Monday, October 27, 2008

Jack Daniels 20th Anniversary World Championship Bar B Que Cookoff

October 27th, 2008
It's in the books, the 20th anniversary of the Jack Daniels World Championship Bar B Que Cookoff. This was my 15th year to judge and it amazes me that the competition gets better each year. I really look forward to being at "The Jack" for several reasons. Of course, the obvious is the bar b que, but it is also great to see a lot of folks that I only get to see a couple times a year. The KCBS group is made up of a bunch of really good folks and I am proud to be a member of the organization. Not only that, but the people that come out to enjoy the events of the day are so much fun. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate all the kind words, the picture taking and the comraderie that we share. It is my pleasure to see you all and spend time talking with you. Thank you so much!

Here's some pictures from "The Jack" and also the list of winners from the competition.
Grand Champion: 4 Legs Up BBQ - Great Bend, Kansas
Reserve Grand Champion: 4 Mile Smokin' Crew - Pleasant Hill, Iowa
Pork Ribs: Carcass Cookers - Pueblo, Colorado










Pork Shoulder: Butcher BBQ - Chandler, Oklahoma
Beef Brisket: Bubba & Jeff's BBQ - Lees Summit, Missouri
Chicken: 4 Legs Up BBQ - Great Bend, Kansas

















Chef's Choice: I Que - Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Homecookin' From The Homeland: World Barbeque Team - Switzerland




Sauce: Pellet Envy - Leadwood, Kansas
Dessert: 4 Legs Up BBQ - Great Bend, Kansas

A record 66 champion teams from the U.S. and 18 teams from countries across the world including, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom, fought for this year's title.
The highest-placing international team of the day was Barbeque Symphony from Estonia that placed nineteenth overall.
To compete at "The Jack," domestic teams must have in the past year won a state championship with 25 teams or a competition of 50 teams, or have won an event considered an automatic to the event like the American Royal, Memphis in May or Houston World Championship Bar-B-Que.


If you have never attended the cookoff, you owe yourself this one. It is great fun and there are tons of things to do for the whole family.










Monday, October 13, 2008

Phantoms of The Depot Dinner

October 13, 2008

Happy Columbus Day! I feel like I should be singing the Ernest Tubbs' song "Back in The Saddle Again." It has been 9 days since we were on the air. It is great to be back, although I had a great vacation. Jacque and I went to Gettysburg, PA. Wow, what an awesome place to visit and experience!! We also visited Lexington, VA and also Appomattox Court House. Once I get my photos downloaded, I will put some on the blog along with more about our trip.
Today, we were at the Historic Huntsville Depot to highlight a neat fundraiser that is coming up. It is called "Dinner With The Phantoms of The Depot." It will feature a sit-down dinner and then a ghostly tour of the Depot led by local historian and author, Jacque Reeves. The event is set for October 28th and 29th and starts each night at 6:30. Seating is limited to just 30 people a night and reservations are being taken right now. You can call 564-8100 for reservations or more information. The cost of the tickets are $30 per person and includes the dinner and the tour. Once again, it is a fundraiser for the Depot and promises to be very entertaining.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

October Means German Food at Its Best

October 2, 2008

We kicked off October by featuring a really great German restaurant, Hildegard's German Cuisine. I have to tell you, Jacque and I love to eat there! The food is home-made, from scratch, and outstanding. The bread is freshly made each day and the desserts are out of this world. Hildegard and her daughter Sabine seem to try and outdo each other when it comes to cooking and the real winners are the folks who eat there. Here's the recipe we used for hot red cabbage, it is simple but sooooo good.:

HOT RED CABBAGE

1 medium-to-large red cabbage (shredded thinly)
7 oz. bacon (chopped)
1 medium onion
8 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1/3 cup veg. oil
1/2 tsp. pepper (black)
1 tsp salt
1 cup vinegar (white)
3/4 cup sugar

Clean and peel onion
attach bay leaves to onion by sticking cloves through them into onion
heat oil in a large pot and add bacon, cook until crisp
add cabbage and cook for about 7-10 minutes
add vinegar, seasonings and salt
cook for about 30 minutes.

The hot red cabbage can be used as a side with almost anything and also can be used as a vegetarian dish by leaving out the bacon and substituting portabello mushrooms.

Hildegard's desserts are a stand alone delicacy and are also home-made from scratch. In fact, Hildegard specializes in Wedding Cakes and offers catering, too.

Hildegard's is located at 2357 Whitesburg Dr. (at the corner of Whitesburg and Bob Wallace)
(256) 512-9776