Marlene

I'll try both salt and pepper at the dinner table tonight and let you know. You can certainly control the flow and amount easily enough, but I'm personally thinking these are too large for the dinner table.

I love the peppermill. Today I needed 1/2 cup of coarsely ground pepper for my rib rub. It would have taken forever using my normal pepper grinder. This baby did the job in less than 5 minutes.

It's windy here today too. So far with all the vents closed, we're maintaining about 225. It's as low as I can get it today. We are using the mesquite since my husband really wanted to try it.

One more question. Klink's rub calls for dried garlic. Does that mean the dried garlic flakes or garlic powder?

Please explain "foil". Do you mean wrap them in foil for the last couple of hours? I'm going to use mesquite wood chips this time. I figure mesquite's gotta be good for ribs.

Ok. I've just put them into the brine. I'll take them out in a couple of hours and let them dry and rub them. I figure we'll fire up the smoker around 2 or so. I'm figuring baked potatoes and broccoli for sides.

Good morning fellow smokers! I haven't brined yet. How long do ribs take on the smoker so I can get my timing down for today?

i hesitate to bring this up because i'm sure you already know about it. but when i want really coarse cracked pepper (steak au poivre, etc.), i just put whole peppercorns on the cutting board and crush them with the back of a skillet. works great. ← I use a hammer and a ziplock bag. That's good to hear. I ordered one a few days ago in the satin color. I've been punishing myself for years using the Zassenhaus grinder I bought from Penzey's. I've really come to hate it ~ it doesn't hold much pepper (unfortunately, I bought the small size) and grinding happens in fits and starts. Grinding more than 1/2 t. of pepper is a PIA. Hilary ← I've just received mine (in satin) and they are charging right now. I will report back, but I will say they are bigger than I thought! And I agree, Jim was absolutely terrific to deal with.

No sugar Ronnie? I've got ribs. 2 racks of spareribs and one rack of surprisingly meaty baby backs. So I'll do all three. Brine for a couple of hours, rinse, let dry and rub. Let the rub sit overnight? Ive got sumac thanks to a very kind friend. No mop? I'm ready to smoke!

I'm not sure a bernaise sauce would work for schnitzel. I'm rather fond of taziki with it though. Small red potatoes would be wonderful with this I think, or parsley-lemon rice.

Well in the event I can' find any sumac here, I'll be looking for a recipe for another rub!

1/4 cup sumac? What on earth is that? I always thought sumac was a tree! Woodburner, I'll be looking for a St. Louis cut of ribs if I can find them. It's not exactly BBQ season here yet though, so I'll take whatever ribs are available.

I confess. I have one and almost never use it. I tend to do the fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth thing.

Tomorrow I'll head out to pick up some ribs for Sunday's smokefest. Brining and rub instructions?

I've looked at the Best of topics, but I don't see one for Italian in New York. We've got one night left here, and thought a nice Italian restaurant might be nice to try. Any suggestions?

Sunday should be fine for smoking ribs I think.

Trust me. Your boys would love it.

I use muffin tins for individual monkey breads though, which are great for putting in school lunches. I don't think I've ever used my tube pan to actually make a cake in though.

topic, topic, topic, I really want to see what you do with these. I've never done anything with marrow bones except use them for stock. What is your favourite thing to make for yourself?

THat's what I use mine for too Andie!

Just thought I'd note that for the first time, I saw tomato paste in a tube at Bruno's here in Oakville. THey also had a garlic paste that I haven't seen there before.

Where is this gem hiding out?

I always reheat my braises with the defatted sauce and the meat together. In a low oven, convered.

Hmmm. Maybe I'm not allergic to penicillin after all! I'm supposed to be, but inhale as much blue cheese as I can with no ill effect. No tricks, no lies. I won't sneak if you won't tell me you're allergic to organ meat when you simply don't like it. Hey, I hate peanut butter, but I'm not allergic to it. And, perhaps coincidentally, my best friends eat everything. ← Maggie, don't bet on it. I can't eat bleu cheese by itself. It causes a huge reaction. I can eat a bleu cheese dressing though for example. although it causes me discomfort. but it's not fatal as penicillin is. And because I have fatal food allergies, I don't play around. I'll be happy to tell you that I just don't like something. When I tell you I'm allergic, then that's what I am.

Exactly. I have an allergy to penicillin and to mushrooms. Those are fatal. I do have lesser reactions to bleu cheese and other molds like the mold on bread. Please don't try to sneak mushrooms into my dishes!