Summer Cookout - Let’s Put it ALL Together!
Over the past couple of months I’ve been writing about the tools you need in order to pull off a great cookout: what to grill, great meat marinades, and a two-piece article on fish! Now that Memorial Day is behind us, let’s try some new things with what we’ve learned and have some fun with friends and family!
I’ll give you a great sample menu that you can use for your next summer get together! The things that will be addressed are appetizers, entrees, and side dishes. Enjoy!

Fogo de cHAO?

Fogo de how?

Fogo is known for the endless amount of meat that we can consume (though we hate to admit the amount is far from endless in reality). Not only is it possible to eat way more than we should, it also tastes phenomenal! Thank the Argentinean gauchos for that. South America has very unique ways of flavoring their meats. One way is with an herb marinade. This gives the meat herbaceous notes that go well with flavorful steaks that, at times, can seem like a heavy load for your stomach. Not only have these marinades contained herbs, but also incorporate spices that bring depth of flavor without over powering your meat!

So what is a marinade? I suppose the culinary school answer would be a mixture of liquid and aromatic ingredients. Here is a two second lesson on marinades:

Chillin' 'n Grillin' - Things to try this summer!

If you haven’t noticed, grilling season is right around the corner! Maybe for you hardcore grillers, the first one of the year has already come and gone. I envy you for that! I’ve missed grilling and I wrote this to satisfy my hunger for smokey deliciousness.  This season I urge you to try something new on the grill. That unique smokey, char, and woody flavor that develops when you grill something transforms ingredients beyond your imagination.  For example, try to grill an orange. Squeeze the juice, and taste it. It’s entirely different than freshly squeeze orange juice. Grilling gives ingredients a new depth of flavor. I have some things for you to try!