The summer I moved here, a very thoughtful woman, Henna Milworn, organized and hosted a barbecue specifically dedicated to all the newcomers in town. You can probably rattle off the menu yourself: franks, corn salad, fries, etc. I distinctly remember that the food was plentiful and fresh, but even more so, it was full of warmth and intention, giving everyone a context for where they chose to live and a bit of a starting point to meet new people, compare unpacking notes with some other newcomers you vaguely knew, and add plenty of new contacts into your phone.

I would venture to say that sometimes we think too much about a barbecue menu, and that kind of defeats its purpose. It’s an opportunity to host with the opposite of a stuffy vibe. Barbecues are open and free, with a “Plates are over there,” “Burgers are almost ready,” and “Can someone catch the napkins that are flying away?” feeling.

You can totally make that timeless corn salad from the 90s with the pickles. Without any well-thought-out herbs, and without the perfect serving dish, it will still be the welcoming barbecue your guests will one-hundred-percent come back to.

Michal’s set this week over-delivers (the corn ribs and herby chicken are now staples in my home), and she also has you covered in her article on the most popular barbecue cuts. But more than that, we want to give you the confidence to do your own thing, and then do it again and again.

CHANIE NAYMAN
Food Editor, Family Table
Editor in Chief, Kosher.com

Ten-second milkshake

Nope, you don’t even need a blender. Using a metal fork, mix your favorite ice cream with milk. (Stay on the sparse side.) Mix until well blended and creamy. Done!

Butter Pre-slice

We are big eggs-for-breakfast people, and I always start with a few slices of butter. I pre-slice a stick of butter so I can take off a few slices every morning.

Quicker Cleanup

Whenever I make burgers indoors, there’s a threefoot radius of space that’s covered in oil splatters. To prevent some of that mess, I put a thin kitchen towel on the counter and another one on the floor. This cuts my clean-up job by a lot.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 747)