Ode to grilling

The summer season is winding down, and with it goes one of my favorite aspects of warmer weather: backyard grilling.

Ever since we moved to a place with a backyard last summer, I've fancied myself the lord of the grill. We don't have air conditioning downstairs, so if I cook in the kitchen, I may as well climb into the oven while I'm at it because that's how hot it gets.  Which leads to one of the great pleasures in life: the smell of sizzling meat over charcoal while sipping an ice cold summer beer.

I grill anything and everything on my tiny, humble charcoal grill.  If it can fit and needs to be cooked, I'll throw it on there.  Here's a selection of the things I've grilled this past summer:

• Burgers
• Dogs
• Swordfish
• Salmon
• Corn
• Assorted vegetables
• Shrimp skewers
• Chicken breasts
• Chicken drumsticks
• Bratwurst
• Steak

Salmon on cedar planks

Shrimp skewers, swordfish, veggies, eggplant

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Don't forget the appetizers:

Homemade guacamole, fresh fruit with yoghurt dip.

The whole ensemble is only complete with a summer beer, good friends and family, the soft sound of crickets and the occasional airplane flying through Philadelphia airspace.  Summer in a nutshell.

I'll be sad to say goodbye to grilling, but still looking forward to getting back into the kitchen and moving onto the next season.

Here's to eating well!