Help keep AmazingRibs free!
With a $25 donation you'll get a 100% cotton, brushed twill, adjustable, low profile cap with the AmazingRibs.com patch sewn on. I'll even toss in a small bag of BBQ'rs Delight excellent wood smoke pellets.
Click for more info and pictures of the hat.
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QUICK LINKS
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Show Me Yours
| I've been getting wonderful emails and pix from you. Man, you folks
know how to party! Send me pix of your versions of my recipes or your party and I might publish them on my site.
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| Smoke Signals is Free
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About Smoke Signals
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Smoke Signals is the free email from AmazingRibs.com's resident Barbecue Whisperer and Hedonism Evangelist, Meathead. If you like my website, please click here to forward a copy of this to a friend. And remember: No rules in the bedroom or dining room!
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Strike Progress
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|  Earlier this month I announced that I was going on strike against
factory meat and in support of sustainable family farms by renouncing all meat for 30 days. If you follow the news, you know that 500 million eggs have been recalled because of Salmonella contamination. This is a direct result of the system I am protesting. If you are not familiar with the issues, stick with me, I'll get you up to speed and show you how smart people think the problem can be solved.
Of course eating only veggies in August is cheating since we have a great garden. I have been playing with grilling eggplant, risoto, stuffed peppers, pizza on the grill, and more. I will be publishing some recipes from these experiments in the future.
So far I have slipped only once. While at a friend's home, a plate of cheese and sausage was placed in front of me. I nibbled some cheese, but, while deep in conversation, I absent-mindedly picked up a sliver of fabulous aged Italian sausage. As it entered my mouth, my wife caught me, but by then it was too late (heh heh heh). Accident. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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Meet Me at a Grilling Demo in Chicago Area
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|  I will be doing a grilling demo and handing out samples Saturday at Tischler's Finer Foods in Brookfield, IL, my neighborhood grocery. The address is 9118 Broadway, just east of the traffic circle, 708-485-3222. From 10 to 4 I will be whupping up pounded chicken breasts with my Simon & Garfunkel seasoning and my twist on the Wisconsin Brat Tub just in time for football season. Bring me your grilling questions!
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Buy A Grill Now
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|  If you beat your ole grill to death this summer, now's the time to get a new one, not next spring. Hardware stores are clearing out inventory to make room for Halloween displays (aaaaarrrrrggggghhh!).
That means it's time to play let's make a deal at the hardware store. Make them an offer. Find the manager (not the sales associate) and say "I'll take one of those Weber's off your hands for 25% off."
Or better still offer to buy a floor model they used for demos for 50% off. Before you make your offer, make sure it is in good shape. There may be a ding or a missing knob. That's great! That means they will be willing to deal. Just make sure expensive parts are OK. You can usually get replacement parts cheap. In fact, I once bought a dinged floor demo for 50% off and called the manufacturer and they sent me three missing knobs for free. Let me know how you do!
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Best Cheapo Smoker
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|  For the past year I've been playing with the best smoker bargain on the market, the new breed of propane smokers. There are several brands that are practically identical, Brinkmann, Char-Broil, Master Forge, and Landmann. They are all about $150, and they work great! Yes, they are cheaply built in China, and they leak smoke, and it is hard to keep the temp under 259F, but they are good at holding a steady temp, and the bottom line is the food is delicious.
If you've been thinking about adding a smoker to your arsenal, these are an excellent way to start, and they work so well you may not ever want to upgrade. Click here to read my reviews of these nifty propane smokers, and see if you can find one on closeout.
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Sexy Smoked Cream of Tomato Soup
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|  Everyone loves tomato soup. But homemade tomato soup from fresh ripe tomatoes is sooooo much better than the canned. But when you smoke the tomatoes, add a little milk or cream, and serve it chilled, you enter a new dimension.
And before all the tomatoes, peppers, and cukes are gone, may I recommend my Modern Gazpacho? Gazpacho is a refreshing cold soup from raw vegetables, sometimes called liquid salad, the traditional field worker's specialty of Aldalusia, the Southern region of Spain that encompasses Sevilla, Gibraltar, and Jerez, the famous sherry wine district.
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Crumbly Skillet Cornbread
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Cornbread is a classic sidekick for barbecue with good reason. The corn flavor and texture is a perfect foil for sweet barbecue sauce and Southern Sweet Tea. In the South, cornbread is not sweet. In the Northeast, cornbread is sweeter and more cake like. I like a compromise, with just a touch of sweetness. Cornbread is great as a side dish, but also makes a fabulous breakfast, warm, with a dab of butter, honey, or syrup.
You can eat it straight, or you can butter it. A compound butter with herbs or molasses is great on cornbread. Some folks in the south serve it warm topped with honey and in New England it is often served with maple syrup. Some say it is better if you cover with foil and and set it aside for at least 24 hours.
The classic Southern cornbread was baked in a cast iron skillet greased with bacon fat, lard, or other meat grease. The hot black metal creates a brown crunchy crust that really amps up the flavor and texture. Click here for my recipe for Crumbly Skillet Cornbread.
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Roasted Garlic Bread
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|  Raw garlic is harsh and sulfury, strong enough to ward off vampires. But it gets mellow, nutty, and sweet when cooked. But not too mellow. It still retains its unique character. One of the best ways to mellow garlic is to roast it. It makes a great spread on bread, toast, or crackers. I also use it in mashed potatoes, salad dressings, soups, and sauces. It's easy. Click here for the Zen of Garlic and how to roast the stuff.
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Fun Gifts for the Barbecue Fan
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|  Visit the AmazingRibs.com Gift Shop for a chuckle. There are more than 30 BBQ-themed designs, about 30 steak-themed designs, about 20 hotdog-themed designs, and more than 30 wine-themed designs. Order aprons, hats, shirts, sweatshirts, intimate wear, and
other apparel for men, women, kids and pets, beer mugs, posters, and
other tschotschkes.
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