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OK, had been reading about this latest trend in foodie world - crispy hot sauce from China. It's loaded with fried garlic and onions, to add texture to what otherwise would just be a Mala sauce (chiles & Szechuan peppercorns in oil). I actually ended up trying this one, which is made in the US, as it was getting equally good reviews on Amazon to the "standard" Chinese version. The jar arrived yesterday, so of course I had to try it out on dinner! It went on sauteed green beans and mushrooms. Plated with a nice lemon pepper honey mustard pork chop. Pork chop on the main grate, direct, 350F. Lemon pepper rub to start and then sauced with the lemon pepper honey mustard sauce. OK, now I see what all the foodie buzz is about - this stuff is good! Glad that I only went 3 stars hot and not the 4 star version (which has ghost peppers in it!) Nice heat, love the crunchy texture it added. Will be experimenting more with it. I hear that it's great in scrambled eggs?

Thanks guys. It is a bit scary coming off the pallet - but just have to take it really steady and it'll be fine. @MacKenzie- you are welcome to a glass or two of stout. If you're heading this way in th next few years I'll keep one back for you. The reason why they put an extra pallet underneath is because the pallet that the KK sits on is customised and has a broader supporting section underneath. The forks of some of the pallet trolleys are not far enough apart to sit either side of this section. Supporting the ramp with concrete paver mad it pretty rock solid. Yes, I did go out last night in the dark and rain to check it was OK. Unpacked the tables last night - the quality of workmanship and engineering is just staggeringly good - something you can't fully appreciate from the photos. The neighbours have been round taking pictures of it ! Many Thanks All

More fun. A two panel mosaic of three (3!) nebula. The Spider (upper right), Tadpoles (middle), and Flaming Star (lower right). In spite of appearing co-located, Tadpoles is about 12,000 light years away and Flaming Star is right next door -- only 1500 light years away.

Just for fun.

That's the pub behind us by the way. Couple of pictures of it in position , one from outside and one from inside. Many thanks to folk on the forum who have inspired and advised. Truly wonderful bit of kit !! I'm going to wait for a dry, bright day for the burn in and first cook, meanwhile have to unwrap and figure out what all the extra thing are.

Now rolled it along the back of the house into position on the flagstones. Most importantly getting some glasses and a bottle of the 10.2% Matt Black Stout to toast its arrival. Cheers !! Still loads to unwrap but that's enough for today - I need to do some other bits and pieces

We got it through the hedge fine and then down the path between the two lawns, but we thought it safer to do the leapfrogging plywood trick alongside the house - I'dedisconnected the gas supply and moved the cylinders but the connection to the house was a bit proud and the house is built of stone and lumps of flint that also protrude.

@Paul - Ha the first cook is a little way off yet. So we extended the ramp with some ply and supported it underneath with concrete slabs. Once I'd knocked the central box to bits and unsecured / crowbarred off the bits of wood restraining the feet it started to move a bit. We put a rope around the KK and tied the other end to Mrs RD as we gently manoeuvred it down the slope we'd made. Any one else find this a bit scary ??

NEVER let a little snow get in the way of grilling dinner! This is what I woke up to this morning - and it kept snowing during a better part of the day. BTW - this was the 2nd such snow storm in the last week! But, my reward for snowblowing/shoveling the driveway (3 times thanks to the city snow plows that kept damming up the end of my driveway!) was a lovely steak dinner. CostCo prime rib-eye cap on the lower grate, direct, with post oak and mesquite. Served up with Wegman's salt potatoes (wonder how those got from upstate NY to IA?) with garlic & parsley butter, sautéed oyster & button mushrooms and a nice side salad with yummy blue cheese crumbles. And, a very nice Napa cab to wash it all down with! If all the snowblowing/shoveling didn't give me a heart attack, this dinner might! Serious amounts of butter in the sides and a gorgeous fatty steak! Cheers!

You just spent maybe $10K on cookers and a table and you're looking to save $600 and put them on a welder's mat? Really? Isn't that kind of like ordering your new AMG Mercedes with vinyl seats? I dunno about leftover pavers, why not trot down to the local tile store and find something that would complement the KK and the teak? "In for a penny, in for a pound" and all that. Seriously, you've just bought two of the best cookers in the world, real works of art. You've spent more money to make sure you have a safe place to put them, why not go the extra half-mile(or kilometer) to give them a home that complements their beauty? See how little trouble I have spending your money? Just ask, I'll be glad to help. Congrats on your new outdoor kitchens, I'm sure we'll enjoy them! And where are the pics? Best, Bill

Perth Hills bushfire devastation as 56 homes lost to bushfire east of Perth http://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-02/perth-bushfire-destroys-homes-residents-evacuated/13112812 Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk