Check out my grill - Part 1?

Fire. Fire and shiny things. Okay maybe grills aren't shiny things to most of you, but they are to me. Like the diamonds in my engagement ring, I cannot stop staring at our grill...mostly when we're cooking on it, but I have been known to go out to the *tiny* back deck and stare at it (I also might have a staring problem). Now, to be upfront, we don't have a charcoal grill, we are not allowed these on Chicago decks; we've got this lovely little gas Weber. However, one day we will get the Big Green Egg and then my life will be complete. Let it be said that charcoal is ideal, I envy those who have it and we have been known to usurp our friends' grills when we visit. Gas is okay though...passable, and both the Husband and I use ours almost daily during the short Chicago summer.

So you want to grill on gas. Um. Turn it on, go.


So you want to grill with charcoal...ah, yes. Yes. Throw the lighter fluid out. Better yet, don't buy any. Why people think that their food has to have the chemical before/during/aftertaste... Anyway, get a chimney. If you're cheap, get some sticks and paper and mound your coals on that, but the chimney is a work of genius. The Husband loves these, and they get the coals all nice and hot real fast like. Once your colas are good to go, the sky is the limit!

Lately we have done so many meals on the grill, like smoked some ribs on a friend's Weber, and we did our first octopus just the other day. Vegetables are killer good; this method of cooking turns even the proudest meat-potato veteran into a vegetarian - WAIT, I hate that word - a veggie-respect-mature-adult. Some of our favorite grillables are asparagus, zucchini, onions (spring and mature), peppers, radicchio, tomatoes, eggplant, corn on the cob, mushrooms, and the list goes on. Brush them with a little oil or butter, salt and pepper shower and on the grill they go. AND may I recommend a Romesco sauce to accompany, mine goes like this...


Romesco Sauce: Into a food processor put 3 roasted red peppers seeded, 2-3 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup toasted hazlenuts, one chopped tomato seeded, a splash of redwine vinegar to taste - no more than 1T, salt/pepper, and olive oil once the machine is going (1/4-1/2 cup??). If the sauce is too runny I add some chopped day old white bread toasted. This=Heaven. It's good with meats too.


We always have chicken breasts on hand in the summer, and sausages and beef are also frequent visitors of those spankin' hot grates. Fish can be tricky, and other seafood is even trickier. My gorgeous Japanese friend inspired me recently. She mentioned she and her husband had just grilled baby octopus. What what what?! I mean, I love octopus. We frequently get it while dining out at such places as Evanston's UNION (our favorite hang-out spot) and Campagnola, and Chicago's Antiprema. It's a tasty little creature, but never cooking it at home I was intrigued and nervous...and hungry.



On a visit to Mitsuwa Asian Market, while on an adventure to IKEA to get our new bookcase, we found some lovely little gems already skewered. It was a sign from the heavens. Theywere already boiled, so we grilled them on high to a crispy texture and topped them with a kalamata olive/green onion dressing with grilled lemon. Oh my GOD. You have to do this. THEY WERE RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. If you're just to freaked out to cook them at home, go out and eat them. The Husband proclaimed it was the best meal we've ever cooked...and that, I think, is saying something.