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Grilling & BBQ
Barbeque Pulled Pork  
Barbeque Beef Brisket  
Beef Kabobs G,E
Smokey Flank Steak  
Grilled Sirloin Steak G,E,Q
Smoked Rib Roast E
Smoked Burgers E
Smoked Meatloaf  
Leg of Lamb E
Shish Kabobs G,E
Prosciutto Chicken  
Smoked Chicken E
Herbed Salmon  
Grilled Salmon V,E,Q,G
Grilled Shrimp Skewers G,E,Q
Grilled Vegetables V,E,Q,G
Stuffed Tomatoes G,V,E
Ember Onions G,E
Smokey Baked Potatoes E
Smoked Cheese E
Stuffed Figs E,G
Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce  
Mustard Sauce  
My Favorite BBQ Sauce  
Fresh Plum BBQ Sauce  
Scratch BBQ Sauce  
Dry Rub No. 1 E


    Ideas for Entertaining Outdoors with Grill Parties & Barbeque

    It is so much fun to do casual entertaining outdoors. Whether you're entertaining a small group or a large gathering, this is one of the most low-stress ways to feed and play together.

    A Few General Tips
    When planning any size party,
    • choose only two or three dishes that require detailed or complex preparation on the day of the event
    • Make your other food choices low-effort and easy to prepare
    • You can also add dishes that can be prepared several days in advance
    Roasted Red Pepper Appetizer keeps well for up to a week, in fact tastes better after a few days. 'Several days in advance' is important, because the day or two before, you'll probably have plenty of other preparations to make.

    If you're going to do smoke cooking, or BBQ, be sure to plan appropriate time for marinading your meat and total smoke time well ahead. The best barbeque is the result of good planning and plenty of time. Barbeque can also be less time specific. Be sure to give yourself extra time - the barbeque will be able to stand well. Better to give yourself a little extra time in case you want to keep it on the heat or smoke longer than you first anticipated.

    Another good idea is to get together your ourdoor accessories. It's helpful to
    • have a nice basket with 'outdoor' napkins in which you can place the utensils to be used.
    If you use paper napkins and plastic utensils, this will help keep them from blowing off the table in a breeze. If you use cloth and regular flatware outdoors, this will keep everything together and ready to go. The basket can be put together a day or two in advance, or if you have dedicated napkins and utensils just for outdoors, you can store them in the basket with a plastic grocery bag cover to keep the dust off.

    You will perhaps also want to have some outdoor activities while food is grilling. For those of us who don't have a pool in the backyard, there are some great options.
    • If you have a lawn, things such as Croquet or Bocce Ball are entertaining for adults and children.
    • If you don't have a lawn, but have some deck or patio space, ping-pong competitions can bring out hidden traits in your guests that you never imagined they had!
    • If you have a more staid and conservative group, well chosen appetizers with carefully selected wines or specialty beers will keep a conversation going for hours.

    Tips About the Menu
    Keep it simple! The best parties and social events are those in which the complexity, creativity or cleverness of the food is a subtle backdrop to an exceptional social experience. Food is a critical element to the event, but it is the underpinning of the reason you're together. Make it delicious and unintrusive. The best way to start making your food delicous and easy to prepare is
    • Purchase high-quality ingredients.
    • Don't try new brands.
    • Buy foods you already know have excellent flavor.
    • Know what fruits and vegetables are in season so you will get outstanding taste.
    If you start with excellent ingredients, you don't have to do much work to make them turn out delicious.

    Menus are very easy to manage when you keep the list of dishes short. Some ideas:
    • Make cocktails serve-yourself and set them up in an area that won't interfere with food preparation or people sitting around chatting.
    • Unless you're having a Tappas party, two or three appetizer selections with bread, cucumber dippers or crackers is all you need.
    • The main course should consist of three items at most. Even if you can prepare most of the food earlier in the day, everything will need last minute presentation or serving. Don't spend all your energy at the start of the main course.
    • Avoid green salads as part of the main course. They are cumbersome to keep fresh and dress at the last minute. Instead, have some cleaned greens prepared in advance and add to each of your serving dishes (including appetizers). Set out a decanter of olive oil and a plate of lemon, lime and/or orange wedges (can be prepared in advance and chilled in the refrigerator) so guests can dress their own greens if desired.
    • Desserts for a group are best if they only need serving. Avoid things like Soufflé, Sabayon, Bananas Foster, etc. Grilled fruit is fine if it can be done ahead and served at room temperature or lightly chilled.

    New Menu Ideas for Those Tired Old Backyard Barbeques
    Are you sick to death of those burgers, dogs, potato salad and slaw? Here are some interesting menu ideas that won't stress you out. Be sure to accompany your dishes with fresh greens as described above.

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