Category Archives: BBQing

Memorial Day 2012 – Recipes & BBQ Ideas

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It’s almost summer – can you believe it? We’re so excited to kick off the hot summer months, so we’re headed down to Santa Barbara later this week. We’re going to soak up some sun, eat tacos on the sand and, oh yeah, go to a wedding. We’re really looking forward to family, friends and tons of sun, but if we were staying home, you bet your sunscreen we’d be BBQing with friends.

Not to leave you hanging this glorious weekend, here’s some of our favorite Memorial Day weekend BBQ ideas.

Take the slow train to flavor town and grill up a batch of these BBQ beef ribs. Top them with a nice slather of Bubba’s Best BBQ Sauce.

Maybe bake up a side of our Zucchini Cornbread Muffins. Ooh, you could dress them up with some diced jalapeno or some grated cheddar cheese. Or, one of these fun add-ins.

To lighten it up, I’d serve a side of this Summery Corn Salad and Tzatziki Potato Salad.

I’d also whip up a few Spring vegetable sides – why not use the best in-season ingredients this weekend? This Quinoa Salad with Sugar Snap Peas sounds delightful! As does a plate full of Roasted Watermelon Radishes (and so pretty!)

 

Oh, and you can’t forget beans at a BBQ, can you? I’d slow cook some Three-Bean Baked Beans, and maybe top them with a toasted breadcrumb crust at the very end.

For dessert, I love grilled fruit. It’s so unexpected and sweet, without being sugary. Here’s an amazing looking recipe for Grilled Peaches with a Fresh Raspberry Sauce which I would top with some homemade vanilla ice cream (granted I had the time with all this cooking going on!)

Wishing you a happy and healthy Memorial Day!

 

Grilled Potatoes and a Photography Lesson

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It (almost) feels like summer in Southern California. The propane tank has been refilled and the BBQ is ready for some serious grilling action.

This weekend included the grilling of venison burgers, spring vegetables and these gorgeous potatoes. A little olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper is all any of these ingredients need to reach BBQ perfection. And of course I had to photograph it.

Why photograph these simple potatoes? To practice! To learn! This weekend also included day-long online food photography classes from Creative Live. Free online food photography classes, no less!I learned. I loved. I like to share.

Food photographer Penny De Los Santos lead the three-day, multi-subject online course which streamed live all weekend. Complete with a buzzing live chat room where viewers bantered about food styling and camera settings, it was a truly wonderful learning experience for me.

The process of photographing food, whether it be still shots or live scenes like a dinner party, is such a challenge that I’m just beginning to learn. The lettuce can wilt. The pasta steam can cloud the lens. So many different factor play into that perfect shot.

I want to thank @CreativeLive for hosting such an inspirational weekend and teaching me so much about a field I’m only just learning about. To learn more, visit the CreativeLive website, where select clips from the session are available to watch for free online. The complete weekend of footage (several hours of instruction!) are available for $149 if you feel like really diving into it. Cheaper than a community college course, really. And it’s only about food. Which we like. You’ll have time to grill some potatoes during class breaks, I promise.

Vday Recap

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No, not engaged.

No, didn’t get a new diamond necklace.

Did get a lovely orchid from my lovie, and I did cook my lovie a delicious meal. It was all very lovie. .

I actually attempted a very interesting dinner last night, cooked almost completely on the barbecue. I know, you think I’m crazy. But it’s been lovely weather in LA and I didn’t feel like making a mess of the kitchen. Thus, the grill was my solution. Plus my oven was very occupied by heart shaped cookies, so it made my life a little easier.

First, I sauteed some diced onions and a little garlic in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Once translucent, I added a large bunch of washed red kale and some chard and sauteed. I transferred the entire skillet to the outdoor barbecue, placed it directly on the grill. After sauteeing a few minutes to start the greens wilting, I left it alone and moved on the starch and meat.

I placed a piece of oiled tin foil on the grill and then topped the sheet with slices of ready made polenta. I know. Lazy me buying ready made! What can I say, I’m an easy date. Next to the polenta I grilled two pieces of flank steak, seasoned very simply with olive oil, salt and pepper. Apparently I’m not only easy, I’m simple too. HOT.

Within ten minutes, pretty much everything was ready and I plated almost directly from the grill. Hello, one pan dinner! Easy, indeed.

Here’s our lovely meal. Part 2: Valentine’s Heart Shaped cookies coming tomorrow. Hope you felt the love too yesterday. XOXO