BBQ'ed Steaks with Salads

The first day of summer brings an invitation for a bbq at the home of Bern, the chef at Park Snacks and former chef at the long gone but still missed Piggies. The steaks and burgers are provided by Richard who has just gleefully purchased an entire cow that was divvied three ways. Bern grills the steaks just as they are, in fact a guest who inquires about HP Sauce receives a glare that silences him for the rest of the evening and possibly until fall, and they are tender and delicious. Bern does sprinkle his with salt, insisting it needs it for tenderizing but that may just be a dig at Richard who is regaling all with stories of the cow and the resulting value (approximately $2.50 a pound for over 500 pounds of meat), but everyone else is quite content and most have seconds. The eating experience is so immersive than even when Richard's grandson arrives and non-discreetly vomits from car sickness at the head of the table, there is nary a pause in the chewing. The offending puddle is washed away with a couple of buckets of water from the fish pond and the child is given a burger.

Richard also provides salads: a three bean salad that also includes pearl onions and olives; a fruit salad with a dominant flavour of mango; and a variety of greens topped with mushrooms, avocado, sliced tomato and cucumbers, and fresh plump blackberries.

More than sated the guests settle in for cocktails and conversation while the sun sets and heat lightning decorates the sky. It is going to be a good summer.

Couscous with BBQ'ed Chicken

An early breakfast to prep for a busy day is a mini-cheese omelette, prosciutto and avocado on a bagel - Raul's gussied-up gourmet variation on Park Snack's notorious Bundalicious Bundle of Joy breakfast sandwich or, his own invention and Justin's favourite, Heart Attack on a Plate. Full stomachs naturally lead to a discussion of dinner. "What do you feel like eating before rehearsal?" queries Raul. "You'll need your energy to rock. And you'll need a full stomach to keep up with Patricia. There may very well be shots."

"She did get a fresh bottle of Red Stag," agrees Drew. There is salmon in the freezer, it would be great bbqed."

"No fish on the bbq," interjects Raul. "We don't have a hose so I'd never be able to get it completely cleaned. It will smell."

"Then we could have burgers. Very summery."

"We just had burgers and I'm not totally happy with those ones we bought."

"We can disguise them with multiple toppings."

"Your topping combinations are the best but I was thinking chicken."

"I like chicken. Especially bbq'ed."

"With pasta or rice?"

"Rice sounds delicious."

"I'll make couscous then."

Raul makes the dressing first. In a mason jar he mixes a squirt of chili sauce, a bit of green Thai curry, a tablespoon of honey, two tablespoons of olive oil, juice of a lemon and a quarter cup of orange juice, and then shakes vigorously. He adds a cup of couscous to a cup of boiling water, slaps on a lid and turns the burner off. When the water is absorbed, it is ready. In a large salad bowl he mixes chopped celery, onion, olives, mango and red pepper, and the half can of garbanzo beans left from yesterday's salad. The couscous is fluffed with a fork and added to the vegetables and legumes. He stirs, adds the dressing, stirs again and lets it sit so the medley of flavours can blend. Just before serving he mixes in a handful of chopped basil, mint, chives, coriander and parsley from the balcony garden.

Because the couscous is so packed with taste, the chicken breast is simply sprinkled with salt and pepper before going on the grill.

While Raul is plating, the dog vomits; not out of criticism of the kitchen aromas, but out of excitement and for having basked in the sun amongst the herbs until he was overheated. Drew quickly removes the minute offending puddle but the damage is done.

"I think the couscous tastes of summer," says Raul. "It would be a light vegetarian meal all on its own."

"It would," agrees Drew as he digs in, even the olives he was skeptical about have blended in deliciously. "I think I'm going to add some cashews."

"I meant to do that," laments Raul. "It was the sick dog that threw me off."

"He's not sick, he's just a dog," shrugs Drew. "They puke. Look he's already begging for bits of chicken. It's a miraculous recovery."