The New Age Guy Cookbook

It is June 13, 1998 and I am sitting at the kitchen table looking at the green of the trees coming out on this beachfront community. Fire Island has lived up to its name in even this early summer season. But this is a cookbook. A cookbook for the new age guy. Like me living in two worlds, that of an enlightened sense mixed with the pleasure in being a guy.

It was a rainy night when I unlocked the door to drop my stuff off and head to the market. I was alone tonight. A rare occasion, as frequently on Friday night I will cook for between 4 and 10 people. I enjoy cooking and prefer the pre-meal job rather than the post-meal cleanup. As you may have guessed by now I can ramble J.  We live in a new age. An oxymoron, taking pieces of the past, mixing them with technology, marketing it to a global population.

I stopped at the market and picked up 1 lb. of hot sausage, though this dish will work with the sausage of your choice. Do be careful when choosing your meat to reflect the dietary desires of your diners. Moving to the vegetable section, I selected 2 large yellow onions, 1 green pepper, 1 sweet potato, and an aluminum loaf pan. You will also need your favorite brand of barbecue sauce. I completed the shop with the purchase of a loaf of bread knowing that I had the makings for a delightful evening’s meal.

Moving to the beat of the music I gathered and cleaned my vegetables in preparation for their carving.  The potatoes are easiest and best to do first as all they require is a cleaning, a couple of stabs with a kitchen fork, a few wraps of aluminum foil and 1 hour on the barbecue at a low to medium heat.

Next shedding a few tears move on to your onions, removing the skins and halving them.  Take 4 tablespoons of barbecue sauce and add them to water creating a broth in the loaf pan for the onions to cook in.  Cook the onions for no less than 45 minutes and no more that 90 minutes. 

Next come the sausage which should cook for approximately 40 to 60 minutes depending on taste and size.

With the potatoes cooking it is time to carve the vegetables.  Your available level of barbecue utensils will determine the size of your vegetables.  Barbecue Woks and small hole sheets are available and enable you to cut your vegetables into smaller pieces.  Collect the vegetables in the bowl they will be served in and throw them on the barbecue when the remaining ingredients have about 20 minutes left to cook.

Finally again using aluminum foil place your bread on a higher rack in the grill and let cook with the potatoes, onions, vegetables, and sausage.

If all goes will in 2 hours time from shop to serve, you can have a meal that will easily serve 1 to 4 with a higher limit challenged only by the size of your barbecue and personal ambition.

To serve, cut the Sweet Potato in Half placing on a plate, ladle a spoonful or 2 or 3 of onions and broth, follow with the vegetables and sausage, a hunk of bread, a bottle of bear and you are set.