The King and the Queen

We were still in early April but my husband, aka “king of grill,” was already yearning badly for firing up the grill again.  The winter we just had was pretty non-existed.  The spring that we are having now has temperature shot up to 70s or even 80s in some days prior to Easter.  Ms. Spring probably is feeling frustrated for not having enough time to show off her Spring beauty to the king while Ms. Summer is acting like a bully trying to kick Ms. Spring to the side in giving herself more time to melt the king's heart with her heat.   All that cat fight bewilder the king quite a bit he has to seek advices from his queen - "queen of marinate." The truth is that the queen also wants to show her best self.  So, she advised the king to also show his best self, regardless of whether Ms. Spring or Ms. Summer wins.  In her mind, what could be a better timing, when flowers are still blooming but scorching heat has not yet arrived, for both the king and the queen to show off their best selves?

So, here we are, king and queen, husband and wife, join together to create the magic of grilling, once again.  My king hubby wanted to grill steak but I remembered I still has a pack of beautiful pork ribs in the freezer longing to serve the king and queen.  King hubby wanted to cook the pork ribs the Carolina’s way but I protested.  The reason I protested because the Carolina's way would not let me show off my marinating skill.  In the end, the queen won, of course.  I marinated the ribs with my secret marinating recipe.  (All my marinating recipes are secret.)  It’s never failed though.  The king always was amazed at my marinating techniques - rubbing raw meat with my dedicated bare hands.  He said to me in teasing tone. "I cannot get to do things my Carolina's way because I have a gutsy queen.  You got that right, my king!

After allowing the ribs soaked in the "work of the queen" for an afternoon, it's time for the king to show off his best self.  No one could deny the excitement of the king the moment he put the well-marinated meat on the grill. The “king of grill” is truly a master in the art of grilling.  As his queen, I can’t tell you one single time he hasn't grilled perfect meat - no matter what type of meat.  (Well, except one type of meat: hasenpfeffers!)  The grilled meat always comes out heavenly juicy, tender and tasty.  The 2012 first grilled pork ribs were no exception.  Just by looking at the photo of the grilled pork ribs could make one drool furiously.  As a matter of fact, some of my friends who saw the photos called me.  Well, how could I blame them if I was the one who could just look at the photo but not have a bite?

Here is one piece of history.  Before the king is the "king of grill," he was the "prince of bartending."  And the fact that the prince has never left the king's body, he decided to show off his pre-king best self - just to send a message that he still has it.  He made each of us a glass of very MEAN dirty martini.  He dug out his best stash of Vodka from his liquor cabinet - a bottle of Russian Stolichnaya Vodka.  He also used the gourmet olives that were stuffed with jalapeno pepper to mix the drink with.  I kid you not.  Although the drink did kick the queen's ass and her mouth was on fire, she wholeheartedly accepted the challenge and gulped that fume-tasting drink down her throat like there was no tomorrow.  There was not even a tiny drip left in the glass.