SpecialEd

Enough is enough already...

2009-05-28T12:37:00.006-04:00

I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore. But I'm not just going to rant about it, I have a solution, and it's an ACME Thunderer whistle!

Are you getting phone calls from scam artists trying to sell you vehicle warranty extensions? Or how about new low rate credit cards? It doesn't matter if you're on the supposed "no-call" lists, it's all a scam and these sharks don't play by the rules. They even go to great lengths to hide their true identity and from where the calls are originating. Has your Caller I.D. displayed a number such as 0-000-000-0000 or 1-999-999-9999, or FLORIDA?

Their first deception is hiding the origin of the call.

Next they say (a pre-recorded message) "we have been trying to reach you." LIAR!

Third, they say "your vehicle warranty is about to expire!" LIAR!

They know nothing of your vehicle warranty, if you have one, or if you even have a vehicle!

Lastly, the message will end with a bit of promise, "this is the last courtesy call we will make to you!" LIAR!

They will call you again and again and again until you either sign up or disconnect your phone.

The one accurate part of the message is, "press 9 (or whatever number they have chosen) to speak to a representative now before your warranty expires!"

That is the chink in their armor and here is the solution.

Get yourself a nice quality whistle (I prefer ACME Thunderer's)

or any obnoxious noise making device and place it by the phone. Next time you get a call and your caller I.D. displays something you know to be bogus, don't ignore it, answer it!

Press the number specified and when the scum-bag operator (they know what they are doing) answers to hopefully sell you something you don't need and up their chances of making quota this month, you give them a lung-full of ACME Thunderer right into their cheap Plaintronix, headset!

A few people doing this would be a rare annoyance. But if EVERYBODY did it... we could put them out of business! (and have a little guilty fun doing it).

I got this idea from Mrs. SpecialEd. In her college days she was subject for a time to a regular prank/obscene caller. She was also a lifeguard who knew a thing or two about whistles. When the obscene caller called, she gave him what-for with her trusty ACME Thunderer and lo and behold, after a couple times, the calls stopped! (I still can't get that ringing out of my ears! :) )

The perfect bowl of Red!

2009-03-13T18:05:00.008-04:00

Does such a thing even exist? Or is it the mythological Holy Grail of chili heads everywhere?

We've had some 60 degree days this week and even though it's 39 degrees as I type, there are some trees starting to bud. So Spring is coming and Winter is on it's way out... (not soon enough! I may have been known,in the past, as Eddy the Yeti for my love of snow and winter but wheelchairs and snow do not mix!)

So even with Spring upon us and Summer's humidity and cooling bills roaring down the tracks in our direction, I am still clutching tightly to my cast-iron Dutch oven and wooden spoon (chili stick) in pursuit of that perfect bowl of Red.

The more I try the more I have come to realize that simple is best and less is more. As an old friend who is a food critic and editor for our local rag (It's Gannett owned) recently put it:

There's a certain beautiful purity in its authentic treatment.

Well Eric is a journalist who gets paid to talk purdy. Me, I'm just a hack blogger who likes to eat but we are both saying the same thing. Minimalism. Original, Texas chili was little more than meat and chilies. I've had Lamb and Black Bean Chili, Cincinnati Chili, Chili made with smoked brisket and even Vegetarian Chili! (talk about an oxymoron). Don't get me wrong, they can all be done very well but I wanted to get back to the roots of chili. Meat; venison or beef and cubed not ground! Ground beef is good, it's much easier and much quicker to prepare but some chuck cut into 1/2 inch cubes and simmered for two hours is so worth the effort. Chili Powder; lots of chili powder. Good chili powder, not the McCormmics from ACME but good quality stuff like Gebhardts or Pendery's from Texas or else stop at one of the ubiquitous local Mexican markets and buy yourself some dried Ancho, etc., and grind it up at home in your coffee grinder.

Then... just keep it simple! I prefer cubed meat to ground but cubed meat takes more preparation and longer to cook, so as opposed to almost no prep time and 20 minutes simmering, cubed meat will require dicing the meat and two hours or more of simmering. It can take a little time to cut 3-4 lbs of chuck into 1/2 inch cubes. It's worth it!

Basic chili:

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1-3 onions

3 lbs cubed chuck

2 tablespoons cumin

5 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons paprika

cayenne pepper to taste

1 6oz can tomato paste

4 cups water

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Poor a little oil in a heated skillet or Dutch oven. Saute the garlic and onion until soft.

Add the beef and brown on all sides.

Add the spices and tomato paste, stirring well.

Add the water and bring to a strong simmer for 15 minutes.

Reduce the heat and simmer about 2 hours until the beef is tender.

It should be "good 'n thick." If not either use some flour or masa harina to thicken it up. Masa harina is corn meal that can be found in most markets now. If you can't find any mas harina, crumble up a handful of tortilla chips until really fine and stir that into your chili pot.

That is a basic pot of chili. To go from there you can substitute a number of items for the water, such as beef broth, tomato juice, V-8, beer, etc. You can also mix your chili powders (try some chipotele chili powder for a smokey, earthy flavor.) If you must you can add diced some green and or red peppers but before you do that try some chipotele peppers or chipotele in adobo sauce.

Also you can add tomatoes in almost any form if you like. But remember, authentic chili should get its color from the chiles not from tomato and paprika.

Beans?

Ok, here's my take on beans. I don't mind beans and have been eating them in chili for years but for many people beans are a deal breaker. Beans should be prepared on the side and added by choice. Besides, beans don't always hold up so well in the pot.

One last hint:

Chili gets better in the pot after it has sat in the fridge overnight. The leftovers are almost always better than the first serving. (a tip for anyone entering a chili contest, cook it a day or two in advance!)

For futher reading:

The Ultimate Chili Book by Christopher B. O'Hara

A Bowl of Red by Frank X. Tolbert

The Great Chili Book by Bill Bridges

"I don't know nuthin 'bout no restrospect, but lookin' back..."

2009-01-02T18:37:00.005-05:00

Thank you to heavy weight boxer Larry "the Easton Assassin" Holmes for the immortal words that make up today's title!

Here we are again, another year gone by another one started. Looking back at last year's New Year's post, I did ok. I made a point to reconnect and stay connected to a few friends that had drifted away. I didn't do as well as I hoped but I made progress.

The Saturn is still in the garage neither sold nor donated, just taking up space and grating on Mrs. SpecialEd's last nerves. At least I turned in the registration and we are not paying insurance on it.

The house is still a disaster, we've made progress in some areas and lost ground in others. It's tough just keeping the tide at bay.

The GrillDome although not used as much recently has still hung in there and not let me down. I did some pulled pork a few weeks back for a nephew in need and also smoked some salmon on Christmas Eve for a couple of lucky SpEd Siblings as surprise Christmas gifts.

And speaking of cooking Christmas gifts, something has happened and Mrs. SpecialEd and I totally blew the fudge this year. We made about five batches and only one of them really turned out right. The others hardened in the pan, on the spoon halfway from the pan to the cooling dish, anywhere but the right spot. We followed our usual recipe from the past, used a thermometer, did everything we were supposed to do but no luck this year. We had to resort to Costco and some fudgie wudgie brand fudge for our special friend who was counting on us. (you know who you are!) But it's ok, fudgie wudgie is awesome stuff!

I got my HAM license and have been on the air on the local 2 meter and 440 mhz bands. Still saving for that HF rig but I began studying the Morse code in earnest when I got a tutoring program on CD from the ARRL for Christmas then downloaded a free program from the web called G4FON to compliment my practice.

As with any year there have been ups and downs and pluses and minuses, this year taking a backseat to no other. BUT (and here is the gist of this message for the three of us that actually read this blog) in spite of the roller coaster ride ups and downs of another year and as bad as the economy is, blah blah blah... we are still plugging away and moving forward. We have a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, good health, (humans and doggies), the house is heated and praise whatever Gods may be, the x-box, cable tv and Internet still works! Matter of fact the SpecialEd Boys declared this "the best Christmas, ever!"

Happy New Year everyone!

CQ, CQ, CQ... KB3RUX in da house!

2008-10-18T20:02:00.006-04:00

After putting it off for years and years, I decided that it was either now or never so last month I got a book and started studying for an Amateur Radio License, more commonly referred to as a HAM license.

I got myself a little handheld dual-band (2 meter and 70 centimeter) radio. (think walkie-talkie).

I studied for the first element, the Technician Class license but then with a week to go before testing, I found out I could keep testing as long as I passed so I got a book and studied the last week for the second element or General Class license.

The big day arrived last Saturday, October 11th, and I went to a local library for a testing session. There were maybe 8-10 of us testing for the three different levels. I zipped through the first test and the testing coordinators asked me if I wanted to take the second one so I said "bring it on! I zipped through that one fairly quickly too so I was offered the third test. At first I declined as I knew I was not prepared and it's about 40/45% longer of a test also.

Well the testing coordinators convinced me I had nothing to lose and would at least get an idea what the test was like so I agreed.

I did NOT zip through the third test and they say I got just about half of them right but no matter, I achieved my goal and then some, so it was a good day.

Next the waiting... You aren't official, and can't transmit until your name and new call sign appear online in the FCC database.

Well after checking everyday it finally showed up on Thursday. Due to other things going on like day to day life and such I did not make my first transmit until this afternoon. A short contact with a couple guys from not too far away. The 2 meter and 70 centimeter bands are only good for local transmissions but with the use of nearby repeaters I can reach most of Northern Delaware as well as lots of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Northeastern Maryland.

Having attained the second level or General Class, I am licensed to transmit on frequencies that will get me across the country and around the world but I need to save my pennies for a radio that will do that. But with my van going in the shop, and Annie going to the Vets and SpecialEd Boy #2 starting on braces, etc., etc., it won't be anytime soon.

So from now on, I am no longer SpecialEd, Eddie, Mr. Ed or Hey You... I am KB3RUX, that's Kilo Bravo Three Romeo Uniform X-ray!

73's and hope to catch you on the airwaves!

Zombie Mosquitoes From Hell!

2008-08-29T13:39:00.009-04:00

No it's not a B movie from the 1950s or another outrageous book by Australian children's author Andy Griffiths. It's really about mosquitoes, The Asian Tiger Mosquito to be exact or more formally Aedes albopictus.

These are not the brownish salt marsh and woodland pool mosquitoes I remember from my youth but a newer species to the US.

As their name implies, they are originally from Asia but are so invasive they are now found on every continent, excluding Antarctica! They were first found in the US in 1985, in a shipment of used tires in Houston, TX and now range over most of the South and as for north as Maine.

They are very aggressive and are outcompeting the native species of mosquitoes we are all used to. You know the little brown ones that usually only came out at dusk? They are also described as "fast biters" meaning they are done draining your blood before you have a chance to swat them. I don't even feel the bites, just the horrendous itch that comes afterwards.

These buggers are active throughout the day and don't seem to be put off by the smoke billowing from my cooker. I can't go out to my cooker or even sit and smoke a relaxing pipe without having to spray myself with bug spray.

Well this week when I placed another order for smoking wood from Lexington Outdoors of Maine, I checked out their anti-pest products. The world's greatest customer service rep, my friend Dorie, is sending some samples of Ole Time Woodsman Fly Dope for me and some NoSkeeto mosquito barrier for the yard.

It may be a little late in the season but hopefully by this time next week I will have reclaimed my backyard!

The Best Thing About August?

2008-08-17T18:19:00.004-04:00

In the otherwise oppressive, drab, dreary, dog days of August, there is something that makes it all worthwhile. Something golden and sunny that tastes like summer... peaches!

I've made two cobblers so far and they turned out very well but not quite what I'm looking for. (the great thing about this trial and error routine is that even the errors are pretty darn good!)

Admittedly, the ratio of peaches to crust was a little off here but no matter it was delicious!

I'm looking for a crust that is a little more crumbly than what I've come up with so far. So, if anyone would like to share their favorite cobbler recipe, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Now for some homemade peach ice cream!

Dog Days of Summer

2008-08-10T13:09:00.005-04:00

As most Retrievers have an affinity for water, this is one happy pup!

It also helps to keep his mind off the BBQ... at least temporarily.

How can you NOT, love that face?

"I Find The Pastrami To Be The Most Sensual Of All The Salted Cured Meats"

2008-08-09T14:24:00.007-04:00

At least according to Vivian, Geroge Constanza's short-lived girlfriend from the episode "The Blood" from the 9th season of Seinfeld. This is where George achieved the bedroom "Trifecta" of sex, television and food.

George: "I flew to close to the sun on wings of pastrami."

Jerry: "Yeah, that's what you did."

In my neverending quest to perfect my brisket -- which is a much less forgiving piece of meat than say a pork shoulder -- I came across some recipes for making pastrami on the Playing With Fire and Smoke blog.

I have yet to locate the necessary curing agent for starting from scratch so I picked up a couple of store-bought corned beef briskets and followed the instructions. One "dry" and one "wet."

Basically you need to soak the briskets in fresh water for 24-48 hours, changing the water as necessary to extract as much salt as you can from the corning process. Then apply the rub and let that "melt" in overnight, then cook the brisket(s) under a gentle smoke.

Due to some last-minute scheduling problems I ended up overcooking both briskets. They were by no means ruined or even bad but a bit overdone.

The "wet" style was very moist but crumbled when I tried to slice it. The "dry" sliced nicely but it was a tad too dry.

Anyway, they were good enough that I definately plan on doing this again!

My latest Addiction!

2008-07-25T19:08:00.004-04:00

Smoked salmon! Man is this stuff good!

I made it for the first time about a month maybe six weeks ago but I can't get enough and neither can the SpecialEd Siblings.

I can't afford the good stuff (wild) so I get farm raised fillets of Atlantic Salmon from Costco.

The first step is to rinse it well in cold water, dry it with paper towels and apply the cure.
The cure consists of one part kosher or sea salt to two parts brown sugar plus a couple tablespoons of freshly cracked black pepper. For a 1.5 lb fillet, I use about a cup of sugar, a half cup of salt and a 1/4 cup of pepper.

Let that sit overnight and the next day the fillets will be sitting in a pool of liquid that the cure has pulled out of the salmon flesh.
Wash the cure off very well and if it's still overly salty you can soak it in cold, fresh water for a little while.

Now lay it out on a rack or cutting board to air dry until it is no longer tacky to the touch (about an hour or so). I use a small fan to help the process along.

Then dust it with your favorite spice rub--for salmon, I use Dizzy Pig's Raging River. Let that "melt" in to the salmon for say 30 minutes then put it on the smoker.

I smoke it at about 210-220 degrees until it reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees. That's it! Chill it in the refrigerator, get some crackers and cream cheese and it don't get much better 'n that!

BTW, I have been using Sugar Maple and or Cedar from Lexington Outdoors of Maine but I just ordered a bag of Alder chunks from them so I can finally try the traditional salmon smoking wood. The ever helpful Dorie of LOofM also gave me some of her own recipes and ideas for recipes to try so check back soon.

Off to a slow start...

2008-07-05T09:46:00.004-04:00

All I managed to cook yesterday was some Fourth of July Fatties. I let the weather intimidate me and so I got off to a late start. (Boy I miss my deck canopy!)

Fresh on the grill.

Ready to come off.

Ready to go.

(Warning, not for the squeamish) Death on a plate!
The good thing about Fatties, is that they can be eaten hot, cold, room temperature, with crackers or toast or stuck on the end of a toothpick!

WARNING! Fatties are not for the very young or elderly. Women who are nursing or pregnant or who could become pregnant, should avoid Fatties. Vegetarians and those with weakened immune systems and compromised constitutions should not be in the same room as Fatties.

In a world where... (movie trailer guys voice)

2008-07-03T13:42:00.006-04:00

there's one man, one grill, and only ten days to clear the fridge, can he do it?

Mrs. SpecialEd and the two SpecialEd boys are flying out tomorrow morning (July 4th) for sunny, southern, California for ten days. That leaves me alone with the two SpecialEd dogs and the GrillDome for ten days!

I've already stocked up on ribs, lamb, chicken, the makings for "Fatties," BBQ beans and a tandoori, yogurt marinade for the chicken and lamb. I even have a commission for pulled pork for next week. All I need now is a little cooperation from the weather.

What am I going to do with all this food? What better way to bribe people into helping me getting a few things done around the house while the family is away!

BTW, "Fatties" has nothing to do with illegal substances, (though as deadly as they are, they should be!) Here is a recipe for Fatties from a great BBQ site by a fellow "Domer," Mike Stines of Cape Cod Barbecue.

Enjoy!

(I'll post pics as I go)

Did you say "Extra Cripsy?"

2008-06-21T19:07:00.005-04:00

Jaden's Roasted Chicken with Sweet Plum Sauce

The day after I read this recipe on Jaden's Steamy Kitchen, I went out and bought a bottle of plum sauce. Today, nearly three months later, I finally got around to trying it, only I did it a little differently, outside on my GrillDome... of course!

I also did mine upright, think beer in the butt chicken without the beer can(I have to agree with Dr. BBQ on this one, see page 140-141 of Dr. BBQ's BIG-TIME BARBECUE COOKBOOK for his theory on Beer Can Chicken).

I have a set of Spanek vertical roasters, which work very well. Instead of stuffing the cavity of the chicken, I put the lemon quarters, onions and spices in a water pan under the chicken. As you can see from the pictures, I should have heeded Jaden's warning a little more seriously about covering the bird with foil if the skin starts to get a little... extra crispy! When I Opened the Dome to check on the bird about 40 minutes into the cook it was already well caramelized on the top. I guess the top of the bird was much closer to the Dome-lid ceramics than I realized. I covered it with foil then. (Better late then never.)

Not to worry though, I brushed it with the plum sauce a few times in the last few minutes and let it rest under a tent of foil while still sitting in the pan, on the stand. All in all, no more then 90 minutes start to finish for an average size bird.

It went very well with some curried couscous and since we are not much of a "skin" eating family there was no problem with the "extra crispy" parts. I will certainly do this one again (probably tomorrow as I bought a double pack of roasters at Costco and still have the other one in the fridge!)

Thanks again Jaden!

Heat Wave, Commencement, Father's Day (did I mention it was hot?)

2008-06-15T19:39:00.004-04:00

Congratulations Kevin!

My nephew Kevin graduated from high school today. Even though Commencement was today, the party, for logistical reasons, was yesterday.

The temperature reached a sweltering 91 degrees, but there was often a nice breeze and plenty of shade in the pavilion we used at a local State Park. Plenty of good food, lots of good company, even though there were a few missing family members we would all loved to have seen.

The little ones played in the ice water and didn't seem to mind the heat, the big ones complained about the heat but had a good time anyway (you would be surprised how much fun a pair of bear-claw pork shredders can be, right Maria?) and everyone slept well last night!

That last part was important as today is Father's Day, I got to sleep in even more than usual! (Thanks guys!).

My boys gave me a wonderfully, hilarious card featuring Cartman from South Park. (Gee, I'll bet mom picked that one out!), and my wife is working on a cover for my deck (outdoor kitchen).

Did I get my dad a card? Did I give him a phone call? Hell no, I put him to work. My GrillDome lid needed a little adjusting and that was a job right up his alley. The way I look at it, I gave him a chance to get dirty, sweaty, curse a little (or maybe a lot) and most of all to fix something! What more could a dad ask for?

Unfortunately, even though I had my camera with me yesterday and today, I never got around to taking any pictures.

So congratulations to Kevin and everyone in the class of 2008.

And Happy Father's Day to my dad and every dad!

Hot fun in the summer time...

2008-06-08T21:32:00.001-04:00

The boys are done with school and the weather has been oppressive! Fortunately, for them, their mother, in her infinite wisdom, got them a new game for their Xbox to celebrate the successful completion of another year of school.

I, on the other hand, am not content to sit in front of the television screen all day, even if it is air conditioned inside. Besides, who wants to heat up the kitchen when the outdoors is already hot?

Nothing new or special, just the same old. A couple of pork tenderloins that had been marinating in a Teriyaki sauce for a few hours, then some Salmon for snacking.

This salmon was meant for eating cold so it was treated to a salt, sugar and pepper cure for four hours then smoked. We'll have that later on crackers or toast.

Nothing else new or exciting to report. Just gearing up for a big pork-shoulder roast this Friday night for my nephew Kevin's graduation party on Saturday. Looking forward to seeing the whole clan again.

The weather is beautiful, what to do?

2008-05-26T20:26:00.005-04:00

Why cook of course!

Fired up the grill Saturday for lunch and pretty much kept it going until 12:00 today (Monday, Memorial Day).

For starters, or for lunch actually, I did something a little different, for me at least and grilled some great big Portabello mushrooms. Soaked them in a beef broth, olive oil and maple syrup marinade for about 20-30 minutes, then grilled them slowly for another 20-30 minutes. Plopped on a bun with some caramelized onions and goat cheese and they were quite good! (thanks again to Gowan for the recipe and idea)

After the Dome cooled down I cleaned out the ash and filled it up with a fresh load of Wicked Good Charcoal, Weekend Warrior and wood chunks for an overnight brisket cook.

I've cooked brisket "flats" before but this was the first time I got a whole "Packer cut." This is the flat muscle along with the "point" muscle. I had the butcher separate them and trim the fat to a uniform 1/8 inch.

I put the flat on the main grill and the point on the upper grill. Got 'em started around 8:00PM and took them off around 1:30 on Sunday afternoon. I wrapped the flat in foil and towels and put it in a cooler for a couple hours but I cubed the point(which wasn't easy as it was trying to fall apart!), gave it another liberal dose of Rub and put it back on the Dome in an aluminum pan for another two hours to make "burnt ends."

When the burnt ends were done, I called SpecialEd Sister #7 and said "I have some Cow Candy, fresh off the grill!" When she said "Cow candy, what the...?" I just said "come over, you'll like it! She did, and so did SpecialEd Sister's #2,#5 and several of their kids.

Once again, I cleaned out the ash (not much ash when using WGC) and built a fresh, full load in the pit. This time, three bone-in pork shoulders about 7-8lbs apiece.

Two on the bottom, one on the top, fired up around 6:30 let go overnight.

One shoulder was done at 8:00 this morning but the other two didn't come off until Noon. (each shoulder has it's own personality and agenda!)

Sent some home with my BIL, as a token of appreciation of hard work, sold some to a secret admirer (no kidding) and the rest is calling my name!

Cedar and Birch "Planked" Salmon

2008-05-20T19:13:00.008-04:00

I finally got around to trying some grilling planks from Lexington Outdoors of Maine. I've had them for awhile but the stars and planets never aligned themselves quite right until this evening.

It's been raining here almost non-stop since about when... December? Well at least for the past couple days straight and the past month most of the time, and definitely on the weekends!

I picked up three six-ounce fillets of Atlantic Salmon from Chile? (I thought Chile was on the Pacific coast? I guess when it's farm raised it can be from anywhere.)

I didn't have any Dizzy Pig Raging River so I used a lemon and pepper rub by Red Monkey that someone gave me.

I rubbed it in fairly heavy and let it rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature while I fired up the Dome. Then I put three oval planks in a pan of water to soak. I have a sampler pack of two each so I used two cedar and one birch.

When the Dome was stabilized at close to 400 degrees I put the planks on a raised grid for a few minutes until they started to smoke a bit. Then I put the salmon on and shut the lid.

Ten minutes later I opened the lid and slathered some maple butter on the fillets. (That's the butter and maple melting in that little dish on the grill.) After 15 minutes I gave them a bit more maple butter glaze.

After a total of twenty minutes I took them off and let them rest.

In retrospect, I probably should have skipped the rub as this was my first time trying the planks and they give a subtle smoky flavor to the fish whereas the lemon-pepper rub can be overpowering in large amounts. Very strong. Either way the salmon turned out great and I can't wait to try more grilling planks.

Give yourself a treat and visit Lexington Outdoors of Maine. Father's day is coming up so why not drop a hint?

Lazy afternoon...

2008-05-15T14:23:00.003-04:00

I am so jealous!

Let the ribbing begin!

2008-05-03T19:51:00.005-04:00

Believe it or not, with all the BBQ'ing I've done, I've never cooked ribs. Heck for all intents and purposes, I've never eaten ribs. Something to do with a chilhood hangup on eating sloppy food with my fingers.

Well since my smoker is quickly coming up on a year old, and I've got pulled pork, pork tenderloins, spatchcocked chicken and burgers, beans and even meatloaf down pat and my brisket is pretty fair, I figured it was time. No self-respecting pit master can look at his reflection in his shiny cooker lid for too long if he/she hasn't worked on perfecting ribs.

I did a variation of the standard 3-1-1 method that worked out to be more like 3-1.5-1, (Thanks again to Gowan of the GrillDome Forum and a BBQ competition near you)where the ribs are cooked indirect at a grill temperature of 235 degrees. After three hours I wrapped them in foil and in lieu of cider or apple jucie which I did not have, I poured a little of my wife's beloved Diet Coke in the foil (and the drip pan). After an hour and a half in foil, I put the ribs back on unwrapped for another hour to firm up.

I did these ribs "dry" using Cookshack's Rib Rub, only putting sauce on at the table. I rubbed them down last night and put them in the fridge. Fired up the gril this morning and had the ribs on by 10:15. I used a Weber Rib Rack similar to the one pictured, so I could fit four racks at one time. They came off just before 4:00.

Not perfected by a longshot, but not bad either. Especially for a first time. My two boys, even ate them!

Get Stoked! When technolgy meets art in the backyard...

2008-04-19T19:46:00.006-04:00

Anyone who has visited this site before knows my fondness for authentic BBQ! While my GrillDome does an amazing job of maintaining a steady temperature on its own, there can be many variables that can turn an overnight cook into a disaster.

The quality or moisture content of your wood or charcoal

Weather conditions(nothing like a strong wind to turn your low 'n slow into a blast furnace)

How well you assembled your wood or charcoal

The fickleness and whims of the BBQ Gods

BUT, there is hope and that hope can be found in technology. I'm sure the legendary Pit masters of yore are rolling in their hickory smoked caskets but for the average backyard enthusiast like myself (who might wear an occasional python boot) and can't afford to take a chance with 30 lbs of meat there is the Stoker from Rock's Bar-B-Que.

"The Stoker is a temperature control device for any wood or charcoal burning cooker."

That's right. This little gizmo either feeds the pit with a fan or shuts off the air completely to maintain a preset temperature. It also has connections for food probes so you can monitor the internal temperature of your food and set an alarm to let you know when it's done!

I put said 30 lbs of pork shoulders in the Dome last night around 7:00, set the pit temperature for 225 and let it go. When I got up this morning 12 hours later the pit temp was 227 degrees and the shoulders were just coming out of the "plateau" where all the magic happens. A couple hours later I had four roasts wrapped in foil and resting in a cooler.

It may seem pricey to some but what would you pay for peace of mind and a good night's sleep? No worrying about flameouts, no bad meat, no getting up every couple hours to "check on the fire."

All I did was get my family hooked on my Que and they chipped in and got me the Stoker. Thanks guys! It worked like a champ and did everything it was supposed to do!

For you Geeks out there, it also comes with an Ethernet connection so you can monitor and control it through a web browser! I know of at least two third party programs that allow graphing or even having the unit call your cell phone with a text message to let you know your food is done!

Introducing Loki

2008-04-13T12:16:00.004-04:00

Lo·ki (lo'ke') n. Mythology. A Norse god who created discord, especially among his fellow gods.

Rhymes with "low key"

Male Golden Retriever

Born: December 7th, 2007(a date that will live in infamy)

Brought home, Saturday, April, 12th.

More later...

Cast Iron

2008-04-05T18:46:00.007-04:00

I've been wanting to do some cooking with cast iron and this week I finally got around to it. My father dug around in his basement and found an old 10" skillet. Other than some light rusting it looked to be in pretty good shape but it was very light in color, not the usual black you would expect to see on an older piece.

I applied a liberal dose of steel wool and elbow grease to remove the rust, then scrubbed it well with a mild detergent and hot water; towel dried it and put in on the stove to make sure it was completely dry. From information I gleaned on the web, I decided to apply some cooking oil (Canola) and put it in a 250 degree oven for two hours. It came out a bit darker but not much. My eggs were sticking. I tried it a couple more times and it just wasn't doing it for me so, after more web research I fired up my GrillDome got it up to 500-600 degrees, spread the coals out and just laid the pan on the coals and closed the lid. After an hour I closed the vents so the fire would go out and let it cool down for the rest of the afternoon.

The pan came out very clean and shiny. I scrubbed it again with mild soap and hot water, towel dried and finished on the stove.

This time I used a good coating of Crisco and put the pan upside down in a 350 oven with some foil on the rack below to catch any excess oil. After one hour I turned off the oven and left the pan in there with the door shut.

BIG difference! It came out nice and black and it works like a champ now. My inaugural cook was cornbread and it turned out great. Crisp, not only on the top but the sides and bottom as well and "just right" on the inside. Two rib eye steaks tonight weren't too hard to eat either.

I have my eye on a 6qt Dutch Oven (pictured at the top of the page) and maybe even a 3qt enameled Dutch Oven... if I can only find some space to store them!

BTW, those pictures show the same skillet in the same condition. The change in color is from outsdie lighting vs. inside lighting.

Warning! Ravelry.com. Warning!

2008-03-31T19:01:00.004-04:00

So what is this ravelry.com and has anybody seen my wife?

From what little I gather (because membership is by invitation only) it's a mostly "girls" club where the womens{sic} can let down their hair and post about topics they usually pretend they don't think about when they are in mixed company, and all under the guise of knitting and crocheting. I can't post pictures of what these "ladies" are knitting but, I can guarantee you you wont see much of it on Martha Stewart! It's kind of like a real, live Desperate Housewives for Stitchers and Bitchers.

It's like the roach motel of forums. My wife joined and I haven't seen her since. I have noticed that someone is taking the lunches and snacks I prepare for her every night but I haven't seen her. I might have to block it from my router if I ever hope to see her again.

Lonely in Delaware

Kids! Whattsamatta with kids today?

2008-03-26T10:06:00.012-04:00

My 13-year-old who has been enduring braces for the better part of two years had to have three "baby" teeth pulled so he can get his braces off this summer. His Orthodontist referred us to his regular dentist. His regular dentist, in turn, referred us to an Oral Surgeon. "so he can knock him out and take all three out at once and get it over with."

What does my son say? "I want to be awake so I can see it and hear it." Seriously, this kid is a freak! So the OS agrees to use a local instead of "knocking him out."

This morning was the big day. My son troops off without any apprehension or seemingly, a care in the world. Mrs. SpecialEd stays home from work so she can be with him during the procedure and get him settled in at home afterwards. Meanwhile, Dad is home wondering what's taking so long? Is he ok? Is there a problem? Poor baby, etc., etc.

So a little over an hour later they come home and around a mouth full of gauze is the biggest smile he's had in weeks! "It was so cool!" Look! And he holds out his hand with three freshly pulled teeth that you would swear just came out of a horse!

He did so well his OS has invited him back to observe a procedure and says "he'll make a great oral surgeon someday!"

Now with all my experience in and out of hospitals, I tend to be very stoic when it comes to being poked and prodded and when the tech takes four attempts to get an I.V. started but actually enjoying it? All I can say is he didn't get it from me.

Warning! Not for the Squeamish!

Easter Lamb

2008-03-24T14:20:00.007-04:00

Not much excitement this past week. I did however, grill a big, honking (8lb) leg-o-lamb for my mother, for Easter. I've been using the same marinade recipe for going on 25 years now and see no reason to change.

¾ cup Soy

¾ cup lemon juice

1 ½ cup onion bullion

3 Tbls. Horseradish

3 Tbls prepared mustard

pepper to taste

In all those years I have never seen onion bullion at any store, so I have always used powdered onion soup mix and it has tasted just fine. The longer the lamb marinates the better it tastes. Even better is to butterfly the leg and grill it like a big steak. Butterflying provides much more surface area for absorbing the marinade.

Lexington Outdoors of Maine

2008-03-15T16:54:00.007-04:00

I first found this site linked on The Naked Whiz’s Ceramic Charcoal Cooker site. Of course I was instantly intrigued. They had me at “Hello,” hook, line and woodsaw.

“Artisan” wood chips, chunks, etc., are nothing new but I have yet to use planks, or in Lexington Outdoors’ case, ovals for cooking fish, or anything else for that matter. I have been hoping to grill more fish this year as I have been hoping to eat more fish this year. We eat absolutely NO fish in this house with the exception of occasional dinners of frozen fish sticks and tater tots. When the boys were younger, we/they had this meal two or more times a week.

I resolved that we would start eating more fish and proper fish, not “stix and tots!” I recently purchased a box of Mrs. Paul’s breaded fish fillets as a kind of warmup for the boys so as not to shock their systems. They went over ok, but only after SpEd Boy #2 was granted permission to use ketchup. He was much happier once the dreaded fish fillet was “swimming” again.

Anyway the point of this post isn’t to say how wonderful cooking with wood chips, chunks and planks from Lexington Outdoors is (I haven’t cooked anything yet) but rather to say what a wonderful company LO is! When I received my order (within a couple days of ordering) one of the items I ordered was left out of the package. I called their CS number and after several rings, I got a message saying they were busy, so please leave a message. Uh-oh, that’s not a good sign!

BUT, about 20 minutes later, I received a call-back from CSR, Dorie, who as it turns out, is a family member/owner of the company. She was very pleasant and most helpful, not only with the missing item but we discussed the various woods, recipes, regional accents, the state of Maine and even marriage! (Sadly, she is spoken for). For my troubles, Dorie sent me an extra sampler pack of oval planks and directed me back to the website for more recipes. The second shipment came two days later via Fed-Ex. Thank you Dorie!

In contrast, my wife and I purchased a new washer/dryer unit two weeks ago from Sears and had many problems with the installation. I was on the phone everyday for a week, until it was settled. Most calls landed me in India where it took awhile to get re-directed back to the States and the correct department or representative to handle the problem.

Dorie went above and beyond, gave me more time than I probably deserved, to replace one missing item, and has secured a customer for life. Even if I don’t cook with their wood, I can use the wood chips, chunks and planks to balance a wobbly table or as chocks for the wheels on my chair!

I’ll post my cooking results soon.

Just say no!

2008-03-10T16:21:00.006-04:00

I'm flattered, I take it as a compliment (it is a compliment, right?). But... Just say no! No more sauces, no more rubs, no more spices, I don't have any more room in the house and I now have more BBQ rubs and sauces then I can use for at least a year and probably many more!

So thank you, I appreciate it, I can always use bags of lump, I can always use aluminum pans, I can always use firestarters (I like the little Weber gel tab thingys), I will still keep cooking for you but, JUST SAY NO!

IF you have lots of money and just must buy me something for the grill/kitchen, I'm starting to get an itch for some Lodge "Logic" cast-iron cookware. (whatever you do, don't tell Mrs. SpecialEd)

Key Lime Pie Recipe

2008-03-08T10:38:00.007-05:00

Due to what can only be described as overwhelming response to my previous post...

(2 comments, Woohoo!)

I figured I better post the recipe I use for KLP. This recipe is an old one from a book first published in 1949. This book, With A Jug of Wine, by Morrison Wood, has provided me with authentic versions of most of my staples; Boeuf Bourguignon, Jambalaya, Hungarian Goulash, Chili, Brunswick Stew, Kentucky Burgoo, Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew), etc. (Can you tell I'm a sucker for the one-pot, so-called peasant foods?)

I got the book on a whim waaay back in the early 80's when everyone was wearing tight, overpriced, Designer jeans, the girls had "Big" hair and the guys had perms and skinny little ties... needless to say it has remained in fashion longer than the above, (we can only thank the Gods for that!)

Key Lime Pie

1 can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup fresh lime juice (bottled is ok, Key Lime is best)
3 eggs
Prebaked pie shell
Whipped cream
Cinnamon

Separate the eggs and beat both whites and yolks in their separate containers.

Mix together 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup of lime juice and the beaten yolks. Then fold in the well-beaten whites.

Pour the mixture in a good flaky pie shell, already baked, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

When cool, place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. When serving, top pie with whipped cream.

One variation is to mix a tbsp. of rum in with the whipped cream and sprinkle with powdered cinnamon.

* This is the only recipe I know of for KLP that includes the egg whites. Not being one to waste and since the egg whites are almost pure protein (that makes the pie healthy right?), I have always included them. It makes for a "lighter" pie.

KLP, My "Ace in the hole!"

2008-03-03T19:05:00.009-05:00

I was grilling again this weekend... of course! And it was also another round of Birthday cooks for my sisters as SpecialEd Sisters #2 and #6 had birthdays last week. Nothing out of the ordinary, just some pork; a loin and a couple tenderloins. I wasn't completely sure of the weather so Saturday night I hedged my bet by making my "emergency backup" dish(s). KLP! That's Key Lime Pie, two of them to be exact. No matter how the pork turned out, with these two particular SpEd Sisters, I knew that pie was my Ace in the hole. Why Key Lime Pie?

It only takes about 20 minutes to make, including 15 minutes of cooking time.
It's virtually foolproof
It is awesome stuff!

Once again, I didn't get any but according to the latest SpEd Sister polls (rave reviews) the pies weren't necessary but definitely a nice touch.

Happy Birthday Again! You know who you are...

Test

2008-02-29T10:43:00.001-05:00

This is a test of the email publishing system!

If this had been an actual emergency, your power would be out and
therefore you wouldn't be reading this right now.

MOZY, free backups!

2008-02-23T19:39:00.009-05:00

I recently discovered MOZY a free, online (and therefore offsite) computer backup service. Absolutely free, you get 2GB of backup space. While that might not sound like much to you media hogs with several Gigs of movies, pictures, and music on your hardrives, 2GB could mean the difference between heartbreak and a minor inconvenience if you make judicious use of the space.

To use MOZY, follow the link and download a small bit of software to your pc. Your first backup could take several hours but if you schedule your backups to run overnight (or whenever you are usually not online) they are not intrusive. I schedule mine to run after Midnight, a couple times a week.

Online

Offsite

Simple to use

FREE!

MOZY

Coffee-Crusted Pork Tenderloins with Redeye BBQ Sauce!

2008-02-21T11:39:00.008-05:00

This past weekend I decided to try something a little different and cooked Coffee-Crusted Pork Tenderloins with Redeye BBQ Sauce. This recipe came from a book by Steve Raichlen called BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes from All Across America.
It's a basic BBQ rub with the addition of freshly ground coffee beans and a dash of cocoa. The flavors blend in with the rest of the rub and don't overpower but give the meat a nice little zing. The Redeye BBQ Sauce however does stand out with a BIG zing that makes the pork -- and whatever else it comes in contact with -- stand up and bark! Spicy, flavorful crust on the outside and not enough E's in tEnderloin to describe the inside.

Steve Raichlen has several books on BBQ and one dedicated entirely to Beer in the Butt style Chicken. I am particulary fond of his book, Barbecue! Bible : Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades, Bastes, Butters, and Glazes.You can spend several days traveling the world without ever leaving your kitchen (or back deck actually since it's BBQ) and I have.

I apologize for the picture quality of the finished plate. Once again in our enthusiasm, we ate most of it before I remembered to take a picture.

Did I bite off more than I can cue?

2008-02-12T10:49:00.001-05:00

Hell no! Turns out I bit off just as much as I could cue, and if I really tried I could probably have fit a little more. Yes, that's 30 (well 29 1/2 actually) pounds of smoky, porky goodness!

Back story: Starting last September, I promised all the SpecialEd siblings I would BBQ or gill them something for their birthdays. SpecialEd sisters, 3 and 7's birthdays fall two days apart and they both decided on pulled pork. Once the rest of the gang heard there would be some pork shoulders cooking (an overnight process) I started getting feelers about "do you have room for another?" etc. Since it basically takes the same amount of time and charcoal to cook two three or even four as it does one, I decided to "fill the grill."

So I wheel myself down to my local Costco (the only "Big Box" store that matters) and check out their double-packed pork shoulders. Great horny toads, they only have one in the meat case... (a total of 12.5 lbs.) Fortunately they found me another that was 16.5 lbs.

Once I get home I'm staring at 29 lbs. of boneless pork shoulder thinking, "What have I done?" There's no way I can manage all this! Once my initial panic subsides we get down to business. I say "we" because it became a family affair. SpecialEd Boy #1 and SpecialEd, Auxiliary Backup Boy#2 love to play with the Cajun Injector and the spicy rubs and Mrs. SpecialEd did a bangup job tying the roasts up so they would stay together and fit mo better on the grills. (that is her lovely hand covered in "Slap Ya Mama" rub and giving the thumbs up sign).

SpEd Boy#1 and I fired up the grill around 2PM on Saturday afternoon. Mrs. SpEd and I loaded the grills up with meat and let the Grilldome do it's thing.

The pork was done around 11am Sunday morning. We wrapped those babies up in foil and towels and put them in a cooler for "resting"

I drove them over to my childhood home where SpEd Sisters 5 and 7 live and sat back. SpEd Sister #3 showed up and grabbed her birthday roast, SpEd Sister #7 started pulling hers, then the rest of the gang came out of the woodwork and descended on the remaining two roasts. Thank goodness for Ziploc bags! It was all over so fast, nothing left but the smell of hickory smoke and dirty dishes... until next time that is!

Car for sale!

2008-02-11T18:58:00.001-05:00

Though it has served me well, just shy of 15 years, it is time for my 1993 Saturn SL2 to go. Sometime last summer I reached that critical mass where I couldn't comfortably lift my tired, old, body out of the low slung Saturn anymore and into my wheelchair. In September I acquired a van, a behemoth, a gasoline pig, (you getting the picture?) that allows me to ride a lift at my seeming leisure while the hydraulics do all the work.

The Saturn (or as SpecialEd boy #1 refers to it, "The Handi-Wagon.") has served me well. It wasn't perfect but Saturn always stood behind it and I had few problems over the years. The Braun ChairTopper along with the adapted hand-controls got me where I needed to go whether it was work everyday, the supermarket (it seemed like everyday sometimes), classes at night, road trips to Virginia, to visit my parents, or to take the boys to school. As long as I took care of it -- well me and Monkey Man Mark that is -- it took care of me.

It runs great, gets great mileage, has a 6 CD changer, AC that kicks, power windows and locks and a Knight Rider like personality.

There's got to be someone out there who has the upper body strength that can use it!

Resolutions Hullabalutions!

2008-01-09T11:46:00.000-05:00

What no gray?

I've never been one for New Years Resolutions. As Socrates said, The unexamined life is not worth living, BUT... One should examine one's life constantly, not once a year!

That being said, I SpecialEd, have resloved to reconnect with and stay in touch with as many old friends as I can. I have let too many slip away for reasons that aren't always clear but clearly aren't worth the loss. I've lost a few old friends this past year. Some closer than others, but there are way to many in the here and now that I haven't talked to in years.

So look out, you know who you are, you may be receiving an email or phone call out of the blue... (better yet, if you see this, send me an email and I'll make sure you're in my address book(s)!

Resolvedly,

SpecialEd

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T19:48:00.001-05:00

Finally! It's here, it's almost over, we survived... and most amazingly, my two sons did not spontaneously combust before it arrived. Another Christmas day down, another year to go.

Everyone was surprised in some way or another. Everyone is happy and contented and we had a great day without leaving the house. However, there were lots of phone calls made to and from other family members.

(Always lots of books for Christmas, this one is yet another tome on Greek Mythology)

My sons got their first video game console. That's right, xbox 360 Elite in the house! They haven't moved from the couch in about 9 hours other than to use the bathroom. We had to flip the main circuit breaker to get them to the dinner table. So far they have been enthralled with Lego's Star Wars; The Complete Saga.

Mrs. Special Ed is learning how to use a drop spindle to spin fibers instead of her trusty Kromski Sonata spinning wheel.
There were also several books for all, some vintage rock 'n roll t-shirts and a few classic Monty Python t-shirts too. My boys have such good taste!

(A few seconds away from the xbox to act silly)

I took advantage of the sunny weather and cooked some pork tenderloins that had been soaked in a Jamaican Jerk marinade for two days. Yehaaa!

(What's everyone else gonna have?)

Only 365 days left!

Weather clear, track fast!

2007-12-18T20:06:00.001-05:00

First we had snow, then slop then more slop. Then we had wind... I mean WIND! Two days of steady wind with gusts up to 50 mph. Today the sun was out and the wind was much tamer. Time to fire up the grill again before I go through withdraw.

Temperature outside 34 degrees F. Temp inside the grill, 350. Temp inside the chicken when I pulled it off the grill, 170.

My grill is hot, my clothes smell smoky, there is grilled chicken and burgers in the fridge... all is sunny in the world! Now, if we can just get Christmas over with...

D'oh!

2007-12-05T11:16:00.001-05:00

I forgot to take pictures!

I cooked up a feast this past weekend but I was so wrapped up in cooking I forgot to take pictures. Nobody's going to read a blog about food with out pictures!(food porn).

Anyway, I cooked a boneless leg of lamb in two pieces. One with a Tandoori marinade and one with a Persian yogurt & saffron marinade. I also cooked up two pork loins and several burgers for the kids and other non risk takers. For those that ate the lamb, the Tandoori was the big hit. For the others the pork loins were their usual, smoky, spicy, goodness! (Burgers weren't bad either.) All cooked on the Grilldome, of course.

Vocabulary word for the day: Spatchcock

2007-11-29T11:32:00.002-05:00

Spatchcock is a method of cooking poultry. Especially, chicken, quail and Cornish Hens. The origin of the word is disputed and you can find a lot of information at The Naked Whiz's Ceramic Charcoal Cooker Pages. An excellent resource for ceramic cooker users. Check out the whole site, it's worth the trip.

Here are my wife's (who makes her living as Conan the Grammarian). favorite definitions:

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

spatch·cock (spchkk) n.A dressed and split chicken for roasting or broiling on a spit.
tr.v. spatch·cocked, spatch·cock·ing, spatch·cocks 1. To prepare (a dressed chicken) for grilling by splitting open. 2. To introduce or interpose, especially in a labored or unsuitable manner: "Some excerpts from a Renaissance mass are spatchcocked into Gluck's pallid Don Juan music" (Alan Rich).

Forthright's Favorite Words

spatchcock (spach'kok) v or n (English, probably from dispatch and cock) To insert into a text too hurriedly or inappropriately; a fowl stuffed and cooked immediately after killing. This is probably my favourite word of all time. Though there's little use for it any more as a noun, the idea of hurriedly killing, stuffing and cooking a bird has enormous metaphorical value. As a verb, spatchcock is a term that should be picked up and used by every editor who has ever had to read a manuscript that has been prepared in such a manner.

Speaking of Family...

2007-11-28T08:32:00.001-05:00

Proud momma and poppa

Grandma!

Here is the latest addition. Anthony Aiden De Michiel! Mom and Aiden are happy and healthy and doing fine. (look at that head of hair!). Dad is my nephew Denis. Mom and Dad met while keeping Navy Fighter Jets ready for action so I guess Aiden is doomed to be a (Navy Brat.)

Congratulations!

My Favorite Holiday!

2007-11-24T11:16:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. When I was a kid it might have had something to do with the fact that my Birthday fell on Thanksgiving once every seven years. I'm not sure. But as an adult, I like it because it centers around food, family, gratitude(thanks) and food. It hasn't been commercialized like the other major holidays (except for maybe the turkey companies and stove-top stuffing makers). And thanks or as I prefer gratitude, knows no boundaries. It isn't particular to any one religious belief or even belief in a God at all. One can feel gratitude and feel thankful without directing it at any specific point in the universe, natural or supernatural. So whether you give thanks to a supreme being, count your blessings or just feel appreciative for what you have, a belated Happy Thanksgiving!

Now on to the details...

One 12lb turkey injected with maple sherry butter of my own concoction, stuffed with a quartered orange, apple, onion and lemon. Any leftover injection fluid was smeared all over the outside to help brown the skin.

Smoke it for about three hours at 325 degrees and there you have it.

Even the boys -- picky eaters that they are -- wolfed down some turkey!

The only negative note was that turkey was all the boys ate. They didn't eat stuffing, mashed potatoes, or anything else. Just turkey! Do I get mad and have a fit since they are missing out on the best meal of the year?(A very big shout-out to Mrs. SpecialEd for another wonderful Thanksgiving meal! You're the best!) Yes at first I do. Then I take a deep breath, smile, remember that I can't force them to like something and the important thing is they are happy and healthy and I am very thankful for that!

"A journey of a thousand miles...

2007-11-18T13:26:00.001-05:00

starts with one step!"(Ancient Chinese proverb) "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." (anonymous and Craig, my former mentor and boss) "A Black Belt is a White Belt that never gave up!" (Master Jim Clapp, of American Karate Studios in Newark, DE.)

Well Boy number 1 just achieved a milestone in his Karate practice. Friday night he was promoted to 1st degree Brown Belt. Even though there is only one more color to go -- Black, of course -- Achieving Brown Belt is sort of a half-way mark. There are three degrees of Brown Belt in Kenpo Karate with a "stripe" level for each, making six levels until you reach Black Belt.

He also participated in a tournament last weekend where he won four medals.

Boy number 1 (in the red pants) and his Tournament partner

Can you count 'em... FOUR!

Receiving his Brown Belt

Removing the Green Belt and putting on the Brown Belt

That Championship form!

Both Boy number 1 (12) and Boy Number 2 (9) have been studying Kenpo Karate at AKS for two and a half years. Until recently they progressed at the same rate and were always promoted together. A few months back the age difference (and intensity levels) started to differentiate themselves and Boy Number 1 started leap-frogging past Boy Number 2. Boy Number 2 enjoys karate and does well but he is more like the kid in right field paying more attention to the butterfly then the pop-fly. On the other hand, Boy Number 1, attention defficits aside, has a laser-like focus and concentration towards his practice that is not manifested anywhere else in his life. He will be a Black Belt, I have no doubts!

The way AKS is laid out, on the second floor of their building, up a long set of stairs, I have never been able to watch my boys there as I use a wheelchair. Nonetheless, My wife and I (she also started karate lessons at the beginning of the year) really like the staff and approach at AKS. --they are so good with the kids, all of the instructors are!-- That we except that for what it is. I can still drop them off and pick them up, and my wife takes plenty of pictures. They get my full support regardless of whether I am in the same room or not.

Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway. I am very proud of both my boys!

Neener neener!

2007-11-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

In case anyone cares or is interested...

I am completely done Christmas shopping! Ha!
(And have been for over a week....)

Turkey Time

2007-11-12T10:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I smoked a turkey breast. Now that might sound fairly basic and it is how I got my smoke-cooking start about 25 years ago, but I haven’t smoke-cooked a turkey in probably 15 or more years. Actually until I got my Grilldome cooker this past July, I hadn’t smoke-cooked anything in at least 15 years.

That all changed, obviously, when I bought my cooker this past summer and started making up for lost time. Even though I went at it like a man possessed, I never got around to doing turkey, especially since they are not always readily available in the summer months. I have cooked lots of pork,(shoulders and loins), chickens, (whole, spatchcocked, drumsticks and breasts), a couple briskets, burgers and even smoked some BBQed baked beans. But no turkey.

This past week my FIL brought over a turkey breast he got free from racking up points/dollars at his supermarket. My wife probably won’t let me cook the Thanksgiving bird on the Grilldome so I jumped on this opportunity to finally get back in the turkey game.

Back in the old days, I knew nothing of rubs, injections or brining. I just threw the bird on the grill heaped on the wood chips and let it go. I always enjoyed the results but these days I am trying to take things to a new level. So, for the first time ever I have soaked this bird overnight in a brine solution; Kosher salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, garlic, and a few other dry seasonings. I put it on the grill after stabilizing the temperature at 300 degrees. That’s a bit high for normal smoking but a good temperature for a turkey breast. Three hours and 15 minutes later, the breast was done at a temperature of 170 degrees. Very moist, no dry spots, a hint of sweetness and a good smoke flavor. I think I will be doing some more experiments with brine solutions in the coming weeks.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month...

2007-11-11T14:48:00.000-05:00

To all Veterans, past, present and future...
A very sincere and heartfelt

Thank you!

Somtimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you!

2007-11-07T08:53:00.001-05:00

Well this time my BIL got the bear and he wants me to cook a roast. Now I've found a few recipes for stews and steaks and such but I need a recipe more suited to a roast on a smoker cooker. Specifically, what temps do I need to get the roast to for safety sake without overdoing it. Any suggestions out there? (I know this is a rhetorical question since no one reads this blog except for maybe my wife, and that's only if I remind her it even exists. But as I said in my second post, I'm just doing this for the practice!)

Why am I here?

2007-11-06T18:53:00.002-05:00

I don't really have anything to say. At least nothing of interest that anyone would want to hear. Basically I'm here to learn how to use Blogger efficiently. My wife has a Blog Let Me Say This About That, and I am tired of listening to her bitch and moan every time she tries to post a new entry or pictures, etc. She sits in a corner and uses her laptop so I can't see what she is trying to do so I can't help her. So, here I am to sort this all out for her (and my) peace of mind!

Here is a picture of a recent pork shoulder cook that I did.

This is two "Boston Butts" that have just been put on my Grilldome cooker. Injected the night before with a homemade concoction, smeared with mustard and rubbed with some Dizzy Pig rubs. One with Dizzy Dust and one with Swamp Venom.

A little while later when the hickory chunks start doing their magic. Time to shut the lid because... "If you're lookin' you ain't cookin'!

Finally done! The first one came off and was wrapped in foil and towels with TLC and sent over to my sister's house for her annual cookout. The second one (pictured) is for me! Well actually, I did give half of that to another sister for her birthday present.

This was after about 20 hours at or very near 225 degrees. Some truly Hellacius pulled pork!

Invictus

2007-11-06T18:41:00.001-05:00

Invictus

By William Ernest Henley (1849-1903)

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.