The time for outdoor living and barbecuing is upon us. Not only are we seeing and smelling the blossoms of spring, but the smell and sizzle of the grill is starting to waft through our neighborhoods.
In his book Cooked, Michael Pollan spells out the connection between our ability to cook food and our evolution as a species. Of course the elemental form of this cooking is over a fire. There is a reason we react to the smell of smoked and barbecued food – it triggers an almost primal response that activates our taste buds and conjures images of good food, good friends and relaxing on the deck or patio under a warm sky.
After a rain-soaked winter our desire to be outside is only exceeded by our desire to fire-up the grill and enjoy our well-deserved time in the sun. Both at home and here at Sutter Home & Hearth we are barbecuing and smoking everything from Roasts and Ribs to Russets and Radicchio. If you’re yearning for something simple and delicious think about a roast chicken on the rotisserie or “drunk” chicken on your charcoal grill. If you’re feeling more adventurous try Bobby Flay’s Paella on your ceramic smoker.
Over the course of the Spring and Summer we will be grilling here at the store on Saturdays. We will feature Twin Eagles and Delta Heat gas grills, Green Egg and Kamado Joe ceramic smokers, Green Mountain pellet grills, Weber gas and charcoal grills (including the new Weber Summit Charcoal) as well as Solaire infra-red barbecues. We’ll be hosting special events during the months of late May on through Mid July.
While both men and women like to grill, I am always reminded of a British friend of ours who was amazed at the whole world of barbecue. She deemed it the greatest invention by American Women. “Not only does it get men to do the cooking,” she said,
“But it gets them to do it outside!”
