Yesterday, for our Memorial Day dinner, Sky and I decided to do something special. As usual, she took care of the dessert (more about that later), so that left me taking care of dinner. Our menu:

Pork Spare Ribs with Bobby Flay’s Rib Dry Rub and corn on the cob

Seasoned Baked Potatoes

Sky’s Watermelon Basket

Dry Rubbed Pork Spare Ribs
Ingredients:
1 rack of pork spare ribs
1 recipe of Bobby Flay’s Rib Dry Rub Recipe (below)
How I did it:
I rubbed the ribs with the rib rub (wow–say that 10 times fast!) and placed them on a high-sided (about 1 inch) cookie sheet; then placed them in the oven, which was preheated to 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I then turned the oven down and left them in for 2 more hours. After that, I cooked them over the coals to give them that barbecued flavor and texture. They got a bit too done on the outside but the rib meat inside was fabulous!
What I would do differently:
The recipe was fabulous, but I would use fewer coals so they wouldn’t burn. That’s about it–these were wonderful!

Bobby Flay’s Rib Dry Rub Recipe (Food Network)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Pack on the dry rub onto your next rack of ribs.

Roasted Corn on the Cob (Adapted from the “Roasted Corn on the Cob” recipe on Nuxx.net)
Ingredients:
Unshucked corn on the cob
Hot coals
Wire rack (for over the coals)
How I did it:
First, I soaked all the corn in water for about 30 minutes. Next, I carefully peeled back all of the shucks and removed all of the cornsilk (the hairy stuff inside the shucks). Last, I closed up the shucks (I used twist ties to keep them closed) and put them over the hot coals for about 1.5 hours.
What I would do different next time:
While these corn cobs came out super nummy, I would take the time to soak the corn for about two hours so it got good and waterlogged, which would likely help the corn to steam a little better inside the shucks. It might help the shucks not to dry out so quickly and burn off at the tips as well. Otherwise, these were fabulous!

Seasoned Baked Potatoes
Ingredients:
Medium baked potatoes, with holes fork-poked into them (about 8 pokes with a fork should do it)
Olive oil
Pastry brush (or hands, if you don’t mind getting dirty)
Seasoned salt
Aluminum foil squares (about 12×12, or whatever size fits your potatoes)
How I did it:
First, I layered my aluminum foil squares on the counter, one piece for each potato that I was going to bake. Second, I used the pastry brush to “paint” olive oil on the middle of the first layer of aluminum foil; then I sprinkled some seasoned salt onto the oil. Third, I placed my first “poked” potato on the oil and seasoned salt; then I painted and seasoned the rest of the potato so all sides were covered with oil and seasoned salt. Last, I wrapped up the potato. I followed the same procedure for every potato. I put these on the “outskirts” of the coals to cook for about an hour and a half.
What I would do differently:
I would definitely cook them longer, and either in a dutch oven or on a closeable barbecue for the hour and a half (I cooked them next to the coals for an hour, then transferred them to my small barbecue for the last half hour, which is why they are pictured on the barbecue). These potatoes were good, but definitely not done when everything else was. They would have finished cooking had I baked them in the barbecue the whole time.

Sky’s Watermelon Basket Recipe (adapted from AllRecipes.com’s Watermelon Basket Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 seedless watermelon
1-2 pints strawberries
1 cup blueberries
2 bananas
1 cup unpitted cherries (you can pit them if you’d like, but Sky did not)
3 cups cranberry juice
1/4 cup water mixed with 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (regular sugar is fine)
2 tablespoons lime juice
How she did it:
1. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of watermelon with a sharp knife so it sits flat. Mark horizontal cutting line 2 in. above center and around the melon (see diagram below).
2. For handle, score a 1-1/2-in.-wide strip across the top of melon, connecting both sides to the horizontal line. With a long sharp knife, cut all the way through the rind above the cutting line in a zigzag pattern.
3. Carefully lift off the side pieces. Remove fruit from both sections and cut into balls. Refrigerate the basket.
4. In a large bowl, combine watermelon, strawberries, blueberries and cherries. In another bowl, whisk cranberry juice, water/sugar mixture and lime juice until blended; pour over fruit. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
5. Drain; add bananas and mix around. Spoon melon/fruit into watermelon basket. Take pictures, because you’ve made something so beautiful, not to mention, delicious!