It seems we've been a little slow on the barbecue front this year, this being the 3rd as far as I can recall. It made me think about barbecues in public places in general. In truth, they are basically a pain, unless you have a trusty gas behemoth or a built in brick charcoal beast in your own back garden. I've seen people effortlessly grilling meats on their cute little mini Hibachis on beaches and large community groups gathered around the fragrant smoke of a large contraption in parks, but as far as I'm concerned, it can be an effort that is best solved by merely having a picnic with disposable everything. I don't think I always felt like this, the man has beaten me down with his usual moans about cooling and disposing of charcoal, taking dirty plates and cutlery home and bags filled with leftover grilled foods, not to mention the odds and ends taken to season, squeeze or drizzle. Barbecues in your own backyard or at friend's places seem to be the answer. Everything at reach, including the dishwasher, no panic that you've forgotten that essential ingredient and no hot coals or gas canisters to carry to large communal bins. It seems I'm becoming a Summer Scrooge.
