Antonio is the first to arrive, the last to leave and never disappoints
by Leanne Smoliak
Outdoor entertaining is in full swing at the Smos. Garden parties are our favourites. We designed our yard to host large gatherings for casual, food-focused summer merrymaking.
Summer cooking is done outside. We cook with a big Vermont Castings gas grill, a Weber kettle charcoal grill, a Japanese yakitori and Antonio, a California-made forno pizza oven. The gas grill doesn’t get much use in the summer. It is primarily for the winter and sits close to the patio doors. Although, during fire season, it may be the only grill that gets any use this year. We are lovers of lump charcoal and wood. The Weber is our steak grill. We often fire it up with wood only. Nothing cooks a nice fatty ribeye better. When we think of steak in our house, we don’t leave out pork. Prime cut beef steaks every weekend is not possible, pork is just as good, or better, and amazing value.
Brad and Antonio making pizza
The yakitori grill is fun for grilling skewered meats over charcoal. It’s interactive and perfect for little appetizers—street-style marinated chicken, beef, pork, vegetables or fish.
And then there is Antonio. If you know Brad at all, you know he names everything. Antonio has been a member of our family for 10 years. He is part of every occasion and is always the center of attention. There is an art to getting Antonio to perform at his finest and Brad has this mastered. Most people would start and stop at pizza. Not us, pizza is only the beginning. Brad’s dough, the absolute best I have come across, makes the perfect thin (but not too thin) crust, soft, with some bubbles, crusty crackly edges, and just the right chew. We lay out some toppings—the simple Margherita wins every time—prosciutto with arugula, Fuge Italian sausage with mushroom are great choices too. Next up is something roasted. Often a spatchcocked chicken, or a whole fish stuffed with fresh herbs and lemon. We also roast every vegetable imaginable. Tossed with some good butter or olive oil and fresh herbs, nothing says summer more.
Antonio can even bake a pie. By the time dinner is winding down Antonio’s temperature has decreased, and he is ready to get dessert going. A cherry crostata is the perfect choice for a mid-summer treat.
After dessert, when the sun is setting, Brad stokes Antonio with fresh wood and we have a roaring fire. Everyone cozies up and we spend the rest of the evening enjoying the twinkling lights of the yard and the glow of the fire, resting comfortably with our full bellies.
