Risk Free Assessment
With the summer coming up, I am excited to start spending more time out on the deck, and that usually means more grilled food! I love the sounds and smells of food on the grill, and it brings back great memories. I can still picture my dad coming home from the office, and changing out of his suit and tie, and keeping on his white dress shirt, and slipping into a pair of shorts and loafers, then finding his place in front of the grille like a proud Grill Master! Then when I was in college, my buddy Jon and I would scrape together whatever money we had to buy a case of Busch Light beer and a couple of chicken breasts, which we marinated in a Ziploc bag of Italian salad dressing, and proudly grilled up on our little Weber charcoal grill!
After college though, I lived in places were having a grill just was not plausible. So when Nicole and I moved into a townhouse in Alexandria and we had a deck which could accommodate a grill, I was so excited! I romanticized about making my own grilling memories with my own family!
However, as my sight continued to diminish, it became harder for me to grill the way I used to. I was having trouble seeing the food on the grill, and not knowing if I had flipped a burger or not – who wants a piece of meat that’s only cooked on one side (that could be a fast track to the toilet, or even worse the hospital!) The other challenge I faced was losing pieces of food through the grates of the grill, and I did not dare try rescuing them in between the streams of gas flames.
I tried out buying different types of spatulas and grilling prongs, with the hope that it would help, but nothing worked. As a result, every time I opened the grill, it wasn’t a puff of smoke that came out, but rather dust! And I wasn’t making the memories that I had hoped for. That’s until I came across a fish grilling basket!
A fish grilling basket is Designed to cradle delicate fillets or whole fish. The basket typically features a metal grid that securely locks around the fish, from the top and bottom, and holds the food in place while it lays on top of the grill. This limits pieces of fish falling through the grates or sticking to the grill—just evenly cooked, perfectly charred fish (on both sides of it!) That’s because the long handle made it easy to flip the entire basket, ensuring both sides were properly cooked.
When I saw this, I realized that the fish grilling basket could just be the solution to all my grilling problems – and it was! I started to cook burgers, chicken, steak, and everything else I could imagine in the basket, and I was able to ensure that I was cooking both sides of the food, and nothing was slipping through the grates! It was awesome!
I’d love to tell you that since I found my fish grilling basket solution, that my boys will have fond memories of me standing proudly in front of the grill with a T-shirt, hat backwards, and a pair of sunglasses, but sadly that’s not the case! In fact, I think we only grilled twice last summer!
I think the main challenge for me is that we only use the grill in the evenings, and by then, the mosquitoes are out, and I just don’t have the energy to deal with everything that goes into grilling! I know, I’m making lots of excuses here, but I am an early bird, and grilling isn’t a morning thing. Well, that’s what I thought until I went to my cousin’s house and saw an outdoor griddle for the first time!
An outdoor griddle is like having a Japanese hibachi flat top on your deck. Unlike traditional grills with grates, a griddle has a smooth, flat cooking surface that heats evenly.
My Cousin’s griddle had a 36-inch black cast iron cooktop, which created a high contrast between the cooking surface and the food. This made it easier for me to see what was cooking, even with my limited vision. We also used the griddle in the morning, making pancakes and bacon for a tasty family brunch! With the griddle, I didn’t have to worry about food falling through the cracks and because of the high contrast, I was able to tell if I had flipped the food over using just a spatula! Also, because the griddle was so large, and had a raised lip around the cooking surface, I didn’t have to worry about flipping or moving food out of the grill (which has happened more than I want to admit!)
Another concern the griddle solved, compared to the grill, was the grease flare ups that sometimes happen when cooking burgers or other fatty foods. This wasn’t a major issue of mine (maybe because I couldn’t see it!), but it was for my dad whenever I was grilling. With the griddle, you aren’t dealing with a direct flame, but you do need to be cautious of touching the large cooking surface, which is also a safety concern.
I haven’t yet made the investment in my own griddle, but I am thinking about it, and in the meantime, I’ll definitely pull out my fish grilling basket a few more times this summer! However, regardless, I do believe outdoor cooking is accessible for folks with limited vision, and it shouldn’t stop anyone from making great summertime memories (and filling your tummy with great tasting food!)
If you are interested in “Asking the Blind Guy for Directions” with grilling, or anything else, reach out! And don’t forget to get your copy of “Don’t Ask the blind guy for Directions” and learn how I’ve navigated the world while losing my sight!