Lingering Over Alfresco Dinin

My new favorite barbecue item is a prawn at the very large end of the spectrum that, when lightly marinated in a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, a bit of mashed garlic, and a fresh herb of the moment, tastes like lobster when it comes off the grill. I don't know why lobster has been on my mind so often lately. Perhaps I associate a luxurious indulgence with the sweet meat and slightly chewy texture. You can't gulp down one of these prawns or a chunk of lobster meat. The give of the meat between your teeth makes the taste linger. A nice sensation that makes you pace your intake with the conversation and other dishes on the table.

Strange to think of the pace of eating a meal. Yet, when outdoors in your own garden or the lovely patio (with or without a view) at your favorite eatery, isn't pace the very thing to be considered? Why indulge if only to gulp the meal, tasting little of the preparation or elements of the food? How does one take in the ambiance if the food is consumed in a hurry? Doesn't one go with the other?

This summer I'm committed to do a great deal of barbecuing. The rains of this past year have given my garden impetus to put forth the best blossoms and fruits of the last decade. Everything stands tall and full. Fragrances fill the air, from the rosemary bushes to the citrus trees and the sage and geraniums in between. And all is met with great joy by the honeybees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and people. Even the local feral cats can be found sunning themselves on the mulch. All seem welcome in the garden and I for one have chosen a season's pass.

So now we're out there, why would we not dine and linger? Why wouldn't I choose foods that stand up to the weather while I sit on the slider and chat with my family and friends? And of course each dish should also stand up to the taste buds, at once savory and succulent--succulent being one of those words that in the pronunciation we mimic the experience they define.

July 4th Barbecue

Yesterday I enjoyed the company of my husband and several precious friends, all of whom I consider family in the best understanding of that concept. So what I prepared needed to be delightful and could be familiar. Cooking for family leaves lots of room for repeats as long as those dishes have been well received in the past and may even hold memories for these special people. That's one of the many reasons I love to cook on such occasions. We often enjoy the same dishes, foods I love to cook and that hold previous memories of tastes and times already shared.

The other thing about special occasions and particularly barbecues is the requirement of foods withstanding the heat of the day. I don't want to prepare anything that contains mayonnaise because of the obvious problems of mayonnaise sitting out in warm weather. Also the freshest foods can wilt in the shade or the length of time outdoors. I especially don't want fragile foods because they require me to be alert to the consequences of the day on the dishes rather than to the conversation and interaction of my friends.

One other thing I've learned over time is that big amounts of food all prepared by me is ridiculous. The effort and even expense of such preparations also takes away from everyone's enjoyment as I worry about this or that, or my friends feel a need to sample and comment on the food rather than indulge in the company and discussions of whatever catches our attention. And I love it when people bring things to share. Their efforts are more deserving of attention than that of my own. Each dish brought moves the spotlight to the friend who made it. That wandering spotlight is exactly the fun of the day as each of us enters and exits through sharing, praise and wit.

So the menu yesterday was simple. I made a bread salad from the freshest of ingredients and just enough to be consumed allowing for second-helpings. We barbecued prawns and fresh corn to be enjoyed with butter and lemon juice heated on the grill. Cheese and olives plus some tasty pickled veggies served as appetizers. The pickled veggies were by my dear friend Anne who is the reason I'm writing a food blog--her cold-pickled vegetables were an old recipe, tried and true. Then new friends Vanessa and Ryan provided the "indulgences" from whiskey sours to a Filipino donut of sweet coconut and rice flour made American with a center of chocolate. Between the delightful high of the cocktail to the sweetness of the donut, Vanessa and Ryan bookended our meal with fun.

And as the evening closed, everyone had a chance to talk one-on-one and with the whole group. We learned more about each other and widened our enjoyment and celebration to include new stories, different aspects of old favorite subjects and fresh memories to keep. I hope you did the same.d