Memorial Day Weekend Is for BBQing. Period!

This, my friends, is a picture of Chloe the dog and me taking a ferry to Bainbridge Island on Saturday for a nice, beachy day trip. Notice the Gore-Tex jacket, the scarf and the ski hat? True, it was a bit cooler and wetter in the Seattle area this weekend than in most parts of the country.

As Dara and I thought about our friends in Chicago enjoying 90 degree heat and the four Bs (burgers, brats, beer and bags*), we knew we needed to keep calm and carry on. We needed to have a barbecue, too, darn it. Because that's what you do on Memorial Day weekend.

So on Sunday, a lovely group of 11 gathered at our house. There was 'Lil Sista and her fiancee, Dan; Chicago transplant Tamara, along with her husband Kevin and their adorable, toddling, plump-cheeked, cat-grabbing daughter Avery; Caroline and David, two more friends from Chicago who coincidentally moved here the same weekend we did; and the affable Ambika and Paul, friends of Caroline and David whom we just met.

We ate inside, of course...at our long, dark dining room table by candlelight. Not exactly what I had in mind for May 30, but it was cozy and fun, with lots of laughing and a colorful menu that featured many of the goods this wet climate is so good at producing -- if I may say so, a formidable rival to the four Bs.

*"Bags" is a colloquial term for a game called Cornhole or Corn Toss, which has become increasingly popular in Chicago backyards and alleys. (Personally, I say "bags" so I don't have to say "Cornhole.") The object of the game is to toss as many bags as possible into a hole. Said to have originated in Germany in the 14th century and revived in Kentucky and southern Ohio, it may be played with one hand while holding a beer in the other. For more information, visit the American Cornhole Association at www.playcornhole.org.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND BBQ MENU

Bar snacks:

-Sesame popcorn

-Salted peanuts

Buffet:

- Sweet & spicy braised pork ribs

- Herbed grilled chicken

- Cheddar and chive grits

- Red cabbage slaw with apples, red onion, golden raisins and a raspberry vinegar dressing

- Steamed asparagus and garlic shoots, served chilled and dressed lightly with olive oil and lime juice

Dessert:

- Lemon chiffon cake with whipped cream frosting & rhubarb compote

I'll elaborate more on each dish throughout the week. To start, life is short so let's talk about the cake.

I always come back to chiffon cake because it's perfect after a meal. It's light like an angel food cake, yet richer and not as sweet. It's airy like a sponge cake, but moister. This one is brightly flavored with lemon juice and lemon zest. (Meyer lemon juice and zest would taste even better.) I frosted it simply with whipped cream sweetened and colored with a reduction of rhubarb syrup from the accompanying compote.

LEMON CHIFFON CAKE WITH WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING & RHUBARB COMPOTE

This is the basic lemon chiffon cake recipe from Fine Cooking magazine's April/May 2000 issue, but the rhubarb extras are a new addition. Like an angel food cake, a chiffon cake requires an ungreased tube pan -- that's the donut-shaped round pan with high sides. While baking, the batter climbs and sides and sticks to them. Removing the cake from the oven, you want to invert the pan onto a wine bottle and let it cool that way, so it doesn't sink.

Serves 12-14

9 ounces (2 1/4 cups) cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil (like canola or corn)

7 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 recipe Rhubarb Compote (see below)

1 recipe Rhubarb Whipped Cream Frosting (see below)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Have ready a 10-inch tube pan with sides at least 3 3/4 inches high.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add oil, egg yolks, water, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on medium speed for 3 minutes, until smooth and thick. Set aside.

In a large, clean bowl with clean beaters or a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until whites are foamy. Increase the speed to high and beat the whites until the movement of the beaters forms lines in the mixture. Slowly pour in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, and beat the mixture until peaks are still but not dry.

With a large rubber spatula, stir about one-third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until no white steaks remain. Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan, spreading it evenly. Bake until you can gently press your fingers on top of the cake and it feels firm, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Any cracks that form on top should appear dry.

Invert the pan onto a bottle with a narrow neck (such as a wine bottle) and cool thoroughly, about an hour and a half. Use a thin metal spatula or knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and the center of the tube. Remove the cake from the pan and slide it onto a serving plate. Frost cake with whipped cream frosting and refrigerate it until ready to serve; to be sure that flavors of garlic and ribs don't mix with the frosting, cover the cake and its plate with a large bowl before you place it in the fridge.

When slicing the cake, serve each slice with a spoonful or two of rhubarb compote.

For Rhubarb Compote:

6 stalks rhubarb, trimmed and cut into a large dice

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer; turn heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, just until the rhubarb is tender but not falling apart. Use a slotted spoon to remove the rhubarb from the liquid; refrigerate the compote until ready to use. Boil the liquid until reduced until a thick, deep red syrup -- you'll need about 6 tablespoons. Strain this and use it to flavor and color the whipped cream frosting.

For Rhubarb Whipped Cream Frosting:

2 cups whipping cream

About 6 tablespoons reserved thick rhubarb syrup, cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

A few drops red food coloring if desired

Place whipping cream, rhubarb syrup and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add a few drips red food coloring if it's not quite saying "rhubarb" to you yet.