Chicago, Ill. – August 12, 2010 - Labor Day. It is one of the three most popular grilling occasions of the year, according the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association. It is also a high-pressure event for those people who are striving to close out the summer grilling season on a high note with perfectly grilled food.

Russ Faulk, vice president of product development and grill master for Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™, the recognized leader in high-end outdoor cooking and entertaining equipment, offers his top 5 tips that will kick up your grilling skills and add tastes that will make your holiday meal more memorable.

“We encourage everyone to get out there this Labor Day and change up their menu,” says Faulk. “Try new tastes, or just do something completely different like cooking a pizza on the grill.”

1.    Grill fruit. Faulk says fruits take on sweeter flavors when they are kissed by flame. He says skewering is one of the easiest ways to cook fruit and suggests grilling skewered red grapes or creating kabobs of pluots, plums and nectarines. “The key to getting grilled fruit right is taking it off the grill at the right time,” says Faulk. “The grill should be at 500 degrees and you should leave the fruit on until it is nicely marked.”

2.    Cook the harvest. This is the best time of the year for fresh local produce, says Faulk. Grill green beans and bread to make a warm summer salad with grape tomatoes and baby greens. “The key with this dish is making sure the grilled beans are still crisp, says Faulk. “You want them warm, but they should still snap when you bite into them.”

3.    Pizza anyone? Pizza is the perfect canvas for late summer ingredients. “You can absolutely load pizzas with summer flavors,” says Faulk. His Fiery Barbecue Chicken Pizza uses a chipotle barbeque sauce as the pizza sauce, adds the smoky and spicy tastes of the season – chicken, corn, onions, cilantro, chipotles and serranos – and puts them together on a crispy pizza crust.

4.    Use a new sauce. Try a glaze with asian-inspired tastes to twist up Labor Day staples. Faulk’s Grilled Asian Hot Wings offer up new tastes by combining soy sauce, honey, lime juice and habanero chiles. “I really enjoy a dish that balances sweet, savory, tart and spicy,” says Faulk. He says the glaze burns easily and to only apply it during the last few minutes of grilling. “Keep a close eye on the grill and keep the food moving if necessary to avoid too quick a char,” says Faulk.

5.    Bake. That’s right. Bake. But use the grill to do what you can’t do indoors. Specifically, smoke. Faulk suggests baking a three cheese and macaroni dish in a “smoking chamber” made out of roasting pans. “This is not kids’ macaroni and cheese,” says Faulk. “This is a smoky and flavorful dish for...