Summer Thank You Dinner
The first signs of summer at my house! Pok Pok chickens marinating 72 hours in an opulent bath of garlic, lemongrass, ginger, scallions and cilantro. The aroma of the big wood charcoal becoming smoldering ashes. The sound of the rotisserie rotating rhythmically as the chickens go from white to pale gold. The alchemy of the rotisserie is the continuous, gentle heat results in juicy meat in about an hour that never blisters or darkens the skin. The flavor is a mysterious sweet, salty, herbal, southeast Asian that defies further identification. It’s subtle, not spicy, pleasing, everyone loves it, even children eat it without questioning what it is. It’s chicken but it’s special.
I only make it for special people and in this case, a friend who recently bought all four of my novels, read them in order and reported to me the first book had a slow start she struggled with, but once she got past that, she enjoyed the characters and all the stories. Well, that deserves a round of applause and something. What else could I really do to show my appreciation but dinner at my house?
The side dishes can be anything you like. I wanted to try a new David Tanis recipe for Spicy Cucumbers With Mint, Scallions and Crushed Peanuts because I loved the taste of the dressing with equal parts toasted sesame oil and fish sauce with lime juice. It didn’t need any chilies for this crowd. To make it more colorful I added Napa cabbage and grated carrots. The fruit salad was just photogenic. I made it up, no recipe needed for honeydew melon, mango and tomatoes. Corn on the cob is always welcome and easy. The Rhubarb Cobbler was also a David Tanis recipe that came out of the oven and on to the table with not one thought of photography. What can I tell you? Everyone loved it with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The first celebration of the summer was very fun! Lots of laughs. A good time all around the table. I am so appreciative to have friends who read my books and are such good company.