OUTDOOR COOKING

It's something man (and woman) kind have been doing since we got the hang of starting a fire.  Our love of cooking outdoors transcends all, including the big 3 issues:  age, race, and economic class.  Even geography actually translates into diversity for those with a penchant for meal making in the open air.

 One thing is for sure, for some of us, our imagination knows no bounds, when we set about creating the grill of our dreams.  These models probably fall in the category of:  OMG!, Wow, and can you believe that?

 

 For many around the world, barbecuing means gathering friends and/or family to socialize, swap stories, and play while awaiting a feast to be shared, grilling just a few steps away.  Most of our photo albums and scrapbooks contain fond memories of cookouts past.  Whether they happened in our own backyard, during a camp out, or at a nearby

park celebrating a holiday or birthday; no two are ever the same, and we're always a little sad to see them end, usually in conjunction with the Sun going down.  

Much like the Postal Service, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these cooks from the swift completion of their outdoor meals". 

Around the world, cookouts are often steeped in tradition and ritual.  Visitors from around the world have flocked to the Hawaiian islands to experience the exotic, and dramatic Luau.  As far away as the South pole, scientists bundle up to grill outside for a small slice of normalcy.  Only in Australia would you find the words "barbecue" and "culture" in the same phrase, but the barbecue is an intrinsic part of Australian culture. 

A Russian version of barbecue; shashlik are pieces of marinated meat on a skewer, roasted over a blazing charcoal.  Some people even make it American style - on the grill.  What we do know, is it's been a main dish of people in Central Asia for centuries. They called it "shish kebab", and mostly used lamb meat. Besides, the skewers were their invention.  This is how shashlik gradually spread to all parts of the Russian Empire, including Moscow.

Everyone has their favorite method, whether it be using a smoker, putting it on a spit, or flame broiling.  The scene is always the same, friends and family lined up with plates in hand, ready and willing to sample the end results.  There are no constraints on where we barbecue either.                    We take our grills out to sea, and we even attach them to our vehicles so we can tailgate in style, at our favorite sporting events or off-road locations.                          

                                                   

No one seems to be immune to the lure of cooking outdoors!  Our children watch and learn.  Toy manufacturers have even produced small scale imitations for the youngest among us to pretend and practice on.  

Even those with never ending duties and responsibilities, pursue a moment of free time now and then, to indulge their inner chef. 

Outdoor cooking is a billion dollar industry that indulges us with fancy flavored wood chips and special charcoal briques, aprons with funny sayings, and special potions and sauces to coat and season the food we grill.  Available products are aimed at shoppers from the dollar store on up to the custom design bourgeoisie, and everyone in between.  Even the images in our art are alluring and tempting where grilling is concerned.  So, go ahead, fire up at your favorite spot and savor the flavor. 

Your ancestors will look down from the heavens, share a little grunt, and smile as you hone your skills and enjoy your spoils. 

For even they know, somethings never change!