W ith summer comes one of the greatest things of all-grilling out.
But it has to be done right. Although not much of a grilling expert myself, I have talked to some \grilling connoisseurs"" and compiled what I think is a fabulous how-to guide that will ensure you and your friends a fantastic grilling season.
Obviously food and a grill are necessary components to having a cook-out. In terms of what kind of equipment to use, I don't think many of us have much of a choice. Charcoal grills are much cheaper than gas ones and most college kids are on tight budgets. So you will probably be going with the charcoal grill.
As for food, there are several delicious main entr??es you can prepare. Shish-kabobs are one of my favorites and are very easy to make. Just put mushrooms, green, red and yellow peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes and your choice of meat (if any) on a skewer and let it grill for 16 minutes, about three to four minutes per side. To add a hint of sweetness to your kabob, you can also include chunks of pineapple. It is important to marinate your vegetables and meat overnight and store them in the refrigerator. A simple marinade consists of onion, salt, black pepper and fresh lime juice. If you don't feel like preparing a ton of kabobs, Sentry has them pre-made.
Bratwurst is not hard to come by in Wisconsin and should always be included in your cookout. Even better are beer brats. Instead of boiling the brats in water before placing them on the grill, boil them in beer instead. Believe me, you will never go back to water-boiled brats.
Other traditional grilling foods include burgers and hot dogs. These are very easy to make and you can pile on any desired toppings. They are a guaranteed hit.
Side dishes are also extremely important in creating the perfect grill out. Some traditional sides include potato salad and pasta salad, both easy to make but are also available pre-made in stores, which is a plus if you don't have the time to prepare a bunch of different sides along with your entr??e.
One of my favorite sides is corn on the cob. All you have to do is soak the corn along with its husks in water for a little bit then place them on a covered grill for about 20 minutes or so, depending on how done you like your corn. Don't forget to douse the corn in salt and butter afterward. Also, you can get corn for a low price. At Copps, 10 husks only cost a mere $2.
Don't neglect the beverages by just providing different types of soda. If you are of age, beer is a great accompaniment to grilled delicacies. Nothing beats an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day, especially dark or red beers. Remember to indulge a little and stay away from the light beers.
A non-alcoholic drink that is excellent at a grill-out is fresh-squeezed lemonade. It will bring you back to your childhood days when you sold lemonade at stands and thought you were making a huge profit by selling cups for 10 cents instead of five.
However, food and drinks alone can't account for a successful grill out. Atmosphere plays an essential role as well.
Music is a key part to creating the right atmosphere, but be careful in selecting the type of music you want to play because it could make or break the ambiance. Some good songs would be classics like Lynard Skynard's ""Sweet Home Alabama."" Reggae by Bob Marley in addition to music by Jimmy Buffet allow for a relaxing setting and an upbeat time. The song ""Cheeseburger in Paradise"" would be especially appropriate for this type of event. Just stay away from loud rock music or boy band pop music. It just doesn't work.
Finally, the setting in which your grill-out takes place is just as important as everything else. Backyards are fine, but many backyards on campus either don't exist or are cramped and ugly. Instead, I would recommend going to a park area such as Lake Wingra or James Madison Park where the scenery is just beautiful. You also have a lot of open space to play games like bean bags or volleyball.
Follow these guidelines, and you won't be disappointed. Just remember to save a kabob for me.
Katrina Peterson is a senior majoring in psychology. Find Kat's timely food advice every Thursday next fall in Cardinal Food. Till then, you can e-mail her at krpeterson@wisc.edu.
