· Have guests bring their favorite beverage as well. There is never too much beer, so have people bring a six-pack of ale and a bottle or two of wine.
· Set up garbage cans with several garbage bags in them. Put three or four unopened liners in the bottom of the can, and then line it with another one. This way nobody is scrabbling around for garbage bags, and it’s easy to clean. Setting up a recycling can is not a bad idea either!
· Decorate as patriotically as you wish, there’s a lot of paraphernalia out there for decorating. Check out your friendly neighborhood 99-cents store—it’s usually a treasure trove of themed trinkets.
A Few Basics for Barbie Dolls
· Gas is the only way to go as far as I’m concerned, though I am quite sure some old-timers would disagree. But let’s face it, there’s nothing like just turning a knob. No lighting fluid smell on your hands, no singed eyebrows—it’s dreamy.
· So assuming your grill is gas, make sure that the gas tank is full before guests arrive. This may seem insultingly obvious, but you would be shocked at the number of emergency gas runs I have personally witnessed. And this is a very experienced Barbie Doll speaking. (I remember particularly an ugly situation when our host put a lamb roast into a VERY state-of-the-art Australian grill, and blithely began socializing with guests during the cooking time of two hours—only to discover that the gas tank had been empty the entire time. Not pretty.)
· Scrub the racks clean with a hard bristle brush (no soap) to get rid of crusted-on residue. To prepare the grill for cooking, oil it up with a paper towel soaked in olive oil. Preheat the grill when guests start to arrive, turning it on high flame for about fifteen minutes with the cover down (always ignite with cover up to avoid gas buildup) and then reducing the flame to medium/medium high for cooking.
· Pay special attention to cooking times and types of meat. Fish cooks much faster than legs of lamb, so begin the slow-cooking roasts and chickens right away, and as it gets closer to feast time, throw on the quickies: burgers, snags, and dogs. Grilling is never an exact science (which is part of its charm), so always monitor the situation. Turn up the burners slightly if necessary, move cooking food a little closer to the flame—whatever is necessary.
