Holidays
Hot Stuff
For the Fourth of July: Cook an Entire Meal on the Grill
The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I love the parades (Edgartown puts on a doozy), the fireworks, the patriotism, and of course, the food. I’m certainly not alone: July 4 is the most popular barbecue holiday of the year. According to the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association, 73 percent of Americans plan on eating food cooked outdoors. The celebrations of my youth were rudimentary, to say the least. Today we grill everything—really, from cocktails to vegetables, from breakfast...
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Honor Dad with a Cliche-Busting Father’s Day Brunch
Mother’s Day, named a national holiday in 1914, had a nearly 60-year jump on Father’s Day, which wasn’t formally added to the calendar until 1972. It’s now a virtual given that breakfast in bed belongs to moms while dads man the grill. Why not shake things up this year? Host a Father’s Day backyard brunch. You grill, Dad grills, or you happily share the cooking responsibilities. Then spend a leisurely afternoon doing something you know he’ll enjoy. Here are some menu suggestions (including...
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A Pox on Socks and Ties: Give Dad Gifts He Really Wants
12 Grilling Gifts to Show That Special Man How Much You Love Him Why are dads so hard to shop for? We don’t know, but with Father’s Day approaching fast (Sunday, June 17), we’re here to help. For months, we’ve been accumulating ideas in every price range to help you honor Dad on his special day. All are related to grilling and barbecuing, of course. And if you are a Dad and see something you’d like, no one would blame you for dropping hints in advance of the holiday. Project Fire Steven’s latest book in the best-selling Barbecue! Bible series was released...
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Steven Raichlen’s New TV Show Project Fire + a Memorial Day Menu From The Show!
After what seemed like an interminable winter, the long-awaited Memorial Day weekend is finally upon us. This beloved federal holiday, conceived in the 1860s to honor the men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country, is a celebration of family and friends, flags and flowers, food and fun. Of course, Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and prime grilling season, the perfect time to launch Steven’s latest show, Project Fire. Maryland Public Television, the producer of Project Fire,...
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For Easter and Passover: Our Secret for Premium Lamb
Speaking from the set of Project Fire, his latest TV show, Steven said, “That was the best lamb I’ve ever eaten.” No surprise there, as the steaks and chops were sent to the recent shoot by John and Sukey Jamison of Jamison Farm. (We always try to acquire the very best food for the cameras, and they’ve been supplying Steven’s shows for many years.) Their contact info has been in the “little black books” of the country’s top chefs and restaurants for decades....
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A Toast to Grilling and St. Patrick
Perhaps you’re neither Irish nor Catholic. Maybe you hate Notre Dame football. There’s still no harm in celebrating on Saturday, March 17, the name day of St. Patrick, the 5th century British cleric who was enslaved as a teen by Irish pirates and returned to the island as an adult. Perhaps you’ve heard that he single-handedly drove Ireland’s snakes into the sea. Not true. Ireland does not now, nor has it ever hosted native species of snakes. Not...
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Grilled Fish for Lenten Fridays
What is Lent? For the 40 days preceding Easter Sunday, many Americans, especially Catholics, observe Lent as an important religious period of the year. The activities of Lent are meant to increase mindfulness, prayer and adherence to certain practices. How does fish relate to Lent? One particular way that observers can participate during Lent is to give up red meat on Fridays (or during the entire 40 day period). While that may cancel a weekly Friday...
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Celebrate Chinese New Year with Five-Spice Powder Ribs
Have you celebrated the Chinese New Year yet this winter? Why not use what time is left of the 15-day annual celebration, and start a new tradition for your family. As I've written in the past, Chinese culture generally shies away from grilling as a cooking method. But the dishes that are grilled will bring you new flavors that will delight your taste buds and have you marking your calendar for this season every year. Traditionally, we may think of duck...
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Go Wild on Fat Tuesday with Wings, Shrimp, and Much More!
Today is Mardi Gras, better known as “Fat Tuesday.” It’s the last hurrah for observant Christians, who beginning tomorrow, will start a 46-day period of fasting leading up to Easter Sunday. (Loosely translated, Carnival, from the Latin carne vale, means “farewell to meat.”) There was once a practical as well as a liturgical purpose behind Lent. Peasants couldn’t afford to overwinter their animals, so there was generally an ample supply of...
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Super Bowl Sunday: Battle of the Jalapeno Poppers
The second biggest eating day of the year in America after Thanksgiving—Super Bowl Sunday—is almost upon us. And unless you’re one of the few sports fans who are shelling out over $5000 a ticket to watch the contest in Minneapolis, you’ll likely be viewing the game from the comfort of your own living room. Whether you’re rooting for the New England Patriots or the Philadelphia Eagles, you’ll want plenty of finger food on hand to stave off the munchies. In past years, we’ve shared...
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