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With the holiday weekend just around the corner, many Americans will no doubt be firing up their grills for some serious duty over the three days. And Food Network has some suggestions on what to put on it. Its two-day "Grilling/BBQ Weekend" kicks off the morning of Saturday, May 27, with so-themed episodes of "Pioneer Woman," "The Kitchen" and "Valerie's Home Cooking," the last of which sees host Valerie Bertinelli engaging in "All Day Grilling" – starting with a breakfast of grilled French toast with apple berry compote and apple mascarpone cream. That's right, French toast on the grill. "This all came about," Bertinelli explains, "because my friends ... came over last summer and they grilled an entire breakfast on our grill. And it was so impressive I was like, 'OK, that's it. You have now challenged me ... to a grilling episode all day. And I want you to come over here and I am going to grill you breakfast, lunch and dinner.' So I was coming up with all these different recipes and it's just different ways that you can use your grill and not dirty your whole house." In addition to the French toast, the menu also consists of a lunch of a grilled shrimp and radicchio salad with honey balsamic vinaigrette, followed by a dinner of grilled lamb meatball flatbread with grilled tomato sauce, washed down with a grilled citrus spiked lemonade. If you're looking for something different to grill this holiday weekend, why not try lettuce? Bertinelli has long been a proponent of grilling the leafy greens but as with anything cooked over fire, there is a technique. The head should be cut in halves or quarters, seasoned and brushed or sprayed with oil (as should the grill surface). When done you shouldn't be too hasty in pulling it off the grill, lest the leaves rip. And don't be alarmed when the lettuce wilts. That, she says, is what should happen. "Grilling for me is very close to roasting and I prefer all my vegetables roasted, so I think it's a very similar flavor," she says. "It adds that smokiness and it brings out and intensifies the flavor of any of your vegetables, so that's what I love about it. The radicchio, it kind of takes away a little bit of the bitterness but still keeps that enough so that it's still flavorful. And the romaine, it just gives it even more flavor." What book are you currently reading? "I'm currently reading 'The Underground Railroad' and it's just brutal. It's amazingly good and I have to put it down a lot because it's just so brutal and so heart- rending. ... I would suggest everybody read it so that you're reminded of the cruelty and that we need to stop being so cruel to one another." What did you have for dinner last night? "I had an arugula and fennel salad with a lemon dressing and a grilled chicken breast – skinless, boneless." What is your next project? "I am currently writing my next cookbook that'll be out Oct. 10. I'm very excited about it. I just finished the first edit and it's back with my editor. She's going to do another edit and then I get it back and I'll have a final go-round and it will be ready by Oct. 10. ... It's called 'Valerie's Home Cooking.' " When was your last vacation, where and why? "My last vacation was my first vacation in an extremely long time (laughs), and I went to the Ranch Malibu for four days and I completely detoxed and it was wonderful and challenging and I'm so glad I did it. I was completely off animal protein, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten – everything you can take away except fresh vegetables and beans and legumes. And I had a headache, a good headache for the first two, three, maybe even four days ... and then it was gone and I felt magical. So I think it's really healthy to every so often just do yourself a favor." BY GEORGE DICKIE Host of "Valerie's Home Cooking" Valerie Bertinelli engages in All Day Grilling in Food Network's "Grilling/BBQ Weekend." Spend Memorial Day weekend with your grill and Food Network Page 8 May 22 - 28, 2017 THURSDAY 8:00 p.m. NBCSN NHL Ottawa Senators at Pitts- burgh Penguins. Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7. (If necessary). (N Sub- ject to Blackout) lAcRosse SATURDAY Noon ESPN2 College Lacrosse NCAA Tour- nament, First Semifinal: Teams TBA. (N) 2:30 p.m. ESPN2 College Lacrosse NCAA Tourna- ment, Second Semifinal: Teams TBA. (N) MARtiAl ARts MONDAY 8:00 p.m. ESPN2 Kick- boxing Glory 41. MotoRcycle RAcing SATURDAY 4:00 p.m. NBCSN Lucas Oil Motocross: Hangtown. 6:00 p.m. NBCSN Glen Helen National. From San Bernardino, Calif. (N) RugBy MONDAY Noon NBCSN Sevens World Series: London. SATURDAY 9:30 a.m. NBCSN Pre- miership Rugby Teams TBA. (N) socceR THURSDAY 8:30 p.m. CSNCH MLS FC Dallas at Chicago Fire. From Toyota Park in Brid- geview, Ill. 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