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The 4th of July is creeping up on us mighty fast and now is the time to plan the food for your celebration. Are you one of the lucky ones that gets invited to a party without having to bring any food? Good for you. And if this is so, perhaps the "chef" would like some ideas for what to serve.

Barbecuing isn't only about cooking. It's about family, friends, smoke, laughter, keeping the coals or gas at the right temperature, wearing of the apron that says something like -- "The Grill Master" or "King of the Grill" and clean-up. It's lots of fun and don't forget to compliment the "king" for all the time and sweat he or she put into a wonderful barbecued meal.

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Almost anything you grill, in the meat line, tastes better having been marinated, brushed with a delicious sauce or "rubbed." These two recipes are brush-ons.

LEMON-HERB BRUSH-ON

2 T. butter or margarine

3 T. lemon juice

1 t. dried thyme, savory or sage leaves, crushed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in rest of ingredients.

To use, brush evenly onto meat, poultry or fish. Brush occasionally with rest of mixture during the first half of grilling. Discard rest of herb mixture. Makes 1/4 c.

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GINGER-ORANGE

BRUSH-ON

1/2 c. your favorite BBQ sauce

1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. fresh grated ginger or 1 t. ground ginger

In a bowl, stir together all ingredients. To use, brush meat or poultry with some of the sauce during last 15 minutes of grilling. If you wish, heat any remaining sauce until bubbly and pass with meat or poultry. Makes 3/4 c.

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How about an appetizer from the grill before the "real deal." Beware, these are HOT.

GRILLED HOT WINGS

12 whole chicken wings

1-8 oz. bottle Italian salad dressing

1/2 c. hot pepper sauce (less if you're not into hot stuff)

1/8 t. cayenne pepper (ground red pepper)

2 T. butter or margarine, melted

Cut wings into three sections; discard tips.

In a bowl, combine salad dressing, hot pepper sauce and cayenne.

Take out 1/2 c. for basting; cover and refrigerate.

Put rest of sauce in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass baking dish; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain, discarding marinade.

Grill wings, covered, over medium heat for 12-16 minutes, turning occasionally. Add butter to rest of sauce; brush over wings. Grill, uncovered, 8-10 minutes longer or until juices run clear. If the drummie part is big, take off the flat part of the wing and grill the drummies a little longer, about 2 minutes. Baste and turn several times while cooking. Makes 6-8 servings.

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This is fun food for the younger set while the adults are eating steak or chicken.

GRILLED PIZZA BREAD

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. diced onion

1-8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. dried oregano leaves

1-1 lb. loaf French bread

1 c. (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

one 2-1/2 oz. can sliced ripe olives, drained or medium black olives, drained and sliced to make about 1/2 c.

sliced pepperoni (optional)

In skillet, over medium heat, cook beef until browned; drain. (I rinse and drain.) Add tomato sauce, salt and oregano to browned beef in skillet; simmer for 5-10 minutes. Cut bread in half lengthwise and then across to make four pieces. Spread meat mixture on cut side of bread; sprinkle with cheese slices and pepperoni. Loosely wrap breads individually in pieces of heavy aluminum foil (about 24x18 inches); seal. Grill covered, over medium heat, for about 15 minutes or until heated through. Makes four servings.

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How about doing pork ribs on the grill for a change.

CHINESE-STYLE RIBS

4 lbs. loin back ribs or meaty pork spareribs

2 T. sugar

1/4 t. each salt, paprika, ground turmeric, celery seeds and dry mustard

1/4 c. catsup

1/4 c. soy sauce

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. water

1 t. grated fresh ginger or 1 t. ground ginger

Trim fat from ribs.

For rub: In a small bowl combine next six ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of ribs, rubbing in your fingers (don't forget to wash your hands first). Cover and refrigerate for 6-24 hours.

For sauce: Combine next five ingredients in small bowl. Cover and chill 6-24 hours.

For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Put ribs, bone sides down, on grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until ribs are tender, brushing once with sauce during last 15 minutes of grilling time.

For a gas grill, preheat grill. Lower heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above except put ribs in a roasting pan, not directly on grill. Before serving, brush ribs with any remaining sauce. Makes 4-5 servings.

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Thought for today: These two words will always draw a crowd -- free food. Have a safe 4th of July.

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