says. The survey also revealed a third of grillers admitted undercooking or overcooking grilled foods — and nearly half decide when to remove the food from the grill by cutting into it, a major no-no, as juices and flavor escape. "What separates the master grillers from the masses is knowing how the fire can flavor the food and knowing the kind of heat that is right for fish, vegetables and meat," says Jamie Purviance, chef and author of the "Weber's Real Grilling" cookbook. "Grilling is cooking something with very intense, high heat with the purpose of making it brown and imparting a good deal of flavor," says David Kamen, associate professor of culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. It's all about the smokiness and caramelization of foods, adds Bale. Speaking about the new "The Culinary Institute of America: Grilling" cookbook (Lebhar-Friedman Books; $35), Kamen notes that the 175 recipes (and 100 color photos) go beyond the basics — and include ideas for grilling quail, game hens, baby octopus, rabbit, swordfish, pineapple, pound cake, a banana split and much more. "The biggest faux pas about barbecuing is pressing something with a spatula while cooking. Don't press a hamburger, etc. because it squeezes out all the juices. And the biggest myth is that when you sear something on the grill, you're locking in the juices. You're not — you're actually contributing to more juice loss," he points out. "(But) searing is good because you get a lot of flavor and texture from it." Beyond a grill, you need very little to grill properly, notes Santa Fe resident Cheryl Jamison, co-author with husband Bill Jamison of "The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking & Entertaining" (William Morrow; $24.95), their sixth outdoor cookbook among the dozen they've written. Their volume is packed with 850 recipes, along with good tips and advice for casual entertaining. Also necessary, says Cheryl, are a pair of strong spring-loaded tongs or kitchen tongs (barbecue tongs are too clumsy and large) along with a sturdy spatula. "Don't use a fork, as you'll puncture the food and some of the juices will run." When grilling, pay attention while having fun. "A lot of people go outside and forget they're cooking," she says. "You can't decide the food is done when you're finished drinking your beer." If you're fond of Asian cuisine and want to explore and impart some of those flavors to your grilling repertoire, turn to "The Asian Grill" by Corinne Trang (Chronicle Books; $22.95), a French native who's been exposed to Chinese, Cambodian, French and Vietnamese food. In this, her third cookbook, filled with 100 recipes and some color photos, Trang hopes to demystify Asian ingredients, most of which are readily available in supermarkets. "I've borrowed from a lot of different Asian food cultures and created something authentic but more approachable and doable." Anyone for an Asian clam bake or spicy Thai basil and lime marinated jumbo shrimp? Karen Adler and Judith Fertig advise making the most of your time at the grill by cooking more food — chicken breasts, steaks, vegetables, shellfish — than you need for a single meal. Wrap up and refrigerate the leftovers to use in a second meal — in a salad, soup or sandwich — to save time. You'll find more than 100 recipes in their latest cookbook (they've written 20 between them), "Weeknight Grilling With the BBQ Queens" (Harvard Common Press; $14.95). So light the fire — and get grillin'. --- Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692 natalie.haughton@dailynews.com