Valdosta Bar-B-Que

Before you even see the smoke, your nose picks up the rich, luscious scent of barbeque chuffing out of more than a dozen cookers. Tents shield the grill masters from the intense South Georgia summer sun, while a sprinkling of chairs compete for a few patches of shade. In the background a local musical group, The Groove, sets the tone of a southern style family reunion.

It’s the 16^th annual Downtown Barbeque Competition in Valdosta, GA sponsored by the 100 Black Men organization, a local chapter of the national organization focusing on achievement, scholarship and mentoring of youngsters in the African-American community. It’s one of several fund raisers they hold throughout the year.

Stroll the grounds of the Lowndes county courthouse where thousands of visitors stop to sample a variety of grilled ribs, pulled pork, smoked butt, chicken and even deep fried alligator. There’s Carolina mustard sauce, baked beans, funnel cakes and bottled water for sale. You can even buy Nirobi African sculptures, paintings and watercolors.

Zach & Zoei’s Bar-B-Que uses a smoker named “The Praiser” which produces tender, savory chicken and meaty ribs. The name originated as an acknowledgement of the blessings the griller had received from the Lord that enables him to produce his tasty creations.

Another of the 16 competitors whose tent lines the sidewalk is Sam’s BBQ, (this year’s 1^st place winner). One bite of a delicious rib and munchers will understand why he can add the new trophy to the collection on display in the corner of his tent.

Never had ‘gator? Frog legs? Gizzard? There’s a chance to sample bites of these local delicacies at the Gator’s Rib Shack display, whose entry won 2^nd place in the Commercial Category.

Come hungry and early to enjoy the food and family fun that keeps folks returning year after year to this annual fund-raising event. My plate is empty now, and I can't wait for next year's cook-off, which should be scheduled for early August.

Agrirama - a Tifton Treasure

Sit too close to the front and you’ll get soaked. An old steam engine tugs 2 open-air wood cars lined with bench seats around a 95-acre park. Each time the engineer blows the whistle, a cloud of steam belches from the stack. It cools quickly sending a splash of water onto the dozen or so passengers riding behind it. That’s just one of the fascinating attractions of Georgia’s Living History Museum in Tifton, Georgia.

Agrirama is the story of life in rural Georgia—sharecropping, collecting and distilling turpentine and so much more. If you spend the day exploring the living outdoor museum, you may catch sight of a mule harnessed to a plow; a blacksmith hammering out a horseshoe, or children dripping freshly made ice cream down their arms in front of the old time drug store.

Wander through six areas: the National Peanut Museum to see actual machinery used in cultivating and harvesting crops; a rural town, the Museum of Agriculture; an 1870s farm complete with butchering shed, barn, cabin and well; an 1890s progressive farmstead and see a cotton gin, syrup shed and sugar cane grinding area, or visit the industrial sites complex.

Agrirama also offers educational workshops for schools, churches or scouts giving visitors the opportunity to dress in the costumes of the 1890s. Want to learn how to corn is ground into meal? Visit the 1879 water-powered gristmill. You can purchase a bag of cornmeal at the country store to take home. See how turpentine is made at the Turpentine Still. Learn how to sew and quilt, set a 1880s farm table. Or seed and card cotton, all under the helpful eye of friendly guides and staff.

For more information about Agrirama, visit their website at www.agrirama.com.

Uptown Ducks

Most ducks fly, but this one arrives at the table on a rolling wood cart. Crisp tawny skin stretched taut over glistening brown meat falls neatly into juicy-sweet slivers as the server wields the carving knife, stripping the duck in 90 seconds. I want to snatch a slice with my chopsticks while nobody's looking. But everyone is watching the tableside show--and wishing they too had ordered the Beijing Duck at Sun Wah BBQ on Chicago's Uptown/Edgewater neighborhood.

Rows of fully cooked poultry hang in the front window, and you'll see a whole roasted pig being carried out to the open kitchen just inside the front door. Along the far wall is a tank of live fish. The scent of pork BBQ, fried rice, and pickled vegetables wanders through the 4,000 sq. ft. dining room. Here you can celebrate the Chinese New Year in February, or pick up a Thanksgiving turkey to go. Want to try fried pig's intestine or salt baked chicken? Save room for the best egg rolls in town.

Founder Eric Cheng moved Sun Wah BBQ from New York's Chinatown to Chicago's Argyle St. in the spring of 1987. By 2009 his family's expanded operation moved around the corner to accommodate 4 times as many customers. Kelly, the oldest daughter and general manager, frequently stops by your table to oversee service and quality.

If you don't have time to visit Hong Kong for lunch or dinner, Sun Wah brings the authentic flavor and cooking style of China to Chicago. Visit their website at www.sunwahbbq.com.

You won't find Beijing Duck on the menu so if you want to try it call 773-769-1254 at least an hour ahead to get your cart rolling.

Some Things I Would Like For Christmas

My two front teeth

The frost that was on the pumpkin

Tea with Lizzie Bennet

My childhood

1 set of chicken’s teeth

Some of last year’s snowflakes

The last rose of summer

A visit to King Arthur’s court

Some of the water that went over the dam

The spilt milk

The evening star

A ride in Michael’s rowboat

The name of Lot’s wife

To meet Eve’s daughter

The keys to the Kingdom

A king’s ransom

Immortality

Snacks - a poem

Two men.

One stout one not.

Sitting across from me

Seiza-style by the low table.

My western knees would

Not bend their thataway.

Steaming bowls

of champon

Chase away the winter devils.

I wonder at their capacity to hold such great portions.

Our tongues were

Born the same year.

And this day

There are many bowls full.

Growing up

I ate my fill of warm toast and jelly

Every day after school, while

One boy staved off

His hunger by rubbing a button

Under his nose.

The other by

Burning a strand of hair to sniff.

Now we are

All three old.

It is may years

Since the hunger of after-war.

Stone hibachis on the tea-room floor

Shiver, and

Our bowls are full of

Toast, buttons & hair.

Vintage Rides and Car Buffs

His eyes polished the chrome detailing. Shiny layers of custom paint shone in the late afternoon sun. ‘69 Chevy Super Sport. 23,711 miles. Mint. “My daddy had one of these. It drove like a boat, an’ he loved it,” he reminisced in a soft Kentucky drawl.

I scanned the hotel parking. Antique cars—some in trailers, others parked on the asphalt next to newer cars were filling the lot. Late into the warm summer night owners and admirers were holding a security vigil waiting for the dawn when they would roll their entries over to the big show a few miles up the road.

This is the NSRA Street Rod Nationals held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. This year is the 41^st annual event held August 5 through 8, 2010. Open to vehicles 30 years and older it showcases cars from all over the US and Canada, and a few from the UK--all built in the years ranging from the 1920’s up to the 1980’s.

Billed as the largest street rod event in the world, more than 11,000 cars participate in the event which attracts over 100,000 visitors who come to see the cars and vendors as well as other enthusiasts.

Did you know that some of the cars have graphic designs worth up to $150,000?

Everything from the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s to the old classics and vintage autos are on display. And if you’re looking for an original vintage auto part, you just might find it at the giant swap meet.

There’s even a “Women’s World,” arts and crafts area for “car widows.” It’s a great family event with live music and special activities for all.

Tickets are $14 for adults (13 and older), $5 for children (6-12). Kids under 5 free. Discounts are available for military and seniors 60+. Visit their website at www.nsra-usa.com

Tabasco Treasure

A salty, piquant aroma of pepper sauce tickles your nose as soon as you walk into the visitors center. Sign up for the next tour beside a giant size replica bottle of Tabasco sauce.

This is Tabasco country, and you’re on Avery Island in southern Louisiana a 2-1/2 hour drive west of New Orleans.

Here you can tour the pepper sauce factory to learn and see how it’s made. At the reception area meet the guide – a spicy Cajun gal who talks about the McIlhenny family who started the operation in 1868. Today, product is shipped to 40 countries worldwide. Did you know that most of the pepper plants grown on the island only produce seeds? These seeds are so valuable; they are stored in bank vaults until ready for export to Central and South America where they are grown into plants. The peppers are returned to the island where they are ground and mixed with Avery Island salt and put into barrels to ferment for 3 years.

You can buy the sauce and mementos in the old-fashion Tabasco Country store, the last stop of the tour. Hungry for pepper-flavored ice cream? How about a dollop of spicy jelly? You can taste a variety of Tabasco spiked foods at the store’s sample bar.

If it’s not raining, enjoy bird watching or stroll the 200-acre Jungle Gardens to see the bamboo, azaleas and camellias. There’s plenty of wildlife to see, from the Snowy Egret to alligators, nutria and armadillo that share the swamps and marshland.

For a $1 bridge toll you can visit the 2600-acre Avery Island that sits on a salt mound that is deeper than Mt. Everest is high. Tour hours of the pepper sauce factory are Monday – Sunday 9 to 4. It’s closed on major holidays. Admission is free. Phone: 1-800-634-9599. Visit their website at www.TABASCO.com