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After getting back from our recent trip to the South, I had really wanted to try to keep the spirit of our vacation going. As long as I can. No matter how hard it can be. To do this, I decided to use my stomach. Or maybe I should say my tastebuds. Yeah, that sounds ...
Last week, my wife and I went on a bit of a vacation, based on a 2nd annual Char-Broil All Stars meeting. This year, the meeting was in Atlantic Beach, Florida, at Ocean One Resort & Spa, right on the beach. Life is rough, huh? This was from our first morning on the beach… Last ...
To continue getting ready for the final push of this season’s basketball tournament (you know the one… you have at least 2-3 brackets going, even though Harvard threw you off, too!), I had to keep going with some great food to have. Again, I need to disclose that the bratwurst used was supplied to me ...
Johnsonville Sausage recently asked me to come up with some ideas to have for the upcoming weekend’s basketball tournament. I think I have to polish gym floors or clean backboard glass if I say what the tournament is, so I’ll just say it rhymes with “parch gladness”! And, for this quick and easy recipe, Johnsonville ...
This is a follow-up to Photographers’ Food Photos Part 1, but concentrating on some really cool portrait shots. To recap, a bunch of fellow-photographers came to my house to photograph food. Most aren’t food photographers, so it was fun seeing how they approached shooting food shots. The portraits here are the work of John Flynn, ...
Readers of Livefire may or may not notice that my photos are changing lately, and, I think, getting better. I owe at least part of it to joining a local photography club, the Focus Photo Club. The club is not food-photo oriented, but it is competition-based. Every month at the meetings, people enter both print ...
Usually, when I try a product for a review, I find something I don’t like about it. I’ve not done some reviews just because I’m not a critic, and I want to say at least some good about whatever I review. It’s pretty common to find things I like and maybe a couple things I ...
I got around to finding another Friday Food Fave, finally! Check out Hyrum’s shot on the Friday Food Fave page… Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Curt McAdamsOriginal content here is published under these license terms: X License Type:1License Summary:
I’m starting off 2013 with intentions, not resolutions. I’m not even going to list them here, so that, when I miss one, it doesn’t have to be a big deal. I think the problem with resolutions in general is that people get down on themselves when those resolutions aren’t met. I recently read an article about taking big goals like resolutions and making them more approac
First of all, this is not a very scientific comparison. However, I have my iPhone 5, and the Verizon Wireless Savvy Gourmet LG Intuition Droid, both with pretty decent cameras and lots of the same camera apps available, so I thought I’d see what I thought of the 2 side by side. It may not suprrise anyone reading this that I did the comparison by taking food photos, but I made a few pastram
1209121852.jpg, originally uploaded by Curt McAdams. 1209121852.jpg Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Curt McAdamsOriginal content here is published under these license terms: X License Type:1License Summary:
I’m going to be quick and sweet here… well, quick at least. I was hacked!!! Fortunately, I was able to restore most of everything, but I’ve lost several recent posts that I’m going to be recreating. However, in the meantime, my friends at Verizon Wireless are letting me do another giveaway! This one will end at midnight on December 14, just in time for Christmas! And t
I know we’re less than a month into autumn, but the remaining weeks find us really busy around here, doing non-autumn related stuff. And the peak of autumn is typically centered around the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, in Waynesville, which is about 1.7 miles down the road. The fall color this year has been impressive, so I thought I’d share some of what we’ve been seeing. This
A few weeks ago, I asked other Verizon Wireless Savvy Gourmets to try my chocolate chip cookie recipe and see how we get some variations. A few of them have tried out some really interesting versions! I made mine with bacon, and put Jeni’s Spendid Ice Creams Salty Caramel in between 2 of them! First, here’s the recipe: Livefire Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
If you look in my archives, you’ll find that I have a bit of a connection to a gastropub in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. My brother, Robert, is one of the owners of Longman & Eagle, which was recently named by Zagat as the #1 gastropub in Chiago. Yeah, the top of the heap of all the gastropubs in the city of gastropubs. That’s big! Jared Wentworth is the chef, and
I love this time of the year. Hot of summer fades, weather of sweater begins! It’s also great grilling weather, with the cooler air being balanced by the heat of the grill. September starts a busy time of the year, when I don’t always want to take the time to cook all day. Does that mean that quality has to suffer? I say no! Simple and quick does not equate to mediocre and boring.
I can admit I’m a bit of an online junkie, and I like to be connected wherever I happen to be. I’m getting ready for my 30th reunion (yes, I know that was a long time ago). Back in high school, staying connected meant I had gas money so I could get to a friend’s house or get out to do something. Today, connected means something completely different. Back when I was in schoo
I found this idea in a great BBQ book by Jason Day and Aaron Chronister (BBQ Addicts), BBQ Makes Everything Better. Instead of boiling eggs, they can also be cooked, in the shell, on a smoker, allowing a bit of smoke to make it through the shell, but not so much that it’s overwhelming, so I thought I’d try this to make some deviled eggs. I have to start this off with saying I generall
For some reason, I have really just wanted a good burger lately. My wife and I went to a local tavern, and the burger was fine, but just not what I was needing. To take care of my hankering for a good burger, I took matters into my own hands, and started up the grill. I got some good 80% lean organic ground beef to make into patties. I saw some pre-made patties, but I just don’t l
My wife and I were at a new-to-the-area market yesterday called Earth Fare. For the most part, I prefer Dorothy Lane Market, but Earth Fare does have a great salad bar. It’s just a bit too health-foody for me, I guess. Anyway, they have lots of bulk tofu and bark and seeds and hippy stuff, but also have nice seafood, wine and deli departments. They just happened to have oysters in the shell,
Memorial Day brings one of our favorite events each year… Dorothy Lane Market’s Lobstermania. I don’t know how long Lobstermania has been going on, but it brings to Dayton, Ohio, lobsters about as fresh as possible. Two brothers in Maine that are lobster captains catch all they can the day before, then fly with the lobsters to Dayton to sell them on Saturday morning. And the p
It’s been quite a summer already. Busy is an understatement! One of the happenings for Livefire was that the Cincinnati Enquirer called me to do a grilling feature in the food section of the newspaper. Not only did Polly come out to talk to me while I grilled some stuff, but I ended up on the front page of the food section AND even had a photo of me on the front page of the paper! And I
This has nothing to do with outdoor cooking; this is about what seems to be all the rage in the baking field, cupcakes! It’s also about birthdays. My birthday was several weeks ago (no need for belated happy birthdays or anything). I don’t really do anything to celebrate my birthday, and I didn’t want a cake as I only eat that kind of stuff now and then anymore. We were in Ci
Johnsville, the bratwurst people (as if you didn’t know that) recently got in touch with me about a great contest they’re running. It takes place through July 3, and it’s called the Johsonville No Ordinary Burger Contest. What’s at stake? Only $10,000!!! Here’s the official wording: No Ordinary Burger Contest Enter the Johnsonville No Ordinary Burger Contest…
About a year ago, I was contacted by Barry Martin on behalf of Char-Broil. I know Barry has been associated with them for some time, and I’ve seen his work online and in books (I even have a few of y recipes in one of the books he’s done , America Grills! By Char-Broil). Barry asked me to be a part of Char-Broil Live as an All-Star Blogger. I thought it might be fun, and I got to tr
I’ve been out of town, soon to post some new Longman & Eagle goodness. But first, this video is FUNNY… Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Curt McAdamsOriginal content here is published under these license terms: X License Type:1License Summary:
I’ve heard of Terry’s Turf Club for a while now, a small place in Mount Washington, east of downtown Cincinnati. It’s only been there a few years, but it’s been filled up with neon lights and old signs of just about any type. Terry’s isn’t known for that, though… It’s known for having what some say is the best burger in Cincy! We got there at ab
Grilling.com has asked its VIP Bloggers (and I happen to be included as one) to come up with hot dog recipes to celebrate baseball teams and cities. I grew up a fan of the Big Red Machine, and the Reds will always be my team! The city of Cincinnati stands strongly behind its baseball team as well as its other establishments. To honor a city where locals and transplants alike support each other,
My new endeavor, Livefire Whisky, is celebrating its start with a tshirt giveaway. The entry is simple… Just go to the site and follow the instructions listed on the giveaway post. The deadline is February 24th at midnight, and the winner will be announced next weekend! Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Curt McAdamsOriginal content here is pub
If you’ve been reading what little I’ve been posting lately, you may know I’ve been really strict on what I’ve been eating, and I’m down about 70 pounds since the beginning of fall last year. I’m still working on it, and most of my eating revolves around lean meats from a good deli. However, once a week, I get a day to do what I want, and Superbowl Sunday wa
Today marks the first full day of a new blog… Livefire Whisky! It’s just my own info on Scotch whisky tastings, information I find on whisky, and whisky stuff in general. I may have other info now and then, too, even something about bourbon now and then, like when my Maker’s Mark barrel gets bottled, and I visit the distillery to get a bottle. In the meantime, my “wordl
I have to admit something to my regular readers… I haven’t been cooking a lot lately. The reason is pretty good, though. Over the last few months, I’ve been working on getting healthier, and I’m down about 65 pounds since the end of September! Woohoo! But I do get to splurge now and then, and, once I get to where I’m headed, I’ll be cooking more again.
It’s been quiet around Livefire lately. That’s mostly due to the fact that I haven’t been eating a lot lately, but I did want to wish everyone a really great 2012! I was asked about my 2012 grilling resolutions, and what I came up with was: Get back to more outdoor bread baking, especially sourdough whole grain breads Explore more flavors using marinades that involve whisky
I’ve been making pig candy for years now. It’s a simple, delicious way to prepare bacon by covering it with brown sugar and a touch of cayenne, then baking/smoking it until the bacon is crunchy and the brown sugar has coated it. It’s just addictive stuff! I was thinking this year of fixing candied pecans. You know the ones I mean… the pecans with cinnamon and sugar and e
We have a couple good friends that make their own Irish cream every year. They were gracious enough to gift us with a bottle, in a great Blanton’s Bourbon bottle, at our wine party. My wife loves the stuff, and the way our friends make it, it’s a mild, tasty version that won’t knock you on your butt! We have some good flip-top bottles from various drinks we’ve had (mostl
If you’ve been around Livefire much, you may know that I’m a fan of Scotch whisky, especially those from Islay (pronounced something with a long I, then luh, not lay). I’m a fan of Lagavulin, own a square foot of the island thanks to being a Friend of Laphroaig, and am on the Ardbeg Committee. Being on the Ardbeg Committee brought to me an invitation to a tasting of the afo
Over the weekend, we took a trip to Michigan and found that Ann Arbor is quite a food town. I wouldn’t have guessed it, but the town is full of great food experiences. It started with a great pub that had one of the best selections of not just beers from microbreweries, but they had artisanal beers and ales on tap, like Jolly Pumpkin’s Bam Noire and sourdough crust pizzas with a variet
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Curt McAdamsOriginal content here is published under these license terms: X License Type:1License Summary: Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Curt McAdamsOriginal content here is published under these license terms: X License Type:1License Summary:
The 9th annual McAdams HalloWine party was this weekend, a weekend we look forward to each year. This year was a week later than usual, which actually turned out well; the time change was that night, and everyone got an extra hour to sleep after the party! The party is themed each year based on whatever we decided to theme it on. Over the years we’ve had the party, we’ve had a decent
It’s pretty common to see some form of alcohol associated with grilling and smoking food. There are lots of opinions on which libation goes best with either smoked food or just with the act of standing over a grill with a pair of tongs in one hand and a drink in the other. Instead of thinking of what drink I might have while grilling, I decided to think of what drink I can make ON the grill
Ok, mostly Silent Sunday (I have friends that do Wordless Wednesday instead). Anyway, this is Robert, my brother, with Hank, his dog. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Curt McAdamsOriginal content here is published under these license terms: X License Type:1License Summary: Ok, mostly Silent Sunday (I have friends that do Wordless Wed
Fall is one of my favorite seasons in which to grill. My others happen to be winter, spring and summer, but I have to admit I do like fall grilling over the heat of summer. There’s also that football tailgating to be done. I mean, whoever heard of tailgating at a basketball or a baseball game? That would be ridiculous! To celebrate tailgating in all its glory, Solo has come out with a gre
Last month’s four ingredient challenge left a bit to be desired for me. I’m sorry, but I’m just not a fan of tofu. It’s not that good for you, really; it’s just a vegetable protein alternative to meat. I’m not a vegetarian, so I’d rather have lean meat. Or bacon. This month brought more of a Halloween theme, with some good fall apples thrown in. The ingre
I had an idea back in the summer that partially worked. The partial part was that a few other people did this along with me, but I never got it posted… There are some reasons for that, but they aren’t important. The best online community for outdoor cooking, in my opinion, is the BBQ Brethren. It’s a great place to ask advice, show off what you’re cooking, get new ideas
I signed up to be included in a challenge that Larry from The BBQ Grail came up with, where each month a bunch of idiots with grills (I use the term idiot mostly referring to myself) take a common list of four ingredients that actually may have nothing in common. For my first challenge, I think I hit the jackpot! The ingredients are: Potatoes. I can do potatoes! Peas. Peas are one of my all tim
I recently got a gas grill. Yes, a grill that actually runs on gas instead of charcoal or wood! But… it’s in infrared grill! I haven’t used it enough yet to know what all infrared will do to change my grilling, but I do know that it seemed to do a great job on a couple of chickens. When grilling chicken on a gas grill, it can be difficult to get much smoke flavor. With the
I’ve not been around much the last couple of weeks, but I have a good excuse; my brother got married!!! This post isn’t so much about food as it is about celebrating a great event. I will warn you… There are lots of photos ahead, and almost none have food in them! For those of you that have heard me talk about Robert, he’s been in Chicago for several years now, building a g
My wife and I had a gift card for Williams-Sonoma (thanks, Maggie and Jud!), and decided to use it to get the Kitchenaid ice cream maker that works with our Kitchenaid mixer. And, since we now had the ice cream maker, we had to try it out! I was trying to think of what ice cream to make, and realized that good peaches are available right now. And I love grilled peaches, so I figured I should look
I’ve used my Bubba Keg a lot over the last couple of years, and I love cooking on it. There’s one thing my XL Big Green Egg has over the Bubba Keg, though… size! I think it’s almost double the size of the Bubba Keg. And it really is easy to use, too. I tried out some new charcoal recently, Grill Mark. I found a 17.6 pound bag at my favorite local Ace Hardware store in Cente
It’s easy to get caught up in trying new things on the smoker, but there’s still something about simple pulled pork. Even barbecuers can get caught up in what little thing to add to their rub to make it a secret recipe, or what special ingredient that no one else is allowed to know about that’s in their secret barbecue sauce. Over the 4th of July weekend, I made pulled pork wit
