Summertime Same-Ness

I grew up a military brat, hoping from location to location, sometimes with only 6 months to a year in between moving. There were new schools & sack lunches, unpacking boxes and my mom’s melt in your mouth pot-roast… and then there were summers and my parents BBQ.

No matter where we lived, summer meant heating up the grill. Luckily, we never lived in any arctic environments and so summer still meant slip n slides, grass stains and catching fireflies in your mom's jam jars. My Mom and Dad worked together to create summer memories that clearly live happily on in my mind.

My Dad was always the grill master but my mom was the marinade queen, even anything my Dad did was only heightened by anything she would add. My Mom's cooking is like unforgettable diner food, it sticks to your ribs, it's comfort food at it's finest. Never bland, ever. My Mom was never the only use salt & pepper kind of person, no way! She always had a cabinet filled with spices on heavy rotation, using spices like turmeric long before health trends. She could even make box mac & cheese taste gourmet. She was, and still is, magic in the kitchen and I often call, text or lament in person about recipes from my childhood that are still unforgettable.

Summer BBQ time meant sitting on the patio and watching the sun go down. There was a period of time where we lived in two different houses that overlooked the ocean, so we would grill and look out on the sea from our own little So Cal paradise. I remember ribs that would fall off the bone and burgers with gooey cheese and all the fixins. I remember the juiciest chicken and hot dogs with a little mustard and chopped onions. My mom always made the best sides too, and to this day, her potato salad is the best I’ve ever had. The perfect consistency and flavor that I hold all potato salad up to. She also made beans that everyone would request she made and brought to their parties and barbecues. They were a savory sweet molasses barbecue beans that never dissapointed. Together, my parents pretty much invented the summer BBQ in my mind, and we often finished it off with my moms homemade strawberry shortcake with home made individual shortcakes. The smell of her baking them was always a reminder that summer was really there.

Nowadays, I’ve combined those past memories whilst making my own. I love to grill and bring in summer with the recipes I grew up with but also do things my own way. I like to incorporate meat free options, and even have meat free BBQ days in addition to the classic BBQ. There’s far better vegetarian options now, and I have found incredible tasting vegan bratwurst and burgers to keep the traditions going in ways what are better for me and the environment. Grilling sachets of summer veggies is also a delight and I’ve even grilled up slices of pineapple to top a burger with of any type. That’s the great thing about grilling food, you can take something so ancient and make it you own. You can weave the traditions of your loved ones with ones you create yourself.

Summer sunsets will forever make me think of grilling with my Dad, spoonfuls of my moms potato salad, my mom’s iced tea she steeped in sun and lighting sparklers with my brother. I’m grateful for all the memories I’ve made and have yet to make surrounding a grill. Here’s to summer and barbecue season!