The Outdoor Kitchen

In warmer weather, outdoor kitchens offer home cooks the opportunity to prepare a wide variety of foods without the heat and lingering odors that can be problematic when cooking inside the house.

Nemo and I are huge fans of Great Lakes smelt.  Here, I'm preparing a batch on an outdoor cooktop designed for camping.  Set up in grass or on a paved surface with cardboard underneath, small oil droplets and odors aren't nearly as problematic as when cooking indoors.

A simple flat surface provides the cook with a place to set foods that are ready to cook or have just finished cooking.

"Before" shot of Nemo anxiously awaiting a smelt.

"After" shot following a tasty diced smelt tail.