MAMA JULES BACON JAM

Food companies know that if they add bacon to their title I will buy it. Yes, I am a sucker for all products with the suggestion of providing bacon. Today we have found a product that is the real deal. Mama Jules Bacon Jam has real bacon listed in the ingredients. This jar was purchased mail order and was a fairly reasonable price. An English muffin was the vehicle to give is a try. It is sweet like all jams should be. It has an apple flavor with a savory component. The savory component is roasted sweet onions. All this is studded with little flecks of bacon. Oh My! It is fantastic. This combination works. Sweet, savory, BACON and with a lovely apple flavor. I am in love. Thankyou Mama Jules for not letting me down.

 

CHERRIES

 

The Richmond Farmers Market where yours truly is the manager two Fridays a month has cherries for sale. This may be a short season so it is prudent to take advantage. They are beautiful. I love cherry pie. It is a labor of love to pit a couple of baskets of cherries. The reward is a tasty seasonal treat. No matter how hard I try there always seems to be a pit that sneaks past by me in the pitting process. I am halfway through the pie pictured below with no pits yet. Yummylicious!!!!!!!!!!

PORK ON PORK ON PORK

This lovely pork roast is making a return visit to Mad Meat Genius.. This is a pork loin stuffed with sausage and wrapped in bacon. It was procured from Lakewood Meat's & Sausage located in Lodi California. We cooked it in our smoker/grill until your mouth begins to water.

The hardest part of cooking this roast is letting it rest for 10 minutes. You will need a sharp serrated knife to cut through the crisp bacon, soft smoky pork loin and the house made sausage from Lakewood Meats. We served it with some steamed fresh asparagus. It even tastes great in a sandwich the next day. "Yummylicious" 

 

 

LODI BEER FEST AND STATE BBQ CHAMPIONSHIP

It was a beautiful day for a bbq competition. We are so happy to be back judging once again. It has been two long years since this event has taken place. We were ecstatic to don our judges badges and score some of the best bbq in the nation.

This event was also a beer fest with a separate admission. The beer event participants were able to purchase competition bbq from several of the competitors. We judges were sequestered in an air conditioned hall to sample and score bbq from over 30 teams. I am still working on the pacing of my consumption because I had to be rolled out of the bbq tent.

Clothing may have been optional in this cook area. What a great weekend.

PORTUGUES BAND OF SAN JOSE

It was a fun weekend full of BBQ. It almost seemed like a normal weekend. We actually judged Saturday and Sunday at two different events. We would like to share images of Sunday from the Portuguese Band of San Jose. This is a club that rents out their facilities for weddings and holds dinners. Thirty three bbq teams were present to cook bbq ribs and tri-tip. The hungry public was invited to attend and they showed up. It was quit the scene to see so many people outside mingling and just plain having a good time.

We judged two sets of six entries of both tri-tip and ribs today.. I was a little out of practice and did not pace myself. The first set of ribs tasted so good that I finished several of the ribs in their entirety. After judging I ate even more. I had some delicious Atomic Buffalo Turds and a bacon cupcake. The belt was loosened when I made it safely home to my beloved couch.

 

This day was so much fun. We did have a sobering moment which I would like to share with you. A good BBQ friend Richard Holquin was involved in a terrible motor cycle accident. He is alive but has a very long and hard journey with recovery. He lost a leg. Richard and his wife Michele are loved in the bbq community. This is his bbq rig that was brought to the even. Funds were being donated to help with his medical cost. We all hope and pray for Richards speedy recovery. 

 

PHO CRAZE

 

How do you pronounce Pho? I am not sure. It is a filling bowl of beef soup with noodles, spices and thinly sliced beef. We went to a restaurant called Pho Craze. It is very popular. The restaurant was pretty non-descript. You walked in the door and were assigned a numbered table. The server who was not really fluent in English took your order again by number. I ordered the number one with; rare beef, tendon, brisket, flank, tripe and meat ball. The soup was served with a plate of bean sprouts, sliced peppers, fresh cilantro and mint. It was very filling. The broth was seasoned with cloves and cinnamon which was a flavor profile I was not familiar with. The sliced beef was initially served raw but cooked in the hot broth. I have to admit, I did pick out the tripe. It was very filling. We did order some familiar chicken wing to accompany. Ms. Goofy and I tried something a little different today.

CLEARMAN’S NORTH WOODS INN

While in La-La land we discovered Clearman’s North Woods Inn. This is a fun and tasty restaurant /bar that is a cross between a faux ski chalet and Sam’s Town. Walking through the door you are greeted with a sign; Throw Peanut Shells on the Floor”. This sets the festive mood. Once your eyes adjust to the dimly lighted kitschy decorated multi roomed dining area you will feel very welcome. The menu has something for everyone with bottomless salads, red cabbage (quit tasty) and cheese bread included. The food was satisfying with quick, friendly service. Clearance’s has three locations in La-La land and we were at the San Gabriel venue. We shall return