Comments on: Summer Sunday BBQs http://www.schadenfreude.net/2009/06/09/summer-sunday-bbqs.php Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:53:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Stephen Schmidthttp://www.schadenfreude.net/2009/06/09/summer-sunday-bbqs.php/comment-page-1#comment-14727 Stephen Schmidt Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:03:19 +0000 http://www.schadenfreude.net/?p=20844#comment-14727 Hey listen, I'm sorry if I ask for a little punctuality. Ok - I understand that things are "laid back" - but if you say the start time is 3.30 - at least have some chips/salsa or something else out, and some beer/soda/wine cooling. Don't get all in a huff because I showed up on time, ready to PAR-TAY.And also realizing that people come in waves, as host, I am fully prepared to cook food in waves. I appreciate the people who showed up on time, and realize they may have other plans, and cook for them, on time. THEN - I do put more coals on, and get round 2 ready for the Lazy Sunday-ers.Whatever happened to punctuality? Hey listen, I’m sorry if I ask for a little punctuality. Ok – I understand that things are “laid back” – but if you say the start time is 3.30 – at least have some chips/salsa or something else out, and some beer/soda/wine cooling. Don’t get all in a huff because I showed up on time, ready to PAR-TAY.

And also realizing that people come in waves, as host, I am fully prepared to cook food in waves. I appreciate the people who showed up on time, and realize they may have other plans, and cook for them, on time. THEN – I do put more coals on, and get round 2 ready for the Lazy Sunday-ers.

Whatever happened to punctuality?

]]> By: Connor Kalistahttp://www.schadenfreude.net/2009/06/09/summer-sunday-bbqs.php/comment-page-1#comment-14724 Connor Kalista Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:16:36 +0000 http://www.schadenfreude.net/?p=20844#comment-14724 Hey Stephe, remind me to judge you next time I host you at my home, okay? Hey Stephe, remind me to judge you next time I host you at my home, okay?

]]> By: a. jordanhttp://www.schadenfreude.net/2009/06/09/summer-sunday-bbqs.php/comment-page-1#comment-14723 a. jordan Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:13:08 +0000 http://www.schadenfreude.net/?p=20844#comment-14723 As a frequent host of BBQs on Sundays, Saturdays, holiday Mondays, and any other time the weather pretends to be almost nice out; I feel the need to offer an opposing viewpoint. In my experience, the overwhelming majority of guests do not arrive at the "start" time of a BBQ. Being a generally casual event tends to invite a certain casualness in regards to arrival time. If I light the charcoal at or before 3:30 (to use your example), I'll have only a small handful of guests when those coals are at their prime for perfectly searing that steak, charring those dogs, or roasting those spatchcocked chickens. Then, when the bulk of my guests have arrived and are eagerly awaiting tasty grilled meats, I have seriously dwindling coals. This leaves me with 2 (not ideal) options: slowly, slowly grill meats over the remnants; or add more charcoal and wait for the heat to come up. Obviously, if I used a gas grill; this wouldn't be an issue - but if I'm cooking with gas, I might as well be cooking in the kitchen. A secondary point: generally speaking, guests at my functions tend to be hungriest at around the time they normally eat their final meal of the day - between 5 and 7 generally. At 3:30, a lot of people are still pretty satisfied from their lunch - and for those ravenous few, a good host always has plenty of other, non-grill-reliant foodstuffs to hold them over. As a frequent host of BBQs on Sundays, Saturdays, holiday Mondays, and any other time the weather pretends to be almost nice out; I feel the need to offer an opposing viewpoint.
In my experience, the overwhelming majority of guests do not arrive at the “start” time of a BBQ. Being a generally casual event tends to invite a certain casualness in regards to arrival time. If I light the charcoal at or before 3:30 (to use your example), I’ll have only a small handful of guests when those coals are at their prime for perfectly searing that steak, charring those dogs, or roasting those spatchcocked chickens.
Then, when the bulk of my guests have arrived and are eagerly awaiting tasty grilled meats, I have seriously dwindling coals. This leaves me with 2 (not ideal) options: slowly, slowly grill meats over the remnants; or add more charcoal and wait for the heat to come up. Obviously, if I used a gas grill; this wouldn’t be an issue – but if I’m cooking with gas, I might as well be cooking in the kitchen.
A secondary point: generally speaking, guests at my functions tend to be hungriest at around the time they normally eat their final meal of the day – between 5 and 7 generally. At 3:30, a lot of people are still pretty satisfied from their lunch – and for those ravenous few, a good host always has plenty of other, non-grill-reliant foodstuffs to hold them over.

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