I walk in the door with sweat still dewing my face, having just transitioned from goosebumpy temps at the office, walking through roasting heat, then into a baking sauna doubling as my dark-blue vehicle. In ninety-five degrees, the A/C has little hope of keeping up and it groans under the stress. I refocus on positive thoughts, the contents of my fridge: ribeye steaks, homemade Caesar salad fixings, and a few cold white wines. But wait, those two things don't mesh, right — steak and white wine? Perhaps a red would fare better like traditional cabernet sauvignon, a burly merlot or a smoky Spanish number? But my pits still glisten, so even chilled red wine isn't going to cut through this humid evening. (Read more about chilling red wines)
I sprinkle tart, savory Worcestershire sauce on the ribeyes, along with dry sherry, garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, ancho chile powder and fresh black pepper…. geez, I'm salivating already. Not sure how vegetarians live without the bounty of beef. That would just suck – a jiggling slab of grilled tofu doesn't reach the same level of toothsome culinary bliss. (Read about the best beef to buy)
This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2009.