jdbower

Have a great time! Just to clarify, are you flying to the US or are you flying to California? We on the Atlantic generally consider those two to be mutually exclusive

All I have to say is that our recipe section welcomes you whole-heartedly! Keep 'em coming!

I just got my gift 10-pack. The gift portion isn't much to speak of (a standard thin pretty box and some tissue paper inside the shipping package) but you do get a nifty Dizzy Pig pin and I saved $2. There's a little brochure that comes with it which is handy to keep around for when the Dizzy newbie is trying to decide what to use on a meal. None of the seasonings look like they'll never be used, but I can certainly see the Swamp Venom running out much faster than most of the other ones. If nothing else, at least get the sampler pack - you'll be missing the Shakin' the Tree and Raising the Steaks it looks like, but at least you'll be able to cheaply taste the rest. Given the anticipated shipping to Oz I'd agree with Sanny and just order them all. Make sure you ask them to pack it upside down so it doesn't spill out when it arrives down under

Very cool! There are all sorts of nifty toys for grilling just about anything out there.

Thanks! That really helps visualize how these things get attached. I think I may just hook up the rotisserie to my tractor's PTO, I figure at 540 RPM I should be able to make things cook VERY evenly and I should have more than enough power

Nicely done! I must admit, though, the thought of one of those EVO Cooking Stations next to a KK is a tempting pairing...

Sorry, no experience with shipping but a bit too much experience with buying... I've found that frequently UPS ground is cheaper than USPS these days, it may be worth a call. I don't know if FedEx/Kinkos or The UPS Store are any better than the old Mailboxes, Etc. but MBE added a huge premium over direct shipping.

This may not be the right group to admit that you have access to meds Good luck!

OK Sanny, as a spicy food fan that sold me. Forget the little sample sizes, I dove in with the 10-pack gift set.

If there's enough interest you can count me in!

I trust DJ, he seems to be an expert at the whole smoking pot thing.

You can get a good smoke without ignition by restricting the oxygen flow. There was some information about a "smoke bomb" but this proved difficult to Google and get information that won't flag you for the "personal treatment" at airport security, so a smoker box is probably the way to go. The Smoke Bomb was essentially a home-made version that looks like a pipe bomb, but for $10 even if it only lasts a few cooks it's probably worth the expense. Note for fun you can try soaking the woodchips in various liquids. Red wine is generally the fluid of choice but Sanny may have stumbled onto a decent idea with cranberry juice - it may be interesting to hear if anyone's tried it.

I may just have to order their sampler set, I've heard good things about a lot of their rubs.

Oh well, that shows up as Costco Brand. I've seen good reports that indicate it's probably a step above the Kingsford lump. For those interested, here is a link to the UPC database.

I believe the patents are for all of the unique parts of Dennis' cookers. A traditional round kamado has been around for thousands of years so the concept of a "ceramic cooker" is too broad to be patentable, but Dennis' teardrop shape and off-center damper are innovative and worthy of patent. Interesting side note, the primary purpose of a patent is not to protect the patent holder from unauthorized use but to spur innovation by publishing the patentable inventions and processes such that when the patent expires others can use and improve on the designs. The protection a patent offers is mostly there to encourage people to file patents. In 20 years or so everyone will have a teardrop cooker but by then Dennis will probably have a 9th dimensional model that can cook 100lbs of ribs in something that fits in a desk drawer

OK, it's not much of a recipe but they served this in Stockholm and, even though I'm not a big cucumber fan, this was a refreshing alternative to lemons in water: 1 small cucumber 1 pitcher of cold water Slice cucumber and add to water. Refrigerate as long as desired (the longer it sits the more cucumber taste will be added but the mushier the cucumbers will become), add ice before serving. If desired, use cut cucumber slices on the rim of the serving glasses.

Or perhaps some minced raw sweet Vidalia onion? Thinly sliced or shredded cucumber are also good choices.

This is a fairly good variation of an Asian side - but like so many things out there I think it can use more garlic and crushed red pepper. This is in the fridge now for lunch tomorrow. 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 1/2 cup hot water 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tbs red wine vinegar (although I think Balsamic may work a bit better) 2 tbs sesame oil 2 tsp sugar 2 cloves minced garlic 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper chopped scallions and shredded carrots (garnish) 10 oz cooked cold noodles Start cooking noodles, this is about 3/4 box of spaghetti but use the entire box if you don't want a lot of sauce or 1/2 a box if you want more sauce. Combine peanut butter and water in a medium bowl, stir until combined. Add soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, and red pepper. Drain noodles when they're done cooking. Add noodles to sauce and mix until well-coated (hot noodles will also melt any bits of peanut butter that didn't mix in well). Chill in refrigerator overnight. Add scallions and carrots to top and serve.

Heck, I betcha if they set it to something fairly low it'd still be going when it hit home - pop a factory-installed brisket in there and you've got food to give the guys who help you lug it into place!

I'll have to check mine now. Maybe they have Costco helicopters and when they see a KK in a yard they start stocking it? I never noticed the Cowboy in my Lowes until recently either so perhaps it's becoming more en vogue in recent years. Is it Kirkland Signature brand? If so, I'm curious if there are any markings on it to indicate where they get it from. I'm guessing it may be Kingsford Lump, but we can hope for Royal Oak. Actually we can REALLY hope that Dennis is one step ahead of where we thought with his distribution channel

Re: So.... I think Dennis is making changes to the burner kit based on DJ's input. Problem is people keep pestering him about the side tables

That didn't last long at all... If this keeps up Dennis will have to take time out from the side tables and install a new server

My father's side of the family raised black angus cattle on their farm, nothing's better than sticking your fork in a cow and popping what comes out on the grill Freezing certainly isn't good for meat, but I've found that if it's frozen fresh and not left in too long while being protected from desiccating airflow (causing freezer burn) it's still acceptable. To compensate I usually defrost in a salt solution which restores some moisture that can be lost as well as flavoring the steak. With most meat I try to buy fresh and cook it right away, burgers are an exception since the quality is pretty low to begin with anyway. I also keep around some frozen Omaha steaks which seem to keep well for those times when I'm too lazy to go shopping. In short, freezing isn't good but it's much better than leaving the steak on the counter for a few days