Wicked Wednesday Grilling

On Wicked Wednesdays the Wicked Cozy Authors chat about a single topic. This week, the burning (sorry for the pun!) question is about grilling. What is your favorite grilled food?

Sherry: It has been so hot this summer we’ve been grilling more than usual. I keep things simple flank steak marinated for about 8 hours in Kikkoman’s Teriyaki Sauce, some powdered ginger and chopped green onion. Or chicken marinated in either Wishbone’s Robusto Italian dressing or Kraft’s Zesty Italian. I love grilling pineapple too.

Jessie: I love grilled corn on the cob. A friend of mine taught me to do it without any work at all. He just puts the ears on the grill, husks, silk and all. The trick is to heat one side of the grill and place the corn over the unlit side so it doesn’t burn. It takes quite a while but the results are worth it. The husks and silk work to steam the corn and then they help hold in the heat after it is cooked. Delicious and nothing could be easier.

Edith: Eggplant! For some reason I planted SIX Asian eggplant seedlings in my little garden, and they are really happy. So I take off the stem cap, slice them lengthwise, brush with olive oil or pesto on both sides (or teriyaki sauce), and grill for just a few minutes. Yummm. You can also scoop out the grilled flesh and make a killer baba ganoush with them. Slices of fresh pineapple brushed with just a little olive oil are also a real treat to accompany fish, chicken, or pork. Isn’t summer wonderful?

Julie: I don’t grill. And it isn’t just that I live in an apartment. We have community grills available. And I used to live in a house, and owned a grill. I just am a really bad griller. BUT I have friends who are good at it, and enjoy it. And many of my happiest food memories are around cookouts. So, my favorite grilled food? Everytime I make this, I think about my friend Tom who passed away almost nine years ago, and was one of the best outdoor cooks I’ve ever known. His appetizer was always this: a baguette cut in half length-wise. Slather both sides with fresh pesto. Layer with fresh mozzarella and garden tomatoes. Put both sides together, and wrap it in foil. Put it on the grill while getting everything else ready. Take it off, slice, and serve to your hungry guests. SO GOOD.

Barb: Julie, your description has caused me to actually drool. Right here at my computer. I love to learn about new recipes for summer time tomatoes, which are one of my favorite treats. I’m not the griller in my family. I mean, I’d do it when pressed, but as many of our blog readers have by now figured out, my husband Bill is the real cook. I love grilled vegetables, especially brussel sprouts (which I don’t like any way but broiled or grilled). But my absolute favorite is grilled butterflied leg of lamb. It’s marinated in oil and garlic and other good things and then grilled to perfection, practically crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Friends used to make it every year for 4th of July, so it brings back happy memories of good times as well as happy sense memories of delicious food.

Liz: Veggies. Since I don’t eat meat but love the taste of grilled food, what other alternative is there? Tons of veggies, especially mushrooms and onions, and maybe some fish grilled in tin foil. Delightful. 

Readers: What’s your favorite food to grill? And what about sauces, either as it grills or to be applied afterwards?