I remember my wistfulness in the early 1950s... wishing I had a "real" family, with parents that grilled on the patio, played with their children in the yard and tucked them safely into bed each evening. Like the Dick and Jane family of primary school readers. ( Who ARE those people?) It was part of a dream. My family, too, lacked "the mental health" to pull it off. Maybe that is why I was more likely to "plot revolution", and "circulate articles of dissent" in my adulthood. Loved this post Sheila. Thank you.
Clearly you were not alone my friend. I hope you’ve made your own “backyard” traditions and I bet they are awesome! Clink to that AND fomenting dissent-always!! ✌🏼
I never before considered how much nostalgia is baked into grilling food. We were a charcoal grill family until I was fully grown. I've only ever grilled using propane, but the smell of charcoal grills always get me. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I also love the smell of charcoal. To me that is totally about those brick type pits in the public parks by the ocean. Charcoal is TRUE grill skillery!
Love this post! Reminds me of my dad when I was a young kid. A wonderful father, he may have been the worst grill master of all time. Every Saturday in the summer, we watched my dad perform the weekly ritual of cremating burgers and hot dogs on the charcoal grill. They’d disintegrate the minute they hit the bun. I still have his old grill tray, circa 1961 (see below). Right out of “Father Knows Best”.
Hey Christopher! That is so sweet and beautiful. It obviously meant a lot to him that he could do that for his family, even if the results turned out less than edible. You are lucky! Hope you and yours have a peaceful and memorable weekend ahead! ✌🏼💗
My grandpa’s ‘grill’ was a large, shallow metal dish that may or may not have been used as a sled in a previous life. With a mound of charcoal and a generous spray of lighter fluid, that thing would burn a hamburger in record time. With its wobbly legs, you had to set up this tripod carefully- one errant nudge could launch the hotdogs into the flowerbed. A hibachi sounds so stable!
HAAA! Omigod-that is amazing! I bet he was super proud of the spaceship grill. Outstanding. Yeah-the hibachi would have been so boring in comparison! Thanks for this!
Totally loved this. But also, it reminded me of something gross I hadn’t thought about in like 25 years. We had a friend that once a year threw a party where they grilled out.
Grilled is putting it nicely. They were more like lightly browned. Totally red and bloody on the inside 🤮
Interesting history told with humor. Love it. I love our July 4 tradition. Anything that brings people together even if it means briquettes and a red and white checkered cloth…
The sibling of the Hibochi, of course, is the Hitachi -- equally useful but in a different area of the home.
Well I am glad there is a whole darn family out there! Who can we pitch at Pixar for this feel good flick in the making? :)
I remember my wistfulness in the early 1950s... wishing I had a "real" family, with parents that grilled on the patio, played with their children in the yard and tucked them safely into bed each evening. Like the Dick and Jane family of primary school readers. ( Who ARE those people?) It was part of a dream. My family, too, lacked "the mental health" to pull it off. Maybe that is why I was more likely to "plot revolution", and "circulate articles of dissent" in my adulthood. Loved this post Sheila. Thank you.
Clearly you were not alone my friend. I hope you’ve made your own “backyard” traditions and I bet they are awesome! Clink to that AND fomenting dissent-always!! ✌🏼
I never before considered how much nostalgia is baked into grilling food. We were a charcoal grill family until I was fully grown. I've only ever grilled using propane, but the smell of charcoal grills always get me. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I also love the smell of charcoal. To me that is totally about those brick type pits in the public parks by the ocean. Charcoal is TRUE grill skillery!
Love this post! Reminds me of my dad when I was a young kid. A wonderful father, he may have been the worst grill master of all time. Every Saturday in the summer, we watched my dad perform the weekly ritual of cremating burgers and hot dogs on the charcoal grill. They’d disintegrate the minute they hit the bun. I still have his old grill tray, circa 1961 (see below). Right out of “Father Knows Best”.
Thanks for the memory!
Hey Christopher! That is so sweet and beautiful. It obviously meant a lot to him that he could do that for his family, even if the results turned out less than edible. You are lucky! Hope you and yours have a peaceful and memorable weekend ahead! ✌🏼💗
It was special. Enjoy!
My grandpa’s ‘grill’ was a large, shallow metal dish that may or may not have been used as a sled in a previous life. With a mound of charcoal and a generous spray of lighter fluid, that thing would burn a hamburger in record time. With its wobbly legs, you had to set up this tripod carefully- one errant nudge could launch the hotdogs into the flowerbed. A hibachi sounds so stable!
HAAA! Omigod-that is amazing! I bet he was super proud of the spaceship grill. Outstanding. Yeah-the hibachi would have been so boring in comparison! Thanks for this!
Totally loved this. But also, it reminded me of something gross I hadn’t thought about in like 25 years. We had a friend that once a year threw a party where they grilled out.
Grilled is putting it nicely. They were more like lightly browned. Totally red and bloody on the inside 🤮
Happy 4th!!! 🩸 🏴☠️
Ooof! Step away from the grill! I absolutely defer to those who know anything about how to do it. Bad grilled “items” is borderline Satanic!
Interesting history told with humor. Love it. I love our July 4 tradition. Anything that brings people together even if it means briquettes and a red and white checkered cloth…
That is the best way to go my friend! I agree!!
(Takes drag off cigarette, stares off into the distance)
Yeah, we were a Hibachi family, too.
Love this, Sheila! A grilliant read. My dad loved grilling brontosaurus ribs on his Weber.