All photos by Sara Ventiera

Memorial Day is just around the corner, which means for the most of the country--and Northern Hemisphere-- grilling season is here.

However, with our mild winters, South Floridians are afforded the opportunity to grill out year round-- meaning you should already be a master griller. Still, as simple as it seems, we bet you could probably use some advice for grilling the perfect burger.

As former Executive Chef of Daniel Boulud's most casual concept, DBGB in New York, Executive Chef Jim Leiken of Cafe Boulud, knows a thing or two about creating the perfect burger.

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- The Best Way to Hard-Boil Eggs, Chef Chris Miracolo of S3 Shows Us How
- Easter Bunny on a Plate Cafe Boulud's Dijon-Style Rabbit

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flickr poulet

As easy as it may seem, hard-boiling an egg requires a bit more finesse than just throwing an egg into boiling water.

Cook them too long: you get a chewy mess. Too short: you're falling into soft-boiled territory. Not delicate enough: the egg will crack.

You get the point.

Well, to help us out with what should seem like the simplest of tasks, we asked Chef Chris Miracolo of S3 to show us the best way to hard-boil an egg.

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- Ten Best Burgers in Broward and Palm Beach Counties
- Chef Steven Acosta Makes Us Some Mozzarella

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Sara Ventiera

Whether it's an obsession with Mad Men or just a sense of boredom with overly sweet, flavored vodkas, classic cocktails are making a resurgence. Whatever the cause, we think it's pretty awesome.

The classic Negroni is one of those "in" drinks.

Supposedly developed in Florence, Italy, in 1919, when Count Camillo Negroni asked bartender Fosco Scarselli to stiffen his Americano -- a combination of Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda -- by adding gin to his drink, the drink has become a staple for cocktail geeks for nearly a century.

That being said, we asked mixologist Iliya Dimitrov of Valentino's Cucina Italiana to show us how to make the perfect Negroni.

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- Specialty Cocktails: David Walker of Malcolm's Aum-Phoy
- Specialty Cocktails: Nick Scalisi's PB Spice and Watermelon SOB

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All photos by Sara Ventiera

Ahh. Cheese. That miracle food group that has saved numerous cocktail receptions and parties. It's the one dish that any culinarily challenged host can throw together.

While most of us love to eat it--minus, of course, those with lactose intolerance--few know how to partake in its glorious coagulation process.

As part of our how-to series, da Campo Osteria Executive Chef Steven Acosta shows us how to make the restaurant's signature house-made mozzarella.

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- S3 Gets Ready to Open its Doors Later This Month
- How to Series: Chef Michael Wurster of Malcolm's Makes Us a Molecular Shrimp Cocktail
- How to Make the Perfect Mojito: Dada Bartender Manny Alayeto Shows Us How With Papa's Pilar Rum

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Courtesy Photo

Chef Michael Wurster's Molecular Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp cocktail has been around as long as most people can remember. And it's probably one of the easiest hors d'oeuvres to put together. Cold shrimp, cocktail sauce, and lemon served atop Bibb lettuce. Even the most challenged home cooks can throw it together.More »

All Photos by Sara Ventiera

Attilio Reale tending to his Pizza

Attilio Reale has been making wood-fired pizzas for 25 years.Originally from Naples -- Italy, not Florida -- he grew up in northern Italy. And his pizza closely mimics his background.

"My pizza style is close to the Napoli style with an influence from the north," says Reale in his melodious Italian accent. (In Naples, there are all kinds of rules about exactly how pizza must be made.) "Not all people like the Napoli style. I've worked everywhere. I try to make a pizza that everyone likes: crispy and soft at the same time."

See Also:
- Ovenella in Boca Raton: Wood-Fired Oven Pizzas and Lots of Cheese and Garlic
- South Florida's Ten Best Pizzas
- Coal-Fried Pizza: is it Charred or Just Burnt?
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It's true traditional Bavarian cuisine has not traditionally been the most vegetarian-friendly, but times change, and now that Oktoberfest shares the month with Vegetarian Awareness, we might as well incorporate some German-inspired vegetarian dishes so the animal loving/health conscious among us don't have to miss out.

Sauerkraut is one of the signature dishes for a traditional Oktoberfest feast, and it's already vegetarian all by itself. Not only is it delicious and nutritious -- thanks to its vitamin C content, sauerkraut prevented most of Europe from developing scurvy through long, dark winters -- but kraut is ridiculously easy to make at home. Just shred a head of unwashed organic cabbage and put it in a glass jar with plenty of sea salt. As the salt draws water from the cabbage, press the shreds down with your fist to keep it submerged. Throw a towel over it to keep the dust out, and two weeks later the brine and the bacteria combine to ferment the cabbage into kraut. You can liven things up a bit by using red cabbage or throwing in other sliced-up veggies. You can even add shredded apples to sweeten it.

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Photo Courtesy of Elan Creative Communications

Clay Conley has had a busy year this year. On top of his James Beard nod, he opened another restaurant, Imoto, the 'little sister' to his highly acclaimed Buccan. And he had the number one pick of our 100 Favorite Dishes. That being said, he decided to give us the inside scoop on the recipe for one of his favorite dishes: Imoto's tuna foie gras slider.
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Chef Johnson's Mango-Strawberry Muffin

For the most part, the brutal heat of the south Florida summer means death to almost anything growing outdoors. Lettuce burns. Tomatoes shrivel up. It is the time of year despised by professional and home gardeners alike.

On the bright side, the mangoes thrive. The onset of mango season is generally met with extreme excitement. Few things are better than fresh fruit from your own backyard. However-- there is only so much of one fruit you can eat. By the end of season, many are frozen or just left to fester on the street.

Well, Chef Aaron Johnson of Old Fort Lauderdale Breakfast House wants to help with that.

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Photo by Misha Grosvenor

Barista Olivia Adkins at Brew Urban Cafe.

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