CHICKEN BARBECUE

It's that that time of the year again, when we stay longer in our backyard enjoying the colorful flowers that are in bloom, the grass that are greener, and the herb garden that's producing more branches and leaves faster than we could consume them. It's summertime. It's my favorite time of the year, aside from the Christmas holidays.

There's no other way of enjoying your backyard than setting up the barbecue pit and start lighting the fire making those coals burn until they have calmed down. That's when I put my meat, either chicken, beef, seafood, or vegetables. This time I am barbecuing chicken marinated in vinegar, pounded garlic, and salt & pepper. When they are almost cooked, I brush them with barbecue sauce and turn the pieces to coat the other side. I do this twice and I cook them for about 3 more minutes. I let them rest for a while before serving.

Aside from the barbecue, I prepared salad made from iceberg lettuce (big chunks) and I quartered tomatoes which were still connected to the vine when I bought them at the store. I threw in slices of English cucumber, sprigs of cilantro, and made a dressing (chilled) out of Mirin sauce with almond oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. We also had corn in a cob, and grilled asparagus.

When I barbecue, I make sure I never leave the pit. I stand right beside it, turning each piece as often as necessary so as not to burn them. I don't like eating burned food. That's very unhealthy. My pit is a simple Weber grill without a thermometer. So, I just adjust the heat manually, adding or removing coals as needed.

My children set the table in the patio, where the old deck used to be. There's never a better time to enjoy your backyard with your family, good food, and good ambience.