Holidays
Hot Stuff
For Easter and Passover: Our Secret for Premium Lamb
Speaking from the set of Project Fire, his latest TV show, Steven said, “That was the best lamb I’ve ever eaten.” No surprise there, as the steaks and chops were sent to the recent shoot by John and Sukey Jamison of Jamison Farm. (We always try to acquire the very best food for the cameras, and they’ve been supplying Steven’s shows for many years.) Their contact info has been in the “little black books” of the country’s top chefs and restaurants for decades....
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A Toast to Grilling and St. Patrick
Perhaps you’re neither Irish nor Catholic. Maybe you hate Notre Dame football. There’s still no harm in celebrating on Saturday, March 17, the name day of St. Patrick, the 5th century British cleric who was enslaved as a teen by Irish pirates and returned to the island as an adult. Perhaps you’ve heard that he single-handedly drove Ireland’s snakes into the sea. Not true. Ireland does not now, nor has it ever hosted native species of snakes. Not...
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Grilled Fish for Lenten Fridays
What is Lent? For the 40 days preceding Easter Sunday, many Americans, especially Catholics, observe Lent as an important religious period of the year. The activities of Lent are meant to increase mindfulness, prayer and adherence to certain practices. How does fish relate to Lent? One particular way that observers can participate during Lent is to give up red meat on Fridays (or during the entire 40 day period). While that may cancel a weekly Friday...
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Celebrate Chinese New Year with Five-Spice Powder Ribs
Have you celebrated the Chinese New Year yet this winter? Why not use what time is left of the 15-day annual celebration, and start a new tradition for your family. As I've written in the past, Chinese culture generally shies away from grilling as a cooking method. But the dishes that are grilled will bring you new flavors that will delight your taste buds and have you marking your calendar for this season every year. Traditionally, we may think of duck...
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Go Wild on Fat Tuesday with Wings, Shrimp, and Much More!
Today is Mardi Gras, better known as “Fat Tuesday.” It’s the last hurrah for observant Christians, who beginning tomorrow, will start a 46-day period of fasting leading up to Easter Sunday. (Loosely translated, Carnival, from the Latin carne vale, means “farewell to meat.”) There was once a practical as well as a liturgical purpose behind Lent. Peasants couldn’t afford to overwinter their animals, so there was generally an ample supply of...
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Super Bowl Sunday: Battle of the Jalapeno Poppers
The second biggest eating day of the year in America after Thanksgiving—Super Bowl Sunday—is almost upon us. And unless you’re one of the few sports fans who are shelling out over $5000 a ticket to watch the contest in Minneapolis, you’ll likely be viewing the game from the comfort of your own living room. Whether you’re rooting for the New England Patriots or the Philadelphia Eagles, you’ll want plenty of finger food on hand to stave off the munchies. In past years, we’ve shared...
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Epic Smoked Bloody Marys For Your New Year’s Brunch
Many of you know Glenn Tiede, an active poster on Steven’s Facebook fan page,“Steven Raichlen’s Project Smoke & Primal Grill,” and an avid barbecuer from Central Illinois. But you may not know that Glenn is well known locally and beyond for his hand-crafted Bloody Marys. He makes them nearly every weekend and teases the rest of us with photographs of the cocktails. When Steven and I decided to put Bloody Marys on the editorial calendar, Glenn was our go-to guy. Thanks, Glenn! ...
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Use Your Christmas Tree on the Grill: Spruce-Grilled Steaks
Though I am constantly thinking about various cuts of beef and new ways to cook them, the busy month of December traditionally brings Spruce-Grilled Steak to mind over and over again. Why might I focus on this recipe each year, you ask? The answer is simple: the scent of freshly cut Christmas trees brings me back to the aroma of spruce smoke and a sizzling rib eye steak. Created by my friend and the editor of my French-Canadian books, Pierre Bourdon,...
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The Ultimate Gift? Barbecue University 2018!
Sure, you could give that live-fire cooking-obsessed special person in your life another piece of grill gear. Or a cookbook or barbecue seasonings or a gift certificate to a favorite barbecue joint. But this year, how about a gift that keeps on giving and the barbecue experience of a lifetime? We speak, of course, about Steven Raichlen’s Barbecue University™—ranked the #1 barbecue experience by the Food Network. Imagine a summer camp for adults who love barbecuing and grilling, set at a Forbes 5-Star, AAA 5-Diamond resort—the luxurious...
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Homemade Gifts for Barbecue Enthusiasts
Before Black Friday and Cyber Monday, before the average American began budgeting $1000 for holiday shopping (up from $289 in 1985), there were homemade gifts. Resurrect the tradition—or start a new one—by spending some time in your kitchen making one or more barbecue-related gifts for the deserving people on your list. Below are just a few of your options. All come from Steven’s latest book, Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades (Workman, 2017). Hey, come to think...
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