Ahhhhh, summer time! I don’t know what’s better, mini-skirts wiggling down the main block, or the beautiful wafting of hardwood charcoal; (as you open the first cold one on a summer’s night), the reminiscent smell of when you popped open the your first one that you lifted from Dad’s beer cooler when you were a teen, or comfort of your best Muskoka chair just a BBQ.
Now that the winter thaw has happened, I encourage you to think outside the box when menu planning, whether a weekend soirée, or just the standard family offering in the middle of the week. Look, I dig a good hot dog with a little ballpark mustard from time to time too. And burgers, yeah its one of my desert island foods (I will be jacking up your summer burger curriculum in the coming weeks). But I encourage you to put the blasé standard aside for a weeks, and take your summer menu up a notch.
Regardless if you don’t know the difference between tongues and a double spatula, or can’t ignite lump charcoal, you are fully capable of preparing these two summer starter recipes. Both are a killer APPS……NO, not for your IPhone….. Small offerings of food or a drink taken pre-meal to stimulate one’s appetite. “AP”eritif and “APP”etizer.
Let’s take baby steps this summer. Start with these tried and true beauties. Why start small? All in good time my friend, all in good time!
The alcohol in the SHAGMEA will lends its natural ability to stimulate your appetite by depleting your glycogen (carbohydrate) in storage in order to metabolize it, causing you to begin to crave carbohydrates. Ah, scientifically aside, the SHAGMEA is good stuff – a phenomenal bevie made in good quantities, enough for after you stuff your piehole with the Chicken Jalapeno Bites. And these grilled favorites give you a great combination of grilled flavor with just enough heat to “hit the mark”, but not scare the wusses who can’t take too much heat.
Do me a solid, and put the dogs and burgs away for the week, and domestic beer aside for awhile. Summer is too short. Hell, life is too short for the “normal!” These two beauties are a good starting point.
If you like them, you can find more in our Tailgating and Homegating section. Stay tuned though, as I`ll be updating all summer long.
“The patio is my church, and I’m giving the sermons.” SALUT!
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