Every person has their weakness. Mine is cooking. It’s also grilling, baking, or any performing any sort of food preparation task. I just can’t do it. I’m a girl who messes up frying eggs and (gasp!) can’t make macaroni and cheese.
I do, however, have one innate sense to throw a killer party. Why would a summer barbecue be any different? I think not, my friends; therefore, I’ve gathered some advice from across the globe (read: friends and family) to compile the ultimate information to make a successful, fun, summer barbecue.
Firstly, the guest list is key. As my friend Katie McCallum says, "The only real important ingredient for a good summer barbecue is good friends." As sweet as Katie’s statement is, what is important for you, the host/hostess, to figure out, is how many people you want crashing your crib. If you have a spacious yard, I say the more, the merrier. If your plot consists of concrete and minimal mingling room, keep it simple. Deciding your numbers is key also when planning how much food you decide to purchase. When inviting said guests to your ultimate summer feast, it is essential to communicate whether you’re providing the food and beverage, or if each guest is encouraged to bring a dish. The latter option may be more attractive to the young, still penny-pinching crowd, whereas the B.I.G. P.O.P.P.A. spenders may be everybody’s sugar-daddy for the evening. Whatever suits your fancy, just be sure to clue your amigos in.
Next, you’re going to need to make sure your guests are entertained between various feeding frenzies. Thus, sporting equipment, such as basketballs, volleyball nets, and slip ‘n slides are key players in keeping a happy and joyous gathering together. Plus, people of all ages love slip n’ slides, and when your guests have consumed the right number of cocktails, the combination will surely lead to some excellent stories to be told for the next few weeks. However, for your more reserved guests, some blankets and wine may suit their fancy while they watch the others guests get rowdy in the yard.
Now, for my most dreaded, but most important component: food. I think it would be to everyone’s benefit if I didn’t dish out my own cooking advice, so I’ll refer to my own mother, Linda, to dish out some interesting ideas on making your barbecue food fancies a reality.
Linda has a few simple suggestions for making some fun in the sun summer dishes. Firstly, she suggests that soaking wood chips in a hickory flavoring will add additional grilled-flavor greatness to your meats and veggies. Second, she believes that grilling vegetables may be a better and healthy alternative to eating greasy chips all day. Thus, by cutting up some veggies, tossing them onto the grill (or tin foil in case they may fall through) with some seasonings will not only create some interesting toppings for the burgers, but will make an excellent veggie portion for the plate. Grilling corn flat on the grill is another lovely alternative to the traditional boil technique; plus, it pops as you good it, and has a lovely grilled flavor that boiled corn just doesn’t have. When dessert rolls around, dipping pieces of fruit into chocolate or brown sugar may be a lovely alternative to drippy/messy ice cream. And lastly, for the meat: Mother Linda believes that a solid marinade will always add a lovely flavor to any of your non-red meat dishes. Therefore, seafood and poultry can have a dash of lemon dill, teriyaki, or whatever your taste buds crave, provided you allow the meat to marinade for a few hours.
However, it is important for any summer host/hostess to acknowledge the traumatic effects the bugs of summer may have on a barbecue. Citronella candles and tiki torches are useful remedies to outrageous bug problems, but ensuring that platters are always covered with tin foil or plastic wrap is a sure-fire way to keep the creepy pests out of your food.
Along with the presence of your charming self, your guests couldn’t ask for more. Unless someone has a bigger slip ‘n slide.
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