Get A ‘Cue And Dial In For Grill Talk
Gentle grillers, start your briquettes: Barbecue season is officially open.
That’s the word from Weber, which has fired up its toll-free telephone hotline (1-800-474-5568) to answer cookout questions between now and Labor Day. (Live operators are only on duty weekdays until 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, so plan your confusion accordingly.)
You also can request a free copy of the “More Backyard Barbecue Basics” booklet, which includes recipes from the likes of Sheila Lukens and Steven Raichlen, or shell out $3.99 for an hour-long “Great Chefs Grill-Out New Orleans” video.
But we have to wonder how many callers will be ready to tackle gourmet grilling techniques. According to Weber, the most commonly asked question last year was: “How do I light the fire?”
Cabinet meetings
Want to snoop in someone else’s kitchen and benefit a good cause at the same time?
The Spokane County Medical Society Auxiliary is offering a “Town & Country Kitchens” tour on Sunday to raise money for local health education programs.
The tour, available between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., includes four remodeled kitchens in the Rockwood area and four original kitchens in the Browne Mountain-Palouse area. Tickets are $10 in advance, or $15 the day of the event. For information, call 455-9075.
Slanging hash
What does it mean when you hear someone sing out, “Adam and Eve on a raft, whiskey down - and squeeze it”? No, you haven’t accidentally tuned in to a college radio station. You’re listening to the waitress call in an order for two poached eggs on rye toast - and make it snappy! - according to a Family Circle magazine story on diner lingo.
Among the other code words: “Jackback” is grilled cheese with bacon, “Cowboy with spurs” is a Western omelet with fries and “seaboard” means to go.
Food foreplay
Finally, these priceless bits of advice from “Household Hints & Handy Tips,” a Reader’s Digest publication:
“When ketchup won’t budge from the bottle, put a drinking straw down the center, then remove it. A bit of air is all it takes to make the ketchup flow.”
“Before squeezing a lemon, submerge it in hot water for 15 minutes. You’ll get more juice from it.”
“To quiet a fidgety lobster before cooking, hold its head down and stroke the back of its head a few times.”