The Grateful Griller's Learning To Fly With Kamado Joe!

Hello Grateful Grilling World!!!!!!!

I thought it would be a good time, no, a great one in fact to bring all you wonderful folks up to speed with my behind the scenes testing, grilling, searing, baking and anything else I can do with my Kamado Joe on the "GTO" deck here in Wakefield and beyond. I can't believe its been almost six months since I took delivery of my first KJ cooker and introduced myself to the company and its great people who run the show down in Flowery Branch, Georgia. We have since met up in person down at the HPBA Show in Orlando, FL and what a great time that was! We've since gotten to know each other and I have certainly gotten to know their Kamado very well over the last number of months. Now as some of you if not all of you know by now, I test these cookers and put them through or at least try to put them through various torture tests to see what the results will be and these guys at Kamado Joe have a real winner on their hands without a doubt!

When I say a winner, I mean a real winner! Sure they're the new guys on the block in the kamado world but its down right impressive to see how far they have come in such a short period of time and they have done so without missing a speck or detail when it comes to the way they execute their marketing message and the down right friendly nature of the personnel connected to the company and of course the stellar results that their product pumps out again and again! I make it a point of testing all the kamado cookers I get my hands on in the dead of winter and the harshest of environments cos let's face it, summer's easy and forgiving but when you live in a climate like eastern Canada the weather gods can throw some heavy stuff our way! LOL!!!

What I really appreciated as an obsessed griller from the start with this product is that I spent less time assembling and reading rocket science like, or not, instructions and more time doing what we all love to do, GRILLING and COOKING! So I'm instantly in a great mood (not that I'm ever in a bad one, LOL!) and then the little bit of work that had to be done to get my Kamado Joe fired up took literally minutes and voila! Recycle the cardboard box and plastic wrap, walk to recycle bin, toss and get back to those marinating steaks and beer, deck side with my friends and family.

I'm happy to report that I've been so impressed with my Kamado Joe and after dozens and dozens of fires it really hasn't let me down once. Sure I had a few minor issues with a gasket and a couple of temp gauges but bottom line when I touched base with the company and explained my situation they took great care of me, my needs and no sooner than I could have said Jack Robinson, UPS was on my doorstep with the problem solved!

So, home run so far you say? It gets better with every fire and the performance in our tough climates came through with flying colors. It holds heat well, really well and comes in two different colors and its accessory/component kit is nothing less than top shelf. From powder coated stainless to galvanized powder coated stainless to straight stainless, bamboo shelves and their "greener" story to a two piece lockable stand. Go figure, Kamado Joe's accessories from pizza stones to heat deflectors to their own really hot"n"smooth charcoal actually come in boxes/bags that look great and take you, the customer, through a simple to understand, step by step approach to using your new product!!!!! This for the record is a first for the kamado category in an indusrty called bbq and if anyone thinks I'm wrong, do tell, I'd love to know!

Does it get even better? It sure does friends! Why? Well, Kamado Joe not only want to make you happy griller's for eternity, they also don't force you to purchase a stand and mates because if you have a carpentry thumb you can build your own table or if that's not an option buy one of their tables that come in a beautiful teak wood or stainless version! When I saw this stainless table in Orlando (not that the teak wasn't attractive) I nearly started doing back flips in the aisles around the loads of interested people who were curious about this new kamado company called Joe! Take it from me griller's, head's were turning, mine included!

On that note, I've got to point out that from a pure positive vibe perspective and buzz factor down in Orlando, FL. "Kamado Joe" wins hands down for coolest kamado booth and overall vibe. It was exciting to see and feel their passion for the kamado and deliver it and their story to the people who attended. I can relate a great deal to this kind of feeling and its for this very reason that I got inspired to put pen to paper and tell it as it is. I love this kamado trip I'm on and know in my heart that companies like Kamado Joe are going to rattle this categories cage in a big way and become very successful in the near future for two reasons, these folks have passion for what they do and a great product that's only going to keep getting better with time!

Enjoy the next few lines grillers because they came to me after listening to a great deal of Pink Floyd over the last little while, especially the epic album "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" and particularly the song "Learning To Fly". Lyrics borrowed from Pink Floyd and altered by "The Grateful Griller".

Into the distance I've travelled with you "K",

through the red and black and stretched to the point of no turning back.

Its been a flight of fancy over wind swept fields with you "K".

Standing on these decks our senses have been real.

Fatal attraction to you "K" has held me fast,

how can I escape or resist your irresistible grasp?

There's no way I can keep my eyes from the circling skies,

I'm just a tongue tied and twisted kamado obsessed misfit on a ride that's only just begun!

Ice almost formed on the tips of my wings,

unheeded warnings, I thought we thought of everything.

No navigator to find our way home,

feeling so empty and almost turning to stone.

Your smoke and fire showing me the way, true faith that its all gonna be ok.

My sole intention is learning to fly with you "K",

condition grounded at times but determined to try.

Can't keep my eyes from those circling skies,

I'm just a tongue tied and twisted kamado obsessed misfit on a ride that's just begun!

Above this planet on a wing and a prayer,

I look back to witness our vapor trail in the empty air.

Across the clouds I see our shadows fly "K",

out of the corners of my watering eyes.

My dream unthreatened by the morning light,

a light so strong it could blow my fiery soul threw the roof of the night.

There's no sensation to compare with this,

suspended animation, smoke, fire, a state of bliss.

I will never keep my eyes from those circling skies,

tongue tied and twisted, I'm a kamado obsessed misfit on the rise.....

Let's all keep feeding that fire called life griller's!

G

Success Is In The Cards For The Grateful Griller Thanks To Envy!

Hello Grilling Nation!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah! Sun's up and my BGE and Primo's are loaded and about to be fired. I love days like this because its all about cooking, relaxing and enjoying the moment and experimenting on the GTO lab! Yesterday I spent the day grilling up a storm between Ottawa and Packenham with some great people and I got to thinking about how many business cards I've handed out over the last few years and then I got thinking about my right hand man and creative guru who also happens to me my brother from another mother. Yup, you got it folks, my brother in law. He goes by many names, first and foremost Simon, Nunky to my daughter, Bro, Amigo, Chief and occasionally, Buddy!

Not only is he family but without him and his company called Envy Communications ( fyi, best dam brand communications company in the world!) there would be no visible face to The Grateful Griller and no face means no brand and no brand probably means no business! Parish the thought! As my concept is just now starting to take off the tarmac I want to thank Simon and his efforts not to mention patience and creative vision and style at being my go to guy for everything and almost anything to do with the look and feel of The Grateful Griller. From business cards to the website design, to the logo, he is the guy who makes all this tick and rarely if ever gets noticed for it unless I am making mention of his abilities, which I do constantly and his unique ability to create that very important foundation that great brands are built on.

Without Envy's guiding light I would have made many mistakes in the branding process of my own concept hence loosing time and probably money over the long haul. As I've learned on this wild ride thus far as I do my best to inspire the masses on this "grilled to obsession" lifestyle, a designer like Simon is critical and key to the success of the brand and the message I am trying to articulate to the end consumer and my potential client. Although we are family we can talk shop as if we aren't related at all and brutal honesty works best in these situations because let's face it, who has time for bull shit? No one!

I'm a guy totally devoted and committed to what I do as The Grateful Griller and I fire on a lot of cylinders from both a business and artistic perspective and I'm always amazed if not blown away at Simon's ability to take some if not all of my idea's and make sense out of them, visually speaking. He has been able to take my all out passion for what I do and who I am and put it all together and for this I am very grateful, no pun intended! LOL! From the grilled to obsession tag line to the food, family, friends and music that make me tick as a person to that logo on my truck that will one day be recognized as a universal symbol for grate times and grate vibes, I have only one guy and one company to thank, Envy Communications and the captain of his own ship, Simon Cooper!

So as I sign off and get my backside in the sun and my hands dirty on the kamado's, I leave you all with some advice. If you are totally passionate about something you want to do for the rest of your life and want to make a business out of it, give Envy a call and sit down with a guy like Simon if you really want to understand how to position yourself and get your message and image out to the world at large!

Keep on grilling brothers and sisters and feed that fire! I've been listening to a lot of Kings Of Leon lately, so much so I can't get enough so as you would expect from the grilling poet, LOL, some lyrics have been borrowed and altered by yours truly!

Keep it saucy, keep it sticky!

The Grateful Griller's Kamado Is Like Sex On Fire

Consumed by what transpires on my deck,

the party elevates to a higher place.

I look at where your standing "K".

We've got people talking "K",

about our history, our food, our journey together.

Your like sex on fire!

By day or by night, your just the greatest "K".

You have me totally consumed by this party, taking shape around me on this deck.

When night falls and friends gather, glasses will come together,

regardless of the weather.

When dark smoke turns clear almost white,

that's my sign that all's alright.

Your the greatest "K", your like sex on fire!

With appetizer's down and entree's to come, the feelings for all if not some,

are that of euphoria, ecstasy.

Enjoying the vibe and being welcomed into our tribe called quest.

The quest for celebration with no boundaries!

The quest for food, for flavor!

The quest for life's perfect balance,

as we all stare this day's sun going down.

The party elevates to a higher place.

I look at where your standing "K",

your like sex on fire!

Your just the greatest "K"!

With dessert in our scope,

our "gto" family can barely cope.

Ties ripped off, shirts untucked, feel it "K" as we get sucked up by your magic!

Your like sex on fire!!!!!!!!!

Another meal savored, devoured, you always make me feel empowered,

to take this grilling game higher "K".

Let's dance, let's move,

let's groove till morning, never boring as we swing and sway to our own smoky beats.......

GG Love and special sauce!

The Grateful Griller says "Traditional Kamado's Zig, While Primo Zags"!

Greetings grateful grillers in the house of smoke and fire!!!!!!!

Well, well, well, how time flies when we're all having fun and I notice another ten days at least has passed me by since my last story from the kamado vault and the "gto" lab. My thoughts over the last few weeks have been quite focussed on the Primo product and the incredible cookers they manufacture and have manufactured over the last fifteen years or so. I must confess that I love all my cookers pretty equally and as all of you know I am a devoted purist when it comes to cooking or grilling, smoking or searing with these mystifying and remarkable devices called "kamado's".

What really impresses me about Primo however, is the vision that they had that many years ago to create a unique oval shaped kamado styled cooker that no one had seen or thought of before and that would eventually be the Big Green Egg's main competitor in the marketplace today, although Big Green Egg still maintains a sizable lead in sales, that's not the point at all. My point is that while BGE and others were zigging, Primo zagged, BIG TIME! You see, in my humble opinion folks there's only so much anyone can do with a circular shaped cooker, as fantastic as they are, there are limitations and that's precisely why anyone who's interested in one of these incredible devices should give yours truly a call so we can have what I have coined over the last few years my "facts without the fiction" chat about what you really need in a cooker like this before you spend your good hard earned money.

Let's face it friends, it's easy to walk into a store, any store these days bbq related or otherwise and simply be in that store browsing around wondering what you want to purchase and all of a sudden you are approached by a sales person who has already pre-decided what you need based on inventory on the day or simply because they might only sell one particular product that suits your needs and in most cases theirs, and then all of a sudden you are a moving target about to be sold something. Case and point! When I ventured out bbq shopping almost a decade ago with my wife I really only had a few concrete idea's as to what I wanted in a new bbq from a features and benefits point of view. The last thing I knew I wanted was another gas oriented grill for no other reason than they never really lasted more than three years or so for me, so why waste more money even if it means spending a bit more for the long run.

I also had no idea at the time what a "Big Green Egg" was and would only have ventured a guess that it was a planet somewhere off in the solar system that I was uninformed about! The chap who helped us was very nice, not aggressive, fairly informed about his craft and quite helpful and as we engaged with him I clearly remember being led over to this funny looking device which happened to be a "Big Green Egg"!

This is where things get interesting, and yes this will be the coles notes version of the story! He went though the over view of BGE all the while I was staring at the price and getting some serious looks from my wife who wasn't ready to part with $1500 pre tax of our hard earned money, but I was on a mission, determined to purchase quality and I knew that although I had no idea about this weird looking device that could have doubled as something that Mork from Ork travelled in to get to the show on , I was intrigued on that natural lump charcoal story, flavour, aroma, essence, quality, history etc, etc. What I didn't know, however, was that "Big Green Egg" was not the only "kamado" styled cooker in the world at that time. Nor is it today and if I would have been able to have access to a few other brands that were equivalent in quality and came with the same warranty I would have purchased the Primo XL because it fit my requirements best at that time but the nice chap we were dealing with had only one thing on his mind that fit our needs as "kamado" cookers go and that my friends was the case closed and deal sealed as they say, Big Green Egg it was! For the record, he was only doing his job but imagine if "The Grateful Griller" existed and could have educated us on our options before buying, what then? I know, and I admit that that was a selfish plug but you people get my drift right? Right.

We ended up putting our money down and it was by far one of the best product purchases I have ever made in my life because it not only inspired me to really take my cooking game higher but "The Big Green Egg" motivated me to start my own brand and to really explore, research, study, travel and become totally obsessed and possessed by these incredibly magical devices!

I am also happy to report that I still have that first medium sized BGE on my deck and it still churns out the best of foods all these years later and although it was the wrong size and product for our needs at that time its an extension of our family unit here in Wakefield today and one that I will never part with. So my message as I close this post is this. Keep your eyes open and do your homework before accepting the advice of anyone who might gladly take your money and steer you in one direction and look for the pros who specialize like I do in these uber niche markets because then and only then will you get the entire story, remember, facts without the fiction!

Today there are close to six companies globally that all make fantastic "kamado" styled cookers, all have unique features and benefits and all come with their own fascinating story that yours truly is excited to tell and yes, I have great relationships with all of them and pride myself on that and love cooking on and with all their products. So when the world is zigging, you might just want to zag!

As always and forever more my next few lines have been inspired by Xavier Rudd and altered by The Grateful Griller. If you've never heard of him just go buy his music and let's chill and grill together soon!

Grateful Griller's Tribal Feelings for Kamado

I guess I can say, you are all that I need.

Music and you and the air that I breathe.

I guess I can say, these feelings I have

come up from your hot coals and make me just want to dance.

I guess I can say, I'm so lucky today

to have my family and friends and the vibes that you bring.

The food, the fire, the culinary desire to let alchemy reign true and amaze us every day.

I'm so grateful for so much and want nothing more,

than to share you and your secrets with the world at large.

I love my obsession with you "K".

I love your simplicity, your beauty, your mystery.

I love our low "n" slow rapport.

You've taught me well

to say to hell with the fast paced jungle around us.

To live in the moment now, forever.

Let's keep dancin our kamado dance, its like a non stop trance!

Today, tomorrow, forever.......

Always feed that fire friends!

G

Grateful Griller Says, "You Think This Guy's Sexy"? You Should See His Light Saber Called Looft!!!!!

What's up grillers!!!!!!!!!

Can you all believe the weather that we are having over the last few days and weeks? I've been cart wheeling around my deck and smokin and searin up a storm, from fish to foul, steak to cake, doing it all griller style and dropping it down into low gear with high enthusiasm, go figure coming from yours truly! LOL! Well, this post has been on my mind for the last couple of weeks because this post is as much about the man as it is about the product he invented, not to mention the great team of guys I had the pleasure of meeting down in Orlando at the recent HPBA Show.

The company is called Looft Lighter, the man behind the product is Richard Looft! Both the product and the man intrigued me, fascinated me, not to mention blew my mind with what is going to become known as the sexiest, smartest and most practical natural lump charcoal electric starter that the bbq industry has ever seen and yes grillers, you heard it from the grateful one first! At least in Canada!

If the Looftlighter would have been around when Mick Jagger penned the words to "Start Me Up", this hot little tool would have been his motivation for the tune but more on this later. I enjoyed every minute I spent with these guys and I was not only sold on the product after seeing it demonstrated numerous times, but I was so impressed with the way this company presented itself in what was probably the smallest booth space at the show but the impact from the passion, authenticity and story from this company could be felt across the convention centre! The moment I connected with Richard, St.John, Nisse and crew I knew I was surrounded by guys who like myself, loved what they were doing as we carried on like a bunch of court jesters, laughing and sharing stories of food, family, friends, music and occasionally pausing to try and compose serious faces to talk shop or as I like to refer to it as passion!

Looft's story is incredible and one that a book could probably and will probably be written about some day, but in a nut shell, Richard got mad one day when chicken he was bbq'ing got ruined and tasted like lighter fluid! This former theatre director started thinking and the more he thought the more he became convinced that there was a greener and easier way to start the bbq. The mad scientist in him kicked in and with the help of a toaster, some coal and reverse airflow from a vacuum cleaner he soon realized the coal was ready to use in a few short minutes!

2003 saw the first prototype created and presented to the Swedish Inventor's Association and by 2005 Looft Industries Ltd. was established. By 2006 the first 5000 Looftlighter's landed in Stockholm and then the man behind the company knocked on the best retail doors to show off his product only to be ignored! Being the driven, passionate soul he is he fought fire with fire so to speak and parked himself outside these retail venues and asked for 60 seconds of time from each of the them and the rest grillers is history as they say.

Today Looftlighter is being sold as the leading edge devise of its kind to safely start both charcoal bbq's and fireplaces and is sold right across Scandinavia, over ten countries in the E.U. and you guessed it, LooftLighter has landed on terra firma right here in North America and for the record, The Grateful Griller is ecstatic!!!!!

Richard and team! The Grateful Griller congratulates you on your vision and I really look forward to helping you spread your message and awesome story to the masses of grateful griller's out there who need your product, big time! Here's to our next steak and pint together where ever we are in this world, keep on grillin!

Before I bid you goodnight fellow grillers, as you should expect by now, I share with you some Grateful Griller speak inspired tonight by none other than The Rolling Stones and my new found friends at Looft! Lyrics respectfully borrowed from the Stones and altered by The Grateful Griller.

Grateful Grillers Looft Really Start's Me Up!

If you start me up

If you start me up, I'll never stop.

You'll be runnin hot "K", so fast,

you might just blow your top.

These other gadjets can make a grown man cry.

Throw out the oil, the gasoline,

we'll be cookin smooth and clean with our new Looft machine.

Press on that starter,

I'm given you all I got.

No other riders keepin up to this heat!

Looft's gonna rough it up,

as it fires up our passion to cook and create together "K".

This grown man cries no more, eyes like dinner plates.

My lips are clean, my hands aren't greasy,

thanks to our new Looft machine.

So just fire me up,

give it all I got.

Looft's gonna teach us how to ride the wind at double speed,

taken us places we've never ever been.

Dreaming about the day we never stop,

chillin, grillin, never spillin while we're fillin our bellies with food and joy!

feed that fire and the desire to always take it higher........

GG

Welcome To The Grateful Griller's Kamado Kingdom

Hello grillers of the kamado kind!

What a night it was last evening as I did what I do best, hang out with family and cook till my hearts content which it never really is because I never want the celebrations or the feast's to end and I'm sure a lot of you can relate. Planked salmon was on the menu with roasted veggies, yogurt, mint, honey drizzle and cold as ice white Chateau Des Charmes Riesling which goes down like a fresh waterfall of spring like fruitiness that just takes the entire party up a notch or two if you know what I mean!

If I'm right, it was a full moon last night and if it wasn't then I still felt like howling at it because of how much fun I was having! All that said I was planning on writing a totally different post today but I couldn't resist this idea that came to me. It totally grabbed a hold of me when I got this picture of a brand new Primo XL recently purchased by a guy who was kind enough to allow me to use it for this post. Anyways, I'm having some troubles sleeping lately because I'm so excited for Spring and Summer to arrive, so, I'm typically up 4 or 5 times in the night listening to music or writing or trying to decide which kamado of mine is going to create our next magical meal.

I'm up in our loft gazing out of a huge window that faces our open field and I'm listening to some old New Order and Depeche Mode from the 80's and there in front of me is the moon slowly going down and making way for the new days sun. At that moment in the wee hour silence this picture said a million things to me and this Primo almost looks as if its being touched by the hand of god as the light hits it in the coolest way. Coming from a guy who's not very religious it was awesome and I realized just how much faith I have for these incredible cookers that I feel I owe so much to for all the happiness they bring me and the ones who mean the most to me.

Keep on grilling friends and never let the fire go out!

Do you think they can feel us coming "K"?

They just need to open the door, cos that's all we need.

I have this desperate feeling that grilling for the world is where we're gonna be.

We know they hear us knocking "K",

If there's a kamado kingdom behind it all,

then we'll take this story around the world and back.

In our infinite wisdom we're gonna show them how this "GTO" life can be.

We know that they know that we're not pretending.

Our two heart's beat as one.

Our tribal fires will blaze trails for all to see and feel.

Together we will all be grilled to obsession.....

G

lyrics for this post were respectfully borrowed from Dave Gahan and altered by The Grateful Griller.

Grateful Griller's Cookin All Day & Dancin All Night with Kamado!

Hey, Hey, Hey, GTO Nation!

Just the other day I was flippin through some old pic's of my travels with "K" and I was cranking some Kings Of Leon at the same time and got so inspired by their song "Manhattan"off their latest album that I said to myself, self, here's another story from the "grilled to obsession" lifestyle that I want to share with you all! Keep on grilling brother's and sister's!

A new day dawns on our deck

We're gonna cook all day

We're gonna dance all night

That's how we play together "K"

I said, oh yeah, yeah!

I said, oh hey, hey!

I'm gonna build your fire

I'm gonna stoke it up

We're gonna twist and smoke and tell a joke

Then we're gonna pass this cup to all who want to dance with us.

I said who are you?

Doesn't matter who you are,

Have some wine from my grateful reservoir!

We're gonna show you all how to kiss the stars!

We're gonna cook all day!

We're gonna dance all night,

Cos "K"s gonna show us how to see the light,

The Kamado light!

feed the fire griller's and the desire to always take it higher....

G

lyrics for this post were respectfully borrowed from "The Kings Of Leon" and altered by "The Grateful Griller".

The Grateful Griller Just Can't Get Enough Kamado!

Hola GRILLERSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

So, after coming back from the HPBA Show in Orlando USA, the Griller hasn't been the same! I not only met some great people down in Florida, but I came away with a sense of needing to up the ante and contribute to the ever exciting world of BBQ! So, without any further fuss my grilling friends, let it be baby! I love you Kamado!

When I'm with you baby, I go out of my head!

I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough!

All the things you do to me and everything you cook, I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough.

We dance and smoke as we fall in love and I just can't seem to get enough of you!

We drive together, we're driven down the street

and I just can't get enough, and I just can't get enough

Everytime I think of you, I know we have to meet, and I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough,

It's getting harder as I burn in love , and I just can't seem to get enough of you!

I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough of you "K"!

And when it rains, your still there grilling up for me, and I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough.

Just like a rainbow you know you set me free, and I just can't get enough, and I just can't get enough.

You are my angel "K" and you give me your love, and I just can't seem to get enough of you...

Feed the fire my friends and the desire to take your grilling game higher!

"GG"xx

Lyrics from this post have been respectfully borrowed from Depeche Mode and altered by "The Grateful Griller".

From Beethoven To Black Sabbath, The Grateful Griller's Tuned Into The Tone Of Your Party!

Hola Grilling Friends!

Now most of you were probably thinking I was M.I.A. the last few weeks but the truth is that I have been busy behind the scenes getting prepped for what is certainly going to be an exciting year in 2010 as it relates to the "grilled to obsession" lifestyle and "Grateful Griller" concept. I have also been putting the finishing touches on 24 additional stories for the blog that will certainly keep you all entertained and up to speed on the latest goings on in the ceramic cooking world with the latest gossip from the grill from all four corners of the universe!

First, some business to take care of and hints as to my plans for the coming high season! Its official that "The Grateful Griller" will be producing and selling the brand new "GTO" Modular Table out to other retailers across Canada who sell cookers like the BGE and Primo for the first time since I launched my brand back in May 2008. I took the decision to crawl before walking and start by marketing one style/design of table that will work and fit all existing ceramic cookers on the market today. Its contemporary yet slightly industrial design features will fit nicely onto virtually any deck environment and the Eastern white cedar is bound to turn heads! Pricing will come in at $450 CDN. currency with a grill package or $550 on its own. Stay tuned for further details on this and more table news in the coming weeks!

The new "Grateful Griller" revamped website will be up and running by mid March with some very cool new features and info on yours truly and helpful tips to inspire those who are contemplating a "walk on the wild side" with natural lump charcoal cooking! For the record I've always loved Lou Reed, had to throw that in there, LOL!

2010 will also see the official premier launch of the "The Grateful Griller", "GTO" Party Experience! Now, although I have been throwing down these parties for the last couple of years for anywhere from 5 to 100 people I have been doing it under the radar, so to speak, and haven't advertised it whatsoever! Well my grilling comrades, the cat's outta the bag! The Grateful One will be cruising the country side with a brand new fully loaded and grilled out, a.k.a. customized, event trailer which will be at each and every gig that yours truly is at, so, when you see it coming rest assured the party's not far away!

Some of you are probably curious about this blog post's title, right? Right! Well, let me explain. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love music and its been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember and a big part of the inspiration I get to keep telling my story to those who want to listen or who are just slightly intrigued and interested about my concept. I also like to listen to my music loud almost all the time and then it hit me the other day while on a long ski in the Gatineau Park. There I was skiing along to "IronMan" by the late and great Black Sabbath, dark lords of metal mayhem in their day and twelve hours later and after more skiing with my daughter, I was couch surfing to one of Beethoven's epic concerto's which literally put me to sleep until morning. When I woke the next day I thought to myself how cool it was that much like my diverse tastes in music so too are the diverse types of people I get to deal with all the time. No two parties are ever the same and my clientele along with the backdrops for these celebration's are ever changing, hence, the excitement of it all!

I have thrown parties for young people, middle aged people and elderly people since I started this concept and thanks to my clients I have been able to hone my skill at being completely tuned into the tone that my client's expect and desire and then thanks to food and fire alchemy takes over and allows me the opportunity to leave my clients with lasting memories of a truly unique experience that they will talk about for years to come!

So my friends, if you are entertaining thoughts of throwing an anniversary party, wedding party, birthday, stag, stagette, retirement, or street party and you want to experience something new and unique give the "Grateful Griller" a call to discuss your needs and be confident that from Beethoven to Black Sabbath the Griller has you covered all the way!

Stay tuned for further updates from the "GTO" corner on new friends of "The Grateful Griller" and exciting upcoming announcements in and around the Nation's Capitol in 2010 and whatever you do remember my favorite four grilling commandments, Food, Family, Friends, Music! It's that simple!

Feed the fire, and the desire to take it higher.......

The Grateful One

Hey Joe! Welcome to Canada, Eh!

This post is dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. A unique and unmatched visionary in his time!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Folks!

I'm hoping as per usual that all my grilling friends out there are rockin the decks even though the deep freeze has set in, "in the true north strong and free"! There's never a dull moment it would seem for yours truly as my adventures continue to lead me to some great people, new relationships and innovative products that relate to the "GTO" lifestyle and the world of ceramic grilling!

My latest story goes something like this. Star Date: Dec. 17, 2009, its 7am and -20 celcius but really feels like -30 with wind chill. I'm bookin eastbound at a buck thirty along Hwy 417 towards Montreal to conduct some business and over night it with family. The G-TOTE (Grilled To Obsession Toyota Enterprise) is fully loaded with all the necessary survival gear for the trip, LOL! I've got a head full of Hendrix going on as "Hey Joe" blasts through the speakers at the usual 400 decibels! I'm loving it as I haven't played any classic Jimi in ages and then I start thinking back to this great conversation I had with a gentleman by the name of Bobby Brennan who happens to be the commander & chief of a company called "Kamado Joe" based out of Flowery Branch Georgia and then it hits me! This is a perfect time to welcome what looks to be the possible and official contender/competitor to "The Big Green Egg" or any other kamado styled ceramic cooker for that matter to land in Canada to date and mark my words yet again fellow grillers, its time to sit up and take notice, especially if you are new to this grilling lifestyle and here's why.

Salvador Dali was once quoted for saying "genius's steal while talent merely borrows" and at first glance the "Kamado Joe" looks like a direct spin off of "The Big Green Egg", but not so fast I say, Jedi grilling knights, until you really take a good long look. As all of you know, I love it when I can speak and engage directly to the principle of a company who can share the same kind of passion as me for this cooking medium and I admit I've been fortunate to have spoken to almost all the owners with exception to only a few and that speaks volumes in my humble opinion to have access to these people.

So, I just took delivery a few weeks back of my brand new "KJ" cooker thanks to the help and generosity of the great folks out at Pacific Specialty Brands in beautiful Burnaby, B.C. As we all know, first impressions are lasting ones and to my pleasant surprise this baby which is the only model and size currently available in red go's toe to toe with the large BGE, comes fully assembled, incredibly well packaged and what do ya know, the entire kit n' kaboodle also includes bamboo side shelves ( major environmental plus and benefit I might add) and a stainless steel, powder coated cart for the record! While I'm on the topic of stainless steel I think its of huge importance to mention that these guys have done their homework in regard to the smaller details which make significant differences at the end of the day, especially for us Canuks because of the varying climates we live in.

You want examples as usual, right? Right, it only makes sense to justify my comments. We all know because I have been promoting, inspiring and engaging with people everywhere for a decade now on why anyone getting into outdoor cooking/grilling needs and should want a kamado style cooker wether on its own or to compliment the gas range as well. So, no more preaching about what you already know, here are the added features and benefits that no one else in the market place is offering currently like Kamado Joe.

1. stainless steel fittings and fastenings

2. stainless steel, powder coated side shelf brackets and band assist's.

3. stainless steel cooking grid with smoke chip trap door

4. bamboo side shelves and handle as already mentioned are extremely resistant to mildew and overall harsh weather like we get in Canada but great environmental story here indeed!

5. extra large, easy to read thermometer means no more squinting!

6. did the "griller" mention that it all comes fully assembled and all one has to do is unload, unpack and fire off the "GTO" invites to your friends and family for those weekly parties? If not, I just did!

7. as of 2010 "KJ" will be offering up color options as well!!!!!!!!! Yeah Baby! Finally, more color's to choose from!

If all this added detail isn't enough "KJ" will also be offering up the option of selling their clients a cooker without side shelves or a cart if you happen to be more inclined to want a larger table to house your new kamado. Now that's awesome, and yes, "KJ" will be selling and marketing their own full size tables in 2010! More details on this later! They have also got all the additional accessories cinched up to enhance your cook outs with a great pizza stone and their own very logical plate setter for those long low "n" slows. Price you ask for the entire enchilada? Hold on to your hats grillers! In and around $1200.00 Canadian currency out the door! That's literally hundreds in savings compared to BGE or anyone else currently!

If any of you "Grateful Grillers" are curious about warranty policy which you should be, no worries, Kamado Joe has you covered with the industry standard 20 years on ceramics, 5 years on metal parts (excluding cast iron topper) 1 year on cast iron parts and 30 days on gaskets and thermometer's.

I can already report that my early cooking test results are blowing my mind with this new product and I'm throwing everything and anything with the exception to the kitchen sink at it! At day's end what matters to me is can it cook and is it great quality and does the company stand behind it? The industry benchmark to date as we know is and has been the BGE but like I predicted a year ago and I've since made reference and drawn parallel's to my "shape ski" business analogy as it relates to the bbq industry a few posts back, healthy competition is a great thing and we are about to see that healthy competition take shape with Kamado Joe in the North American marketplace and quite frankly, I'M STOKED! Ouch, bad joke, I know!

What's not a joke however, is it would appear that this well organized, passionate bunch of folks down in Flowery Branch GA. have brought a shiny new "Smith & Wesson" to what has been up to now an amateur knife fight from a marketing perspective in the uber niche market of kamado styled cookers. For this reason alone I congratulate "Kamado Joe's" efforts and there's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that their guns will be blazing for many years to come as they like myself help spread the "GTO" message to the masses!

So my grilling friends, stay tuned for future updates and stories from yours truly as I continue to grill, smoke, bake and sear my way through life with those who matter most to me!

Feed the fire and the desire to always take it higher and next time you hear some classic Jimi Hendrix playing, just know "Kamado Joe" ain't far behind you.

The Grateful One

Stairway To Komodo Kamado Heaven! (Part 1)

This post is dedicated to Robert, Dennis and the best Zeppelin tunes ever written!

Hola grilling friends!

I am back from the beach in Mexico and even though its been a few days I'm still happily on mexican time and my head is full of beautiful images of my other home away from home! I must have a bit of Mexican in me because I love the people, the culture, the food and the endless adventures to be had in this epic part of the world that my family and I have been able to experience with each other for almost a decade now.

I have been looking forward to posting this next story for about a month now and it is the first time I am mentioning a product that I haven't actually tested myself but I have done my homework, spent countless hours on the forum and heard nothing but stellar things about a chap named Dennis Linkletter and his product, originally from southern California who now resides and has done so for the past number of years in Bali, Indonesia and who happens to be the principal owner of Komodo Kamado Inc.

It's funny if not ironic that while I was putting the pieces to this story together I was on the beach taking in the high noon Mexican sun one day while reading an amazing not to mention thick as a brick novel called "When Giants Walked The Earth" by Mick Wall. To date, in my opinion, the best and most detailed Biography of Led Zeppelin. Now, some of you know but most of you don't, I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Plant, Zepp's frontman in our little village in Wakefield a number of years ago and it was one of those incredible moments when you get the chance to meet an artist who you, in this case me, have admired ( more like worshipped) since the age of ten. FYI, I am the biggest self proclaimed Zepp fan in the world and if anyone wants to challenge that claim, be my guest, LOL! Seriously, it was an epic August day back in 2004 and the singer walked into our store at which point I did the triple take and finally got the nerve to introduce myself to confirm my assumptions and what do you know, I was right!

Within moments we were heading out the door and down the street to get a coffee and a quick chance to show him around our beautiful village. We had a great chat while discussing his latest tour that was in Ottawa that night, he compted a tiny group of us tickets to his show and afterward came back into our store to autograph some old disc's I had of both his solo work and vintage Zeppelin I always have in the office. All this was going on and I was trying to maintain a cool-as-a cucumber demeanor on the outside while on the inside I felt like an adolescent teenager juiced up on way too much caffeine and sugar who'd just witnessed the second coming of Christ himself!

Good time to get back to my new found friend Dennis and Komodo Kamado! You see, as I sat there on the beach contemplating my naval, I thought to myself how appropriate it would be to title this post after one of the most famous and one of my favorite Zeppelin songs ever, "Stairway To Heaven" with a twist. Well, it just makes sense that after all the ovens I've tested and worked with and after all the meals and smoke and fire and all the rest of it that I've gone through ( it sounds tough but its truly been a pleasure) the one oven that clearly combines the best of art meeting superior technology is without any doubt at all, Komodo Kamado! I mean let's face it grilling friends, this guy's done his homework and designed a true masterpiece of a cooker.

Dennis is clearly an out of the boxer thinker and has put his money where his mouth is by tirelessly researching the world over to ensure his clients get the very best in kamado technology and who can argue. From the New Gen 2's self opening lid to CNC laser cut frame assembly not to mention a laser cut airflow wheel this kamado sounds like more of a space ship destined for some far off land of milk and honey than just your average cooker. It evens boasts a stainless machined inner rod that has an acme thread to allow easy and simple adjustment of the damper top, go figure! Its body make up is refractory and not ceramic and thanks to companies like Harbison-Walker ( a world leader in materials designed for high temperature) Dennis has been able to not only master the production process, but prove that his cooker is the most efficient when it comes to fuel consumption, 16 lbs of lump over 85 hours at 200 degrees!!!!! That's impressive!

If that's not enough, these cookers can be customized with an exterior mosaic tiled and exquisitely colored finish that would make even the most accomplished of ceramicist's blush with envy. They also come with casted interior bands that support the lid and guarantee a perfectly aligned not to mention sealed fit all the time and are delivered fully loaded with all the necessary parts and gadgets to enable you, the "griller", to get off the tarmac and start grilling up a storm and impressing your friends! Now, for those of you wondering and who can't help but ask about price, its kinda like shopping for an Aston Martin DB9. If your already shopping and serious, price shouldn't matter, because we can all afford an Aston DB9, right, right! About $4000.00 CAD landed into the country and shipped out of Los Angeles, USA is the round about figure depending on exchange, plus taxes and shipping etc.

Personally, I will have to keep saving my pennies but thanks to Dennis he has connected me with one of his clients here in Canada for whom I will be dining with at some point and I will get a first hand look and culinary experience with this client for which I am truly looking forward to so that I can write Part 2 of what's been a most amazing experience thus far after getting to know the man behind this company.

So my grilling friends, another tail from the "Grateful Griller's" vault comes to an end but the culinary day dreams live on as we all ascend our own "Stairways to Kamado Heaven". I leave you with a few verses that will ring some bells for some.

And as we wind on down the road

Our shadow's taller than our soul

There walks a lady we all know

Who shines white light and wants to show

How everything still turns to gold.

And if you listen very hard

the tune will come to you at last.

When all are one and one is all

to be a rock and not to roll.

Lyrics: Plant/Page

Feed the fire, and the desire to take it higher!

The Grateful One

Lose The Tie, Kill The Crackberry, Decant The Wine, Start The Fire, Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Hola fire & food grilling fanatics!

As always, I am hoping you are all well and taking your ceramic grilling adventures higher and higher with each meal! I thought I would write some random thoughts about the "GTO" lifestyle that came to me while on a spectacular drive back to my home town last week to see my father in the Laurentians. The color's were still beautiful and the autoroute was virtually empty so it gave me great time to loose myself in thought about food & fire.

As the title of the post suggests, at least the first half, we all live pretty hectic lives today. Wether we are married or single, have children or not or perhaps we have stressful work environments to deal with or more than one job in order to make ends meet, one thing's for sure, life these days is hectic and we all need to disconnect and what better way than with family, friends and food cooked over crackling lump charcoal. I loved the fact that while I was on my drive my cell battery was dead, I don't own a blackberry and there was no way anyone could reach me for those few hours and it really felt great! My mind wondered on to thoughts of our next meal or meals for that matter, pork or beef or perhaps some fresh arctic char drizzled with lemon & honey served up alongside some delicious ginger glazed yellow string beans, topped with smoked malden salt, WHOA! ( note to self! keep eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, thank-you Jim Morrison!)

I guess what I am getting at hear my friends is that even yours truly has to disconnect sometimes even though my work, like my life, revolves around food and beverage and the next deck party and as my wife often reminds me that even though I wish it were Friday, it is merely in the words of "The Bangles", another manic Monday and we have to focus on getting to the weekend, I know you can all relate, I hope!

If you all own a ceramic oven like the BGE or Primo or maybe a GrillDome you all know what I am talking about when it comes to wanting and needing to cook, it becomes part of the daily routine that is the "GTO" lifestyle. It is about forgetting what's in or not in your bank account temporarily, forgetting what you were supposed to do for your boss or the fact that the winter tires have to go on the car at some point or even the fact that the dog has been begging you with her eyes to go for a walk for the last two weeks! No my friends, this is about the ritual of prepping what you need in order to take your grilling game higher and to make your family love you even more!

This is about leaving the office, and jumping in the car as you rip that tie off from around your neck faster than a speeding bullet you jam that crackberry into the glove box until morning and as you "reach down between your legs and ease the seat back" as David Lee Roth once wrote, you gently apply ample pressure to the gas pedal and head for home where your ceramic grilling utopia waits for you at the ready for the magic and alchemy to begin.

I know that cooking takes time and one needs to be organized in order to get proficient at having the luxury of mid week grilling/cooking but it can be done with a few simple steps so I have taken the liberty to put together what I have coined The "GTO" Ten Commandments to Easier Cooking and they go like this!

1. have a plan the night before and know your menu ahead of time

2. make sure you are good on charcoal & firestarter

3. light the fire first to heat up your oven, then get on to everything else

4. spice is nice, have it ready to season your culinary creation

5. cold beverages and ice, locked & loaded

6. wine is divine, decant or chill or perhaps both, you decide!

7. keep it simple, cause simple = delicious every time!

8. if using extra smoke, don't forget to pre-soak your wood

9. timing is key! will it be direct or in-direct on this day

10. Like Sly & The Family Stone said " I want to take you higher" so have that ipod ready and loaded with the best tunes to compliment the deck party and then simply welcome your guests to the "GTO" lifestyle.......

Ok my grilling friends, that's another one in the bag and I hope it helps! Until my next creative drive into the country, keep it real and delicious and remember, feed the fire and the desire to take it higher!

Many thanks to Van Halen, The Doors and Sly & The Family Stone for inspiring my drive on that day!

peace, fire, smoke, food.....

The Grateful One

If "Service" Is The Rent We Pay For Living, Then Colin, This One's For You!

Hello grilling friends!

A few weeks ago I received an interesting yet disturbing email from a guy named Colin. In a few words Colin introduced himself, commented and complimented my blog which he checks in with once and awhile ( thanks for that Colin) and then proceeded to tell me that he has been an enthusiastic griller, (understatement) for the last few years since he purchased his BGE.

Colin then explained that one night a few weeks back some really stupid yet I have to admit "ballsy" crooks walked onto his west end Ottawa property in the middle of the night and stole his BGE right out of his back yard! Now, I've heard some crazy things but this is up there, wouldn't you say? I mean, of all the things to rip off, why take someone's ceramic oven that dam near becomes part of the family once you own one, ( yes I realize I'm talking about an inanimate object here) but for those "grateful griller's out there, you all understand where I'm coming from. It pains me to think the crooks probably totaled it as well or maybe threw it into the Rideau river to see if a BGE actually floats as opposed to getting to their hide out and actually using it for what its intended, great food to be savored and enjoyed by kind hearted friends and family, go figure.

I promised Colin I would say my bit on the blog as these blogs go viral and hope that perhaps somebody would have a lead or two as to the whereabouts of his oven but part of me also knows I'm grasping at short straws. What ever the case, let it be a lesson to those of you with any one of the better ceramic ovens in our marketplace that there are people out there who care less and who will do their part to ruin your day let alone your next cook out. So start getting creative with the way in which you secure your property so this kind of thing can't happen. Booby traps, trip wire and rabid German Sheppard's who haven't eaten in awhile could work but realistically and kidding aside, now would be a great time to seriously think about locking down your oven in order to make it that much more challenging a feat to anyone considering a potential heist.

For the record, Colin's BGE was a large model, well used with a distinctive medium sized chip out of the dome just above the thermometer and if anyone has any info please contact yours truly and I will get the info back to our grilling friend Colin asap.

Colin, my heart goes out to you and your family man but I know you will get another oven unless yours in fact shows up and if we ever do get the chance to meet and cook with each other, let's make it your place so I can admire the artistic, medieval not too mention razor sharp cast iron spikes you've installed on your new fence!

Chin up brother and here's to getting back on the "grateful grilling" road.......

The Grateful One

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN & THE Jenson Button REGIME!!!!

This post is dedicated to Jenson Button, Team Brawn and Andrew & the gang at Absolute Authentic in the UK! Keep doing what you guys do so well!!!!

Hola Grilling Friends!

Well, where do I start and how do I explain the connection between my passion for fire, food and ceramic cooking with my other obsession, F1 racing! To hell with it! I'll just spit it out and for the record, it has nothing to do with the "Sex Pistols"! Yesterday, history was made in F1 racing with the World Championship title going to my favorite of racers being Jenson Button of England at the Interlagos Circuit in Brazil. JB raced to a sixth place finish but was able to clinch the title based on the overall points spread and what a day and season it has been!

It's a family tradition in our house and has been for the past 11 years since I got married to my wife Eva to gather every other Sunday around the tele, spark up the Primo and in most cases the BGE as well and indulge in a real english breakfast, fried tomatoes and all. BTW, grilling note, seared/marinated field tomatoes over charcoal is simply to die for! All this and a few pints of Guinness while our eyes and ears are glued to the screen hoping that our favorite driver will pull out a victory.

For me and every other true JB fan, it was special indeed because I, like millions of other fans around the world have waited almost a decade for this to happen and gone through the highs and many lows that come with the sport. I can remember in the painful B.A.R. Honda days getting laughed at in the Montreal grand stands dawning my BAR hat which has seen better days and on many an occasion almost getting into fist-a-cuffs with more than a few wannabe fans flying their typical, trendy, on the day prancing horse colors, no offense Equipe Ferrari, but it's true. No my friends, this is about raw talent, passion, loyalty, sticktoittiveness, guts, sweat equity and pure faith in a driver that has what it takes and always did and finally the universal powers and karma that be have come together and granted this champion his day on top of one of the most sought after podiums in the world of sport.

From the first drive at BMW to Renault, BAR and now Team Brawn, I say, Ross deserves to get the lead role as Gandalf in Lord of The Rings 4, not that its going to happen but technical magic like this with a new team in their first year, going toe to toe in the Piranha pool that is F1 is beyond magic, beyond wizardry, it's GENIUS! Yes indeed folks, it would be a blast and an honor to sit around the table or better yet, grill up a storm "griller" style for this entire team and toast them all from Canada with love for what they have accomplished for loyal fans like me around the globe for the last decade.

In Sir Frank William's words, "talent like JB's is not extinguishable". "It is a part of the man's spirit and part of his soul".

Here's to you Jenson! You deserve it and when your in Canada next, the steak's on me, thanks a million mate! Feed the fire and the desire to take it higher..........

The Grateful Griller

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Inside the Dragon's Den lies a DragonFire of a Cooker!

Hello Grilling Friends!

Dedicated to some fine Canadian musicians I have been listening to lately!

I hope this latest post finds you all well and ready for cooler weather because like it or not winter's coming and quite frankly it makes me salivate thinking of all the low & slow sessions I intend to partake in with my family, friends and favorite foods as we all wait for snow to fly!

Over the last year and half or so I have had the pleasure of getting to know a gentleman by the name of Jack Hobbs from Louisville Kentucky USA, principal owner and creator of a kamado cooker called the "DragonFire". I had the pleasure of meeting Jack thanks to some fine folks south of the border who connected me with him while I was conducting my personal research as to how much if any competition "The Big Green Egg" had in North America. You see, anyone who knows me or is a client of mine knows that my passion for this cooking medium started thanks to the BGE product and I got so "stuck in it" as Jamie Oliver would say I never looked back. Now I take great pleasure in making sure that people everywhere know as much as humanly possible about all the cookers and respective companies that exist before making their final decision.

Presently, there are only three kamado styled cookers available in the Canadian marketplace, Primo, known for their oval shaped ovens (that rock for the record), BGE, (the big green machine that owns the lion's share of the market in North America) and a relatively new company called "Kamado Joe" who have recently found a distribution partner out of western Canada called "Pacific Specialty Brands". I have yet to test the product but at first glance it looks like a direct spin off of the BGE but in a reddish, orange like color but more on these guys later.

Enter the Dragon! I have tested this cooker for about six months now and take it from me folks, its a force to be reckoned with once it officially hits our soil in 2010 if all goes well! Dragonfire Kamado's, produced in Asia, come with a lifetime warranty on all ceramic components and 1 year warranty on all other parts. Its spacious 19.25 inch stainless grill is impressive and all other steel components are 304 stainless as well. It's charcoal/black baked on glaze is pretty stealth to look at and the overall shape of the DragonFire is more bulb like than anything else out there currently and in discussion with Jack on more than a few occasions he has made reference to the shape being more efficient when lighting it up and after many a fire, I see his point. The internal ceramic components fit neatly in place and a wide flanged cast iron fire grate has a no nonsense esthetic about it. The seal is the thickest I've seen to date and works very well in tests conducted thus far and whatever the adhesive is I hope they don't change it anytime soon.

DragonFire has been shipping product within the USA since 2006 and could very well be the first Kamado cooker of its kind to make people turn their heads once it gets into Canada and here's why! I figured I would save the best for last. You see, the DragonFire will come pre-assembled and complete with a 304 stainless steel stand ( and you all know how I feel about stands if you've been reading my posts) which goes together in a cinch with a few turns of an allen key plus a greener approach to foldable bamboo side tables and a stylish bamboo handle to boot! All this and more will be retailing at around $999 Canadian funds!

There's no doubt in my mind that as this cooking medium gains momentum and gets more mainstream/popular in North America in the years to come, there's going to be more and more innovation and ceramic cooking options for the public at large to choose from and after all doesn't that make things exciting? So, stay tuned for update's on this great product and if you see a dragon out there, remember, they like their steak RARE! Until next time,

be passionate, be creative, be grateful.....

Griller

The Boys, The Bacon & a belly dancer too.......

Hello grilling friends!

What a few weeks it has been indeed! From the indian summer ending to the magnificent Fall colors peaking , yours truly has been deck hopping and man handling more than a few fires and in typical "GTO" fashion, they have all been amazing gigs with great food, music and people, but one I must admit sticks out above the rest. Over the past few months I have been in conversation with a client I will call "Juan" about the "GTO" grill package he wants for his deck and at the same time Juan wanted me to throw a small but delicious deck party with a "bachelor" type theme for he and twenty or so of his good friends.

Without hesitating I said, Juan, you name the time and place and I will bring the soiree! Done deal he said and that was that and the soiree happened a few weeks back in the beautiful Gatineau Hills and what a night it was! I rolled my rig into his driveway right on time and as I approached what looked like a very retro yet modern house nestled on a beautiful wooded lot I couldn't wait to see where the deck was located.

I jumped out of the truck, inhaled some refreshing fall air and proceeded down the stairs to case the joint and see what kind of grilling area I had to work with. As I navigated a rock cut at the side of the house and then rounded the corner I knew right away that not only the grill but the space was perfect for this number of guests who would be rolling in by 7ish or so. I wasted no time and got down to setting my stage, a few chairs here, a few chairs there, the table here and finally the grill table and oven right in the corner, a perfect fit I might add. I had met Juan halfway up the road going the other way to pick up some last minute party snacks and such and as we rolled by each other he said doors unlocked, make yourself at home, I'm back in ten minutes.

Seeing that my outside arranging was done, I unloaded the rest of the truck and cooler full of the evenings eats and made my way back down and into the house. Upon entry I was instantly intrigued by the homes angles, decor and retro vibe. Unusual artifacts and intriguing artwork hung from the walls while Miles Davis played in the background. Built in the seventies by a well known local architect, Juan had decided to keep it as it was built and change very little. The kitchen, my favorite place, reminded me of the kitchen I grew up in back in the Laurentians and every view from every window was epic. When Juan got back he was kind enough to give me the quick tour and we shared a good few laughs over stories about family, life and work and then we proceeded to get down to having fun.

I whipped up and dished out the fresh appetizer's which consisted of home made tzaziki, brushetta and grilled pita chips. Juan got the bevies organized and I proceeded to hit the deck and put fire to charcoal and declare the party started! Within moments, cars started arriving and friends started congregating on the deck as if it were a staged film shoot. One by one I was introduced to Juan's guest's all curiously throwing stares at his new prized ceramic possession and my prep table full of the evenings fare. I could tell almost instantly that this crew were close and had long lasting friendships with each other.

Wine started flowing and Cohiba's were being lit and savored as the aroma's of assorted cheeses and baguette were being smoke infused and crusted up for my guests. One by one I had the pleasure of engaging in conversation as I normally do at these events with some of the guests who's curiosity about the oven was getting the better of them. I am fortunate to be able to meet very interesting people from all walks of life doing what I do as "The Grateful Griller".

As the first round of food rolled off the grill and got consumed as fast as it was smoked the next "tapas" style fare hit the metal grid pattern and instantly sizzled as it met its dance partner. Smoke infused, maple glazed pork tenderloin with a light "GTO" steak spice crust was next on the list accompanied by a favorite of mine, maple/balsamic soaked portabellos, to die for and every client learns how to make them, its a must! As our daylight faded and the night sky took over our evening took an intriguing twist as Lady B. entered the scene but more on her later!

As the pork and mushroom medley neared completion I was putting the finishing lemon pepper touches on platter #3, some fine atlantic salmon I had purchased fresh that day. I continued to carve baguette at a bionic rate and I was in full "gto" mode at this point and loving every minute of it. Shortly after the final entrees were being served up Juan came around the corner to announce the main event was about to begin and to please gather in the spacious sitting room. Re-enter Lady B! A tall, slender, beautiful Moroccan woman with eyes as black as her hair. Lady B was hired as the evenings belly dancer to entertain Juan and his friends and no sooner than she made her entrance, the lights went down and I'm certain that the intoxicating sounds of drums and finger symbols could be heard all the way to Hull and back!

As I looked on and took the scene in I prepped dessert, while champagne was poured for the guests, none other than "The Tropical Black Eye", roasted oreo's, vanilla ice cream and seared pine apple drizzled with Calvados and a dash of cinnamon. It occurred to me as it always does that this is what the "grilled to obsession" lifestyle is all about, food, family, friends, music and evidently a belly dancer once in awhile, too much!

Feed the fire my grilling friends and the desire to take it higher!

The Grateful One