How to Cook Barbecue Beef Ribs (at home)

Well, there they go again.

Just one day after Food and Fort Worth does a widely reviewed post on barbecue, and I notice that some website called, what was it, oh yea, . . . the New York Times . . . copy the idea and do an article on Texas-style barbecue beef ribs. Post robbers.

Actually, their's is a very detailed explanation on how to cook ribs at home. Excellent piece.

I have said it before and I will say it again. The New York Times website is an easily accessed, easy to read, and usable newspaper website for food lovers. If they are a 10 the Star Telegram website is a 1. I hate to admit that but I think it is true.

Here's the ribs link: http://www.nytimes.com

Photo from New York Times

Fort Worth's Best Barbecue

I like my beef barbecue smoked, sliced, served on a fresh bun, and topped with just a touch of sauce. For sides, I choose pinto beans with a jalapeno and potato salad. Good barbecue is an art that few master because to do it right you need time, the right temperature, moisture and the right smoke. In Fort Worth we are fortunate to have some masters: Angelo's, Railhead, Cousins, Colters, etc.

Cousins received a little national recognition this week when it was announced that Good Morning America considers it in the top 4 nationwide. The GMA Best Barbecue segment will be aired on May 23.*

Who has the best sliced beef sandwich in Fort Worth? You tell me.

Cousins Barbeque: http://www.cousinsbbq.com

Fort Worth Business Press: http://www.fwbusinesspress.com

On Being Serious. Or Not.

Steve Martin as the Pink Panther.

For some reason it hit me the other day that the congenitally serious person kind of bugs me. I am not referring to the rare person not blessed with a sense of humor, but to the person who refuses a sense of humor. As if humor was below his or her station in life.

I have never had that problem. As a matter of fact, my sister once told me that the male species, as a rule, hits the age of 15 and stops. I had to identify. The oddest things get me sometimes. Many years ago and late at night, my wife told me her uncle's name was Cuthbert. We laughed so hard we cried. It's really not that funny, but at the moment the currently out-of-circulation name tickled us and wouldn't let go.

Laughter is human. Uniquely human. Maybe even necessary to one's sense of humanness. Sometimes when we are laughing with friends or family we know that things are good, and a very few times in life, we know that things are almost perfectly good; and we want time to stop at that moment of enjoyment, but it doesn't.

I know we live in dire times of serious problems, and that our eternal destiny is no laughing matter, and that our problems are serious, but, well . . .

Take the word obfuscate. It is funny to me, no matter what is going wrong; but only seeing the definition, the literal, the univocal, makes us less human.

And that is not funny.

Summer's Coming. It's Time for the Watermelon Keg.

I had some watermelon over the weekend and it reminded of one of my favorite posts:
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Only in America: A guy is having a summer backyard bash and wants a vodka-infused watermelon. Pretty normal so far. But some weird light bulb pops up over his head and tells him to turn the watermelon into a cocktail keg. After 2 days of trial and error, he did. And it works. Watermelon-juice, vodka, and watermelon server with spout . . god, I love this country.

Want to see how he did it? I did.

http://blog.evite.com/evite/2007/09/end-of-summer-b.html

Random thoughts on three words . . .

I can't say the word, particularly.

I am envious of anyone who can pronounce it with ease. I say, par-tik'-ur-lee. When I attempt to say it correctly I fumble on the "u-ler-ly" part. Okay, this isn't earth shaking news -- but stick with me here, it gets even more meaningless. For instance...

Vestibule. It's a funny word, I think it's the"bule" part. I mention this because I was in an old theater last night and noticed a wall sign with an arrow pointing forward and the word Vestibule. My recollection of it goes back to around 6 years of age when I was told to stand in one before first Holy Communion. It is not a word we see these days, so after seeing it last night, I decided to look it up.

Vestibule or Vestibulum can have the following meanings, each primarily based upon a common origin, from early 17th century French, derived from Latin vestibulum, "entrance court".

I wonder if it has any connection to the Vestel virgins of ancient Rome. Etymologists and Wikipedians may reply.

Stimulus is a word we see and hear everywhere today. And I'm really tired of it. Banks are getting it, car companies are hoping for it, AIG abused it, the President supports it and Congress enacted it. You and I are yet to see the effects of it and if I had a dollar for everytime I have read it, I wouldn't need it.