Summer is the season of paradox.
It is lazy, yes. And heaven knows I look forward to some serious indolence, like binge- watching “Babylon Berlin” till my eyes itch. But summer is also a time to work on things I have been putting off, like walking at least 30 minutes a day, organizing the basement and perfecting my pie crust recipe.
Grilling, I find, brings those two summertime attitudes together. There’s something both lazy and productive about the endeavor. I can drink a couple of beers and still produce something worthwhile.
This being the official start of a long season, I’d like to make a suggestion to help the twain of sloth and industriousness to meet: Use the whole grill surface to cook a variety of items at one go whenever you prepare a meal.
When grilling, many of us cook only a main dish that we intend to eat right away, such as a steak or hot dogs. Using the grill to cook every element of a meal — or additional dishes that you can enjoy at a future date — develops your grilling skills, lends your home a restaurant’s mise-en-place approach to meal preparation and inspires spontaneity and creativity, the handmaidens of true laziness.