Playing in the kitchen is a delicate balancing act

a symphony of pots juggling while spoons fly in the air above our heads

and lids crash about..

plates get tilted and scraped then

deftly scrubbed clean for the next

round…

it’s a masterful demonstration of culinary technique!

♥

But then there’s grilling… I ask you…

Should the theater of barbecuing be left to The Men?

{ Code Name } “Man’s Job”

{ Hint: some men receive specific skill-set training to enable the correct coordination and response when undertaking certain “Grilling Tactics”. }

♥

The kitchen becomes

The Command Center for the Covert Sting Operation

as the Scope of their Mission is assessed…

Central Intelligence is employed by the Commanding Officer and

Stealth Tactics may come into play with Allies only brought in as needed for Back-Up:

“Where’s the meat?”

“I’m going out!”

“Has the barbecue been properly cleaned?”

“Is the barbecue lit?”

“I need a rag!”

“Quick, open the door!”

“Bring me the spatula!”

“Where is the barbecue sauce?”

“You forgot the brush!”

“Do you think these are done?”

“Quick, get me a clean plate.”

♥

if you look carefully, you may see one of these

Special Agents

lurking behind your screen door,

spatula raised and aimed in one hand

plate securely stowed in the other…

gesticulating wildly

for the door to be opened…

♥

*All persons appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real husbands persons, is purely coincidental

We spent the day making our favorite Extra Meaty Pork Back Ribs.. stowed them in the oven before grilling, blended up a Banana Rum Smoothie in our Margaritaville and sat back to watch the show (2012 Olympics).

The foccacia was whipped up effortlessly the night before and had baked a golden brown. It was heaven dipped in olive oil and balsamic. Could dinner really be so effortless? “It darn well should be!” I thought as I sipped and snacked.

Our “Epic Kitchen Sink Salad” was tossed.. a basic greens and spinach laden with niblets of corn, grapefruit chunks, avocado slices, dates and Black Turtle Beans (I know.. they were actually called that and that’s precisely the only reason I bought them:D). The dressing came from a bottle but was made by a local friend-of-a-friend, the next best thing to homemade.

“Woah.. wait just a second.. now back up a bit.. what about that foccacia?” 

Well, I’m so glad you asked. That awesome recipe came from a darling gal’s website.. Sarah Owens over at Sarah’s Place. Her blog is a peaceful escape.. filled with recipes, photography, sewing.. and knitting!! If she lived closer I’d ask her to teach me how to knit! Make sure to go visit her.. there’s plenty of fantastic recipes where this one came from!

Back to the foccacia.. I had to switch out a few ingredients { we are at the lake, after all } and tarragon wasn’t at hand. The flours were substituted with Spelt and Brown Rice to reduce (but not elimate) the Gluten Factor for us. I think this only slightly changed the texture to be a little less fluffy when baked.. so be sure not to over-bake it in the oven and devour right away { who wouldn’t? }. Spelt flour is more water-soluble and is made from spelt and not wheat. Those who are only sensitive to wheat gluten may do well when eating foods made with spelt. It’s filled with protein, manganese, vitamin B2, copper, niacin, phosphorus, and fiber.

This recipe was so simple and perfect for summers at the lake… if Sarah were here I’d give her a big bear hug of thanks! And.. a jarful of our “Summer Madness Margarita” to get us through the Grilling!