Austin is now the trendy number one city, but back in the eighties it was more laid back – not so many skyscrapers and urban hipsters. Just outside of town, you'd be likely to run into old cowboys, ranch hands, and a diamondback or two. And just maybe – an accidental death not as accidental as it seems…

Celebrate barbecue season with these delicious grilling choices: Corn on the Cob and Sausage. The recipes are from Different Drummer’s own The Serpent’s Tooth: A Texas Mystery, which ends with a glorious outdoor feast.

Today’s recipe is from a prominent character in The Serpent’s Tooth:

GARY CHOIRBY: Charlotte’s professor husband, whose skeptical mind balances his wife’s impetuous one. A naturally quiet scholar, when he speaks up Charlotte knows it’s important.

Foil Wrapped Corn on the Cob

Directions for Grilled Corn:

Two Seasoning Recipes for Grilled Corn on the Cob:

Cilantro and Lime (a yummy grilled seasoned corn on the cob recipe with a little lime juice for added flavor.

On each piece of corn, spread 1-2 Tablespoons of butter onto it. Now you can sprinkle it with parmesan cheese or add a little minced fresh cilantro (my favorite!). Squeeze a tiny bit of lime on top.

Garlic and Thyme (Another yummy one!)

Mix butter, garlic, thyme salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Rub about 1 Tablespoon of the mixture on each ear of the corn. Sprinkle with a little parmesan & parsley.

Directions

· Take your corn and pull back the husks and peel the entire husk off. Some people like leaving the husks on to grill the corn in the husks, but I’d rather take them off.

· Remove the silk from it. (This is a great activity for your kids. Our kids actually ask me if they can ‘peel the corn’ for me, so I send them onto the porch with corn, a large bowl, and a garbage can.)

· Rinse it well with the cold water.

· You can either leave them big or cut each piece in half.

· Season with one of the seasoning recipes found above. You can even leave it plain and just season it with a little butter, salt & black pepper. One of my friends even likes to season it with cayenne pepper.

· Now wrap the corn (each piece individually) in aluminum foil.

· Grill the corn for 15 to 20 minutes (you will want to place them in high heat – around 350-400 degrees)

· Optional: You can take it off, unwrap it and place the corn back on (without the foil) for a minute longer, to let it get the grill marks.

· Serve it immediately. This is always a family favorite!

Your Modern Family.com

Grilled Sausage

Sausage should always be heated to an internal temperature of 165°F. When the natural juices of the sausage break through the casing, that’s a great indicator that the sausage is ready.

Always grill sausage over indirect heat. Simply build your coals on one side of the grill and place the sausage on the other side of the grill. If using a gas grill, cook the sausage on the opposite end from the heat. Grill at 300-350°F turning the sausage once during cooking time. Fully Smoked sausage should be grilled for 15-20 minutes until 165°F. Fresh (Raw) sausage should be grilled for 40-50 minutes until 165°F. The heat can be reduced as desired, but in this case the cooking time will need to be increased.

Southside Market.com