An Old Fashioned Barbecue

 Everything right now is either smashed or done cowboy style for the grill. These new recipes are good but there's something about the traditional ones our moms and grandmothers used. There was a certain fun to them tha't snot seen in today's dishes.

Of course there's barbecued meats. yet the ones of our parents day weren't marinated in fancy mixes. Most of the time steaks and chicken parts were treated like hamburgers and hotdogs. Just throw on the grill , then flipped over before servingYou actually get more of the meat's flavor by doing thish along with having a crispy coating. If you do want some flavoring the, just season with salt and pepper. That's it. You can go old school for the steaks and offer a bottle of Worcester sauce. You can also have a bottle of barbecue sauce handy for both the beef and poultry. This also applies to ribs. There's no need to whip up a fancy sauce for them. Toss them on the grill and then serve with the same barbecue sauce. Guests may enjoy dipping the ribs into a bowl of the sauce and it's actually  not as messy too. Treat corn in the same way too. It doesn't;t need to be fancy Mexican street corn. Just grill it for nineteen to twenty minutes, turning every so often to prevent charring or burning. Slather butter or margarine on a long with a good sprinkle of salt and then dig in, It';s a great way to really enjoy the corn's sweet flavor.

Going old school means enjoying simple salads and dishes that highlight the main course's charred goodness. Three bean salad is the perfect barbecue side.It;s so easy to make. The recipe varies from family to family. Some add garbanzo beans and switch out green beans and vice a versa. The best ones include red kidney beans, white kidney or Cannellini and garbanzo beans. You can add a teaspoons o finely minced onion for more flavor or a quarter teaspoon of onion powder. Dress with olive oil and red or white wine vinegar. It may need some salt and pepper but that's it. Chill for a few hours before serving. Other classic salads are broccoli and green beans. These are simple to make and you can even use frozen veggies. After steaming them just dress with oil vinegar and dashes of onion and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.How do you end a classic barbecue? A Jello salad! This is mixing the powdered gelatin with cottage cheese and pineapple juice. Whipped cream is folded in then the crushed pineapple.. It;s chilled and then served as a sweet side or a dessert.It;s your choice.

Forget all this fancy new fangled stuff. Go old school with a classic barbecue. It;s makes for simple ,tasty and fun eating.

The Art Of The New

This is the time to learn a new dish or cuisine. It gives us a chance to expand our talents and expertise. Not only that it helps us to change up the usual staying in menu.

There is a whole world out there of good recipes and interesting dishes. Many home chefs always have qualms about cooking a different cuisine. If that's the case then begin with the simplest recipes like stews and skillet dinners. Every country has easy dinners that are a snap to replicate. Another turn off is the array of strange spices, yet if you study the recipes you see that there are substitutions. A berbere spice can be replaced by that paprika you used last week or soy sauce can fill in for tamari sauce. Then there's the problem that you may not have the right pots and pans. You do. Again any pot or pan can sub in for a fancier or more specific one like a tangine or rice pot. Where can you find interesting and exotic recipes? Your library of cookbooks, of course. There is also the internet where there are literally thousands upon thousands of recipes. Just ask yourself - "what should I try?" Japanese teriyaki? Ethiopian doro wat?Svenska kottbullar or real Swedish meatballs?

Ethiopian food has fascinated me lately.It's an interesting country to begin with and the food also has a particular allure. I am going to be making the country's lentil stew. Am I worried that my Stop &Shop didn't have any lentils (and believe me I looked). Now I plan on using kidney beans. Of course there will be a slightly different taste but then I don't have some of the spices. I will improvise. I will also sub in. it calls for tomato paste but I feel that using vine ripe tomatoes may give it a fresher flavor. My Berbere spice blend will be slightly different than the one I found at Immaculate Eats where i discovered the stew recipe. Yet it's still exciting. When life and food shopping returns to normal , then I will get the appropriate ingredients. For now it's just the excitement of trying something different and not the usual tomato sauces or chilis.What will I try next? Maybe  chicken barbecue sandwiches with Morningstar Farms chicken strips and Acme's barbecue sauce, served on soft rolls.Or something French from Brittany or Normandy?

This is the time to try new recipes and taste new dishes. Be creative. Be curious. it will lead you on a culinary adventure to a new country with exotic flavors and delicious tastes.