Christmas is coming and time to check out the ribs!

CLICK on the above picture to read more!

The trouble with so many recipes today is : 1) the limited number of ingredients utilized and 2) the emphasis is rapid preparation.Frankly, I really don’t care how many ingredients something takes or how long it takes to prepare IF the final product is worth all the time, energy and expense.

There are any ways to prepare BBQ’d ribs and there are many ways to cook them. Some folks like to take ribs, slap some sauce on them, and throw them into a brick oven; however, when eating these, one has to assume you still have all your teeth as it can be a bit chewy. In defense of this method, you can feed a lot of people quickly and easily. A second common way to prepare ribs is to boil them first and this has a number of proponents as the meat easily peals from the bone; unfortunately, most of the flavor is lost in the boiling process and all you end up tasting is the sauce.

Now, if you want to be more adventurous and you would like to make the meat more flavorful, all you have to do is throw your favorite seasonings into the pot while boiling the ribs and the rest is magic.

There is one more thing you can do and that is to soak your ribs in your favorite cure. When the ribs are ready to be boiled I throw the entire mixture into the pot and boil away, replacing whatever extra liquid might be necessary. The liquid the ribs have been soaking in for a couple of months is…. beer.

Your Barbecue sauce should be something special and there are many fine recipes on line… look for those that use ample brown sugar and are more than just a tomato base. You’ve worked this hard on the meat, you might as well find a great sauce for it. You might be interested to know that a lot of folks have come up with their own ‘sauce’… like Teddy Roosevelt. You might like to try one of these.

That is the way of good ribs… lots of preparation and gone in a second!

You can tell it is the fall here in this part of California, the insect life is coming alive! In a couple more months we'll enjoy our ribs!

Are you a Supertaster?

My wife said,"oooU, I want to paint your tongue blue!' After a day or so it still hasn't gone away and all she can say is,"oh, I haven't seen that happen before?"

My bride is a Psychologist and for more than 40 years I have been her ‘lab rat.’ She has determined that I am a  ‘supertaster’  and felt that I would love to volunteer, have my tongue painted so she could photograph it! Well, whatever turns you on, I always say.

In any event, being a supertaster (25 % of Americans are) is not always a wonderful thing. We ‘taste’ something very intensely and many of us avoid things that are very strong tastes such as chili peppers. I do enjoy chili peppers, but I do admit they send me to the moon.

So, would I allow her to paint my tongue blue again? Probably… but the next time around it will be something different.

Happy Birthday, Karen!

Happy Birthday Karen Freberg!
The cartoon drawing is of Karen by her sister Karla. Starting at the top right and moving clockwise, Karen as she looks today, when in Athens we dance!, Mom and Karen while she was a Florida Athlete, Karen talking to Trojan Legend Louis Zamperini, and finally Karen and me in the kitchen whipping up something yummy!

 

Karen will be visiting us this Christmas and it will be fun to bake and cook and BBQ… but first I need to lose a little more weight!   “Happy Birthday Karen!” — Coach Dad

Happy Birthday Kristin!

Above is a drawing by Karla of Kristin and she is surrounded by blasts from her past: top is of Kristin as she appears today, followed by her as an itty bitty Kristin with Mom and Uncle Leroy... then, a picture of her as a platoon leader during the Invasion of Iraq... and on the bottom is a picture of some Vino that she and I made to be consumed when she returned from her last tour.

 

Happy Birthday, Kristin! I am looking forward to you joining me in the kitchen this Christmas! BTW… the ribs are getting better day-by-day!

Happy Birthday!

Abel Maldonado for Congress


I first met Abel Maldonado around 20 years ago, I watched his rise to Mayor of Santa Maria, the state assembly and then the state senate and finally culminating in his becoming the 47th Lieutenant Governor in California. Naturally, when he decided to run for Congress, we wanted to be there to add our support.


Abel has a working ranch that he spruced up for the occasion. He acquire a band and many family members helped in the Barbecue. Abe was there to insure that everyone had a good time. This was no rubber chicken dinner but a window into an interesting man.

CLICK to see more about the gathering!

Abel has always worked locally to get things done for the betterment of the community, I like that about him and this is why he has my vote.