Dans Papers - June 1, 2007

American culture is famous for taking simple items, spicing them up and making them costly and trendy. If you don't believe me, look no further than the evolution of grills.

Grills used to be merely a convenient way to cook meat outdoors. Turn the grill on, place the burgers and hot dogs on the fire and you were sitting down and eating in minutes. It couldn't be easier. Thanks to the popularity of the Food Network and cooking shows in general, those days are long gone.

"I love using gas grills because they are easier to heat and it's much easier to control the flames with a gas grill than with a charcoal fire," Bobby Flay, host of Food Network's "FoodNation" and "Boy Meets Grill" has said. "Grilling is not just about lighting a fire."

At over $5,000 for some of today's grills, grilling is much more than lighting a fire - it's a lifestyle. This approach to a backyard barbecue places a lot of pressure on the chef responsible for crafting delicious tasting chicken, steak, fish, ribs and seafood dishes - or whatever else one's stomach desires.

However, the best way to ensure a fine summer dining experience is by purchasing high quality food products and watching over the grub, making sure it doesn't stick to the grill or burn.

Popular culture has also transformed the meaning of the word "grill." Avid watchers of the reruns, "Flavor of Love" or "Pimp My Ride" are already well aware of this development.

In the show "Flavor of Love," Flavor Flav rocks his gold grills. Flavor Flav has been wearing gold caps ever since New Yorker Eddie Plein hooked him up with them in the 1980s.

At the start of the 21st century, the Dirty South rappers put the bling-bling, ranging from metals to diamonds, over their pearly whites. Top-of-the-line grills cost thousands of dollars and have been seen on the teeth of Ludacris, Lil Jon, Outkast and Goodie Mob. Some rappers wear grills to show off their economic success, front and center. In 2005, the video to Nelly's single "Grillz" features an array of some of today's most popular grill styles.

Since Flavor Flav will be appearing at the Whitehouse nightclub on June 2, it is a good idea to pick up some grills before the event to wear in his honor. For those of you who haven't struck it rich as a recording artist yet, you can still purchase grills for around $50. If that's still too much, there's always tin foil. After all, wearing a grill is a privilege. Students in certain school districts in Alabama, Georgia and Texas can't wear grills because they are banned.

Then there are the Grilles with an "e." During World War II, Grille was a series of self-propelled artillery vehicles used by Nazi Germany. Today, Grilles have a different meaning in the automotive sense as they are used to allow the car to breathe. Not to mention, they add style points to a person's ride. There are Mesh and Billet grilles or ones that come in an oval-diamond hole pattern, among others. Rappers and car enthusiasts know Grilles are an essential part of jazzing a car up.

Lastly, there are the metal railings on balconies called grills. The spelling of this form of the word can go either way (grill or grille) depending on your personal preference.

If you don't have the cash for the life of a playa who is grillin', at the very least you can speak the lingo. You can take part in "grilling" someone by rapidly asking him or her numerous questions. Better yet, if someone gets in your personal space and yells in your face, you can respond by saying, "Why you gettin' all up in my grill?" This way you can continue promoting the versatile word, which can be used in conversations about food, jewelry, automobiles, music, buildings, or as slang in this instance.