Some dishes can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated while others can be prepped ahead, but require last-minute assembly. Mary and Maureen offered ideas for warm weather or July 4th entertaining. “I’m into fresh and healthy,” adds Maureen, a college biology professor, who is involved only part time in strategic planning at Stonefire. “I use Italian parsley a lot to liven up the plate and make it colorful.” Mary believes in “simple cooking with a few ingredients and simple elegance for presentation allowing the food to stand on its own. They favor good quality fresh produce and ingredients. “I love to do food from the grill I love to do meals that are just about appetizers and I love to experiment with different ethnic foods,” says Mary, who oversees operations of the seven family-owned Stonefire locations (scattered around Southern California). Mary and Maureen Harrigan, the co-founders of Stonefire Grill, are just as comfortable making innovative dishes at home for summer entertaining as whipping up restaurant-style fare patterned after items on their restaurant menu.
