That went well. Any time I bust open a jar of fruit salsa, I’m a little skeptical. Mango and peach I understand. When you start throwing berries into the mix with onions and peppers, though, I’m still getting used to the idea. I like fruit salsa but I’m still trying to wrap my noggin around it. At last year’s show Chehalem Ridge Brands gave me four of their fruit salsas to test out. I made some good pork burgers with the pineapple. Last night a group of chicken thighs hit the grill slathered in the company’s Swingin’ Strawberry-Rhubarb Salsa. The results came out better than I hoped.
How-to: Making Chile Powder
Most of us are harvesting our chile bounty right now. If you’re new, the big question confronting you is what to do with all of these pepper pods. Smoke ’em? Dry ’em? Give them away? There’s plenty of information on what to make of pods here but if powder is your poison, here’s what you can do according to the pope.
Hot News
Here’s some of the latest news and items from the world of chiles, smoke, and fire.
Interview: WFC Competitor and Judge Kelly Lucas Shippey
Each year, BULL Grills runs its Burger Battle competitions around the country. The events are a series of qualifiers for the World Food Championships in November. Kelly Lucas Shippey not only won last year’s BULL Grills San Diego Burger Battle, she judged this year’s event. That makes her a double threat for anyone looking for tips on what to expect. Here’s what she had to say when we picked her noggin.
Iced Heat: Freezing Chiles
Freezing chiles is an excellent way of preserving them. Chiles that have been frozen retain all the characteristics of fresh chiles except for their texture. Since the individual cell walls have been ruptured by the freezing of the water within each cell, the chiles will lose their crisp texture.
Barbecue 101: Rubs, Sauces, and Marinades Overview
Barbecue cooks have individual preferences about the proper meats and sauces to use, which differ from region to region. The various seasoning methods produce different results, and can be divided into three main categories: rubs–wet and dry, marinades, and sauces. Following are descriptions of each, along with cooking suggestions and recipes. Although barbecuing is one of the oldest cooking methods on earth, remember that the rules are not set in stone. Use these guidelines as a base, then create some classics of your own.
2015 Bartels Harley-Davidson Chili Cook-off
I finally took the plunge and broke my chili competition cherry. Not only that, this was my first time making chili that didn’t magically appear when I opened a can labeled “Hormel.” Or, I should say, “chile” since I made a chile verde instead of the red stuff. Bartels Harley-Davidson held their annual chili cook-off in Marina del Rey yesterday and I thought I’d buck tradition with a little mean green.
