BBQ Fool's Visit to Maui and "The Teralani 2"

It has been a while since I have been to one of my favorite places: Maui, Hawaii. This year, we made the trek with family and friends, and Maui once again did not fail to deliver on good times, and of course, good food. One of the highlights of our trip was all-day snorkeling and whale watching cruise on the "Teralani 2." It is a massive catamaran with a crew that was just out of this world. Of course, the whale watching and snorkeling were tremendous BUT the food and drink were great too!! To be honest, I was dreading the "food" as these kinds of things are notorious for bad food. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to see a "grill" bolted onto the stern of the boat!!  What a treat! We were going to fire up the grill!!! Burgers, dogs, teriyaki chicken, and fresh grilled fish were simple and amazing. Of course, with that view and a Maitai to wash it all down, how could you go wrong anyway! We didn't! It was fabulous!!

As usual, I poked my nose right into all the grilling and cooking and had a great chat with the crew driving the grill. Great fun. Simple preparation, a little ambient smoke from the carbon on the burners, and we had some great island barbecue. I can't thank the crew of the "Teralani 2" enough for their hospitality and for guiding us through a great day!! Next time you are in Maui, look up the Teralani; they will give you a great experience and great "back-of-the-boat" BBQ!!

As I have said many times, BBQ to me is all that is cooked over an open flame OR cooked with the use of charcoal or wood as the heat source. Whether grilled, smoked, charred, or camp-fired, it is all BBQ to me!!! And a visit to the Native American-owned, "Chee's Frybread Shack" outside of Gallup, New Mexico near the Arizona/New Mexico border is no exception. Just east of the Arizona / New Mexico border on the north side of Interstate 40 is Chee's General Store, Souvenir Shop, and Frybread Shack. This was my second year stopping for a bite on a trip across the country and once again, the Frybread did not disappoint.

Frybread is a Native American tradition that has been carried on by many families over the years and there are as many variations as there are family traditions. A special dough is made from milk (sometimes powdered milk), flour, yeast, and seasonings. It is then fried in lard or shortening in a pan over an open flame. It puffs and bubbles to perfection as it is just kissed with a hint of smoke. It is then topped with any number of ingredients. Some like them sweet, drizzled with honey. Some like them savory with cheese and salsa or perhaps with barbecued or smoky beans. I like them savory! On this visit, I tried the Frybread with Beans (See mine inset). The bread was bubbled a bit crispy on the outside, hot, soft, and chewy on the inside. The beans were smoky and dripped down my face as I bit into the savory disc. Topped with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, it was just sublime. I don't think I spoke to anyone in my family until it was gone. My kids were silent as well as they devoured theirs with honey and powdered sugar. Wash it all down with an iced tea or sweet tea, and it's heaven!!

If you are in the neighborhood and looking for a real treat, stop at Chee's Frybread Shack and indulge in something that many people may never get a chance to experience—real deal Native American frybread. Try them all!! You'll dream about them from that moment on!!