Watch for Tigers!

Particularly good advice when wandering Southeast Asia’s jungled mountains. Ask any local, including the Hmong, a people inhabiting Laos’s out-of-the-way forests. A tiger bite makes quite an impact. In fact, that’s the best way the Hmong have of describing their signature sauce, which they serve with grilled, marinated steak. This, in addition to Blistered Green…

Welcome Back!

Summer’s returning from its vacation soon, and it brings all sorts of nifty things we haven’t seen for nearly a year now, like fresh garden vegetables and cookouts.  What better way to celebrate the season of plenty than with a dinner featuring so much of what gives summer the nicest house on the block? Specifically,…

Fire Up the Grill

Ever wish a steak salad came in convenient hand-held form, or wondered what peaches would taste like straight from the grill?  No.  Yes?  Well then, this post is just for you, as today brings a couple preparations perfect for outdoor entertaining, particularly for summer patio parties! Start with just-seared steak, finished to a slightly-rare medium,…

And to Think…

As children, most of us didn’t care for brussels sprouts, and that’s conveying the disdain rather mildly.  Rare was the kid who didn’t rank the vegetable high on the list of Most Hated Things in the World, right between homework (#8) and early bedtimes (#6). Maybe, though, that’s because the greenery wasn’t cooked properly, or…

It All Leads to This

August brings exuberant gardens yielding fresh basil, green beans and tomatoes by the basketful, and people firing up the grill in preparation for a balmy evening outdoors enjoyed with family and neighbors.  Plenty of good times and happy memories as we head into one final month of glorious weather.  This is summer’s moment. Today’s entry…

A Square Meal

A fresh salad is a great way to welcome summer, particularly when it celebrates the exuberant greenness that’s, well, everywhere now.  Adorn it with a juicy steak, meltingly tender and sliced thinly across the grain, and you have a complete, satisfying meal perfect for bright sunshine, sultry evenings and other perks of a season of…

Why Share?

Particularly when a thick, juicy porterhouse steak sizzles before you, just a bite away from surrendering its juices and rewarding your anticipation with a full measure of the grill’s potential.  Especially not when it’s served with watercress and grilled sweet potatoes, offering mild, pillow-y sweetness beneath a  crispy, golden jacket. No way.  Get your own…