This past weekend was Father’s Day, and what better way to spoil dad (a.k.a. Big Ron) than by having a barbeque with some great food and great people. But this barbeque would be different. I decided that I really needed to take the reins on this one. It would be my job to organize the time, the place, and (most importantly) the food. And dad wasn’t allowed to do a single thing!
Now I have helped organized many functions in the past, so in terms of planning, this was a no brainer. However, this event I fully emerged myself in the role of hostess as well as cook.
But first things first, let’s talk about the menu. There were certain things I had to take into consideration for some of the people attending the barbeque. Some had limited palettes. So I tried incorporating some classic, traditional items into a menu that I wanted to make fun and very summer-esque. As a result here is what we ate:
Starters
Homemade Guacamole* and Chips & Salsa
Bruscetta
Main Event
Barbecued Chicken**
Marinated Flank Steak
Grilled Vegetables (baby portabella mushrooms & zucchini)
Summer Squash with Tomatoes and Onions
Salad
Bread
Dessert
Warm Grape Cake***
Grilled Watermelon & Pineapple Skewers drizzled with Honey
Now that seems pretty simple, and for the most part it was. But I made lots from scratch. The guacamole, barbeque sauce, and the cake were all made by yours truly. Also, the chicken had to soak in a brine; the cake was served with a warm honey ginger syrup (from scratch) that got poured over it, along with homemade whipped cream (my specialty).
It was a lot of work. I was in and out of the kitchen for 2 days, in front of the grill almost all day Sunday, and probably sat for a total of 30 minutes all day, but in the end it was worth it. Big Ron didn’t move an inch all day, and the food was enjoyed by all. By the end of the day I certainly considered myself the hostess with the mostest!
*Guacamole tips provided by M. Krajnak
**Barbeque Chicken Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence
***Warm Grape Cake Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli
