Paula: Lately I’ve been obsessed with baking on the grill. There have been brownies with a smoky “bark,” apple galettes, and smoked date sticky pudding. I don’t know why it took me so long to get to cornbread. 

Scott: The PK Grill is so good for baking and the portability of it means you don’t have to leave baking behind now when you cook outside whether it’s on your back porch or camping or tailgating. I’m excited for this “true” cornbread recipe because of the char flavor you incorporate by blistering the corn and serranos on the grill.

Paula: When I make burgers, I always go for freshly ground meat. If you buy packed meat that resembles a hockey puck, chances are your burgers will have the same dense texture.

Scott: I’ve eaten a few McDensities with cheese over the years and I couldn’t agree more. Freshly ground meat is a must for a killer burger. I’m not afraid to mix in a bit of pork sausage with my ground meat if I’m really trying hard to impress. Why is that so tasty?

Paula: I’m a fair weather sports fan (a couple broad questions about quarterback stats or draft picks would make this painfully clear). But on Sunday, I’ll do couch time with much of America because I love the commercials, the Puppy and Kitten bowl, and especially “game time” snacks. A televised competition (THE BIG GAME!) is a magnificent gateway to spicy wings, nachos for dinner, and rich, creamy dips awaiting crunchy snacks, right?

Scott: Pork and Beans is one of those dishes that takes you way back. My mother was fond of Van Camp’s brand Pork and Beans. She also kept plenty of Beanee Weanee on hand. I have to confess I felt a little weird typing that just now.

Paula: Meanwhile, I needed to Google Beanee Weanee to see if they’re still around (your nostalgic dreams can come true here.) A throwback combo for sure--canned pork and beans remind me of a Brady Bunch episode in which Bobby and Peter hid the mixture in a flashlight, as a meal for their lost Native American friend. Promise me you’ll never serve me food from the barrel of an emptied out metal flashlight.

Scott: I promise not to do that because that is precisely where I would keep my collection of tiny Jack Daniels bottles and single package of waterproof matches.