Where the Meal Begins and the Ordinary Ends

Cooking isn’t merely the act of preparing a meal—it’s an art, an invitation, a ritual. It’s early morning and you’re in the backyard, all sunshine and soft breezes, and on the wide stone counter before you sits a large brisket coated in your favorite dry rub. You open the drawer where your seasoned oak is stacked, load the firebox, and light the grill. Soon the air is thick with the unmistakable scent of hardwood smoke as the temperature holds steady at 225. You close the lid and…