Canada Southern BBQBBQ Cooking and Buying Barbeques and Outdoor Cooking Equipment

So, it was our 10th wedding anniversary recently, I decided to throw a party to celebrate the occasion, and of course it was a barbecue party. Was a little too late in the season to throw a bikini party, but both me and the Mrs. love a good BBQ so we decided to turn one even though it was in December.

In fact, the weather was not as bas as expected, and we did manage to hold the event outside. Thank goodness for a couple of outdoor heaters we bought last year, and thanks to my pal who runs an online jewelry store – you can check the site here – I was even able to afford to splash out (still hankering for the bikini weather) and buy my wife a sparkly new anniversary ring. Yay!

She was extremely pleased, and I can certainly recommend this company if you are going to buy a diamond ring – or any other sort of ring for that matter. I saved about 40% off the usual price and it was delivered in a matter of days. ~Those of you who know me will recall I leave everything to the last minute.

This is a similar ring to the one I bought:

And this is what we had for lunch – BBQ spare ribs – spicy and slow cooked then charbroiled – just the way she likes them. Hmm hmm good:

This is a link to the recipe I used – http://mark-knowles.hubpages.com/hub/BBQ-Baby-Back-Ribs–Cooking-made-easy - I love this guy’s recipes. Check out the rest of his recipes – he certainly knows which way a BBQ works and likes to try different ways of cooking stuff that I would never have thought of trying before. The spice mix alone must have taken hours to compile and I know he based in on another famous recipe by Alton Brown, which is always a good place to start.

So – every one was happy and well fed – always a good thing.

Barbeques and bikinis are two hallmarks of summer, but they aren’t the most harmonious pair. Foods served at backyard barbeques often include sugar-laden baked beans, ears of corn dripping in butter and fatty meats, like brisket, that are cooked low and slow. In other words, they are foods designed to pack on the pounds.

Unless you want to spend your summer searching the Internet for Medifast coupons, you need to learn a few diet tricks that will keep your barbeque low-calorie and your waistline slim. 

Proteins

When choosing your proteins for your next backyard barbeque, try to stick with poultry and seafood, as they are all low in fat. If you choose any type of poultry, ditch the skin, however, as that will add fat and calories to the dish.

You don’t have to give up your burgers and steaks to stay slim; you just need to make a few adjustments. Instead of ground beef, use ground turkey to make your burgers. Since turkey is so low in fat, you may need to add some liquid, such as lemon juice or yogurt, so that your burger comes out moist.

If you’re craving steak, select one of the cuts that the USDA has deemed “extra lean,” such as top sirloin or a sirloin tip side steak. Since fat is what makes steaks tenders, you may need to give these cuts a little extra TLC through marinades.

Sides

To keep your sides low in calories, avoid any that make use of mayonnaise, sour cream or copious amounts of butter. Instead of traditional potato salad, for instance, try German potato salad, which uses vinegar instead of mayonnaise. If you’re craving macaroni salad, try a pasta salad instead that uses a low-fat or fat-free salad dressing.

One serving of baked beans can carry 250 calories or more, so go for more nutritious and healthy options. Try a black bean salsa made with fresh tomatoes and cilantro, or combine kidney, cannellini and chickpeas to make a three-bean salad.

There are certain foods you simply have to serve with southern barbecue, and coleslaw is one of them. Cool, crunchy coleslaw and hot, spicy pork go hand in hand. I’ve never been to a BBQ restaurant in the Deep South that didn’t automatically assume that their patrons would want slaw with their ‘que. In some locales, in fact, the slaw is served directly on top of the meat in pulled pork sandwiches.

Of course, slaw isn’t the only side that goes great with barbecue. Along with coleslaw, the other “biggie” is baked beans, sometimes called BBQ beans. In the South, this dish is usually made from canned pork and beans. The beans are drained and mixed with barbecue sauce, diced onions, brown sugar, and spices. For heartier baked beans, some cooks add shredded smoked pork, browned ground beef, or cooked sausage to their recipes. In any case, once the beans have been “doctored up,” they’re poured into a baking dish and topped with slices of raw bacon. They’re then baked for several hours in the oven at a low temperature.

Pasta salad is also a popular side item for barbecue, and in the South, that usually means macaroni salad. Cooked elbow macaroni is mixed with chopped veggies and a creamy sauce, then it’s chilled in the fridge. And speaking of macaroni, we southerners like homemade macaroni and cheese with just about everything, and that includes barbecued and smoked meats. Notice that I said “homemade.” We don’t hold much with the straight-from-the-box mixes for macaroni and cheese. We like our macaroni covered in a white sauce and topped with lots of grated cheddar. I think goes especially well with barbecued chicken.

I have to include potato salad here, too. You can’t attend a barbecue, a picnic, or a cookout down here without being offered “tater” salad. Again, we prefer homemade – especially the type made from new red potatoes and bacon.

For the last 5 years I’ve been experimenting with using green tea as an ingredient in my cooking. I started off simply by using green tea leaves that had been steeped just once. That got me some great results. I particularly liked the fresh spinach leaf flavor it imparts to my cooking be it a barbecue sauce or a salad side.  But over the last few months I’ve been finding myself using powdered green tea much more. It’s infinitely versatile and I’m really excited about some of the recipes that I’ve put together.

Powdered green tea is known as matcha in Japan. Most people associate it with the traditional Japanese tea ceremonies but it can also be used far more informally both as a beverage and in your cooking (see more about green tea over at the TeaLounge.) The best quality matcha has a bright green color. Just before harvest the tea bushes are shaded which encourages chlorophyll production. This gives the leaves that bright green color.

One of the most popular green tea recipes in my household is a simple matcha butter.  I use this as a marinade for many barbecue meats as well as on bread.  It’s incredibly easy to make. All I do is remove the butter from the refrigerator and let it soften for 10 to 15 min. Then it’s simply a matter of adding the matcha powder and blending this in. I add around 2% the weight of the butter. 

My other favorite is adding matcha powder to my bread dough to make a green tea flavored roll or loaf. I think sesame seeds go well with this so I normally sprinkle a few on the top.

And of course there is green tea ice cream. It really tastes fantastic. You can either add matcha as a seasoning or use it for the ice cream itself. I prefer the latter. All you need to do is mix the powder with hot water creating a paste which you’ve then fold into the ice cream mixture. It pairs beautifully with orange sections.

Well I hope that’s giving you some ideas for using green tea in your cooking. Not only does it taste great but you’ll be getting a rich shot off health giving antioxidants in each bite.

Expert barbecue chefs make everything look easy, but the truth lies somewhere in between. While experienced makes your routine a bit more predictable, you still have to be organized to get results. Just throwing food onto a grill and hoping for the best isn’t going to cut it these days. If you plan on entertaining a large group of people, you have to know what you’re doing. Unfortunately, there are far too many people adopting lazy methods without giving their guests a true barbecue experience. It’s important to aim for quality and take the time necessary to learn from your mistakes. Backyard grilling is an art form, and to look at it as anything less would be a disservice to one of the best American traditions around. If you’re ready to take barbecue seriously and become a master yourself, here are some of the major mistakes to avoid.

The first mistake people make tends to be at the very beginning when they don’t plan properly. People can find themselves overwhelmed or dealing with a chaotic cooking experience if they are prepared. You should sit down and plan your menu carefully and make sure you have a comprehensive list of all the ingredients you need. If you’re going to be throwing a grand feast, this isn’t something you plan the day of the meal. You should have every contingency covered in addition to a few backup plans as well.

Knowing your grill is one of the keys to successful barbecue cooking so make sure that you familiarize yourself with your equipment. A lot of people don’t fully understand each and every feature that comes with modern grills these days. It’s not just about turning it on and pumping up the heat. Each barbecue has special elements that make it unique, and you need experience to become familiar with whatever grill you’re working with. Make sure it’s properly assembled and clean as thoroughly before you even think about putting food on top of it.

If you’re thinking about using frozen food, then you’re about to commit one of the biggest sins in the world of authentic barbecue. Real grilling is not about pulling a bunch of burgers out of a bag. Stay away from frozen chicken wings or anything that comes prepackaged for your convenience. Whenever you save in time you will eventually sacrifice in terms of taste. Using these types of ingredients is no way to impress people, and almost everyone deserves better. Use fresh ingredients all the way through and take the time to find fresh local produce and great cuts of quality meat, and make your own barbecue sauce recipe if you have time. 

In order to successfully cook on gas grills, you need a good combination of patients while paying attention at all times. Remember, cooking is a scientific process at the core. If you don’t leave your food on long enough, it won’t heat to the right temperature. Flipping food around or constantly cutting into your meat to see if it’s done is a huge mistake you should avoid. Have the patience to let your food comfortably grill until it’s ready to turn over once. You never have to flip your food any more than that, and you should use your sense of touch in sight to tell when something is done. You should also plan things properly so that you have enough time to let your food set before you serve it up to your guests. With the addition of delectable side dishes and you should be able to come up with a culinary experience that people will be talking about for weeks.

Nothing beats grilling and barbecuing on a lazy Saturday afternoon. If you go out on my deck, you will have that wonderful smell going through your nose from my neighbors barbecuing too. The only problem is that we live in the Northeast and after September it’s too cold to go out there and cook.

So what do we do to grill out burgers, steaks and kabobs? My wife came up with a solution. She went out and found a Cuisinart GR 4N 5 in 1 griddler sale online. Now this is an electric grill so you won’t be able to get that nice flame broiled taste, but it does give you a bit of that fine barbecue taste that we are craving.

As I said my wife purchased this online and paid less than $85 for it. She saw them listed higher at the local mall, so she got a good deal on it. In addition she also was able to have it shipped to us at no cost, making it an even sweeter deal.

Not only can we use it to grill hamburgers, but it can also be used as a full contact grill and Panini press. With that feature, I can now make quesadillas and warm Panini sandwiches anytime I want too.

If you have ever tried to lose weight on a low carb diet then you know how hard it is to keep your meals from getting boring.  One of the main reasons that people drop out of this eating plan is the fact that they just get tired of eating the same thing over and over and over again.  One great way to really spice up your meals (literally) is to fire up the Barbeque and give your meals a little twang.

I have been living a low carb lifestyle for a few years and I really like it.  I have lost weight, I feel better, and I don’t crave all that junk food any more.   I try to grill at least three nights a week in order to give my family and me something different that just the same old turkey breast and beef roast.

I use a gas grill and before you “string me up” as they say down south in Texas, let me explain my reasoning.  First, I don’t have time to put the briquettes on to pre-heat for half and hour.  When I get home from working it is time to eat.  Also, I think the flavor is really just as good as with wood smoke.  The fats and juices from the meat still drip down and smoke giving you that great flavor.  They just happen to burn on the heating element instead of in the ashes.  If you really want that smoky flavor, whether it is mesquite from the high desert, or maple from the north woods, you can buy dried shavings and add them onto the propane heating surface.  This gives you a great smoke taste without spending all the time dealing with briquettes.

He is a video of one of my favorite barbeque grilling recipes.  I hope you enjoy it.

If you are having a party, whether it is a BBQ, or any other type of party, you really need to think of something a bit special. You could do this by either thinking of a theme for your party, say carnival, and get your guests to dress up in some really great carnival costumes, or simply by thinking of a really great, eye catching centre piece.

Or if you are feeling really creative you could do both, and theme your evening, this would include your guests dressing up in their carnival costumes, and making the food just as colourful.

This is just one example of nice, original, colourful and tasty food. More ideas would be to use red, yellow and green peppers to create skewers, or any other vegetables, or fruit. Spices can also be used to make the food more interesting in both looks and flavour, don’t be afraid to experiment, though perhaps a trial run may be a good idea if you are trying something new.

Add to the atmosphere with decorations and outdoor lighting to match your theme, and you can guarantee that people will be talking about your BBQ for a long time to come.

The thing I like most about having a BBQ is the fact that it is normally a family event or a celebration between friends. In a way, having a BBQ is a party on its own. You can make it as small or big as you want, either choose to have the normal range of meats, or make something really special with all sorts of exotic recipes.

Organizing the perfect BBQ party is not as hard as you may think. Just make sure you get the best base products, fresh quality meat and fish, maybe throw some scampi´s on the grill as well and you are good to start. After that, you can make it as complicated as you wish, prepare different salads and sauces, make sure you have a good amount of garlic bread and your BBQ will surely become a great success.

For beverages, you can of course opt for the usual soft drinks and cold beer, or make your own sangria and lemonade to quench thirst, especially when it is a hot day.

Of course you will want to end your BBQ on a great note, so having a few cakes and ice cream should be on your shopping list as well, and while you are at it, consider preparing some cappuccino or hot chocolate, using a mini milk frother for the extra touch. If you are not sure when to get one, visit ve-la.com to be pointed in the right direction.

So what do I mean when I tell you to “Perfect Your Bar-B-Q with Bamboo?”  Simply put, I mean that you should be cooking in the proper environment to give you the best freedom in your mood, attitude, and your ability to think freely.  If you are working inside of a terribly cluttered kitchen while trying to produce your own recipes you are going to find out that you will be incredibly limited in your abilities.  Rather than dealing with the clutter, both in your mind and in the kitchen, you may want to think about different ways that you can create a relaxed feeling in your work space.

One of the best ways to get a relaxed feel in the kitchen is to use bamboo blinds, and corner desks.  Using bamboo is perfect because the wood is incredibly easy to clean, which we all know is a problem when you are talking about kitchens, and it is built to stand the test of time so you will never have to worry about replacing it.  A good corner desk is going to give you a place to sit and think about your recipes while not taking up too much space inside of the kitchen.