The Lowdown On Lump Charcoal!

Hola grilling brother's and sister's!

I'm hoping as I write this next post that all of you from far and wide are keeping those kamado fires burning in the name of food, family, friends and music and that all your culinary creations have been memorable ones to date! I have been literally grilling my way around Ontario these days between parties and weddings and everything in between. I've been grilling so much in fact that I got thinking just how much great charcoal I get to use and test and all the great flavors I am able to create thanks to some of the most interesting and exotic woods I cook with. On a recent trip to Toronto to hook up with Ted Reader, ( self professed King of the Q in Canada!) he was kind enough to show me the inner sanctum of Casa Q in Rexdale and what a spot he's got apart from all the amazing gear in his backyard! I was actually delivering one of our famous "Grill Rovers" to him for his BGE and Primo XL that he cooks with all the time.

I couldn't help but gravitate over towards this 1200lbs. Oklahoma Smoker that was loaded with I'm guessing about 50 lbs of pork shoulder that smelled sooo good and as it was ticking over at around 210 degrees I was examining it from head to toe and took a quick peek into the wood drawer and low and behold there was a beautiful mix of hickory, cherry and maple if I remember correctly and the smells were heavenly but the best part about this was it was real wood that Ted was smoking with. Now, not everyone cooks/smokes or has ever smoked this way before but wether you are using real wood or all natural lump charcoal the key to the flavor and experience over all is using the real thing, WOOD! Free of tars, toxins, chemicals, additives, preservatives and anything else bad, wood in its natural state takes longer to fire up and cook with but the results are incredible and lump charcoal is a wood bi-product that has been fired in large vats or kilns with the absence of oxygen for long periods of time hence its charred and then cooled and bagged for distribution.

Over the last few years there has been somewhat of a renaissance in natural lump charcoal cooking going on around us and its awesome to experiment with various lump as I do to explore all the wonderful tastes you can come up with every meal you cook! However, buyer beware! Don't just assume that just because a bag of charcoal looks cool and seems to entice you with big bold letters and flashy colors making it sound like you are going to have purely orgasmic grilling experiences, (although I have had a few over the years, LOL!) you have to know what you're purchasing and are you getting good value for that purchase?

Case and point! As it relates to the kamado world two of the market leaders being BGE and Primo have what you would think to be their own branded charcoal that's supposed to be that much better if used with their cookers but the truth is, its good charcoal, not great, but good and last time I investigated the topic it was and perhaps still is being produced by Royal Oak, by far one of the biggest producers globally under what's called an "SMU" or special make up bag/package in order for the company to promote their brand of cooker and the mark ups are steep and take it from me the savings aren't ending up in your pocket at the end of the day. If you like Royal Oak and you live in this country go to the big box store and pay somewhere between $18-$20 per 20lbs. bag but don't whatever you do think that the charcoal coming in the bags advertising the cooker itself is anything more than it is and if it is, ask the question, why? You'll soon get your answer and if you happen to be speaking to someone who knows what they are talking about all the better!

This brings me to another point! If possible, shop at a specialty store that has a variety of charcoal brands where you can do your research and deal with a pro. I have tested many brands over the years and to date I have really liked the following products.

1. Basque "Nature's Own" is a great product! Canadian to the core, this charcoal consists of a maple/ yellow birch mixture and doesn't burn too hot but imparts a great taste on anything you cook, grill or smoke.

2. Ono Brand is an all natural product rich in tradition and its from Hawaii and consists of a very hard wood called Kiavey which burns hot, hot, hot and takes more time to get up to temperature but when you do, you shall love the results and the smell from the wood is so sweet!

3. Groveland Brand is an all natural product of Mexico and is made up of orange tree wood and believe me you can actually smell and taste hints of orange on most things you cook especially meat unless my minds playing tricks on me its wonderful stuff!

4. Kamado Joe Brand is in fact an all natural branded charcoal that comes from the company that produce Kamado Joe cookers but where they are different is in the content or product itself. This charcoal is made up of an exotic blend of oak woods from Central America and also burns quite hot and takes a bit more time to fire but the results have been outstanding considering its the new player on the block. They also have their own non toxic fire starters that light up fast and are very convenient!

5. Maple Leaf Brand also comes out of Canada and frankly I've only fired it up 5-6 times and although its not my favorite by far, many people I speak to and who are clients of mine like it and like the price and the fact you can get it at big box locations for a bargain! Your call but the best in Canada in my humble opinion is Basque and no, they don't pay me to say that! LOL!

6. Big Green Egg and Primo brands are good but there's a price to pay for them! So if you believe in paying a premium, knock yourself out but before you do that you may as well get yourself dialed up with a bag of Royal Oak for close to $10 bucks less at least in Canada!

7. Cowboy Branded all natural charcoal from what I hear based on a new relationship I have with a store here in Ottawa's east end is also well worth its money and although I haven't tested it to date my gut tells me as well as the fine folks at the store that its great stuff and anything food and fire related coming from Argentina is worth its weight in gold for sure! All hale Francis Mallmann, one of my favorite chef's from that great country!

As I close this post out the most important thing to remember folks when and if you happen to enter the kamado world of cooking or simply happen to be grilling over charcoal is keep it a natural and chemical free experience and what ever you do, never use lighter fluid's or harmful products that could be bad for your health or Mother Nature. There are great non toxic fire starters out there that will run you about $6 per box and just recently a marvelous and safe electric product called the LooftLighter landed in Canada and although it comes with a price tag of around $90 Canadian its the best thing to happen to the bbq industry in years and no, they don't pay me for saying that either. When you factor in how many fire starters you'll go through in a year the math leans in favor of this new magic device which is going to literally light the grilling world on fire!

On that note my grilling friends I want to wish you all a wonderful Summer filled with fire, smoke and food for all to enjoy! May your glasses always be full and the memories of all those deck parties with the ones who matter most to you be remembered forever!!!!!!!

Over this past weekend I spent some great time with family in Montreal and as I walked through the streets of the old city it reminded me of my time spent with my wife and business partner walking the streets of Paris together and that brought back a time I visited Jim Morrison's grave site in Pere Lachesse Cemetery which I'll never forget! You can probably guess that since the weekend I have been spinning a lot of old Doors tunes so the final few lines sticking with tradition on these posts were borrowed from Jim Morrison and company and altered by The Grateful Griller.

Feed the kamado fires people!

"K" You Really Light My Fire

You know that it would be untrue "K"

You know that I would be a liar,

if I was to say to you, that we really couldn't get much higher,

when the truth is that what we've created is just about to catch fire!

Come on "K" let's light that fire,

and take our global grilling games higher.

The time to hesitate is done,

we're gonna show the world some kamado like grilling fun!

Try now we can only lose but we'll still get the chance to choose,

to continue down this ancient path together, forever........

GG

Kamado Joe Clears Runway for Grateful Griller's Take Off!

Hola grilling friends!

Well, without any shadow of a doubt the last few weeks have been crazy busy for yours truly as I have had my grilling pedal to the metal so to speak. I got the opportunity to host and produce the first "Kamado Joe" video tutorials that were shot right here in my back yard and what an amazing project it has been as we rap things up over the next few weeks. The sun's been intense, the weather's been gorgeous if not a bit tricky to shoot in and when your wearing black the secret to staying alive is drinking as much water as you possibly can! LOL!!!

I officially launched "Grateful Griller Productions" a few months ago and there are a number of projects in the cooker, ( no pun intended) for the near future to bring as much positive awareness to the "kamado" as humanly possible and by getting the chance to shoot the latest video's my brain has been buzzing with so many idea's that I will get to share with all of you in the coming months in my own unpredictable style!

The set and getting to handle and speak about all the fantastic "Kamado Joe" product has certainly reconfirmed my all out passion for this lifestyle and cooking medium. "Kamado Joe" is going to become, in my humble opinion, a market leader in no time at all simply because its great product that makes sense, looks good and is explained in easy terms wether your a novice and new to this world or a grand master grilling aficionado. After each days rap on set its been great to kick back with a cold one, spark up the kamado, and grill into the late ours of night! I smoked two awesome chickens a couple of nights back and baked a pizza to perfection shortly after and still had enough "KJ" lump leftover to bang off some bacon for the next mornings breakfast!

All that said and as the the title of the post suggests, by going through this video production process of articulating an incredibly positive message about an awesome product being the kamado it really has made me feel like a 747 on the tarmac, cleared for take off so I can spread this message around the world and back. For me, the kamado reenforces the importance of all our senses, especially that of smell and taste because its those senses that are connected with so many great memories on our decks enjoying time with the people who matter most to us, and who can argue? As my line goes, food, family, friends and music! They all make my world go around, how about you?

I want to give a shout out to my main men on set, Derek Thacker, editing guru and Jeff Denesyk, master shooter with the patience of Job! Both these guys have been able to teach me so much about the process and considering the learning curve was so steep the entire experience has confirmed my desire to take my tv game higher! Here's to many more productions in the future with both of you passionate grillers!

Finally, I want to personally thank Bobby Brennan and the entire crew at "Kamado Joe" for their trust and faith in "The Grateful Griller" and the opportunity to work with you all! I hope this is just the start of greater things to come on our grilling roads! So what are you waiting for people? "Ignite your passion for grilling", and get your "K" on and here's to the final cut in the next little while!

The next few lines came to me while listening to some back catalog "Oasis" and it occurred to me that the "kamado" really is my wonderwall. Some lyrics borrowed from Oasis and altered by The Grateful Griller. Peace, fire, smoke, food........

Wonderwall of a Kamado

Today's gonna be the day

that their gonna throw it back to you.

By now we should of some how realized what we've got to do "K".

I don't believe there's anybody who feels the way I do about you now.

Back beat, the word is on the street that the fire in our hearts is hot like the sun,

as we run with our message to the ends of the earth and back.

A re-birth of cool from the ancient Japanese school of food dancing with fire.

All these roads we've rolled down have been winding.

All the lights that have led us here have been blinding,

and I don't believe there's anyone who feels the way I do about you "K"!

Another great party and another great demo,

crazy pace this grateful grilling tempo!

Ottawa today, perhaps tokyo tomorrow, always feeling happy and never any sorrow.

Sparks will fly when the universal eye zooms in to take a look at this kamado book we are working on.

Its like one big song, a low "n" slow dance,

kick back, relax and slip into this kamado like trance.

This is our time to take it all the way!

The inner desire to inspire a global audience seeking fire, fun and a food fantasy.

An odyssey in experimentation where by the final equation equals simplicity and creative process with no need for a hostess because your kamado will deliver the mostest!

You just might be the one who saves me, because after all, you are my wonder wall,

protecting me from the big fall into an empty world of promises of quality and flavor,

and never getting to savour the truth of it all.

Yes indeed, you just might be the one who saves me,

because after all, you are my wonder wall.........

feed that fire grillers...........

G

A Problem We Can't Ignore! Grateful Griller Say's, Invest In A Kamado, Invest For A Lifetime!

Hello Grilling Nation!

I hope you are all grilling up storms of delicious food and enjoying the Spring weather not to mention getting inspired by the fires of your kamado! For the last few years I have been, as all of you probably know, on hundreds of decks throughout the Nation's Capitol and beyond, inspiring my clients and introducing people all over the place to the wonderful "grilled to obsession" lifestyle that I'm obsessed with and love to share with the world. What I have noticed on my travels however, is something that really concerns me on many levels and that's the massive problem with all the old, rusty, worn out not to mention cheap gas grills that litter our planet and end up at the end of the driveway for scrap destined for the dump for sure! I mean think about it for a second, if only 10% of our Nation bbq's (and we know it's more than that) and there's roughly 35,000,000 people that make up our over all population, the math is scary but true nonetheless of the massive situation we need to deal with now! It means that there are millions and millions of useless grills rusting away and polluting our planet!

I think its important to realize that if you venture out to any mass merchant retailer or otherwise in search of a bbq that's going to last you a lifetime, I have some advice for you all, save your time and save your gas money because you are only going to end up being disappointed with your purchase and you are only going to get a few years of life out of the bargain you think you got! Now for the record, I'm not saying head on out and spend triple the amount of money on a kamado, nor am I bashing the gas grill industry because the fact is kamado cookers are not inexpensive and they are an investment for life that needs to be thought out because not everyone can afford a kamado cooker, although , mark my words grillers, the competition is getting thick out there and you have choices and you all have me on your side to make sure you make the right purchase and pricing is getting better and coming down thanks to new players on the scene like Kamado Joe and Saffire who both have very nice cookers at very nice prices not to mention better quality accessories kits than the market leaders like Big Green Egg and Primo.

Remember a few posts back when I mentioned my wife and I spending close to $1500.00 for our BGE, money at the time we didn't really have but the investment for life was what I expected and hoped for and today that same BGE kamado is looking like it did almost a decade ago as are all the other kamado's that I own that bring me and my family endless and awesome not to mention delicious meals day in and day out. The reason they do this is because they are quality oriented products that are simple and are made to last and made to hold up in our ever changing weather and harsh environment. There's no servicing little parts or maintaining tubes or dealing with rust with these marvelous earthen vessels. No grillers, its about the ancient ways and products that existed on our planet thousand's of year's ago, that have been revolutionized for modern day use that are now starting to become popular again and are gaining the attention of the masses!

So, if you, like me, once upon a time, can't afford the investment right away, worry not, but save your money instead of burning it on cheap metal shit ( pardon the expression, but it's a fact) that sells by the boat load in stores all over North America for somewhere between $99-$899 because your not doing yourself or our planet any favor's. Also, don't just go anywhere for your bbq or kamado purchase, find the pro's, the specialists like your's truly who will give you the straight talk and facts before you open up your wallet and part with your hard earned money. In our current fast paced world we need to develop crap filter's that help us make better purchase's because god only knows there are piles of crap for sale out there in the big world!

This goes for the kamado business/market as well. Yes indeed grillers, there are companies out there that claim they make state of the art kamado's which I have personally tested and I have quickly turned them into beautiful planters for the garden if you get my drift, LOL! Now that "kamado's" are gaining attention and this tiny little market is becoming a full blown category I'm expecting Tom, Dick and his brother Harry to be on the scene anytime soon boasting about their skill set and knowledge on the subject when in actual fact the truth is, that they know squat about anything kamado related and are focussed purely on the money, so be careful!

One thing is for sure, you don't buy a kamado, you invest in one and a lifetime of grilling and cooking bliss! That's right grillers, I sell and market a lifestyle which I have adopted years ago as a way of living my life to the fullest and in doing so I get to share this lifestyle with my clients, my family and my friends and "K" as I refer to her as in my "gto" poetry which I use to close my posts is now my vehicle to drive my passionate message around the globe for all to read and be a part of. I also get a huge amount of satisfaction out of being a physical part of the transaction when my clients take delivery of their first kamado cooker and I get to be deck side with them showing them how to become "grilled to obsession"! I feel really fortunate to be making a living and making people happy doing what I truly love to do with my partner, "K".

Until next time grillers, feed that fire and the desire to take your grilling games higher!!!!!!!!!

The latest inspirational "gto" words were inspired by K-OS and DJ Tricky and as usual some lyrics were borrowed and altered by The Grateful Griller!

The Grateful Griller's Kamado Revolution, Evolution

If I understand things right, I'm gonna take it to the global mic.

I'm gonna tell your story "K" and start a "gto" revolution.

Family, friends, food, music,

on decks around the world.

An evolution of your body, yet the cooking secrets are the same.

Airflow dictates temperature as your aroma's penetrate my brain.

Same old song, same old dance,

there I am again in this kamado like trance.

The old ways are new again,

a revolution, an evolution without pollution!

A solution that's plain and simple.

If I understand things right, I'm gonna take it to the global mic,

cos this revolution has just begun.

This is not a love song, its a sonnet, dam it feels good to have people upon it.

I'm just a savvy fool and I'm play'in with the master's tools.

I'm breaking the rules of this one kamado companies coup.

We'll let them form the cults "K".

The Grateful Griller will construct the cathedrals around the globe called earth,

for all to worship your fire, your ash, smoldering hot like the sun.

Man is it fun knowing this journey's just begun.

Feeding the fire and having the desire to inspire!

With outstretched arms, we purchase our food from organic farms,

and welcome people in to feast and at least taste the difference you make "K".

If I understand things right, I'm gonna take it to the global mic.

We're gonna start a kamado revolution together "K".

Come January, February or May we'll always get to say that you provide us all from day to day,

with this food cooked in such a special way.

It makes me grateful for all I have, so may it never stop,

this chillin and grillin on all these decks called home.........

GG on Fire!

xx

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