August 17, 2008
Another Week Down!
The painting in the kitchen is almost finished...just touching up is left! Laying the kitchen floor tile has begun today. All the walls have been primed, the floor in the FOH has been selected and TLW has finally decided on the placement of the counter.
We bought a 40 foot container. Right now all of the cleaned kitchen equipment is stored in it. When the kitchen is put back together we will have plenty of room for all of our catering equipment, as well as dry and paper storage. This will be the first time in The General's career when all of my equipment will be located in one place. I'm not sure I will be able to function without running around collecting materials for caterings.
The General never lets his enthusiasm for smoking be deterred by small problems...like having no place to cook lunch. Since Friday was "fish day"I decided to cook lunch for the crew...smoked catfish and trout cooked to perfection along with crunchy coleslaw and some garlic bread. Cooked inside my soon to be smoke house on my competition Weber.
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August 10, 2008
Big Announcement from the BBQ General
TLW and I may have been lax about blogging the last few months, but it doesn't mean that we haven't been busy!! We are pleased to announce that at our tender "young" age we are fulfilling a lifelong dream of The General and opening a small BBQ "joint." We took possession of the spot on Monday and have been hard at work ever since! It will be called "Wiley's Championship BBQ." We credit our friend Mike Mills, the BBQ Legend, for the name. He owns several BBQ restaurants in Las Vegas...called Memphis Championship BBQ. He shared with us on one visit that he had a regret that he did not use "Mike" as part of the name of his restaurants. Keeping that in the back of our minds for years, we have concluded that he was correct! Thanks, Mike!Our joint is located 3 miles away from our house on Whitemarsh Island and is in the former location of another BBQ restaurant called Papa's. They were so successful that they have moved across the street into a much larger location. Our spot, roughly 1200 sq. ft. will suit us just fine! We have a smokehouse out back and plenty of room for all of our equipment. We had a 40' container delivered and it is now filled with all of the kitchen equipment (including fryers and stove) and all of the booths and tables from the front of the house.
At the end of week 1 we have made amazing progress as seen in some of the pictures below. With three amazing workers from the Old Savannah City Mission we have accomplished more than our wildest dreams!
We are planning on opening by Labor Day...if we can pull it off.
February 06, 2008
Crab Cakes
Savannah, being a port city, is really into seafood... and crab cakes are really popular here. In the February 2008 issue of the National Barbecue News there is a recipe for Grilled Crab Cakes with Salsa. The recipe calls for Corn Bread Crab Cakes with chunky salsa and a white sauce. It sounds very good and we plan to try it soon.
TLW also has an awesome recipe for crab cakes:
2 egg whites
1 C mayonnaise (Hellman's)..can add more to get correct consistency
1/2 t Old Bay Seafood seasoning
3/4 t dry mustard
4 T butter
1/2 t ground celery seed
Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 t cayenne pepper
6 T extra fine cracker crumbs
1 lb. lump crab meat
8 slices white bread
Combine egg whites and mayo in mixing bowl. Add seafood seasoning, dry mustard, celery seed, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and cracker crumbs. Whisk to remove lumps.
Lightly fold crab meat into mayo mixture. Cover and chill.
Discard crusts from bread slices and cut each slice into quarters. Process in food processor fitted with steel blade until you get a uniform small crumb.
Shape chiilled crab mixture into small cakes. Dredge each cake in bread crumbs and place on rack over a sheet pan. Chill at least 30 minutes so breading can set.
Prepare your grill for direct grilling. Place cakes on a sheet of foil that has been sprayed with Pam. Cook until the bottom of each cake is golden. Gently flip each cake and brown the other side. (You can also saute the cakes in a black iron skillet using the butter. )
TLW usually serves her crab cakes with her Cajun Remoulade sauce. The recipe in the NBBQ News calls for chunky salsa and a drizzling of a white sauce consisting of sour cream, mayo, milk, lemon juice and Italian seasoning.
Posted by The General at 03:15 PM | Comments (5)Shrimp Alfredo
Here is a recipe that you can do either inside or outside on the grill. Wow! Were we ever surprised at how good it was...and how easy. TG bought about 11/2 pounds of shrimp. Taking the easy way out last night, I boiled them with the shells removed. I could have almost as easily grilled them. Prepare enough fettucine for two or more. I used prepared Alfredo sauce that I found in the spaghetti sauce section of our local Publix. Heat the sauce in your microwave for about 2 minutes on high, lay down a bed of fettucine on your dish, spread the shrimp out evenly and cover with the Alfredo sauce. Garnish with minced parsley and serve with garlic bread. Really fast and really good. The Little Woman gave me two thumbs up for this dish!
Posted by The General at 02:24 PM | Comments (0)February 02, 2008
Eating With Your Eyes
People eat with their eyes...as if I didn't already know that after competing 11 years on the professional BBQ circuit. Sometimes we have to re-learn things we already know to reinforce them. I believe that our success at the National BBQ Festival in November should be credited to TLW's presentation of our ribs and brisket. I can only take credit for the ribs that I selected and of course the cooking of them. They were especially meaty...but the rest was due to her creativity...
Friday, after our finish in the middle of the pack of the Invitational event, we had a discussion with two judges, one our good friend Bob Lyon from the Seattle area. TLW asked them how they came up with their presentation scores, which amount to almost 25% of the total score for each entry. Many points were mentioned that we always keep in mind, but one stood out. Since the turn in boxes at this event were bigger than those usually used, the boxes should still be very full. In the Invitational, we did not follow this advice, and in thinking about our presentations, we could have added more samples.
In Saturday's Open event, we kept that concept in mind and had no problem with putting in plenty of ribs, since all of our slabs were awesome. Below is a picture of our turn in box. During Friday's contest, TLW put in one layer of ribs, but on Saturday two layers really filled up the box. And the judges must have liked them giving this entry the first place nod.
We had a major problem with our chicken. It came out of the pit much darker than usual. In retrospect, we ran out of honey that we usually use to sweeten our sauce and replaced it with maple syrup...could this have been the culprit? It took a great effort for TLW (and a lot of cuss words) to find enough pieces of chicken to fill the box...We were decidedly unhappy with that sample even though the day before, chicken was our only top ten finish.
When it was time to turn in our brisket, we ran into another snag. Our four briskets all seemed to be slightly overcooked...even though TG thought they were at perfect temperature. After cutting in to all four, TLW had about ten slices that were acceptable to her...but alone in the box they looked pitiful. So, she cut pieces from fatty parts that we usually don't turn in...but love to eat. With about 30 seconds left, she placed them in the box jigsaw fashion and figured that all was lost. Much to our surprise, the judges gave us first place...amaziing!
Now whether you compete or not, it really doesn't matter. What does matter is that you incorporate good presentation into the food that you feed your guests. Looks do count!
Paul Kirk and R.U.B. (Righteous Urban Barbecue)
Over the years I have always known about him The Baron of Barbecue, Mr. Kirk, but I have never met him, primarily because we cooked in the Southeast and he cooked in the Midwest. I am always pleased when someone goes beyond their passion and turns it into a business. Such is the case with Paul. He has recently published a cookbook
"Paul Kirk's Championship Barbecue: Barbecue Your Way to Greatness with 575 Lip-Smackin' Recipes from the Baron of Barbecue" (Paul Kirk). He has also added to the barbecue scene in New York City with his restaurant R.U.B. competing now with Daisy Mae's and Blue Smoke. I would recommend that you try all three restaurants when you get to the Big Apple. We have visited Blue Smoke (and give it high marks) but have yet to try the other two.
I have also heard that he has opened another R.U.B. in Las Vegas at our favorite hotel The Rio. Check it out next time you are in Sin City!
Posted by The General at 10:21 AM | Comments (1)January 31, 2008
Feast or Famine
That's what this time of the year represents...because we are now in the famine stage. In November and December we were doing multiple parties on the same day. Fed 3,500 people in Forsyth Park, cooked for over 1000 at the Roundhouse, and we cooked at the National Barbecue Festival (winning two first place trophies...one for brisket and one for ribs). Now that we are in our January doldrums, TLW has suggested that we get back to blogging.
So, here we are with two reformatted computers and none of our information was saved! Guess what TLW got for Christmas? An external hard drive...now we can back up our work...kind of like locking the barn door after the horse is stolen!! She asked me if we weren't going to elaborate more on our exciting Fall, and, of course, I plan to!
I think the thing I am most proud of is when we engineered the Day of Great Thanksgiving where 3,500 folks were fed in Forsyth Park. It soon became very apparent that even though we own two Southern Prides, we were no match for feeding this kind of crowd. Nor was the small kitchen in the Old Savannah City Mission capable of that kind of production. There is an old saying that when you do big parties, you need to just break it down into a bunch of smaller parties. That is exactly what we did! We got Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons, to do the gravy...about 50 gallons of it! The Mansion at Forsyth Park did the green beans. Savor Savannah Catering produced the yams and Savannah Technical College (Culinary) produced the dressing. The General smoked 240 turkeys. Savor Savannah also loaned us four huge hotboxes to keep everything warm. Isn't it MARVELOUS when a plan comes together? Guess what? We did all of this in less than a week.
The first of November saw us in Douglas, GA competing in the National BBQ Festival . In 2006, we finished in the top ten of the open contest, so this year we were invited to compete in the Invitational where the top ten teams from each sanctioning body around North America were invited to participate. We did respectably in the invitational, finishing in the middle of the pack of 38 teams with one call only...for 9th place in chicken. The open brought many more teams...over sixty. We thought we turned in good products on Friday, so we aimed at producing similar results for Saturday's event. When it came time for the awards ceremony, our name was not called in chicken. We knew that our chicken turned out darker than the day before, so that was not a surprise. But what was a huge surprise was that we won first place in ribs, and first place in brisket. Had we scored better in chicken, we would have taken first place overall...but we ended up third overall! We were so proud of our performance, since we only cook twice a year, and we were up against some very strong competitors who compete a lot more frequently. If you get a top three call in any category, besides the money, the team is also awarded a beautiful brass bell (small for third to large for first). TLW had been saying all weekend that she wanted a bell....and now she has two big ones!!
November 13, 2007
Computer Disaster
The General and I have had extremely bad luck with our computers this month. First, our Dell desktop died and the hard drive had to be reformatted. Ugh. All info lost...but we had a backup of most files on my Powerbook. Well, guess what happened? Crash! We are still crossing our fingers that Apple will be able to retrieve our files...if not....it will not be pleasant around here. In the interim, I have been trying to gain access to our blog and its files. This is my first attempt. If this works, I have lots of info to share!
TLW
October 05, 2007
Eureka!!
The General has been out of town, so TLW has decided to go it on her own. Food and Wine magazine is one of my favorites. Their October issue is titled "Wine Made Simple." As usual, their are many recipes TG and I want to try...especially the Spicy Pork and Tomatillo Stew which is pictured on the cover. The article that piqued my interest the most is "8 health benefits of drinking wine." Here they the benefits:
Promotes longevity
Reduces heart-attack risk
Lowers risk of heart disease
Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes
Lowers risk of stroke
Cuts risk of cataracts
Cuts risk of colon cancer
Slows brain decline
The article goes on to list the evidence. You will have to read it for yourself here.
(Of course, the health benefits come from moderate consumption!)
Another reason I love Food and Wine is that they are a sponsor of Top Chef on Bravo TV. Even though this year is Season 3, this is the first year I have watched it. Even though TG detests reality tv, I would catch him stopping and watching it over my shoulder. It was great to see the underdog, Hung, win.
All through this season, Hung remained true to himself while ticking off almost all of the other contestants. His ego, confidence and drive superseded any effort to be popular. Initially he was not one of my favorites, but as he kept avoiding eliminations, I thought he might have a chance. As a true champion, he rose to the occasion when necessary. I am happy he won, but I think I also would have been happy if Dale had won. I can't wait until F&W's Top Chef edition comes out!
If you haven't watched the series, I bet you can catch the re-runs on Bravo!
September 21, 2007
Grilled Swordfish
I can't say enough good about the June issue of Food and Wine magazine. Plenty of smoking and grilling recipes, and a lot of them were done by our BBQ friend Steve Raichlen. Last night we cooked their recipe for swordfish steaks that was out of sight! It consisted of a very basic one hour marinade consisting of salt, freshly ground black pepper, minced garlic cloves, lemon juice and olive oil. (TLW has convinced me that using fresh garlic cloves and mincing them gives a superior flavor than the already minced garlic out of the jar.)
Reading the recipe for the 'ketchup' which requires the roasting of fresh tomatoes, reminded me of how good roasted tomatoes are and what fabulous salsa they make. The recipe for the ketchup calls for 1 1/4 pounds of tomatoes. It has a lot of ingredients including allspice, ginger and capers.
TG highly recommends that you find this issue and look for the recipe on p. 188 or check it out
online. Remember not to exceed the internal temperature of 140* for your swordfish steaks.
September 20, 2007
BBQ Calendar
Yesterday a package arrived in The General's mailbox from Los Angeles CA. It contained a 2008 calendar entitled 'A Pig a Day' Icons of Barbecue. Earlier in the year TG received an inquiry from the publisher as to how to reach Dr. Porkenstein, a cooking team from Cape Cod. Happy to receive the info, Dick, the publisher promised to send us a complimentary copy. Thanks, Dick for remembering!
For The General, it has been fun to page through the calendar and see many of the icons we have seen on the bbq circuit for years.
Click here for more information. Seems to be a great opportunity for a Christmas gift for your BBQ friends!
One fun part of writing this blog is that you never know what is going to show up at your door. Before the calendar, we received a turducken from the Cajun Grocer. TLW and I can't eat a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey all on our own, so we are getting together a delegation to help us with this monumental task. Can't wait! Needless to say, we can't recommend the turducken until we try it, but if you are looking for Cajun foods on the internet you may want to give Cajun Grocer a chance. TG is anxious to try their boudain sausage which we use in our famous championship shrimp and grits recipe.
September 18, 2007
Strange Coincidence
In August, on our way to vacation at Lake Chautauqua in upper New York State with our good friends Sir Charles and Kathleen, TG was worried that the Lake might be too remote since I brought no reading material. After lunch in Cleveland, we found a Border's Discount Book Store...and it truly was a discount store. Since I liked the low prices and their selection of cookbooks, I bought several. I didn't pay much attention to them until we reached the Lake.
I began reading one called Cook-Off America Volume 2 and suddenly discovered that I was in the book! "The Original Q Company Brisket" National Capital Barbecue Battle. It goes on to call me a consistent winner and a "circuit" celebrity. Funny though, the recipe isn't mine nor is the picture one of our shots...even though it is a darn fine one.
From then on, I was like a celebrity chef and our friends told anyone who would listen about this strange coincidence! I was then put on the spot when Sir Charles went to his freezer and pulled out a standing rib roast and announced that we were having a dinner party Saturday night and I was to smoke the roast as well as other parts of the meal.
Being away from all my spices and tools, I was able to go back into the archives of my mind and remember an old beef marinade that I used to use all the time. It consists of one third teriyaki, one third red wine vinegar, and one third water. The water keeps the teriyaki from turning the meat too dark. Also add a good shot or two of bourbon. The bourbon breaks down the fibers in the meat and acts as a tenderizing agent...as well as a flavoring agent. I let the meat marinate a couple days before cooking it. I must say that it was one flavorful piece of meat...and all the guests agreed.
I also found out something that most home chefs don't realize. I was looking for some spices to use on the roast and I found that some of Charles' spices were out of date...some by two or three years! Most spices are only good for a year or less...depending on geographic location (temperature and humidity). When in a pinch, the old standby is seasoned salt, black pepper and granulated garlic and that is what I used on the rib roast.
September 17, 2007
Another Burst
Received an email from Steve from Sullicom yesterday. He has spotlighted The General on his blog. After some fine compliments, he comments that The General's blogging is sporadic. He is correct! Both The Little Woman and I are trying to rectify this situation. Blogging for the BBQ General is, I think, a bit harder than for most bloggers because we collaborate on almost every entry...so we both have to be "in the mood" and "available." Thanks, Steve, for giving us a kick in the pants, and we will try to be more consistent! Also, congrats on a great blog!
Linguine with Clam Sauce
As TG has stated before, I have had marginal luck using recipes from magazines. In fact, I have stopped several magazine subscriptions recently. One that I continue to subscribe to is Fine Cooking and I have had success with many of their recipes. If you don't subscribe to it, it would be a worthwhile addition to your cooking arsenal.
In their November 2007 edition, there is a recipe for Linguine with Clam Sauce that I thought The Little Woman might like. I asked her to try it...she was very willing since she has an addiction to clams of any kind! We both loved the result and plan to make it again tonight!
24 littleneck clams (TLW used 36)
6 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 c dry white wine (TLW used Barefoot Chardonnay)
5 T finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
3 large cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
8 oz. linguine (FC recommends De Cecco, Due Pastori, or Rustichella d'Abruzzo brands) (TLW used the spaghetti we had in our pantry)
Freshly ground black pepper
Scrub the clams under cold water and set aside. In a heavy 3 qt. saucepan, heat 3 T of oil over medium heat. Add the pepper flakes and cook briefly to infuse the oil, about 20 seconds. Immediately add the wine, 2 T of the chopped parsley and half of the minced garlic. Cook for 20 seconds and add the clams.
Cover and cook over medium high heat, checking every 2 minutes and removing each clam as it opens. It will take 5 to 6 minutes total for all the clams to open. Transfer the clams to a cutting board and reserve the broth. Remove the clams from the shells and cut them in half, or quarters if they are large. Return the clams to the broth. Discard the shells.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until it's almost al dente, 6 to 9 minutes. Don't overcook.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining 3 T olive oil in a 10 or 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 3 T parsley and the rest of the garlic and cook until the garlic is soft, about 1 minute. Set the skillet aside.
When the pasta is done, reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta. Add the pasta, the clam and the broth the clams were cooked in to the skillet. Return to low heat, toss the past in the sauce and simmer for another minute to finish cooking it, adding a little of the pasta water if you prefer a wetter dish.
Taste for salt and add a large grind of black pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley leaves.
Fried Squirrel
Here we are with a party to get out on Saturday...and, guess what? ...our power goes out. No power equals no stove/oven. Usually power outages around here are fairly temporary, but this one didn't appear to be....especially when 5 Georgia power trucks show up. After the first two hours, we had to come up with an alternate plan for preparing our menu for the party to be held later in the day. Six hours later and with the party under control we learn the cause of the outage....a very dumb squirrel trying to chew through a line !
Green Beans
If you stay in the catering business long enough, you get some really different gigs/jobs. We experienced this phenomenon this past weekend when we catered a party in Port Wentworth for a regional conference of The Little People of America. As different as we imagined it to be, it was probably one of the better parties (most fun) we have catered in our whole career. They had a talent show, a DJ, dancing and... even though their stature is small, they have large appetites! It was really a fun party to do!
In the last couple of years, we have started adding green beans to the menu. The General despises canned green beans because they taste canned, so I have been buying the frozen 5 pound long cut package at Sam's. They are very easy to prepare. Simply bring your water to a boil (TG uses the turkey fryer pot) and add the green beans...for this party I used 15 pounds. This will cool the water, so wait until the water comes back to a boil. In the meantime, add a handful of minced garlic along with 1/3 cup of Lea and Perrin's Worchestershire sauce. Once the water returns to boiling, cook for no more than 5 minutes. Do not over boil them!! Remove the beans from the pot and put them in half pans and add plenty of butter. As Paula Deen says, "The more butter, the better they taste." These beans retain a nice green color and have plenty of texture and flavor...and have really been a hit at the parties where we serve them.
Posted by The General at 09:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)September 04, 2007
Cajun Remoulade
TLW takes great pride in her Cajun Remoulade and Crabcakes recipes which she may post later...if I can bribe her. But here is one that is quick, simple and good. It was given to us by our neighbor, Ernie, and it is a replica of the sauce used at the Longfellow House (TG thinks in New Orleans). Apparently one of Ernie's relatives had been searching for this recipe for over 25 years. It is supposed to be used with shrimp, but it tasted great with some frozen crab cakes we thawed the other night.
1 C Mayo - We prefer Hellman's
1/4 - 1/2 C Creole Mustard - Zatarain preferred
1 T Horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon
2 shakes Worcestershire sauce
1 Garlic clove, smashed
Enjoy!
Posted by The General at 03:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Foolproof Gazpacho
While on vacation at Lake Chatauqua NY with our good friends Sir Charles and Kathleen, they introduced us to gazpacho. Even though both TLW and I had sampled it before, their recipe was especially tasty. They tweaked a version from the Joy of Cooking. Once home, TLW found a version of it on another blog Dope on the Slope. We enjoyed the Dope's version very much!
* 4 or so lbs of field ripened tomatoes
* 1 quart of quality tomato juice (Dope used Looza brand...TLW used Publix brand)
* 2 firm, fresh cucumbers
* 2 firm, fresh green bell peppers (you could use red or yellow)
* 2 smallish fresh red or white onions
* 3 or 4 handfuls of fresh herb (parsley, basil or oregano)
* 1/2 cup of quality red wine vinegar (not balsamic!)
* 1/4 cup of quality olive oil (or more to taste)
* 3 cloves of garlic (or more, but be careful)
* 3 teaspoons of salt (or more to taste)
* fresh ground black pepper
* cayenne pepper sauce (optional) OR
* minced jalapeno (optional)
1. Open an ice cold beer or pour yourself a glass of chilled white wine.
2. Put a large pot of water on to boil and place a colander in your kitchen sink.
3. Wash the tomatoes and cut a small "x" at the stem and stern of each tomato.
4. Peel the cucumbers, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and chop them into large chunks.
5. Peel and core the bell peppers and chop then into large chunks.
6. Peel the papery skin and first layer of flesh off of the onions and quarter them.
7. Flatten the garlic with the blade of your knife, remove the peel and mince. Set aside in a small bowl.
8. Finely chop the herbs and set aside in a small bowl.
9. Pour the vinegar into a measuring cup.
10. By now, the water should be at a nice boil. Set your kitchen timer for 2 minutes, and place all of the tomatoes into the boiling water. After the timer beeps, remove the tomatoes to the colander in the sink. They will need to cool there for at least 10 minutes before you peel and seed them.
August 29, 2007
Championship Grits, Again
We couldn't let August go away without reporting how we fared at the Dillard, GA Bluegrass and BBQ contest held the first weekend in August. First of all, as usual, we enjoyed the wonderful mountain air (especially since Savannah had been sweltering in the high 90's and low 100's with ultra high humidity). Also, the hospitality of Jane and Steve, the organizers, was amazing as it is every year and this was our 11th contest in a row with them...so you know they have something going on. Sixty teams gathered, some from as far away as Texas and all of the teams were "heavy hitters." Last year we tied for second place overall, even though in the standings we placed third, so we were looking for another good showing. Buckhead Janet, our teammate came up from Atlanta, and we went about our usual prep.
We decided to enter two ancillary contests as well as the regular KCBS sanctioned one. Same as last year, Grits and Cabbage. TLW used the same recipes for both. Last year she placed third in Cabbage and first in Grits. It is very difficult to repeat your success from one contest to another, we were just looking for respectable placements. Unfortunately, the judges did not enjoy the cabbage entry and we placed low in the standings. However, her grits won first place again. Not bad for a Yankee!!
As far as the rest of the contest, we finished 7th in Chicken, but 9th overall. We were very surprised since we didn't get a call for our ribs, pork or brisket...but we were right in there near the top 10 places. We were very pleased with our showing since we only compete two times a year and some of the heavy hitters are on the circuit 2, 3 or even 4 times a month. All in all, we didn't come home with a lot of prize money, but we did come home with smiles on our faces!
Posted by The General at 05:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)A Neat "Hat Trick"
No, The General has not taken up ice hockey! Let's face it cooking...especially BBQ...can be a messy pastime. Over the years TG has collected hats from all over the country. All are valuable in the memories they provide, but most of my favorites had become too dirty to wear. I originally thought taking them to the dry cleaners may work...but that is pretty expensive. Here is an almost cost free way to get your hats clean...put them on the top rack of the dishwasher and hit the on button. Yes, you can have dishes on the bottom rack. When the cycle is complete, take the hat out and stuff a towel in the crown to retain its shape. Let it air dry and you are finished. I have done almost a dozen hats this way and even the worst ones have come out looking as good as new!
Posted by The General at 04:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)A Fishy Story
Try to get to know your local fish monger...not just retail store...one that supplies restaurants with portion controlled fish. Such as the case here in Savannah with Matthew's Seafood which supplies many local restaurants with seafood. Restaurants call for specific cuts (4 oz, 6 oz, 8 oz, etc). So what happens to the trimmings? TG recently bought some trimmings and made some outstanding kebobs for about half the per pound price of the fish itself.
I sauteed the vegetables in a small amount of olive oil and sprinkled with some seasoned salt and black pepper. This allows the veggies to soften up a bit before going on the grill
August 08, 2007
Failure of Big Bucks
It is fairly human to think that 'if I just had enough money then I could be successful.' How about if you had a 73 unit BBQ chain and enough money to have at least 2 Southern Prides in each location and all the latest restaurant equipment? But....you failed.
Such is the case with Smokey Bones restaurant chain owned by Darden Restaurants, owners of Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, etc...
According to Nation's Restaurant News, July 9, 2007, Darden has closed 54 locations since May and has put the rest up for sale. I can't help but feel somewhat of a personal disappointment because The General was indirectly involved with the start up of the first unit in Orlando. My friend, Brian K., did the initial spec work for the prototype store and the thought of having a national chain doing BBQ was quite exciting.
So why couldn't money buy success? In TG's opinion, there were several factors that brought on their demise. First, the food was just simply off. They never could get their brisket down correctly and from what I hear, they consulted with regular food service consultants ...not barbecue people. What sticks in my mind is one of the biggest negatives...they originally tried to turn SB into a sports bar. When they did this, in my opinion, they eliminated a big part of their customer base...women. Think about it-George comes home on Friday night after work and says, "Honey, I want to take you out to dinner tonight and let's go eat BBQ at a sports bar!" He may get away with that once, but Honey isn't going to want to spend a lot of quality/romantic time with George at the sports bar. BBQ has always had a male macho image...although there are plenty of good female BBQ chefs out there!
A lot has been blamed on the lack of success of the Smokey Bones chain due to the regionality of BBQ flavors. But I have always believed that good BBQ is always cooked essentially the same with the sauce denoting the region and that can always be adjusted. In certain areas, like California with its tri-tip, cut from the sirloin and Texas, with its beef brisket, those meats are predominant BBQ items. That, too, could have been addressed by SB.
What I believe wasn't addressed is the fact that they did not have enough variety in their overall menu to make non-BBQ eaters want to go there.
The General works on this constantly doing grilled shish ke bobs, BBQ pizza, fish on the grills, wraps, etc. Of course, TG does not own a 73 unit chain!
Posted by The General at 03:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Out from under the rock
In May of this year we finally received a contract on our property in Atlanta after it being on the market for over 2 years. That was the good news. The horrible news was that 23 years worth of "stuff" still remained in the house. Three dumpster loads later and a garage sale finally reduced the house to sale-able condition. If there was a lesson to be learned, it would be that none of us humans need the amount of "stuff" that we think we need. We are all so encumbered by it. Yet, it is truthfully hard to see it go, although we are still dealing with some of what we moved here to Savannah.
Combine this factor with a series of out of town guests and the loss of our beloved 11 1/2 year old German shepherd Radar, this might just begin to explain the General's absence from the blogosphere.
May 21, 2007
Grilled Summer Squash and Zucchini
May/June is always a big month for the food magazines to feature BBQ and Grilling. Such is the case with Gourmet Magazine's June issue. On the cover it has some grilled meat along with grilled yellow squash and zucchini. Go pick up a Gourmet Magazine as the whole magazine has a wealth of BBQ and grilling related items. The recipe for the squash and zucchini is on page 161. Of course, TG tweaked it!
Cut the zucchini and squash lengthwise into 1/4" to 1/2" strips. Put the strips in a bowl and pour enough olive oil to coat them along with salt and black pepper. Gently toss to coat. At this point they were grill ready.
I placed them in a perforated square grilling basket over direct heat to sear the squash strips. Since my fire was too hot and it wanted to burn the olive oil, I moved the basket to the indirect side of the grill. (Remember to keep gently tossing the vegetables.)
Now here's what I picked up from the magazine that put this recipe "off the chain." While I was grilling the veggies, TLW made this dressing:
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 t Creole mustard
1/4 t sugar
2 T olive oil
Combine the above ingredients in a bowl and pour the dressing over the grilled vegetables before serving. Yum. We both loved it!
Green Beans for a Crowd
TG picked up a last minute party for SCAD's (Savannah College of Art and Design) Fashion Show for 120 people this past weekend and we had only 48 hours to produce it. Generally it takes a week or better. I had to come up with a menu that could be produced in a hurry that didn't have long cooking times. Here's the menu: smoked pork loin (marinated in mojo), lemon pepper chicken, our famous cole slaw with a sweet vinegar sauce, tossed green salad vidalia onion vinaigrette dressing and green beans (that turned out to be quite a hit).
Back to the green beans... TG has finally found the secret to cooking green beans in a large quantity. (The Little Woman has a problem with cooked green beans that look and taste like canned ones.) I buy the frozen green beans in 5 pound bags from Sam's. It is a smaller, longer bean than the cut green beans. Our pot (I used a turkey fryer pot) only holds 15 pounds at a time. Bring the water to a boil, put the beans in along with a handful of minced garlic and a few shakes of garlic pepper (also purchased at Sam's Club). Let the water come back to a boil and continue for about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the green beans from the pot (steam can burn you as much as fire can.) Let the beans cool for two or three minutes and place them in serving pans (I used half pans.) Using "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spread out a generous portion of it all over the top of the beans. Like Paula Deen, TG believes butter makes everything taste better.
Ironically, the green beans caught the attention of the guests before the remainder of the menu...probably because they were health conscious fit young people...mostly models, students and faculty members.
We did the whole party from set up to clean up in less than two and a half hours...a record for us. Client was very happy!
Posted by The General at 09:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)May 04, 2007
A Narrow Window for a Gourmet's Delight
Late April and early May is the time you want to make sure you treat yourself to some Alaskan King salmon. Last week TG ordered a whole King salmon...all fourteen pounds of it from Halpern's Purveyors of Meat & Seafood in Atlanta. Spent some time cutting it into 1+ pound portions and using a vacuum seal machine to preserve the integrity of the product.
Last night we had our first sampling and TLW awarded The General a star for my efforts! I used my favorite salmon marinade and grilled it over indirect heat to an internal temperature of 140*.
Be sure when you use the marinade on your salmon...never to marinate fish more than an hour (45 minutes is ok)...especially if it has lemon juice in it as it will break down the protein in the flesh.
Posted by The General at 04:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)April 15, 2007
Space management issue
In a previous post, I mentioned that we received a smoker from Cookshack which TG is learning to use. I've got pork butts down pretty well lately. Since it is a smoker, it needs to be outside, but since it has digital settings it needs to be covered. Right now it is sitting and functioning quite nicely on our screen porch. Now what is the problem with that? Nothing, as far as the General is concerned. However, The Little Lady has a major issue with a piece of cooking equipment on "her" porch. So far she has been a "trooper" and all the time occasionally throws barbs about it my way.
Last week, The General got a call from a freight company wanting to deliver a 250 lb. box to our house. Guess what? It was a new TEC grill from Char-Broil! I had been hoping that I might receive one after Char-Broil invited us to New York City to the preview party for this new line. Oh, my, it is a BIG box and right now it is sitting in our front hall. We do not have a patio (yet) and I have taken up all the backyard space I can with my two Weber kettles and a Smokey Joe. Now, guess who isn't happy about all of this? TLW She has been making comments that it is time to create an outdoor kitchen to house all of this equipment. Great...except it will cost $$$$.
TG has to take all of this under advisement:
New Cookshack smoker....free
New TEC Grill...free
The Little Woman happy...priceless
An Easter Success
The General cooked with a new ham, but not new to this coastal area...Lee hams. They are packed in Southeast Georgia. I cooked them up to 160* and coated them with a simple coating of brown sugar and honey. They were absolutely outrageous...but the main compliment I received was that they were not salty. Many hams have a high salt content...but not so with the Lee ham.
Most of the hams were smoked for the Old Savannah City Mission's Easter meal which was served inside the mission due to inclement weather. We had hoped that it would be a repeat of the Christmas dinner which was served outside "on the corner." Approximately 100 homeless "friends and neighbors" were treated to a dinner rivaling many served in Savannah's elegant homes. The dinner included ham, corn bread casserole, yams, corn, rolls, melon, grapes and chocolate covered strawberries. Guests could even coat their own strawberries, along with angel food cake cubes....as we had our very own chocolate fountain!
It was a special dinner, and the friends and neighbors loved it. But those of us serving them had an even better time...
April 01, 2007
Cookshack and Easter
Of all the people in the BBQ World, the good folks at Cookshack are some of the nicest. Saturday morning when TLW checked our emails, she found some recipes they sent in their monthly newsletter...just in time for Easter. Traditionally in our family, the Easter dinner consists of either lamb or ham...or both. Here are some of their recipes:
Rosemary Smoked Prime Rib
1 – 8 lb. Prime Rib (Bone-off)
1/8 c kosher salt
2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp crushed fresh rosemary leaves
• Combine dry ingredients and rub meat. Refrigerate at least four hours.
• Place rib in smoker and smoke-cook with 4 stems of fresh rosemary in the
wood box at 250°F, to an internal temperature of 140°F (approximately 2
hours).
• Hold in smoker at 140°F for at least 2 hours.
A traditional holiday favorite, this ham recipe from Cookshack is as easy to prepare
as it is delicious.
Pit-Smoked Ham
1 - 12 - 16 lb. cured, bone-in ham (sliced or unsliced)
Honey
Brown sugar
Ground cloves
Allspice
Whole cloves (optional)
• Select a cured but not cooked ham*. Unwrap and pat dry. If you selected a
sliced ham, make sure it is tied securely.
• Bring one of your smoker's grills to your prep area and place on top of a
baking sheet. This is a messy job and it will be much easier to get it in the
smoker if you do this.
• Score it, if you like. Rub the exposed parts of the ham with a handful of
honey. Heap about 1/2 c. of brown sugar on top of the ham and spread
evenly. Shake about a tablespoon of ground cloves and a tablespoon of
allspice over the top of the ham. Stud the ham with whole cloves (optional).
• Take the baking sheet to the smoker and slide the grill off the cookie sheet
into the smoker's side rack. Smoke-cook over hickory wood at 225oF to an
internal temperature of 160oF.
• Remove from the smoker a let it sit for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Everyone is going to love this ham and they will crown you King (or Queen) of
Ham.
*This recipe works just as well on a cooked ham. Prepare as above, but cut smoke-
cooking time to 2 - 3 hours. Remember, the ham is cooked, you are adding old-
fashioned smokehouse flavor that no store-bought ham can equal!
This recipe is a new take on the traditional spring leg of lamb. Serve with roasted
new potatoes and a tossed salad of baby greens for an easy-to-prepare meal.
Olive-Cured Smoked Leg of Lamb
1 head garlic
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup olive olil
1 cup Kalamata olives, rinsed, drained, pitted and prueed
Zest of 2 lemons
Chopped fresh thyme and rosemary to taste
4 pounds boneless, butterflied leg of lamb
• Preheat a conventional oven to 350oF.
• Remove excess skin from the head of garlic. Moisten it with olive oil and wrap
it in foil. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.
• Cool and cut off a bout a 1⁄2 inch of the root section. Squeeze the roasted
garlic from the bulb.
• In a small bowl, combine the roasted garlic, olive puree, lemon zest, and
enough olive oil to create a smooth paste. Add thyme and rosemary to taste.
Spread the butterflied lamb open, like a book. Spread the olive paste on both
sides of the lamb.
• Roll the lamb up, tie with kitchen string, and refrigerate for 8 hours, or for up
to 2 days.
• Smoke cook at 250oF with 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary in the woodbox for 2 1⁄2
hours, or until done.
Cookshack puts a lot of emphasis on their recipes and I have great confidence in them and their ability to produce good eatin' food. In the old days of smoking and grilling, Weber grills led the pack with their innovative dome lid. Seems like I remember a square topped grill by the name Mecco and I also remember a Fiesta grill that was sold in supermarkets and drugstores. Today, the equipment has gotten much more sophisticated and it takes time to learn how to use it...until you can become "one with the equipment." I know people who swear about their Big Green Egg, but in the beginning all they probably did was swear at it! Such is the case when I hastily purchased a piece of equipment at a trade show. From the getgo, The General and that piece of equipment had issues, because I wanted it to do one thing, and it was built to do another. I then gave up on it and put it into storage.
Sometime last year I mentioned on this blog about that experience when someone asked me how to select a grill. The good folks at Cookshack happened to read it, and the next thing I knew they sent me a bigger, nicer model to replace the original piece of equipment. I am now counting my successes each and every time I use it. Thanks, Cookshack for making it right!
March 30, 2007
Just in time for Easter
The General has used Sinclair Foods' Baked Potato Salad with Sour Cream for over 10 years. It always gets rave reviews at all of our parties that we have catered. More times than not people in attendance will ask us for the recipe. TLW got smart and started telling folks that it is an old family recipe...(just not our family's.) Such is the case with ideas...or TG wishes he had thought about it. In Paula Deen's latest book, "Paula Deen Celebrates!: Best Dishes and Best Wishes for the Best Times of Your Life" (Paula Deen, Martha Nesbit) she talks about decorating for Easter using sod grass on the buffet table. Here are a couple of variations if you don't want mess with the sod: try TLW's favorite, wheat grass which is edible or try my idea which to get some astroturf and decorate with Easter eggs, baskets, bunnies, etc.
Paula also has a wonderful recipe for ham (p.77). She calls it Peanut Butter Glazed Ham. Now since we live in the same city as Paula, we don't want to get into trouble by publishing the whole recipe. Some of the ingredients are chicken broth, creamy peanut butter, and honey. Sounds yummy doesn't it?
She also gives a recipe for ham salad (p.83) which uses the leftover ham from your Easter dinner.
Posted by The General at 04:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)March 21, 2007
Two Books
When TG was back in Atlanta last week, I immediately went to Costco to get my "Costco Fix." They have an excellent book section with a large volume of cookbooks priced very competitively.
I picked up Todd Wilbur's"Top Secret Recipes (Top Secret Recipes: More Classics)" (Plume) I opened the book to page 137 and lo and behold there was KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce recipe. The General hasn't tried it yet...but I will soon! This author fascinates me because he has the ability to break any commercial recipe out there...without stealing the recipe itself.
"Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars" (Ceil Dyer) takes another approach by collecting manufacturers' "on the package" recipes...something I have always believed is that these recipes wouldn't be on the product unless they were good.
I think you will have a lot of fun with both of these book and hope you try some of their recipes
Posted by The General at 02:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Two Books
When TG was back in Atlanta last week, I immediately went to Costco to get my "Costco Fix." They have an excellent book section with a large volume of cookbooks priced very competitively.
I picked up Todd Wilbur's"Top Secret Recipes (Top Secret Recipes: More Classics)" (Plume) I opened the book to page 137 and lo and behold there was KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce recipe. The General hasn't tried it yet...but I will soon! This author fascinates me because he has the ability to break any commercial recipe out there...without stealing the recipe itself.
"Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars" (Ceil Dyer) takes another approach by collecting manufacturers' "on the package" recipes...something I have always believed is that these recipes wouldn't be on the product unless they were good.
I think you will have a lot of fun with both of these book and try some of their recipes
Posted by The General at 02:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Tilapia Wrap
Living in a city by the sea, we try to incorporate lots of fresh fish into our diet, because man (and woman) cannot live with BBQ alone. The General got an idea about fixing some tilapia. The problem with tilapia is that on its own its taste is pretty bland. Still being fascinated with the versatility of wraps, I decided to do a tilapia wrap for last night's dinner. I was inspired by a recipe on the package of Chicken of the Sea premium shrimp which you should be able to find in the canned meat section of your local supermarket. This is exactly what I was looking for to kick the tilapia up a couple of notches. It called for salsa (and TG used Newman's salsa with corn and blackbeans) and combining it with ranch dressing (equal amounts). This mixture made an excellent topping to which I added the shrimp. To make the wrap, sprinkle a blend of shredded monterey jack/colby cheese on the soft tortilla, place the grilled tilapia on top of the cheese mixture and finish it off with the topping.
I used blackening seasoning and some of Emeril's seafood magic to season the tilapia. I then put it on a piece of aluminum foil that had been brushed lightly with olive oil so the fish wouldn't stick. It was cooked on the indirect zone on the grill. Most seafood recipes tell you to cook the fish until it flakes, but to prevent overcooking always use your instant read thermometer and never exceed 130*.
The thing that makes wraps so versatile is you are only limited by your imagination. Here are some things I didn't add, that you may want to try: green onions, black olives, guacomole, sour cream, Mexican style kernel corn, and chopped iceberg lettuce.
The meal was completed with some Mexican rice and The Little Woman approved!
Posted by The General at 01:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)St. Patrick's Day in Savannah
Savannah claims to have the second largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the country...second only to NYC. Savannah is a city of about 400,000 people and this years' parade hosted close to 750,000 people and it lasted for over 2 1/2 hours. TG has never seen so many 'kilted' men and the word on the street is that the sand gnats really enjoyed all those bare legs (and other body parts.) The traditional St. Patty's day meal consists of corned beef brisket, boiled potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Now here is a twist on the "boiled" meal...try smoking your corned beef brisket. Treat it just like a pork butt using indirect heat and run the internal temperature up to 190*. Smoked corned beef is really delicious. You can also smoke your cabbage by coring out the center and replacing it with a stick of butter and some Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce. Then loosely wrap some tinfoil around the cabbage to keep the outer leaves from burning.
February 15, 2007
Healthy Solutions Spice Blends
Most of us hard liners think that if something is healthy it won't taste good. However, there is a company in New Hampshire called Healthy Solutions Spice Blends that has a large variety of rubs and spices that don't contain sugar or salt. We have tried many of them and this is one case of healthy and good being compatible. Check them out...especially if you are on a restricted diet or just eat healthy!
Posted by The General at 11:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)Sam's Valentine Dinner
We went to Sam's to pick up our Valentine Dinner after getting off to a late start. We were in search of prime rib and lobster (TLW's favorite surf & turf.) Evidently we were not alone in our search, since all the prime rib had sold out and the fresh Maine lobsters from Wal-Mart next door had been bought up well before our arrival.
We settled for lobster tails from Chile and a ribeye that we already had in our fridge. At TLW's request I made my famous mushrooms. This is something easy to put in your repertoire.
For two people:
1/2 stick butter, salted
2 C sliced mushrooms
2 T Lea and Perrins Worchestershire sauce
Seasoned salt
Black pepper
Saute over medium heat until mushrooms begin to brown. Cut heat back to low and let them continue to cook until the rest of your dinner is ready.
This is a wonderful recipe to fix when asked to "bring a dish" ...everyone will love it.
Enjoyed our put-together dinner along with a nice bottle of Chianti Riserva from Familia Cara 2003...also purchased at Sam's!xxxooo
February 09, 2007
Smoked Chicken Wings
Last week TLW found on The BBQ Forum a very easy recipe for chicken wings:
1 C ketchup
1/4 C dijon mustard
1/4 C hot sauce (we like Chalula)
1/4 C soy sauce
1 T brown sugar
The General combined all the ingredients and let the wings marinate overnight. I made a mistake because I should have made up an extra batch of the sauce for basting, but I used our BBQ sauce for a finishing coat. I cooked them over indirect heat to an internal temperature of 170* The end result was that they were mighty tasty but lacked the crispiness of wings that are fried. I thought that perhaps next time I might throw them in hot oil in the black iron skillet or (easier)...putting them over direct heat to finish them.
I then had to remind myself that everything one cooks does not always come out perfectly the first time. I will definitely try again!
February 07, 2007
Char-Broil TEC Series
Ohhhh...The General is getting excited. Coming soon to a store near you-the Char-Broil TEC Series Grills. You might remember that last year TLW and I went to NYC to preview this new iteration of grills. Simply amazing! This is the same infrared technology that steak houses have used for years...high intense heat that sears the outside of your meat without drying out the inside.
Well, in anticipation of the unveiling, Char-Broil has rolled out a website devoted to the TEC series. There are virtual tours with cool movies and lots of information for us to drool over!
Stay tuned!
Pork Chop Marinade
Luckily TG followed his own advice by writing down this very good marinade, so I wouldn't forget about it. It is very simple, but very effective.
1 C olive oil
1/2 C soy sauce
1/2 C vinegar
1 T garlic salt
Mix all ingredients together in ziploc bag. Add pork chops. Marinate overnight in the fridge. TLW and I loved the flavor but we both were not happy with the texture of the chops. That happens sometime.
Posted by The General at 10:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)February 05, 2007
Taste of Savannah 2007
Once you have done food competitions, it is hard to wean yourself away . Such is the case with 2007 Taste of Savannah. So The General decides to go up against some of the big hotels and restaurants here in Savannah...along with an unlikely cooking partner, The Old Savannah City Mission. Why? might you ask?
It all started back in November when TLW and I volunteered to help the Mission smoke some turkeys for their Day of Great Thanksgiving. We were so impressed by the work of the Mission and its year-long residential program called the "Urban Training Institute" that we started volunteering there to help with some other projects. Along the way we found some students who particularly liked working with food. We are now "Volunteer Faculty Members-Culinary Arts Specialists" for the Mission.
Getting back to the Taste of Savannah. We had two entries which we decided to enter in the Appetizer category. The first was a beef brisket 'biscuit' topped with a deep fried onion ring (Ore-Ida Onion Ringers) and a light squirt of sauce. We used the Onion Ringers because they had a consistent small size that worked best on the small roll we were using. In fact we counted @ 30+ ringers per package. We cut the sandwich in half and secured each piece with cool picks we purchased on line from Pick On Us.
The second entry was a pulled pork sandwich topped with a peppery vinegar cole slaw. We cut that small roll in half as well and used different picks to differentiate the choices.
The cole slaw dressing we used is from Mike Mill's book Peace, Love and Barbecue on p. 14.
2 C apple cider vinegar
2 C sugar
1 1/2 T canola oil
1/2 C chopped onion
1/4 C green bell pepper
3/4 t celery seed
1/2 t kosher salt, finely ground
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/4 t chopped garlic
We quadrupled the recipe to provide enough slaw for the 1000+ people in attendance. Both of our entries were well received and word spread fast especially about our brisket. Before we knew it we could hardly make sandwiches fast enough...but never once did we give out...although it got close many times!
Now I wish I could tell you that we won the whole thing, or at least the Appetizer category. That not being the case, we really went into it feeling that we won before we ever made the first sandwich. We had a marvelous time working with the students from the Urban Training Institute and they really enjoyed themselves as well. We also had an opportunity to introduce many Savannahians to our barbecue, and as a result we have already booked several parties for this spring. In that regard, everyone came out a winner!
Posted by The General at 12:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)January 17, 2007
BBQ Trail et al
One way to easily spot a BBQ addict is to see what they do on weekends or their time off. It was not at all uncommon for us to get up on a Saturday morning and take a field trip by driving 100+ miles to some BBQ joints we had heard about. Now with the sophistication of technology a lot of the research and work has already been done for you by the Southern Foodways Alliance of which we are proud members. Check out their BBQ trail of Northern Alabama. Using their words "Download an SFA trail map, gas up the car, put some extra cash in your wallet, and hit the road." They even went beyond BBQ and created a Tamale Trail in the Mississippi Delta and The Boudin and Gumbo Trails in Louisiana. Take a look, get inspired and get eatn'
The Southern Foodways Alliance and Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q invite you to set out on the BBQ Trail. Meet Susie Headrick, who taught her family about cooking bbq when they purchased the Green Top. Learn about the origins of the sauce that's made every week at Top Hat Barbecue. Visit Chuck's Bar-B-Que, where your belly will be filled pork, your soul with the gospel. The Southern BBQ Trail includes oral histories, photos, film snippets, audio clips, and an interactive map for hungry travelers. Grab a napkin and go!
The SFA and McIlhenny Company, makers of Tabasco, invite you to set out on the Boudin Trail. Visit T-Boy's Slaughterhouse, one of the last of its kind, where the boudin is as fresh as it can get. Learn about the days when casings were stuffed using cow horns from Jimmy Guidry, the boudin maker at Don's Specialty Meats. Meet Robert Cormier, co-owner of The Best Stop, who has traced his Cajun heritage back a handful of generations to family in Nova Scotia. The Southern Boudin Trail includes oral histories, photos, film snippets, audio clips, and an interactive map for hungry travelers. Grab a link and go!
The SFA and McIlhenny Company, makers of Tabasco, invite you to set out on the Gumbo Trail. Learn how to make a roux with Billy Grueber from Luizza's by the Track. Meet Lionel Key, an artisan whose uncle taught him to make file from sassafras leaves. And then visit the Olivier family for dinner, where you might find three different versions of gumbo on the table. The Southern Gumbo Trail includes oral histories, photos, film snippets, audio clips, and an interactive map for hungry travelers. Grab a spoon and go!
The Southern Foodways Alliance and Viking Rang