Summertime fun

Just because you’re outside, doesn’t mean you can’t make things look festive! Bright colored acrylic plates and cups on your patio table make dining alfresco more fun. At this time of year, there are tons of fun styles of outdoor dining dinnerware to choose from.

And don’t forget to accessorize! Here are some ideas:

• Fill small bright colored tins or little buckets with sand and votive candles and place around the patio.
  
  
• String bright colored lanterns around the deck or any type of summertime lights will do.
  
  
• Fill a large colored bucket with ice and fill with bottled sodas (and/or other beverages). Or for a large crowd, line a wheelbarrow with a garbage bag and fill with ice for your icy cold beverages.
  
  
• Gerbera daisies in little pots and potted wheatgrass add nice touches, and can bring the outdoors in, in case the weather does not cooperate.

Themed barbecues are fun, i.e. Go Tropical! Bamboo torches, lighted palm tree, even grass skirt tablecloths, limbo contests and tie in the food to fit the theme.

Bring the outdoors in for a screened in deck or porch. Take a 6-inch strip of real grass sod and use as a runner down a picnic table (line underside with some plastic to protect your table). Add a few wooden birdhouses, and some small potted plants for centerpieces and voila! Fill various sized clay pots with utensils, plastic cutlery and napkins for a fun look.

The possibilities are endless…the key is to have fun…after all, that’s what summer is all about, right?

Summer Grilling Tips

Summer is the time for casual dining, picnics and hot weather. Always be sure to keep hot things hot and cold things cold when cooking and dining outdoors, or at any other time, either.

But, besides basic food safety tips, here are some ideas that can make your barbeque season fun and easy:

Get the basic tools, they will help you work better. Long tongs, a long fork, an oven or barbecue mitt, and a basting brush are essential for the grilling season. And, temperature indicator devices are a must. Use an instant-read thermometer, and Cook’d Right® Sensors (available at some grocers’ and butchers counters). Pop Up® Timers, available on some cuts of meat are accurate and helpful when cooking on the grill as well. Grill baskets are helpful when cooking smaller pieces of meats or vegetables.

Take care of your grill. Make sure it’s clean before you start cooking, and be sure to keep the outside surfaces clean as well.

Before starting to grill, dampen a paper towel with oil, and, using long tongs, rub the grill surface with the oiled towel.

There are two types of grill cooking, using direct and indirect heat sources. Direct cooking entails cooking directly over a live flame. This is used for steaks, fish, and other relatively thin cuts of meat. Indirect cooking, with a banked charcoal fire, or a gas grill with one or more burners turned off, is used for larger cuts of meat and for items that may take a longer time to cook. Some recipes require both methods, direct cooking to brown and produce grill marks, and indirect to finish the process.

When cooking steaks on the grill, be sure to heat it very hot to sear the meat quickly.

Barbequeing is done on a covered grill, usually with a rub and sometimes finished with a sauce. There are many interpretations of barbeque, but all require long, slow cooking.

Rotisserie cooking is done on a spit suspended above the heated surface of the grill. Follow manufacturer’s directions to use a rotisserie device.

Marinades make foods tastier and moister. Most contain some sort of acid such as lemon, orange or other citrus juice and/or vinegar or wine, an oil, and some herb or spice for flavoring. Marinate fish and vegetables for about 30 minutes, chicken and pork chops at least one hour and large meat and poultry pieces for up to 24 hours.

Brining is a done to make poultry juicier It is usually a combination of water, salt and sugar in which the whole poultry or poultry parts are soaked for 2-24 hours.

Rubs impart many of the same flavors as marinades, but they are a mixture of dry spices and herbs, sometimes sugar and other ingredients. Since they have no oil, they are fat-free. They are often used in combination with barbecue sauces and marinades.

Smoked pork chops, available at most grocery stores, already have the aroma and flavor of a smokey barbecue. They are fast to prepare because they are fully cooked. Just heat and serve.

Delicate foods such as fish and boneless chicken breasts can be cooked in heavy-duty foil packets along with fresh vegetables, herbs and salt. The packets are easy to prepare and quick to cook over direct heat. When done cooking, gently slide the packets onto a cookie sheet for transport to the table.

Disposable foil pans are helpful on the grill to use as drip pans and to hold cut up meats and vegetables. They are also useful to use in marinating.

When adding barbeque sauce to a food, brush it on at the end of cooking so it doesn’t burn. The more sugar the sauce has, the more likely it is to burn.