INSIDE OUT LIVING!

The distinction between living IN your house and living OUTSIDE of your house is rapidly becoming blurred. The two used to be thought of and treated as totally separate entities, but not any more.

In Northern European countries there has been a trend towards moving a piece of the garden into the living space by building conservatories, thus adding an extra room to the house and using large windows and glazed doors to enjoy views of the garden. Quite large potted plants are used to blur the garden-house distinction still further.

In our part of the world designers are cleverly bringing the garden further into the home by designing an atrium as an intrinsic part of the total house design.

Almost everywhere you look the distinction between living indoors and living outdoors is being blurred by an explosion in the furniture manufacturing business. And, by furniture, I mean everything from kitchens to bedrooms! There are well-known kitchen appliance manufacturers who are now marketing their stainless steel cookers, hobs, ‘fridges, and sinks as ‘outdoor kitchens’. The distinction between sophistication in the indoor kitchen and the run-of-the-mill charcoal barbecue outside has now disappeared and today’s modern gas BBQ is as competent a cooking machine as the indoor gas cooker……....and a lot more fun.

Barbecuing over charcoal has been around for centuries and there are many colourful theories on the derivation of the term. The French phrase ‘barbe a queue’ translates as ‘from whiskers to tail’, indicating the practice of cooking animals whole. Where the term first originated may be unclear but one thing is certain, the joy of eating ‘al fresco’ is usually enhanced by cooking on a BBQ.

In 1952 the evolution of BBQs made a great leap forward when WEBER came onto the scene with their kettle BBQ that first used a lid to protect the food and to bring some control to the cooking process. The black Weber Kettle BBQ is virtually unchanged and still viewed by some as ‘the only proper way to BBQ’!

Over the years hundreds of ‘blind tastings’ have been held to try to establish whether or not there is a difference in taste between charcoal and gas cooked food. The results are conclusive. There is no difference. So, for the majority of us, gas BBQs provide all the satisfaction of outside cooking without the dirt, drudgery and delays associated with charcoal.

When selecting a BBQ the following points are worthy of consideration:

Do you want it to be built-in or trolley-mounted? If you already have a traditional built-in BBQ this can easily be converted to gas.

How many people do you need to cater for and do you just want to cook simple food like burgers, sausages and steaks or be a little more adventurous with spit-roast joints of meat.

A side-cooker is useful for stir-fried vegetables and hot side dishes. A solid griddle-plate is good for cooking vegetables, fatty cuts of meat and, of course, the ‘full English breakfast’.

There really is no limit to the degree of sophistication that is now possible with today’s BBQ products and accessories.

As with most other purchases however, there are a few things to be wary of.

Buy a tried and tested brand from a respected supplier who will give you good advice and who holds a good stock of spare parts. Look for someone who will build, test and deliver for you and who will offer competent advice and after-sales service.

So, having purchased your BBQ what are you going to cook? The choice is endless but try to buy the best quality ingredients you can afford. Remember that conventional barbequing is essentially a method of cooking quickly so, where meat is concerned, buy tender cuts that don’t need long, slow cooking processes.

Marinating is a process of bringing raw food, usually meat, into contact with a mixture of flavours in order to enhance the taste. Generally, the longer you can marinate, the more of the flavour will be taken up by the meat. Many marinades are based around lemon or lime juice which will actually tenderize to a certain extent.

Barbequing fish is often seen as a bit of a challenge but we are so lucky to live where there is a plentiful supply of excellent quality fish that it really is worth taking the time to master the art.

The most important thing to remember when grilling fish is to have your grill as hot as possible, this allows the heat of the grill bars or grill plate to rapidly sear the outside of the fish thus preventing sticking. Don’t fiddle with the fish! Only turn it when you need to. Wait until the fish is definitely cooked on the side in contact with the grill before you turn it. Most importantly, don’t overcook.

Everyone has experienced the BBQ meal where just about everything has been over-cooked! Remember that all food continues to cook even after it has been removed from the heat. Better to move it from the grill to a warming rack a minute or so before it is perfectly cooked to give it time to rest, absorb its juices and to finish cooking slowly.

To summarise, choose your BBQ and ingredients well, don’t be afraid to experiment and enjoy al fresco cooking to the full.

Let’s look now at furniture. A few years ago outdoor furniture was a grey and usually warped bench, table and chairs and a lounger or two, we now have ‘Day-Beds’, single or double; Four-Poster beds with curtains for privacy and Love-Seats where the happy couple can relax in the sun within touching distance! What is the world coming to?

As far as the materials are concerned that are used to manufacture outdoor furniture, there really is a huge range, from traditional teak to cast aluminium, poly-rattan, plastic and fibreglass. Of these, only cast aluminium and fibreglass can truly be said to be totally weather-proof. Teak needs treating with preservatives to maintain its looks. Plastic fades after a year or two in the sun and even today’s fashionable poly-rattan should not be left always in the sun without becoming brittle after a couple of years, despite the assurances of many retailers.

Naturally there are exceptions and reputable retailers supply poly-rattan that is manufactured to very high standards that will last many times longer than the rest, however, they may appear to be initially expensive.

One relatively new type of furniture is hand-crafted, woven fibreglass. Started around 15 years ago by an English lady, Patricia, in her back garden in the Alentejo, the business has expanded and moved to much larger premises. The furniture includes tables, chairs, sofas and loungers in very attractive designs and colours with custom made matching cushions. The workforce making the furniture come mainly from a single small village with the furniture itself being made by younger members of the community and the cushions being sewn by the older ladies of the village.

The beauty of this fibreglass is that it is totally weather resistant and will not fade or discolour in sun, rain or sea water making it perfect for interior or exterior use. It is ideal for use on patios and terraces as well as in gardens and conservatories and is proving very popular with bars and restaurants. Woven Fibreglass makes a great alternative and something very different from the norm.

Clearly, when buying any equipment or furniture to be used outside it must be designed specifically to withstand the prevailing climatic conditions, notably the effects of damaging UV radiation.

Beware! Poor quality furniture imported from China has pervaded the Algarve and the number of outlets selling this has increased dramatically over the last year. Even interior design shops have jumped on the band-wagon as they see this as a way to make some quick, easy money. People who were mis-led a few years ago into buying this furniture are now needing to replace it. So the ‘Buy Cheap, Buy Twice’ adage is particularly true here.

Shade plays a vital role in the enjoyment of spending free time in our gardens and on our patios during the summer months for the obvious reasons of comfort and health. We normally think of the round or square parasol usually placed in a hole in a table when we think of shade solutions, but these days there are many more offerings to consider.

Parasols now come in various styles that can tilt, and that have wheels for easy moving. There are styles that are cantilevered so lunch is not spent talking through an unsightly post! There is even one, called a butterfly, with two posts and a clever winding mechanism that will cover a 10 or 12 seat table.

Awnings are available in a wide variety of colours and patterns to coordinate with your existing colour scheme. They come in manual form or fully automatic that cleverly winds itself in when the wind starts to blow. By their very nature awnings are expensive and vulnerable to the vagaries of nature so, just in case the worst happens, go for one with a 5 year guarantee.

Shade-sales offer a permanent shade solution when there is no convenient structure to which an awning can be mounted.

When starting to enjoy your terrace and patio don’t forget that glass and china don’t mix well with hard, tiled surfaces! Plastic glasses and tableware used to have a really poor reputation but things have changed! There is a whole new range of stylish, shatter-proof glasses and tableware available. Sure, it isn’t quite like glass or crystal but knock one off of the table and, when it bounces, the relief is immense!

Just two words of advice. Caveat Emptor. When deciding what to buy to make your patio or terrace beautiful, try not to be seduced by cheaper products because what appears to be a bargain and ‘too good to be true’ probably is!

As with any purchase it’s important to be guided by an established and reputable supplier. Established businesses depend on satisfied customers coming back time and time again because they’ve had good advice in the past. Other businesses just want to make a quick buck. So, choose carefully!

Over the years, Zonda has built an enviable reputation for the excellence of their customer service and the high quality of their products. Roger says “The Algarve is a relatively small community and it doesn’t take long for stories of poor service or poor product quality to ruin a business. We always try our very best to find the highest quality products because we are sure that most people who are fortunate enough to live here, are used to, and expect to be able to buy quality items.”At Zonda you are assured that you’re getting the best products with a level of customer service that is second to none. So, pay us a visit at the showroom on the EN125 just west of Almancil, or call Lee on 289 356 233 or e-mail on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it