The Weber warms the vineyards with scents of smoked wood.

Our vineyard farm house always seemed like the ideal summer vacation home. A pool, constant breeze on our side of the hill, nice shade at times from the house, and land full of different gardening wonders. Yet, it was always missing a touch of “party life”. You see, the Italians don’t have dinner parties and barbecues like Americans do. It’s not in their culture. An italian will only eat out with company, unless they have a house impress enough, with perhaps a servant or extra family member to help serve and cook. They don’t want to invite you to their house to eat what you could eat at your own.

So maybe our farm needs a little American beefing. A “Weber” grill seems to be just what we were looking for. My mom was the driving force behind the idea. She had good memories of easily firing up her Weber throughout college. (man, I feel like I’m advertising for Weber now..) 

I started my grilling experience with some nice italian lamb chops. There is a myth that lamb chops are expensive. I guess it doesn’t apply to Italy because we got about 50 dollars worth of lamb chops for about 25 dollars (18 euro). And man, they’re cheaper and much tastier. My mom showed me how to fire up the weber using the efficient chimney method. Then my dad gave me some tips on grilling. I grilled the chops with rosemary, pepper, a touch of olive oil, and a lot of salt. To get the flavor of the meat, you need a lot of salt. Just like salting tomatoes or pasta.

The Weber seems to be working well; my mom can’t stop talking about organizing a barbecue. Plus, the aroma of a nice wood fire adds great flavor to the incredible italian meats. It’s too bad Italians don’t grill more. The few who do can really pull out something spectacular.

Grilled lamb chops with a side of fresh tomato and grilled eggplant.

The Weber’s chimney heats the wood faster.

The first grilled plate of many.