Symon's Dinners Cooking Out

Introduction

Every cookbook that I’ve written has been a labor of love, and this one is no different. Even though the recipes change, as does the theme, what remains consistent from book to book is the approach we have when starting out. From the moment I first start jotting down notes and ideas, the goal of each cookbook is to help people live a more delicious life. Sometimes that’s by offering up quick and easy dishes that can be made with five fresh ingredients (Michael Symon’s Five in Five), other times it’s by producing the very best live-fire cookbook on store shelves (IMHO . . . Playing with Fire), or maybe it’s about sharing recipes and a game plan for cooks dealing with inflammation issues like me who don’t want to sacrifice flavor and joy in their meals (Fix It with Food).

No matter what the subject, I am proud of every cookbook that I’ve put out—I’m looking at you, Simply Symon Suppers! That said, this one occupies a special place in my heart. Its genesis stretches all the way back to Day 1 of the lockdown in 2020. That’s when we had the crazy idea to start filming live cooking shows in my home kitchen. I know it feels like ancient history now, but those were such crazy times, when restaurants were closed or just doing takeout and many ingredients were not available at local grocery stores. So, Liz, Olivia, and I turned to the iPhone camera and began shooting unscripted one-hour cooking shows that relied on a combination of basic ingredients and pantry staples. Because they streamed live, people could type in questions to be answered in real time, with rambunctious little Norman the puppy romping in the background. At a time when the only news around felt like bad news, those shows managed to foster a real sense of community and give people something to look forward to. I know they did for me and my family.

Thanks to the incredible team at Food Network who pushed the content out across all of their social media channels, we quickly developed a massive following for those unconventional cooking shows. Those early #SymonDinners evolved into Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, which took the freewheeling party out of the kitchen and into the backyard. What started in the summer of 2020, with me, Liz, and Liv doing our thing, is still a Food Network hit.

When I’m cooking outside—filming or not—the last thing I want to do is split my time between my indoor kitchen and the grill. I truly believe that anything that can be made inside can be made outside on a standard charcoal grill. Yes, I will admit that it might be easier to do some things indoors, like boiling water for pasta or baking a finicky cake, but where is the fun and adventure in that?!

The number one thing that I love about cooking—and why I have devoted my life to it—is that food brings people together. It did with Simply Symon Suppers and it does with Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, and it will when you gather family and friends in the backyard and prepare the recipes in this book, from easy starters to pasta, steak, and cake, all made on the grill.

Hey, I’m not crying, you’re crying!

Much love to all!

MS