Memorial Day BBQ

Here's a fun game: When The Spouse is engaged in his annual Memorial Day viewing of war movies, start making potato salad. He will begin to call out to make sure you're putting in celery. Then he will say, "And onions". Tell him you're thinking of using green onions. Watch the fireworks.

Funny thing about picnic food. You can find thousands of recipes for tarted up versions of the standard fare. But in my experience, nothing satisfies the crowd like the classics: potato salad (with mayo-mustard dressing; none of your high-falutin' vinaigrettes, thankyouverymuch), coleslaw (cabbage, shredded carrots, vinegar-sugar-mayo dressing) and baked beans (molasses, ketchup, mustard). Nothin' fancy; people want their potato salad to taste like potato salad. The variations and permutations are all very well for any other occasion, but not Memorial Day and not Labor Day.

I also made devilled eggs. It was as if I'd lassoed the moon and given generous portions to each of the guests. They came to the table, gleaming on their bed of basil. (I don't have one of those devilled egg plates, the kind with the divots in it so the eggs don't roll around. But a little bed of parsley or basil or even lettuce will keep them in place and look pretty, to boot). There were probably 6 people standing around the table, looking at them. Everything was still under plastic wrap, as we were heating up the grill. The look of longing was heart-breaking. Finally, Jim said, "Boy, I'm ready to start eating those now" and I said, "Well, then, let's eat them". Oh, the joy. We eat took an egg, toasted to summer and chomped them down. Seattle Coffee Girl likened the bliss to oyster shooters.

The Spouse noted, mournfully, much later in the evening, that he didn't get any devilled eggs. They disappeared quickly and he was busy chatting up people. Fortunately, he'd been given a trial egg earlier in the afternoon.

Another funny thing about picnic side dishes. I don't use any recipes. I just know how everything is supposed to taste. Big spoonfuls of this, squirts of that, stir and taste and adjust accordingly. How many potatoes? Until the bowl is full. How many eggs? Enough. How much mustard? Less than the amount of mayo but more than a dab. Somehow, it all works out.

The trifle was superfantastic, too. For that I can provide a recipe.

Chocolate Trifle

1 chocolate cake, baked and stuck in a bundt pan
2 boxes of chocolate pudding mix (yeah, I coulda made it from scratch but I didn't).
1 pint heavy whipping cream, whipped and lightly sweetened
1 bag chocolate chips (Fair Trade chocolate so that you can eat in good conscience)
Triple Sec

Pull handfuls of cake out of the bundt pan and scatter in bottom of a trifle bowl (the nice one that you love a lot upon which your husband is later going to drop a glass fishing float and bust into 6 shattered pieces).

Sprinkle the cake with the merest bit of Triple Sec because pregnant people and children will be eating it.

Spread half the pudding over the cake.

Glop about 1 c. of whipping cream over the pudding.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Repeat.

Chill until ready to serve. Stand back.


The guests bring whatever they want to grill. This was the first go-round. Later you would have found pork ribs and corn on the cob on there, too.










I had a steak set aside for myself but when it came time to eat it was a hot dog that was calling my name, mostly because I just wanted plenty of room on the plate for the side dishes. That's what it's all about.