Summer comfort foods are often related to family picnics. The Andersons had a tradition of bringing together all of their family relatives for the fourth of July picnic. Great Grandpa Joe's barbeque always brought smiles to everyone. Great Grandma Sue once said that she married Joe because he grilled the meanest chicken west of the Mississippi. Whether she said that to make him feel good about his cooking or not is still a family discussion.

Since the 1960's, great Grandma Sue has been taking over the preparation of barbeque chicken. The family secret barbeque rub is prepared a week ahead of the picnic event. Time and care and heart are all important ingredients for comfort foods. Great Grandma Sue always would tell the little Andersons that preparing the chicken is like a full-time job. Whether that is true or not, great Grandma Sue would wink when she says this.

The marination starts the afternoon before the picnic. The chicken pieces are smothered in the barbeque rub, covered in plastic wrap airtight, then left in the refrigerator until the following morning. The chicken is then brought up to room temperature in her kitchen for about an hour before hitting the hot grill. Great Grandma Sue would say that the chicken needed to prepare itself for the hot grill. That special preparation is what makes it comfort food, she would say.

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