Esquites - Mexican Corn Street Salad

July 04, 2013 by Monica in Appletizers & Snacks, BBQ, Cheese, Entertaining, Grilling, Latin, Quick Meal

You all know by now my love affair with corn. So you can imagine that when summer arrives around these parts and the BBQ season starts, I’m giddy with excitement of all the corn that is going to show up.

If there is one country that knows how to eat corn is Mexico. Anywhere you go you will find carts in every street corn selling something made with corn and where there is corn there is this dish called Esquites. It’s a snack and the word comes from the Nahuatl word izquitl, which translates to “toasted corn”.

Mango-Orange Salad

July 01, 2010 by Monica in BBQ, Entertaining, Family Cookbook, Fruit, Holiday, Salad, Sides, Vegetable

Did you know that grilling is a Patriotic Duty? According to HPBA (the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association) independence day is the number one holiday for barbecues and outdoor cooking and based on a national grilling poll, 80% of adults plan to host or attend a cookout this forth of July.

The U.S. Census Bureau - better known for telling Americans how many of them there are and how much they make on the average - surveyed 66 million people who attended barbecues last year and figured "it's probably safe to assume a large number of these events took place on the Fourth."

Grilled Bratwursts with beer and caramelized onions

June 18, 2010 by Monica in BBQ, Entertaining, Grilling, Meat

Last weekend we celebrated Tom’s birthday by buying 2 charcoal grills, inviting about 20 friends and then grilling everything in our sight.

We grilled vegetables, corn on the cob, hamburgers, ribs and because I was brought up in the center of an Italian butcher family, we had to grill sausage.

When I was younger and growing up in Venezuela, most major events in my family revolved around a “Parrillada” (BBQ). My paternal side of the family owned a cattle ranch, and a “Parrillada” party was a huge affair with the family. They would usually take place at “el rancho” (ranch) and pretty much consisted in a full day eating feast. Pigs, cattle and chickens were butchered, prepped and ready to fill the great big “parrillas” (grills) which were coal-heated hours before. In some cases the whole animal was grilled, nothing was left to waste and while meat was favored, I loved the grilled sausages.