A Summer Barbecue in Al Roker’s Neck of the Woods

Cover Star Al Roker shares the love behind his upcoming family-focused cookbook, his favorite summer recipes, and gets real about whether s’mores are good or not.

“That’s what’s happening around the country, now here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods.” You know who’s saying the iconic line before you even see him—and, chances are, you can guess what America’s favorite weatherman is wearing before then, too. Clad in a suit, hat, and fashionable glasses, Al Roker has been giving Americans the weather report on the NBC Morning Show, TODAY, since 1996.

While Roker has reported the good news of warm and sunny weather and the maybe not-so-exciting news that your summer picnic could get rained out, we’ve spent almost every morning with the charming host for decades. But, what happens after Roker changes out of his suit and into his laid-back summer gear (still donning the ever-recognizable hat and glasses)?

“If we're in the city, it's walking in Central Park, hanging out, and maybe grilling in the backyard with some friends,” Roker said. “If I’m upstate, we’ve got a pontoon boat on a lake, so I’m just making a charcuterie board, having a box of rosé, and doing a float.”

Ever the optimistic weatherman, Roker even finds the silver lining of a rainy summer day. “One of the great things about summer is produce. And you’re going to need rain for that produce. It may not be ideal for one activity, but it’s still pretty good for another. So, even if it’s a rainy day, I enjoy just sitting on the couch reading and looking at the rain come down,” he says.

On those dreary days, most summertime recipes can be adjusted to make indoors—even classics like Roker’s favorite ribs, baked beans, and coleslaw. But when the sun is out, there’s nothing quite like gathering for a meal from the grill.

As someone who says grilling is one of his favorite summer traditions, Roker certainly knows a thing or two about a backyard barbecue. It's evidenced in his upcoming cookbook, Al Roker’s Recipes to Live By: Easy, Memory-Making Family Dishes for Every Occasion, which he co-authored with his daughter, Courtney Roker Laga (coming out October 2024). With an entire chapter dedicated to burgers and sandwiches alone, it seems like a Roker family cookout is one we’d all want to attend.

So, when Roker ties on the BBQ apron and lights up the grill, what does he love to make?  “Some grilled shrimp or chicken, then a potato salad or my mom’s macaroni salad,” he says. For dessert? “Maybe a pound cake or peach cobbler.”

It’s never just one thing because his family all have different requests, he explains. “My son, Nick, likes smash burgers, my little girl, Leila, likes guacamole, and my wife, Deborah, likes grilled chicken—everybody’s a little different,” Roker says.

And when it comes to his mom’s famous macaroni salad, while Roker says the special ingredient is “love” (aww!), the true secret might be the sweet pickle relish added to the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard dressing.

“My mother made this slightly sweet but tangy macaroni salad often, especially for family gatherings,” Roker writes in the new cookbook. ”A picnic essential, it was a staple when the Roker clan took a day trip to Rockaway Beach. I can remember the sun on my back, the sand beneath my feet, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, and eating my macaroni salad with lightning speed because my mother was convinced it spoiled within five seconds of being exposed to the sun.”

With two previous cookbooks, multiple memoirs, and even a true crime series under his belt,  Al Roker’s Recipes to Live By might be his greatest labor of love thus far. Maybe it was choosing to collaborate with his eldest daughter, Courtney, who is a recipe developer and trained chef, to create a cookbook filled with generational recipes for any occasion.

“Courtney said, ‘We should do a cookbook together,’” Roker says. Laga interviewed family and friends to find out what they cooked and baked over the years, especially what Roker’s mom and dad had made for their growing family. “She came up with a list, and I said, ‘Okay, I guess we’re doing this then.’ And boom! Here we are.”

The cookbook includes some of Roker’s favorite recipes, like the McRoker (a McDonald’s McGriddle copycat with pancakes, eggs, and bacon) and shrimp and grits; however, it also addresses Roker’s relationship with food. The Emmy Award-winning journalist famously underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2002 and has been vocal about his weight loss and health ever since.

“I don’t do diet foods,’” Roker says in his cookbook. "I think if you exclude everything, then you’re eventually setting yourself up to crash and burn," he tells Allrecipes. "You try to eat healthy and realize sometimes you’re not going to, and it’s okay. You did that, now let’s get back on track. But I don’t think there’s anything that’s forbidden.”

Roker is an active member of the Start TODAY community, which is TODAY’s health hub for meal plans, workouts, expert tips, and overall wellness. He’s a big proponent of walking and trying to hit 10,000 steps every day—even sharing videos of himself walking on the treadmill and doing other exercises on Instagram.

“Everything in moderation—the same with exercise, although I’ve never had the problem of exercising too much,” Roker jokes.

As part of that balanced lifestyle, Roker says his fridge is stocked with what most folks have. “I’ve always got fruit, vegetables, mini sweet peppers. I’ve got some cold cuts, like roasted turkey, cheese, and full-fat Greek yogurt. We’ve got a container of cold brew coffee,” he says.

It’s not surprising that Roker’s fridge, lifestyle, and even family picnics feel familiar to his millions of fans. Despite being one of the most recognizable TV stars around, this superstar acts like one of us. When he stepped onto the Allrecipes set for our cover shoot last month, it felt like our favorite uncle had just arrived. He walked around whistling and telling silly jokes—saying his mom always knew he’d be a star, which is why she called him “son.”

“It’s an old joke,” Roker said with a chuckle. “But I’m an old man.”

Al Roker’s Summer Bash Essentials

The Food

“A charcuterie cheese board with a good baguette.” Specifically topped with Manchego cheese.

The Drink

Aperol Spritz

The Perfect Burger

A smash burger. “It’s an 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio. Smash it down—I generally don’t do the smashing with the onions. A little salt and pepper, flip it over, a little salt and pepper, then a piece of cheese. Toasted bun and, boom, there you have it. I don’t do the double burger, I think that’s just a little bit too much. I like a toppings bar with bread and butter pickles, relish, mustard, ketchup, mayo, onions, and tomato.”

The Campfire Snack

“This is going to be a little controversial. The perfect campfire snack is a toasted marshmallow—I like it with a nice brown. To me, s’mores are a little too much.”

The Grill

“My preference is a charcoal grill, but for the smash burger, I have a gas griddle.”

Best Summer Memory

“The last day of school, especially in elementary school, because the entire summer was ahead of you. It was a blank slate and you didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Favorite Summer Tradition

“If it’s not grilling, I would say walking. In the summer, it’s just the easiest thing. You put on a pair of sneakers and you’re doing it.”

Read the original article on All Recipes.