Location: H’s Place
Author: My Husband
I met H many moons ago, when the world felt like a different place. “Offshoring” wasn’t in the general lexicon, risk management in the financial markets was a lot more effective, and the world was seemingly at peace with itself. H and I were both interns at a technology company then, and because we were seated next to each other, ended up becoming fast friends. Back in those days, I learnt two things about H very quickly – he was a brilliant engineer, and he was also quite the enthusiastic cook and gourmand.
Fast forward to the present and these characteristics still hold true for H. He still is a brilliant engineer, and if anything, has developed into an even more superb cook and foodie. Over the years, Christina and I have been lucky enough to be beneficiaries of H’s considerable culinary skills, and when the summers roll around, we’ve always looked forward to BBQs at his place. After viewing the following photos, gentle readers, you will understand why…
This past weekend, we were at H’s place for the last BBQ of this season. Being the engineer that he is, H had all the mise en place done, all the meats & veggies marinated, and the grill pre-fired before we got to his place. When we arrived, the cooking went like clockwork and the food didn’t stop coming until we were fully sated.
As usual, H showcased his culinary skills to great effect by putting out the following dishes.
Two squabs on the BBQ, slowly grilled over indirect heat.
A beautiful slab of babyback ribs that were tender and flavourful. In fact, Christina liked it so much she asked for the marinade recipe and went out and bought all the ingredients to make it herself.
Grilled chicken skewers – these were awesome.
The finished squabs. Beautiful, don’t you think? These were really tasty – much better than my main course at Gastropod, imho. And no, they don’t taste like chicken. 
The grilled veggies look and taste great. It’s always good to balance all the meats with some greens – the one allowance we make for healthy eating…
To finish the meal, home-made strawberry trifle. By this time, Christina was stuffed, so I ate my trifle as well as the half that she couldn’t finish.
We washed the meal down with a Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec. It was a youngish, fruit forward wine with loads of black fruit and a hint of spice. Rounded tannins made it quite quaffable, and it was great accompaniment for the meat dishes. However, I feel there is a little too much alcohol on the finish, and I wonder if it would be better if it had some time to breathe…
All in all, it was a really enjoyable and satisfying meal. Good food, good drink, and good company. H, our good friend – brilliant engineer, great cook, talented painter, Wii master, fellow car enthusiast, and all round great guy – what else can we ask for? Thanks for your generosity and hospitality dude; Christina and I are already looking forward to our next meal with you guys!!
