Summertime eats: Any way you grill it

By Sara Thompson

Special to the Enterprise

Cooking outdoors has been around since people started cooking food.

Summertime is a favorite for outdoor grilling and cooking.

With temperatures warming up, many do not want to unnecessarily warm their homes from cooking, so they move to the outdoors. Outdoor grilling is a safe option for preparing meals as long as equipment is properly used and maintained. There are several types of outdoor cooking methods and everyone has their own preferences.

One of the most common types of grill is a gas grill. These large grills are connected to a propane tank or can connect to a natural gas line. A hose supplies the fuel to the burners of the grill and a spark is used to ignite them. Dials connected to the burners make temperature adjustment easy and convenient.

You can also adjust different burners to different levels to cause both direct and indirect heat for the food. Direct heat is when the food is immediately adjacent to the heat source and can create a nice sear on the food, sealing juices inside. Indirect heat is when the food is not directly next to the heating source. In a gas grill someone could turn on the left side burner, but place meat on the right side. With the lid closed the environment is still warm and can cook food at a slow rate and not risk burning.

Gas grills to tend to be more expensive and need to be connected to a tank or other gas source. If propane runs out or not hooked up properly to a hose, the grill is rendered inoperable.

Pets of the week

Enterprise staff

Lots of animals are waiting for “forever homes” at the Yolo County Animal Shelter, 2640 E. Gibson Road in Woodland.

Among them is Pickles (A200498), a social, 2-year-old husky who is a gentle giant. Pickles is a gorgeous red husky with an energetic personality; his foster mom says he loves to be active, a routine and splashing in a kids pool. Pickles has been a jogging companion for his foster mom, too — he is an affectionate boy and will thrive in an active home.

Also hoping for a good home is Fiera (A203150), a 13-week-old kitten who is full of life and lots of fun. Fiera is confident, darling and has stunning eyes that melt your heart. For information on adopting, contact adoptycas@gmail.com. All shelter animals are up-todate on vaccinations, microchipped, and spayed or neutered. Staff is available to assist via phone during business hours at 530-6685287. Shelter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. To meet any adoptable YCAS animals, visit friendsofycas.org. To volunteer, sign up at tinyurl.com/yolovolunteerapp. Follow on at @ ycas.shelter and Instagram at @yoloanimalshelter.

At Rotts of Friends Animal Rescue, you’ll find Trinity, a spayed female 2-year-old Rottweiler cross. She is a dog- and people-friendly girl who loves to play were the stuffed toys and loves water play. Trinity needs a brush-up on her obedience training, but she comes with free lifetime classes. She has a heart of gold and

Another popular type is charcoal grills. This type is often less expensive but is very easy to use. Instead of gas this variety uses either preformed charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal, each have their pros and cons. Either way, these substances are lit and burn slowly to keep the fire going for long periods of time. This type of grill takes longer to heat up before any cooking begins, but once heated cooking is simple. Like a gas grill, the charcoal can be arranged to provide direct and indirect heat. Because this style actively burns

Pickles

will be a wonderful addition for a family or single.

Betty is a very young Rottweiler/Doberman cross with a natural tail. She's a super-fun, playful girl who plays well with other dogs. Super moldable and with a goofy personality, she will be a wonderful jogging or hiking pal for a single or family.

The next Rotts of Friends adoption event is from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 8, at 34505 County Road 29 in Woodland. Come by 10 a.m., as it takes at least an hour to meet and adopt a dog; a physical fuel it will need cleaned after each use, which can be time consuming. However, one of the draws of this variety is the distinct “smoky” flavor associated with it.

Smokers are not technically a grill but use similar principles. It cooks food over long periods of time, usually hours to days. Food is not exposed to direct heat but is cooked indirectly. The smoke generated by burning different woods will dry the exterior of meats, sealing in any juices, then the heat will continue to cook it the remainder of the way. This also generates a sought after smokey flavor which can change depending on the type of wood used.

No matter what your favorite way to cook outdoors is, remember to follow any and all safety steps. Wash fruits and vegetables and cook meats to recommended internal temperatures to ensure safe food consumption.

Explorit's coming events: n Visit our exhibit “Explorit Rocks!” and explore rocks, fossils, minerals, and crystals. Open to the public on Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. Explorit Members, ASTC, and those age 2 and under free. n Now is a great time to donate and help Explorit continue to educate and inspire the scientists of tomorrow: https:// www.explorit.org/donate n Now booking school programs for the 2023-24 school year. For more information, please visit https://www.explorit.org/programs. To reserve call 530-756-0191.

— Explorit Science Center is at 3141 Fifth St. For information, call 530-756-0191 or visit http:// www.explorit.org, or "like" the Facebook page at www.facebook. com/explorit.fb.

Fiera Trinity Betty

everyone who will be living with the dog should come out to meet it.

Bring proof of homeownership, such as a mortgage statement or property tax bill. If you rent, bring proof that you are allowed to have a dog in your home, such as a pet clause in your lease or a note from your landlord.

All dogs adopted from Rotts of Friends are healthy, microchipped, upto-date on their vaccines and come with free lifetime obedience-training classes. For information, visit facebook.com/rottsoffriends.

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