arts & life dining in Celebrate Father’s Day by heating up the grill — and plenty of other treats, too. Annabel Cohen Food Columnist I t used to be that Father’s Day was the biggest day of the year for making collect calls to Dad. Today, that seems quaint — and replaced by feeding him to honor him. But just try making a dinner reservation for Sunday, June 19. Though this holiday is fairly new (it wasn’t until 1966 that President Johnson approved this day as a holiday and, incredibly, it wasn’t until 1972 that Congress actually declared Father’s Day a national holiday), it’s as important as Mother’s Day, but so much easier because it’s grill season! Steaks on the grill are fabulous, but we’ve got some ideas you might like beyond the beef. Serve them along with any artery-clog- ging red-meat thing Dad wants. BARBECUED CHICKEN WITH SPICYPEPPER SAUCE Sauce: 2 roasted red bell peppers, jarred or canned (or roast at 400°F on a baking sheet or grill until the skin is dark, bring to room temperature and peel skins) ½ cup tomato paste ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup fresh lemon or lime juice 2-3 medium garlic cloves, to taste 2 tsp. ground cumin 2 tsp. ground coriander 2 1 tsp. fennel seeds 2 tsp. smoked paprika Kosher or sea salt to taste Chicken: 1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into 6-8 pieces Olive oil Kosher or sea salt to taste Caraway seeds, garnish Prepare the sauce: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Reserve half the sauce as a marinade. Cook the chicken: Preheat the grill to medium. Rub the chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper. Allow the chicken to come 48 June 16 • 2016 Dear Ol’ Dad to room temperature. Place the chicken on the grill and leave it there until the pieces lift easily from the grate, 10-15 minutes (if the grill is too hot, the skin will char; the chicken on the bone must cook slowly). Turn the chicken and cook on all sides, brushing with reserved sauce in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Serve the chicken with the sauce on the side. Makes 4-6 servings. Note: If you want to use bone- less and skinless chicken breasts, marinate the chicken in the sauce and grill on both sides until just cooked through (do not overcook, as it will dry out the meat). SASSY AND SWEET BARBECUE SAUCE The perfect all-purpose sauce. 2 cups ketchup ½ cup minced onions 1 cup water ½ cup red-wine vinegar ½ cup light-brown sugar 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (smooth or grained) 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. fresh ground black pep- per 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste ½ tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour. Makes 12 servings. THE SWEETEST CORNONTHECOB Corn can be sweet and it can be bland — this recipe will make any corn-on-the-cob better. My trick is to boil the corn for a minute and keep it in the hot water until ready to serve. Water 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice ¼ cup (1 stick) butter, optional 6 or more ears corn-on-the- cob, husked (may be broken in half) Fill a large pot of water with butter, juice and sugar and bring to a boil over high heat. Drop the ears in water and bring to a boil again. Turn off the heat, put a lid on the pot and let the corn sit in the hot water until ready to serve. Makes 6 or more servings. CRUNCHY GREEN SALAD WITH DIJON VINAIGRETTE Kale can be easily substituted for the romaine lettuce in this recipe. Salad: 8 cups (or more) 2-inch pieces romaine lettuce 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-add- ed garbanzo beans, drained 1 cup chopped cucumber 1 cup chopped broccoli florets 1 cup chopped red or yellow bell peppers 1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes (any color) 1 cup chopped parsley ½-1 cup chopped scallions (white and green parts) ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin or squash seeds) Dressing: ¼ cup red-wine vinegar ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (smooth or grained) 1 tsp. sugar ½ tsp. fresh ground pepper (or more to taste) Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Add more dressing, salt and pepper to taste. Make 6-8 servings. BRUSSELS SPROUTS ANDPOTATO KEBABS You can mix these or do each type of veggie on its own skewer, as I do. In a pinch, I use frozen Brussels sprouts, defrosted (no need to boil). 1 pound of Brussels sprouts, trimmed at the base and outer leaves removed 1 pound tiny white or gold pota- toes (or larger potatoes cut into 1½ half-inch cubes or chunks) Marinade: ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. honey 2 Tbsp. grained Dijon mus- tard 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sprouts and pota- toes and cook for 4-5 minutes until bright green and still hard. Transfer to a colander and drain well, rinsing under cold water. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Transfer the potatoes and sprouts to a bowl and add the marinade. Toss well with your hands to coat. Skewer the vegetables. Thread 4-6 sprouts and potatoes on each skewer — reserving any remain- ing marinade (or keep it simple and keep each vegetable on its own skewer). Note: The sprouts should be cooked through enough to skewer — if not, microwave a minute or two until the sprouts are tender enough. Heat grill to high. Grill the skewers on all sides until charred. Brush with any remaining mari- nade and serve. Makes 6-8 serv- ings. DIPPIN’ S’MORES 1½ cups semisweet or other dark chocolate chips 12 or more large marshmal- lows Graham crackers (for dipping) Preheat oven to 300°F. Put chips in an attractive shal- low baking dish (I use ceramic). Bake for 5 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. Top with the marshmallows. Place the dip back in the oven on a middle shelf. Heat oven to broil and cook until tops are charred and browned. Remove from heat and serve with graham crackers. Makes 8 or more servings. * All recipes ©Annabel Cohen 2016 annabelonthemenu@gmail.com.