planet bbq – a place i want to be!
July 14, 2010
When you see the letters B-B-Q, what do you think of?
I see chunks of glistening meat, licked by open flames to burnt smokey perfection. I see a plate of golden brown ribs dripping with a sticky sweet sauce.
What I don’t see is a history lesson – not at all!
Today I attended Planet BBQ, a seminar given by Steven Raichlen (author of Planet BBQ, and host of “Primal Grill” on PBS) and I was shocked to learn how much BBQ has been a part of our history, from the very beginning.
Feeling like a student in the classroom-like theater, I couldn’t help but jot down some interesting tidbits from Raichlen’s talk…
- Meat was first placed over (or in) an open fire 1.8 million years ago, around the time of Homo erectus
- Cooked meat requires less chewing than raw meat and thanks to this “discovery,” our ancestor’s evolved to have smaller jaws (conducive to speech development) and bigger heads (bigger brains!). Not only that, but they were now sharing meals together…What does this all mean? That BBQ spawned civilization as we know it today, of course!
- “Low heat, long time, wood smoke” is the essential BBQ.
- The word BBQ (barabicu) originated in what is now the Dominican Republic back in 1516. It means sacred fire pit.
- In Jamaica, jerk BBQ is cooked over allspice wood, giving it the specific taste not replicable anywhere else.
- BBQ truly is an American past time with legends like George Washington and Abe Lincoln celebrating victories in battle, weddings and inaugurations with a BBQ party.
- Henry Ford (yes, that one) was the first to make modern charcoal out of extra materials from his factories. His company was sold to later become Kingsford coal.
After the brief but interesting history lesson, Raichlen took us through a pictoral journey of his BBQ adventures around the world.
We started in the US then jumped from France, Spain, Australia, Germany, Hungary, Brazil, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Philippines, India, Turkey, Morocco, Azerbaijan…the list goes on!
It’s amazing how every culture has their own delicious traditions, ingredients and techniques.
My absolute favorite was BBQ ice cream from Azerbaijan. The ice cream is covered in an egg batter, refrozen, then placed over a scorching heat that quickly cooks the egg into an outer shell and leaves the ice cream in tact.
Amazing!
Least favorite? Probably the brain, testicle, liver, intestine BBQ from Hungary. Um…no thanks.
To round out the night, Raichlen’s son was in the kitchen toiling away at making three tastings of Raichlen’s own recipes from his book…
Peri peri chicken
Kajang chicken satay
Chicken in a salt crust with salsa verde
Each piece was more succulent than the last. This man certainly knows what he’s talking about…Hooray for BBQ!
so long summer
September 8, 2009
This weekend marked the official end of fun…I mean, summer.
To many, Labor Day has marked the official end of summer. Schools are back in session, the weather should be cooling off soon, and vacation rentals in the Hamptons are nearing the end of their lease.
What Labor Day should stand for is a day of rest for well, laborers.
I like to think that because those who labor over preparing our foods for a living are spending some QT with their friends and family, the rest of us have been forced to fend for ourselves. And what better way to do so than with a great big BBQ with the neighbors!
Luckily, I was invited to a BBQ while spending the weekend in DC. Check out the delicious grub we (OK, I didn’t really have anything to do with this beyond eating) cooked up:
An assortment of goodies
Guac by Carrie and Anne. Delish!
Burgers grilled to a medium perfection
Hot dawg!
Homemade white sangria
It was a simple yet delicious feast, and the perfect end to another summer in the big apple!
For all of you who wish to keep the summer alive, a bowl of guacamole and some chips are a ray of sunshine on any day! Here’s a quick recipe I’ve tried:
What you’ll need
- 2 hass avocados, pitted
- Diced shallots (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 small tomato, chopped
- A few sprigs of cilantro, chopped
- Kosher salt/fresh pepper to taste
- Lime juice of 1 fresh lime
What you’ll do
- Combine the guacamole, shallots, chopped tomato and lime juice in a bowl
- Mash/mix up ingredients (I like my guacamole to have some substance, so I don’t like to mash it up too much)
- Season with salt and pepper
- Garnish with some finely chopped cilantro
What you can do differently
- To add some heat, try adding a tsp of chili sauce or freshly chopped peppers
- To add some sweetness, add some chopped pineapple
- To add some texture, add some roasted corn
absolutely stuffed!
August 17, 2009
I have to begin with saying that my cupcakes were a success with Aunt Vân (phew)! I was a little nervous bringing baked goods to a former FCI student, but they turned out to be the perfect ice breaker for a weekend full of foodie goodness!
We spent most of our 2 days in Princeton, NJ eating to our heart’s content but I like to say that I was doing reasearch for my blog. While it’s hard to choose between the refreshing trio of salads, the globe-trotting BBQ, and the breakfast of champions, I’d have to say my favorite meal was the BBQ ribs complete with 3 kinds of salad and sweet/sticky Vietnamese saffron rice…
BBQed with a garlicy-spicy-pineappley marinade
Now that's a good lookin' plate!
Chocolate three ways 
And it was a weekend to remember. The food and the fresh Princeton air was a welcome change from the harried NYC life we all seem to live. I can’t wait until the next trip!
