ROARING CAMP BBQ

 

We did a lot of driving this weekend. We spent two consecutive days for two seperate bbq competitions at the Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton California. This venue is a family fun train themed park which is located in a beautiful Redwood tree grove. We were there to judge bbq. The first day was a pro-competition and the second was the backyard division. Needless to say we ate some fantastic competition bbq. The public also got there fill by some competion bbq vendors.

Saturday welcomed a team visiting from Japan. They were visiting the United States and decided to give competition bbq a try. The picture below shows them cooking 4 different meats on a kettle grill. We all applauded and welcomed them for giving the contest a try.

I hope everyone has a meaniful Memorial Day today.

FISH FRY

The Crockett Boy Scout Troup had their annual fish fry this Friday. It is a fun event that brings out the whole town. Yours truly was a Boy Scout for a brief moment in time. I was a Boy Scout until I discovered girls and beer. We like to support our local Scouts and it just so happens to be a good meal.

You pay your admitance fee and proceed to a buffet style line to get your dinner. They had two options of regular fish and cajun fish. I had both. These fish had a flaky exterior and a soft yummy interior. The fish was some type of white fish. The cajun flavor had a very pleasant spicy dark crust. There was no heat per se but it had a slight warmth. The fries had a very crispy bite which I enjoyed.

After we were done, Scouts cleared our table promptly and offered us cookies and ice cream. It does not get any better. I am looking forward to next year allready.

 

MAGIC THEATER

 

Ms. Goofy and I went out to the California Magic Club for dinner theater. This was a fun dinner and show in nearby Martinez California. We made our reservations several weeks in advance because this is a small venue of 40 seats and they sell out all the time. We arrived at 7:30 and were seated immediately in front of the small stage. As we waited for dinner to start several magicians walked throughout and entertained us with parlor magic tricks.

Dinner only had two options of the offered plate or a vegetarian version. It arrived to our table and frankly it was a little dissapointing. There was chicken, tri-tip and rice & vegetables. This made airline food appealing. There was nothing wrong with it per se, but, I detected liquid smoke.

The chocolate covered fruits were good. It was on with the show. We saw several acts which were very entertaining. The magicians dazzled and performed with great fanfare. We laughed and were amazed. This was a lot of fun. Overall, this was a fun evening. The dinner was not the best but the whole package of dinner and a show was a winner.

PRESERVED LEMONS

We have a new Farmers Market in town. We paid it a visit and I bought some preserved lemons. To be honest I have never had any experience using preserved lemons and bought this on a whim. I took it home and sampled the lemons. It is salty, soft and "surprise"; lemony. What can I do with these. I did the usual searches and asked for a couple of suggestions from friends. This is what I came up with.

Fresh fava beans are at the market too. They are only around for a little while and I love to take advantage. To quote my father; It is a lot of work for what you get. I peeled and blanched the favas. I then popped them out of their protective membrane. I chopped one preserved lemon and combined all with extra virgin olive oil, splash of white balsamic and salt & pepper. This was wonderful. The lemon adds a tart savory pop to the fresh fava beans. Preserved lemons, where have you been my whole life?