Category Archives: Outdoor Fun

Outdoor Fun

ODF – EP 5 BBQ SWEET POTATOES AND MINI-SLIDERS

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BBQ SWEET POTATOES AND MINI-SLIDERS (SHOT ON LOCATION, BRIAN’S BALCONY, OVERLOOKING LAKE ONTARIO)

httpvh://youtu.be/dBEJF_ry6ME

Hello, Culinary Playmates:

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too). Normally (as if anything Brian and I do is normal) we would have released this outdoor episode during the cold winter months. But, as we had a mild winter this year, we didn’t need the psychological boost. However (and that’s a really BIG HOWEVER), we are now in May … so why am I still wearing my winter coat? [Weather update: it warmed up by the afternoon so I’ve been able to upgrade to my spring coat.] Uh … hello? Universe, dear? [It’s always best to be polite with the old thing.] It’s May in the Northern Hemisphere: a time when we should be heading into summer. Not only that, but we who live in North America will be celebrating two long weekends (Victoria Day in Canada and Memorial Day in the U.S.A. at the end of the month). It would be really nice if we could get rid of some of the layers. Perhaps we can remind the universe by unveiling this episode a few weeks in advance. ::crosses fingers; toes, too::

What could be an easier time to combine some unusual flavours than during a barbecue? Indeed! As barbecues are designed to be a casual form of dining, you can take chances with your marinades, herbs and spices. Food choices, too. After all, considering how many times I’ve moaned about my special barbecued yams, it was high time for Brian to recreate the taste sensation. What was most special was mixing sweet (maple syrup) with savoury (garlic and mustard). There are so many cuisines where this is considered to be routine. [I sometimes indulge in buying frozen Sweet’n’Spicy Thai chicken wings.]

What are some other ways you could follow the same principle? I know many people are trying to cut down on beef consumption, so what about barbecuing turkey or chicken burgers, slathering on mango-chipotle sauce on one side and honey mustard on the other? I’d give that combo two thumbs up (and I can see Brian sticking his thumbs into the picture, too). It’s also important to remember that, if you’re using commercial sauces, a salad dressing can be a marinade and a marinade can be a salad dressing. Don’t get boxed in by labels.

If you’d like to move away from burgers and do a fancier meat, what about marinating pork tenderloin in apple cider, olive oil and crushed cloves before barbecuing and serving with barbecued apple and onion chunks. Or a beef tenderloin in pomegranate juice and olive oil and serving it with a glaze of reduced pomegranate juice, balsamico and a few artfully scattered fresh pomegranate seeds. You may as well toss a few of the seeds onto a colourful side salad, too. Or lovely thick salmon steaks onto which you’ll place a slice of chilled rolled cilantro butter. [You can tell my imagination is working overtime just about every waking moment of the day.]

As for sides, you can see what fabulous success we had with sweet potatoes (and yams, previously). You can do the same thing with other root veggies as long as you slice them thinly enough, so that the outside will be crispy and the inside creamy and tender. I still can’t believe how amazing the baby eggplant slices were that we had on a previous episode. So don’t let the otherwise long cooking times for whole veggies derail you from enjoying them outdoors. Slice them thinly enough and they’ll be done very quickly.

The other thing you can do is enjoy the bounty of summer fruits on your grill or barbecue. We’ve already done peaches, bananas and pineapple (if memory serves) indoors and there’s no earthly reason not to savour the best of summer with a touch of heat, altering texture, consistency and taste. That’s what I call practical chemistry!

Well, I hope we’ve given you enough of an inspiration to zoom out of your comfort zone when it comes to barbecues (as if we didn’t do that often enough with indoor cooking, too). Just remember: it’s all supposed to be … (can you guess what the magic word is?) FUN!!!

Enjoy!

B&H =:)

Outdoor Fun

ODF – EP 4 GRILLED SHRIMP AND VEGGIES

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(SHOT ON LOCATION, BRIAN’S BALCONY, OVERLOOKING LAKE ONTARIO)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0hB9jJxlT4

Hello, Culinary Playmates:

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too). Though, to be perfectly honest, the only weird thing about today’s special outdoor episode is that we were using my INDOOR electric grill OUTDOORS (or semi-outdoors, as was the case on Brian’s balcony overlooking Lake Ontario). Otherwise, the food was a mix of vibrant fresh veggies, yummy shrimp, some non-traditional spices and glazes. And us as the ever-eager samplers.

I know I could talk (or, more likely, moan) about how scrumptious the food tasted, because it did. It really did. But that would be nothing new where Brian and I are concerned. So, instead, I want to introduce you to the concept of Embracing The Fake.

What do I mean? Are Brian and I not all about REAL food, GENUINE friends and OODLES of fun? Well, as you could really tell from the background (and ::growls in irritation:: foreground) sounds of traffic, we were outdoors all right. Or … somewhat outdoors, since we were on Brian’s covered but otherwise open to the elements balcony. Also, even if you can’t tell because of the glare behind us, there IS a lake there.

Though we were technically outdoors, we were able to access and use the amenities available to us, such as electricity to power the indoor grill! Yay! As much as I love various outdoor locations for barbecues and picnics (and have been known to cajole people to stick a metal rack in their trunks so that we could use a firepit as a handy instant bbq grill), indoors is mighty convenient when you don’t feel like packing all that STUFF and lugging it from home to what feels like the ends of the earth.

In previous years, Brian and I have had barbecues at my place and, even if we only had to carry stuff a short distance, it took several trips from his car and my kitchen. So I was relieved that we didn’t have to do any of that arduous lugging this time. Mind you, Brian’s lucky that he has a balcony. So many condos have been built without any outside access, because developers think that a sun-killed (oops, I meant sun-filled … /sarcasm) solarium will suffice, even one without windows that open. ::sighs:: What a way to keep people from actually enjoying the outdoors (whether it’s sunny or raining or foggy, but at least you can feel it).

Therefore, the trick is to try to recreate the essence of outdoors while inside. And that’s where Embracing The Fake comes into play. Let’s pretend that you do have a large solarium or just a very bright set of windows in your living room. You can turn that into a pretend patio very easily. How? Well, the first thing is to estimate how much space you can devote to your patio. When you’ve done that, you divide the “patio” from the living room with a row of several ficus trees or pruned standards in pots. Then you can accentuate the boundary by hanging those shortish Japanese cloth doorway panels from the ceiling. To allow light to pass during the day, you can use clips to pin the inner corners to the outer.

The easiest (and most convertible) way to define the walls of the patio is to staple bamboo mats to the two walls facing each other. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, you can also do this on the ceiling and have bamboo poles holding up the ceiling. [BTW, this is not my original idea. I had a lovely friend in my life who did this in his first condo many decades ago.] Lay down sisal mats on the floor. Then add plants (both flowering and bushy that you can replace as often as needed) in uniform pots throughout the space as well as a garden table and chairs, perhaps even a loveseat or park bench. Add some hanging plants from the ceiling. If your ceilings are especially high, then you may want to use artificial plants so that you won’t have to worry about watering or drowning them. Line the window area with a row of trays holding various herbs. Just imagine how exquisite the scent will be. [I’m partial to rosemary and basil, myself.]

But wait. I’m not finished yet. Whether you’re living right next to a lake or are miles away, you can recreate that soothing water feature with a fountain. You can get carried away with a large one (really affordable if you build your own pond using a special liner, surrounded by plants) or the smaller portable ones you can find in specialty, hardware and even supermarket chains. Some even have lights. I’ve had my share of many fountains. Right now, I only have two sound machines (and, of course, my fave sound is that of a running stream which lulls me to sleep every night). Brian’s partial to water sounds, too, and occasionally has hooked up his sound machine to portable speakers so we can sit out on his balcony with the amplified waves lapping at the shore as we gaze at the lake. It’s incredibly soothing and reminds us of places we’ve been.

Finally, add some summer type lanterns, including the ones on a cord that are supposed to be suspended. Put some small floodlights at the base of the row of shrubs. You can also get the latest solar-powered lights (intersperse their stakes amid the herbs by the windows) that will come on at dusk, allowing you to enjoy your evenings in a lush but insect-free atmosphere.

I remember going way overboard (if you haven’t figured it out yet, that’s my default setting) in December of 1996. I wanted to impress someone from my past, so bought three white 4×8-foot lattice panels. I suspended two on either side of my 20-foot long windows, while the third went across my TV nook. Then I strung up clear mini tree lights before adding tons of artificial vines and leaves. It felt especially magical at night. With the addition of several fountains, I could forget that it was winter outside. Once again, this was not an original idea of mine, but one I copied from a fancy reception I’d attended, where each table had a rectangular latticed column covered with leaves and twinkling lights. You know, it never hurts to be aware and to remember what others have done that you can try to recreate in whole or in part.

I hope the message you take away from this episode is that, even though it’s marvellous to be outdoors (and authentic), it’s also fun and practical to bring the outdoors inside. Why don’t you take a look around to see if you can transform some of your space to maintain the illusion of terrific weather and liven up your mood.

Surprisingly, Brian and I didn’t need to maintain any illusions this week. It’s continued to be unseasonably warm (late spring-like weather, though a friend in South-West Ontario mentioned it had been incredibly summer-hot; but, then again, she doesn’t live on the shore of a lake). We hope you’ve enjoyed watching us as we played with our shrimp and veggies and know that it’s an easy meal to prepare. Until next time, have yourselves a great week and think about what kinds of outrageously imaginative ideas you can come up with to create your own indoor garden haven. If necessary, you may blame the blonde!

Enjoy!

B&H =:)

Episodes, Outdoor Fun

ODF – EP 3 ISLAND PICNIC

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SHOT ON LOCATION, WARD’S ISLAND, LAKE ONTARIO

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-zthl7Dy0U

Too tired to read then click play on the box below to hear the blog read to you by Brian (and occasional comment by Helenka when I screw it up).

Hello, Culinary Playmates:

It is I, Helenka, your fearless advocate of gustatory creativity (aka I eat weird but really tasty food and think you should, too). Though, sometimes, there is NO weird food, especially when a certain chef (hint: his name is Brian Upward) packs tasty but more conventional foods, as he did for our picnic on Ward’s Island on the Saturday of the long weekend in May, 2011.

The funny thing is that we planned and managed to release our last outdoor fun episode when it was really cold outside and wanted to do the same thing with this one. But, guess what? We’ve been having a really good (meaning mainly nonexistent) winter. So, hey, let’s just pretend that releasing it this time is just a rehearsal for summer. Are we all in agreement? I think so! ::crosses fingers, too::

I don’t know about Brian (or you) but I love walking and exploring places, though I feel a lot more secure having a map in front of me. That’s what I did when I went to Vancouver and all those times in New York City. Mind you, when you have streets and avenues with numbers, it’s almost impossible to get lost. On the other hand, I remember a walk to Rosedale in the early 1970s (to a professor’s house) and didn’t realize there was an overpass crossing Mount Pleasant. So I actually ran across the traffic-crazy street. Which goes to show you that living in a city doesn’t necessarily guarantee you’ll know all of its hidden secrets.

Even though Brian and I have visited Ward’s Island many times before and I used to venture onto odd little islands connected to Algonquin Island in the mid 1990s (oh, those swamps, I tell you), I’d never done anything that felt so zig-zagging as this trip. Mind you, I didn’t have a proper map with me (not like the fancy ones from Parks & Recreation when I used to book firepits), just what I printed off on my colour printer that didn’t really identify some of the points of interest or else muddled the names underneath the colour layers (A spa? Sunshine Seniors’ Centre?? Really???). So I had to trust Brian ::turns to stare at him, ‘cuz he really likes to fool me from time to time:: and I didn’t know where he was leading me. Mind you, he managed to stick the Toronto (formerly CN) Tower into lots of shots which was a great relief for me.

When we finally sat down ON SOME HANDY ROCKS and resumed our picnic (having started it on our one-hour layover at the ferry docks), we got to enjoy commercial red-skin potato salad with lots and lots of added cayenne pepper, home-made sandwiches (baby spinach, arugula, thinly sliced cucumber, Swiss cheese, rosemary ham, honey mustard on poppyseed pannini buns), cranberry-raspberry cocktail and chocolate pudding to cool our mouths from the cayenne burn. Any bugs that decided to join our picnic location or visit our clothes were FREE! Now I ask you, where else can you get FREE ants and spiders … uh … whether you want them or not? Though you’ll notice I was the one wearing long sleeves and a scarf because I really didn’t want to get all close and personal with the wildlife.

Whether you have a lake with a handy island you can visit, or you just head to a beloved park or one you’ve just discovered, you can always have a lot of fun. Go at different times of the day, even when it’s foggy or raining (but preferably not monsooning). You don’t even need a picnic table or park bench. We made do with rocks, though a table would have been a nice luxury. But, even with the wee bit of inconvenience, we still had loads and loads of fun. And, as if you haven’t figured it out yet, that’s the most important thing. Well … that and the food and still being friends after our picnic! [Though I hope you’ll feel some sympathy for us as it took us two hours to get home because the highway was closed. But, hey, we laughed and talked and laughed some more. We’re really good at entertaining ourselves!]

We hope you enjoyed tagging along on our picnic, seeing the lush trees, clusters of late-spring flowers, the cute beach, the interesting and varied styles of houses and cottages, also listening to the swell of waves hitting the shore, the birds trilling as well as that pesky lawn mower before finally returning with us on the ferry back to the city. ::pouts::

Until next time, have yourselves a great week and think about what kinds of trouble … uh … fun – we meant fun – you can have when summer finally arrives. Just watch out for any incognito blondes!

Enjoy!

B&H =:)

Outdoor Fun

ODF – EP 2 BBQ II, THE SEQUEL

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httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nw1w2-AVt0

Helenka and I have been holding on to this episode for many months with the intention of releasing it — when the time was right. Well, with last week being one of the coldest we had to face this winter (and the fact that one of the heat pumps within my condo decided to stop working), it seemed to be the right time to remember and reflect on the fun we had this summer.

Speaking of fun, this one has some special effects and certain – shall we say – out of this world entities are back. [I won’t spoil it too much, but Helenka and I just love watching it over and over again.]

Helenka goes into greater detail about our menu, so be sure to check it out below.

Have yourselves a great week and enjoy (by the way this was such a laid back episode even our still photo camera took a vacation)!!

B&H =:)

Helenka’s Notes:

I am so tired of winter and bet that you are too. And that’s why I … er … persuaded (which, come to think of it, is a close cousin to nagging) Brian to release the second BBQ episode, if only to make US feel warmer. If you’re feeling toasty as well, then we did a good deed and consider it a bonus!

I’m sure by now you’ve gotten the inkling that Brian and I love to do elaborate things. A lot. Why have one BBQ sauce when you can have three mixed together with specially chosen spices added? Or some of the episodes where we just had to split the recipe in half and doctor the two portions to create quite striking opposite-taste sensations. Can’t you tell that “Complicated” is our middle name. [Actually, his is Robert and mine Felicia, but Complicated fits, too … and gives us yet another commonality.]

But, for the filming of this BBQ epi, we were tired. It was hot. And complicated was absolutely the last thing on our minds. [Too hot to think, you know.] So the menu was planned to be as uncomplicated as possible. No need for Brian to run himself ragged, trying to find special ingredients in far-off stores. No marinating overnight or pre-baking. No fancy-shmancy stuff. Just honest-to-goodness BBQ flavour and outdoor fun and relaxation. And you couldn’t get more uncomplicated than having me remove the commercially-flavoured Teriyaki chicken breasts from the freezer to defrost them beforehand. Or Brian buying some corn (just plain corn, I tell you!) and onions (okay, so they were Vidalia). Or bringing just the one Teriyaki sauce for basting. In fact, using the Salish sea salt was the utmost in going beyond the call of duty. Though, hey, a very good call. And I have one stroll down memory lane from this episode that I want to share with you: When I was young [Brian butts in, saucily, “You mean like when the Earth was cooling down?”] — we didn’t have such fancy doohickeys as corn holders or a butter roller. We had to make do with a piece of buttered bread and burning our fingers. I love living in the modern era [Brian nods “ME TOO!”].

Variations:
If you can’t tell from my portion of the blog, I thrive on variations on a consistent basis. Which is also one of the reasons why Brian and I play with the recipes to begin with. But, this time, the variation was to cut out the frills, to return to basics. And we certainly did. Because there’s no point in exhausting yourself to prepare the so-called perfect party/BBQ/whatever if you’re going to be a zombie even before your guests arrive. If you can spread the cooking over a few days (having chosen to entertain with a selection of hot and cold dishes which may appear exotic yet still be sensible), then you’re going in the right direction. Or, if you can ask a friend or two to cook a certain dish and bring it, even better. In return, you can (and should) offer to bring your famous whatever-it-is to their party the next time. Because the goal is to be able to actually participate in and enjoy your own party. [Brian and I may have learned that lesson over the last two decades. I hope.] With more and more people caught up in the unrelenting fast-paced frenzy of other real life obligations, it’s vital to remember that your home should be your sanctuary and not merely another arena where you tremble at the thought of being judged. If you want to serve the simplest of foods, go right ahead. Though you may want to make the food appear more special by using your finest china (even if only to justify the fact that you still do have fancy stuff). And the juxtaposition will make it more memorable for your guests.

But, whatever you do, remember to have fun. We do. Though, really, will those guys ever leave me alone. I know I’m effervescent and fun (which obviously means they come from a place that’s not fun, right?), but they’ll have to find a way to make their own without needing to get me involved. ::giggles:: How’s that for piquing your interest without spilling the beans! I hope you’ll enjoy the SFX. I really, really did. ::giggles some more:: Really!

Outdoor Fun

ODF EP – 1 BBQ RIBS (PLUS VIDALIA ONIONS AND BAKED POTATOES)

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[httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltppzn2Pddc

Hey, Food Friends!

This week, I’m gonna take you back to SUMMER!

We love barbecuing and typically I do most of it at Helenka’s “villa by the lake” as her building has a large two-pit brick barbecue. Her “villa” is situated at the edge of Lake Ontario, so we get to sit by the lake and enjoy some great food outdoors. This summer, I was lucky to film two episodes that I’m calling “Outdoor Fun”. We are by no means barbecue experts, but having fun outdoors where we just happened to serve each other great grill seemed appropriate to me. This first episode features my all-time favourite food to barbecue – RIBS!

Since we only had the opportunity to have two barbecues this summer, I am going to hang on to the second one and release it sometime during the winter … so we can always reminisce about the summer past and dream about summers yet to come (it was also a fun one for us and a blast to make; we all need a laugh now and then, too).

The brick pit barbecue at Helenka’s place is a bit quirky (no hood, for example). Having done quite a lot of grilling there over the years, I got to try more than a few tricks to make it work for us. For example, the barbecue heat source is charcoal. It is very hard to control this heat source and maintain it over long periods of time. I ended up slow cooking the ribs in my oven at home for 3 hours at 250F (so I cheated, in other words [Editor begs to differ: you adjusted your cooking technique to suit the circumstances]). As there was no hood, aluminum foil over the top was a quick fix.

A note on charcoal:
Our favourite is the hardwood lump variety; we’ll have none of those perfectly square briquettes.
I have also been known to like “fire”, so to speak, so abusing the fire starter (or pyro-power brought to life with a flick-flick, as we like to call it) is another pastime for me (lol, don’t try this; it’s dangerous – though I have been doing it for at least 20 years, it still freaks me out). [Editor murmurs, transfixed, “Fire pretty.”]

A side dish that is tried and true for us is onions (vidalia or sweet onion, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper wrapped in aluminum foil) slowly cooked on the grill and served alongside these great ribs (baby back with the underlying membrane removed).

In a previous episode, I showed you how to prepare the ribs for either the barbecue or oven plus here is one where Helenka talks about ribs as well.

If you choose to use only the oven, you can cook them on a sheet pan covered with aluminum foil and a grill rack at 350F for about 1.5 to 2 hours, basting the ribs with your favourite barbecue sauce about every half hour (resulting in falling apart and very tender meat).

For an interesting barbecue sauce, I take a few flavours that I like and mix them all together. The interesting thing about this technique is that, each time I do it, the flavour is unique. Of course, that also makes it a curse as I can never recreate the same taste again.

Now, please get comfy, relax and let us take you back to summer for some Outdoor Fun!

Hmm we love the sound of sizzle!

Enjoy!
B&H =:)

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Pics of Brian (pack horse by the looks of things) and Helenka (eating onion or was that potato) – Vidalia Onion during Summer of 2010

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Brian and Helenka at Hanlan’s point oh just a couple of years ago 😉 – yes that is ET and yes that was a cell phone he is holding, final yes Helenka is standing in a fire pit (I think it was a ceremony to the fire gods or something).

 

Insight on: Outdoor Fun BBQ Ribs

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

I think my second most popular sentence in the English language is “Are we having a barbecue?” The only reason it’s not #1 is because we can’t barbecue in Toronto 12 months of the year. Mind you, I’ve done it for 6 – stretching the season to include a usually brisk Canadian Thanksgiving Day (2nd Monday in October). So that means my #1 sentence surely must be “When’s our next party?”

Brian and I have held many parties (from huge gatherings such as an indoor Beach Party and Hawaiian Luau in January to large dinner parties in a garden-like solarium of a midtown restaurant in late winter). And there have been barbecues just for the two of us (for many years on my penthouse balcony in the Yorkville area), as well as barbecues that were also parties (gee, we’re so flexible, as well as gregarious hosts). The large parties were always held at our favourite firepit (#10) at Hanlan’s Point on the Toronto Islands (two pics of us above are from that era).

My first experience with the Islands was when I was chosen to attend the Science School at Gibraltar Point in the winter of 1962. I remember it was a damp winter and one of the weirdest experiences was sticking my bare hands into the earth and feeling worms crawling about. ::shudders:: Okay, that’s quite enough science!

I also remember attending the Mariposa Music Festival (folk music) in 1970 (on Olympic Island, I believe). And then I started going across by ferry just to enjoy all the grass and trees, for elegant picnics with friends (even an outrageous one which involved my fondue set!). When Brian and I finally began going over in the early 1990s, we would take the ferry to Ward’s Island, and then walk all the way to Centre Island (where we would treat ourselves to fabulous creamy ice cream cones). We also did the kiddie rides at Centreville Amusement Park and saw all the animals at the farm (and spied on them from the overhead gondola ride ::waves to the piggies::). Another time we celebrated my birthday (in the middle of the week) by taking a mid-day ferry across and having a leisurely lunch at the restaurant at Centre Island while enjoying the view of the Toronto skyline. The only thing we didn’t get a chance to do in all our years was to rent a 2-seater, 4-wheel bicycle with a canopy.

One of my favourite memories of a large barbecue is seeing Brian build a Stonehenge-type structure in the firepit with the logs so that, even when it began to drizzle, the base of the fire was protected. He’d run over every so often with an umbrella to see that it was still okay. Because, yes, even though we used the official barbecue grill for cooking our food, the day wouldn’t have been complete without roasting marshmallows.

I’ve owned (and destroyed, lol) a number of charcoal barbecue grills. From small hibachis to those round pans with metal prongs as legs, to a monster charcoal grill that actually came with a hood and electric rotisserie attachment. But, now, my only barbecue is an indoor Oster grill . Sadly, I miss the taste that fire imparts, but it’s a far safer appliance for me – and it gives me the ability to pretend that I am actually having a barbecue all 12 months of the year. So that’s definitely a win.

We’ve enjoyed cooking so many different foods on the barbecue, some of which we’d never tried before. Brian introduced me to the concept of taking a head of garlic, slicing off the pointed tips, sprinkling with salt, pepper and olive oil, before twisting in aluminum foil and roasting for about 45 minutes. Fabulous all on its own or squeezed over baked potatoes. I remember finding a recipe for elegant potatoes, sliced thinly cross-wise but not all the way down, interleaved with slices of lemon and jalapeno peppers. One time, Brian marinated a whole mess of shell-on shrimp in a spicy PC Memories of (I believe it was) Szechuan sauce. I’d also entertained the idea of buying a cooked lobster and basting the split halves with melted butter while reheating on the grill (still haven’t, but there’s always next time, right?). Of course, we’ve done chicken (who hasn’t). And all sorts of veggies (in cute little packages with fresh herbs). Or kabobs. Yay for cherry tomatoes and onions and peppers and other morsels of veggilicious goodness! The sliced yams I’d mentioned in previous notes, marinated in garlic and olive oil, then brushed on one side with mustard and maple syrup on the other. Or corn-on-the-cob, soaked in cold water before being placed on the grill in its husk (silk removed) to steam-roast.

We also came up with a brilliant idea of how to enjoy the taste of barbecued food even in the dead of winter. We would bring extra food to barbecue after we’d prepared our meal. My fave was grilling several salmon steaks that, I hoped, would keep me content over the winter months.

Another memory I will never forget (indelibly etched, that’s for sure) is how Brian and I would arrive at our fave firepit hours before an event, descending on the location in our self-designated role as “Housewives from Hell”, complete with J-cloths, paper towel and Windex. By the time our guests arrived, everything sparkled! And we’d still had a lot of fun.

We timed some of our parties to coincide with the Fireworks competition. After our barbecue and toasted marshmallows, we’d pack up our stuff and walk north towards the Airport fence and settle down again. Brian brought his mini speaker system, so that we could listen to the simulcast music while we watched the brilliant bursts of colour in the sky above our heads. And, then, finally, we’d have to make a mad dash to catch the last ferry back to the mainland. Ah, yes. Very good times, indeed.

Also, not many city-dwellers are blessed to have their own cottages. So, another of Brian’s and my unique contributions to the vocabulary of our friendship is the concept of arriving at Hanlan’s Point, doing the short trek to OUR firepit, unfolding our lawn or camping chairs, sighing in smug satisfaction and congratulating ourselves for opening up the cottage over yet another long Victoria Day weekend in May where the huge expanse of grass and trees was our front lawn. Or was it the back lawn? But that’s a minor detail.

So, who knows, our friends at FFF … perhaps, one of these days, we’ll have a potluck barbecue and you’ll ALL be invited! Here’s to many more good times ahead.

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