A Memorial Day Tribute

Memorial Day really should be a bigger holiday than it is in this country. Or maybe it is just that we ought to get back to what Memorial Day is supposed to be about.

Memorial Day is supposed to be a day on which we stop and honor the men and women that serve, and have served, our country around the world and specifically to remember those that gave their lives to protect what we hold dear. Without these men and women, our brothers, sisters, children and parents, this country would not be what it is today. I can sit here in Massachusetts all day long talking about what we should be doing, but the fact remains that they are the ones that end up "doing" while I am merely "talking" from somewhere completely safe and out of harms way.

I was born in 1972, and have spent most of my life living in a time when Memorial Day has been more about backyard BBQ's, long weekends from work and school, and vacations than it has ever been about honoring our service men and women and veterans. It really is a shame.

We live in a climate where it is easier to take our frustrations about policy out on the military rather than on the politicians who make them. We did it after Vietnam by ignoring the troops that were lucky enough to come home. We minimized Desert Storm, Panama and Grenada because they simply didn't last long enough and not enough of our men and women died to call them a true "war." We are doing it now by bitching about the war in Iraq. It is a hard distinction to make all the time between the policy makers and the people who carry them out, but it is one that must ALWAYS be made. Be pissed all you want at the folks in Washington who are safe and sound in their backyards and country clubs this Memorial Day, but say a prayer for the ones that they sent into harms way and who have gone with hardly a complaint because it is their job.

It was my grandfather who taught me that I couldn't really depend on history books to tell the whole story. His stories about World War II and what he actually experienced drove home the difference between the realities of military service and what history chooses to remember. It is because of him, and other veterans I have had the priviledge and honor to meet and talk to, that I realize the magnitude of the sacrifice military service so often brings.

For all the people serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard: All I can say is THANK YOU! It is because of you that I feel proud to be an American, it is because of you that America is something to be proud of. Whether you served during peace time or war, this day is for you and most importantly this day is for those who gave everything so the rest can have their long weekend and BBQ.

I Need a Bigger Desk

I am sitting here this morning trying to find someplace to set my coffee cup that is somewhat level. I think I need a bigger desk! The one I have has a surface area of about three feet by two feet. It's not a bad size, in a perfect world, considering everything I do on this desk is done on a computer. I don't have to have space to write on paper or anything like that. When I have something that can't be done on the computer I move over to the table that sits behind me. However, this isn't a perfect world, it is my world and now I have to hunt for a place to set my coffee.

Memorial Day Treat

Yeah, I'm supposed to be working, and I will once I get done with a couple of chores that need to be done. For those that don't work at home, lemme tell you the "chores" can absolutely ruin a workday. But that is another story.

So this is Memorial Day weekend, and the official start of the BBQ season. Actually, BBQ season around here started the night I could get outside without a down coat and gloves. I do nearly all of my cooking out on my BBQ during the spring, summer and fall. I have learned over the years that anything I can cook inside, I can cook outside and make it taste even better. Plus, less dishes (always a plus)! Now, I'm by no means a chef, I would barely be considered a "cook" by most. But hey, I haven't killed anyone yet by cooking for them, and everyone seems to like the stuff.

So, if you are looking for something to do different for this Memorial Day cookout, here's a couple things that seem to work around here.

BBQ Spuds:

2 Medium white onions
5-6 Medium Russet potatoes
4 tablespoons of butter
salt
pepper

Peel the spuds and onions. Slice the spuds into medallions (a mandolin slicer works great) about 1/4 inch thick. Split onion in half through the root end, then slice each half into four or five parts so you end up with half rings of onion.

Lay out about two and a half feet of heavy duty foil, shiny side up, and spray with Pam or other cooking spray. Pile sliced potatoes and onions in the middle, add butter to the top in 1 tbs. slices, salt liberally, pepper to taste. Fold foil into pouch by gathering the edges together (short end to short end) and folding them over themselves three or four times. Then do the same for the ends. You should end up with a rectanglular pouch about 2-3 inches thick.

Cook on the BBQ over medium heat. I have a gas grill, with three burners and I just use the one on the end turned to medium. Makes things easy. Flip the foil pouch every ten minutes and they will be done in about an hour. If you are cooking something else, letting the spuds cook longer won't hurt them, just keep turning. During cooking, depending on how tightly you made your pouch, it may begin to balloon, just poke a couple of vent holes in the foil.

Feeds 4-6 people

Corn on the Cob:

Shuck the amount of corn that you want to cook, cut off the top and shorten the stem to your liking. Remove most of the corn silk.

Using regular foil, pull out sheets about a foot long for however many corn cobs you have. Butter corn liberally, salt to taste, and roll into a sheet of foil. Twist the ends closed.

If you have an upper rack in your BBQ, lay the corn on it, turning it about every 10-15 minutes. The corn will cook in about the same time as the potatoes above, or about an hour. When you open the BBQ and can smell the corn, it is done. Take off BBQ, even if it is early. It will stay hot in the foil for up to an hour.

Honey Mustard Porkchops:

Porkchops are hard to do on the grill since they tend to dry out. Here's a great idea to avoid eating pork flavored sawdust. The chops I use are ones that I cut about an inch thick from a pork loin so they are boneless, but any thick cut chop should work.

Combine 2 parts spicy brown mustard to 1 part honey. I like my sauce to be on the sweet side with a little bite on the back end. You can play with the ratios to your taste.

Over low heat on the BBQ, start cooking the chops. Turn them every 2-3 minutes to keep charring down. Once they are about 2/3 done, start coating them with the honey mustard sauce. Re-coat them with each turn until done.

Serve with leftover sauce on the side.