20 May 2007 - The Exception

Jim's niece and her husband, Jill and Tim, visited last night on their way to Puerto Rico. They have recently announced that they are expecting, so we had to make an exception and have Sunday Supper on Saturday Night! We had a very nice time and really worked up an appetite from walking through the Canton Arts Festival downtown – not! (it was closed by the time we got there)

So, here was the menu:

• Lima Bean Paté

• Grill-smoked "Beer Butt" Chicken - a fun and curious way to grill chicken! First, you do a dry-rub inside and out of the chicken. Then you place the chicken on top of a can of Budweiser with Bay leaves inside and place over indirect heat on the grill. Place some soaked hickory wood chips on top of the charcoal, and close the lid to smoke for 60-80 minutes. The skin gets very dark and crispy while the beer steams the inside to keep it moist and tasty!

• Sea Salt Crusted Baked Potatoes with sour cream, European butter and fresh chives from the herb garden

• Roasted Asparagus with Shaved Parmesan

• Corn on the Cobb

• Garlic Bread

• Bill's Grilled "Krispy Kreme" Strawberry Shortcake™ – my own creation! I invented this recipe a year or so ago and pull it out on very special occasions. First, you split the doughnuts in half and brush them with melted butter. Then you place them on the grill, grill pan or hot skillet to toast the insides. This only takes a few seconds at most. Remove the doughnuts and place half on a plate and top with macerated strawberries and hand whipped creme or vanilla ice cream. Place the remaining half doughnut on top, and devour!

Here are a few photos from dinner last night. Cheers!

Bill