Back Yard Grill

This Sunday, the first grilling session of the season caught me off guard, but we had all we needed anyway.

I made a dog and buns, potato salad and slaw. Not pictured: mushrooms and onions, a brat for the omnivore, sunshine, and beer.

Everything was great except I was talking to a neighbor and burned the brat. I should not be in charge of cooking meat. So it goes.

Here's the correct way to make your own veggie dogs. I take lots of shortcuts and it turns out fine. I'm not trying to make it look or taste like it's made of meat. If it tastes good, I'm happy.

You can also grill a carrot. Also very good.

Many people like their potato salad without mayo. Me too, sometimes. But other times I like this, with red onions, mayo, and egg.

Have we talked about steaming your hard-boiled eggs? Easier to get the timing right and easier to shell. Try it.

Quick slaw takes about an hour to wilt be worth it. We used both green and red cabbage. Shave, smash and toss with a little sugar, salt and pepper. Weight it down until it starts to brak down and release some liquid, about a half an hour. Add a little vinegar, red onion and carrot. You can add herbs, but not needed.