So far I haven’t found a chile-flavored coffee, but there are certainly a growing number of chile-flavored beers, vodkas, and tequilas. I decided to taste-test six bottled chile beers to see if they were just heated-up lagers or whether or not some of them had some respectability. I bought the six beers at Total Wine, which seems to have the largest selection of beers in the city.
West Coast BBQ Classic at the Queen Mary
Sixty-two teams crossed tongs against one another at this KCBS-sanctioned barbecue brawl. Attendees filled the joint, buying food tickets so they could sample some of the same great barbecue enjoyed by the judges. Admission was pretty fair in my opinion; fifteen bucks seems to be the going rate to browse vendor booths between bouts of stuffing yourself silly on pork and chicken. This was a one-day event on Saturday, May 10th and I really hope next year is just as good.
Burn! Tested: Ribs Within Chicken Rub
I first met Doug Keiles two years ago when I helper monkey’ed for his team, Ribs Within, at the Meatopia Bare Bones Barbecue Competition in Oakland’s Eat Real Fest. He’d just appeared on Chopped and was about as happy as it gets.
Little Bar Double R Sauce and Rub
Little Bar Double R’s Campfire Rub really lived up to its name for me. The company’s display at this year’s Fiery Foods Show was a huge hit. When they gave us a sample of the rub and a bottle of their Grand Teton BBQ Sauce to review I was eager to get started.
Burn! Tested: The Grillight Spatula
Just to be clear, I like any hand tool that reminds me of a lightsaber. That’s part of the appeal of the Grillight spatula, here. At least, for me. Honestly, if it had a little speaker and made lightsaber noises every time you flipped a burger, I’d grill in a full Darth Vader costume for the rest of my geeky little life. Grillight doesn’t. What it does do, surprisingly well, is illuminate your food while flipping it over hot grates.
Hot News
This week’s edition of Hot News is a weird blend of crickets, green sauce, barbecue, and food champs. Three out of those four things are for eating. You can decide for yourself which
All Spice Cafe: Fun with Chipotle Tapenade Burgers
As interesting characters at the Fiery Foods Show go, JD Cowles ranks near the top of the list. He’s usually rocking a dyed goattee and ‘stache while showing off the latest and greatest spicy offerings from his All Spice Cafe in Venice Beach, California. JD’s been going to the show for at least as long as I have, so he knows his way around making great spicy sauces, snacks, and more. Like his Chipotle Olive Tapenade.
