Some of the best times in my life have occurred around a grill. I love to be grilling out on the driveway and have neighbors drop by only to have an impromptu "get together " break out. These get togethers have often gone on well past the time the coals have died out! A grill may well be one of the finest tools for developing one's social skills.
When my mother passed away I was the oldest (16) of three boys and was assigned the cooking duties. Well, I liked to eat and was very eager to find ways to make things taste better while at the same time enjoying the process of cooking. We had a gas grill on the deck and once springtime rolled around, we began "firing that baby up"! Yes, I burned the hell out of some things and had to put some other things back on the grill to get them done. Eventually, I figured things out and began my pursuit of mastering the grill. I like to think that mastering the grill is more of a journey than a destination and I will stay on this journey as long as the Good Lord is willing.
By the time I graduated high school, my friends would purchase the meat and bring it to me to cook. Not a bad trade. Looking back, it raises the question of whether grilling out is more of a cooking thing or a social thing. I think it is both. My friends and I have had some wonderful times that somehow center around the grill.
I am 52 now and have cooked darn near everything there is to cook on the grill. I admit that I am a charcoal snob and will only grill with charcoal. I love to fire up the grill and see how long it takes the neighbors to show up! My wife and I are very fortunate to have wonderful neighbors that enjoy the fruits of the grill as much as we do.
I hope that this blog will be enjoyed by all regardles of skill level and that it will become a place to share our experiences with each other and to help each other become grill masters!
