ROTISSERIE

He with the most toys wins

I could not resist the purchase of a rotisserie for my Big Green Egg. I know I paid extra because the BGE company can. This was something I have always wanted but never needed. There are mulitple ways to cook a chicken on a bbq. Watching and smelling a rotisserie is just plain fun. I made the purchase.

My first trial run cook was fairly successful. There was a video offering suggestions on the procedures and you basically have to jump into the fire and learn for yourself. I cooked with the lid open. You can cook with the lid closed and possibly control the temperature better. Lid closed is supposed to be a smokier end product. My first cook ran a little hot. It produced some char spots but overall it was very successful. The chicken was so juicy and moist. This new toy/tool is a lot of fun and produced tasty results.

PIG JIG

 

This  may be our last bbq event of the season. We were in San Jose for the “Pig Jig” The Pig Jig is a bbq contest and event to raise funds for Nephcure Kidney International a group to end kidney disease. What a fun contest/event. There was bull riding, axe throwing, multiple libation stations, live music, games, so much food and a bbq contest. Today we judged ribs and tri-tip. We had a third category of “Anything Goes”. This is a category where the cooks just try to “WOO” the judges. Wow!!! There was lobster, oxtail, desserts, fried rice with pork belly in a hollowed out pineapple, pyrotechnics, booze and more booze. What a fun day!!!

LUNDY LAKE

 

I went camping (sort-of) at Lundy Lake last week with some old school friends. They camped and I rented a cabin. We were lucky to escape the California wildfire smoke and had mostly clear skies. This is a beautiful small lake at 7000ft elevation. I felt it biking and hiking.

We did do some fishing and my friend Bone brought an oversize pole hoping to catch Moby Dick. Dave caught three trout and they were immediately cooked. Good times.

WOODLAND RIBS & RODS

We are in Woodland California for a car show and rib cook-off. Twenty two championship bbq teams went to battle to deliver an award winning rib. We had some tasty fun and saw some friends.

MY BIG FAT FANCY DINNER AT THE AWAHNHEE

Yosemite National Park is a magical place. This is because of the spectacular views, hiking, biking, swimming and to me; dinner at the Awahnee hotel. Dinner at the Awhanee is a step back into time when fine dining was elegant and grand. There is a dress code which is loosely enforced. The historic dining room was built in 1926. The 34-foot-high beamed ceiling, floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers, linen tablecloths, beautiful china and to set the mood; a grand piano player. 

I had a picture window seat for a million dollar Yosemite view. I began with bread assortment with whipped butter/olive pate. I splurged with some olives with spicy almond and then a Caesar salad with a tasty parmesan crisp. The Prime rib was fantastic with Yorkshire pudding and vegetables. Would the “Crumbsweeper appear? Of course, this is the Awhanee. Believe it or not I actually passed on dessert. I was just overwhelmed with Yosemite dining bliss. WoW!!!!

BAKED BEANS WITH BACON

 As you may know, I am a sucker for any product that hints at bacon. Sometimes a hint is all I get. Today we are trying Saucy Spoon baked beans with applewood smoked bacon. These beans were about as good as baked beans get in a can. There was some tiny chunks of bacon throughout. It did have a smoky flavor but I can guess it was enhanced by the dreaded liquid smoke. This product was decent but I would not go out of my way to purchase again.