With the last long summer weekend approaching, outdoor cooking tends to be at the center of most menus, whether it's for the family or a crowd. Looking for inspiration beyond burgers and steaks, we figured who could be better to give us suggestions on grilling than the Culinary Institute of America, popularly known as the CIA?

It turns out the CIA has just published a grilling book that goes global in its scope, not only covering the basics of good grilling techniques, but presenting 175 recipes that might inspire you to expand your repertoire.

The CIA leads the way in exploring the riches of world-wide culinary traditions -- a much more positive approach, one might note, than that other CIA, whose grilling techniques are not so praiseworthy. Each year the Greystone campus sponsors a Worlds of Flavor conference that draws people from around the world for four fascinating days exploring the foods and traditions of far-flung places, not to mention preserving them before they are lost in the rush to globalization.

"The Culinary Institute of America Grilling -- Exciting International Flavors From the World's Premier Culinary School" draws on this tradition, with everything from Pakistani-Style Lamb Patties to Grilled Papaya and Mango Skewers.

"This book is a bit of a world tour," said Adam Busby, director of continuing education at the CIA at Greystone campus in St. Helena. "A lot of people have the same 12 things they cook over and over. This book will make you think -- stretch yourself a little."

Busby, a native of Canada who has been at the CIA, Greystone, for six years, is married to Barbara Alexander, director of the Napa Valley Cooking School. At their Angwin home the two chefs grill "about every night between May and November," he said. "It's our preferred method of cooking."

Busby said they use a charcoal grill for home grilling. "We only use the Weber and we only use hardwood lump charcoal. It's a natural product, doesn't have a binder in it."

Another advantage of the hardwood charcoal, he said was that "it does light quickly and you can add more fuel while you're cooking."

Gas grills are "certainly convenient," Busby said, but for a food enthusiast or a professional it's "like making a tart with a pre-made shell Š it may be worth it to be thoughtful and plan ahead and get your grill lit in time."

For their home cooking Busby noted, "We are a small family of three" -- they have a toddler daughter -- so typically they grill "smallish portions of things, things that are naturally tender.

"Sometimes, I like to do things slowly, like a pork shoulder," he added, His method: Stud it with 50-60 garlic cloves, roll it in herbs and cook it over indirect heat for about two hours.

Grilled vegetables are also a favorite at the Busby-Alexander home. A favorite recipe, he said is grilled lettuce. He cuts a head of Romaine lettuce in half and brushes the leaves with a mixture of honey, Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar. He said to put the cut side down on direct heat quickly, until you get carmelization, then serve it with a favorite dressing. "We like a creamy Asiago (dressing)," he said.

"Another one we do is to take a half of a bell pepper and put in half of a tomato. Top it with chopped garlic, a cross of anchovies and drizzle it with olive oil. Put it over indirect heat for 20 to 30 minutes until it melts away. We like to mix colors," he added. "A yellow bell pepper and a red tomato."

Busby said one of many people's biggest problems in grilling is having fish stick to a grill. "My tip of the day," he said, "'take a Teflon pan and put 1 tablespoon of oil in the bottom. Heat it and sear the fish in the pan for a maximum of 30 seconds per side. This seals the outside. Take it out of the pan immediately. Let it cool -- you can even refrigerate it. When you put it on the grill, it won't stick."

For their Labor Day menu, Busby said they may try grilling octopus, having perfected the technique during a summer trip to Greece. "We don't pick our vacations by geography," he said. "We pick by food. (In Greece) we weren't disappointed."

Another possibility is oysters, "but we have our own method," he said. "We put them with the cup side down till they pop open and you see the liquid. You have to be standing there with your glass of wine in one hand and oven mitt in the other." He adds a bit of soy and sesame oil and finely sliced scallions.

We've included a sampling of recipes from "The Culinary Institute of America Grilling." including their own version of the all-American favorite, the Banana Split, grilled.

The book is available at the Campus Store at the Greystone campus, a world in itself worth exploring.