Turkey season is fast approaching and since many people cook one a year you really need to get it right the first time. Most people will tell you that brining a turkey is the best way to go no matter how you cook that bird. I know that a lot of you have many experience with turkey and with brining so I thought I would ask how important you think brining is. Do you find it vital to a good bird, or does it ruin a good turkey? So please click your answer to:

POLL: How important do you think brining poultry is?
1) Vital to a good bird
2) Really helps out
3) Makes it a little better
4) Really doesn't make a difference
5) Actually makes it worse
6) Ruins a perfectly good bird

Catch me on the air tonight on the BBQ Central Radio Show with Greg Rempe, live on LA Talk Radio Channel 1. We'll be talking about what you need to know about turkey cookers both oil based and not.

Catch up with my last appearance and find out about some new tailgating products on the market.

A few months ago I told you about the GrillGrate. This "improved" cooking grates are made from a super hard anodized aluminum, making them non-stick and very durable. With the special spatula tool you can grill the most delicate foods easily. These grates come in pieces that lock together and sit on top of your regular grilling surface.

These grates fit most any rectangular grill, but were a problem for people cooking on round grills like the smaller 18.5 inch Weber Kettle or the Large Big Green Egg. Now you can order GrillGrates with rounded corners so that they fit into these grills. Best off all, if you enter the code "BGE" when you purchase them before December 31, 2009 you will get an additional 20% off. If you are interested you can take a look at:

GrillGrate.com.

I know for many of you the one time you cook a turkey is still a couple of weeks away, but it is never too early to start thinking about how you are going to cook this bird. Fortunately for you I have been working for years to put together the resources you need to cook a great turkey. Take a look at these:

The Science of Turkey Understand that a whole turkey is basically two kinds of meat that cook differently and you need to adjust the way you cook a turkey to get both meats done right.

Brining Turkey Brining makes a better turkey hands down. If you don't brine you really should give it a try. I promise that you will notice the difference.

Turkey Injection Want to put some extra flavor into your turkey (literally)? Try an injection marinade to puts moisture and flavor directly into the meat of the turkey.

Deep Fried Turkey Many people are afraid to deep fry a turkey, but if you are careful and do it right, you will get one of the best turkeys you have ever eaten.

Smoking Turkey A smoked turkey is loaded with flavor that makes it the most unique bird you can cook.

Grilled Turkey Depending on your grill you can cook up a turkey quickly and easily without turning on your oven once (saving it for all those other dishes you cook).

Beer Can Turkey Smoked or grilled putting your turkey on a big beer can adds loads of flavor and moisture to your bird.

Smoking meats to make barbecue is a simple process requiring low temperatures, slow cooking times, and smoke. This means you need to have something you can smoke with, know how to hold a low temperature for a long time and be able to produce the amount and kind of smoke that works best with the food you are smoking. Once you have these basics down you will be able produce some great barbecue.

We are in the midst of Tailgating season and once again Kingsford Charcoal and ESPN have teamed up with legendary pitmaster Chris Lilly and Football Analyst Mike Golic to help you make the most of your "at Home" tailgating parties. Now, before you start planning your party you need to head over to the official Website so you can enter to win $500 and a chance to grill with Mike Golic at a tailgating party in Miami before the Big Game (you know the one with the heavily copyrighted name).

Once you have you entry in (before November 2nd) you can give one of these great recipes a try:

• 'Cued Corn Salad
• Grilled Gridiron Grinders
• Linebacker Barbecue Potatoes
• Half Time Grilled Chicken

A while back one of the "industry" people asked me about green grilling. There has been some attention lately regarding environmentally friendly outdoor cooking. Some people have been concerned about all those summer cookouts causing pollution and environmental problems. Others don't think that outdoor cooking presents much of a risk. There has been some good and bad science on both sides of the argument and it is hard to tell what the truth is. One popular story concerns the total amount of energy Americans use to cook their July 4th meal. It works out to enough power to run all the households in the United States for about an hour and 20 minutes. Anyway, perception is sometimes as important as science these days and I thought I would get your opinion on the problem, so this weeks question is:

POLL: How important is "green" grilling to you?
1) I am willing to change the way I cook
2) I'm concerned and will do a little about it
3) Worried but not willing to make sacrifices
4) I don't really think my cooking affects anything
5) Grilling or smoking just isn't a significant problem
6) I don't care and I'm not changing
7) Other (please specify in the Comments)

Photo © 2008 Regarding BBQ Inc., licensed to About.com, Inc.

Maybe you've had this problem, you have long, straight skewers and a round grill. What if your basic metal skewer learned to relax a little and could take any shape you needed. Well, FireWire does just that. This is a stainless steel cable, looped at one end with a stainless steel threading needle on the other. You can load it up with whatever you want in a kebab and then lay it out on the grill however you want. This makes it very easy to grill long kebabs on a round grill.

A set of two of these will run you about $15. You can find them for sale on Amazon.

Photo: Inno-Labs, LP

Since the grill is a great way to cook up some great dishes quick and easy, why not put together some fun Halloween treats on the grill and get the kids well feed before the candy starts rolling in.

Chicken wings are great for any occasion. They are even better when grilled up with all that extra smoky flavor. These chicken wing recipes represent the best and most popular I have. Grill them up as appetizers, snacks or for meals and put them out for the kids or the big game. Chicken wings are quick to cook, easy to prepare and are loaded with flavor making them the perfect chicken piece.

Photo © 2008 Regarding BBQ Inc, licensed to About.com, Inc.