Live Life Local: Fire + Wine Summer Grilling Traditions and Tips


Fire + Wine Cover Photo

Welcome to “Live Life Local”—where we celebrate the books and authors who are rooted in our beautiful, diverse region, helping you connect with it in new and exciting ways. Each “Live Life Local” feature (we do two a month) includes a chance to win a copy of the book and a gift card to a local business!

This month our first pick is Fire + Wine: 75 Smoke-Infused Recipes from the Grill with Perfect Wine Pairings by husband and wife team Sean Martin and Mary Cressler, because June is for dads and grilling season (a perfect combo!). This book is especially suited to the PNW, because Sean and Mary live in Oregon and run a catering business that focuses on woodfired ingredients from the Pacific Northwest. Not as sauce-dependent as Kansas City, not quite as beef-obsessed as Texas, these dishes bring the smoke to wild salmon, ribs and steaks, fresh apples, heirloom tomatoes, nuts and beans, and even chocolate pot de crème. Rubs and glazes draw on Northwest flavors such as soy sauce, rosemary, and wild blackberries. And true to the region, these recipes pair with wines such as pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon instead of the customary bottle of beer.

Below Mary talks about how they involve the whole family (kids, too!) in their summer grilling traditions, designed to get you and your loved ones outside and cooking.

Enter our giveaway to win a copy of Fire + Wine and a $25 gift card each to Sam’s NW BBQ Co. and Cason’s Meats. To enter, head over to our Facebook or Instagram page @sasquatchbooks and tag a friend you want to BBQ with! Stay tuned for our next “Live Life Local” feature in a couple of weeks!

Fire + Wine Author Mary Cressler on Family Summer Grilling Traditions and Tips

Fire + Wine author Mary Cressler Grilling

Summertime is everything to me, especially living in the Pacific Northwest, where we wait nine months to enjoy some much-anticipated glorious weather. And summer in Oregon is so perfect that I don’t want to miss a minute of it once the weather turns warm and the rain subsides for a few precious months!

When it comes to being outside in the summer, we can’t help but get excited about grilling together as a family. It gets our 9-year-old twins off their tablets and involved in something we can all do together. They get to pick their favorite things to grill and add their favorite toppings while participating in the process. And it takes my husband Sean and I back to those backyard family gatherings as kids, with all the summer smells of the hot charcoal on the grill, burgers and dogs sizzling away (usually being overcooked, let’s be honest), and the loud carefree laughter of family and friends.

When it comes to our family now, we strive to create similar memories for our kids (except the “overcooking the meat” part). Our goal is to keep things simple, while still focusing on good quality ingredients and involving everyone in the cooking process. Here are a few things that get us excited to grill outside together as a family.

The Prep

There is nothing that builds anticipation of the cooking process more than letting the kids help plan the menu. Our kids also eat, A LOT. I’ve never witnessed human beings with such colossal appetites. So, we are typically cooking a few different protein options for our family of four, as well as a couple healthy sides. Having the kids plan and write down the menu gets them excited, and then they can start laying out what toppings they like (which is our secret code for getting them to set the table with all the fixings).

While the kids are prepping, we start the fire. We often find ourselves using our simple kettle grill for most family cookouts. It’s so versatile for cooking hot and fast, making it approachable for the kids to help out, too.

When using a grill with charcoal, we prefer lump charcoal versus briquettes. These large chunks burn hot and add better smoky flavor to our meals.

The Main Event

As much as I’d love to say we cook fancy cuts of meat every night of the week, the reality is our kids have discovered the magical simplicity of hot dogs. And it should be noted that a good-quality hot dog should not be underestimated. A good-quality hot dog is 100-percent beef, and results in 100-percent satisfaction from kids. They are pre-cooked, which means the kids can help cook them and make sure there is just the right amount of char on them (our kids are notoriously picky about these things). I stand by the grill to make sure they don’t burn themselves while also avoiding any comment like, “It’s too burnt, Dad!”

But it isn’t just about the kids, we like to make sure there is something for everyone. For me, it’s seafood. Once the kids are content with their summer favorite, I like to cook up our Maple-Chipotle Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon. It may seem fancy, but it comes together in minutes, and is jam-packed with incredible flavor. To this day it remains my favorite way to do salmon. The bonus is that the kids absolutely devour it, too. Remember, they have big appetites!

Cedar Plank Salmon from Fire + Wine

Sean is the steak fanatic of the family, and you’ll always find him preparing a thick ribeye, using the reverse sear method. And while our kids will tell you they don’t love steak, they’re always the first to steal a slice. A good steak needs nothing but a simple seasoning, and for us that’s kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. We sometimes finish it off with a dollop of an herb compound butter for added richness and a savory pop.

By now, the low volume of music is playing in the background on the outdoor speaker (we all rotate playing DJ), our appetites are becoming unbearable, and the rosé has been poured.

What’s missing?

Oh Yeah, The Sides

We go simple on the side dishes, focusing on getting in some quick and easy veggies. Something as simple as a mayo-free slaw and a black bean salad are quick and easy dishes we can prep early in the day so we can enjoy the time cooking together without any added hassle. Plus, they both can be served cold and, with the heat of summer, don’t run the risk of spoiling as fast. Grilled asparagus is another family favorite and cooks quick on the grill while the steak is resting. And the boys, like most kids, could eat grilled corn on the cob for days!

Fire + Wine Sides Image

When it’s finally time to eat—and let’s be honest, there has been lots of grazing as dinnertime approaches—we gather around our beaten-down outdoor table on our long, east-facing deck overlooking Mt. Hood, and dive in while the light starts to dim over the majestic mountain.

It’s our happy place.

Sure, we love going big and complicated from time to time, like spending an entire Saturday smoking beef ribs or a 14-hour brisket. But sometimes, cooking together as a family, using good quality yet simple ingredients, is an experience that just can’t be beat. Preparing our favorite foods is something that gets the whole family involved, and hopefully creates lasting memories for the kids like the ones we remember from our own childhoods.

Authors Mary Cressler and Sean Martin and their sons

Fire + Wine Book and Sam’s NW BBQ Co. + Cason’s Meats Gift Card Bundle Giveaway

Enter our giveaway to win our book bundle, a copy of Fire + Wine, and a $25 gift card each to Sam’s NW BBQ Co and Cason’s Meats. To enter, head over to our Facebook or Instagram page @sasquatchbooks and tag a friend!

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