Turkey Legs and Applewood Smoke

 

Joel comes over sometimes, I grill, we hang out and talk.  The first time he came he was not quite sure which apartment was mine – but as he later told me, he could smell the food from the parking lot.  Tonight he could smell it from inside his car in a parking lot down the street.  Turkey legs and apple wood.  With a little sea salt rubbed on skin before I grilled them. 

Savory smoke poured out of the grill for over an hour.

 

 

I really like cooking for people.

Cooking for friends, cooking for strangers, cooking with sisters.  You can hide behind a grill, you can avoid eye contact, talking while you flip burgers.  You don’t have to mingle but rather people come and talk to you.  There is a shy Neil.  He lurks in corners, and leans against walls. He gets really interested in your book collection or in scratching your dog behind the ears.  He’ll offer to do the dishes – cause for some reason it’s easier for him to talk to people when he’s busy with something. 

Shy Neil . . . he just shows up sometimes. But thankfully less and less these days.