In another life, Elias Cairo鈥攁 45-year-old charcuterie expert and the owner of Olympia Provisions, a groundbreaking restaurant and sausage-making operation in Portland, Oregon鈥攚as on a path to becoming a professional snowboarder. He was raised in Sandy, Utah, about 15 miles from Alta, and his go-for-it attitude landed him a Burton sponsorship.

Life, however, has a way of derailing plans. When Cairo was 15, his father, John 鈥淵annis鈥� Cairo, passed away. John had emigrated from Greece in 1962, still in his twenties, and his dream was to carve out a life in the U.S. while drawing on the customs of his native country. To that end, he created a Greek-inspired agricultural oasis in the middle of Utah.

鈥淲e raised our own meat, had gardens, preserved everything, had beehives, and made our own wine and liquor,鈥� Cairo says. 鈥淕rowing up, I was just with my dad鈥攊f he was cooking, I was cooking. If he was gardening, I was gardening.鈥� They also hunted to help fill the family larder. His parents owned two Greek-American restaurants: Queen One and Queen Two, both in the town of Murray, just south of Salt Lake City.

A few years after losing his dad, Cairo told his mother, Karen, that he was through with snowboarding and wanted to be a chef. Culinary school wasn鈥檛 an option鈥攖oo expensive鈥攂ut an apprenticeship was. With help from an aunt, Cairo was put in touch with Annegret Schlumpf, the chef of Stump鈥檚 Alpenrose Hotel in Wildhaus, Switzerland. Schlumpf had one question for Cairo: How soon can you get here?

Cairo sold his snowboard and Subaru, then went to the library to learn everything he could about the Alpine village of Wildhaus. He discovered that it鈥檚 famous for cheese, charcuterie, and skiing. Within two weeks, he was standing at the front door of the picturesque hotel, partway up the slopes of the Gamsalp Mountain ski resort. He didn鈥檛 speak the local languages, but that didn鈥檛 matter: he was industrious, eager to learn, and ready to work.

The surprises started coming fast. On Cairo鈥檚 first day, he walked into the cooler and saw a huge ibex hanging there. 鈥淚 was like, What in the world is going on here?鈥� he says. The restaurant, it turned out, processed wild game鈥攊bex, marmot, chamois, rabbit, and more鈥攆or valley residents.

Cairo already knew how to field-dress game, including elk, deer, and pheasant. But the precision and skill demonstrated by the Alpenrose butchers were pure artistry, and the craftsmanship fascinated him. A transition began when he was temporarily assigned to the butcher station after injuring his hand in the kitchen. 鈥淚 got to hang out with all the butchers, and I thought, This is so fun,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淚t was better than cooking.鈥�

Cairo still had to complete his kitchen apprenticeship, but he found ways to work with the butchers on the side. He spent just shy of five years at the Alpenrose, apprenticing under chef Schlumpf. During that time, he learned to speak Swiss German and came away with expertise he probably wouldn鈥檛 have picked up in the U.S. When he returned home in 2003, he saw an opportunity. He imagined a restaurant with a USDA-approved meat plant next door; his sister, Michelle, believed in his vision and became an investor.

Cairo opened Olympia Provisions in 2009, and it has since expanded to five restaurants in Portland, with a much larger facility processing more than a million pounds of pork a year鈥攅verything from p芒t茅 to pancetta. He鈥檚 a passionate advocate for a better and more humane meat industry, and for teaching both providers and consumers that good food doesn鈥檛 happen fast.

鈥淚f you make something special, you can鈥檛 rush it,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he American meat industry is built on margin and speed. There鈥檚 nothing special or quality about it.鈥�

To underscore his point, Cairo often refers to a story about Bueger Stump, a co-owner of Stump鈥檚 Alpenglow, who has become a close friend. Mounted in Stump鈥檚 home are 12 sets of antlers, collected from a single elk he brought down after observing it for more than a decade. That, says Cairo, is the very definition of respect.

Ethical hunting remains a touchstone for Cairo. He heads for the field or forest when he needs to recharge and reset, and hunting serves as a reminder of how close we can and should get to our food to adequately appreciate it as a gift from nature.

Cairo brings this same spirit to The Game Show. Over the course of six episodes, he combines his love of hunting and the outdoors with techniques for cooking wild game. He teaches viewers about rabbit, duck, quail, wild turkey, and venison鈥攈ow to break them down, and how best to utilize these meats in savory dishes that can be cooked over an open fire or on the grill. For viewers who don鈥檛 hunt or can鈥檛 buy game, Cairo offers alternatives, like substituting a whole chicken in a recipe for rabbit cacciatore.

The key is to find beauty. For Cairo that was once snowboarding; then it was immersing himself in the culture of the Swiss Alps. Now it鈥檚 making and enjoying the highest quality meats. One thing鈥檚 for sure: whatever he鈥檚 doing comes back to the nourishing simplicity of hands-on fun.

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In 鈥淭he Game Show,鈥� the new cooking series from 国产吃瓜黑料, chef and butcher Elias Cairo combines his love of the outdoors with cooking wild game鈥攐ften over an open fire. From rabbit and quail to venison and turkey, he clearly explains butchery and whole-animal cooking where nothing goes to waste.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Cairo grew up in a Greek family outside Salt Lake City. His dad, who immigrated from Greece when he was in his twenties, brought his Old World lifestyle with him. 鈥淢y dad did his darndest to turn his property and house into a green village,鈥� Cairo explains. 鈥淲e raised all of our own meats, had gardens, preserved everything, kept bee hives, harvested glue, made our own wine and liquor, and had two restaurants鈥� And they would venture into the surrounding mountains and hunt and fish.

Some might call Cairo a maker or a man who lives close to the land. Cairo would say he鈥檚 just following in his late dad鈥檚 footsteps. 鈥淚 grew up with what people now call DIY; most folks like my dad just called it 鈥榣ife,鈥欌�� he writes in the introduction to , the cookbook that serves as an ode to Cairo鈥檚 .

Cooking as a Way of Life

Everything Cairo learned about food and the land came from how he grew up. When his father was cooking or gardening or hunting or fishing, Cairo was right by his side. His father passed away when Cairo was 15 but he has chased and honored his legacy ever since. This is something Cairo is especially aware of when he ventures into the wild to hunt and fish. 鈥淚 realized hunting is just a pastime for some people, but it was in my dad so deep.鈥� And for Cairo, it isn鈥檛 just the end result, it鈥檚 the experience and the time spent in the woods, the grasslands, and the open air. 鈥淚t鈥檚 physically demanding and there鈥檚 the solace and peace of mind that comes from nature,鈥� he explains.

Cairo, who learned the art of charcuterie when he apprenticed and worked in Switzerland, has since become the face of American salumi. He is also a huge proponent of hunting and cooking wild game. Case in point, in 2018, he appeared in a video series with Bon App茅tit detailing a pheasant hunt, complete with animal butchery and cookery. 鈥淚t was the first time the magazine had ever shown what it really means to have meat on a plate,鈥� he says.

If this sounds potentially chest-thumping and testosterone-infused, you鈥檙e wrong. Cairo is down-to-earth, knowledgeable, and even funny. The reverence for the animals he hunts and subsequently cooks and eats, is front and center, and that deep respect informs his meat-eating philosophy. 鈥淎s a meat maker that owns a meat company. I think the vegetarians are right: The current way we make meat on a mass scale is horrible,鈥� he explains. But when it comes to hunting, 鈥渋t鈥檚 very hard to find a more positive impact than getting a year鈥檚 worth of meat from an animal like an elk. And your only carbon footprint is getting to and from the hunting ground.鈥�

During the course of 鈥淭he Game Show鈥� the show, Cairo offers readers tips and tricks鈥攖ry serving whipped cream over stew instead of sour cream; insert your knife here for an easy cut; use duck fat instead of butter or oil for a natural, delicious, and keto- and paleo-friendly alternative, for example. Most importantly Cairo wants you to get outdoors, cook something new, and lean into the process. 鈥淓very time I get the opportunity to cook outside, 鈥漢e says with his characteristic smile, 鈥淚 kinda get to cheat because I know ambience is one of the best flavors in the world.鈥�

With small exception, recipes on “The Game Show” are simple, and even if you鈥檙e not the hunting or butchering type, you can still make many of the dishes with store-bought proteins. Or better yet, befriend someone who is a hunter and promise that, if they share a little bit of the wealth, you鈥檒l make them an Elias Cairo-approved dinner.

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Over the last couple of months, we鈥檝e talked to a collection of chefs and cookbook authors about grilling tips and barbecuing. Each conversation has yielded several nuggets of advice, and rather than gatekeeping them (and only upping our own game), we鈥檙e spreading the word. Behold, the pros鈥� insights when they fire up the grill or build a cooking fire.

As Aaron Franklin鈥檚 cowriter on the three , Jordan Mackay has become a barbecue expert in his own right. Along the way, from becoming a wine writer to Franklin鈥檚 wordsmith, he鈥檚 encourages everyone to pick up the following habits:

1. Salt and dry-cure your proteins at least a day before cooking. [At this point] I almost feel terrible if I get caught cooking a chicken without brining for a day.聽
2. I鈥檝e been gravitating toward slower and steadier cooking, even for steaks. It鈥檚 a huge thing that you should put steaks in a hot pan to sear, but I like to start with them cold and cook them longer. I think [the meat] gets more exposure to the cooking surface.
3. I鈥檝e fallen in love with practicing the most primitive style of cooking: using a fire鈥檚 passive coals and ashes. It鈥檚 really cool that you can create a side [dish] by wrapping them in foil (unless they have a tough skin) and putting stuff in the coals. They don鈥檛 tend to get smoky and they cook in their own water, it鈥檚 such a cool way to cook and you don鈥檛 have to run back and forth from the kitchen to the grill.

Click here for Jordan Mackay鈥檚 barbecue know-how.

This Los Angeles-based chef and restaurateur is riding the wave of her new book , being on the cover of , and appearing on shows like the . Mexican barbecues might be Lopez鈥檚 love language, but her grilling tips are universal.聽

1. Make sure you鈥檙e grilling on high heat. Skirt, flat, and flanken steaks take high heat鈥攁bout 6 minutes each side.
2. When marinating meat, don鈥檛 be afraid of salt. I do 1 tablespoon per pound of meat. I like to use sea salt.
3. When doing wood pellets or wood chips, use mesquite, always mesquite.
4. Season your grill grates with a half an onion. It cleans it [onions are antimicrobial] and adds flavor.

Click here for Bricia Lopez鈥檚 ultimate asada recipe.

Rodney Scott literally grew up tending the smoker and stirring the sauce at his family鈥檚 barbecue spot in Hemingway, South Carolina. To say he knows a thing or two about BBQ is an understatement. Here are his grilling tips:

1. Food safety first. Don鈥檛 leave anything out too long. Stay mindful of what you鈥檙e doing as you handle it. There are gauges and thermometers for a reason.
2. Don鈥檛 grill too close to the house and walk away. Things can happen [Scott can attest to this: His family鈥檚 roadside barbecue spot burned to the ground in 2014 and his Charleston location had a pit fire in 2017.] I like to make sure the grill is away from the house. If it is close, get a grill mat to avoid sparks getting on the floor boards.
3. Have fun. Don鈥檛 let the pressure of that critical visitor steal the joy out of what you鈥檙e preparing. You鈥檝e got your music going, you鈥檙e outside grilling, you鈥檙e having fun. Even if you鈥檙e burning it, it鈥檚 fun鈥攋ust add extra sauce.

Click here for Rodney Scott鈥檚 barbecue-sauce gospel.

Top Chef alum, , and owner of and in New York City, Leah Cohen leans on her Filipino roots for grilling inspiration.

1. Add ! Allow enough time to marinate your meat and use ingredients that add deep, rich flavor that go beyond the traditional barbecue flavors like oyster sauce (my preferred brand is Lee Kum Kee) to add umami and sweetness.
2. Make sure you鈥檙e using the right temperature when grilling. Either low and slow or super high. If you鈥檙e choosing to go the super high route, close the lid so the heat doesn鈥檛 escape.
3. Oil, oil, oil! Make sure whatever you鈥檙e grilling is oiled so it doesn鈥檛 stick to the grill when you鈥檙e cooking it and use oils like pure sesame oil or chili crisp oil, to add bold flavor to grilled dishes!

Click here聽for Leah Cohen鈥檚 grilled cabbage recipe.聽

Celeb chef, YouTube star, and expert outdoorsman Brad Leone is usually off-the-cuff and verbose. But when it comes to grilling tips and rules, he鈥檚 succinct. Short and sweet, just as we like it:聽

1. Get the best ingredients you can.聽
2. Don鈥檛 be scared to use steel or cast-Iron on fire or coals.聽
3. Get a flat top grill.

Click here for Brad Leone鈥檚 tried-and-true grilling tools.

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For chef Leah Cohen, summer equals cooking outdoors. The Top Chef alumn, , and current judge on the PBS show has lived on the East Coast all her life, which means, she laughs, 鈥渋t鈥檚 definitely not grilling season year-round.鈥� Cohen, who owns the restaurants and in New York City, maximizes the time on her home grill when she can, not only because it takes her outside, but because the grill brings natural char and flavor to foods. 鈥淚 think grilling is a healthier cooking application than saut茅ing or frying, without compromising on flavor,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭o me, that鈥檚 really important because I try to eat healthy.鈥�

Cohen鈥檚 cooking career began when she was a child and was tasked with helping her mother make chicken adobo and lumpia for the family table. Eventually she was entrusted to make rice. In her Filipino household (her mother is Filipino and her father is Romanian-Jewish), rice was a staple and was expected to be cooked perfectly. Cohen continues to draw inspiration from her heritage and extensive travels through Southeast Asia when cooking at her restaurants and at home. 鈥淢y go-to Filipino marinade is made using a combination of soy sauce (my preferred brand is Lee Kum Kee), sesame oil, oyster sauce, brown sugar, banana ketchup, and vinegar.

What Does Leah Cohen Like to Grill?

On Cohen鈥檚 grill, it鈥檚 not unusual to find shishito peppers, a variety of mushrooms, ears of corn, heads of cauliflower, or halved cabbage.

What Is the Perfect Grilling Temperature?

To ensure perfection every time, she recommends grilling veggies over high heat, and lightly oiling and salting them for both flavor and to prevent sticking.

Does Size Matter When Grilling?

Pay close attention to the size of your vegetables. If an ingredient like, for example, mushrooms, are small enough to fall through the grates, use a grill basket.

Ready to put these grilling tips to use? Try following Cohen’s Grilled Cabbage with Yuzu Juice and Brown Butter.

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Two words: grilled cabbage. Top Chef alum adds a soy brown butter hollandaise sauce that not only adds flavor, but also gives this hearty and humble vegetable the entr茅e treatment. This dish is a fan favorite at , Cohen鈥檚 restaurant in New York City.

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It鈥檚 not hyperbole to say that Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, is the biggest name in the business. The man behind the聽 brand鈥擜aron Franklin鈥攈as become a celebrity in his own right after doing the unthinkable: giving away his recipe for perfect brisket in his first book ($29.99, Ten Speed Press, 2015). In doing so, he fundamentally changed the reach of barbecue in this country.

鈥檚 barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn says: 鈥淲hen the most famous brisket cook the world has ever seen tells you exactly how to replicate his cash cow, enterprising pitmasters are going to do exactly that,鈥� he wrote in 2021. 鈥淢uch of our current glut of superlative smoked brisket comes from barbecue joints that opened in the post-Franklin barbecue world鈥 whole lot of Texas brisket tastes like we鈥檙e eating a cover song. Granted, it鈥檚 a cover of the greatest barbecue tune ever written.鈥�

His second book, , details the glory of steak. And in聽 May, his third book was released: , and no doubt, it too will become a bestseller. But where Aaron Franklin has the know-how, it鈥檚 the trilogy鈥檚 co-author Jordan Mackay, a wine writer since turned barbecue fanatic, who brings Franklin鈥檚 wisdom and technique to the page. We sat down with Mackay to talk about the book, the difference between barbecuing and grilling, the importance of smoke, and a favorite recipe.

国产吃瓜黑料: Tell us about this new book, the third in the Franklin trilogy.

Jordan Mackay: This one is more of a cookbook. The first one is about what Aaron does at Franklin Barbecue. It鈥檚 very classically based around the staples of central Texas barbecue. The second book is a super deep dive on steak鈥攔anching, quality of beef, dry aging, cutting, preparing, grilling. I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 been done before and I鈥檓 really proud of it. This third one is an intersection of grilling and smoking. The aim is to get the most use of the fire from beginning to end, and get some of the smoke qualities and things we love about barbecue with the fast action of grilling.

国产吃瓜黑料: Many people use the terms 鈥渂arbecuing鈥� and 鈥済rilling鈥� interchangeably, but they鈥檙e not the same. Can you help define each?

Jordan Mackay: Barbecuing is very different than putting pork chops on a deck grill. Grilling is fast cooking and it requires certain ingredients and cuts of meat that cook quickly. Flavors are largely born of鈥攊n the case of a gas grill鈥攖he vaporization of juices hitting a hot surface and emanating back up to coat the food. Barbecuing is slow and what we really love is cooking with wood and [the flavor of] wood smoke. When you cook over wood coals, it鈥檚 different from gas or charcoal in that you get the best out of grilling and you get the most out of the smoke action.

国产吃瓜黑料: There鈥檚 good smoke and bad smoke, yes?

Jordan Mackay: It鈥檚 so crucial to get good smoke versus bad smoke. [For the record, the best, most flavorful smoke is faintly blue and a result of your fire being 650掳F-700掳F.] Some chefs really get into 鈥業 can smoke this and that,鈥� and they鈥檒l put coals in a hotel pan and cover it. Often that鈥檚 not good smoke, it鈥檚 acrid. As much as Aaron and I represent the existence of smoke鈥搘e also caution against it. We鈥檙e not into doing everything with smoke. We treat it like a seasoning.

国产吃瓜黑料: This book is first and foremost about fire鈥攂uilding it, tending to it, eking out every bit of its heat and magic. According to Aaron, there are six stages of fire鈥攊gnition, white smoke, flame, coals, embers, and ash鈥攁nd each can and should be used for cooking.

Jordan Mackay: If you鈥檙e going to create a fire, it takes a lot of effort and resources. It鈥檚 a lifestyle choice for that day or night and you don鈥檛 want to waste it. Cooking over fire makes everything better. It鈥檚 like when you go camping, my mom used to say that when we went backpacking鈥� even when we were adding water to freeze-dried meals that we got at REI鈥攖hat eating and cooking outside is better.

国产吃瓜黑料: Of the many recipes in the book, one that gave me a double take was Jordan鈥檚 Perfect Green Salad. There are just five ingredients (of which one is 鈥渞estraint鈥�) but it鈥檚 two pages long, three with the photo. Tell me about this.

Jordan Mackay: First, [the salad] is really the perfect antidote to barbecue and grilled meats. But as much as this is a recipe book, we鈥檙e not into recipes, we鈥檙e into technique. We鈥檙e geeks about technique. I can pretty much take any recipe, including a salad, and spin it out into 2 to 3 pages. When you learn the underpinnings of why something works, then you can add your own twist. As much as there are more recipes [in this book], they鈥檙e meant to be inspirations and templates to cooking on your own.

国产吃瓜黑料: OK, recipe or not, name one of your favorites in the book.

Jordan Mackay: The pork shoulder steaks. They鈥檙e a commitment but worth it.

Pork Shoulder Steaks Recipe Here

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I鈥檓 calling it now: (Abrams, $40, April 2023) by and Javier Cabral is the cookbook of the summer. Pick it up, read it cover to cover (yes, really), and step up to the grill.

In Spanish, the word 鈥渁sada鈥� simply means 鈥済rilled鈥�, and it extends far beyond the skirt or flank steak (typical cuts for carne asada) you likely associate it with. Lopez, whose restaurant 聽is an L.A. Oaxacan staple, includes recipes for those cuts, of course, but also for chicken, pork, fish, and veggies. But the book covers so much more: Asada conveys a lifestyle.

鈥淎sada is gathering, it鈥檚 entertaining for a crowd, it鈥檚 100 percent the essence of friendship and family,鈥� Lopez explains. And isn鈥檛 that what summer鈥攁nd the backyard鈥攊s for?

Envision a big table with a tantalizing spread that includes platters of grilled meat and veggies, pots of slow-cooked beans, bowls of fresh salsas and fluffy rice, and piles of warm tortillas. At its core, it鈥檚 the ultimate taco bar. 鈥淚t鈥檚 familiar,鈥� Lopez says. 鈥淎sada is chill, it鈥檚 not fine dining. It鈥檚 super approachable.鈥�

There are a few hard and fast rules, though:

1. No pre-shredded cheese should ever grace the table. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never worth it,鈥� Lopez says. Instead, check out her quick guide to Mexican dairy, which runs from the versatile queso fresco to the lesser known, ricotta-esque reques贸n.

2. No asada is complete without charred green onions. 鈥淭hey are the MVP of asada,鈥� she declares. 鈥淭hey are sweet, charred, smoky鈥攖hey add bite to any meat you have. Chopped up, they鈥檙e almost like a condiment.鈥�

3. Mexican limes are the way to go鈥攊f you can find them. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e very small and round and I like them because of their acidity,鈥� Lopez explains. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e very sharp but with a hint of sweetness.鈥�

4. Your local carniceria is your BFF. Don鈥檛 have time to marinate that steak or chicken? Or suddenly have more people coming over than you thought? 鈥淰isit the carniceria! My book is for everyone to create their own flavor but you can also go to carniceria and grab cuts of meat,鈥� Lopez says with a smile. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about being forgiving with yourself.鈥�

5. Sparkling mezcal water is the holy grail. 鈥淲e鈥檙e living in a time where you go to any restaurant and the cocktail menu has a lot going on with a lot of ingredients,鈥� Lopez says. 鈥淚 think people forget that all you need is a little acidity and a little salt. Lime and salt enhances mezcal鈥攕tick to the basics.鈥�

On that note, Lopez says that if you don鈥檛 have time or the wherewithal for a full scale asada with dozens of guests and just as many dishes, she recommends concentrating on these three elements: 鈥淵ou need tortillas, a protein (the cl谩sica is probably my favorite recipe, but the arrachera verde is so good), and salsa (any of them!).鈥� Pair all that with sparkling mezcal water鈥攁nd poof, you鈥檝e got a backyard bash.

Get the Arrachera Verde recipe here

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If you Google baked oatmeal, dozens of recipes pop up. I鈥檓 sure they鈥檙e all delicious, but I鈥檓 willing to bet they don鈥檛 produce the same Pavlovian response as the recipe below. You see, in our house, when a pan of baked oatmeal goes into the oven, it means adventure awaits.

My husband and I first began eating baked oatmeal 20 years ago when we were dating. Every so often we would spend a weekend at the Savory Inn, then a bed-and-breakfast in Vail, Colorado. Crafted from huge logs, the inn was cozy and rustic, the perfect mountain getaway. It was also home of the Vail Cooking School so the food, as you might imagine, was chef worthy.

Each morning, on our way out the door to ski, hike, mountain bike, or trail run, we鈥檇 peruse the breakfast table. At the center of the spread that included fruit, yogurt, muffins, to-order omelets and multigrain pancakes, was an enormous bowl of baked oatmeal. The fluffy mixture looked like the airy crumb of a muffin (and nothing like gloppy porridge), and filling our bowls with this toss of oats, apples, raisins, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and brown sugar, was surefire fuel for the day ahead. We loved the mixture so much that on one visit, the smiling innkeeper handed us the recipe upon checkout.

Now, two kids later, the Savory Inn鈥檚 baked oatmeal remains a staple in our household鈥攂ut it鈥檚 not something I always have on hand. Instead, I only make it when we鈥檙e heading out for summer camping trips and winter hut trips鈥攁dventures that require sustained (and delicious) energy. So, when baked oatmeal hits the breakfast table, it comes with an unwritten code: get ready!

Savory Inn Apple Baked Oatmeal

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In Anna Hezel鈥檚 newly released cookbook (Chronicle Books, $24.95, 2023), she champions all the ways we should be indulging in , or tinned seafood. We鈥檙e taking it a step further and encouraging those headed outside to pack a tin or two for snacking.

鈥淚 love taking canned fish camping and hiking,鈥� Hezel says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 compact protein.鈥� That it is, and small but mighty is the name of the game when your pack has limited space and your hunger runs deep. As Hezel writes in the book鈥檚 intro, because of conserva鈥檚 rich sources of protein and omega-3, many a tin has powered overseas voyages and treks up Mount Everest.

But first, the trend: We鈥檙e not talking about squatty cans of Starkist tuna here. Instead, think of luxury imports like and , both from Spain where conserva is a lifestyle and an art form (just check out ). 鈥淭here are entire youTube channels, Instagram accounts, lines of merchandise, and subreddits dedicated to the topic of tinned seafood,鈥� Hezel says.

Think of Tin to Table (which is itself gorgeous and compact like the tins it celebrates) as a field guide of sorts. Page by page, Hezel walks you through the basics of conserva and why it鈥檚 become such a desirable product and where and how to experience it. And, of course, there are recipes鈥攎ore than 50 of them, ranging from salads and sandwiches to a happy hour trifecta of vermouth, thick-cut potato chips, and seafood straight from the tin.

But back to lunch or dinner on the trail, Hezel recommends bringing along a spectacular tin of olive oil-packed octopus for a delicious, completely out of the ordinary meal of lusty seafood marinated with chili powder and orange peel. Just don鈥檛 forget the baguette.

Of note, be mindful when heating seafood tins near the campfire, as you don鈥檛 want the cans鈥� linings getting too hot.

Octopus Marinated with Chili Powder and Orange Peel

Octopus packed in olive oil is one of the most luxurious treats you can buy in a tin for less than the cost of a glass of wine. The best tins contain perfectly portioned, bite-size pieces of tender, glossy purple octopus meat in a savory oil. These don鈥檛 need much tinkering to taste great, but I like to give them a quick warm bath in some garlicky, subtly spiced olive oil. The oil melds with the liquid from the can and a splash of fresh citrus and vinegar to create a broth you鈥檒l want to eat by the spoonful, or at least sop up with the heel of a baguette.

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With Cinco de Mayo upon us, restaurants spin tales of towering piles of tacos and carafes of margaritas鈥攁nd crowds. Tempting but鈥ot when you can stay in for the win.

Settled into your backyard, the first order of business is a batch of margaritas. Forget the typical sugary, chemically, artificial-everything mixes and aim for fresh ingredients.

Our margarita musts:

– A good recipe. Sure, you can wing it, but when cocktails hinge on balance, why would you? Click here for our favorite margarita recipes.

– Stock up on limes. Look for firm but still slightly squeezable fruit鈥攖oo firm indicates underipeness and less juice, too squishy signals that the citrus is past its prime. You can also scratch the lime鈥檚 skin to see if the fruit smells zesty and fresh. And, as with all citrus, choose fruit that feels heavy for its size (translation: there鈥檚 lots of juice inside).

– Fresh citrus juice. If you鈥檙e making just a few drinks, squeezing your own limes for margaritas is a snap. But if you鈥檙e filling pitchers you might want to use an electric juicer to get maximum squeeze in minimum time.

– Use variety. Change up your citrus by adding lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruit (again, click here for winning recipes).

– Use high-quality tequila. Aim for those made from 100 percent agave or a zero-proof spirit like .

– Don鈥檛 forget the salt! Go for big flakes like kosher or mix it up with , the limey, salty, spicy Mexican seasoning.

– Don鈥檛 sweat it. When all else fails (or you just don鈥檛 want to have to prep), bring in the pros like . Unlike run-of-the-mill mixers, these cold-pressed juices (they last 30 days in your fridge) contain no added sugars or preservatives. Twisted Alchemy also uses ugly fruit (the dented, bruised, or otherwise imperfect produce that often gets tossed) and composts 100 percent of the remaining rinds, seeds, and pulp.

Part two of the backyard Cinco de Mayo equation is homemade guacamole鈥攁nd this extra-special version is made on the grill. The recipe, which walks you through the art of charring avocados (plus jalape帽o, onion, and garlic) on a gas or charcoal grill appears in (America鈥檚 Test Kitchen, $29.99, April, 2023). The key is using ripe but firm avocados, otherwise you risk the fruit getting mushy.

Charred Guacamole

The post What We鈥檙e Eating and Drinking for Cinco de Mayo appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.