Campfire cooking this summer?

You lucky duck!

It’s fun and totally “back to nature” BUT, you’ve gotta follow some ground rules to make sure it all goes smoothly.

Here are some helpful tips for successful campfire cooking:

1. You could do stick-related meals like hot dogs and bacon-wrapped goodies (see above). Those are always tasty and fun. Just pay attention because they can burn quickly!
2. A yummy culinary trick is to wrap meat (fish, chicken) in wild leaves and tie it up with twine to give it an authentic flavor. You can cook it right above the coals and you’ll have a tender, deliciously flavored meal.
3. Repurpose the things you brought with you when cooking. Use a Frisbee as a chopping board or even as a plate. Hey, we’re outside, it’s not pristine, people.
4. Be sure to clean up after yourself before you leave. Camping etiquette requires us all to not leave cups, forks, napkins all over the ground. When you’re done it’s someone else’s turn to enjoy the great outdoors!

One of my favorite seafood meals is a beautiful salmon plank.

But grilling seafood can be tricky. Overcooked salmon planks are simply yucky.

Want to grill it?

1. Season it first (if it’s not already done for you).
2. Then wrap planks in foil, skin-side down.
3. Place on grill until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F using a thermometer.

Yes, undercooked salmon is yucky, too! 🙂

You can also use a special seafood basket on your grill made especially for delicate meat. For me, the clean-up process is so much easier with foil and the meat seems to cook more thoroughly when wrapped.

But you decide!

And, hey, either way, you get to eat salmon when you’re done. Score!

Check out more seafood cooking tips here. Have fun exploring the world of seafood!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

It’s COOKOUT time of year!!!

You want to invite the whole gang over to beat the heat and share some good, grilled grub.

With a little planning, your cookout can be the Greatest Cookout of All Time. And everyone – including you – will have lots of fun.

How does this happen? Follow this simple checklist for a fantastic cookout!

1. INVITATIONS

You can obviously just verbally invite folks over but if you do that you don’t have a concrete RSVP list. And that makes food and supplies hard to judge. My advice is good, old-fashioned invitations in the mailbox. Guests can RSVP by e-mail, but go all out and send ’em some paper!

2. MENU PLANNING

Think about the number of people who’ll be there, but also WHO will be there. Does everyone like filets? Burgers? Chicken? Seafood? Make sure there is something for everyone to enjoy. And load up on sides and desserts, too, like gourmet mac ‘n cheese and red velvet cake. Check out these recipes for inspiration. Hey, variety is the spice of life!

3. DRINKS

Don’t forget to quench their thirst! Make sure if you’re going to have alcoholic drinks, you also have non-alcoholic drinks. And have lots of water on hand. It’s hot out there!

4. DECORATIONS

You can really give your cookout a special feel if you decorate just for the occasion. Go Hawaiian or decorate with a down-home Southern twist. Really make it special!

5. ENTERTAINMENT

This can be as simple as setting out a game of horseshoes or croquet to play while the food is grilling. Or, even designating a DJ. Just give ’em something to focus on before, during and after the food makes its grand entrance!

If you plan it all out ahead of time, you can just go with the flow and enjoy your friends and family at your cookout. And THAT is what summer’s all about!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.