Grilled Corn on the Cob

Here is a simple recipe for grilled Corn on the Cob from ATK. I used a similar technique a lot last year where you peal back all the leaves and remove the silk then re-wrap the corn and tie it closed. The technique below sound like it will be simpler and may give you more of a "grilled" result as keep all the shucks on protected the kernels quite well.

Ingredients

	Whole ears of fresh yellow corn , husks on
	Table salt, fresh ground black pepper, cayenne pepper optional
	Butter

Instructions

1. Ignite about 6 quarts charcoal and burn until coals are completely covered with thin coating of light-gray ash. Spread coals evenly over grill bottom; heat to medium-high (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill surface for 3 seconds); position grill rack. For the gas grill, turn it on high covered for 10 - 15 minutes.

2. 

   Meanwhile, remove all but innermost layer of husk from each ear of corn (kernels will be covered by, but visible through, last husk layer). Use scissors to snip off long silk ends at tips of ears.

   

3. Grill corn, turning ears every 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until kernels have left dark outlines in the husk and husks are charred and beginning to peel away at tip to expose some kernels, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer ears to platter; remove and discard charred husks and silk. Season corn with salt and pepper and butter to taste; serve immediately.

Rib-Eye Steaks with Mexican Barbecue Sauce

Serves: 4 Prep time: 45 minutes Grilling time: 14 to 18 minutes

Sauce 1 large ancho chile pepper, about 1/2 ounce, stem and seeds removed (fresh they're called poblano) 2 serrano peppers (optional for some heat) 3 plum tomatoes, cored and cut in half lengthwise 2 slices red onion, each about 1/2-inch thick Extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons light brown sugar 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

4 rib-eye steaks, about 12 ounces each and 1 inch thick 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small bowl, cover the ancho chili with 3/4 cup boiling water and allow the chili to dehydrate/soften for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally (if using fresh chili peppers use only 1/2 cup water in sauce) . Lightly brush or spray the tomato halves and onion slices with oil. Grill over direct high heat (450° to 550°F), with the lid closed as much as possible, until slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. Place the chili and soaking water, tomatoes, and onions in a blender or food processor. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and process until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the sauce into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour half of the sauce into a small bowl to brush on the steaks as they grill; reserve the rest to serve with the steaks.

2. Allow the steaks to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, salt, brown sugar, and pepper. Lightly brush or spray the steaks on both sides with oil; season with the spice mixture. Grill the steaks over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to your desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare, brushing with sauce and turning once (if flare-ups occur, move the steaks temporarily over indirect high heat). Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with the reserved sauce.

Basic recipe © 2005 Weber-Stephen Products Co. Recipe from Weber’s Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance.

Cat Yodeling

Dean and I do the cat food can dance every morning an evening. After watching this video I think we can add yodeling to the can can dance.

The next day... After a few attempts I have given up on teaching Dean to yodel. The more aggressively I encourage him the louder he purrs.

I know Marilyn is able to yodel but the safety gear is to much of a bother to put on and she hates the gloves.

Autumn Leaves

Kanban in Agile Development

Just read an interesting article on Kanban, a Japanese manufacturing technology that has been applied to software development. Specifically applied to agile development teams.

The author of the article in Better Software, David J. Anderson, has a blog posting on Kanban in Action.

This is something to consider for agile teams that are struggling with breaking tasks down into one or two week iteration blocks. Eliminates the estimation, focus on delivering what is needed when it is needs in relation to everything else in the backlog.

If the customer simply wants as much as they can get as soon as it is available then this would work. But if the customer must know what is going to be delivered 6 months from now it may not be the way to go IMHO.

With only 20 minutes exposure to the concept my HO is not worth very much. I'm just posting this so that I can find it should I ever need the concept at some point.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Forty years after the cultural phenomenon of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance began, I believe I am ready to read and comprehend. Not only am I able to read better now but I have spent my adult life studying Eastern thought and believe I understand enough to know if Pirsig was FOS when he wrote it or not. The web contains information about the book, critics of the work, even the photos Pirsig took on his 17-day trip back in 1968.

I remember buying a copy of the purple book back in 1975 and reading enough to not be interested in reading any more.

In 1978, my first computer programming class (Pascal), the teacher at SFSU told us the ZAMM was the best text book on programming, "you need to read the entire text book simultaneously, knowing everything that comes later before you understand what comes earlier."

Today I check the audio book out from the library and intend to read it after finishing the WoT Knife of Dreams.

The wikipedia entry has a lot of interesting external links, including NPR interviews with Pirsig, the complete book online as well as the sites I mentioned above.