If your kitchen is the heart of your home, the outdoor kitchen is the soul. The expanding trend of outdoor kitchen making has turned grilling from a summertime art into an almost year-round standard that transforms your backyard into another room in the house. A room where kids do their homework and wives talk about their workday while Dad grills up some brats for dinner -- away from the TV and the subtle hum of the compact fluorescent bulbs. In the early spring, an outdoor kitchen can grill up some teriyaki-pineapple rubbed salmon with a side of roasted peppers in a matter of minutes, all without pulling the cook away from their family -- or giving the cook the perfect chance to get away from the family, as the case may be. As summer gives way to autumn, the ribs and brats give way to roasts and grilled potatoes, but the action doesn't have to come inside. Rotisserie chicken made over the grill has a unique appeal as an outdoor dinner for the fall, as well. Moreover, Halloween parties can be catered from the middle of the action, so the cook doesn't have to slave away in a separated, lonely room while the party echoes down the hall. But don't think that meats are all that outdoor kitchens are good for. A modern outdoor grill is a commercial-grade cooking machine with features that are carefully designed to maximize the grill's usefulness. A standard modern grill can handle the usual variety of meats alongside fish, corn and other vegetables, and of course the ubiquitous potato. Moreover, in a truly luxury outdoor kitchen, the grill is only the beginning. High-end outdoor kitchens can include a wide variety of optional accessories, from turkey fryers to bartending stations to built-in televisions and even garbage compactors! Almost anything that could be found in an indoor kitchen has a modern outdoor variant that can be worked in if you're willing to work with your contractor. Among those are space heaters, heat lamps, or directional heaters -- specialized tools that allow you to grill, and your family to enjoy the space -- even in early spring or late fall.