What was nice about the event? In a nutshell, the planning..it takes a lot to put on an event of this magnitude and pray to the swine Gods that it goes off without a hitch. Our experience at this years event says a lot about the strategy & mix of food/drink experts lending an honor to the swine. We had a great time, great conversations and well we’re not that inclined to lather with bacon shampoo.. we think everyone should experience Baconfest at least once.

Snakebytes Mobile

The sounds and smells of summer call for some summer lovin’ on the deck or some backyard shenanigans. Prepare a batch of this FIRE salsa & get yourself an adult beverage. Hit the patio with some Garden Fresh Salsa, Serve with restaurant-style crispy tortilla chips. Add some toasted pita chips to the mix and serve with this yummy Hummus. Love your food.

Ingredients:

4 cups or 32 oz. Prepared Chilled Chick Peas (Garbanzos)
1/2 cup Cooking Liquid
Juice of 4 Lemons (strained)
1/3 cup of Tahini
3 Garlic Cloves
2 tablespoons Rattlesnake Blend Gourmet Seasoning
Fine Sea Salt (to taste) *optional
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Procedure:
This may be prepared in a blender but a food processor is recommended for this recipe for a rustic finish.

In a food processor of your preference add all of the ingredients and blend until all of the ingredients are smooth. If your blender or food processor is sluggish, stop the blender, unplug the device & remove the lid. With a narrow spatula stir the hummus & add 1 tsp. of Olive Oil to further lubricate the blades. Replace cover, plug the device back in and blend. Repeat this last element as necessary. If you are reserved about using Olive Oil, fresh water may be used. Once you have reached a desirable consistency test for seasoning.

• Tame the fire on the BBQ this summer. If your flames get a little overwhelming, tame them down with some vinegar. Grab a clean spray bottle from the dollar store, fill with apple cider vinegar & spray away.

• Keep you grill grates clean. Usually food sticks to matter left behind from the previous grilling rendezvous. Be a good lad and wire brush that grate clean after you finish cooking. It saves time.

• Grab a towel, roll it up & dip. Use said towel by dipping in oil. Prior to laying the first foods to be grilled on the hot grates, wipe them down with this towel. After you burn the hairs on your hands, you’ll learn to use some tongs next time.

• Invest in some spring-loaded stainless steel tongs. 12″ or larger. Yes! Size does matter in this situation. That grill gets hot.

• Marinate your choice proteins & vegetables prior to grilling. Also, remove excess marinades before bringing that platter of marinated Love to your hot grill. Applying this simple step to your method of grilling operation will keep the flames to a minor.

• Preheat your grill. Whether you are using gas or charcoal, preheat the frikkin’ thing. Give the charcoals enough time to burn the accelerant off (if using.) Charcoal fluid tasting food is nasty. Have patience.

• Use 100% natural hardwood charcoal. Briquettes tend to leave your food tasting blah. Save the briquettes for a campfire. You may need to tend to the hardwood more than the briquettes, but the results are worth the labor.

• Have fun. Grilling food should be an experience. Plan a menu, prep & marinate ahead of time. Cook while your guests are snacking on prepared dips & libations. Make sure your food is well rested when it comes off the grill before you dive in with that slicing knife.

• Pair your drinks & libations with the meal. Too many of us weekend warriors forget to do this. The drinks should be planned with as much attention to detail as the meal. Stop serving domestic beers with international meals. If you are serving beef, try some reds from Argentina. For chicken, a buttery chardonnay and for fish try a Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Go with bold tasting beers. Craft-brewers are specialists at pairing the flavors of great food with their beers. Ask for recommendations at your liquor establishment or seek assistance via the internet.

• Keep the secret seasonings, basting sauces & bbq mops near you. Cooking is not only an acquired skill, it is also a time game. Syncing your cooking temperatures with meal times is a special skill, do it right and you’ll be the king of the grill.

Plan on stocking up here for the Summer? Try coupon code ‘getsauced’ at checkout here for a 20% discount. Enjoy every Summer with your family & friends. Stay thankful for the gift of nourishment and invite your neighbors.

Happy eating,

Rattlesnake Blend Team

After much contemplation and debate, Rattlesnake Blend is taking the SnakeBytes Chronicle live to the website. We will continue the archived editions via our archive widget. Furthermore, what we will do with our growing family of contacts is offer useful links to our website, shining light on the newest editions to the Rattlesnake Blend portfolio. Also, we encourage you to drop us a line through our very own Contact Page, to offer your input regarding our content or information you would like to see.

At this moment, we would like to extend our heartfelt compassion for the residents of Japan & their families around the globe. Natural disasters such as what has occurred in Japan remind us everyday, that we are tiny particles of energy in the whole scheme of the cosmos. Most importantly, the people of Japan have our prayers and intentions of support. Please remember that with every incident that occurs in your backyard or at a global-scale, there is a lesson to be learned.

Communication: Communication after a major disaster is limited to the resources that remain. Cell phones & land lines often do not work for days or even weeks after a disaster of magnitude. Electricity grids are often effected. Access to clean food & clean water are limited. Transportation systems also are effected. Emergency services are centralized in locations less effected and better logistically-equipped.

Organization: Have a disaster action plan. We often may overlook, even the idea of planning for a natural disaster.. but the truth is, any plan is better than no plan. Everyone has their own way of looking at things when planning anything. We encourage you all to write one down and share it with your family. Remember to keep in mind these three points: Communication, Organization & Preparation.

Preparation: Even the most prepared people often overlook a key element when planning a survival guide. The most important element we find crucial to keeping your family together in a timely manner after an incident is having a specific destination and a specified time alotment at which a family may re-unite post event. An anchor store parking lot, a family member’s home or a neighborhood park. Every incident and the after-effects differ at many levels. Please keep in mind safety & shelter when planning your disaster action plan. Practice in your mind, what steps you would take, as often as you change the batteries in your tv remote.

For useful information on preparedness and how you can help yourself, visit: www.redcross.org

Check the I <3 Meat Blog Spot out for Meat.

]]> http://www.rattlesnakeblend.com/snakebytes-chronicle-spring-forth-edition-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.rattlesnakeblend.com/the-spice-gods-must-be-crazy/ http://www.rattlesnakeblend.com/the-spice-gods-must-be-crazy/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:42:01 +0000 admin http://www.rattlesnakeblend.com/?p=172  
March Madness So Soon

[2011-02-14] Springtime is mostly everyone’s favored season. Depending on where you reside, the trees begin to bloom, the Sun begins to welcome the evening more, and the snow piles begin to melt into the streets. It’s February– Valentine’s Day to be exact and were talking about Spring. Yes– we’ll get one or two more incidents of snow, a couple of hopeful incidents of warmer temps or cooler if you like it that way. What’s important about this change in season? We can begin to see the backyard again, the birds are singing a different tune, and the idea of turning on the grill sounds so much more appealing in mid-February than it does in mid-December. On this note, we would like to extend a heartfelt gratitude to all of our fans, clients, and loyal customers. You may use “LOVE143″ at checkout now thru February 24 for a 15% Discount on any of our products in our online store. Also, stay tuned as we close the deal on the newest editions to the Rattlesnake Blend product portfolio rollouts come mid-Spring.

 
It’s All Good

Eat Me!

[2011-01-18] Sample some of your favorite Rattlesnake Blend condiments at the Bridgeport Coffee Company. Located at 3101 S Morgan St. in Chicago– Plan a bike ride up to the cafe. Taste the Hot Temper Red Garlic Hot Sauce & Mild Smoke Sauce. We recommend the Bagel Sandwiches and lately, the Sulawesi Roast Coffee. Also view a feature article from Time Out Chicago “15 Best Coffee Shops” placing Bridgeport Coffee at number one. Click here to view article. Definitely a bucket-list destination. Get on it.

 

Dipping into the Gourmet Coffee Sector

[2010-11-15] Rattlesnake Blend Gourmet, an online food products store, announced the offering of a Private Label Coffee earlier this month. Urban Roast Coffee debuted just in time for the 2010 holiday season. The new product will be offered as a Fair Trade Certified Organic brand. Rattlesnake Blend continues to innovate its product offerings with this “organic” step. Their current web offerings include the Signature Rattlesnake Blend Gourmet Seasoning and a craft-batch “Mild Smoke” Pourable Condiment Sauce.

“We are excited about growing our brand into the online gourmet market. It’s always fun to provide an avenue to goodness”, says Paul Zavala. “I’m focused on innovating the experience you receive when using our products, one shake at a time.” For more info click: Media Page

Source: www.twitter.com/snakecast

 

The Winds of Change Have Spoken and They’re Screamin’

You’ve got it all right here..right now! Holiday shopping got you stressing? There’s always a foodie in every circle of friends. Pick them up one of our products. Do you like GRINDING your own? ORDER some Coffee! URBan Roast takes you through the maze of coffee shops, supermercados, wiener wagons, funny people, haters, lovers & a bunch of little moments that make the first six mentions WORTH it. From the minute you open the bag to the second right before you take that first sip. IT IS an experience not to be missed. ALSO– we haven’t missed out on an opportunity to spread the word about Conscious Cooking in a WORLD of ten dollar fresh whole chickens & five dollar, five pound bags of breaded chicken tenders– Check out this trailer above from YouTube & Rattlesnake Blend for a sneak peak of the Organic Kids (KO) Outreach Video Series which kicked off last year in Chicago. DIG the (KO) recipes by SEARCHING “Newsletter Recipes” in our SEARCH Widget.

 

 

PLUS get the latest coupon codes by signing up to receive future SnakeBytes Newsletters via the SnakeBytes Chronicle Widget. We’d like to say THANK YOU for supporting our facebook banter & our website intentions during our debut year, it’s been FUN. Stay in touch through The Social Game Widget. Like us on Facebook. Twitter followers get a sneak peak at our daily banter on our Home Page.

Stay Warm,

Chris Topper
Editor, Rattlesnake Blend
 

The Spice Gods Must Be Crazy

If you’ve cooked at all in your lifetime, you’ve become aware of the fact that food really doesn’t come seasoned. Some may say that certain foods do not need flavor, but I’m here to write you otherwise.

Ancient people have been throwing down in their kitchens for centuries past. Spices & the spice trade date back further than your first time. Thinking back to the older days when I was a young buck.. history lessons talked of this spice trade and the importance it had on Western commerce. Some may say that trade and its expeditions led to the discovery of the “New World.”

Spices were well-esteemed throughout the majestic lands of history, and for the most part, have been used for food & drink.

Throughout the ages medicine people, perfume experts, the two-headed dragon and spiritual do-gooders have used these rich commodities for tinctures, rituals, celebrations and even burial ceremonies.

Three sheep for a pound of Mace or some Peppercorns was common practice during the medieval Middle Ages. Food isn’t a lost cause– strap in & acknowledge what we’re representing. Today, the United States is the world’s major spice buyer.

Good Times,

Paul Zavala
A Man of Many Hats, Rattlesnake Blend

 

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