It’s the holiday season again, that time of the year when summer’s barbeque parties and hotdogs in the ballpark are distant memories. This is the time of the year when we light the hearth and invite friends and family over for indoor festivities. It’s also the time when many of you will get the urge to start a major kitchen renovation.
I’m blessed with a good-sized kitchen but it can seem small and cramped during a holiday party. I’m always amazed at the tendency for everyone we’ve invited to congregate in the kitchen, I guess to be close to the action and aroma of the meal preparation.
Instead of surrendering our lives to the angry gods of kitchen renovation, not to mention the money, I expand our kitchen beyond the patio door and onto the deck. Regular readers may be asking themselves, doesn’t this guy live in a Chicago Suburb?
Well, there’s nothing like relatives and friends watching me shovel a path to the grill for encouraging a dose of hardy ribbing about my level of insanity. Don’t just take my word on it. Wrap yourself in Gore-Tex, go grill in the snow, and see how much mirth you can bring to a holiday meal.      Â
Actually, most of the time the weather, even in Chicago, is not too cold or wet to keep a grilling enthusiast from the great taste of grill-roasted turkey or prime rib. Or try one of my quickly prepared favorites, a holiday surf and turf. Grill lobster tails or Alaskan crab legs along with filets mignons or strip steaks, and I’ll bet you’ll receive rave reviews.
Our kitchen seems much larger as some guests grab jackets and follow me outside for moral support, while others help Mrs. K set the table, light candles, and prepare appetizers. Speaking of appetizers, that reminds me that the grill keeps our oven free, so we’re not juggling oven-roasted meats with other cooking needs.
We have had some renowned parties that began for me in the rain, cold, or snow. I might seem pretty nutty heading outside at first, but when everyone gets a taste of my grilled holiday feasts, they understand exactly why we entertain this way. Oh, and I must not forget to add that I’ve saved thousands of dollars by putting off that kitchen expansion project indefinitely.
