Nam phrik, literally "chile water," is the name of a family of spicy dips or relishes from Thailand. Normally eaten with rice and fresh or parboiled vegetables, nam phriks are well known to all Thais but rarely seem to make it out of the country. They can even be hard to find in Thai restaurants in Thailand. They are generally homemade, often prepared using a well-worn granite mortar and pestle, and the recipes are as numerous as the chefs who grind them.  Here is the full story.

Comment (0)

Ted Nugent rocks. Ted Nugent hunts. Ted Nugent fights relentlessly in support of the Second Amendment. He has received praise from President Bush and Tom Ridge, amongst others, for being "a good man" and exemplifying "the founding principles of this great nation." He writes without regard for traditional spelling. He eats squirrel... Molly Wales reports, here.

"The Nuge" Meets "The Pope"

 

Comment (0)

The smoky smell of shashlyk makes every Russian's mouth water. Yours will, too, when you inhale the aroma of marinated meat cooking over an open fire.  In Russia, shashlyk (pronounced "shosh-LEEK") can be made from any kind of meat: pork, beef, lamb, fish, chicken, kid, venison, bear, and even game birds.  Read the full article here.

Comment (0)

New technological advances in roasting and peeling New Mexico green chile have created InstantChile Futuro, which is much tastier than the canned green chile you find in supermarkets. Go here to read the entire story, plus recipes. 

Comment (0)

Since 1992, Chris Lilly has been with Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q Restaurant in Decatur, Alabama, one of the nation's oldest and most revered barbecue destinations. He is the winner of 10 World BBQ Championships including six Memphis in May World Titles.  In this article by Gwyneth Doland, he offers up his barbecuing tips.  Here is the whole story.

Comment (0)

Because of its versatility as a grill, an oven and a smoker, the ceramic cooker is gaining in popularity with backyard cooks throughout the country. More and more folks opt to purchase a ceramic cooker instead of--or in addition to--a traditional gas-fired or charcoal grill.Ceramic cookers are based on the ancient clay pot cookers used in the Far East more than 3,000 years ago.  Read the whole article here.

 

Kamado Cooker

Comment (0)

Today, more than 500 years after European explorers first reached the New World, it is almost impossible to imagine that until the 16th century, the Swiss had no chocolate or vanilla in their pantries, the Italians had no tomatoes, the Irish no potatoes, the Chinese no chile peppers--and none had corn. Get the whole story here.

 

Comment (0)

BBQ expert Mike Stines, Ph.B., notes:  "Although lamb may be cooked in a variety of ways, I've developed a few favorite methods. I like marinating and grilling a half leg of lamb on the grill's rotisserie, smoking a boneless sirloin leg for special occasions and preparing Owensboro-style barbecue for anytime eating." More here.

 

 

The Old Way of Smoking Lamb

 

Comment (0)

Congratulations to the Grand Prize Winners of the 2009 Scovie Awards.  The Tasting Division winner was Bon Bon Bakery for their Chile Verde Ganache with Sweet Corn, which also won 1st place for Sweet Heat: Candy/Cakes/ Pastries/Cookies.  The Marketing Division winner was Treasure Valley Salsa for their Black Bean & Corn Salsa product label.  You can check out all the Scovie Winners here.

Comment (0)

A word familiar to all fans of science fiction, mutation refers to any sudden change in DNA--deoxyribonucleic acid, the genetic blueprint for an organism--that creates a change in an organism's appearance, behavior, or health.  Symptoms include leaf distortion, variegation in leaves, fruit deformity, etc. They can be mistaken for herbicide or virus infection.  At left is a bizarre mutant pod from Jukka in Finland.

 

 

 

 

This mutant image was sent to me by Mr. Prall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jolokias are particularly prone to mutation.  This image was sent by Mr. Reynolds.  (I lost the first names in an email file blow-up.)

 

 

 

 And finally, here's a mutant baccatum from Jukka's garden in 2008.

 

 

Interesting mutants should be sent to the Chile Pepper Institute, P.O. Box 30003, Dept. 3Q, NMSU, Las Cruces, NM 88003.

 

 

Comment (0)