A young guy was going by a slightly seedy looking diner, when he noticed a sign in the window offering a free dinner. A real dinner was an event our hero had not took part in for a particularly long time, so in he went, found the boss, and requested the advertised free meal.

First our man had to drink a bottle of very spicy barbecue sauce. If he could do it all in twenty mins, he would win the best dinner he had ever had.
The child grabbed the jar of barbecue sauce, chugged it right down, and proceeded to the back room. The ensuing din was something similar to you’ve never heard. There had been thumping, banging, scratching, and a scream or 2. He went direct to the counter, asked for another jar of that barbecue sauce, drank each drop, and returned to the back room.

Suddenly, it was silent. Silent like a funeral, which the manager thought he may have to order, if that hobo failed to make an appearance shortly. Then, with a loud bang, the door to the back room swung open, and there he stood. Our intrepid young man was scratched from head to toe, the rags he had been wearing were shredded to a state beyond rag, and you could tell by the look on his face, that he could have decided this free dinner came with quite a price tag.

In less than a minute, he was back at the counter. ‘Please sir, would you start my dinner now, and extra barbecue sauce, if you do not mind. I’m finished with the alligator, and it should only take two minutes to pull the waitress’s tooth.’

Try Our Barbecue Sauce At
www.thesauceworks.com

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Barbecue Sauce

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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year.  Time to eat, spend time with loved ones, and reflect on the blessings we so often take for granted.

Meanwhile, on behalf of their poultry turkey cousin, hens Catherine Howard & Marie Antoinette wanted me to share a totally turkey-free Thanksgiving recipe.

This recipe comes from the AWESOME duo Barb Westman & Sue Hankerson- sisters, friends, fellow foodies and proprietors of Cottage Gourmets catering.  If you haven’t experienced a Cottage Gourmet dinner you are so missing out! I have a difficult time sharing these…you’ve been warned.

Walnut Mock Meatballs

3 large eggs, beaten

4 oz. Colby-Jack Cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups crushed bread crumbs or herb-season stuffing cubes

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In large mixing bowl combine all ingredients.  Shape into meatballs.  Brown the meatballs in a large skillet with a tablespoon of oil.  Place in baking dish.  Cover with BBQ Sauce (recipe follows) or leave plain.  Bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through.

Golden Mustard BBQ Sauce -Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

3/4 cup white vinegar

3/4 cup prepared yellow mustard

1/2 onion, minced

1/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes

1 Tablespoon paprika

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon freshly milled pepper

Mix the ingredients, plus 1/3 cup water, in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions are tender and the mixture thickens, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.  Use the sauce warm or chilled.  It keeps, refrigerated, for several weeks.

After a really long day at work, and my legs killing me from my run, I was ready to head home and R-E-L-A-X! I am not really sure why my legs have been hurting me today, but I hope it passes.

I know I sound like a broken record with this, but it is raining…AGAIN in DC. I mean-won’t it just ever stop? Not only is it raining, but it is actually very cold. The rest of the week looks gloomy too. I hope this doesn’t affect my run tomorrow night or my race on Thursday!

My snacks this afternoon were the 2 carrots I showed you earlier, and my seasonal staple. Stonyfield Pumpkin Pie flavored yogurt and my home made pumpkin flax granola.

I am getting to the bottom of this granola so I think I need to make some more soon. It was so easy to make that I will be making my granola from now on.

Dinner was really random. It was also eaten in many parts. Chris had dinner at this parents so I only needed to cook dinner for myself, and when I do that I tend to eat really random things. Here is my 5 course meal.

I started with a glass of Begali Valpolicella Ripasso 2007. I love this wine for its dark fruit and hint of baking spice. So darn good.

I proceeded to have another glass with dinner. The second course was 2 handfuls of unslated peanuts while I was cooking.

The third course was an egg sandwich. I took 1 egg and 1 egg white, scrambled them with some non fat milk, and popped in the microwave. I had my egg on an Arnold Whole Grain Sandwich Thin with a little Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce.

I have completely forgotten about egg sandwiches and they are sooo good!

The fourth course was 2 turnips roasted with a side of Trader Joe’s All Natural BBQ sauce.

I love this Trader Joe’s All Natural BBQ sauce. It is sweet and spicy. Love it with the spicy turnips.

My fifth course was kale chips. I still felt a little hungry so I decided to roast some kale in the oven. This was my first time making kale chips and I got the idea after reading some blogs, but also after roasting brussels sprouts and loving the little crispy leaves that fell off. This is an ingenious idea. I put a little seasoning on them to spruce it up.

As if that wasn’t enough I had a small piece of chocolate to satisfy my chocolate craving. Sorry the camera ate the picture. I guess this 5 course meal + dessert was fairly healthy since it was all low fat and included lots of veggies. I did use some olive oil for the kale and turnips, but not much.

Now I’m ready for a great night of sleep. I hope my leg feels better tomorrow!

Mick was a hardworking single guy in his mid-thirties. Every day he got up at 6:45 AM, showered, had toast and coffee, and went to work. He would return at 5:35 PM, microwave a dinner, watch television, and be in bed by nine. On weekends he would sleep precisely one hour longer in the morning, eat, shower, and take the train to visit his mother, who lived about 100 miles away. He had been locked into this pattern for years, but he was happy with his life, and didn’t truly expect, or need, anything to modify, until he tasted Louisiana barbecue sauce.

It occurred at work. Linda, who had the cubicle next to his, came back from her lunch break with a huge box of chicken wings, smothered in barbecue sauce, which she shared with Mick. He had not tasted anything like it, and was hooked immediately. That night, after work, instead of going home to his microwave and television, Mick went to that cafe, and treated himself to the best dinner he ever ate, and took home an additional portion of Louisiana barbecue sauce.

This upset his schedule enough to make him 5 minutes late for work, which hadn’t happened before. Even more shocking, Mick asked Linda out to lunch, something he had not done before, although they had worked side-by-side for eleven years. She accepted, and they’d a savoury lunch at the barbecue cafe, and after work, a pleasant dinner, at the same place.

She made him breakfast, including barbecue sauce on hash browns, they made a decision to hop work, and go for a long walk. It was on that walk, that both found out how much they’d in common, and how their daily routine had hijacked their lives.
That night, at Mick’s, they talked until dawn, and when the point arrived to go to work, they went back to bed, where they stayed for roughly a week. Mick hadn’t been in love before, and Linda hadn’t had much luck either, but somehow, someway, they made the perfect match. It wasn’t long before they quit their roles, and moved to California, where they opened a very successful barbecue cafe.
They’ve been together for fifteen wonderful years now, they have got a little Mick, and a little Barbara, who, of course, they call Barbie, because if it hadn’t been for that Louisiana barbecue sauce, they’d still be in their cubicles, oblivious of what could be.

To Get Your Hands On this Award Winning Sauce Go To
www.thesauceworks.com

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Pickapeppa Sauce makes all the difference!

Sorry, couldn’t help it…

Tonight I used the old cook-dinner-in-shifts technique. I knew I would be short on time, having to run errands that would take me away from the stove, so I (gasp) planned ahead.

The menu:  baked chicken with BBQ sauce, baked potato and stir fried vegetables.

The chicken was simple. Free-range, non-hormone-enhanced skinless chicken breasts, lightly coated with plain breadcrumbs. A touch of salt and pepper for good measure.  Baked at 350 for about 35 minutes until they reached 185 degrees.  Play it safe – if you don’t have a digital thermometer, get one!

I baked the potatoes last night.  I used the residual heat from the oven to warm them up while I let the baked chicken rest and stir fried the veggies in a little olive oil. Again, nothing fancy.  Sometimes it pays to let the pure taste of the food do the talking!

The sauce was a little tricker.  I made a small batch, about a cup and a half worth.  Took a lot of adding ingredients in small doses until I got the taste just right.  Once I did, it was awesome!!  Here is the normal recipe I use. It makes about a dozen pints, give or take.  The recipe is adapted from Jesse’s Lip Smackin’ Sauce, which tastes suprisingly like the Bone Licking Sauce that you can get in your local supermarket.  But for fun, take a few hours and fill up some Mason jars!

Doug’s All-Purpose BBQ Sauce:

6 cloves garlic, pressed

128 oz ketchup (that would be two 64 oz cans for those who are math impaired, like me)

1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped finely, sauteed in a bit of olive oil

4 TBsp soy sauce

6 TBsp yellow mustard

4 TBsp red wine vinegar

1/2 c. orange juice

1 TBsp lime juice

2 TBsp lemon juice

1 c. light brown sugar

6 TBsp horseradish

and the secret ingredients:  1 bottle of Pickapeppa Sauce and a can of Dr Pepper.

Put everything in a big stock pot and bring almost to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Tastes even better the next day!

As Chef Rudolf would say:  Happy eating!

We’re all busy and it’s easy to get caught up in life. We usually don’t mean for work or whatever to take over our lives, but somehow it just happens and you lose sight of the simple things in life that make you happy. I felt this way the other night, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t found the time to blog lately, even though I kept thinking about it and wanting to do it.  So with that in mind, I went to the grocery store wanting to cook and treat myself to something and as I was walking by the meat counter, I was caught by some meaty looking short beef ribs.

Needless to say I picked them up and rushed them home with the excitement of a yet to be created marinade being tossed around in my head. Once I got home, there was no measuring, just a free for all of sauces being married together that turned into Ethan’s Sweet & Salty Kicked Ribs. It turned out fantastic and I can’t wait to try this with fish and tofu as well!

Ethan's Sweet and Salty Kicked Ribs

The Sweet

• Carolina Honeys BBQ Sauce (I happened to have Tony Roma’s BBQ sauce in the fridge)
• Banana Ketchup (A Filipino condiment that is sweeter than the ketchup were accustomed to)

The Salty

• Soya Sauce
• Oyster Sauce

The Kick

• Thai Garlic Chili Sauce
• Tabasco

After letting it marinate for an hour or so, I heated up a pan with some oil and got it nice and hot and simply cooked them evenly on both sides. They tend to be pretty thin, so it didn’t take more than 4-5 minutes per side. I did cheat and make a little cut in the middle to check the color before removing it off the heat (I like it right at Medium). Once I took it them out of the pan, I let them rest for a few minutes with a tent of aluminum foil. If the chefs on the Food Network have taught me anything, it has been to let the meat rest and let the juices redistribute and settle before slicing and serving, if not, the juices will run out and it will be very dry.

Today wasn’t about cooking or a homemade sauce, it was about taking a moment and relaxing and doing something you enjoy and makes you happy.

For as long as I can remember, I have always wished to be a cook. Cooking comes easily to me, and I actually enjoy it. Show me the kitchen, buy me some groceries, and I am able to cook you a dinner you will not shortly forget. South Carolina barbecue sauce is one of my favourite recipes, and

I had no clue at the time how many slippery rungs were in that ladder. In the kitchen of a fine dining, or silver service multinational, the dishwasher, is lower than low and I spent just about a year pearl diving before the sous chef eventually gave me my first break, by moving me up to cupboard cook’s assistant. His job was salads, soups, and sauces, and my job was slicing veggies. The pantry chef was a nice guy, and I told him about my barbecue sauce recipe. He just laughed, and told me barbecue sauce was not haute cuisine, but he did show me the simplest way to make the sauces and glazes, featured on our menu, and when he was promoted, I became cupboard cook.

After a year or so as pantry chef, I ultimately got a chance to go on the line, for one day. The line is where dinners are prepared for the consumers, according to the orders submitted by the wait staff. Working the line is where the action is, and where I needed to be, from the day I started washing dishes.

My first day on the line was hectic, but i did a good job, and was just finishing my last order, when the executive cook called me over, and told me to make him some dinner. This was by big break. I took a big breath, whipped up some of my barbecue sauce, and glazed a tiny rack of lamb with it. Supposedly the recipe was brought to America by German immigrants, in the 18th century.
To Order Your Barbecue Sauce go to www.TheSauceWorks.com

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I think I should get an award for the world’s laziest blogger. I don’t know why I have been so bad at updating lately…no excuse really. I’m going to blame Youtube and Face book writers block. I loved hearing everyone’s thoughts and ideas about my last post- seems a general consensus that regardless of background, whether with a history of an eating disorder or not, we all have a common goal: an overall healthy relationship with food and our bodies. I might come back to this at some point- I have some more thoughts prompted by some comments so stay tuned for part 2

But moving on, it’s Friday and I love writing my recap posts, so onto that! Here is what I took away from this weeks shenanigans…

• The best appetite suppressant is food
• Being offered a job is a great self-esteem boost, even if you have to turn it down
• Nothing is a kick in the teeth to me the same way the question, “so what have you been doing since we finished school?” is
• Hummus and BBQ sauce are a match made in heaven

BBQ quorn, roasted vegetables, spinach, topped with hummus

• I need more ‘crack wraps’ in my life

 Hummus and cheddar cheese on flax and oat bran wrap

• I secretly love not having email on my cellphone- it makes phone calls, and that’s good enough for me
• Not having central heating is a good excuse to turn on the oven and bake

Eating Bender’s ‘Pump’ It Up Muffin, mashed up with Fage

• I would rather live through a winter without heat than a summer filled with wasps
• Bananas are technically berries (strawberries are NOT!)
• Season 8 of ‘Scrubs’ is awesome, despite what reviews have said (it has JD and it has Dr Cox- how can it possible be any better?!)
• Scotland did not invent haggis, whiskey, the telephone OR kilts- they did however invent rubber tires, hypnosis and ultrasound scans
• Out of all the samples I received from Vitamuffins, the deep chocolate Vitatop is the best

Mashed up with Fage 

• I hold back on asking questions a lot because I would rather not know the answer to them
• I found the perfect Thanksgiving card
• Replacing the word “can’t” with “won’t” is highly empowering
• Other people’s opinions are just that; their own opinions
• I stress out a lot about things I need to do/how they need done, but most of this pressure is coming entirely from myself…we can be our own worst enemies or our own best friends

In some UK food news: Waitrose are now selling canned pumpkin. It’s not Libby’s, but cheaper and in plentiful supply! Amy’s soups are also on special offer there

What’s been the highlight of your week? Mine was finally getting a space heater yesterday. Love at first sight blast of warmth.

The next time that you’re hanging out around the Dollar General Store, check out their “house brand”, Clover Valley Original BBQ Sauce. They have a Honey version that I haven’t tried.

If you don’t particularly like sweeter BBQ sauces, you might not like this one. If you are a fan of a strong hit of vinegar, it won’t be up your alley.

I’m an ole Memphis boy and I find the blend of spices very compatible with what I’m familiar with. I find that it has just the right amount of vinegar balanced with a nice sweetness. It’s not a real hot and chili-spiced sauce, but that’s easily taken care of by some user-adulteration. To me, it’s got the “right” flavor profile, although it could be a little “hotter”. I’ve tasted a lot of BBQ sauces and this comes as close as any that I’ve tried. I’ve also added some of my “secret rub sauce” to it to great effect. With all of the hot sauces and chili extracts out there, you can beef this one up as much or as little as you like.

I even let the chef at my restaurant taste is and about a month later, I found a bottle of it in dry storage. At the time, I asked him what he thought and he said that he liked it. I guess the later discovery showed that he wasn’t just humoring me.

No, it didn’t paint the Sistine Chapel. No, Carolina BBQ fans probably won’t like it. No, it’s not the Holy Grail. But I think that tomato-based BBQ sauce fans will find it pretty damned good.

For $1.15 for a 20 oz. bottle, it’s worth you taking a chance to see if you find it as good as I do. I found one thread online where it was bashed, so you take your chances.

But if you like it, feel free to validate by commenting on it. Hell, if you don’t like it, feel free to comment as well. That’s only fair, right?

GIF courtesy of http://leonponcede.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html and www.tovx.com

Have I told you? The refrigerated pizza crusts that everyone around here sells is one of my favorite things. I keep a few in the freezer, then unthaw them for a delicious, quick homemade meal in minutes. And yes, pizza may not be the best thing to eat all the time, but once in a while, these are great and you can load them with lots of veggies and other goodies to your liking. And it’s all way cheaper than delivery.

A few months ago, I made a barbecued turkey pizza and loaded LOTS of goodies on it. It was seriously awesome, and I’d been dying to make it again. Think classic barbecued chicken pizza, only significantly better.

I was ridiculously excited when I got this package in the mail. The last few months, I’ve had the privilege of working with Tribal Moose BBQ, which is a company based out of Sublimity, Oregon. I’ve read extensively and written about (and read lots of raving reviews) of their cranberry-based sauces, but had sadly never tried them. I was a very sad panda.

So guess how happy I was when the owners sent me a freaking awesome sample pack with all their sauces?! Tribal Moose specializes in four sauces: an original barbecue, a spicy barbecue, a steak sauce, and a ketchup. And yes, they ALL have cranberries in them. (And guess what? ALL of the proceeds from the ketchup go to the Salvation Army. How cool is that?)

In any case, this was a perfect time to do a remake of my utterly fantastic barbecued turkey pizza!

First, grease (or spray) your cooking sheet. Then toss your pre-made pizza dough, and squish it in your pan. Then give a good squirt of Tribal Moose BBQ sauce. I used the SPICY because I’m crazy like that.

Then put a bit of mozzarella on that pie! Cook some ground turkey (yes, I said ground turkey. It works well! And it’s cheap and not greasy!). Then, if you like mushrooms, I highly recommend piling them on like I did. MMMM!!!

Now here’s the GOOD part. The one my mom finds questionable, but I swear to you it’s good. De-cob (or whatever) an ear of fresh sweet corn, and put it on top of everything. If you don’t have a fresh ear of corn, feel free to use the canned stuff, which is what I ended up doing. I’ve had this pizza both ways now, and the fresh, raw stuff has a much better, sweeter, and crisper taste and feel to it. But they both work. Top it off with a little bit of cheddar. Don’t be afraid to just pile it on!

Pop your pizza in the oven at about 400 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.

Et voila! Are you totally jealous? Look at the ooey-gooey-delicious-crispness! OMG, YUM!!

And if that wasn’t enough, take a look at THAT goodness. If you want, eat it with some fresh avocado on top.

So basically, my first brush with Tribal Moose was exceptionally awesome. I don’t make a habit of intersecting work and private life, but I had to let all y’alls know about this stuff, because it is genuinely really, really good. The cranberries lend a really delicious, sweet-yet-tart flavor to the already delicious sauce, and let me tell you–the spicy–it is spicy! Yess!! One of my friends who tried the sauce (she’s a vegetarian, so she had it with some cheese pizza) said that too often you buy spicy barbecue sauce and it just isn’t spicy. This had a FANTASTIC kick, that actually took me off guard. But in a good way. This pizza was so good!

If you don’t live in Oregon and can’t get to the several Safeways and other stores that carry Tribal Moose products, get your butts to their website. Their sauces come in a sweet 20-ounce glass bottle, and go for a very reasonably $3.99. LOVE!!!

Next up: Down-home oven fries and Tribal Moose cranberry ketchup! (Can we say NOM, please?!)

I just went to Santa Barbara for a day of fabulous wine, amazing food, and gorgeous surroundings! If you’ve never spent time in the Santa Barbara wine country, you really need to add this to your to-do list! I try to get there as often as possible… and if you are in the Los Angeles area, it’s only one tank of gas, and a couple hours away… but you will feel like you are on vacation!

Santa Barbara wine country includes the appellations of Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Rita Hills. With over 21,000 acres of vinyards planted on these rolling hills, mountain slopes and deep valleys, and with their proximity to the Pacific Ocean, Santa Barbara wines are simply amazing and have skyrocketed in popularity.

Never mind the movie Sideways, you can find tips, information and maps to help plan your own grape escape through the Santa Barbara Wine Region. Go to Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association. Or log onto Wine Country.com

Of course, I enjoy the wine tasting. They have wines that compete with the best.. and win! But they also have sumptuous artisian foods you can pair with your favorite wine. Los Olivos Grocery is one of the best places to pick up a sandwich, fresh pasta salad or cheese and crackers for your wine trail picnic.

Los Olivos Grocery is a small country store that offers you the best of gourmet and specialty foods as well as the basics of everyday life. Stop in for European style hearth breads, artisian cheeses from around the world, charcuterie’, local and rare wines, and the freshest locally grown and organic produce available. They are committed to discovering the finest sources of quality, artisian and specialty foods from our own backyard and around the world.

Which is why I told them they should carry Gayle’s BBQ Sauces… and now they do! 

Los Olivos Grocery should definitely be a stop on your trip through Santa Barbara wine country! 

Los Olivos Grocery is located at 2621 Highway 154, Santa Ynez, CA.

While you are in the town of Los Olivos, you will see many small tasting rooms and fun places to shop!

Our first tasting of the day was at Tre Anelli. They specialize in Old World Italian and Spanish style wines. Two of the wines I enjoyed the most were the 2005 Tempranillo and the 2006 Sangiovese. Tempranillo is the flagship grape that put Spain on the map. This pride of Spain was one of the first grapes introduced to California soil some 300 years ago, and has found a home in the specific climate of the Santa Ynez Valley. The full bodied characteristics of this wine go VERY well with BBQ meat!! And the 2006 Sagiovese holds up extremely well with steak… I can’t wait to try it with Gayle’s BBQ sauce! Yum!

Our next stop was Stolpman Vinyards tasting room. Melanie was pouring that day, and she was as delightful as the wine. Very informed, Melanie gave us great details about each of their wines. Stolpman’s 2006 Sangiovese is made in the same way as Italy’s best Riservas, picked at optimum ripeness and then oak-aged for 30 months. This wine pairs wonderfully with Tomtato and vinegar based foods… of course I instantly thought of Gayle’s Apple Cider Smoke BBQ Sauce!!!!

Our next stop took us to Demetria Estate Vinyards. This fabulous vinyard farms organic and biodynamic wines. They also use ceramic egg shaped vessels instead of oak or steel for their processing. Wine is a living thing, and the processes used by Demetria bring out the best in their fruit. I was told the 2006 “North Slope” Syrah was strong enough to pair well with any BBQ dish…  even BBQ Rhinoceros! I’m sure he was teasing me… but I know this will be another perfect pair with any of Gayle’s BBQ sauces!!

We finished our day of tasting at one of my favorites, Artiste’ Winery and Tasting Studio. Here they encourage you to get creative and paint while sipping wine. Their philosophy of winemaking is an artistic expression and you can see that by looking at their impressionist art on each bottle label. Since I’m a regular, I can already tell you they have great wines that go perfect with Gayle’s BBQ sauces! Stop by to try their amazing blends.. and create your own masterpiece!

For more information on Gayle’s BBQ Sauces and fantastic recipes, visit their website at www.gaylesbbq.com

-Enjoy

What could be a more iconic sign of summer than grilling on the back porch or at the park? Nothing at all, in my book. But if you or someone you love has a food allergy or intolerance, you need to pay special attention to this warm weather tradition. Grilling safety needs to go beyond watching for flare-ups and making sure you’ve got a fire extinguisher handy.

Cross-Contamination
Grills are an ideal vector for cross-contamination because food is generally placed directly onto grill grates and moved with one spatula or set of tongs. Ideally, grill owners clean their grates thoroughly after every use, but not everyone meets this ideal — especially if the grill in question is at a campsite or park.

Beware the Marinade
In addition to the possibility of cross-contamination, marinades and sauces often include unexpected common allergens such as nuts, corn, soy, wheat, eggs, onions, sesame, and even dairy. Seasonings can be mixed into burgers or brushed lightly onto foods, and it’s not always possible to tell by looking at a grilled food what allergens might be present. Even when grillers are aware of cross-contamination, or all the foods appear to be safe, ask about (and remind children to ask about) ingredients. Whenever possible, go to your outdoor event a little early and make yourself available to read labels on commercial marinades.

What You Can Do
There are three very easy ways to enjoy allergy-safe grilling without much hassle. Another is possible, but requires some meticulous preparation. All are aimed at avoiding the possibility of contact between allergens and safe food.

First, you can cook safe foods on a community grill using foil packs or a cast-iron skillet. No, you won’t get charring or grill marks using either of these methods. But your food won’t touch the grill and should avoid any allergens that may have been on the grill as the result of previous use. For utmost safety, use multiple layers of heavy-duty foil to make a foil pack (to protect against rips or tears in any one layer) and, of course, thoroughly clean your cast iron skillet before using it again. Be sure, too, to avoid cross-contamination between grilling tools and the food in the skillet, and to avoid touching the part of the foil pack that was in contact with the grill (for children, parents will probably want to remove the food themselves and let it cool).

Second, if you’re among the families for whom grilling tends to be a several-times-a-week affair, you might consider investing in an inexpensive portable grill and a separate set of grilling tools to be kept strictly allergen-free. This solution isn’t economical for everyone, but it may be worth considering if you grill frequently.

Another easy but expensive option, if you have a gas grill, is to get an extra set of grates and keep them allergen-free.

The meticulous solution is to clean a shared grill very thoroughly and carefully, and to cook the allergen-free food on the grill before any foods that include allergens.

No matter which option you use, don’t overlook grilling tools as a potential source of cross-contamination. Spatulas, tongs and brushes are all potential vectors of cross-contamination. And be sure to plate allergen-free food onto clean plates. With care and caution, you can enjoy summertime grilling safely.

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Sion: I has a drinking problem…I has no drink D:

Sion: Ginger beer!!
Beardy Greg (from across pub): GINGER BEER!!
Sion: GINGER BEER!!
Kim Ha: GINGER BEARD!!
Sion: Wait wut?

Me: I used to like mayonnaise…
Sion: Yeh?
Me: It was a rather short relationship…more of a fling really…then I ditched it for BBQ sauce.

This is the best recipe I’ve ever had for BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches! If you don’t already have your Gayle’s BBQ Sauce, you can buy it at Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Far Away Foods, or Yummy.com.

Gayle’s BBQ Sauces are 

INGREDIENTS FOR PULLED PORK SANDWICHES
Gayle’s Sweet ‘N’ Sassy Original BBQ Sauce
BostonButt/Pork Shoulder/PorkTenderloin (We prefer bone in, but you can choose)
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Apple juice (Choose your favorite..We like Martinelli’s as it has a bite which is good for the meat and is all natural)
Chopped medium onion
Chopped carrot
Chopped celery with leaves
Cilantro
Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (or any other kind of rolls will do)
Crock Pot

DIRECTIONS
Our favorite method for the pork is the slow cook way in your crock pot…
1. Preheat skillet to high – add a small amount olive oil.

2. Coat your piece of pork with olive oil, salt and pepper and sear all sides of the pork until you have a nice brown crust all around.

3. Once you are done searing pork, place in crock pot off to the side

4. Take your medium chopped onion, chopped carrots and chopped celery and add them to the pan where you just seared the pork. Cook until the onions are translucent. Pour this mixture on top of the pork in the crockpot.

5. Add apple juice or wine, just enough to cover the meat completely.

6. Place cover on crockpot and cook on high for at least 10 hours or until pork easily pulls apart.

7. When your cooking has completed, pull the pork out of the crockpot. It should now be tender and ready to be pulled. This is easily done with a fork or tongs.

8. Place the pulled pork into a skillet – add Gayle’s Sweet ‘N’ Sassy Original BBQ Sauce and heat through, stirring in BBQ sauce throughout.

9. Spread Hawaiian Sweet roll with Gayle’s Sweet ‘N’ Sassy Original BBQ sauce – add pulled pork and a tiny bit of the chopped cilantro… You can also garnish with coleslaw if you like. Enjoy!

Gayle’s Sweet ‘N’ Sassy Foods

269 S. Beverly Drive, Suite 472 • Beverly Hills, California 90212

PHONE • (310)246-1792 • FAX (310)246-1794 • www.gaylesbbq.com

Sweet Heat

A friend of mine from work, Eric Gillis, was sort of bragging one day about his home-made BBQ sauce.

Some context … Eric is Texan.  The type of Texan that gets the copy of the list of the top BBQ joints in the state and sets out to check each place off his list (even if that means showing up at one at like 5:00 am after driving many hours).

He claimed to have perfected his own recipe after much trial and error.  He named her …

Sweet Heat

Last time he was in town Eric brought me my own jar of Sweet Heat.  I grilled an ordinary chicken breast tonight just to try the Sweet Heat.  The VERDICT:

Not only did he nail the name, he nailed the sauce.  It’s the best BBQ sauce I’ve ever tasted.  If this new career in long-term care doesn’t work out (the verdict’s still out on that one), he’ll always be able to support himself by selling Sweet Heat.

Taste Test

Eric Gillis, BBQ Sauce Genius

I don’t claim to be a BBQ pit master, but I can do a reasonable imitation.  Right now in my oven is a wonderful variation of a slow cooked rib recipe that I enjoy.  I thought I’d share it with yinz (there is one for all you Stiller fans out there).

Smoked beer slow-cooked swine

Ingredients: Pork, spices for rub, beer, oven, sheet pan (with rim and a rack that fits), aluminum foil, a few hours, patience, and hunger.

• This recipe is mainly designed for Ribs, but can be modified for use with most cuts.  Get pork that should be slow cooked to get tender, something that is either tough or fatty, ideally both.   The good news is that this meat is cheap.   You can do this with short ribs, country ribs, baby back ribs or boston butt or shoulder (if you trim them down to strips).  Prep the meat (rinse off, pat try with paper towels).
• Get out a cookie sheet with a rack, or a broiler pan.  You need some sort of rig to keep the piggy from sitting in its drippings.
• Preheat oven to 200 F.  If it won’t go that low, get a shittier oven.  It works at a higher temp, but don’t go past 250 if you can help it.    Figure it out.  Low heat is good.
• Make a spicy sweet rub.

Mine consists of: about 3/4 cup of my Tasty spice (a personal cajun spice blend that has no salt), 1/2-3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of course kosher salt.  Mix well.

Note: the sugar will caramelize the rub and help hold in some juices while making a nice crunchy coating.

2nd Note: If you are using a store bought cajun spice mix, it is usually loaded with salt, so you won’t need the extra salt.

3rd Note: you can play with the spices in the rub to make the flavor as you will, just make sure that you have a both sugar and salt to get the desired texture.

• Rub pork with spices, massaging it in and coating all sides, then lay out on rack in sheet pan so that they are not touching.
• Pour one beer into pan under ribs, this will steam some flavor into the ribs, keeping them moist and taking some of the beer’s unique flavor.  I’m using some Shiner Smoked beer that I got for my birthday.

Personally, I’m not a huge smoked beer fan (yes it takes like bbq, but so does bbq meat.  Meat wins), but everything is great in the proper application, so the smoked beer goes into the rib recipe.  (It is also great for making rice)

• Cover pan with aluminum foil tent and carefully (don’t spill beer on your shoes) place in oven.  Close it up and wander away for a while.  I check about an hour in to see if it needs more liquid, it will if your oven is too hot.
• 3-6 hours usually does the trick, but it depends on how thick your pork is cut (mine is in about 1.5  inch thick slabs) and the temperature of your oven.  The thicker and tougher the cut, the longer the cooking time.  The first time you do this you may have to keep checking on it.

To make good use of the oven heat, roast some veg (squash, potatoes, peppers, onions, ?) on another rack to go with your pork.

• Take off the foil when it is almost done to dry out the moisture from the surface, leave it a lil’ longer.
• Once it is done to the point of almost falling apart at the touch, remove it from the oven, take off the foil and let the meat rest.

At this point, you could eat it, but we’re not done yet.

• Put your oven rack to the second from the top position.  Reheat your oven to 400 F.
• Take your favorite BBQ sauce, or give my recipe a shot, and glaze the top of your pork.
• Set the sheet pan with pork on it right back into oven to caramelize the sauce on the meat.
• KEEP AN EYE ON IT.  BBQ sauce will burn if you aren’t careful.
• Pull it out, let it cool a minute (so you don’t burn your lips).
• Pull it apart and enjoy it in the best manner as you see fit.
• Reserve the juices to make some really good gravy or soup. (I’ll do a recipe for that later)

The result is spicy and sweet with a crisp crunch.  Enjoy it with some cold beer.  Go with your gut on this one when choosing your beer.  I usually will go with a nice lager or a pale ale, but this time of year I’ll be cracking a few oktoberfest beers to go with my swine.   Enjoy.

I’ll post some photos later on once the piggy is done.

I have good news, my premonition was on the money and the simple act of opening the fridge unveiled a cornocopia of deliciousness! Not only were all the usual suspects there, but there were also some pieces that were going to comprise tomorrow night’s dinner, namely beef ribs. My father cooks often and one of his specialties are big beef ribs with his homemade BBQ sauce. The sauce is always a nice blend of sweet and spicy, but not the kind of hot that is uncomfortable, just enough that it’s saying hello and making sure you know it’s there.

Simply put, I used to wake up with a smile on my face with the scent of sweet onions knowing there was a serious meal being prepared for later in the day. That morning was no exception as the ribs had already been parboiled and the BBQ sauce was in the process of being reduced. I realized I had never asked about the sauce, I had just taken it for granted, so imagine my surprise when I asked for the recipe and I was told it’s whatever happens to be in the kitchen! Of course, there is a starting base to the sauce, but from there it’s all improvisation, which is really what makes it fun to cook!

Beef ribs done to perfection

It doesn’t have a name, but it does now…introducing Robert’s Whimsical and Manly BBQ Sauce

The Base

• 1/2 of a sweet onion – finely diced
• 4 gloves of garlic – minced

Cook down the onions and garlic, let the onions begin to caramelize, but not fully, you still want them to have a little crunch to them.

The Rest (there is no actual measurements here, this is where you play with measurements, blends, etc)

• Ketchup (as it’s always in the fridge or at least should be)
• Typically at least 2 types of BBQ sauce (as it’s always in the fridge or at least should be)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chinese chili sauce
• Honey
• Or whatever else you happen to come across

Mix them all together with the onions and garlic and let it reduce a bit on low until it seems like it has a good thick consistency. Let it chill out in the fridge to get even thicker so it can really stick to the ribs when you apply it.

Slow and low is always the mantra when doing ribs, usually around 250 degrees and they usually get coated 5-6 times with the sauce.

And for the record, they came out delicious as usual! Not only does it taste better with friends, it also definitely tastes better with family.

I had the most relaxing day. Despite the fact that I worked from 11-5, I finally, finally, finally feel caught up! To me, there is nothing more relaxing than organization, and that is pretty much what I spent my day trying to achieve – and now I feel 100x better than I have in weeks. Hallelujah.

When I returned home, I had some spectacular leftovers from a feast we made last night.

I don’t know why – but when I run distances over 4-5 miles, my hunger goes bye-bye. (After my last marathon, I ate a salad and then didn’t feel hunger the rest of the day…so weird!) So, after my 12 miler yesterday – and the Indian meal I had – I didn’t get hungry again, but Meeker and I did make one heck of a meal last night. He said it was good, but I had to take his word for it until my hunger caught up with me tonight.

First, we sautéed chicken breast in a little peanut oil. Then removed the chicken, added onions, celery, corn, garlic, and eventually 2 shredded carrots.

Then added 1 cup of cooked rice, and smashed it into the pan so it got nice and toasty/crispy. It produced some wonderful results, especially topped with the best Asian BBQ sauce ever.

Then dessert.

Frozen oatmeal cookies. I took a picture of 2, but went back for another afterwards.

Now I am kicking back with some cinnamon tea, and a few eppies (episodes) of Everwood.

Happy Sunday night – here’s to relaxing!

A cold wintry feeling day….54  degrees today and grey. I have sweats on and big socks. Many of the critters  are sleeping around the house in various places.You can always tell the change of the seasons around here by the number of animals in the house at any given time.

Husband man is out at a hike at the Pere  Marquette park…some sort of guided hike, I think. I am home awaiting the arrival of a friend who’s been MIA for a year or two. It will be good to catch up.  I’ve been dusting and cleaning a little, doing some laundry and cooking. I made barbeque sauce (I was out, and the Young Prince kept at me the whole time I was here, since he finished the last bottle, lol)  and I have some thick country pork ribs from the local butcher simmering away for supper. By the time we eat them, they will be so tender they fall apart. Just the way I like them.

I’m thinking how funny it is that I assume everyone in my world likes the things I like the way I like them. It never occurs to me that anyone else won’t like the food I cook.  LMAO!!!

I stayed in last night and will do the same tonight…no reason to go out of my warm house into the chill.  I have just finished reading a book by Anita Shreve called Light on Snow…a very easy read and good book.  Had me in tears in a couple of places…I am also reading a collection of animal stories by women called Through Others Eyes….it is wonderful, a gift from my dear friend Joni.

I am waiting for a visit and will probably spend a good chunk of the daylight hours with her… she is the wife of my cousin. It will be good, and I am grateful for the chance to have a visitor.  Thought I would take this chance to blog a little…I think I hear the car now.

Blessed Be.