The annual FirstGrill is coming up and RainyDayKitchen has been busy getting ready for the event. We will have four grills going (a Weber, a Coleman, a Thermos, and a TEC), a variety of interesting things to cook up, and a large collection of prizes to give away. In years past we ran contests so guests could win prizes from FirstGrill sponsors. However, we found that the contest took time away from the eating, so this year we are instead having a drawing for the FirstGrill sponsor items. Hopefully, this will give everyone more time for licking BBQ sauce from their fingers :-)
The 2014 FirstGrill sponsors are:
Many of these items will be available for guests to touch, try, and sample. Others will be given away as prizes in the drawing. Like other FirstGrill events, no one is allowed to leave until all the food is gone.
We have been using SodaStream carbonators to fizz our FirstGrill drinks at since 2006. This year we will have one of their newest, and we think their best, carbonator units for our guest to try. The SodaStream Source carbonator has a no-twist-on bottle connector, a better carbonation level indicator, and is easier to use overall. We will be interested to see what others think about the new SodaStream Source.
Famous Dave's flavors have been racking up awards since 1995. This year, RainyDayKitchen will be using Famous Dave's BBQ sauces and rubs to marinate a variety of meats that will be grilled. Our mouths are watering just thinking about it.
Gas grills are great because they fire right up. However, many swear by charcoal grills because of the unique flavor. The small downside with charcoal is the time needed for them to get up to temperature. Therefore, we are always on the lookout for better and faster ways to get the charcoals "going." A few readers suggested we check out AirLighter. We took a look, found the idea sound, and will be giving the AirLighter a try at FirstGrill.
A solid cutting board and a sharp knife are must-haves at a barbecue. The Deluxe Barbecue Cutting Board Gift Set from John Boos is perfect for FirstGrill. The set includes a 20" x 15" maple cutting board, a 7" santoku knife, and a 7" forged carving fork. The board has a groove to catch the juices so they don't run all over the table. The 7" santoku is just the right size for cutting up ribs, slicing up London Broil, or cubing sirloin for skewers.
For door prizes this year, we'll giving away some really fun items, many of which we want to try for ourselves... if only we had the time!!! The Yolk Out and Perfect Poach bags from Tovolo we help some lucky folks out with their Sunday brunch efforts. There are some Chef Sleeves for those who like to use their iPads while cooking in the kitchen. There a couple of awesome meat/poultry thermometers from CDN. These thermometer are cool because they have a large dial for easy reading. We also think the built-in guide is a great idea. In the mix are a few items from Swiss company Kuhn Rikon. They have a very fresh take on items for the kitchen. We think our guests will love the whimsical nature of their Veggie Slicer and Corn Twister.
While there will be a Kyocera ceramic knife out for our guests to try at FirstGrill, a happy someone will also be taking one home with them. We love these knives because they stay sharp up to 10x longer than their steel counterparts, are easy to clean, comfortable to use, and have a lifetime warranty. That is a knife that is pretty hard to beat!
Yes, there is such a thing as grilled pizza. OK, it is more like cooking a pizza on a pizza stone on a grill. Why is this great? You don't heat up the house in the Summer, it tastes amazing, and it is really fast! We will be giving away a 15" Ecolution Pizza Stone so a FirstGrill-er will be able to give it a try at home... assuming they have a grill. Hmmm... maybe next year we should give away a grill :-)
We will be prepping for FirstGrill all week long. Tomorrow we are going to take a closer FirstLook at a couple of the items we will be using at the event. It is always better to know what we need to know beforehand so we don't have to spend time reading the manual while cooking :-) [Permalink] - FirstGrill 2014: Sponsors
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