funstuff

-1 rack of ribs, cut in half to fit in pressure cooker. Place in pressure cooker (15 pounds)

-Add 1/2 can of beer (Heineken, Guinness or Corona works well.) Consume the rest.

Cook at pressure for 10 minutes (baby back) or 15 minutes for standard ribs – the goal is to get them started so they don't dry out on the grill. If you're really in a hurry, leave them in the pressure cooker longer. At 20 minutes under pressure a rack of baby back ribs are usually coming off the bone.

Let the ribs cool in pressure cooker (under pressure.) Remove as soon as seal will allow and pat dry on glass or plastic tray (not metal.)

Slather with prepared mustard and cover with rib rub (see below.) Let set overnight in refrigerator.

Before grilling: Bring ribs to room temperature. Re-apply rib rub if desired. In the case of a rib emergency I have been know to skip the fridge and go from the pressure cooker right to the grill.

Get grill hot. For one to three racks, I use a gas grill. I have a Weber with three burners.

After the grill is hot, I turn the front and back to low and the center to off. Close the lid and let them cook.

In about an hour or so the meat should be almost pulling off the bone. Remove from heat, wrap in foil, place in insulated box for 15 to 20 minutes. An empty cooler works well for this.

Enjoy with all the fixin's. Cooking time varies with number of racks and the consumption of adult beverages.

1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup taco mix (McCormick)
1/8 cup onion powder
1/8 cup black pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dry mustard

Mix ingredients together. Store in an airtight container. Adjust the ratios to your family’s tastes. Someone in our household can’t eat really spicy food….

A good source of pepper is Gordon Peppers. (www.gordonpepper.com.) He has three flavors: Spiced Pepper, Texas Blend Pepper and Dragon Flakes. Get the sampler pack and find the one you like the best. Gordon helped me develop the lighting section of ICIA’s design school when he was at AMX.

Southern Fried Chicken

1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
Kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB onion powder
1 TB paprika
2 t cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups buttermilk
2 TB chile paste
Peanut oil, for deep-frying

Put the chicken in a large bowl. Add cold water to cover the chicken by about 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to each quart of water. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When you're ready to cook, mix the flour, garlic and onion powders, paprika, and cayenne in a large, shallow platter until well blended; season generously with salt and pepper. Stir together the buttermilk and hot sauce in another bowl.

Drain the chicken in a colander and pat it dry. Dredge the pieces in the flour mixture. Dip them into the buttermilk and then roll them in the seasoned flour again to make a good crust. Put the chicken pieces on a piece of parchment or waxed paper while you heat the oil.

Pour about 3 inches of oil into a large deep pot and add chicken.

Fireworks Cake

1 box White Cake Mix
2 boxes (3 oz) Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 box (3 oz) Strawberry (or any red colored) Jello
1 box (3 oz) Berry Blue (or any blue colored) Jello
Confectioners sugar
1 can Vanilla (or any white colored) Frosting
Red and Blue food colors
All ingredients called for by cake mix recipe, with one additional egg white

Make cake mix according to directions, using egg whites only, plus added egg white and the dry pudding mix. Bake in a Bundt pan according to the directions. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.

Using a chopstick, punch holes in two concentric rings around the center opening of the cake.

Make red Jello using one cup of boiling water only. Carefully spoon mixture into outer ring of chopstick holes. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Repeat with blue Jello, spooning into inner ring of chopstick holes. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. Note: You will use about 1/3 to 1/2 of the Jello.

Invert the Bundt pan onto a plate to remove the cake. Lightly dust the cake with confectioners sugar. Divide the frosting equally into three microwave safe dishes. Color one red and one blue and keep one white. Heat one dish 15-30 seconds till frosting drips from a spoon. Drizzle frosting over cake. Repeat with remaining colors.

7-Layer Salad

1 medium head lettuce, shred fine
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 packages (10 oz each) frozen peas, break up
1 pint Miracle Whip salad dressing
1t sugar
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
6 hard boiled eggs, crumbled fine
bacon, cooked and crumbled fine or use store bought bacon bits
tomato wedges, for garnish, optional
olives, for garnish, optional

In a 9x12 glass baking dish layer lettuce, onions, celery. Spread frozen peas over top. Spread miracle whip over peas, be sure to get all the way to the edges of the dish (if you use Mayonnaise, stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice before spreading over peas). Sprinkle sugar evenly over top of Miracle Whip.

Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of sugar. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese next. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Spread eggs over top on cheese. Spread bacon bits on top of eggs. Garnish with tomato wedges and olives. Serves 12.

Your mom can get the egg shells out of the bowl, don’t worry. Put it in the oven until its time to eat it. Oh, and wash your hands first.

Boil sugar, milk and butter for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add old fashioned oatmeal and peanut butter. Drop by teaspoon on wax paper. Let cool. Makes about 2 dozen.

Variations: replace cocoa with 3 tablespoons vanilla extract; add 2 cups of loosely packed coconut after stirring in oatmeal and peanut butter.

Replace cocoa with 1TB vanilla extract, and total of 3-1/2 to 4 cups oatmeal Mixture should not be runny. Wait 1 minute after stirring in oatmeal and peanut butter then gently fold in 1 bag (11 oz.) butterscotch chips (Try to keep them from melting completely.)

Make sure butter or margarine is solid/stick (not whipped, otherwise cookies won't set up.) The butter/sugar mixture should come to a "full boil" then boil 2 minutes. Use old-fashioned oatmeal not instant for chewier/healthier cookies

Create chicken skewers with bacon skewered long ways wrapping back and forth around the chicken

Create separate shrimp skewers with bacon skewered long ways wrapping back and forth around the shrimp

Add sugar to water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add tea bags and turn off heat. Steep tea for 20 minutes then pour the tea into your gallon-sized pitcher and fill with cold water.

Pour into a glass filled with ice and serve. Garnish with lemon or sprig of mint.

Santa Maria Style Barbecue Tri-tip

Outside California, the term "tri-tip" cut of beef is not well known. The tri-tip is a triangular cut from the corner of a top sirloin cut of beef. Other regional names for the tri-tip are "bottom sirloin", "bottom butt" or "triangle roast" (part of the top sirloin and part of the sirloin tip.) There is only one tri-tip per side of beef, a total of two per critter. It combines the strong flavor of beef with the perfect texture of a great steak.

Santa Maria, CA is the largest city in the Santa Maria Valley, eighty miles north of Santa Barbara and thirty miles south of San Louis Obispo. Santa Maria Style Barbeque originated back when cowboys would gather under towering oaks for barbeques after a day’s work of branding cattle.

What is unique about Santa Maria barbecue is that there is almost no preparation -- a rub consisting of salt, pepper and garlic powder is applied immediately before cooking. (Try McCormick's California Style Garlic Salt or Garlic Pepper, or Suzie Q's Santa Maria Seasoning (http://www.susieqbrand.com/) Cover the tri-tip with a thick layer of the rub. Traditionally, the tri-tip is grilled over red oak.

Preheat your grill for at least 20 minutes. If you have a two-burner gas grill, fire up only one side. If you are using charcoal, make a pile to one side of the grill.

Place the tri-tip, with the fat side up, on the side that is not being heated by the burner or coals and close the cover. Cook undisturbed for about 30 minutes. At this point, you can test for doneness with a quick-read thermometer. You are shooting for an internal temperature of about 135 to 140 degrees F. Immediately remove the meat from the grill and place in a covered container or wrap with foil. Allow the meat to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Trim the fat and then slice it across the grain, which is across the triangle.

The most traditional Santa Maria Barbecue includes side dishes of fresh salsa, pinquito beans and toasted French or sourdough bread. It can also be accompanied by macaroni and cheese.

This grilling technique also works great for other cuts of meat. The most flavorful cuts tend to be from Prime or Choice marbled meats. Try the Flatiron, Brisket, Chuck Blade or Rump roasts if Tri-tips are expensive or not readily available in your area.

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip