Monday, May 31, 2010

Chef Paul's Sweet and Smoky Ribs













Chef Paul's Sweet and Smoky Ribs (from Chef Paul's new interactive cookbook, Keeper of the Flame)

http://blogs.discovery.com/tlc-steamy-kitchen/2010/02/chef-pauls-sweet-and-smokey-ribs.html


Ingredients:
Ribs and Rub
• 3 racks baby back pork ribs (about 7 pounds)
• 2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory), soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover and drained
• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried chipotle chile powder
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Mop Sauce
• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1 1/4 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons black pepper

Preparation
1. Prepare the ribs by removing the thin, papery skin from the back of each rack of ribs by pulling it off in a sheet with your fingers, using the corner of a kitchen towel to gain a secure grip, or with pliers. Paper Towel's work the best for removing the membrane.

2. Combine the paprika, black pepper, brown sugar, salt, chipotle powder, cayenne, garlic powder, dry mustard, and cumin in a small bowl and whisk to mix.


3. Rub two thirds of this mixture over the ribs on both sides and transfer the ribs to a roasting pan. Cover the pan and let the ribs cure in the refrigerator, for 4 to 8 hours.

4. Combine all of the mop sauce ingredients in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.


5. Transfer sauce to a food processor and purée until smooth.


6. Prepare the grill for indirect grilling.
Charcoal grill - place a drip pan under the grill grates and pile all of the coals to one side of the grill.
Gas grill - place the drip pan under the grill grate, put your wood chips (or chunks) in the grill's smoker box (or create a smoke pouch with aluminum foil) and then light half of the grill's burners to high.

Indoor oven – preheat oven to 325 degrees. To roast the ribs in the oven, find a pan long enough for the ribs, along with a rack that fits over the top (to keep the ribs above the bottom of the pan). Alternatively, the pan can be placed on a lower rack, using the upper oven rack for the ribs. Fill the pan with about 1 inch of water.


7. Once the grill or oven is ready, place the ribs on the grate (or oven rack) over the pan on the unlit side of the grill. If using charcoal, toss the wood chips onto the coals.

8. Cover the grill (or close the oven) and smoke/grill the ribs for 1 hour.

9. After an hour, brush the ribs with the mop sauce and add 10 or 12 lit coals to the grill if using charcoal.


10. Cover the grill and continue to cook the ribs until almost done, about 45 minutes to an hour. The ribs are done when the meat has become tender and shrunken back from the ends of the bones.

11. With around 15 minutes remaining, sprinkle the ribs with the remaining rub and cover to finish cooking.

Duncan Hines Recipe...






Recipe Description
Warm, crisp angel food cake served with grilled peaches and a dash of cinnamon -- all done on the grill or indoors, if you please.

Ingredients Baking Instructions

* 1 box Duncan Hines® Angel Food Cake Mix
* 1 1/4 cups water
* 6 ripe medium peaches, washed, halved and pitted
* Cinnamon-sugar mixture

1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour cake mix into clean, large mixing bowl.
2. Add water. Prepare and bake according to package directions in ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Cool completely.
3. Preheat outdoor grill to medium heat according to manufacturer’s directions. Clean and lightly oil grate. Sprinkle cut side of fruit with cinnamon-sugar. When ready to serve, place fruit, cut side down, on grill. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes or until warm and nicely charred with grill marks. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Place slices of angel food cake on clean grill using a metal spatula. Watch carefully and cook about 45 to 60 seconds on EACH side or until golden brown grill marks appear.
5. Slice peaches and serve over warm, toasted angel food cake.
6. Use a grill pan to collect syrup run-off from peaches for a garnish, if desired.

Tips & Alternatives:
1. Angel food cake may be toasted indoors using a nonstick skillet or grill pan. Preheat pan over medium heat, then add slices of cake. Cook until golden brown on each side (about 1 minute on each side).
2. An alternative for the cinnamon sugar is to lightly brush the cut-side of fruit with melted butter then sprinkle lightly with brown sugar. Cook as described above. Serve fruit with a wedge of lime, if desired.
3. Ripe nectarines, plums and apricots are also delicious when grilled and may be used in place of peaches. To roast the fruit indoors, place fruit, cut-side-up, on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Season as above. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes in preheated 450°F oven stirring once. Serve as above.
4. No time to cook fruit? Simply serve toasted angel food cake with a blend of sliced fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Or, for a contemporary twist, slice 1 pound of fresh strawberries and toss with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of good quality balsamic vinegar.

legends of texas bbq

may 31 2010 / chris lilly / greg rempe / whiskey bent bbq






Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Here's how some of our former patriots handled negative comments about our country.

JFK'S
Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when
DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaulle said he wanted all US
military out of France as soon as possible.

Rusk responded,
"Does that include those who are buried here?"



DeGaulle
did not respond.



When in England ,
at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the
Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of
'empire building' by George Bush.

He answered by saying,
"Over the years, the United States has sent many of
its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom
beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for
in return is enough to bury those that did not
return."


There was a conference in France
where a number of international engineers
were taking part, including French and American.. During a break,
one of the French engineers came back into the room saying, "Have you
heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft
carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he
intend to do, bomb them?"


A Boeing engineer
stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three
hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are
nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to
shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to
feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand
gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a
dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and
from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships;
how many does France have?"




A U.S. Navy Admiral
was attending a naval conference that included
Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French
Navies At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large
group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a
French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many
languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, "Why is it that
we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than
speaking French?"


Without hesitating,
the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the
Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't
have to speak German."





Robert Whiting,
an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.
At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport
in his carry on.


"You
have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked
sarcastically.


Mr. Whiting
admitted that he had been to France
previously.


"Then
you should know enough to have your passport ready."


The American said,
"The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."


"Impossible..
Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France !"


The American senior
gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he
quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in
1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen
to show a passport to."

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Stow-A-Way Potlucker and Glass Baker Set (3-pc.)



Rachael Ray Stow-A-Way Potlucker and Glass Baker Set:

Includes one large Stow-A-Way Potlucker and one 9x13-in. Covered Glass Baker.

Rach's glass baker is microwave, fridge, freezer and oven safe up to 425º. The lid is custom made, great for stacking, and easy to get on and off. Caution - let your hot food cool for 15 minutes after removing from oven before using lid.

You’ll love this Stow-A-Way Potlucker all year round! It holds most 9x13-in. or 10x15-in. baking dishes, and is perfect for holidays, potlucks, church suppers, picnics and so much more. If you want to arrive with your food at the perfect temperature this bag is for you!
Features:
# High-density Thermal Insulation with Therma-Flect® Reflective Barrier
# Ultra Safe™ Easy Clean Lining
# Padded Carry Handle
# Folds Flat for Easy Storage
# Holds most 9x13-in. and 10x15-in. Baking Dishes

(Item #275532) w7

Product Characteristics:
Material: Potlucker: Polyester. Baker: Glass.
Dimensions: Potlucker: 11x18.5x1.5-in. Baker: 9x13-in.
Cleaning & Care: Baker: Dishwasher Safe
Origin: China

Many query 'how do I delete Facebook account'


Commentary: But privacy maelstrom won't deter most users

By Therese Poletti, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Facebook is in the eye of a storm.

And most of that tumult is of its own making. Ever since the social networking darling unveiled last month what it calls social plug-ins that share user "like" information with other websites, it has been a target of a new round of criticism and kvetching.

The Palo Alto, Calif. company has also come under attack by senators on Capitol Hill, and consumer privacy groups are asking the Federal Trade Commission to examine Facebook's privacy policies and disclosures.

Facebook delivered the most banner ads to users in the U.S. in the first quarter of the year, pulling ahead of Yahoo for the first time, according to market research firm comScore. Jessica Vascellaro has details.

In a complaint requesting the FTC to investigate, the Electronic Privacy Information Center called Facebook's business practices "unfair and deceptive." See Facebook news here.

Closely held Facebook is on the defensive. Its vice president of communications and public policy, Elliot Shrage, who joined Facebook from Google Inc. responded to questions on the New York Times Bits blog on Tuesday. One takeaway, amid an acknowledgment that "we are not doing a good enough job communicating the changes" was this advice: "If you are not comfortable sharing, don't."

It's a point everyone who is on Facebook should consider.

Many Facebook users are now looking at their privacy settings and Googling themselves to see what non-friends can see about them on Facebook via the Internet. And many people appear to be looking up how to delete their Facebook profile. On Wednesday, the fifth suggestion in Google when you start to type in "how do I" is "how do I delete my Facebook account."

But for all those who are complaining, it's not likely that more than a small minority of its now 400 million-plus users will actually stop using the addictive social network anytime soon.

For people who like to share photos, videos, messages and invitations with groups of friends, it's hard to imagine going back to the tedious process of sending out group emails, looking up birthdays, searching address books and -- gasp -- making actual phone calls to check in with friends.

"We don't see much evidence that people are streaming off Facebook," said Augie Ray, a Forrester Research analyst. "I've only seen a couple of people who have announced that they have deleted their Facebook account. It doesn't seem like a wave to me."

It's still too early to tell if Facebook's torrential growth will take a hit, but some analysts see that as unlikely this time around. Its last privacy kerfuffle, around the Beacon system that alerted friends to your purchases and other activities, drew lots of attention and apologies and changes from Facebook. Last year, Facebook shut Beacon down as part of a class action lawsuit settlement, but its growth continued to soar.

As recent proof that it's also becoming a factor in the Internet advertising area, comScore Inc. said on Tuesday that Facebook jumped ahead of Yahoo Inc. quotes for the first time delivering more banner ads in the U.S. than any other website publisher. Read Wall Street Journal story on comScore news.

Facebook itself is touting impressive numbers of websites using its new plug-ins. On Tuesday, it said over 100,000 websites have adopted Facebook's instant personalization features.

For example, if you visit the ABC News website, you can see the number of people on Facebook who like a particular story. If you are also logged into Facebook at the same time, you get a more detailed view on the ABC site of who among your friends like certain stories. (A popular story among my friends is "Quitting Facebook, What happens when you deactivate?")

But Facebook is walking a fine line. On the one hand, it hosts a treasure trove of data on the personal preferences and "likes" of its users for advertisers, which is how it generates revenue. On the other hand, it touts itself as a safe neighborhood where people go to hang out with their friends.

"They need to make their social data accessible to other systems and advertisers to monetize this whole repository of data," said Ray Valdes, a Gartner Inc. analyst. But they also need "to preserve the quality of the user experience...There are conflicting motives and incentives that Facebook has to deal with. This tension will continue to happen."

According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which describes Facebook's "eroding privacy policy" on its website, Facebook's privacy policy has "transformed into a platform where much of your information is public by default."

Facebook probably doesn't really want users to activate all the settings that make a profile more private and less public. The settings get more complex with each change Facebook makes. (Among the onslaught of stories on how to adjust your privacy settings, The Business Insider has a good post, with screenshots of the lengthy process.) See Business Insider post about how to protect your Facebook privacy.

How Facebook fares through these latest privacy issues may determine its future growth and its eventual initial public offering.

"It could be the beginning of a chronic affliction to the Facebook brand," Valdes said. "If that starts to stick to the brand, that might have some damaging effects over the long term."

Therese Poletti is a senior columnist for MarketWatch in San Francisco.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce and Green Onion Slaw


Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2008

Show: Throwdown with Bobby Flay Episode: Pulled Pork
Ingredients
Dry Rub:

* 1 cup ancho chili powder
* 1/3 cup Spanish paprika
* 3 tablespoons ground dried oregano
* 3 tablespoons ground coriander
* 3 tablespoons dry mustard
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons chile de arbol
* 1 (6-pound) pork shoulder
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Chicken stock, if needed

Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce:

* 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 teaspoons honey
* 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
* Salt
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola/olive oil blend
* Water, if needed

Green Onion Slaw:

* 1 cup coarsely chopped green onions
* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* 2 serrano chiles
* 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup pure olive oil
* 1 head purple cabbage, finely shredded
* 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
* Hamburger buns, for serving
* Special equipment: lump charcoal, wood chips soaked in water for 15 minutes, smoker or charcoal grill

Directions

For the Dry Rub:

Add all the dry rub ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.

For the pork shoulder:

Place the pork, fat side up, on a clean baking sheet. Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper then rub the dry rub all over the pork, pressing into the meat. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for 7 hours.

Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce:

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until emulsified. Add water if the sauce is too thick.

Green Onion Slaw:

Place the green onions, vinegar, chiles, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and oil into a blender and blend until emulsified. Place the cabbage and red onions in a bowl, add the dressing and stir until combined. Fold in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the pork shoulder:

Remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Following manufacturer's instructions and using lump charcoal and 1/2 cup drained wood chips for a smoker, or 1 cup for a barbecue, start fire and bring temperature of smoker or barbecue to 225 degrees F to 250 degrees F. Place the pork on the rack in smoker or barbecue. Cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork reaches 165 degrees F. Turn pork every 45 minutes, about 6 hours total. If using the smoker, after 2 hours place the pork into the smoker pan and fill halfway with chicken stock. (This is to prevent the shoulder from drying out.)

Add more charcoal, as needed, to maintain 225 degrees F to 250 degrees F and more wood drained wood chips (1/2 cup for the smoker or 1 cup for the barbecue with each addition) to maintain smoke level.

Transfer pork to a clean rimmed baking sheet. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred into bite-size pieces. Mound on platter and toss with most of the Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce, reserving the rest for drizzling the bun. Pour any juice from the baking sheet over the pork.

Chef's Note: This can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer the pork and any juices to a baking dish. Cover with foil and chill. Before continuing, re-warm pork, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven for about 30 minutes.

For assembly:

Drizzle the sauce on the top and bottom of the bun. Top the bottom bun with the meat, another drizzle of sauce, Green Onion Slaw and finish with the top of the bun.

***************************************************************************************

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Show: Tyler's Ultimate Episode: Ultimate Pulled Pork

Ingredients

* 1 boneless pork shoulder (about 4 to 41/2 pounds)
* 4 tablespoons kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
* 1/4 cup paprika
* 2 to 3 sprigs thyme, leaves only
* 4 cloves garlic
* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* Scant 1 tablespoon cayenne
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coleslaw:

* 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 1/2 lemon, juiced
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1/2 head savoy cabbage finely sliced
* 1/2 head purple cabbage, finely sliced
* 2 green onions, chopped
* 2 carrots, sliced on mandoline
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 6 brioche hamburger buns
* 1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack insert. Place the salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika, thyme leaves, garlic, vinegar, and cayenne in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Add extra-virgin olive oil until you have a nice paste. Rub all over the pork, being sure to get into the nooks so the salt can penetrate the meat and pull out the moisture - this will help form a crust on the outside when cooked. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Roast the pork for 3 1/2 hours, uncovered, until the outside is crispy-brown (it should look like mahogany). Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.

While the pork is cooking, prepare the slaw. Combine the mustard, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar and sugar. Mix well and add finely sliced savoy cabbage, purple cabbage, green onions and carrots. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

To serve, cut the brioche buns in half and pile up some sliced pork. Top with a large spoonful of coleslaw and place the top half of the bun on top. Garnish with parsley.

the hitler


this pic from the "professor" jr. miller, on 1310 the ticket in dallas.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

gettin there...



feb 20 & may 15 pics.
next 6 weeks C&C.
crunches & cardio, nuthin but.
no weights till july 1.

facebook and some dear friends





found some friends on facebook this week.
pam lived behind me on east park in my old hood of mesquite.
vickie and her brother mike are some of my dearest friends as kids growing up in mesquite. several years back i tried to find vickie many many times, but no luck. hope and pray i never loose touch with her again. she means the world to me. thank u lord. sr