As I’m writing this, Arkansas restaurants are just now beginning to slowly traverse the idea of re-opening; a delicate balancing act between keeping customers and staff alike safe while trying to calculate how exactly to reduce volume and capacity without going broke. The restaurant business already has a razor thin margin for success, but this “Dining in the Time of Covid” makes an insanely difficult endeavor even more challenging...and the real impact won’t truly be realized for months and years to come.

In the meantime, as lovers of cuisine wait their turn to support area restaurants and eat out, we opt to nourish and entertain ourselves by cooking in. This year’s Thrill of the Grill feature showcases four delicious, simple recipes that were specifically designed to create with your family or close friends. Many of the ingredients may already be in your fridge or pantry, but feel free to substitute like items in any of the recipes, especially in regard to herbs, oils and vinegar. In fact, sometimes nothing in the world is more satisfying than playing “mad scientist” in the kitchen, especially under the guidance of other family members.