Compiled by Chuck Martin

Question: What's the difference between a rub and a marinade?

Answer: Basically a rub is a mixture of dry ingredients - salt, pepper, herbs and other spices - and a marinade is blend of liquids, such as citrus juice, wine, soy sauce, herbs and spices. Both rubs and marinades are used to flavor meat, chicken and fish cooked on the grill; marinades can also help tenderize meat. For fullest flavor, marinades and rubs should be applied several hours in advance. (Generally, beef, pork and chicken can be rubbed or marinated overnight; fish requires two hours or less.) One difference between the flavor enhancers: Marinades are discarded before cooking, but rubs are left on during cooking.

Quick recipes

• Moroccan rub: Combine 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 2 tablespoons paprika with 1/2 cup olive oil.

• Mediterranean rub: Mix 3 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns, 3 tablespoons cumin seed, 2 tablespoons turmeric, 1 tablespoon ground cardamom and 1 tablespoon ground coriander.

• Asian marinade: Mix 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.

• Mexican marinade: Combine 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon ground cumin.

Grill gadget: Sounds lazy, but sometimes you can't hang out at the grill to closely monitor the temperature of the pork roast or other food while it's cooking. A remote grill thermometer offers the solution: The meat probe transmits the internal temperature to you via wireless remote up to 100 feet away and beeps when desired temperature is reached. Many stores now offer the gadgets, but the best deal we've seen is the Maverick Remote Check Wireless Grill Thermometer for $38.95 at www.overstock.com.

Tube food: Host Bobby Flay fires up portabella mushrooms, nectarines, asparagus and artichokes on Boy Meets Grill at 2 p.m. today on the Food Network.

Hot dates: Chef and television personality Jacques Pepin signs copies of his The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen (Houghton Mifflin; $14) at Books & Co. (350 E. Stroop Road) in Kettering 7-8 p.m. Wednesday (800-777-4881). Pepin will appear at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Norwood's Rookwood Commons 7 p.m. Thursday (396-8960).