When barbecue expert Steven Raichlen traveled the world searching for novel grilling traditions, he marveled at the commonalities across 60 countries.

The way live fire brings people together. The universal embrace of smoky flavors. The theatrical nature of what could otherwise just be a family getting food on the table.

“If you simmer a pot of soup on the stove, nobody’s going to gather around and watch the show,” said Raichlen, author of “The Barbecue Bible” and 32 other books.

He wasn’t searching for grilled vegetables. He found them everywhere anyway.

Grilled mushrooms, peppers and even artichokes in Italy. Planks of asparagus laced onto wire-thin skewers in Japan. Corn and chilies served in countless ways in Latin America.

Much of what he found ended up in “How to Grill Vegetable

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