Whenever I'm looking to spice up a cookout (and break away from the standard hamburgers and hot dogs), I take my family to Hawaii, New Mexico, or Cape Cod.
All we have to do is step into our Massachusetts backyard. There, the smoky aroma rising from the grill takes us to intriguing new places.
Cooking out--whether it's the Tex-Mex grilling of the Southwest or the Polynesian flavors of a Hawaiian luau--is a passion shared all over our diverse country. By adapting distinctive regional cuisines to the backyard cookout, I've been able to introduce my 11-year-old daughter, Emma, to some wonderful flavors--and new dining traditions. On a recent Hawaiian night, for example, my daughter prettied our picnic table with a colorful sarong while I grilled Teriyaki Beef and made simple leis from backyard flowers.
In this article, you'll find three of our favorite regional menus. Each one is easy to prepare, yet scrumptious for both children and adults. So fire up your grill, dress up your table, and get ready for a culinary adventure.
Amy Cotler is a cooking teacher and author of THE SECRET GARDEN COOKBOOK. (Harpercollins l999).
