Man, isn't that the saddest thing you've ever seen? Okay, don't click 'send' on that nasty email you were going to send, Old Yeller was really sad, too...
C'mon, all of you back East, fire up those grills! You don't have much snow back there at the moment, and apparently it'll cheer you up!:
Chef, cookbook author and TV Food Network star Bob Blumer, aka "The Surreal Gourmet," says that winter grilling with pork is an easy way to head off the winter blahs and invigorate your appetite for mealtime adventure. "I refuse to let winter weather dictate monotonous menus. My solution? Bundle up and beat the chill by firing up the backyard grill. As far as I'm concerned, grilled pork recipes are never out of season," says Blumer.Blumer is not alone. Americans surveyed said that in addition to snow flurries, they also would be willing to brave rain (41 percent), falling snow (37 percent) and below-freezing temperatures (32 percent) in order to grill. Nearly one in 10 grillers (8 percent) is even brave enough to grill in blizzard conditions, taking on squalls or Nor'easters, all for the great flavor of the grill.
I haven't lived in the Midwest for a long time, but my friends and I used to cook out on the patio, freezing our butts off. The tricky part was compensating for the low ambient temperature, which bred good grilling habits. Opening the lid too often would really drop the grill temperature and lengthen cooking times, not to mention letting out all that good smoky flavor.
Wow. I love that picture.
And you're right, it is sad. And what makes it sadder is that Old Yeller is standing next to the grill, snow-covered.
Makes me shiver every time I look at it, Julie.
Do you think that maybe Old Yeller tried to lick something of the grill leg and his tongue froze?