Archive for June, 2008

Give Smokers A Try

Monday, June 30th, 2008


If someone suggests to you that you should take up smoking as a hobby, it may be that they’re not talking about cigarettes at all, but the process of smoking, which is used to add flavor to foods. There are different methods of smoking, but all are, of course, centered around the use of burning wood or other plant materials in order to produce smoke. If you’ve ever sat around a campfire for a while and come home with your clothes smelling like that fire, you know that using smokers to cook is an effective way to impart scents and flavors into food.

Hot Smoking

Hot smokers ensure that the smoke coming from the burned material is still hot as it passes over the meat. Just as when you steam vegetables, the heat carried in the air will cook the food, while the smoke will impart flavors. To do this, the food is either held over a fire or it is placed in a sort of enclosed area with the fire. If this sounds familiar to the process of barbecuing meat, that’s because barbecuing is a hot smoking method. This technique originated in the Caribbean and is now popular all over the world, particularly in the American South, where barbecue pork is a specialty.

Cold Smoking

When you cold smoke something, you place it in an enclosure that is kept separate from the fire. Contrary to the name of the technique, this often requires that the food is kept at room temperature. Cold smokers have some way to allow the smoke to cool down before it is blown to the food, all of the flavor of the smoke but none of the heat is imparted. However, because the food is not cooked at a high temperature at this time, this method is most often combined with salt curing, and gives us foods like smoked ham, bacon, or lox. This process is long and can take hours or even days to complete the smoking process.

For Preservation

While smoking is a cooking method, it has also been used as a method of preservation. As mentioned, when combined with salting and curing meat, using smokers results in foods that, instead of being highly perishable, can instead be kept for very long periods of time.

The curing process helps to bring salt into the meat, which creates an environment where bacteria can’t grow and spoil the food, and the smoking method helps to dry the meat, adding to the curing process, and also gives the surface of the meat additional protection from microbes.

This was such a common process that western farms often had smokehouses just for the preservation and curing of meat. However, whether you’re interested in smokers in order to preserve food or just to add some great flavor, you’re starting in on a winning hobby that will allow you to create tastier food than before.
For more information on smokers visit http://www.SimplyBarbeque.com/ or http://SimplyBarbeque.blogspot.com/

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Explore a Whole New World of Tea By Experiencing a Tea Ceremony

Friday, June 27th, 2008


If you consider yourself a connoisseur of fine teas, then you should really think that description over if you have yet to visit a Japanese tea ceremony. There is simply no better way to learn about the world of tea than through tea ceremonies, as they can provide you with some amazing flavors of the hot beverage with a rich tradition and historical background that you simply cannot experience anywhere else. But, do you have to go to Japan to experience an actual ceremony of tea? Not necessarily. With the increased sharing of cultural rituals and traditions during the mid to late 20th century, the good news is that you can easily have the experience of a Japanese tea ceremony in your own home.

Tea finally came to Japan in the ninth century when a Buddhist monk brought it back with him after a trip to China. From there, the passion for tea grew with a fervor never seen before in Japan, and the Japanese adopted it as one of their most popular drinks. As the passion for tea in Japan grew, so too did the wealth and prestige of those involved in the trade, and as tea began to mix with privilege, wealth, and the Zen Buddhism lifestyle - the tea ceremony was born.

As is true with other ceremonies that have an association with the Zen school of Buddhism, the ceremony using tea is meant to impart physical, spiritual and emotional insights and blessings. Used as a catalyst to build bridges with others and to gain insights into the core of one’s being, this ceremony has deep significance. Often, it is considered to be one where truth in some form will be acknowledged, whether rediscovering old perceptions of truth, or uncovering a new perception of a truth for the first time. To be invited to participate in this sort of ceremony is considered an honor and also a sign of unity with the host.

Now that you know some of the basic history behind Japanese tea ceremonies, you are probably wondering where you can go to experience such a wonderful and unforgettable event. Well, as with everything culturally based, your best place to start is in your nearest major metropolitan area. If your closest city has a large Japanese population, there are sure to be several places where you can experience this ceremony of tea, but even cities that lack a major Japanese influence will still have one or two places where you can participate in a ceremony. On the other hand, if you really want to see a real, professionally done tea ceremony, you really have to take a trip to Japan so you can fall in love with tea all over again thanks to the beauty and simplicity of the ceremony.
Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://tea-party.tea-universe.com. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Tea Ceremony

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Pressure Cooking Simple Yet Tasty Recipes For Pressure Cooking

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008


Expediency, faster turnaround times and cost effectiveness, are dearly cherished by people and hence they tend to pursue these principles ardently. Time is a precious commodity and every moment can be invested by us in doing things, which we hold very dearly in our hearts, or even things we do not find as pleasurable.

We wish to be capable of handling things that should be done such as working, tidying up and cooking, but we wish to accomplish them as competently and fast as possible. Recipes for pressure-cooking will enable you to cut down on time consumption, which can be better utilized in doing the things you are fond of.

Recipes for pressure-cooking are intended for those who wish to prepare homemade, delicious meals that can be cooked during the course of the day even as you attend work. You simply have to locate the recipes for pressure cooking, go hunting for the required ingredients, mix them as per the recipe’s instructions and put on the start switch and when you return from work late in the day, you will find an appetizing and hot meal ready for you to tuck in!

Usually when people come back home after a taxing day at work, they wish to relax and not having to perform another task. The recipes for pressure-cooking ensure that you do just that - sit back and enjoy some quality time with the members of your family. You can now avoid hanging around unwholesome fast food outlets and sidestep the additional time taken to usually prepare a meal at your home.

Now, you can actually come home, remove your footwear, seize a plate and spoon, and help yourself to the newest recipes for pressure-cooking that you have concocted. This will enable you to spend valuable time with your near and dear ones. Moreover, you will not be frazzled or tense because you now can enjoy doing the things you are keen on.

Normally, preparing homemade dinner dishes takes around 30 minutes to 1 hour. Sometimes, it may take much more time. With the additional time you have thus saved there exist boundless alternatives that you can look at. Perhaps you can sign-up for studying a foreign language that always caught your interest.

Alternatively, you can meet up with an old pal. In fact, you have logged in a minimum of seven additional hours a week. This translates to nearly a whole day spent at the office. Simply see in your mind’s eye the possibilities that are open to you and what you can get done.

Possibly, you may even share your wonderful recipes for pressure cooking with your family and friends in order to ease up on their time and providing them with a great cooking option to improve their lives. Well, there are quite a few people, who still stick to the traditional way of preparing dishes, but demanding work schedules make it very hard to execute both tasks to perfection. Every one can enhance their lives through the amazing feasibility of the recipes for pressure-cooking.
Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Searching For Your Organic Food Online

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008


Organic food online offers people a way to find the healthy foods they crave. As our planet becomes more packed with people, everyone is looking for an easy way, not only to shop, but to live better.

Going green has begun to not only affect the environment, but grocery shopping as well. One way to achieve a healthier lifestyle is to buy organic food, and with the ease of the world wide web, shopping for organic food online has never been easier.

Finding natural and organic food online can be done very easily by doing a quick Google search. When this is performed, a number of vendors will pop up that are from all over the world.

Most offer seasonal organic foods that can be shipped overnight. One of the websites that offers shipping all across the country is Diamondorganics. They will ship anything in their catalog overnight via fed ex.

When one reads about their company which is located in California, they are asked to treat the website like a grocery store. Diamondorganics offers everything from fresh produce to organically grown flowers.

Buying organic food online can be tricky and make people uneasy. A person can look all they want online and still really not know the product they are buying from an online vendor.

If someone is hesitant, Localharvest can help a person find local organic food vendors. After the initial unease has passed, buying online becomes a viable solution for organic foods not readily available locally.

Paying too much for organic food online is one thing consumers should be very aware of when purchasing items as well as receiving foods that are not fresh. By having the internet as a resource, many different organic websites can be shopped quickly and with the convenience of staying home.

Most organic food companies want to have return business, so be sure that the company has a strict return policy if you are not happy with items such as produce or if the price was not worth the product.

Also make sure before buying online that the items are certified organic. Only by doing research on the website chosen will you know if the items are certified organic foods or not.

Because organic food online stores are available, the market has grown tremendously. Shipping is available from most within 24 to 48 hours anywhere, and this can ensure quick access to any kind of organic food.

The world wide web has opened up the world of shopping including grocery shopping. Now people can shop for food from home, and feel better about the choices they are making. Going green has never felt better for everyone.
Enrich your knowledge further about buying organic food online from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our organic cooking blog where a free gift awaits you.

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Garlic Pepper Chicken Pizza The Best Gourmet Pizza

Friday, June 20th, 2008


This delicious recipe makes a gourmet quality pizza that is much better than any you will find in a restaurant - even the most expensive restaurants. This delightful, flavorful pizza is not hard to prepare, and is a sure hit for any meal or special gathering.

Be sure to use fresh ingredients, and do not skimp on quality. Use the best you can find - the taste is definitely worth it!

1 package pizza crust mix
1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed peppercorns
12 ounces boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons chicken soup base mix
1 1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed garlic peppercorn blend
1 teaspoon garlic liquid spice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Make the pizza crust according to package directions. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of crushed peppercorns to the dry mix. Form and place in pizza pan to rise.

While the pizza crust is rising, combine the chicken and 1/4 cup of the chopped red onion along with the white wine vinegar, water, chicken soup base mix, crushed garlic peppercorn blend, and garlic liquid spice. Mix well to coat the chicken evenly. Let stand about ten minutes.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet, and add the coated chicken pieces. Cook and stir until done, about three minutes.

Mix the cornstarch and water together and stir into the chicken mixture. Heat and stir until thickened and bubbly. Spoon this mixture evenly on top of the pizza crust. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese, chopped green pepper, and the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped red onions.

Bake the pizza at 400 F for about twelve minutes. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top, and bake about two minutes longer until the crust is golden brown.

Makes eight servings.

Nutritional Information, Per Serving:

190 calories
18 grams protein
13 grams carbohydrate
8 grams fat
3 grams saturated fat
36 mg cholesterol
220 mg sodium
0 grams dietary fiber

Preparation tips:

The crust will rise well in an oven with the door propped open slightly, so that the oven light is on. This provides just enough warmth to get a good result.

For the coarsely crushed peppercorns (second ingredient) - choose a blend of black, white, and green peppercorns for a delicious treat. While some folks may not be able to tell a difference in the flavor of different color peppercorns, there are subtle differences that will enhance the taste of the finished pizza.

The garlic liquid spice is usually available in gourmet food stores or online from gourmet food ingredient catalogs.

If you can find one, get an “air bake” type pizza pan. These do a great job browning the crust, and minimize the chance of the crust burning.
Eldon Beard is a Manager with Watkins Products. Enjoy the finest gourmet cooking extracts, spices, pepper blends, soup bases, and dessert mixes. Visit our Watkins Gourmet Foods

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Valentines Day Chocolates And Valentines Chocolates

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008


Isn’t Valentine’s day exciting? It’s a fantastic opportunity to show your loved one how much they mean to you. It’s a great time for telling someone that you have had a crush on that you like them. Well actually no it isn’t, it’s depressing.

If you are in a relationship it quickly becomes the perfect opportunity for your girlfriend to start getting shirty and demand that you spend a whole load of your hard earned money on her. What a terrible day it is for the man in a relationship. Restaurants get ridiculously full and it becomes clear that you were the only idiot alive not to have booked a table last year. It quickly becomes impossible to find somewhere to eat. You know that if you don’t take your girlfriend out she will hold it against you for the rest of your life and, in fear, you are forced to book a completely overpriced restaurant that is miles out of town just to keep her quiet.

But this is not where the tugging on the purse strings ends. Further still she will expect you to arrange a lavish present. Something exotic, something special, something thoughtful! Aaarrrgh! Flowers, balloons or champagne are not enough. That is if they are sent on their own. If you fork out and buy them all then that is considered a passable effort. But they will only suffice if it is clear that they have cost you five times what they are worth.

Secretly she’ll be expecting jewellery or a flight to Paris but she will tell you that, ‘a nice quiet night in will be nice’. Do not swallow this - she is lying. If you arrange a ‘nice quiet night in’ you will be strung up and left out to dry. So how can you make sure that your Valentine’s Day passes quietly and free of drama? Well with chocolates of course!

The range and variety of chocolates on the market is astounding. For Valentine’s Day you will have to be looking well beyond the box of celebrations or a large bar of dairy milk. You have to push the boat out and show that you have done something special. Getting a high end box of chocolates from a Chocolatier is a great way of demonstrating the effort you have gone to and the level of affection you feel for your loved one.

Better still handmade chocolates will show that you really have thought about her. If you are well prepared you can arrange for chocolates to be made and personalised for your girlfriend.

These luxury hand-made chocolates do not come cheap but they are worth every penny. The boxes that are put together by Chocolatiers are of superior quality to anything that has been massed produced. As a result they have tiny touches that will really impress your loved one and demonstrate what a tremendous person you are. The boxes in which the chocolates come are made of superior quality materials such as suede.

Furthermore the boxes can be beautifully decorated with mini red roses to give an impeccably classy final touch. Sure to melt the heart of your girlfriend. Sadly these handmade chocolates do not come cheap but nevertheless you should see the purchase as an investment. An investment your girlfriend will undoubtedly appreciate.
Shaun Parker is an expert on chocolates. He advises men to get their loved ones Valentines day chocolates and Valentines chocolates

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Become A Super Chef YourselfWatch Healthy Cooking Demos

Thursday, June 12th, 2008


If you are keen on learning the basics or even advanced cooking recipes created by professional chefs, the best and simplest way to ensure your practical education in this field of the culinary arts is by viewing healthy cooking demos! At times, many get confused with the instructions given in cookbook or the language is not something familiar to regular use besides the lack of visual and audio sync that cookery shows offers, which makes the viewing and learning an easy and enjoyable process for the beginner cook! Probably the reason why the picture’s worth is considered equal to a thousand words and therefore the popularity of tuning in to healthy cooking demos is increasing too!

Well, that said, what is left to do is watching healthy cooking demos; you have a choice of renting a show, attending one or buying a healthy cooking demo version you like. At times, an expert cook you admire may be visiting and you can get to learn their techniques and secret recipes first-hand by attending the show. Those with more cooking experience can consider sharing their wealth of knowledge in a specialized cuisine area by holding healthy cooking demos in their locality besides benefiting from making additional income out of it!

However, if you are smart and have the time, you can search for free healthy cooking demos that are also available with a bit of effort; some resources for these free of charge shows are at vendor expos and exhibition of cookware products. The advantage here is you learn about the various types of utensils and appliances used for top class healthy cooking and also get to pick up new and varied recipes! By watching healthy cooking demos, you stand a better chance of learning how to use a new cookware product or tool along with picking up meal-planning and preparation tips.

Besides the above mentioned advantages to viewing healthy cooking demos, the scope for recording these and viewing them at leisure further enable a student-cook to understand an expert chef’s method and techniques for preparing and presenting exotic or regular food, which is in-depth study at your convenience. Even the live cooking demos enable you to record or play-back certain segments while pre-recorded tapes in the market are an anytime cooking aid for those keen to try the same dish demonstrated by the chef at home. Some feel it’s like having a personal cook teaching professionally the culinary arts we love to indulge in.

Thus, one finds that by paying attention to the methods and approaches to healthy cooking, demos and online shows can provide loads of useful information on cooking methods and recipe ideas for the learner besides boosting menu choices for you as each chef has a personal way of demonstrating the same recipe, bringing their personal touch to the dish.
Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Did You Know That Champagne Comes From Three Different Grapes

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008


Champagne has always been a way to celebrate or toast the bride and groom in marriage. Seen to be a flexible drink, Champagne can be with a meal or dessert.

Champagne hails from the vineyards of the French regions. If you buy a bottle and it says champagne on the bottle it’s most likely that it was made from France’s vineyards. If you didn’t get the champagne that is so legendary to the regions of France, you pretty much just wasted your money on sparkling wine. You should also make sure when you buy a bottle of champagne that it is spelled with a capital C. French manufacturers are very protective of this name and are the only ones that are allowed to use the name Champagne on bottles.

Champagne is made from three different types of grapes - Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Noir and Meunier are a type of black grape, while the well known Chardonnay is a type of white grape. The label on the bottle on which it is placed is where you will see what kind of it is, so you will know which flavor to expect to taste. There are many types wine that have a blend of different grapes.

Like sparkling wine, champagne is used for celebrations and what not. Even though it is thought to be a sparkling wine it is not it is its own type of drink. You have to be careful where you purchase it though, as a lot of producers like to use cheaper grape, which never taste the same. If you had ever tasted this wine before you will know quality.

Many people prefer champagne over wine because of the bubbles that are produced when uncorked. The bubbles that are made from this are from a liquid known as carbonic acid gas which is produced when the drink is disturbed. After the drink is disturbed, the bubbles form and shoot out of the bottle in a quick manner. This only happens with a bottle of champagne known as double fermentation.

The next time you have a celebration, you should go buy a bottle of Champagne. Few things come near a fine bottle of the bubbly spirit and the bursting bubbles that shoot out when uncorked. You can discover quality champagne at local liquor stores. Even though it may cost you a small fortune its well worth it for the distinct taste and the bubbles. There is nothing else like opening a fine bottle of this high quality sparkling wine and spewing the bubbles over everyone and everything.

It is just quite the party drink to be had with a fine celebration. Remember that it should always be capitalized on the bottle or it’s not real champagne just a mere sparkling wine which was most likely made from a cheap grape. So for your next big day like a wedding or birthday go get a bottle of champagne and celebrate with all the bubbles going everywhere on everyone.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about wine as well as wine gifts at http://www.winebottlespersonalized.com

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Luscious, Healthy Cranberries

Saturday, June 7th, 2008


Luscious cranberries impart a deliciously tangy flavor to any dish, from barbecues and sauces to beverages and pies. Add cranberries to everyday relishes for mouth watering results.

Buying and Storing Cranberries

Fresh cranberries are available in plenty from September to December. They are shiny and plump and range in color from light red to dark red. Berries with brown spots or those that are shriveled are best avoided.

Fresh cranberries will last up to eight weeks if sealed in a plastic container and stored in the refrigerator. However, if you’d like to have cranberries all year round, they can be put in an airtight bad and frozen for up to one year. Cranberries should ideally be frozen without washing. You can wash them just before using. Do not thaw frozen cranberries when ready to use, instead follow the directions given in your recipe.

Cooked cranberries can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator and will last up to one month. Cranberries cooked in alcohol can last in the refrigerator many months.

The Many Health Benefits of Cranberries

Besides being a flavorful addition to any meal, cranberries are also loaded with nutrients. Cranberries are high in fiber and have only 25 calories per 1/2 cup, making them a wonderful low-fat, high-fiber meal choice. Cranberries offer more than 10% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C and are also a source of calcium, iron and phosphorus.

Studies show that cranberries and cranberry products contained significantly high levels of antioxidant phenols and other phytonutrients that are credited with protecting the body against cancer, heart diseases and several other adverse conditions.

Cranberries also contain significantly high levels of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds, which offer a natural defense against atherosclerosis.

Certain compounds present in cranberries decrease the incidence of tumor development and are potential cancer fighters. Preliminary studies indicate the strong possibility that cranberries could offer the brain protection against neurological damage including loss of cognitive and motor function.

Cranberries are very effective in helping prevent the incidence of urinary tract infection, by not allowing bacteria to stick to the urinary tract lining. They also lower the incidence of dental plaque formation by reducing bacterial adhesion to teeth.

Recent research also shows that certain compounds that are present in cranberries inhibit the adhesion of certain bacteria to the stomach lining, thus preventing the incidence of peptic ulcers.

Studies also show that daily intake of cranberry juice could potentially increase HDL or good cholesterol levels and reduce LDL or bad cholesterol levels.
Learn about the health benefits of himalayan goji berry juice at http://www.gojicapital.com/

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com

Barbeque SecretDon Use Gas To Start The Fire

Thursday, June 5th, 2008


I’ve rarely been accused of over thinking a situation. My “code of the west” mentality has been good to me through the years, rescuing me many times from the temptation of unnecessary thinking! Unnecessary thinking can ruin a perfectly good plan, but no thinking at all can be hazardous to your health! A good case in point is a situation I witnessed last year.

One brilliantly blue afternoon in late spring my neighbor Joe was preparing for one of his famous cookouts. He was about to put his brand new brick and mortar barbeque grill through its paces for the first time. A beautiful charcoal grill, he had personally, to the chagrin of the brick masons, supervised every detail of the project. It was a gorgeous fireplace style grill with the chimney almost head high, built of the same brick that adorned his house.

The barbeque pit featured a curved flat black steel hood for enclosed cooking, with a warming tray built into the side of the pit to keep foods from getting cold while others cooked longer. There was even a compartment built on the opposite side to house charcoal and lighter. He was understandably proud of the best barbeque grill in the neighborhood!

Festivities began early with the neighbors arriving around 2:00 pm. By late afternoon many in the crowd were already feeling the effects of the adult beverages supplied by the host, whom was especially enjoying himself. Everyone by now had grown tired of listening to an endless monolog by the host about the virtues of his new grill.

The time had come to fire up the grill! There was only one small problem. With all the preparations he had made for the cookout, Joe had forgotten charcoal lighter! Not to be detoured by such a small detail, he went into the tool shed at the back of his yard and brought back a large can of gasoline. After dumping a huge amount of charcoal into the bottom of the grill, he arranged it into a perfect pyramid. The fire was supposed to burn more consistently this way Joe informed the crowd.

By now the neighbors had begun realized what Joe was about to do and started yelling at him not to use the gasoline to start the fire. Offers were made to run next door to get charcoal lighter to no avail. Joe was determined to inaugurate his grill the proper way; with a large fire! He also assured everyone that he knew what he was doing!

Joy was enjoying himself, being the star of the show as it were. He upended the can of fuel over the charcoal and kept pouring even after the briquettes had been thoroughly soaked. Now came the moment of truth! He lit a match and with a dramatic flare, tossed it onto the charcoal! Whoooomp!


Mortar is very porous and does not always adhere perfectly to a surface without leaving a small crack in the mortar joint between bricks. When a liquid such as water or in this case gasoline fills that crack, it will flow into the base of the structure; in this case the barbeque grill. The vapors from the gasoline that had flowed into the grill did what gasoline vapors do when they come in contact with a flame. The grill exploded!

Bricks and mortar blown into pieces, rained from the sky onto all of us who had witnessed the explosion! No one was hurt because most of the crowd and moved safely away from Joe when they saw what he was about to do. Joe was slightly injured by a fragment of the grill grazing his forehead. Nothing serious!

His beautiful barbeque pit was destroyed! A few seconds before, it was a beautiful example of workmanship; something to be proud of and enjoy for years to come. Now it was just a pile of rocks! Joe had apparently never heard that in some cases, alcohol and gasoline don’t mix! Warning! Drinking and starting fires with gasoline can kill you! Whether you’re drinking adult beverages or not, do not use gasoline for a charcoal starter!

My neighbor Joe has recovered from the disaster of last year. He is now making plans to build and even bigger charcoal cooker than the last one. From the size of the storage area in the barbeque pit, I doubt that he will ever run out of charcoal lighter again!

Remember, friends don’t let friends barbeque drunk!
Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, holiday eating and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.bluemarlinbob.com http://www.pompanobob.com

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com