Memories of summer cookouts
July 2025
by Margo Oxendine, Contributing Columnist
It’s prime time for summer cookouts. I’m sure you’ve fired up the grill several times already. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken — and steaks if you can afford them these days.
Perhaps you’ve also thrown some corn on the cob, potatoes and other veggies on the grill. Hey — less stove to clean!
I am longing for cookout food. I love it! But firing up a grill isn’t something one usually does when there are no others in your household. I really wish someone would invite me for a cookout. I’d even bring the bratwurst!
I’d fudge and say that I don’t even have a grill, but I do. It is the smallest thing made; I’ve had it for ages and haven’t used it in about as long.
But my tiny grill sure came in handy one particular summer a few years ago when the derecho blew through and turned us all upside down. The power went out for seven days, which is a long time to go without a hot shower, dishwashing, TV or the stove.
Every night, my buddy from down the street would walk up the driveway, and we’d fire up the grill. I used those little bags that you just set a match to; I’m sort of afraid of lighter fluid. I don’t like much of anything to do with fire, truth be told. Anyway, we’d cook whatever was still left in the non-running freezer and hope it hadn’t yet spoiled.
Hours before the derecho, I had just gone grocery shopping. I was expecting friends to come over for the Fourth of July and I wanted to treat them well. So, I bought filet mignon along with other expensive things. It seems I’d no sooner gotten everything packed into my freezer when the derecho came in and we lost power for a week.
At least my friend and I had that little grill. We used it every night and relished our filet mignon. Ironically, we were in dire straits but were eating expensive steaks. After the meat was cooked, we used the hot grill to wash silverware. We’d put a pan of water on the grill and wait until it warmed up enough to rinse off the utensils at least. Thank heavens for paper plates during that powerless time. I detest plastic utensils, so we used real silverware. No matter how tender a steak is, you can’t cut it with a plastic knife. Luckily the silverware was about all we had to wash.
Now I sit on the porch each night, eating my stove-cooked dinner, and I can smell the neighborhood grills. It makes me hungry, even though I have food on my paper plate (a bad habit I’ve acquired). I wish I could just show up and be invited to join the fun.
I’m reminded of the biggest and best cookout I ever attended, and the last. There were just four of us. There were four or five meats, and a dozen side dishes of delectables on the overfull table. It was glorious!
Today, I’d be happy with grilled hot dogs, complete with dark grill marks. Yum!
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