Today is the last day of 2005, and many people are reflecting on
the past year. Reviews of the biggest news stories are on the
evening news. We take time to evaluate goals we have set for
ourselves and imagining the possibilities of 2006.
Today is the last day of 2005, and many people are reflecting on the past year. Reviews of the biggest news stories are on the evening news. We take time to evaluate goals we have set for ourselves and imagining the possibilities of 2006.
One of my most memorable highlights this past year was receiving the invitation to write this column. I am honored for the opportunity to share many of the grilling ideas I have learned and developed.
As I reflect on this column, I have to ask myself: Am I hitting the mark? Am I writing about things the readers would like to know about? To help answer these questions, I invite you to send comments, questions and requests for topics you would like to read about.
If you are curious about something and can’t find the answer, I want to hear about it.
As I mentioned in my first article, there are a variety of topics I want to bring to you. With your input, I can more effectively fine-tune this column into a valuable tool.
You may contact me at my e-mail, which appears at the end of every column, or call (408) 842-9404, and those comments will be forwarded to me.
As this final day is winding down, you are most likely thinking ahead to a party you will attend tonight or sometime tomorrow. Many hosts invite their guests to contribute one of their favorite items to the menu. Some of the most exciting New Year’s parties I have attended do not have main dishes or side dishes at all. The common menu items shared by these parties are heavy appetizers.
Heavy appetizers consist of more than just cheese and cracker trays or bowls of chips and dips. Heavy appetizers are hearty, very filling and full of flavor.
When the guests browse the table, they take a little bit of everything, and continue to move around among the guest to socialize. If you have not thought about what you may be contributing to a party tonight or tomorrow, consider a heavy appetizer.
Grilling heavy appetizers can be very easy. Depending on what you decide to make, preparation work can be very minimal to a bit more time consuming.
If you do not have too much time, one of the easiest heavy appetizers is grilled sausage.
Through the last few years, many different kinds of sausage have found their way into grocery stores. In addition to Polish or Italian sausage, many gourmet and meatless varieties are available.
The gourmet sausage can be made from chicken, turkey or pork. Many have interesting fillings in addition to the meat. Just the other night, I had a chicken sausage with artichoke hearts and roasted garlic. It was very different and tasty!
Other gourmet sausage is made with cheese, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and apples. Most of these are already precooked and only need to be heated through. Grilling enhances the flavor and texture of the sausage. Once cooked, the sausage is sliced into 1-inch segments and can be decoratively arranged on a platter.
Chicken wings are probably the ultimate heavy appetizer. They do not require forks and knives and can be fun to pick up with your fingers to eat. One of my favorite chicken wings brings up fond memories I have of one of my aunts. I always remember her making Russian Chicken Wings at many family occasions.
Although she poured the sauce over the wings and baked them, I have adapted this recipe for the grill.
These take a little more preparation time compared to the sausage, but the flavor combination, which includes jellied cranberry sauce, is amazing!
My final heavy appetizer is the most time consuming due to the preparation time to slice meat and because it has to marinate for a few hours.
When I had my first meeting at the newspaper office, I thought it would be nice to visit with food in tow. After my new colleagues tasted the Spicy Sesame Beef Sticks I prepared just before my meeting, they started to request the recipe.
This is a great Asian-inspired recipe made with tender sirloin and just a little kick.
Although two peppers are used, powdered cayenne pepper and red chili flakes, reducing or adding more of the powdered cayenne pepper can adjust the real spice. The red chili flakes add color and not so much spice.
Grilled Sausage Appetizer
From Mitch Mariani
Serves 10-12
2 Pounds of your favorite Sausage
Step 1: Grill sausage according to package directions or until they are heated through.
Step 2: Slice sausage in about 1-inch segments and arrange on a platter.
Step 3: Serve with toothpicks to allow serving. Some people enjoy dipping their sausage in a little mustard too.
Russian Chicken Wings
From Mitch Mariani
Serves 10-12
4 pounds party wings, washed
1 16-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
1 3/4 cup Russian salad dressing (Wish Bone makes a good one)
Salt and pepper to taste
Step 1: Salt and pepper chicken wings. Mix Russian salad dressing and jellied cranberry sauce until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup of mixed sauce to serve with cooked wings.
Step 2: Sear chicken wings over a hot gas or charcoal fire. Once completely seared, about 5-6 minutes, brush the wings with the mixed sauce.
Step 3: Continue to grill the chicken wings for about 15-20 minutes, turning every 3 minutes until almost done. Brush with more sauce and finish grilling for 5 more minutes.
Step 4: Serve with reserved sauce.
Spicy Sesame Beef Sticks
From Mitch Mariani
Serves 10-12
3- to 4-pound sirloin roast, sliced thin across the grain
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1/4 tsp. powdered cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. sesame seeds
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 1/2 hour
Step 1: Make the marinade by mixing the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, black pepper and garlic. Toss with sliced sirloin and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 1/2 hours.
Step 2: Remove the sirloin from the marinade, and save the marinade for grilling. Slide the marinated sirloin onto the bamboo skewers, alternating the skewer to each side of the sliced sirloin.
Step 3: Sear each side of the beef sticks over a hot gas or charcoal fire, about 3 minutes on each side.
Step 4: Brush the beef sticks with the reserved marinade and grill each side for another 3 minutes.
Step 5: After the beef sticks are removed from the fire, use kitchen scissors to cut each beef stick in half, making them shorter. Arrange the beef sticks on a platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
