Meatapalooza 2016

The finale of Water Festival is celebrated with an annual Feast of Meats at the home of our friends Jon and Lolita. Every year, Jon cooks enough meat to feed a small army. We lucky invitees, the small army, are happy to scarf up all of his delicious creations. Guests supplement the Meatfest with appetizers, side dishes, desserts and adult beverages. Last year I asked Jon to share some of his smoked meat recipes. We had so much fun that we decided to do a repeat. These are a few his yummy offerings from this year's soiree.

Today is Thursday and my column was due on Tuesday. With all of the Water Festival revelry this week, I'm having a tough time actually getting anything accomplished. Still, we do have to eat, don't we? The big question at our house lately is, “What do you want for supper?”

Life's a beach! Although you may not be able to actually transport your dinner party to the ocean, you can create the ambiance of the beach for your guests. Scatter sand around a centerpiece décor of driftwood, shells and other beach treasures. Decorate your dining table with twinkle lights and candles. Crank up some beach music on the stereo. You can almost feel the ocean breeze! (Photography by Paul Nurnberg.)