Yes, I know. It’s been awhile since we’ve run regular news from the land of smoke and fire. What can I say? With 25-ish products to test after the Fiery Foods Show, Dave a-travelin’, and me training up for competitions, we’re a little busy. Don’t worry, though. I’ll make Hot News a regular thing again. Promise.
The BBQ Guru’s Bob Trudnak: Interview
The BBQ Guru’s Bob Trudnak and I have played phone tag for an interview for years. This is mostly my fault but we finally nailed down a Q&A session earlier this week. He’s the main man for The BBQ Guru’s competition team and I asked him about moving into barbecue, what he likes to make, and his plans for getting into the World Food Championships so he can add a second WFC rib win to his belt.
Burn! Interview: Heather Manley
When World Food Championships competitor Heather Manley dared me to plunge into the pool at the WFC’s meet and greet cocktail party, she could just as easily have been talking about diving right into creating a new recipe for bacon as daring me to jump into a pool.
Hot News
Memorial Day sits in our rear view mirror as barbecue season drives forward, pedal to the metal. We’re not even a week out and a fair amount has happened in the world world of heat and smoke.
Hot News
Even though outdoor grilling and fall weather don’t agree with each other everywhere, a lot is still going on, like the two items we have for you this week. Especially if you’re a certain hot sauce with a chicken on your bottle.
Judge Mental: Lessons from the 2nd Annual Santa Anita BBQ Championships
Two weeks ago, I lost my virginity at the race track. Not the normal kind like you lose at a prom or in a prison shower. No, this was baby’s first time judging a barbecue competition and it happened at the 2nd Annual Santa Anita BBQ Championships at the famous Southern California race track of the same name. While there was a certain loss of innocence (or ignorance) involved, it was a wonderful experience that was a real eye opener to something I’ve always wanted to try. And I didn’t have to rent a tux, either.
Thai Red Curry: The Art of Asian Heat
There’s something about the richness of red curry paste that is incredibly satisfying to the palate; in fact, I find that even a small portion of good red curry leaves me feeling sated—much more so than a comparable amount of Chinese food, for instance.