Food, food culture, food as culture and the cultures that grow our food

That’s French for BBQ practice

August 2, 2005

Last year I bought my first BBQ, a very cute bbq-for-one sort of thing. The level of my naïvete concerning all things BBQ became apparent when it turned out that there really is no such thing as BBQ’ing for one. After giving her a good shining, I announced to the hungry hoard that it was I who would be preparing that night’s dinner on the barbie. There were a few grunts and not a little bit of silver-back posing, but in the end the gents were somewhat content to let me have a go at the girly BBQ as long as I didn’t fiddle with their well-composed fires or ask too many questions.

Up until this moment, I thought BBQ’ing was little more than guys hanging around playing with fire, but to my disappointment it turned out that there was actual skill and engagement involved in producing and maintaining a fire suitable to transform a hunk of meat into something amazing. And while I was busy making a dog’s breakfast of some dainty sardines on my Barbie-doll-barbie, I also realised that the average eleven year old boy has a great deal more BBQ’ing experience than I do due to his vast experience in playing with fire.

No worries, this year is a year for solving all of life’s little problems and now that I am generating loads of burning material in the garden I have the perfect excuse to work on my own fire-making skills instead of facilitating others by making meat marinades. And since we’re in Occitania, it seems that it’s OK to go around lighting fires on hot August afternoons in your garden if you want to. Tonight we’re having dainty little sardines, on the big barbie.

And check out my fire! The ash heap was still hot the next day and when I distributed the ashes thoughout the garden I accidentally cinged a little tomato plant in two. It’s like youth serum, fire-making.

debra at 14:57 | | post to del.icio.us

1 Comment »

  1. Dear Debra,
    A message is waiting for you on my blog Cuisine et Compagnie go to the end of the paper).
    You can read the quedtions in English on
    Becks & Posh blog.
    Please answer,
    Have a nice day,
    Jacqueline k.

    Comment by Jacqueline Karsenty — August 3, 2005 @ 14:10


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