Just left Hollywood after 20 years for Lodi, CA

[GSM]

And my wife is in the wine business, so grilling up here is going to be heaven. And, no, I don't prefer Zin with BBQ or ribs ;-)

Originally from Big Sur/Carmel area.

Looking forward to being so close to the moutains for wild game. Dedicated follower of the incredible Mr. Hank Shaw who, if you don't know, you ought to.

Howdy.

 

[kruizer]

Welcome to SMF from Minnesota.

 

[BigW.]

Congrats. Enjoy your new surroundings!

 

[noboundaries]

Welcome from the burbs of Roseville! Glad you're here and wine'n the Valley.

Enjoy SMF!

Ray

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Welcome from Middle TN!

 

[GSM]

Welcome from the burbs of Roseville! Glad you're here and wine'n the Valley.

Enjoy SMF!

Ray

Well, a lot closer to family in Carmel and Merced, where my family has a cattle/walnut/corn/etc... operation.

The heat sucks so far (and, damn, the weeds out here in the valley) but it's almost like a small town out here, where even at 70,000 a LOT of people know each other.

Salute!

 

[ofelles]

Welcome from near by Brentwood.

 

[cmayna]

Just let me know what time you need me over to taste some smoked ribs.

 

[GSM]

Just let me know what time you need me over to taste some smoked ribs.

My wife tells me that's next on her list of toys she thinks I need.

Right now, all I have in our backyard is a Thermos 4 burner gas grill, and it's giving me NO END of headaches because it gets way too hot, each time, every time, and is the flare-uppiest pieces of outdoor cookware I've ever used in my life.

Still, when it's below 90, the sun's going down and the light is playing on your heavily laden grape vines in your backyard, it's hard to complain too much.

 

[chopsaw]

Looking forward to being so close to the moutains for wild game.

That , and alien visitation .
Welcome

 

[S-met]

Welcome from Plumas Lake. Quite a few Norcal small town towns represented here.

 

[JC in GB]

Welcome from Wisconsin.

 

[noboundaries]

My wife tells me that's next on her list of toys she thinks I need.

Right now, all I have in our backyard is a Thermos 4 burner gas grill, and it's giving me NO END of headaches because it gets way too hot, each time, every time, and is the flare-uppiest pieces of outdoor cookware I've ever used in my life.

Still, when it's below 90, the sun's going down and the light is playing on your heavily laden grape vines in your backyard, it's hard to complain too much.

View attachment 403730

Oh, GSM, you gotta move up to something easier to use than that gasser. For less than $500 you can get a 22.5" WSM to cut your smoking teeth on. Or watch CL for Weber Performer Kettles (table is attached). New they are about $300. I've seen practically new ones on CL for as little as $100. You can smoke GREAT Q on a Kettle, it just takes a little more babysitting than the WSM. There are LOTS of us Weber lovers here that can have you turning out life changing Q in no time flat.

I don't turn on the oven when it is 100+F degrees outside like it's been the past week. That's when I fire up the Kettle for cooking pretty much anything.

Charcoal is on sale right now at HD. $8 for 40 lbs of Embers (made by Royal Oak). Great charcoal, better than Kingsford, especially for smoking AND grilling.

BTW, we had friends in the wine industry in Walnut Grove, across the valley from you. They had a thousand acres of grape vines and they sold to the wine folks in your neck of the woods. We kind of lost touch with them the last few years, but I believe they are still producing.

 

[GSM]

Oh, GSM, you gotta move up to something easier to use than that gasser. For less than $500 you can get a 22.5" WSM to cut your smoking teeth on. Or watch CL for Weber Performer Kettles (table is attached). New they are about $300. I've seen practically new ones on CL for as little as $100. You can smoke GREAT Q on a Kettle, it just takes a little more babysitting than the WSM. There are LOTS of us Weber lovers here that can have you turning out life changing Q in no time flat.

I don't turn on the oven when it is 100+F degrees outside like it's been the past week. That's when I fire up the Kettle for cooking pretty much anything.

Charcoal is on sale right now at HD. $8 for 40 lbs of Embers (made by Royal Oak). Great charcoal, better than Kingsford, especially for smoking AND grilling.

BTW, we had friends in the wine industry in Walnut Grove, across the valley from you. They had a thousand acres of grape vines and they sold to the wine folks in your neck of the woods. We kind of lost touch with them the last few years, but I believe they are still producing.

LOL! I agree but, seeing as she just bought it for me as a surprise, I'll be using it for the foreseeable future.

I think what the issue is is that mentally if one sees burner knobs down at their lowest, one thinks, "Well, what else is there that I can do?"

Since chicken thighs and such don't need direct heat, the answer came to me: "Turn off some of the burners, dummy!" and that's what I'm going to try.

If you're ever in our neck of the woods, we know a TON of winemakers here, in the Paso area and a few in the Santa Barbara area, too. Happy to set you up with some incredible tastings.

 

[noboundaries]

LOL! I agree but, seeing as she just bought it for me as a surprise, I'll be using it for the foreseeable future.

Yep, my wife bought my gasser...and my Kettle...AND my WSM! Now I do most of the cooking around here. Took me a while to catch on to her master plan, but I ain't complaining!

Thanks for the wine tasting offer. Might have to take you up on that.

We have an in-law and his friends over in the Santa Cruz area who all win awards with their home or co-op wines. They source their grapes from Santa Barbara to Napa/Sonoma. We've got cases of the stuff, mainly reds!

I just pulled a bottle of Cabernet Franc, 2017, from a case behind me. The grapes were sourced from Cardillo Vineyard, Cienaga Valley, CA. I had to look it up. Appears near Paso Robles. Might still be a little young to open.