Summer

You may have seen some of the unusual things that blend on the Will it Blend? videos. Turns out, you get some pretty interesting results when you put things like footballs, marbles, Glow Sticks, and a new 3G iPhone into a blender (some blend, some not so much).

Inspired, I decided to start my own series of experiments – Will it Grill?

I tried steak (yes), watermelon (yes), ice cream (nope), cereal (depends – Kashi yes, but Fruit Loops exploded into a multicolored fire ball), and avocados (yes).

The avocados were excellent. If you want to find out for yourself, here's how to grill an avocado:

1. Select a ripe yet somewhat firm avocado and slightly chill it.

2. Cut it in half and remove the pit. Brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Place it right away on a medium-high grill flesh-side down for about 60 seconds. Grill marks should be present, and the flesh should be lightly caramelized yet intact.

4. Eat immediately.

It’s just that time of summer when I feel I haven’t had enough BBQ.

Ribs to be specific. Pork Ribs. For some reason and I’m not sure what it is. Either we’ve been eating lighter or the bbq-er in my house has been opting for fancier fare (like boneless chicken breasts wrapped in prosciutto – I’ll let you know how it turns out). And due to the Highway Jobs Incentive (or whatever you call that thing that’s tearing up our streets and making automobile travel next to impossible at night) as one of the many “405 challenged”, the trip over the hill to Boneyard Bistro seems daunting, forget Hoggly Woggly’s, and Baby Blues has become so popular that unless it’s dinner for ten and we can get them to deliver, take-out’s more trouble than it’s worth.

So, I’m declaring Sunday August 7th National BBQ Ribs Day! I don’t know who decides these things anyway. So, if it’s someone else’s National Day, like National Heirloom Tomato Day, I apologize, you’re just going to have to share.

The best ribs I’ve had this summer were Alan Ett’s (but I haven’t quite convinced him to give me the recipe). That’s not true, he told me the recipe, but I didn’t write it down. And I’m hoping this will inspire him to write it down for me and send it in, because they were divine.

BBQ Sauce | Lyndon Johnson's BBQ Sauce

Barbecue Beer Ribs | Brown Sugar Pork Ribs
POM Pomegranate Barbecue Ribs | Quincy Jones' Thriller Ribs

In Maine finding a good lobster roll is like finding a needle in a haystack. Some places buy some pre-made lobster salad, with a 30 day shelf life, that is pale pink, loaded with cheap quality mayo and then placed on a roll that is not even toasted. The view, the sound of gulls and the sweet smell of the Atlantic helps to elevate the taste of a mediocre lobster roll. Really what is so complex that it eludes so many restaurants in Lobster land?

I feel that the humble hot dog roll is the perfect base and that is what the original creator of a lobster roll had in mind. A good quality commercial hot dog roll and not homemade, that wouldn't give it the proper feel in your anxious hand or the right texture. Freshly cooked, cooled and shucked lobster from a pound and a half lobster.  Sounds like a lot? I did mention “perfect” didn’t I?

In a bowl cut up the lobster meat (tail, claws and knuckles) with a handy pair of scissors into medium size chunks, add chopped fresh chives to taste and then add the smallest amount of good quality mayonaise. Remember you can always add more, but it sure is difficult to take it back out. 

Better than punch, tea, and even lemonade, aguas frescas are drinks made of fresh fruit puree. In Mexico they are typically made with tropical fruits, melons, and even grains—which include the rice drink horchata. Street vendors popularized the drink but nowadays you can even find agua fresca made in top restaurants. The Mexican soft drink company Jarritos is based on traditional aguas frescas recipes, but replaces water with soda.

Make your own version of agua fresca at home using your favorite fruit. This recipe for uses ripe seasonal strawberries. The sweet-tart flavor of strawberries is very refreshing and palate-cleansing. It couldn't be easier to make this agua fresca. The combination is simply pureed fruit, water, and a little sugar. Make a pitcherful for this weekend's BBQ get-together and treat yourself and your family and friends to a cooling drink on a hot day.