“Chris, you’re so domestic.”
A good friend once said that to me, long ago. We were driving over to Boonton to embark on an (epic) hike, and I was rambling about whatever culinary experiment I was playing with the night before.
I’ll admit that my friend is right. I watch the food network religiously. I have two aprons in my closet (thanks Yan and Victor!). I have a growing collection of cookbooks on my nightstand that serve as bedtime reading. I’ve even started to venture into baking recently (but I won’t be posting any of that stuff any time soon. I’ll leave that to Venus Chiu.)
However, as mentioned in the title, this post is about doing something that doesn’t typically qualify as “domestic.” This post is about grilling.
Today, I enjoyed a really great dinner with my family outside on the deck. The weather was perfect - not too hot, not too humid. Good food, good company.My last week was somewhat long, stressful and tiring. It was a successful way to unwind.
I kept the menu simple. (Sorry for the quality of some of the pictures. We were all really impatient, so I didn’t take the time to take really good photos.)
Setting up for the dinner - eating outside is the best.
Grilled flank steak and scallions
I marinated the steak in lime juice, cumin, scallion, and cilantro before throwing it on a grill. It cooks really quickly - just 5 on a side on a hot grill and you’re good to go.
Steamed lobster
Yes I know, this wasn’t grilled. Adding some coriander seed to the steaming water adds a refreshing note to the meat, though. (You definitely can grill lobster, but it can be a bit of a messy ordeal. Split them completely in half and brush the insides with an herb compound butter.)
Squash
I made a little dressing to go with it - red wine vinegar, dijon, scallion, and olive oil.
Corn on the cob?
Just take the silks out and soak the husks in water before throwing them onto the grill. The husks will burn, but they will steam the corn and help impart a bit of smokiness.
Grilled peach with vanilla ice cream and caramel
Caramel is really easy to make, but it takes a long time. If you’re short on time, throw some butter in a pan, add brown sugar, and a bit of rum (to set on fire). When everything is bubbly, add some cream (or half and half or whatever), and a pinch of salt. It works out pretty nicely as a substitute.
Happy Fathers’ Day!
