Some people maintain that Memorial Day officially marks the start of grilling season and Labor Day, the end. Those people, for the most part, are wrong. Some folks maintain the flame in snowdrifts up to their thighs. Others won't haul out the hibachi until late September because it'll finally be cool enough to cook outside without wilting like a hothouse gardenia.

So what we're saying is, so long as our spatula isn't actively frozen or melted to our hands, and monsoon spray does not prevent us from lighting a charcoal chimney, we're going to be outdoors, putting flame to food. Why don't you just come along and join us?

Catch up on the rest of our great cookout and picnic tips below, and if you run into a sticky grilling situation - we're here to help. Share your burning questions in the comments or Tweet us @eatocracy and we'll have your festivities back on track in no time.
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"No matter what else is served at a cocktail party, you will always find a tray of stuffed eggs," wrote James Beard, the so-called dean of American gastronomy, in his first cookbook, Hors D'oeuvre And Canapes.

The well-received appeal of these one-bite appetizers isn't limited to cocktail hour. They're also a superb addition to picnics and cookouts during the lazy, hazy days of summer.

Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.

• We'll shut up our mugs if you fill up our jugs with these good ol' hillbilly cocktails. - Details

• For a very swine Memorial Day, try making this Filipino-style roasted pork belly. - Serious Eats

• Speaking of pork belly, BACON! Homemade BACON! - Food 52

• Has Giles Coren, arguably the world's angriest food critic, gone soft? - London Evening Standard

• Another day, another story about kids in restaurants: Susan Tahmasian claims a Sydney restaurant turned her away because she had her baby in tow. - Sydney Morning Herald

While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Today's food holiday is in the bag - May 25 is National Brown-Bag-It Day!

If you’re sick of the same old options at your workplace cafeteria, or tired of forking out precious cabbage for lunchtime nosh, consider jumping on the BYOL (bring your own lunch) bandwagon. Not only is brown-bagging it cost-effective, there are a ton of residual positive effects too.
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