There are not too many things better than being in the backyard in front of the grill in the summertime. And charcoal is the ONLY way to go for me!

There are also not too many things better than fresh, Jersey garden tomatoes this time of year. If you’re not blessed with your own home garden, pick up a pint of grape cherry tomatoes and try this recipe. Pineapples are also in season, and if you never teamed up these two sweet treats, now is the time for “Chicken Kabobs With Tomatoes & Pineapples.”

First, we are gonna marinate the tomatoes in a large zip-lock bag filled ¾ of the way with extra virgin olive oil and Balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of “Johnny’s Special Ten Spice Blend” (salt, cracked pepper, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic powder, granulated onion powder, thyme, red chili flakes, rosemary). Three tablespoons of each spice is perfect. Be sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can, then seal and refrigerate. After about a half hour or so, remove the tomatoes and core and dice a pineapple into about twelve to fourteen chunks.

Wash, skin and lightly salt and pepper eight chicken breasts and cut them into pieces. Soak some wooden shish-ka-bob skewers in warm water (you must do this whenever using wooden sticks on a grill so they don’t burn!) Build your skewers with tomatoes, chunks of chicken and pineapple and grill ‘em up baby…

OK, we can’t talk grillin’ without burgers! Here are my “Crazy Stuffed Burgers,” which will definitely leave you satisfied. Combine a pound of 80/20 ground chuck in a bowl, with the following ingredients: six roasted red pepper strips (diced up), diced pieces of pepperoni and salami (approximately four of each), ¼ cup shredded mozzarella, ¼ cup jarred marinated mushrooms, ½ cup of breadcrumbs, four eggs, three tablespoons of ketchup, two tablespoons of spicy brown mustard, two tablespoons of worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Shape four large burger patties and place them on the grill. Flip (only once) when you notice a crust forming underneath. Place two sun-dried tomatoes on top of each burger and a slice of cheddar cheese. Close grill lid and allow cheese to melt. Carefully remove them off the grill using a spatula and serve on potato rolls.

A cool side dish is this very easy “Tangy BBQ Rice.” Of course I always have to incorporate something Italian, and sharp provolone is the perfect melting cheese to finish off this sweet and savory sauced-up rice. First, boil up one pound of brown rice, drain and set aside. Now to whip up the tangy sauce to top the rice! In a medium sized pot, combine the following ingredients: about half a bottle of barbecue sauce and ¾ of a bottle of ketchup, three tablespoons of spicy brown mustard, three tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar, three tablespoons of honey, three tablespoons of butter, two tablespoons of diced garlic, a handful each of sugar and brown sugar, juice from a fresh lime. Allow the sauce to simmer on the stove for a half hour.

In a casserole pan, spread a layer of the sauce down and pour in rice. Shred some provolone cheese on top layer and then sprinkle panko breadcrumbs with a few pats of butter. Finish in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 400 degrees (or you can do this on the grill if you’d like). Just make sure the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs get to a bubbly crust.

Oh, and you can’t forget the salad. Salads come in all shapes and sizes, are filled with many types of ingredients, and can be crunchy and refreshing—or soggy and dull. It all depends on the quality of lettuce and the person who is tossing it. The insalate is a very important part of any meal (traditionally, in my home it is eaten at the end as a digestive). A nice green salad is pretty basic—but again, the quality of the lettuce can be nothing but the best—just picked, green and leafy. Romaine, arugula, Boston leaf, these are just a few of my favorites—and are excellent when all combined. And an ideal accompaniment to this dish is more of those amazing Jersey tomatoes—along with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. This is very simple—lettuce and tomatoes—but the freshness of those two vegetables, coupled with the precision and care that goes into the mixing bowl—makes it a simple pleasure.

To wash this all down, I have a refreshing cocktail that I call “Johnny’s Knocked-Up Lemonade.” Fill a cocktail shaker ¼ of the way with ice, pour in one shot of Caravella Limoncello, one shot of Mezzaluna Vodka, one shot of Zardetto Prosecco, squeeze in juice from one lemon (then toss a few lemon wedges into the shaker), fill the rest with Pellegrino Limonata, shake, shake, shake. Serve in a tall glass, garnish with mint.


Last but not least, I’m not much of a baker, but I have a delicious dessert recipe that comes courtesy of Marcia A. Russotto, author of the wonderful book, “Always on Sunday, Memories of an Italian Childhood,” which was an absolute joy of a read. Marcia was kind enough to mail me an autographed copy. The reason: “just because I like his name!!” This is for a cookie called “Snowballs,” which I made with the assistance of my fiancé—and I must say—they came perfect! (Snowball also happens to be the name of my little white furry dog, but he only gets Milkbones.) The ingredients are as follows: one cup butter or margarine (softened), ½ cup confectioner’s sugar, one teaspoon vanilla, 2 ¼ cups flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts.

To make…Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix thoroughly the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Work in flour, salt, and nuts until dough holds together. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. While warm, roll in confectioner’s sugar. Cool. Makes about 4 dozen.

Salud’ and mangia!

Hopefully soon, my dream to publish THE JOHNNY MEATBALLS BOOK, (a collection of all my homemade recipes, along with stories of growing up “CUGINE”) will finally come true. Stay tuned! In the meantime, if you have any questions, requests or recipes you’d like me to cook (I’ll share the recipe here and give props to any contributor), e-mail me at: [email protected].