tony b

Living in Iowa, with our harsh winters, I have a cover for mine. I have one of the original Johnny Boy covers. Dennis sells them now, also made with Sunbrella, about the best stuff out there! Being in So Fla, you should protect it from sun fading. Not sure anything will protect it from the hurricanes, though?

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who doesn't have a TJ's anywhere near me - closest one is in W. Des Moines (115 miles). CC, looks like they are opening one soon in Tulsa. http://www.traderjoes.com/stores Now for the bad news, it says this store won't be selling beer or wine, i.e., no $3 Chuck (TJ exclusive, Charles Shaw wines @ $2.99/bottle - hence, the 3 buck Chuck moniker. Decent everyday swill and great for cooking! Started out as 2 buck Chuck - $1.99/bottle!!) I come home with at least 3 cases every time I go to a TJs. Christmas stock up is almost gone!

Go over her with a fine tooth comb and make sure that you find and secure all the tiles that might have lifted. Put on a mitt and run your hand over the entire surface just to be sure! No need for the grout, unless one of the tiles actually comes off, which is quite rare!

I was too lazy to go out in the rain this afternoon to go to the market to get some and it was too late in the day to make any!

God I wish we had a TJ's closer than 115 miles! OK, now off to tonight's dinner. Trader Joe's marinated rack of lamb. Had to duck between thunderstorms to get this one in, so there aren't a lot of outdoor pics - sorry! KK set up direct, target was 375F, but went a tad over to 400F, no harm. First on, Rosemary, garlic potatoes in olive oil on the Cookina mat on the upper grate for about 20 minutes, then the rack of lamb goes on the main grate, bones down. Turn the spuds. 30 minutes later, spuds come off and hold in warm oven inside. Flip the rack over to crust. IT was about 96F. 15 minutes, rack comes off, IT at 130F. Let rest for 10 minutes and viola! Plated, with a nice Greek salad (Feta and Kalamata olives) and a wonderful Zinfandel ('96 Rosenblum, Paso Robles) Money shot - OPA!!

Like I said, just don't freak out! You won't need the bag of grout in your "supplies kit" that came with your KK (spare tiles, grout, spare plugs for the probe hole, etc.) Just press the tiles back down as it cools off and you're golden, dude! Now go off and cook some tasty shit!!! Oh yeah, and post the pictures!!!!

Where were those tonight when I was out of bread for dinner??

Buyers Beware. From the pictures that CC posted, he got the "Pro" model (aka, Titanium), not the BOGO version in the infomercial (PIC2). LOTS of bad reviews of the PIC 1 and 2 on Amazon. Mostly about poor temperature control (inaccurate controllers - temperatures off as much as 50F) and short life (< 1 year). Lousy customer service complaints, too. They hit you for S/H charges ($29.95) for each item, like the "free cookware," so you can rack up a lot of S/H charges fast! Typical Infomercial scam. The Pro model seems to get better ratings and fewer complaints. Will wait for more feedback from CC after he has his a while before I jump in on this one! YMMV

Thanks, ya'll!

A nice cook there, CC! But, what, NO GRAVY???

I'll hijack Wilburpan's thread to post my Cinco de Mayo cook - Carne Asado tacos and drunken beans. Getting started. This is a pre-marinated steak from Trader Joes. I like them a lot and stock up whenever I can hit up a TJ (closest one to me is 150 miles away in West Des Moines!) But first, gotta make some margaritas! Oops! Opening the bag, I wondered why it was coming apart and then I looked more carefully at the label - this roast is "pre-sliced!" DOH! Since I bought this back at Xmas in MN, I can't blame the "adult beverages" for this one! OK, Plan B - Hey, good use of the Cookina mat! So, onto the KK at 250F, main grill, direct (w/mat), red oak and mesquite wood chunks directly on the coals. Smoke got going pretty quick! Forgot to take a pic of the finish on the grill with the CI pot of drunken beans (Mrs. Grime's Chili Beans - Spicy, with diced white onion, cilantro, and tequila!) That one you can blame on the adult beverages! After 30 minutes, I broke up the pieces and poured the marinade that I'd saved out of the bag onto the chunks on the mat. On went the beans. After another 20 minutes, beans off. Raised the KK up to 350F. Rolled up the mat and put the asada chunks directly on the main grate to char. A couple of minutes on each side and ready to eat. Some assembly required - diced onion, cilantro, lime wedges, cheese, homemade salsa, and the tortillas. Pot of drunken beans. And a nice glass of homemade sangria! Money shot - Ole!!

I second CC's note - I've never had a problem with my CI smoke pot "going out." Occasionally, I'll open it to find that it hasn't completely turned to charcoal, but that's usually due to the cooking time being shorter, say for ribs or a small roast. Any long lo & slo cook will almost always consume all the smoking wood in the DO. And, I always use my Guru if the cook is longer than a couple of hours. So, I don't think that's the problem either. Like CC said, make sure that you set the DO directly on top of your lit coals. Your problem might be that if you set the DO somewhere else, the coals never get going under your pot, so it never gets hot enough to produce any smoke??

[insert favorite food here] and Beer, yum.

OK, I'm impressed!

Too Funny!!!

I say, GO FOR IT!!

Wilburpan says that's their "everyday" china! That's how he rolls!

Pounce, dude! http://komodokamado.com/forum/topic/5336-anova-discount-code/?p=50320 $154 for the new model and free shipping! What more are you waiting for???

Hallelujah - He's seen the light! Like CC said, "I feel your pain." When I visit my dear friends back in SC, I have to cook on their BGE. What a struggle! Like swapping back to a manual transmission after driving an automatic for a few months! At least it's not a metal kettle!

I had the smell, but no tiles bubbled up on my burn in, just a couple of spots of white residue. YMMV. Just don't freak out, it's normal and no harm is being done to your new baby!

Homemade Hot Dog Buns - get the F out!!! You're just amazing, gurl!

Dennis posted this technique back some time ago. I've tried it and it works. If you want more smokey flavor, just do the sear on the KK first, then put the meat in the SV pouch and finish the cook in the bath to your doneness. You will lose the crust, but the color and smokey flavor will still be there. And, again, NEVER toss out the juices in the bagl they make a fantastic pan sauce! Here's the book on SV cooking that I have. I highly recommend it. http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Sous-Vide-Temperature-Techniques/dp/1456336975/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430760017&sr=1-12&keywords=sous+vide

The Backyard Bistro does it again!

SAH-WHEET! Still want one of those double dial draft doors for my 23", Dennis.