More Baking Outdoors

In my 6^th year of blogging, I have come to realize that food posts must make sense, be meaningful and helpful. Our health status is a barometer of the food we eat. Momsey is no clown, does not fool around when it comes to food. And she listens.

Food is about health, longevity and strength. Cooking is not performance art as many food shows would seem to make us believe. We eat to be healthy and 'wealthy'. Cooking is not a joke. Neither is barbecuing. The “Living Better, Electrically” mantra of the 60's or 70's, has no meaning today. How could it? Costs of this utility has skyrocketed. Using the barbecue rotisserie adds another costly layer to a homemade outdoor meal meant to be cheaper and healthier.

As obesity rates rise, worldwide, we must begin eating at home, more often, year round. As the menu selections of the retail dining landscape change, we must wonder what is still inside those dishes meant to feed us. Some dining spots are still not listening as they present to the dining public overcooked-fried foods, especially, the ever-popular fish and chips in its over-used 'frying liquid'. Refuse its' over-done' appearance. Only golden will do. The acrylamides lurking in carb loaded 'high heat' foods can 'inflame' us. Send it back to the kitchen. (Cancer has been mentioned). Not again. Oh My. Char grilled steaks have no place in our diet, anymore. High heat is bad idea, left to the past. This overly done technique harms the integrity of healthy fats, meats and us as it releases the acrylamides into the foods we love to eat and into the bodies we need to protect..

Our new 'end of summer clearance' barbecue, bought last year, does not have a rotisserie add-on. I did not want it. I did not need it. We found a basic model and acted quickly on its sale purchase. Our new 4-burner barbecue is a dream. It is a simple appliance made of stainless steel, inside and out. The old one was fraught with rust and danger. It had to go. The new heat indicator, on the outside of the hood in this new basic model, registers a correct inside temperature, something the old one could not. Setting a specific temperature now allows me to bake more items, more easily, outdoors, with our new hot box, in the stifling humid days of summer. (Always clean the grills after using. The 'aromatics' left behind, can attract critters in your area and make for a nice nesting spot for little ones, inside). Removing all noticeable fat from meat is also a good idea, first. Flare-ups from direct heat are then avoided.

Placing whole meats or their 'pieces', fresh or frozen, directly above unused burners #2 and #3 while #1 and #4 are on, helps 'roast'  the foods slowly, thereby retaining valuable juices and unimaginable flavour with the vegetables close by. A food baster is a must as it replaces the rotisserie's 'coating abilities'. Helping to bath the meats in its own juices is a nice delicious touch. (Collected juices can be used for soups later.) The threat of overcooking is reduced. Aluminum foil and pans makes cleanup and cooking a breeze. ... With our newest feature - a working hood thermometer - accurate cooking times and temperatures are now a reality for Momsey. Soon, I will be testing my theories by 'barbecuing' an apple pie in this outdoor cooking appliance. Carrying a portable timer from place to place allows me freedom to go wherever I must, inside and out. (Remember, open flames, outdoors, even in a barbecue can be dangerous.)

I am now considering cast iron pots, those age-old cooking utensils. They are perfect, able to withstand the effects of the intense heat of a barbecue. Cast iron has been used for thousands of years, great for open-pit camping, too, though its weight can interfere with the miles per gallon equation we hope to achieve when travelling by car. Understanding how quickly the 'hot box' heats up, even under controlled circumstances, makes the baking of cakes in 'low-rise' pans, possible. Fruit crisps, too, and three layer cakes with two pans on the bottom, and one on the top shelf. A sheet of foil can slow the browning of the baked foods on top.

Cornbread, biscuits, crumbles and other delicious dishes are now possible, baked in the outdoors in an appliance called a barbecue. The 'bakery' is an easy stop on our food journey to the barbecue in the suffering heat of summer. But I also make cauliflower au gratin, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, all prepared ahead of time then cooked in the barbecue for roasting or that last minute oven-baked look and yummy taste. In my Phillips Air Fryer I have baked 4 cookies. Baking these handheld goodies in the barbecue is next. ... Watching the temperature and the 'maillard' browning action take place, makes baking outdoors an exciting experience for all. All it takes is the desire to modify convention to incorporate the unconventional and to never use burners #3 and #4, ever again. Well, maybe, sometimes.