Are You Planning Outdoor Entertaining?
Are you an individual who loves to have friends and family over for meals and other enjoyable activities? Perhaps you are known to host events that people talk about long after they have occurred. If that is the case, you are more than likely looking forward to entertaining those you care for at your home. Cooking meals outside just adds to the fun, doesn't it? From coming up with new recipes to cooking meals on special wood pellets, here are some ideas that might help you to produce incredible meals as you plan your outdoor entertainment.
Present New Meals: Of course, cooking hot dogs, hamburgers, and steaks will almost always be greeted with enthusiasm, especially when they have yummy side dishes presented with them. However, think about finding new recipes to offer a bit of a change to your guests. While you have probably looked for new recipes in magazines and in recent cookbooks, consider going back in time. For example, ask older folks that you know for ideas of dishes that were popular when they were younger. You might end up trying something like barbecued cabrito or even pizzas prepared on the grill outside. As you find new recipes, think about trying them with your family first, just so that you can get their stamp of approval before presenting them to guests.
The Right Equipment: Are you updating your cooking equipment? If so, consider buying a grill where you can prepare everything from shish kebabs to shrimp grilled in a wire basket. Think about buying wood pellets that offer a distinctive flavor to the foods you cook. For example, if you are grilling ham steaks, consider grilling them on maple wood pellets. If you are cooking things like pineapple and other fruits in a flat, enclosed basket designed for grilling, consider cooking on cherry wood pellets. You might be amazed at how the wood adds a special flavor to anything that you prepare. Think of asking your guests to guess the kind of wood that was used in preparing the foods you present to them. They might guess right away, or they might be surprised at what they discover. Another idea is to grill foods prepared over special woods ahead of time and then wrapping them in heavy aluminum so that you can serve them at a later date. Just toss them back on the grill or in the oven to heat them up when you're ready to serve them.
