Summertime and the livin' is easy

s1. I know I love grilling more than life itself, but I am undecided as to whether I like springtime grilling or summer grilling better - there is, at least for me, a subtle difference. In the springtime I like to do smaller items, more vegetables and fish, perhaps; and keep it simple - no rubs, no oils, no marinades, just intrinsic flavours with that added smoky goodness. In the summer I like to do heartier stuff, large haunches of beef and lamb and meats in marinades - and to keep stuff on the grill longer for that sweet caramelized taste and that meat-falling-off-the-bone deliciousness.

Last night I stuffed a pair of rainbow trout with onion and garlic and mushrooms and breadcrumbs seasoned with lemon and thyme; then grilled them, covered, for what must have been 12 of the longest minutes of my life. I was jumping up and down in and out of my pants. I crosshatched the skin like I was taught to - I was, after all, taught by the best - and threw on a side of green beans to cook in the last few minutes. I know you are supposed to always let meats rest a couple of minutes after removing from the grill to let the juices return to the surface, for meat that is more moist and juicy - but goddamn it, I can never wait that long. I always just want to pick it up straight off the grill and stuff my face with my bare hands.

2. I often wonder why perfectly competent home chefs like myself still crave eating out so much. There are just so many reasons; I should keep a list, really, but my latest fascination is with the pacing of the meal. This is something that Ember in Singapore, Mills Tavern in Providence and Cashion's Eat Place in DC - collectively some of my favourite restaurants - have honed to a science. At these places more than most I have always had meals paced perfectly - course after course served at just the right intervals to allow for digestion and pleasant conversation, the food always still at the right temperature when it gets to your table. It is so hard for the home chef - unless he is not sitting down to eat as well - to plan and time multiple courses perfectly. It is a small thing, sure, but the best restaurants do even the smallest things well.