In 2004 I set a goal to barbecue every week of the summer. Not surprisingly the temporal demands of my life and subsequently my friend’s and family’s lives did not allow me to have a barbecue at my place every week. Nonetheless, if you were to swing by my house on a Wednesday afternoon between Memorial Day and Labor Day chances are you would be greeted with the undeniable scent of a charcoal grill and a tasty beverage. Every week there was an open invitation to friends and family. “Stop by if can… if no can, no worries”. Thus in 2004, I began an annual tradition which has become an obsessive desire to constantly improve on, and at the same time enjoy, the great art of feeding loved ones.
A few things need to be said here, one is that this idea is not originally my own but rather spurred on by attending a weekly summer barbecue at Jon Compton’s house. The best thing about Jon is that at the time he had what seemed like an obsessive desire to constantly improve at his own trade (which was and still is bar tending). That desire made him a great host and great all around guy. Second, you could say that feeding people is a legacy in my family.
I’m sure that when my father’s time comes, the thing that people will miss most about him are his meals, crafted with dedication and care. It truly is a warm and wonderful thing to sit down to a meal prepared by my father. Equivalent remarks are attributed to his father as well. It has been 15 years since my grandfather died, Every single memory I have of my grandfather is in some way associated with cooking. He catered lu’aus from his home in Kailua, Hawaii for most of his life. In August of this year I’ll have an opportunity to document a kalua pig cooked in an imu at my fathers house in Usk, Washington. Not quite the original but just about the best you can do without the traditional greens available in Hawaii.
It is from this background that I come to think of these weekly barbecues with a mix of serious dedication to a craft and casualness. Serious because I look at it as a way to hone a skill long associated with my family. Casualness in a sense that these barbecues are meant to be compulsory and not obligatory. Your company is always welcome and appreciated, but certainly you should not feel bad if you can’t make it most weeks. Neither should you be afraid of attending every single one.
If can, can. If no can, no can.
Bobby
