March « 2011 « Smart Kitchen

March, 2011

2nd Annual Arizona BBQ Festival

If you are a vegetarian or a vegetore this is not the blog post for you because it is about, and for, the other team; the Carnivores.*

A Slab of Ribs from Loot N Booty Competition BBQ Team

We will be posting about the 2nd Annual Arizona BBQ Festival where over 20 teams stoked their coals and smoked brisket, chicken, pork, tri-tip,and you name it, for 12-18 hours with delicious results. We were lucky enough, in the Tom Sawyer sense of the word lucky, to be invited by Susie Timm of Girl Meats Fork to help her, and her teammates at Loot n Booty (second in Brisket last year), man their booth.

Loot n Booty Competition BBQ Team

That is a Pink Smoke Ring!

We got video of it too.

It was a lot of fun to watch the competition from “floor seats” behind the tent flap and sort of participate. The only drawback was that at times it felt like being thirsty on the ocean, lots of water, but none to drink, as we served, but did not eat the sumptious BBQ. It was for charity and friendship so we endured.

SK Chef Helping Out the Loot n Booty Team

Feast your eyes on the smokers, the contestants and the product below.

P Chef

Smart Kitchen

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180 Degrees

We Didn't Learn the Story Behind the Axes

The AZ Kid

The Kid's Smoker

And The AZ Kid's Ride

BBQ Magic

Big Earl's New in Old Town Scottsdale

The Punny Named Major Woody BBQ Team.

Otis & the Bird Smoker

Detail of Otis & the Bird's Smoker Sign

R&R's Smoker on Wheels

Sin City Smokers from Las Vegas, NV

Smoked to the Bone's Mobile Smoker

Our Kind & Generous Neighbors, Steel City BBQ

Medal Winning Swine Assassins

Wild Catters Q Crew, all the Way from Enid, OK

* We joked about the Pulled Squash Competition for next year, but I don’t think there will be many takers at the KC BBQ Society.

Vegetables — No Comments
21
Mar 11

Spring is Here

A Flower or a Food? It's an Artichoke. It's Both.

Spring is officially here, at last, and the thought turns our minds to blooming things, like Artichokes. Did you know Artichokes were a flower? Check out the Artichoke Resource at Smart Kitchen, The Smartest Way to Learn to Cook™ and learn a lot about these spiny but delicious flowers, whose season will soon be upon us.

P Chef

Smart Kitchen

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Baking / Culinary Learning / Dessert / Smart Kitchen News — 1 Comment
11
Mar 11

The Four Levers of Cooking™ – Flair

Amber's Cupcake with a Definite Sense of "Flair."

At Smart Kitchen, we teach people to cook. One of the ways we breakdown the process is with the The 4 Levers of Cooking™, essentially a method of determining when and where to focus while making a meal.

One of the Levers, the final one in fact, is “Flair” or making your dish your own. I was struck by the difference between a product with “Flair” and an ordinary product when I was shown the baking work of a friend of a friend.

The cupcake above was made by Amber (the friend of my friend) and if a picture is worth a thousand words, Amber’s cupcake describes “Flair” very well. Flair can elevate a cupcake to Culinary Art and show those close to you how you feel.

P Chef

Smart Kitchen

“The Smartest Way to Learn to Cook™”

@smartkitchen1

Bloggers / Chad Burnett / Girl Meats Fork / Graeme Blair / Sean Currid / SK Chef / Smart Kitchen News / Steven Butler / Teaching Chef — 1 Comment
9
Mar 11

The Grill Cheese Throwdown 2011

At Smart Kitchen we were very excited to get back in competitive action at the Grilled Cheese Throwdown in Scottsdale on March 6, 2011.

The De-Constructed Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Smart Kitchen

Our entry was a Deconstructed Grilled Cheese Sandwich, served open-faced with thyme infused gruyere cheese and garnished with a fine julienne of tomatoes and prosciutto over which were drizzled micro-greens, white truffle oil and Hawaiian smoked sea salt. We got some raves and have the recipe for the Smart Kitchen Grilled Cheese Sandwich up at Smart Kitchen.com. We did not win the contest, though we hear we did get two nice scores from two of the three judges. Apparently, one of the judges was not as ecstatic about our entry and that sank us.

To see the crowning of the victor, Sean Currid of Cafe Zuzu watch the video. We could swear we saw some well-earned tears of joy on his face.

The Contestants and Organizers of the Grilled Cheese Throwdown 2011

We want to thank Susie Timm of Girl Meats Fork (second from right) for organizing the event. We also want to salute Sean Currid of Cafe Zuzu on his impressive Cheese Crown, and congratulate the other worthy contestants.