Archive for the 'Food And Beverage' Category

How To Have The Perfect Barbecue

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man


I’m never more delighted than when I get invited to a barbecue cookout at a friends house, not only because it’s the way of cooking that I prefer but also because it’s a great opportunity to have a chin wag and a glass of “pop” with folks that I maybe only get to see once or twice a year.

I’m really fortunate to be part of a great bunch of lads, one group from my school days and another set from university and everyone gets on really well together. We all live in different areas of the country so it’s difficult to keep the contact and a barbecue cookout in the summer sure helps. It keeps all the kids outdoors as well which saves on the clearing up!

Friends for over twenty years, barbecue parties every summer yet still no one can cook a decent grill. I’m delighted to attend but as I turn up my eyes suddenly dilate with horror seeing chicken wings dowsed in flames and worst of all, one of my friends expecting me to eat them!

It’s probably no wonder that as soon as I turn up I wrestle the tongs off him and get the whole food rack far away from the grill for a good 15 minutes and let everything settle down.

The flames appear because the coals are not ready, fat starts to drip and up it goes! The more flames, the more fat and the more fat, the more flames. Food black on the outside, raw on the inside. Have you been there? Well here are my recommendations so that you never have to go there again.

Whether it’s a charcoal or gas barbecue grill it’s all about patience and the preparation of the coals. In a gas grill, the flames heat up the lava bricks and it’s the bricks that radiate the heat to cook the food so the simple tips for gas:-

1. Give it time and gas on full whack to get the coals up to temperature.

2. When the coals are hot and you’re ready to cook, turn the gas down just to maintain the temperature in the coals and keep them well away from the food.

Despite me saying be patient, gas is still wonderfully quick and convenient to have a barbecue but never should it be instant. Anyway, why hurry?

For charcoal barbecue grills there’s a certain knack to preparing the fire:-

1. Pile up the charcoal to get it all burning at the same pace

2. Coals are ready when they are white (not black)

3. Before cooking, spread the coals out and don’t worry, they will still give off heat.

4. Start off with the food rack on its maximum height and bring it down gradually.

5. If you’re cooking on a kettle, remember to reduce the aperture of the bottom draft.

Not only does it take patience to get the perfect BBQ but it also takes time and experience – some of my friends clearly haven’t mastered it after 20 years! So please don’t give up, it really is worth the effort when you get it right.

One final tip whilst you’re in training – put your food in a barbecue basket. If you do get some flames you can lift large quantities of food simultaneously off the grill without too much hassle.

So now you have the barbecue smoker recipes for success enjoy your BBQ this summer!



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Delicious Recipes for Use with Your Barbecue Pit

Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Jaden Santon


So you’re thinking of having a barbecue session with your family and friends this coming weekend.  With that plan, you probably are looking for some barbecue pits recipes that you can prepare for that coming event.  The question is where you can find the barbecue pits recipes that will meet your meticulous taste?  Well, there’s no need to worry about that.  Finding the best recipes for your barbecue session can easily be done in just a matter of clicks.  The main secret is “online barbecue recipe sites”.

So the keyword is given.  I bet you are now excited to find the best barbecue pits recipes of your life, and you are ready enough for that cyberspace challenge.  Well, before you go and invest time on researching recipes anywhere online, I would like you to know that you’ve got one of the right pages.  Yes, I have actually stressed below some of the delicious barbecue pits recipes you can consider for that barbecue session of yours.  If you are serious with your plan, then read on.  It’s worth reading after all knowing that you’ll get what you really want. 

So here are the barbecue pits recipes you’ll love to prepare:

Tejas Blue Ribbon Brisket

Heard the name Tejas?  Or, are you familiar with Tejas Meat Rub?  Well, you’ll need that item here.  To begin, season an untrimmed brisket with the Tejas Meat Rub liberally after spraying it with butter flavored PAM.  You can also use a mustard or Worcestershire sauce in place of the PAM.  Then, wrap the brisket in foil and leave it in the fridge overnight.  Allow it to reach a room temperature while filling water reservoir in your barbecue smoker.  Bring the temperature up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.  Once cooked, remove the foil and place the brisket with the fat side down on far end of the smoker.  Just make sure that you placed it away from the firebox.  Wait for four hours and remove the brisket and warp it again tightly with the foil.  End the barbecuing with the brisket foiled.  Make sure to cook it until the strands of meat can be twisted on the flat easily with fork.

Grilled Chicken

So you’re thinking of preparing a barbecue chicken. Well, you can prepare it grilled.  How?  Just halve the chicken and sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Then, season it with salt, black pepper, paprika and garlic.   Prepare the grill by raising the fire grate in the firebox to the grilling position.  You can use a mesquite charcoal as a fuel source.  Watch out for the whitening of the coals.   Once the coals are white, put the chicken on the firebox grill for five to seven minutes, per side.  Avoid over cooking.

So that’s it!  There are a lot other barbecue pits recipes out there that you can prepare for your barbecue time.  If you want to find more barbecue pits recipes, then go and do the challenge online.

So you’re thinking of having a barbecue session with your family and friends this coming weekend.  With that plan, you probably are looking for some barbecue pits recipes that you can prepare for that coming event.  The question is where you can find the barbecue pits recipes that will meet your meticulous taste?  Well, there’s no need to worry about that.  Finding the best recipes for your barbecue session can easily be done in just a matter of clicks.  The main secret is “online barbecue recipe sites”.

So the keyword is given.  I bet you are now excited to find the best barbecue pits recipes of your life, and you are ready enough for that cyberspace challenge.  Well, before you go and invest time on researching recipes anywhere online, I would like you to know that you’ve got one of the right pages.  Yes, I have actually stressed below some of the delicious barbecue pits recipes you can consider for that barbecue session of yours.  If you are serious with your plan, then read on.  It’s worth reading after all knowing that you’ll get what you really want. 

So here are the barbecue pits recipes you’ll love to prepare:

Tejas Blue Ribbon Brisket

Heard the name Tejas?  Or, are you familiar with Tejas Meat Rub?  Well, you’ll need that item here.  To begin, season an untrimmed brisket with the Tejas Meat Rub liberally after spraying it with butter flavored PAM.  You can also use a mustard or Worcestershire sauce in place of the PAM.  Then, wrap the brisket in foil and leave it in the fridge overnight.  Allow it to reach a room temperature while filling water reservoir in your barbecue smoker.  Bring the temperature up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.  Once cooked, remove the foil and place the brisket with the fat side down on far end of the smoker.  Just make sure that you placed it away from the firebox.  Wait for four hours and remove the brisket and warp it again tightly with the foil.  End the barbecuing with the brisket foiled.  Make sure to cook it until the strands of meat can be twisted on the flat easily with fork.

Grilled Chicken

So you’re thinking of preparing a barbecue chicken. Well, you can prepare it grilled.  How?  Just halve the chicken and sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Then, season it with salt, black pepper, paprika and garlic.   Prepare the grill by raising the fire grate in the firebox to the grilling position.  You can use a mesquite charcoal as a fuel source.  Watch out for the whitening of the coals.   Once the coals are white, put the chicken on the firebox grill for five to seven minutes, per side.  Avoid over cooking.

So that’s it!  There are a lot other barbecue pits recipes out there that you can prepare for your barbecue time.  If you want to find more barbecue pits recipes, then go and do the challenge online.



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Barbecues, Smokers And The Environment

Monday, February 23rd, 2009
Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man


Outdoor cooking on the barbecue and smoker is now becoming a serious leisure pastime. Certainly in England where the weather is not altogether reliable, the advent of wonderful contraptions such as umbrellas and patio heaters has made outdoor cooking an extremely pleasurable recreation. In fact so much so that you’ll see people lighting the barbecue in all weathers – a funny lot those English!

Speaking as one of that “funny lot”, an extremely enthusiastic fan of outdoor cooking and now a creator and purveyor of outdoor bbq recipes and free smoker recipes I thought is was I did some research into the subject of my chosen fuel of fun.

What concerns me is that I’m thoroughly enjoying myself lighting fires, grilling fish and steaks and washing it all down with a glass or two of the falling down water and yet I must be damaging the environment, mustn’t I? Charcoal comes from wood, so with all these barbecues there must be serious deforestation going on followed by greater transport costs to ship it from further afield and less trees to absorb the carbon dioxide greenhouse gas.

So in the spirit of my own education and learning I wanted to find out about how charcoal is made and as a result I’ve found out about the process of coppicing.

Coppicing is the cutting of a tree or shrub to ground level. Doing this stimulates the tree to sprout a number of new shoots and they grow very vigorously. Coppicing could be described as similar to pruning except that with coppicing all the wood is removed and not just a few branches. By cutting the tree or shrub to the ground, all dead, diseased and old wood gets removed and that can be put to good use. The tree now free of disease is able to grow as fast as possible and this makes for a thicker plant that is also better for wildlife.

Coppicing is carried out in cycles from one year to many years depending on the species of tree and what the wood is going to be used for. This means that a variety of coppicing activity will be taking place in a wood thereby ensuring the continuation of the ecology and an ongoing supply of wood.

Coppiced trees can survive for many centuries and perhaps one of the most astonishing facts about the English countryside is that very often the oldest trees are those that have been cut down the most! Add to this the fact that because it’s sustainable there aren’t truckloads of charcoal pounding the roads, it really is a local industry.

So now I can write my free smoker recipes for your enjoyment safe in the knowledge that outdoor cooking on the charcoal BBQ grill can remain my chosen method of relaxation and recreation.

Please note that this article is not a statement of scientific fact; it’s merely a way of absolving me of guilt at lighting a fire. Of course we need to be careful whenever the earth’s natural resources are consumed and I work on the principle that the cooking process itself is no more or less environmentally unfriendly that turning on the stove or the oven. Of course I maybe wrong but at least I feel happier knowing that I’m not contributing to serious deforestation.

Not all charcoal is produced the way I have described above so please be careful when buying charcoal to check that it does indeed come from a sustainable source.



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Why Microwave Cooking Is The Future

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
Jackson Sloat


When it comes to cooking there are few tools that are more versatile in the kitchen than the microwave. This device offers so many functions when it comes to cooking that most people never bother to utilize. It’s sad really. In most homes, the microwave has been relegated to doing duty as a meat defroster, popcorn popper, and coffee warmer rather than using is as the fabulous device for actual food preparation that it really is capable of being.

Before you set up to change your ways, you need to understand that when it comes to microwave cooking, not all microwaves were created equal. Wattage is vitally important as is the quality of your microwave. The average el cheapo microwave that you can find in discount stores will simply not stand up to the rigors of regular full meal preparation though they are perfectly acceptable for many wonderful dishes that can be prepared as side dishes. The correct microwave however, can actually brown and bake a full sized Thanksgiving turkey.

Microwave cooking is definitely not something that is meant for those who are afraid of trying something new or those that are afraid of making mistakes along the way. This is a process that is one part science and one part figuring it out. Research helps a great deal but even many of the recipes you will find for microwave cooking are written for microwaves of varying wattage so you will need to ferret out what times and temperatures would be appropriate for your microwave. This is to a large degree going to be a process of trial and error unless you are using the recipe book that came with your microwave.

Do not despair however, most that have tried microwave cooking find it to be a much better process for their meal preparation needs. While microwave cooking is great for big families it is an outstanding way to save money when cooking for and feeding one. It is also rather simple. In other words, even college students can benefit by learning microwave cooking for one or more as it will help them limit their expenses while still eating healthy fresh made meals.

Another great thing about microwave cooking that is often overlooked is that there are far less messes to be made than when cooking part of a meal stove top, part of a meal in the oven, and part of the meal elsewhere. By and large, microwave cooking keeps any spills and splatter isolated to your microwave. Most of these can be cleaned and controlled rather easily by using a removable plate in your microwave (that can be washed in the dishwasher) and covering your food whenever possible to avoid splatters.

Microwave cooking is gaining popularity despite the fact that is hasn’t caught on as well as the inventors would have liked. The proof of this is in the many products that have been created to make microwave cooking a little bit easier. From omelet makers to special trays for cooking bacon in the microwave industrious people are working to make the easy way of cooking that much easier.

If you have a microwave in your home that is used mostly for melting butter and warming pizza, then you have a microwave in your home that is being terribly under utilized. It is time you hit the search engines for recipes that will be appropriate for your microwave and get busy trying something new and different that will have your family awed and amazed. Imagine having them toss accolades for your tireless devotion and standing over a hot stove for hours when in actuality you only checked on the microwave when the proper time approached.

Microwave cooking very well may be the wave of the future. Get a head start and begin building your collection of wonderful microwave recipes right away for the best selection. The day will arrive when you can make microwave cooking the rule rather than the exception.



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The Best Barbecued Shrimp You’ve Ever Tasted

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
Jaden Santon


Summary: Get a barbecue shrimp recipe to create a variety of dishes you can serve on your next barbecue party.

How do you like the taste of barbecued chops or steak?  If you love them, you must try barbecued shrimp for a change. Barbecued shrimp is as tasty as any barbecue can be. Just by imagining barbecued shrimp makes my mouth watery. You have tried pork, chicken, sausage, hotdogs, and other barbecued meat. Why not try barbecued sea foods this time. If you tried it probably in a party or in a restaurant, and you want to know the recipe, worry no more for you can have the barbecue shrimp recipe you fell in love with.

Barbecue shrimp recipe is a very simple one. The ingredients are not hard to find. Unlike other barbecue recipes you might have read which have “never-heard” ingredients. You know what I mean. I once saw a recipe book with a picture that made my stomach growl and when I tried to look at the ingredients, hoping I could have a taste of that delightfully, tasty, appetizing, and tempting dish, my jaw literally dropped up to my chest. And then I said where on Earth I can find these unfamiliar ingredients. The dish looked so simple that I thought it’s chicken feed and that I could do it even with my eyes closed (kidding!). I was so upset for a week because I lost the chance of savoring the unforgettable recipe. I don’t mean to sound so bubbly. I just want you to realize how a recipe can be if the ingredients are not available on the market. Well, barbecue shrimp recipe is not only simple to do, but the ingredients are literally available in any supermarket.

Barbecue Shrimp Recipe Ingredients:

o 2 lbs large raw and fresh shrimp, peeled

o 1 cup olive oil

o 1/4 cup lemon juice

o 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

o 3 shallots, fine chopped

o 2 garlic cloves, minced

o 1/4 cup parsley, finely minced

Directions for cooking:

Prepare your outdoor grill or barbecue to medium heat. In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, onions, shallots, garlic, and parsley. Mix in the peeled shrimps. Cover and marinate in your refrigerator for at least two hours. Drain shrimp, reserve the marinade in a clean container for basting, place shrimps on skewers or on aluminum foil. Barbecue for 6-8 minutes on each side, and make sure to baste shrimps with marinade to enhance the flavor and to prevent from drying. Place shrimp on a large platter and garnish with thin lemon wedges on the sides. Serve with a creative salad, garlic bread, and most importantly the sauce for a more tempting presentation. This barbecue shrimp recipe serves 8-10 persons. 

No matter how you cook the shrimp, it will still be yummy. But, I can assure you this barbecue shrimp is more than delicious. Actually, delicious in an understatement! Just the smell of it, makes your mouth watery! Try it and let your family and friends have a taste of your new discovered shrimp barbecue recipe.

Summary: Get a barbecue shrimp recipe to create a variety of dishes you can serve on your next barbecue party.

How do you like the taste of barbecued chops or steak?  If you love them, you must try barbecued shrimp for a change. Barbecued shrimp is as tasty as any barbecue can be. Just by imagining barbecued shrimp makes my mouth watery. You have tried pork, chicken, sausage, hotdogs, and other barbecued meat. Why not try barbecued sea foods this time. If you tried it probably in a party or in a restaurant, and you want to know the recipe, worry no more for you can have the barbecue shrimp recipe you fell in love with.

Barbecue shrimp recipe is a very simple one. The ingredients are not hard to find. Unlike other barbecue recipes you might have read which have “never-heard” ingredients. You know what I mean. I once saw a recipe book with a picture that made my stomach growl and when I tried to look at the ingredients, hoping I could have a taste of that delightfully, tasty, appetizing, and tempting dish, my jaw literally dropped up to my chest. And then I said where on Earth I can find these unfamiliar ingredients. The dish looked so simple that I thought it’s chicken feed and that I could do it even with my eyes closed (kidding!). I was so upset for a week because I lost the chance of savoring the unforgettable recipe. I don’t mean to sound so bubbly. I just want you to realize how a recipe can be if the ingredients are not available on the market. Well, barbecue shrimp recipe is not only simple to do, but the ingredients are literally available in any supermarket.

Barbecue Shrimp Recipe Ingredients:

o 2 lbs large raw and fresh shrimp, peeled

o 1 cup olive oil

o 1/4 cup lemon juice

o 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

o 3 shallots, fine chopped

o 2 garlic cloves, minced

o 1/4 cup parsley, finely minced

Directions for cooking:

Prepare your outdoor grill or barbecue to medium heat. In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, onions, shallots, garlic, and parsley. Mix in the peeled shrimps. Cover and marinate in your refrigerator for at least two hours. Drain shrimp, reserve the marinade in a clean container for basting, place shrimps on skewers or on aluminum foil. Barbecue for 6-8 minutes on each side, and make sure to baste shrimps with marinade to enhance the flavor and to prevent from drying. Place shrimp on a large platter and garnish with thin lemon wedges on the sides. Serve with a creative salad, garlic bread, and most importantly the sauce for a more tempting presentation. This barbecue shrimp recipe serves 8-10 persons. 

No matter how you cook the shrimp, it will still be yummy. But, I can assure you this barbecue shrimp is more than delicious. Actually, delicious in an understatement! Just the smell of it, makes your mouth watery! Try it and let your family and friends have a taste of your new discovered shrimp barbecue recipe.



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