2021 RODEO CHILI & CAR SHOW

 

The 2021 Rodeo Chili and Car Show actually happened today. In these uncertain times public events have been few and subject to change hourly according to Government mandates. With that said; YAHOO we had a local event that our small little town is proud of. The bright shiny cars outnumbered the chili competitors by a huge margin. Sadly there were only three chili contestants today. That did not stop the local populace of Rodeo from dancing, drinking and having a good ole time. 

Food vendors with tasty treats and local crafts were for sale.  The weather was perfect. An added bonus was, we were in walking distance from our house. Who knows? Maybe next year we will break out our chili pots and enter this fun event. 

FORD

Henry Ford revolutionized the automotive industry by developing the assembly line process for building his cars. A little interesting sidebar to this story is his selling of charcoal briquettes. Ford did not invent the charcoal briquette but was the first to mass produce and sell. He had a lot of leftover scrap wood/sawdust from his sawmill that made lumber for his Model T's. He found out adding tar and cornstarch to charcoal and pressed would make briquettes. Edward G Kingsford was a real estate agent who was related to Ford by marriage to a cousin Minnie. He ended up running Fords charcoal briquette plant. Fast forward 100 years and you may have a blue bag on your patio. 

 

 

HOT SAUCE OF THE MONTH

I still love my hot sauces. Every month I get a shipment of 3 different hot sauces from "Heat Hot Sauce Company". Ms. Goofy gifted this to me at Christmas time. You can choose different heat levels in your shipment from mild to burn your face off. I do like heat but prefer the middle of the spectrum in the pain department. I love seeing the fun labels. These hot sauces come from all over the United States. Occasionally a foreign made sauce will even be included. Like most food creations you want a balance of flavors. It is nice to find a sauce with the right compliment of heat, sweet, and seasoning. I wonder what this month will bring?

 

RIO VISTA HOT AUGUST BITES

Triple digit weather and smoky skies (from wildfires) did not sway the festival attendees at Rio Vista Hot August Bites. It was hot. Thankfully this pampered judge was sequestered in an air conditioned judges room. I still did venture out to see a lot of happy people. There was a chili and rib contest and the public was invited to sample and judge both. Despite the sweltering heat the public was out in force to participate.

This festival had all the right moves. There was bouncy things for kids. Lots of venders selling crafts and knick knacks. Of course a couple of politician and the Rotary Club was present. A vintage car display with plenty of shiny chrome was here to view. There was two stages for music. If ribs and chili was not enough there was several food vendors.

There was approx 35 teams competing in the rib cookoff today. There was a lot of local talent and backyard cookers serving up there best version of ribs. All the competitors paid an entry fee and were supplied ribs to cook. They cooked for us judges and then also cooked some for the public. The public voted for their favorite to crown a People' Choice champion. We had three flights of 6 entries to make a full day of judging. I have to say the judges were impressed with some mighty fine ribs.

What a fun day. This is what we love to do. We hope to return to a "normal" bbq event schedule soon.

 

HOT AUGUST BITES

 Ms. Goofy and I are polishing our judges badges for this Saturdays "Hot August Bites". This event will be held at the small delta town of Rio Vista. There will be plenty of ribs and chili for the public to enjoy. You can also vote on your favorite to crown a People's Choice champion. I hope to post some pictures  at a later date. See you there.

BENCHMADE MEATCRAFTER

A sharp knife is a safe knife, so the saying goes. As some of you may know I collect Buck knives and custom kitchen knives. I recently purchased a Benchmade Meatcrafter knife. This knife will be used in the kitchen as a type of filet knife. It is described as a hybrid hunting knife and comes with a plastic sheath. My hunting is done at Safeway and this knife will never leave the kitchen . The blade steel is CPM-154 and has a patented "Select Edge" technology. What is "Select Edge"? A good question and the information I can find it is sharpened at a 14 degree angle. Most kitchen knives are sharpened to a 17-20 degree angle.

  This is not an endorsement for this knife. Time will tell how it will hold up in the kitchen. It has a pretty steep price tag of 150 dollars. Why did I even buy it? My friend owns a knife shop in Oakland California and highly recommends Benchmade knives. (Disclaimer; he is a Benchmade Dealer). My present filet knife has been sharpened so much it was time to replace. Benchmade offers a free lifetime sharpening service if you want to pay the postage. I do like knives.

 

CJ'S BARBECUE & FISH

We are in Richmond California to visit a local bbq establishment; CJ's Barbecue & Fish. CJ's is located 2 blocks away from my farmers market. I have worked at the Farmers Market for over 8 years and have never visited. Recently a gala event was held to celebrate the 75th birthday of owner Charles Evans and the 22 anniversary of CJ's restaurant. This celebration was covered by the local newspaper. Charles Evans is loved and respected in the community. I also have a personal connection to his brother in law Keith Jones who is a great friend. After my farmers market I took the long two block walk and gave a visit.

CJ's is a small venue with to-go only orders. The menu is on the wall and you place your order at the counter. I did get to meet Charles and we had a nice conversation. He is very personable and makes you feel like an old friend. The menu has the usual suspects for a bbq joint with some fried fish too. I was here to try the bbq and ordered brisket and ribs. Once home I opened the clam shell box to release the aroma of bbq smoke. Both meats had a heavy hand on the smoke. To accompany the bbq meats was a house made bbq sauce that was sweet with molasses and brown sugar. The ribs were seasoned nicely but had a little chew to them. The same with the brisket that was sliced and chopped. When you combined the sauce and meat it made for a good meal that this Mad Meat Genius finished to the last morsel. The beans had the same molasses and brown sugar theme and the Cole slaw added a cooling texture to compliment the meal.

CJ's is a local bbq establishment that is loved by the local community. Charles Evans is a popular fixture in the neighborhood. I never even mentioned the dessert case in the restaurant filled with home made cakes and pies. You know I will be back.

CJ's BBQ & Fish 

2401 Macdonald Av.

Richmond Ca.