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This is the Cliff Notes version but here is the Sunday afternoon meal. It's actually 9 courses but I combined a couple courses so it's served as a 7 course meal. It was supposed to be 10 courses but in the middle of all this I forgot to cook one of the courses - oops by that time I was 1/2 a bottle of Prosecco down and well that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it - LOL. I used this guide for a full course Italian meal: https://toscanaslc.com/blog/guide-to-the-traditional-italian-meal-structure/ Here are a few "action" pictures And dinner is served........ Aperitivo - chilled Prosecco with Cranberry Cheese (Mrs skreef made me do it). Antipasti - tomato crostini drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and 18 year aged balsamic vinegar. Primi - Cheese tortellini drizzled with Alfredo sauce. Secondi - XL (7 Oz.) Meatball served in sauce. Insalata and Formaggie Frutta combined - Spring mix leafy greens with feta cheese and fresh blueberries served with a blueberry balsamic vinaigrette. Dolce and Caffe combined - Savoiardi (lady fingers) stuffed with orange flavored Italian sweet cheese and dipped in dark chocolate. With a side of espresso and some Canadian sugar in the raw. Digestivo - finally Limoncello served in frosted glasses to wash it all down. I am officially stuffed - LOL - Thank you once again @MacKenzie for what's in the little Sponge Bob cup

Grilled some chicken breast dusted with garlic powder and chicken shit rub cooked 350 on half grate with mesquite wood used some of the chicken tonight to make an orecchiette pasta with heavy cream, butter, pancetta, garlic, red onion, peas and then finished in the broiler with Panco bread crumbs.... will be using leftover KK chicken to make fried rice later this week

Hi Tekobo - that is close to what I ended up doing. After tinkering every 10 - 25 minutes the first 1.5 hours it settled at 260 with the bottom open 1/4", no holes, and the top just under 1/8th. It parked there for 1.5 hours until I pulled to wrap. 5 minutes after closing it was up to 270 so I closed the top some more (barely open) for the final 70 minutes. When wrapping I pulled each individually and closed behind while wrapping, so it was never open more than 15 seconds each time. When I removed it was 245. Should I have just left where it originally was and it is natural for it to overshoot temporarily after opening a bit? Overall I'd say they were near perfect. I neglected to mention in previous post that I also added a dash of Tony Chacheres's. Licking my fingers upon wrapping I was afraid I'd used too much sugar, but it turned out great. The more traditional rub was better but both were very good and not too dissimilar in flavor. Edit to add - total cook time was just over 4 hours for 3.36 baby back loin ribs. Didn't remove silver skin just trimmed some of the fat from the back. I tried but it was just disintegrating so I said screw it, we'll see how it turns out. That's how I'll always do it from now on. Last night I started watching the Aaron Franklin Masterclass and he said he doesn't pull the skin either so great minds, or broken clock twice a day, whatever Final edit: Great bite too - not fall off the bone like they were braised but just firm enough that there was some chew. Didn't require a lot of work to clean the bone.

@Sir Bill I have been checking through my photos of my KK and it does appear that my camera on my iphone is determining what level of light to show so here is another picture that i took that would appear to be more in line with this picture of the bb42. BTW, is this your BB42?

No Italian reds but I did drink a few crappy American beers in between - LOL

Its a very nice place to lurk while awaiting delivery (3 days now anchored in the north sea) It has to be pirates

Another cook in the dark (it's that time of year and we're a month away from the winter solstice!) Tonight - snags in the dark. Lower grate, direct, 325F dome. No smoking wood. Snags are beer brats and bacon/cheddar brats (2 each). Plated with homemade potato salad. 3 mustards - Dijon, spicy brown and Stone Brewery's smoky chipotle. Top it off with a side salad, crusty bread and a tasty IPA (Stillwater's 420 Series Hoppy Pilsner.)

I never really understood or appreciated how much of a sacrifice caregivers make to care for others. I now have the utmost respect and admiration for them. Quick story..... My Mother is 91 years old. She was able to live by herself in Michigan until a couple of years ago, when she started falling. My Sister, who lives in Iowa (by Tony B.), retired and would spend summers with Mom in Michigan and then take her back to Iowa for the winter. Last July, my sister's husband died unexpectedly and she had to go back home to handle everything. I stayed with Mom in Michigan into August and then brought her back to Syracuse for a few months. In mid October, she went back to her home in Michigan and my sister rejoined her. These next comments are not complaints but instead expressions of respect for caregivers. For three months, my life as I knew it.......changed. Almost every minute of the day was consumed with caring for Mom. Came home 3 times a day from work, preparing meals, doctor visits, regulating her medicine, shopping for her, helping her move around from room to room, checking on her during the night and just spending quality time with her. Again....not a complaint.............as I would do it again in a heart beat............but Holy Crap what an eye opener!!! Caregivers are Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is my first time back to the forum since June, I'm finally getting caught up at home and work. I didn't BBQ much over the summer, as Mom was not a big fan of grilled/smoked food. Forget about the boating season. Now I'm hoping to start on my KK repair project for Dennis. Don't think I will ever take spare time / down time for granted again. If you know a caregiver....thank them......offer to give them a break.......do something nice for them..............it is a stressful and many times a thankless job. I call and thank my sister all the time now Went to Michigan last weekend to give her a break. . My hat is off to caregivers!!!!!!!!!

🔫sovsroc, I sure hope not.

You nailed it mate nicley done Sent from my SM-T835 using Tapatalk

Laughed out loud. On your BFF, he is indeed good and I learned a lot from watching him. My point was less about chasing hydration and more about realising that I needed to use my brain and not assume that a recipe's author had actually taken into account how I soak, drain and handle the dough at my end. Soooo many variables with bread and I am the biggest one.

Holy Smokes, what a meal.

I am a KK fan, of course. You would just never do low and slow salmon, smoked turkey, prime ribs, whole chickens, and pork shoulders on a gas grill the same way. Similarly, you would not be able to achieve beautiful Napoletana pizza and breads on a gas grill. That said, if you mainly cook hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken drumsticks, by all means get a separate gas grill for convenience.

Welcome back, ckreef! What an entrance that was - holy cow!!!

Adam, those ribs look delicious, makes me want to some on the KK.

The members on this forum are top notch and will teach you some amazing cooks. I've learned a lot from everyone on here.

Boy, that sounds like hard work @Jon B.. Well done to you and to your sister for caring for your mother and showing her that you love her so much.

That looks wonderful @ckreef. I hope you and @skreef had a lovely evening. Hurrah!

Great effort ckreef. Don’t tell me you went straight from Prosecco to limoncello? No Italian reds in between? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I bow to you. That looks amazing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nicely done!

Wonderful looking dinner, Tony. I love a hoppy beer.

I totally agree with you Jon about caregivers, they are amazing and so are you and your sister. Your mother is a lucky to have you both.

Amazing story, Jon! Welcome back! Hope to see pics of that rebuild project soon! I took care of my Dad for a month right after my Mom died, while I arranged for him to have in-home care and then eventually in a care facility. I know exactly what you're talking about. Folks that do this full-time are practically saints!

It only looks good because it is. I know I've name dropped my BFF (Bread Friend Forever) Trevor Jay Wilson here before. Summarizing his mantra: Hydration is for squares. Okay...not really. But his point is: hydration is one of the last things you worry about in perfecting a loaf. For most amateurs (me), dough handling is far more important than hydration. His Champlain Sourdough recipe is only 75% hydration, and yet has a beautifully open crumb if you follow his dough handling techniques.

I have been doing pretty well with my bread baking. The loaves rise reliably and folk like the taste. There was one Tartine No 3 loaf that came out flat as a pancake when I first tried it back in February. Thought I would try it again last week. I felt like I was back where I started. Sticky dough, wouldn't turn out of the banneton easily and it even stuck to the pizza stone in my indoor oven and ripped when I tried to drag it off. Aaaargh. It was so bad that I just slipped the loaves straight in the bin. Then I remembered Syzygies' comment above about hydration. The recipe included soaked buckwheat groats and creme fraiche and called for 85% hydration. Waaaay too much liquid overall. I tried again the next day, dialling back hydration to 75%. The perfect loaf. Not as precise as S's spreadsheet but realising that the author of the cookbook may not have taken into account the variation in the amount of soaking water I might use helped me solve this problem. And helped to restore The Husband's faith in my breadmaking.