Outdoor Cooking and Vintage Grills

It's almost Memorial Day and the start of the official outdoor cooking season.

Grilling has been on my mind because our faithful gas grill bit the dust last summer and we've been without for a long time. 

I miss it dearly.

I do not intend to go another summer without a grill.

When the neighbors fire up their grills and the aroma of grilled meat wafts into our yard it is torturous.

So I've been thinking of a replacement.

You know, the usual, ugly, boring gas grills as seen at Sears, Lowes, Target and the like.

But then I saw this.

I love that beach picnic.
I love grilling at the beach,
I LOVE THAT TURQUOISE GRILL.


I found the spread in this book.

I picked it up at a thrift store for a dime.
I loved the 60s colors and layouts.
And the little details like this logo:

Also, there are always things that make me laugh in vintage cookbooks.
Like this:

So, apparently, picnicking was called eating "hobo style".
I don't think that is a very PC term anymore.
Even more funny because my son referred to a homeless person the other day as a "hobo".
He meant no harm.  He was referring to our history lesson from one of our favorite songs, Big Rock Candy Mountain.
Yep, my kids sing about lakes of whiskey and cigarette trees.  It really is a great song.
I explained we don't really use that term anymore--it was more in vogue during the times of "railroad bulls" and riding the rails.
And also the 60s, I guess.


Anyway, back to the grill.
Isn't this a beautiful spread?  
Notice the turquoise thermos with red lid in the corner?
The red, enamel pot for the corn.
And again, the turquoise grill.

I had to know if I could find a grill like that anywhere nowadays.
I struck out for a while.
Most grills are black or silver.
Or, like this one from Webber, in hunter green.

Really Webber?
It's not 1997 anymore.  We're not so into the hunter green anymore.
Unless we hang our maroon hot pad next to the grill.  
Cause the hunter green, maroon color combo is where it's at!
I'd be happy to consult for you and offer some more up to date color choices.
Imagine that grill in bright yellow.  Orange.  Even white.


Or, red.

Yes, red.  Like this little guy.
In my search for a colored grill, I opened up the latest issue of Martha and then Sunset (best magazine ever) and low and behold, this sweet little charcoal grill. 
(it's from Bodum and you can get info here.  but Amazon had way more color choices.  go here)
They both featured orange, but upon further investigation, I found several other options.  
Like the red above, which I love.
And then, deep breath, I saw there is even a turquoise grill.

Oh mama!!!

Granted, it is small.  It's meant to be a portable grill you take to the beach or camping, or grill out on your tiny deck.  It's not really what we need for grilling dinner.

But it's nice to know it's there,

And maybe, if we all get one (who doesn't need a sweet little number like this for sunset bbqs on the beach?) Webber will get  a clue and produce a bigger grill for us in a color more up to date than lovely hunter green.

I can dream.

Here's to summer, outdoor cooking and vintage dreams coming true!

Love from,

Greta

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