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OUTDOOR LIVING www.kitchenwarenews.com n APRIL 2014 n KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW 1 5 BY LORRIE BAUMANN Barbecue and fine wine don't usually come up in the same sentence, but they can be paired if the barbecue is made with the right spice rub and sauce, according to Dan and Barbi Slick of Slick's Big Time BBQ. The sauces from Slick's Big Time BBQ are lighter and thinner with more flavor than many traditional barbecue sauces. Slick's designed their sauces and rubs to compliment the flavor of the protein rather than to disguise it. "I want the best of the best, the available sauces and rubs weren't doing the job," Dan says of his original decision to make his own barbecue sauces. "The meat needs to be the star of the show, not the sauce or the rubs.... Whether it's fish, chicken, pork or beef, our products help highlight the flavors." The Sweet and Tangy and the Sweet and Spicy sauces are lower in sodium and sugar than most products on the market and contain no fat, says Barbi. "Both sauces are a thinner consistency and can be used in a variety of ways, as a marinade, dipping or cooking sauce" she says. While Dan was developing the sauce, he set up numerous blind taste tests with panels that included international sommeliers who evaluated how they'd pair with wines. At first, the sommeliers objected that it's a given that barbecue and wine don't pair, but Dan asked them to give it a try anyway. The sommeliers changed their minds, Dan says. "Our sauces do not coat the palate, so you can take a bite of our barbecue and then enjoy your next sip of wine," he adds. Barbi and Dan became interested in barbecue after their careers as a dietitian and fitness professional, teaching people how to take care of their health. Dan was looking for ways to cook meat and reduce its fat content at the same time, and he bought himself a smoker to add flavor without fat. The couple does a lot of entertaining at home, and when Dan served up the food that came out of his smoker dressed in his sauce, people Slick's Big Time BBQ Sauces Enhance the Meat started asking if they could take home a bottle of the sauce. From his background in the fitness industry, Dan had the contacts with retailers to develop a clientele, so he took his friends' advice, bottled his sauce and offered it to the market. "We were in 200 stores in a matter of about six months," Dan says. "With meat markets as are biggest fans. They think it's great because they're big fans of meat, and we're making their meat taste better." Since then, Slick's Big Time BBQ has started a catering operation that's active in the Portland, Ore. region, catering for corporate events for Intel, Nike, Home Depot and many others. "In four years, that business has grown about 750 percent," Dan says. "We also have a food truck, and we're the first drive-through barbecue joint in Oregon. You can roll right up and get our championship barbecue right at the window." Then came the rubs. The Original Beef & Seasoning Rub is based on a spice mix that Barbi likes to rub on steaks, and it can be used on chicken as well as beef. The Original Pork Butt & Rib Seasoning is also good for fish, and both can be used on eggs, popcorn, salad or grilled vegetables. As Dan says, "People don't want complicated. They just want flavor." For more information, visit www.slicksbigtimebbq.com. BY JAC POLSGROVE Four years ago, brothers George and Bruce Prior – self-described "big grillers" – found themselves in front of the grill on a "cold rainy day " in Colorado. The result? "An hour later we still didn't have our fire ready to go," George recalls. Frustrated by the uncooperative fire, the brothers decided to set about creating a device that would make starting charcoal or wood fires faster and easier. The result was the BBQ Dragon. "Some people use a hair dryer" to blow air into reluctant fires, George says. "The result is their wife's hair smells like barbecue for a week!" After two years of tinkering with a variety of designs, the Denver-based brothers came up with a design consisting of a variable speed fan attached to a specially-design grip that mounted outside of smokers and grills, so the BBQ Dragon could be removed quickly and easily. The basic principle is simple: the cook lights briquettes or wood using newspapers or kindling. No lighter fluid is needed, so food doesn't taste "all chemical," George says. The compact fan blows low-velocity air at the fire, making it ready to grill food in less than 10 minutes, he says. George says the water-resistant BBQ Dragon weighs just under three pounds and is made of high impact steel. The BBQ Dragon – which he said won "Best New Grill Accessory" at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas in May 2013 – sells for $49.99, plus $11.99 shipping and handling. It comes with rechargeable AA-size batteries, and may be charged via any USB connection. It is available online at BBQ Dragon.com or by telephone at 855.547.7227. The BBQ Dragon is also available at Amazon.com (where 16 reviewers have given it five of five possible stars), and George said he and Bruce are "working on setting up a network of retailers and smaller chain stores across the country." Vendors interested in selling the BBQ Dragon may reach George at 310.739.9353. George says he is optimistic about the BBQ Dragon's prospects, noting that it can be used with grills, smokers, fire pits, fireplaces, wood stoves and campfires. "There is nothing else like this out there in the market," he says. BBQ Dragon Breathes Life into Reluctant Fires RUSTIC GARDEN EMBOSSED LEAF PLANTER Italian master artisans handturn this Rustic Garden Embossed Leaf Planter from VIETRI with centuries of pride and passion for their craft. Inspired by Italians' love for the outdoors, VIETRI's Garden collections celebrate Mother Nature with style and character. Classic designs and handformed shapes are inspired by Italian history. From age-muted shades to rich, vibrant hues, all glazes have an authentic patina as if each piece was discovered in an Italian villa. Rustic Garden's urns, vases, and planters are made in Tuscany from terra cotta. Each piece has an aged feel, and embellishments of ropes, medallions, emblems, lions, and etchings adorn the collection. Suitable for indoor/outdoor use. VIETRI 919.732.5933 www.vietri.com MAGICAL CHIME RINGS WITH MYSTERY Woodstock Chimes will be showing the Enchantment Chime along with other new wind chime designs at the winter gift markets. See Woodstock Chimes at AmericasMart, the Dallas World Trade Center, California Market Center and the Las Vegas Market. The Enchantment Chimes are made from teak finish ash wood, sand- textured aluminum tubes and internal beaded clappers that create the enchantment of tubes that ring without touching each other. Suggested Retail Price: $40 Woodstock Chimes 800.422.4463 RETAILING IDEAS FROM PICNIC PLUS Looking for fresh new ideas for growing your retail sales? Picnic Plus provides the specialty retailer with a vibrant new product mix and pattern collections by offering fun, functional and fashionable products designed for outdoor living and indoor entertaining. Perennial favorites include bestselling Savoy Lunch Bags, Lido Cooler Totes and Shelby Market Totes, all bursting with rich patterns with saturated colors. Brand new 2014 introductions include a beautiful array of gardening tool sets and outdoor tabletop accessories featuring April Cornell fabrics. Picnic Plus has also created a new collection of wine/beverage outdoor stakes and coated canvas totes with coordinating patterns. Plant new ideas for your customers by mixing and matching your store displays with a variety of items from Picnic Plus, as "no case packs" are ever required. Picnic Plus by Spectrum 866.634.2628 www.picnic-plus.com

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