Stairway To Komodo Kamado Heaven Part 2!

Hey family, friends, and fans alike!

I am without a doubt so excited to tell you all about my adventures over the last few weeks of excitement in and around the "gto" deck in the best little village in all the land, Wakefield of coarse!  So as most of you know by now, I took delivery a few weeks ago of by far the most incredible kamado cooker I have ever had the pleasure of setting my eyes and hands on, ever!!!!!!!!!!! You'd think by now that I have grilled on it at least a couple dozen times and I have all these awesome things to tell you about the way it performs but no, no,no,no,no,no my friends, that isn't the case at all. In fact, I have been in virtual ahhhh of this refractory stallion from Bali Indonesia since it arrived on my deck and have not yet fired it up which I will explain in a bit.

In fact, the day it arrived in one piece I stood on the driveway watching the delivery truck back up and I could hear the bagpipes and fireworks going off in my head as goose bumps formed from the tip of my kamado, grill obsessed, twisted cranium, to the very ends of my toe nails. With a tear in my eye this delivery I thought to myself deserved the red carpet and some, considering the research and time I have taken over the last year and a half to get to know the design features from a far and the story of this extraordinary piece of culinary art not to mention the man responsible for its creation, Mr. Dennis Linkletter.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Dennis over this time via telephone and email and he is the grandson of the late Art Linkletter, famous for his roles in "Kids Say The Darndest Things" and "Hootenanny", truly an American icon. I recall like it was yesterday connecting with Dennis for the first time over the phone and it was as if two over the top passionate people collided for the better over one common interest, the kamado cooker! What I thought at the time was going to be a five minute conversation to introduce myself and share my enthusiasm and passion for this cooking medium turned into an almost two hour ordeal and without a word of a lie I was sweating with excitement by the end of the conversation!

I didn't expect it but I was elated at Dennis's all out style, manner and excitement over the phone, a true inventor I thought, the man behind it all on the phone with me combing the subject of kamado like nothing I had heard before, truly exciting beyond belief. He'd speak and then I'd speak and then he'd tell a story and I'd come back with one of my own and on and on it went until we both realized we had our families to get back to until our next chat, lol!

What I also found fascinating about Dennis at a distance was the way in which he could describe the most intricate of details regarding his product with a kind of emotion and accuracy that is rare in our volume driven, mass market world today. Everything from the beginnings of Komodo Kamado as a company to the research and lengths that he has gone to to learn and understand the science and technology of it all blows my freaking mind! For the record, I learn so much from him when we speak that I have made it mandatory to have pen and paper in hand like a newbie university student taking in my favorite lecture of the day.

The OTB 2 Komodo Kamado stands over four feet tall and due to its incredibly unique and shapely curvature, it appears to be proudly standing at attention with chest out for all to admire while its base resembles that of a national class ballay dancers feet, poised and ready for the next move. Its exquisite custom tiled finish is called "matte ocean green" for which I have re-named it using the Spanish translation, "El Oceano Verde"as it's warm features instantly remind me of the spectacular Mexican background and village my family visit almost every year on the Pacific.

From CNC laser cut technology to 82 mind blowing pounds of stainless steel alone to acme threaded rods and a lid that opens as if a genie were about to emerge and grant you countless culinary wishes, the Komodo Kamado should and probably will have its own full page in Robb Report one day as the undisputed kamado heavyweight champion of the world! For obvious reasons I couldn't comment before I saw this masterpiece in person but now that I have I will forever compare it to the MacLaren F1 or perhaps the Aston DB12 of the automotive industry for it clearly has been created by a man, an artist and a team that utilize only the very best methods to fabricate and the highest quality materials known to mankind.

As of the new year, The Grateful Griller will be launching a video based initiative appropriately titled "Stairway To Kamado Heaven" whereby I will be exposing many wonderful aspects of the "grilled to obsession" lifestyle and the fun that virtually anyone can have once they commit to the kamado ways and with a tiny bit of imagination an entire world of flavors, tastes and great times are to be had and you will be able to catch these on the worldwide web or via my blog and yes, you will all get to see much more of the Komodo Kamado in action as it accompanies me on many exciting not to mention delicious journeys as we explore many a recipe and beverage on the "gto" deck!

I would like to personally thank Dennis for his trust, faith and confidence in me and concept that is "The Grateful Griller" and I am so very excited to tell his story and show off his art form to and for anyone interested to know more about the kamado of all kamado's! As for not firing it up yet, well, I'm planning on having a few close friends over who have been kind enough over the last few years to support me and my journey with "K" and whom I have a feeling will be here with me for many more celebrations to come as I inspire many more people to embrace the "grilled to obsession" lifestyle around the world! After all, a master piece like this deserves a special kind of ceremony to toast what's yet to come and as ironic as it sounds, I realize that I probably will not ever truly own this "Komodo Kamado" but will merely take care of it for the next generation of 'grateful griller's to come!


Now it would make the most sense to utilize some classic Led Zepp slam poetry to a posting like this but that's going to have to wait until the next tale from the grateful vault because as it happens the last few weeks I have been really into my Peter Gabriel back catalog and as some of you probably know Gabriel has done some pretty incredible things musically in his life and I'm a huge fan without a doubt! The other day before finalizing this post I had one of his best tunes cranking in the background and well, thoughts of smoke and fire and taking my grilling games higher took over and the rest as they say is history! The next few lines were most certainly inspired by Peter Gabriel and altered by yours truly. May you all enjoy and savor the holiday season with those who matter most to you and let's give thanks to living in such a great country with such an abundance of delicious foods! Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah to all and keep feeding your passionate desires to take these games higher!!!!!!!!!!

Grill on friends, grill on..........

Papa G

Grilling Games Without Frontiers


Weber has a red flag.
Broil Kings is blue.
They all have hills to show off their grills except for little "K" who?
The strange one in the corner made of clay wants to play, but the big boys won't listen!
Instead, they'll be missin out cos they figure they've got the clout while preachin the gospel on gas.
No thanks I say, GG's gonna pass and create my own kinda class, eye level with the world en mass!


Whistling tunes while grilling our balsamic shrooms by the deckside!
Whistling tunes while playing with your sweet smoky plumes amongst a gas jungle.
We're on the look out for grilling games without frontiers and fat steaks without fears of no flavor!


Your gonna be so popular "K"!
Your gonna be so popular with me by your side!
If looks could kill you would, should and will as you stand confidently amongst giants!
One look at your shape and your knack at making steak melt in the mouths of the masses!
Our Grateful Grilling classes will be foodie, friendly, family filled musically inspired bonanza's!
Off the cuff, but from the heart, as fun today as it was at the start of our journey together!


Whistling tunes while grilling our balsamic shrooms by the deckside.
Whistling tunes while playing with your sweet smoky plumes amongst a gas jungle.
We're on the lookout for grilling games without frontiers and fat steaks without fears of no flavor!
You and me are gonna stand firm and strong and keep preachin our smoky song to any and all who want to listen "K"!


Mass produced and affordable tin boxes come with empty promises of instant skill to thrill on the grill!
Not us "K", we've got a different story because passion is priceless and our DNA's are a match, so let's strike it and catch a fire and welcome the world's grateful grillers to take their grilling games,
higher, higher and higher!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Grateful Griller Is More About A Movement Than A Brand!

What's up in all of your smoke and fire filled world's grillers!

Whatever it is I hope it's been bringing you all huge happiness and tasty creations! My world over the last few weeks has been truly inspiring not to mention a tad crazy! As some if not all of you know by now I took delivery of the newest kamado called the Komodo Kamado to add to my "gto" lab last week thanks to my friend Dennis Linkletter in Bali Indonesia who has been producing these 650lbs. fine pieces of technological art for the past seven years or so. It was truly a day to remember as we, my Father-in-Law and I needed the heavy equipment to get it into place unharmed. I refer to the heavy equipment being a big old Hungarian tractor I have recently named "Boris" and without him I don't know how anything could get done on the vast acreage we live on!

All this said, we were able to get the new kamado into place without incident, thank-god, and while we were busy rigging the hoists for this beautiful, precision oriented, mosaic tiled, kamado grilling, inverted pylon of perfection I couldn't help but look back on what has been a truly remarkable and personal journey thus far with the kamado cooker since 2001!

Now, today, as some if not most of you know I now make part of my living by throwing down pretty unique and "out of the box" parties called "The Grateful Griller Experience" whereby, mostly all the food I prepare is grilled and or effected positively by smoke coming from these marvelous earthen vessels while my clients get to look on, be entertained, and hopefully become inspired to the point that they too want to become their own "Grateful Grillers"! Trust me people, its not hard to catch this bug and when you do, the pleasure, the pictures, the parties not to mention the extraordinary food will make fantastic stories and memories for the rest of your lives.

That's just it! The back catalog of memories I hold today of the places I've been and people I've met and parties I've thrown for family, friends and clients alike are to me, PRICELESS! This is why for me, my business today is so enjoyable because its more about inspiring millions of people one day, I hope, on a lifestyle, the "grilled to obsession" lifestyle that has brought me so much joy as opposed to just another unit that needs to be sold for the sake of the sale, and that's coming from the mouth or should I say keyboard of a veteran sales guy, LOL!

As this post title suggests, The Grateful Griller today and forever moving forward will be about creating excitement about the kamado and food and fire and smoke and desire to taste the difference on this side of the fence. For me, its also about the excitement and the movement I am in the midst of creating and  the party and ultimate celebration with those who matter most to you! If this all makes sense to you then you know who to call and hire for your next party!

This last couple of weeks has also felt a bit like a chapter closing out in a favorite book that you can't put down . I still remember the day like it was yesterday when I brought my first kamado cooker home and thought that the Big Green Egg was where this whole experience started and ended, lol! Little did I know then that an entirely new world was about to open up for me and here I am all these years later still learning about these mysterious earthen vessels. Its also been incredibly cool to meet all, (almost all) the interesting people who like me share a passion for all things kamado.

Today a kamado cooker can be purchased anywhere between $500 to $4000 and its fascinating to see and learn all the differences in technology between the various cookers that are available on the market. From the bare bones cheap and cheerful to works of fine art like the Komodo Kamado I look forward to the day that these cookers get the international attention they so deserve for no other reason than the incredible results they produce with any food when they are fired up and its so very easy to learn how! Its also for this very reason that my philosophy about "The Grateful Griller" as a business has changed, even morphed dramatically from merely selling units of one particular brand or another to now, through  "The Grateful Griller Party Experience" articulating a much bigger and louder message about this "grilled to obsession" lifestyle and my kamado turned conduit I call "K" for short.

Don Henley, former Eagle penned the lyric, "yesterday I saw a dead head sticker on a cadilac and the little voice in my head said, don't look back you can never look back". I love these words and they are so true. We can't get the best high school or college days back, or our first real kiss that felt like fire works going off, we can't bring loved ones back from the dead nor can we relive that first stadium rock concert vibe. One things for dam sure however, we can live for the now and dream big for tomorrow and thank the likes of Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Primo, GrillDome, Saffire and Komodo Kamado for taking the time and looking back themselves to ancient times and learning, studying, and passionately pursuing the goal of recreating the kamado cooker as we know it today and they are bigger and better than ever friends!

I also know that without the kamado, "The Grateful Griller" in its current form wouldn't even exist so when I get my own sticker you can all have one for free but you have to promise me that as I welcome each and every one of you onto my magic bus we will get grilled, chilled and obsessed together!

Feed those fires and desires to take your grilling games higher! The next few lines were inspired by Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins who I love dearly and as per my signature style people, the lyrics were altered by yours truly!

Grilling Zero's To Grilling Hero's


I feel a deep connection to that reflection I see in the street corner window.
I'm a grilling lover who will cover all your smoky bases and never forget your faces,
while putting me through my paces as we party from dusk till dawn, savoring every single salty prawn,
while chanting this grateful grilling song to anyone who cares to listen.


Your the one for me K,
you're are all I really need, you're the one for me K,
like my daily hit of speed!


Save your prayers and embrace the dares,
wanna go for a kamado grilling ride?
With humble "g" we'll take it in stride and all my grilling secrets in you I will confide,
and on this side of the well you will soon learn why life is so swell when you're not dancing to someone else's ringing bell!


Intoxicated with this grilling madness, I'm in love with the smoky radness!
A cheeky bit of culinary badness cos cleanliness is godliness,
and godliness is grillingness and grillingness is happiness,
and happy is me alongside the rest of this global grilling family tree!


Full to the rim, spilling over the brim with no excess fat to trim, we can all embrace each other and celebrate a new day about to begin.


Feed the fires and all your grilling desires friends...........

The Grateful Griller Is To The Bbq Industry What Punk Rock Is To The Music Scene, Different, Perhaps Even Purple!

What's happening grilling friends and fans!

I'm always so surprised that by the time I get a new story up on the blog about my adventures with "k" four weeks goes by or sometimes six and I find myself saying, where has the time gone and what's taken so long to come up with another ditty from the vault? All that to say things are grand in the "gto" corner here in my favorite village of Wakefield Quebec, Canada!

So!  Lately and for no good reason I have found myself listening to many punk bands of the 70's and 80's from old Ramones to Dead Kennedy's to The Exploited, Iggy, Bauhaus and Pixies, if you want to call them punk, to Sex Pistols, Joy Division, etc, etc.

This got me thinking about my overall passion for grilling, my obsession for the kamado and equal obsession for food, family, friends and you guessed it, music!  It also got me thinking about a great thing that happened to me about eight months ago when I received an unexpected email from a relatively new contact in the bbq industry who happens to live south of the border down in the Atlanta area. The email was short and to the point and read something like this! "Hey, Griller! Did you know that there's a book called "The Purple Cow" and your company/concept is mentioned in it on page 176 and the author of this book is one of America's top rated "marketing guru's"?

At first, I thought, why is someone trying to yank my chain on a Sunday morning about some book I've never heard of, let alone try to convince me that my business has been listed as a "remarkable" idea/concept that anyone reading the book will see in clear black and white! Honestly, I thought, what a load of crap that a little guy like me with the massive dreams I have, not to mention the energy to make them reality and the vision for the amazing kamado cooker would end up in some book by some super star author who's US based, let alone some authority on the topic of marketing. Ok, what's the catch here is what I was thinking at the time! cynical or what? LOL!!!!

Then I found out who the author was, Seth "freaking" Godin! For the record, that's not his middle name! Privately, until now that is, I was, and still am a huge fan and have read and highly recommend a number of his books like The Dip and LinchPin to name but a few. When my new found business friend Bobby down at Kamado Joe in the USA went a step further and took a picture of the caption in the revised version of a book called "The Purple Cow", ( for all you crazy, on the ragged edge, entrepreneurial misfits out there, go buy the book and thank the "griller"and Mr. Godin more importantly later) and sent it to me I was actually speechless for about ten minutes and anyone who knows me well knows that's almost impossible!

All this to say that I was elated but shell shocked at the same time and really, really curious how Seth Godin and his team found out about this small humble guy called "The Grateful Griller" and how my business concept ended up getting approved to get printed in this new revised version of the book. This is where the story gets cool! It started as a call/email to me from thousands of miles away in the USA from a Bobby who was on his couch or in bed on a Sunday morning reading this new book that I believe he purchased for all his employees at his company. I then took this info and within twelve hours purchased the book myself, turned to page 176 and bingo, there's this small paragraph on what makes my concept unique, fantastic I thought! Then I went so far as to email Seth Godin himself thinking to myself at the time, he's never going to get back to me, he's too busy!  Within 30 minutes I get an email back confirming and congratulating me on the caption and it's from the man himself! Perfect I thought, just freaking perfect, you could have knocked me over with a feather!

Yes, the story gets cooler still! It turns out, and I'm hoping I've got my facts straight here that fan's of Seth Godin had the opportunity to submit names of companies who they thought were unique and perhaps even remarkable like a "purple cow" sticking out amongst a pasture of ordinary milking cows. As it turns out, there was such a follower/fan of my blog named Rod who lives no more than a 30 minute drive from my house in Canada's capitol city being Ottawa who was kind enough to submit my companies name into the pool, and what do ya know, it got picked amongst many other unique companies.

Talk about going round the world and back, ok, the continent, I've been known to exaggerate at times but this is what's so amazing about our universe today my grilling friends! You can be located in Canada, America, India, Indonesia or perhaps even Australia and for the record and thanks to the internet I've got great relationships with people in all these places as it relates to my passion and my business and its the internet that I need to thank for it.

I also need to thank guys like Rod and anyone else for reading my content and hopefully enjoying what I have to say about something I am so passionate about, the kamado cooker. For the record, Rod and I have never met in person, ( that's about to change because there's beer involved, lol!) as of yet, although we communicate via email regularly, its his brother ironically whom I had the pleasure of working with at a local television station about a year ago to cut my teeth with television work for the first time on a grilling segment I did for his show on a monthly basis here in Ottawa.

At the end of the day what this entire story and experience has taught me is to keep it real and exciting and raw and edgy and unedited and delicious and most of all, keep it coming from the heart! I've learned thanks to people like Rod and author's like Seth Godin and all my other wonderful clients and family and friends that we have no time to waste on this journey of ours by faking it! As my late Uncle Joe used to say to me, Michael, life is not a dress rehearsal!

  The kamado cooker and all its ingenuity has turned into an incredible vehicle and a great friend of sorts for me over the years and I'm as excited today as I was ten years ago to introduce it to anyone who cares to listen. I used to rely on it for income, solely based on how many units I could sell but now I have found a unique way to introduce it and the lifestyle that comes with it to people everywhere via my"gto" party experience and its far less about units sold and much more about great times had with fire and smoke and ceramics and the extraordinary results that are attained when you combine the three and get your deck rockin! At the end of all this fun and if my client wants to purchase a kamado they just have to give me a call and I'll take care of the rest!

Today in my role as "The Grateful Griller" I strive to be as unique and different and out of the box as I possibly can, always trying to stretch the envelope with tastes and foods and the various ways they are  presented in order to blow my clients and their taste buds away but also keeping it simple so anyone wanting to venture down this path and cook like I do can accomplish it with ease over time.

Thank-you Iggy, Johnny, Black Francis, Joey, Peter Murphy, Jello, Ian Curtis, Rod and Mr. Godin for giving me the courage to carry on with my journey with my friend I call "K"! It's books like "The Purple Cow" that give me hope that people everywhere will sit up and take notice of tiny concepts like mine or more importantly start their own movement's with their own passion. I get such a rush when I get hired for gigs because I know I'm going to make a positive impact in my client's world as well as their guest's and friends by bringing them far more than a simple catered event and I do it in the form of food dancing with fire and taste's that come together that they have never experienced or desired before!

For your next unique party experience, you might want to consider "The Grateful Griller" for the occasion, unless you want to settle for the norm served to you on a white doily by a guy or gal in a tux or tuxette with white gloves who's simply punching the clock or you can request the "purple cow" dancing in the corner  to his own tune for now and evermore.......

The next few lines were inspired by the group P.I.L. and their song Rise and altered by yours truly!

Rise Purple Cow Punk, RISE!!!!!!!!!

I could be wrong, I could be right "K"
I could be black or I could be white.
One thing's for sure, we're gonna to grill today, we're  gonna to grill tonight.
We're gonna demolish these foodie walls cos we've got the balls to take this message all the way!
The time has come to dawn my second skin!
A self propelled vault onto the catapault and another peak on our journey thus far together.
After all "K", we know the valley's all too well, hey! what's that smell?
Your sweet smoke, its no joke, it wraps me like a cloak and gives me strength to carry on singing this kamado song!


I could be right, I could be wrong "K".
I could be white, I could be black, just look at those chips stacked and packed like a wild game of grilling poker with you and me playin the jokers and smokin our way to the stars "K"!
Grilling is an energy!
Grilling is an ENERGY, and the synergy between you and me is forever!
Together we will bare our grilling souls for all to see and savor, all those exotic flavor's born and cured in your belly fire will eventually inspire the masses to follow suit.


Todays kamado secrets will be tomorrow's hottest trend, so let's bend the rules of engagement and pursue that deal we're gonna seal in good time!
Kamado grilling is an energy!
It's a passion!
It's an addiction!
It's a force and with every delectable course you produce, we thank-you for the fruitful abundance we are given!
You are my obsession and my one possession and my confession for my feelings about you "K" are now going global!




feed those fires friends..........


GG

Consider The Grateful Griller Your #1 Kamado Consultant!

Greetings grilling brother's and sister's across the land!

Well now, don't you all love the Fall smell in the air as we head into yet another season, my favorite I might add, as we wait for all those leaves to change color yet again? Even though I am an avid skier and love winter, for me, there's nothing better than grilling in the Fall with friends and family gathered round the kamado as we share stories of a summer past and new aspirations for the cold winter ahead!

Fall for me is also a time to reflect on the year so far and look back and figure out what worked, what didn't and dream of new places to see, people to meet and parties to throw down, "griller" style! Since the inception of "The Grateful Griller" back in May 2008 I have felt really lucky for a number of reasons to be doing what I do as the "griller".

What started out as a simple idea just a few years ago has now morphed into many directions and initiatives for my business and one thing I believe I need to do is explain and perhaps clarify for many people that find out about me or even those who know exactly what I am doing, the view from my vantage point and my plans for the near future. As The Grateful Griller, there has been some confusion out there since I stopped retailing the kamado, particularly The Big Green Egg on how I make a living while inspiring the masses to invest in this great product, and now I intend to set the record straight so everyone gets it and knows exactly what to expect when they contact me for information as it relates to any or all the main players in this niche category that I believe you need to know about.

First off, I started selling the BGE product line back in 2006 and before I launched my company, because I literally fell in love with it, it being the BGE and knew it was a special product that needed to be marketed far better than it was at the time. Secondly, after committing exclusively and building a good relationship with the Canadian distributor of BGE in Canada and selling a pile of units in a very short time I realized through extensive research that I was conducting at the time that there were other products that resembled the BGE out in the world that might be as good if not better than the BGE and hence my home work began in earnest!

It also became very clear to me that the margins involved and the effort needed to make any real financial gain at retail with this particular device were bleak at best, at least with The Big Green Egg product range, so I had to come up with a solution that worked for me and hence "The Grateful Griller" was launched! After all, why work for next to nothing building equity in someone else's brand if you can start your own and that's exactly what I did and I have to admit, I have to thank the Canadian distributors not to mention The Big Green Egg for my passion for the kamado cooker! Not only did I do research but thanks to the internet I was able to connect with various kamado suppliers worldwide and strike up some great friendships along the way from Canada to the USA to the land down under in Australia to as far away as Bali Indonesia where the holy grail of kamado's comes from thanks to my friend Dennis at Komodo Kamado.

Thirdly, I am a sales and marketing guy first and I'm humble to the core but have a huge positive not to mention ambitious vision for the kamado, and the cooking experience to go with it and how it can positively impact your life on the deck with the people who matter most to you. I intend to spread this message around the world as fast as I can and the world wide web has become my best friend on my crusade! I also happen to be a passionate griller and am known for loving a cold pint or two with friends and family when ever humanly possible!

2010 has been the year going back to late January that I set forth with all my information and really started to educate and inspire those people out there that wanted to know and learn more about this device called "kamado" and what their options really were/are. I am fortunate in that I own practically every kamado styled cooker that exists today that I believe needs to be recognized as a product/manufacturer worth considering before you make a move and spend money, and yes, there's a lot to learn and be aware of before you make the plunge and purchase. I know for a fact today that if I had known that Primo existed at the time that I purchased my BGE I would have purchased the Primo for many reasons over the competitor because of their unique oval shape that is more versatile than a circular cooker, end of statement, no debate!

At the beginning of this year and just after the Ottawa Home Show I affiliated myself with less than a hand full of what I consider to be reputable and customer service oriented retailers in the greater Ottawa area and other parts of Ontario who have existing kamado type product on their floors. I made deals with them to be a conduit for this product category and drive sales to their stores in return for a percentage of the sale, cos after all, we all have to make a living and no one in my humble opinion knows as much about this product or category than yours truly, even the retailers! This gave me the chance to eliminate the hassles that come with inventory and other over head and focus on more important aspects to my growing business. So, virtually over night as this post title suggests I went from The Grateful Griller retailer of one particular product to The Grateful Griller consultant to the masses on everything to do with kamado and I have not looked back since!

2010 has also seen the launch of The Grateful Griller modular table that has sold extremely well right out of the gates. My production partner is local and the future is bright for our creation because its home grown, nice to look at, functional, and did I mention that the table fits practically all the major brands on the market today and comes in at a really attractive price, approx. $550-$600 depending where you get it from. Stay tuned for further developments on new designs and other stuff as we head into 2011!

I also launched the Grateful Griller Demo in 2010! This has been great because it has allowed me the opportunity to do what I do best, get on the decks and inspire people everywhere to get their "K" on and invest in this great lifestyle! FYI, I charge $100 per hour for this service and there is a three hour minimum charge, ( food and all beverage is extra) and when I'm done teaching and grilling for my clients they are that much more educated and everyone has had a great time and eats well! The other cool aspect to the demo is that it takes place at your house on your deck where you are in your most comfortable element and the vibe/dynamic is really cool to say the least!

The demo's were so popular this year that it inspired me to create yet another branch of my business called The Grateful Griller tapas test drive party! This is basically my condensed mobile party that I will throw down for up to 12 people in order to give potential clients a chance to test and taste the results that these fine cookers produce before they take the plunge and purchase! The price is $500, with a five hour minimum on site and food/beverage is extra and no need to worry my friends, I bring all my own equipment in for the experience!

On the topic of parties the biggest growth for my concept this year came as a bit of a surprise to me considering that I didn't advertise it at all but evidently word of mouth has spread like wild fire about this guy who calls himself "griller" who shows up at your place with a party experience on wheels for up to 120 people and rocks the deck with a loaded menu consisting of appetizer's, entree's, sides, and desserts that take over your taste buds and introduce your guest's to a magical world of smoke, fire and food that will take anyone's grilling games higher! For pricing simply fire me an email or give me a call!

As I have always said, The Grateful Griller is part sales/marketing and part food entertainment but most importantly it gives people the chance to witness and experience the magic behind grilling/cooking with ceramics and an opportunity to celebrate your best friends, family, food and music to go with it all! 2011 is already being planned so if you have a party in mind and want a totally different, out of the box experience, you just might want to give The Grateful Griller a call to make it happen for you!

The Grateful Griller will be ramping up the blog efforts going forward and the web site and look and feel is being re-branded currently as I write this post. I now have a number of product endorsements with some great companies ranging from Ivo Cutlery Canada, Thule, Epicurean, to name a few! For the record, I am not currently endorsed by any kamado specific brand, therefore, any cooker that I speak or write about at this point in time is inspired from the heart and personal experience and not the pocket book if you all know what I mean, so yes, I am coming at you with unbiased information and knowledge based on my own grilling experiences!

Grateful Griller Productions will officially launch in 2011 and thanks to Kamado Joe in the USA we were able to produce our first video project which you can all see by going to their site www.kamadojoe.com or hitting my blog. It was a great experience with great people and there will be many more projects like it to come in the near future related to the kamado and outdoor grilling!

As always my friends you can follow my activities on Face Book and Twitter and stay tuned for new developments and announcements for 2011 in short delay! As always feed the fire and the desire to take your grilling games higher!

As you all know by now, my passion for music of all genres really inspires me to pen some notes at the end of these posts as a kind of explanation or statement of sorts on what has been a long strange trip with the kamado not to mention an exciting one, which, in a lot ways has only just begun. Now it seems that as every day ends and a new one starts for me, there's no shortage of tunes and artists out there, thank god for that, that don't inspire me in one way or another to keep on keeping on with my journey with you guessed it, "K"!

These next few lines are inspired by the king of punk rock himself, Iggy Pop! I can only hope that I stay as rebellious, raw and forth right in my message about the "grilled to obsession" life and that the inner fires keep dancing with the tunes. As always and with enormous respect the next few lines come from "Cry For Love" and have been altered by yours truly! Feed it folks, just keep feeding it!!!!!!!!

G Love and special sauce!

Griller's Crying for Kamado Love!

Status seekers, I never cared for,

once I found out, they dared not go forth.

To seize the grilling world and shake it upside down.

If I had it my way every homeless man would wear a crown.

Say, I'm cryin tears of joy,

over this new found knowledge I'll deploy.

They must know now that you're not some token,

I'll keep blazin this trail till all the plates are broken and my eyes,

drenched, dusty and soakin!

Every copy cats morning, we know imitation's boring,

but we'll keep cryin for some kamado love!

Bad marketing insults us freely but I'm poppin my own wheelie in a new direction!

I'm always searching for that meaningful embrace.

At times my self respect has taken second place, but still I keep cryin for some kamado love.

Surfers ride for that love and wipe out when it hits'em.

Musicians play for that love and keep going till it almost kills'em.

The Grateful Griller inspires for that love and ignores it when it resists him,

but still I keep cry'in for some kamado love.

smoke and fire always takin me higher!

GG

A Kamado Could Just Seal The Deal On Your Next Kottage Rental!

Hello grilling brother's and sister's across this great land!

Well, Summer's not quite over and it's been great to savour the last few cold pints while hanging with friends and family on the deck! I personally am not going to miss the humidity but as long as my kamado is next to me I'm good to go and go and go!

I had the pleasure earlier on in August to hang out north of Wakefield at a great cottage that my family rented on Lake Pemichangan up near Mont Ste. Marie ski hill and what a great time it was! The water was perfect, the weather was perfect and the family and friends that were up there, well, they were all perfect too! In typical "grateful griller" fashion I loaded a few kamado's in the truck and after a gig I had to do in the city made my way up the country and would you believe it if I told you all that I actually had a dusty old "Canned Heat" disc in the truck and I cranked it all the way into the woods! Yes its true!

This post is actually a heads up to all you avid griller's out there who have a kamado already and even if you don't but you happen to be looking into renting a cottage in the near future you may want to look into wether the place you'll be renting has one on site! It's not only a great introduction into this wonderful grilling lifestyle but it would save you from having to shlep yours to where ever you are traveling to get away! I see this becoming quite a selling point on any property that people want to rent because after all, you all want to eat well while you are away and I can't think of a better perk than to have a kamado on site when you arrive! It'd be like home away from home at least in the food dept.!

My friend Jennifer Heagle who happens to own "The Red Apron" in Ottawa, ( fyi, best dam, not to mention delicious food to go in the city!) owns a spectacular house in the hills, www.gatineauriverhouse.ca not more than 40 min north as the crow fly's right on the Gatineau river! The house has got all the luxuries one looks for if you need to get away alone or with a bunch of friends and family. Golf, nature, water and an incredibly tranquil surrounding in the heart of the woods!

The cherry on the cake here folks is that it comes with a large Big Green Egg on site for all your favorite feasts! While I was up at the cottage we rented cooking up storms of food I thought what a brilliant idea to have a kamado or two on site for whoever is renting. I had to bring my own equipment but take it from the griller, if a cottage getaway week or weekend is what your after in the near future a kamado cooker just might be what seals the deal for you!

Until we meet again people, feed those fires and desires to take it all higher!!!!!!!!! It should be expected by now that I have to throw down some modified musical lyrics as I continue to tell my story on my adventures with "K"! These next few lines are inspired by "Canned Heat" and altered by yours truly, enjoy!

G Love

Goin Up To Kamado Kountry!

We're goin up the country "K", don't you wanna go?

To the land of milk and honey where fire and smoke is gonna blow.

We're goin to a place that we've never been before.

Where laughter and good times radiate from our core.

We're goin to a place where the water tastes like wine.

Steaks seared to perfection, I'll eat yours and you can have mine.

I'm lovin this water, so sweet, so devine,

let's hang out some more and get drunk in good time.

We've gotta leave the city, gotta get away!

All this fussin and fightin, you know we can't stay.

I'm gonna load our leaving truck and with a pinch of Irish luck we won't get stuck,

cos we're goin up the country and the country's where we'll stay.......

Lighting Your Kamado Joe Grill

Care and Maintenance of Your Kamado Joe Grill

Smoking Basics with Your Kamado Joe Grill

Grilling Basics with Your Kamado Joe Grill

Baking Basics with Your Kamado Joe Grill

Assembling Your Kamado Joe Grill

Controlling the Temperature of Your Kamado Joe Grill

Controlling the Temperature of Your Kamado Joe Grill

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Or Are They Saffires?

Hello Grilling Friends!

Ok, ok, ok, ok, how dare I go a month without some kind of update, or story from The Grateful Griller's vault and adventures on my "grilled to obsession" path as I continue to inspire and preach the benefits of such a great lifestyle and product to those who want into the "club". Don't worry, there's no membership fee required and I do sincerely apologize for my delay in getting new stories up but the good news is that over the last few months I have been collecting so much data and fun times from my travels and parties that I don't think I shall be running out of any new material for quite some time!

So, this latest post has been on my mind to write since the Orlando BBQ Show back in March/10 when I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Steve Benson, owner of Saffire Grill Co. in the midwestern USA. I got a lead on him after testing yet another kamado called "DragonFire that appears to have all but gone away and has never really launched in Canada officially, pity because I liked it and it tested well but more on that later.

As most of you if not all of you know by now, I am and have been passionately on the move absorbing as much knowledge and expertise on this rapidly emerging niche category for almost ten years and what do you know, another potential player has entered the kamado ring for all to see and experience and if you don't know Saffire Grill Co. yet, take note grillers, this cooker might just be here to stay and can be yours at least in Canada for approx. $999.00!!!!!!!! For those of you who have followed me for awhile now you'll remember me stating last year that the competition is gonna get thick and pricing will come down to enable a broader audience the chance at entering into this wonderful world and low and behold, this validates my point but remember friends, buyer beware and know what your buying, that's partly why I'm here!

Saffire comes to the table and the market with a great product that looks as good as it performs and it really takes on the esthetic characteristics of a few other known kamado's I have on my deck being Kamado Joe and DragonFire as I stated at the top of the post but yet still is able to deliver its own charm without fail.

Here's what I like!

1. Start up tests have been superb! 15-20 min max every time. Saffire maintains a consistent temp throughout most cooking sessions.

2. Stainless steel grill with trap door for chips, perfect and the color coded thermometer makes it easy to read your cooking temps!

3. The gasket is well made and thus far has tested really well, very similar to Kamado Joe.

4. Bamboo side shelves and handle are smart and enviro friendly!

5. Stainless hard ware looks great and is an added feature of quality often missed with other brands particularly BGE and Primo.

6. Spring Hinge is simple and doesn't squeek, I hate squeeking parts! LOL!

7. The cart is stainless and looks identical to DragonFire cart and comes with locking castors and apart from being really light it looks great and assembles in minutes flat! If imitating is the highest form of flattery, this cart proves my point!

8. Color options are red and black and the exterior finish is baked and glazed, not painted which I feel is key for our harsh Canadian climate and color options are nice to have!

9. Saffire offer their kamado cookers with optional cart and side shelves or on their own, ready to insert into a table of your choice and the best part is they come pre-assembled which is huge in my books, besides, who has the time to assemble these days?

10. Warranty is great and in line with all other top kamado companies and I can't stress enough folks, look for 20 years minimum on ceramic parts and you'll know your dealing with a company that takes their product seriously! Also, read up on the intriguing 1/2 price lifetime warranty offer and bravo for upping the ante Steve with 3 months on gaskets!

11. The two main accessories that I have tested are carbon copies of what Kamado Joe are selling and promoting with their kamado's which are the heat deflector with metal stand and grill extender/expander. Great products that work and make sense but make sure to purchase updated heat deflector stand and ceramic deflector or at least ask before purchasing because the newest version Kamado Joe product works far better than the original that didn't last too long in the market before being upgraded.

12. Congrats Steve on a basic but easy to understand printed owner's manual! Its all there in black and white and although the internet is where its at today, I suppose there are still people out there who like reading an actual hand held manual. I say let's save some trees and go right online with this kind of info!

Here's what I don't or didn't like when I first came across Saffire!

1. Original chimney top was cheap and felt weak but that has been modified and improved 100% with the new steel version which is great!

2. I can't stand little micro adjusting daisy wheels on this product or any others that exist. I personally think they're a waist of time and confusing to new comers to the kamado grilling lifestyle.

3. Although this part and point isn't a deal breaker for me I do hope it goes away but I honestly detest the wood chip portal mid way down the base of the cooker. To me it looks like another piece that can and will get lost or eventually fall out and the very strange wood chip feeder reminds me of a visit I took to the London Dungeon in England where I got to see what dentists were using in the 16th Century to pull teeth! OUCH, NO THANKS! I shall continue to use the trap door on the main cooking grill for all my wood chip needs. The other thing that makes me nervous here is the potential for air seepage around the hole where the portal knob fits, just a thought and I'll bet it disappears soon at least I hope so.

4. Although the Saffire cooker looks and performs very well I wish the ceramic dome could be just a bit higher in order to fit bigger cuts of meat and or vertically placed birds but frankly there's a way around almost anything as I have come to learn with this cooking medium and you will adjust in no time at all to its shape and design.

In conclusion, this kamado really did impress me in many ways above and beyond mere pricing and I firmly believe that all companies in this category today or almost all are striving to produce a better product that will last the test of time and grill/cook consistently delicious meals day in and day out.

If I wasn't any the wiser I would swear that some of these products come out of the same factories kinda like the ski industry where by there's really only 2 or 3 factories globally that produce 90% of the world's boot molds but who knows and really, who cares?

What I care about is that people get a great kamado product that makes sense, works well and is backed by a company who stand for something, especially the customers who are paying good money and a lot of it to gain entry into this great lifestyle and learn how to master it! Don't be fooled by just any knock off that you see out in the marketplace or perhaps on Craig's list or EBay. At the very least give the Griller a call and let's chat!

I want to personally thank Steve Benson for his time, product and passion to keep on grilling and producing Saffire and be confident The Grateful Griller's officially in your corner and I wish you huge success on the path ahead!

As the post title suggests I'm a potential Beatles fan but honestly I only ever really got into two albums, Sgt. Pepper's and The White album, ok, now I'm speechless! (pause, big sigh, move on.....) I loved Lennon's solo years, can you say "Double Fantasy"? Enough said grillers, I leave you not with inspirational musical poetry taken from the Beatles but instead some more 80's alternative and Modern English for now, forever!

Feed those fires and until next time, keep life's sparks flying........

"K", I'd Stop The World & Grill With You!

Moving forward using all my might and breath,

grilling with you was never second best.

I've seen the gas world thrashing all around this place,

never realizing that slow and steady is gonna win this charcoal race.

I'll stop the world and grill with you,

I've tasted the difference and its getting better all the time.

There's nothing you and I won't do "K",

cos I'll stop the world and grill with you.

I could never dream of a better life,

one where you don't exist, no smoke, no fire, no artistic desire to create and perhaps

inspire those who have never experienced bliss.

It would all be for not, an opportunity gone a miss like a kiss released to the wind.

I'm making myself a promise to save this starving human race.

I'll keep feeding the fires and driving this kamado pace and let all the others behind us take

up the chase.

I'll stop the world and grill with you,

I've tasted the difference and its getting better all the time.

There's nothing you and I won't do "K",

cos I'll stop the world and grill with you........

GG

Grateful Griller Asks, Why Are So Many Gaskets Being Gassed?

Hola Grillers from East to West!

I hate to admit it but this summer is flying by! I am hoping as always that you are all enjoying serious deck time and grilling up storms of new food creations on your kamado of choice! I apologize as always about my delay getting my next post up on the blog but I have been as most of you would guess, rocking many a deck and grilling as much as possible myself. Now that the first Grateful Griller Production has been completed for Kamado Joe down in the USA I have had a bit more time on my hands to cook. For any of you interested in seeing those video's just go to Kamado Joe's official site and click on video's or check them out on You Tube by searching Kamado Joe Video's and voila! You will be able to see what's been keeping me pretty busy of late as I continue my kamado crusade around the globe! Links to my FaceBook page and blog will be up asap!

So, today I thought it would be a good day after enjoying a wonderful meal off my neighbors BGE last night to get the message out there to you all and to a few companies, namely BGE and Primo that this gasket scenario/issue has gone on way too long and I'm hoping that it can be fixed in the near future because after all, when a customer wants to put down lots of hard earned cash for a quality kamado the last thing they should have to experience is "gassing a gasket" in the first few days cooking and or grilling on their new kamado! For all of you new comers to this cooking medium the gaskets I refer to are the felt like, fire retardant strips that essentially seal the lids of these kamado's to the bases and also act as a cushion between the lids and bases. They don't look all that important but trust me friends, you need one in order to properly cook and I personally am not happy and have not been happy for a few years now with the gaskets that come with BGE or Primo units and I wish both companies would either produce a better adhesive backing to these felt gaskets or improve the quality control and application process at the time of production.

Now, it is a fact and true that sometimes people can get distracted or lazy and fire their kamado's up to 800 degrees when they are new and just out of the box ( not a good idea) and BANG! You have successfully "gassed your gasket"! Then, there are the times, where the gasket has simply peeled of the unit itself and the cookers have only been fired to 300 degrees which I have also witnessed with my very own eyes but honestly not that often. Not cool at all as far as I'm concerned! It is also a fact that both BGE and Primo recommend breaking your new cooker in by not exceeding 400-450 degrees for the first 3-5 cook outs in order for that gasket and adhesive backing to really adhere to the ceramic surface. I will also point out that both these companies have been pretty good at taking care of their customers needs if they are new to this type of cooker and in most cases have replaced the first one free of charge but after that it'll cost you approx. $25 to replace them every time, OUCH!

My issue after selling these cookers for the last few years is that the bottom line here is that the adhesive backing on these particular models produced by BGE and Primo are sub standard and can or should be improved asap. I also got a great tip from the Canadian distributor for BGE about a year ago that when applying a new gasket one should invest in a substance called Permatex first. It is sold at most big box hardware stores, costs about $8 a tube and by carefully applying this red like substance to the rim of your cooker and then applying the new gasket on top of it it will adhere far better than anything else and you should be good to go for many years to come. I also want to caution everyone that uses this Permatex product to where a latex glove when applying it and store it in a cool dry place away from the children. For the record, it works really well but its the fact that this shouldn't be necessary which pisses me off when this amount of money is being spent but then I get grilling and realize how great the food is and all my youthful angst goes away! LOL! Please also take note that this Permatex product can be used on any kamado styled ceramic cooker.

To date and with all the testing I have done I have been really happy with GrillDome's product and Kamado Joe's not to mention Saffire Kamado who have all done a good job at not only providing a thicker gasket material but it would seem as if there's a contact cement of sorts that keeps their gaskets on and so far so good in the testing department. The other thing I want to point out is that with round kamado cookers specifically BGE who sell their plate setter accessory in order to convert your cooker into an in-direct oven its specifically causing issues with blown gaskets because when the BGE is fired past 500 degrees for interest sake, the very hot internal air travels up the side gaps of the cooker and around the plate setter and has tendency to melt or burn the gasket in three specific places which I have also witnessed a number of times. In my humble opinion the BGE plate setter may need some altering to prevent this from happening but on the other hand at lower and slower temps this device has worked flawlessly for me for years. Whatever happens we will all have to wait and see!

Well, with this mid morning sun starting to intensify, I think I had better get outside and get prepped for yet another day in grilling paradise with "K" and I'm thinking fish will be nice with a freezing cold glass of rose on the deck later today! Until next time my grilling friends I thought these words were fitting and they come from Francis Mallmann, and the book "Seven Fires".

"When it comes time to sit down and eat, it doesn't matter to me how people dress or speak, how they look or sound or even smell. They're all beautiful if they share one simple quality: respect for the meal, the moment and one another- those who cook, those who serve, and those who eat. Such people are always welcome at my table."

Feed the fire........

GG

Grateful Griller Say's, You Don't Need One, But You'll Want One After You Taste The Results!

Grillersssssssssssss!!!!!!!!! Hola, Hola, Hola!

Isn't it great that we have had more nicer weather in the last two months than we had all last summer at this time? I'm loving it and it really gets those creative juices flowing through my system for sure! Over the last week or so as I continue my crusade of sorts to spread the love about the kamado cooker worldwide, I couldn't help but think back to all the great memories I've had at casa "gto" and been able to share with my friends and family thanks to "K". I've lost count not that I ever was counting the number of times that I have entertained various people and friends and parties that went into the wee hours of the night and morning in some cases whereby any one of my cookers was ticking over with some new delicious creation inside of it for all to taste and savour!

I am, as you all know by now, obsessed with this beautiful device called kamado! I am completely mystified by its shape, its parts and its simplicity, not to mention how they work in general. I love the fact that its so simple but yet so complex and all this while be so forgiving to the enthusiastic novice just entering this world of smoke and fire with food cooked this way for the first time. I am, as some of you know a self confessed kamado jedi, knower of all things ancient and ceramic based! LOL!, not at all!!!!! I simply love the investigative path I've been on to find as much information on this topic as humanly possible and I take tremendous joy in asking a lot of questions to the right people on the subject and then simply translating that to the world at large who are interested to know! I've been in sales my entire professional life and have finally found that perfect product that doesn't require any hard sell tactics whatsoever, parish the thought all together! No friends, this is far more than venturing out and simply buying another product that's going to last a few years and then end up curbside, destined for the landfill site. This is about opening a door and stepping through it and entering an entirely new world of pleasure with food cooked, grilled, smoked and even roasted to perfection every time, a world and lifestyle I have coined "grilled to obsession" !

Within this world you will learn entirely new ways and techniques to prep and cook some of the best food you have ever made using natural lump charcoal. Its a process that can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 20 hours and over time one can't help but be drawn into the practice of cooking this way until one day you wake up and realize that you are now part of this club of sorts. Not a snobby or pretentious club, simply a club and or group of people that enjoy great food and great times deck side with a product that makes sense! I have found over the years that the kamado has slowed me down in a good way and helped me see the world in a different light and has also trained me to enjoy and appreciate the process of prepping food day in and day out.

As this post title suggest, you don't need a kamado, nobody needs a kamado, myself included, but when you get to taste the results from these fine vessels, you will want one forevermore! What started off as a passion for one particular cooker being The Big Green Egg has morphed into my obsession for an entire category of cookers that are percolating to the surface at various specialty retailers across North America today and I encourage everyone to do the homework necessary to find the best cooker to suit your grilling/cooking needs because once you invest in a kamado be it Grill Dome, Kamado Joe, Primo, or even Big Green Egg you are investing in a lifetime of food pleasure!

99.999999% of all my existing clients have come from a gas world as it relates to their bbq'ing experiences and I get asked all the time if I'm anti gas and I always reply, not at all! I am a believer in having your entire enchilada and being able to eat it as well and what I mean by this is that I have noticed a trend emerging over the last few years whereby people who own gas grills are craving that unique taste that goes a miss with their gas range, however they have read or experienced the marvel of natural charcoal in combination with a kamado and have to have it! Solution to the problem I say, keep your gas range for convenience and an added heat source and invest in a kamado cooker but don't blame me if you never go back to the gas!!!!!!!

As always friends, keep the fires red hot and enjoy your deck time and perhaps we will get to cook together someday soon but whatever the case, remember there are no limits to what can be created with your kamado! Until next time, let the music play and keep those recipes flowing! This past week has been about re-tracing my 80's obsession with that special decade of alternative music and I happened to be listening to an old Cult album when I realized that their song "Fire Woman" had the makings of another Grateful Griller's saga with my partner "K" in there somewhere so as always the next few lines have been taken from Ian Astbury and the boys and altered by The Grateful Griller himself!

You Are My Fire Woman "K"

Wound up, can't sleep, can't do anything but eat so well since I set my eyes and hands on you.

I'm tell'in you the truth "K", you are my fire woman.

We are twisting like two flames in a slow dance baby,

you drive me crazy!

Come on little honey, let's go make some money,

grilling and smoking our way to the highest peaks, it time we left these valley's behind.

I've savored your beef and sauced that rack,

you've got me trancing like a cat on a hot tin shack!

Lord have mercy, you're my fire woman "K"!

Come on little sister, its time we played some kamado like twister as we dream of parties and food to come.

Your smoke turns to fire, as our grilling games go higher,

look at those balls of fire dancing into the evening sky!

Burn'in out isn't in the cards as we play hop scotch into yards across this great land,

come on and take my hand so I can welcome you all to the promised land of plenty!

Your smoke turns to fire and will travel faster, longer and higher until the message is clear for all to see on the global horizon.

They'll be freakin in France, ecstatic in England and crazy in Cairo!

Off the hook in the land down under when they all get to experience some Grateful Grill'in thunder!

All this time they've been missing while we've been busy kissing our days away!

Chilling, smoking, grilling and blissing over a lifestyle we are preach'in and lesson's we are teach'in for all who care to listen!

Forever feeding this fire and the desire to take our story and game higher,

every minute, every day, every hour, can't you feel the kamado power?

GG