What’s more American than Mom and apple pie? Does your answer to that question involve some juicy hamburgers and a slab of ribs licked by flames to smoky perfection? If so, go to the head of the barbecue line. America is a nation of grillers. We love to cook outdoors, and we love our grills.
If your neighborhood is like mine, about 6:30 in the evening, summer and winter, the scent of charcoal lighter wafts across the backyards, soon to be replaced by the far more delicious aroma of flame-seared food. It might be coming from any of the houses on the surrounding blocks because nearly everyone has some sort of grill out back.
It used to be that most of those grills were the domed kettle type, then simple propane-fired models muscled in. But because we’re Americans, we’re always looking for a way to “kick it up a notch,” as Emeril Lagasse would say. Now many of those humble backyard grills have been supplanted by one of today’s hottest status symbols: a big, stainless steel, kick-pork-butt, grilling powerhouse. The ease and functionality of this new generation of outdoor grills has inspired consumers to spend more time cooking out and invest more money in creating a place to do it in—the outdoor kitchen. An amenity that barely existed just a few years ago, the outdoor kitchen is becoming a must for many custom home buyers.
You can see what all the excitement is about in this issue. In “Where There’s Smoke,” writer Linda Lentz takes a look at developments in the expanding universe of outdoor grills. And both projects showcased in this issue feature outdoor kitchens that, while no longer so rare, are definitely well done.
