And How Was Your Day?

Nothing like a little snow to get your day going. 15" of snow in my yard!

Grilin' On The Bay - An Update

Grillin' On The Bay and The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is currently taking up all my free time. Not that I mind. It's less than a month away and as of today we have commitments from 22 teams. We max out at 30 and I think we're going to hit that mark. That would be fantastic.

The teams are a nice mix of competitive barbecue veterans, newbies and some of New York's top restaurants. It seems that even the non-bbq centric chefs want the chance to play with live fire in Brooklyn. If you're thinking about competing - GET YOUR APPLICATION IN NOW. Don't get shut out. You can download the team application here.

With that many teams signed on, we're still looking for judges. Certified BBQ judges get preference, but if you're a foodie with a good palate and feel that you could judge the food as presented without any pre-existing notions, we'd love to hear from you. Download the judge's application and drop it in the mail. We'll let you know if you've been selected to judge this amazing event.

And of course, we still have room for Chili cooks. The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is a huge part of this event and attracts cooks from all over. Unlike the barbecue portion of the event, the chili does not need to be cooked on-site. Make it at home and schlep it to Sheepshead Bay. We'll have volunteers a plenty to help you heat it up and present it at the contest. You can download the chili cook's application here. Remember, The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is a "people's choice" contest, so bring your friends to vote for your amazing chili!

Yelp! has just signed on as a sponsor and RUB BBQ will be vending their award winning barbecue at the event. We're still seeking out sponsors and working on building the prize pool. If you're interesting in sponsoring the event, drop us a note at Grilin' On The Bay and we'll talk.

I Thank the Gentleman For His Remarks!

I've never been so proud of MY congressman before. Anthony - you surprised the hell out of me. You have a donation coming your way. Kick Ass Congressman. And, I thank the gentleman for his remarks!

Deal with it, you wholly owned subsidiaries of the insurance industry.

Wordless Wednesday

Barbecue for Purim

Purim is about to arrive and to all my Jewish readers, let me be the first to wish you all a very Happy Purim.

"What's Purim?" you may ask, as I did one day when my son came home from his allegedary non-sectarian but run out of the local synagouge day care, with Purim masks, hamentaschen and asked when we'd be reading the Megillah.

Well, I'm not going to give you the whole run down on Purim, as I'm no expert, but Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates G-d working through Esther by tricking Haman into not wiping out the Jews who were living in Persia. As you can imagine, not being wiped out is certainly cause for a Jewish celebration and celebrate they do!

According to Judiaism 101: "Jews are commanded to eat, drink and be merry. According to the Talmud, a person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between "cursed be Haman" and "blessed be Mordecai," though opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is."

"In addition, Jews are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. The sending of gifts of food and drink is referred to as shalach manos (lit. sending out portions). Among Ashkenazic Jews, a common treat at this time of year is hamentaschen (lit. Haman's pockets). These triangular fruit-filled cookies are supposed to represent Haman's three-cornered hat."

"It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies, and to hold beauty contests. I have heard that the usual prohibitions against cross-dressing are lifted during this holiday, but I am not certain about that. Americans sometimes refer to Purim as the Jewish Mardi Gras."

Now that's a holiday I can get behind! And so can the folks over at the only true BBQ Joint in the tri-state area that I know of that is also Kosher; Smokey Joe's. Check out his specials here.

Grillin' On The Bay Rules Debate

This post didn't start out to be about contest rules, but it has evolved into one. It was supposed to be about putting Griilin' On The Bay together, but sometimes you just have to follow the flow. So rather than a long rambling post about putting the event together and incorporating some of the discussion about interpreting rules, here's a post concentrating on the cook's reactions and discussions about the rules of Grilin' On The Bay and grilling contests in general.

Grillin' On The Bay and The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is officially announced to the public. Grillin' On the Bay and The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is out there in the wild. It's on the web, it's on a few news sites, a bunch of foodie sites, The NEBS calendar and as a friend over at Sheepshead Bites says, "In our world, things are only official when banners go public." Well, the banners are flying. I guess it's too late to turn back now.

As anyone who's ever thrown a party knows, there's that moment after the invitations are sent when you wonder if anyone is going to show. There's a deafening silence that could drive one nuts!

Then, when you least expect it, the phone calls start. People do want to come. There are always some congratulatory phone calls, but being the pessimist I seem to have become, these fade quickly from my brain and the questions from the cooks start. "Why'd you pick this date?" "This location?" "These categories?" "On rule 14 - do you mean?" "If I submit X, will it be legal?" "Why did you rule out X but not Y"?"

The only question I'll answer here, since it's not the official site for Grillin' On The Bay or The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is I ruled out X and not Y because it's my contest and I don't like X. You know who I'm talking to.

It amazes me how the cooks interpret the rules and are always looking for the loopholes. It's always a small handful but it's usually the same cooks who are always looking for that competitive edge. It may be my Catholic school upbringing, but I was raised to accept a set of rules and find ways to work and succeed within them. There are conversations about the "letter of the rule" and the "intent of the rule" to the extent that you'd think we're arguing life and death here. It's only a cooking contest. It's supposed to be fun.

These guys - wow. Not that there's anything wrong with looking for any legal advantage, but these guys could argue forever. They would have made some great lawyers. I know I'd hire them. I certainly respect their determination.

A few years ago, long before Grillin' On The Bay and The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown existed, there was a contest where it was debated if using Worcestershire sauce on a fish entry was in violation of the "one type of fish only" rule at that event since Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. I don't want to open a can of old worms, but to me this is common sense. Worcestershire sauce should be legal. No one I know would swallow a spoonful of Worcestershire sauce and exclaim, "Now that's some good anchovies!" Sauce is sauce and fish is fish.

Here's the rule of fish for Grillin' On The Bay 2010..

Fish: Whole, steak or fillet. No shellfish, mollusk or crustaceans. Fish may be cooked whole, but must be submitted in 6 separate and identifiable pieces. Teams have the option to use stuffing. The fish entry can not be stuffed with additional fish, shellfish, crustacean or mollusk. See stuffing definitions below.

GARNISH - Only green leaf lettuce, Italian or flat leaf parsley and curly parsley. Entry may not be wrapped with another item, (i.e. meat or pastry dough). Sauces, if used, shall be on the entry. No sauce containers are allowed. Chunks in any sauce must be finely diced. For NEBS purposes, ‘finely diced’ is defined as less than 1/8 inch in size. Additional edible products, of any kind, in the sauce are OK as long as these products are finely diced.

Inedible objects are NOT allowed in the entry box.

Pretty clear huh? I think so, but what do I know? I wrote them. Some folks think this is clear as mud. Even now when I look at the rule, new opportunities present themselves for the cooks. I don't want to give anyone any ideas, but boy this rule is a lot more "open" than I ever realized.

But the questions are good things. If there were no questions, that would mean there's no interest. So let the questions fly! I hope to see you there.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Recipes: Veal Stew in the Style of Ossobuco

A couple of weeks back I was asking a bunch of my on-line friends for a recipe for veal stew. I was looking for something new and I knew my blogging buddies would help me out. I was really surprised by the poor response I got back. It seems veal stew is a bit a of a rarity with my food blogging buddies. Nobody had a thing.

So I turned to the internet, and guess what? Veal Stew recipes are pretty rare out there as well. Luckily Good Morning America posted this recipe, which made up a very tasty dinner. Of course I didn't use skim or low fat anything, so that may have contributed to its goodness.

Check out the pictures, I bought a new camera recently and these are my first attempts with it. The camera is an Olympus FE-4010. It has a preset option for taking culinary photos. I know I'll get better as time goes on. Enjoy


Veal Stew in the Style of Ossobuco
From Arthur Sickle, Cheshire, Conn. 2000

Ingredients for the Stew

• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1 medium-size onion)
• 1/3 cup finely diced celery (about 1 small rib)
• 3/4 cup finely diced carrot (about 1 medium-large carrot)
• 2 small cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp. dried leaf thyme, crumbled
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lbs. boneless lean veal shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine such as soave or pinot grigio
• 1 (28-ounce) can peeled whole Italian plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
• 2 (14.25-ounce) cans reduced-sodium, nonfat chicken broth
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
  

Ingredients for the Mashed Potatoes

• 4 large Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup finely chopped chives (about 1 medium-size bunch)
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2-tbsp. low fat sour cream
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. For Stew: Spray medium-size Dutch oven well with nonstick cooking spray and set over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Add onion, celery and carrot and saute, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook and stir 1 minute more. Scoop vegetables into large bowl and reserve.

3. Place flour, salt, and pepper in large plastic bag and shake to combine. Pat veal chunks dry, then dredge a few chunks at a time by shaking in seasoned flour in bag. Shake excess flour from each batch.

4. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to Dutch oven and heat over moderately high heat until ripples appear on pan bottom, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add half the dredged veal and brown well on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Lift browned veal to bowl with vegetables. Add remaining tablespoon oil to Dutch oven, brown remaining veal the same way, and add to the bowl.

5. Pour wine into Dutch oven and boil, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and chicken broth, return reserved veal and vegetables to pot, and bring to a boil. Mix in 2 tablespoons parsley.

6. Cover, transfer to oven, and braise, stirring every half-hour, until veal if fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

7. Spoon three-fourths of vegetables in Dutch oven and 1/2 cup kettle liquid into food processor or electric blender and cool 15 minutes.

8. For mashed potatoes: Boil potatoes in just enough water to cover in covered medium-size saucepan until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well, add remaining ingredients and mash until fluffy. Keep warm.

9. To finish stew, pulse cooled vegetable mixture in food processor until smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir back into Dutch oven and bring stew quickly to serving temperature.

10. To serve, divide mashed potatoes among eight heated dinner plates centering on plates, and with the back of a spoon, make well in each potato mound. Ladle stew over all and sprinkle lightly with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.

Note: Veal shanks, the traditional cut for this Italian classic are loaded with fat, the marrow inside the bones contributing the lion's share. This recipe uses lean veal shoulder, trimmed of fat, and fat-free chicken broth.

Makes 8 Servings

Recipe from the "Good Morning America Cut the Calories Cookbook" Copyright 2000, Hyperion

Vancouver Olympic Barbecue

Tonight at the opening of the Olympics, the USA flagbearer will be Mark Grimmette, a Kansas City Barbeque Society Certified Barbeque Judge (CBJ) and member of the USA Luge Doubles Team will be marching in the opening parade along side teammate Brian Martin who is also a CBJ.

Mark is USA Luge's all-time leader in international medals won winning a total of 65. After this Olympics, I'll bet the number is much higher!

Barbecue is EVERYWHERE. There's no escaping it.

Food Wars hit Brooklyn

Are you ready to rumble? This week brings two food competitions to Brooklyn that sadly, I'll have to miss. But just because I have to abstain, that doesn't mean I want you to miss out on all the fun.

First up is The Best Wings In Brooklyn contest being held tomorrow night at the Red Star Bar. 17 of the best bars and culinary establishments, from all over the Borough, notorious for their wings are set to cook-off at 3PM on Saturday, February 13.

One of my favorite local bars, and I think the only participant that doesn't come from the land of the hipsters, Wheeler's of Sheepshead Bay is competing. I want to see South Brooklyn kick some hipster ass! Go Wheeler's!

Brooklyn journalists and culinary editors Nick D'Arienzo of the Brooklyn Star-Queens Ledger Newspaper Group, Gersh Kuntzman, Editor, The Brooklyn Paper and Annaliese Griffin, Senior Editor, Brooklyn Based will put their expert taste buds to the test and select the Best Wing in Brooklyn. The community has a say, too.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will hand out awards for the Best Wing in Brooklyn, 2 Best Wing Runners-up, and a People’s Choice Award.

And what’s a Brooklyn wing competition without the best beer in Brooklyn? Brooklyn Brewery will be featuring 6 of their finest beers on tap, including Brooklyn Lager, Winter Ale, East India Pale Ale, and their Brewmaster Reserves, Blast, Back Breaker and Cookie Jar Porter, a new addition to the Brewmaster roster.

Free wings; no cover. FREE WINGS! Free wings! Do you hear me? Damn, and I have to miss this. RSVP on their Facebook page.

Red Star Bar 37 Greenpoint Avenue Brooklyn, NY

And on Thursday is The Crostini Cook-off being thrown by Cathy Erway in honor of the launch of her new book, The Art of Eating In. Cathy is joined by Matt Timms, organizer of the long running Chili (and other assorted food stuffs) Takedowns and takes place at The Bell House. Matt does a great job with these Takedowns and this looks like a real blast.

The Bell House 149 7th Street between 2nd & 3rd Aves, Brooklyn, close to Smith/9th Street and 4th/9th on the F and G trains.

Advance tickets recommended, on sale now!$10 admission includes tastes from crostini cook-off entries, appetizers from Hapa Kitchen and A Razor A Shiny Knife, beer specials, music all night. All guests must present ID to gain entry.

CASTING CALL: Apply now for Season 3 of Grill It

CASTING CALL: You could be cooking alongside Bobby Flay!
Apply now for Season 3 of Grill It:

Calling all home cooks, backyard grillers, culinary students and foodies! Season 3 of Bobby’s Emmy-winning series Grill It! is now casting! If you love creating new recipes with seafood, poultry, fish, pork, ribs or burgers, Food Network wants to hear from you!

Interested applicants must be outgoing, fun and able to reproduce their own unique recipe on camera, with flair. Maybe it’s a new take on ribs or chicken wings, reinventing seafood on the grill or perhaps a family recipe? Whatever the dish, it needs to be original, grilled and not found in a cookbook!

How to apply:
-Email your info & photo to grillitwithbobby@gmail.com and we’ll send you an application to fill out.
- Make a 2-3 minute electronic video showcasing your recipe & personality and upload it to the Grill It! page on www.FoodNetwork.com
- On the casting tape, cook your favorite dish, tell us how you created the recipe, about the ingredients, and why you and your recipe should be on the show.
- Tell us why you think it would be great to GRILL IT! With Bobby Flay.

Please upload your video here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/grill-it-with-bobby-flay/package/index.html

Questions? Email us at grillitwithbobby@gmail.com

All entries need to be submitted no later than Friday March 5, 2010, but the sooner the better as we're casting grillers on a weekly basis. You must be available for one day of filming in Los Angeles, CA. March 22-April 4, 2010. Expenses to/from Los Angeles will be covered!

Master Hamburger Seminar at RUB BBQ

There's still a few spots left - Care to join me in what looks to be one of the premier seminars in NYC?

From A Hamburger Today...
Master Hamburger Seminar at RUB BBQ - Tuesday, February 9

Tuesday, February 9, RUB BBQ will hold a Master Hamburger Seminar hosted by James Beard Award-winning burger expert Josh Ozersky, author of The Hamburger: A History.

The seminar will include a regional burger tasting—featuring a Mississippi Meatball burger, a North Jersey-style onion slider, and a Wisconsin-style butter burger—and "delve into the tastes of different beef blends, look at cooking methods, and offer tales and insights on the advanced frontier of hamburger experimentation." Beer is included in the ticket price.

Master Hamburger Seminar at RUB BBQ

Tuesday, February 9, 6 p.m.
$30/person
208 West 23rd Street, New York NY 10011 (b/n 7th and 8th; map)
RSVPs are required: 212-524-4300; rubburger@yahoo.com

Photo of RUB courtesy of PigTrip.

The Professor and Mary Anne

I found this amusing, but also helpful. Try it, it works!

Superbowl at Duke's

I'm a bit surprised. I think I'm on all the mailing lists for the NYC BBQ restaurants and only Duke's sent me an ad about their Superbowl Specials. I don't usually list restaurant specials, I leave that up to Pigtrip, but since Duke's was the only one who cared, here's their ad.

!!!CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR TABLE NOW!!!
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!

Get to Duke's
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!
or
DUKE'S DELIVERS! PARTY AT HOME!
No Muss No Fuss!
Wings - Pulled Pork - Ribs - Brisket
Salads - Sandwiches - Sides

Click Here for the Catering Menu Click Here to Contact Us!

Duke's- Gramercy Park
99 East 19th Street
@ Park Ave South
New York, NY 10003
P: 212-260-2922

Fatty Cue at Fatty Crab

So, you missed the opportunity to have Robbie Richter, pitmaster extraordinaire at Zak Pelaccio's (will it ever open?) Fatty Cue cater your Superbowl party but you're still craving the ribs? Well, high tail your butt over to Fatty Crab on the upper west side. Eats.com spills the beans on this rare chance to sample the Cue!

Fatty Crab UWS: Fans of the Zak Pelaccio's Malaysian joint can get a taste of his much-anticipated Fatty 'Cue on Super Bowl Sunday, when the UWS spot offers dishes, like smoked pork ribs, from the soon-to-open Brooklyn restaurant

Fatty Crab - Upper West Side
2170 Broadway, New York City NY 10024
TEL: 212-496-2722

Photograph of Robbie Richter and Zak Pelaccio courtesy of Josh Ozersky.

Feed Your Face At Hill Country

Hill Country BBQ is running a new special, The Feed Your Face Challenge. Here's how it works.

FEED YOUR FACE CHALLENGE!
$65 Value – Could Be Yours For Free!

RULES:
Any guest at any time may ask to participate in this challenge!
If you can polish off this feast in 60 minutes (No bathroom breaks!)
you don’t have to pay for your meal!
PLUS you’ ll receive Hill Country hat and tee-shirt and a photo of you on the Wall of Cue!

Losers pay for their meal and carry their shame home!

The Opponent:
½ lb. of Moist Brisket
½ lb. of Lean Brisket
½ lb. of Beef Shoulder
½ lb. of Prime Rib
1 Small Hot Side
1 Small Cold Side
32 oz. Soft Drink
1 Cupcake of Your Choice

What are you waiting for? Head up to the counter and order!
We Dare You!

While I'm not running out to try this, I am intrigued. The folks over at Grub Street have and they won. Read about it how they did it and tips for your attempt here.

I know I will try this. I do think I can beat this! 2lbs of meat? Not a problem.

Photograph courtesy of Jeremy Liebman for New York Magazine)

Wordless Wednesday: Chef's Choice