We’re into August now, and while I haven’t grilled as much as I’d would have liked to this summer, I’ve taken the Weber around the block a few times. Of course, there’s grilling and then there’s barbeque; let’s not confuse the two. They both require craft. Grilling is a quick, high temperature cook and flavor enhancement of something already reasonably tender.   ..read more

  In January of this year, I declared it the year I was going to get in shape and lose weight. For those of you who don’t know, I lost 70 pounds in 1999-2000 and maintained that weight loss for years ..read more

Since I live alone, people reach out to me all the time asking how I eat things like beef roasts or pork roasts, if I am typically just serving one person – me ..read more

  With summer approaching, it's almost time to start planning upcoming family barbecues and outdoor celebrations. What is a soirée without amazing food? The first thing that probably comes to mind is a bountiful spread of smoked meats and amazing sides to pair. When thinking of rubs and BBQ sauces there has always been an unspoken debate if you will regarding which city in the country has the best BBQ. I’m not personally going to tell you which is the best, but I will give you the facts which should help you when planning that family affair this summer ..read more

  If you are like me, you would agree that summertime is the best time for cooking. With the gorgeous weather, cooking and eating outdoors just can’t be beat. All of the bountiful produce from the farmers markets and great deals on large cuts of meat make grilling outside one of my favorite past times. I love firing up my charcoal grill all year round if I am being honest, but I want to focus on my cooking adventures with my pit barrel smoker and smoking in general ..read more

  A few years ago, I was visiting my parents and they ordered from Mighty Quinn’s, a BBQ chain. My dad ordered a Brontosaurus rib. Of course, I was immediately interested, because as far as I knew, dinosaurs were extinct. Turns out these Brontosaurus ribs were just really big beef ribs. These ribs could easily each serve more than one person! Tender and flavorful, I knew these were going to become an integral part of my barbecue vocabulary when dining out, and I figured at some point I’d try to make them on my own grill. In the years since, I’ve also enjoyed amazing beef ribs at Hometown ..read more

One of my family’s absolute favorite, finger-lickin’ dinners consists of BBQ chicken, baked beans, braised collard greens and cornbread. This meal is the ultimate plate of soul food and leaves us feeling incredibly satisfied ..read more

Everyone loves a backyard barbecue, especially when you don’t have to do any prep, cooking or clean up! That’s why you and the whole family should join The Chopping Block for our upcoming Summer BBQ Bash at Lincoln Square on Sunday, July 8 from 4pm-7pm. It will be the perfect way to wrap up a holiday week ..read more