Ladies, there's a big secret your guy has been keeping from you all these years. It has nothing to do with infidelity or life as a secret agent as Hollywood might want you to believe. No, this secret hits a little closer to home than that. Do you know how every summer he makes a big production of shaking the cobwebs out of his "I'm da Man" cooking apron, and polishes up his special set of cooking utensils as though he is the direct descendant of the original caveman who invented fire? Then, you know how he and your male guests head out to the grill to perform the manly task of barbecuing, which can take several hours and several cases of beer? Well, here's the big secret, girls. If you can cook in the kitchen, you can grill outdoors, and it doesn't require a Y chromosome to do it. There, I've said it, let the briquettes fall where they may.
For years I actually bought into this sorry indoctrination, and spent many lovely summer evenings sweating in the kitchen on the side dishes, while my dear husband got to commune with nature and guy pals around the barbecue. It reached the point where I began to believe that the lingering smell of charcoal on my husband's clothing was the essence of manhood itself.
However, eventually I began to get frustrated with waiting for my husband to get home from work early enough to cook a grilled meal that I'd planned for dinner. The kids were getting hungry, and I'd either have to feed them pb&j's or cook my dinner using indoor appliances. That frustration combined with our purchase of a nice gas grill motivated me to learn to barbecue as well as my hubby, and it really wasn't that big a stretch to get there. After all, I was the one who had been marinating the meats and vegetables, and preparing the sauces all these years. I just needed to learn how to get the grill fired up and set the temperature.
Now I know some of you gals are thinking, "Are you crazy? This is the only cooking help I get from my husband! Why would I want to take that over too?" My answer is that on a balmy summer evening, it's a lot nicer to cook outdoors than in a hot kitchen. Grilled food is usually much easier to prepare, you can do it while watching the kids burn off their boundless energy in the great outdoors, and even get a little friendlier with your neighbors who may be grilling in an adjoining yard. You'll find that once you've learned the proper settings, grilling requires little more attention than putting food in the oven to broil. So the next time you host a barbecue, take charge of that grill and invite your girl friends out with you to sip sangria while you tend the fire. Leave the guys in the house to mind the kids and set the table. You won't be sorry.
Next page: Grilling 101 (for Gals AND Guys)
