Top 10 Necessities For a Pig Roast

Deciding to roast a whole pig is a huge feat, and requires a lot of planning for a successful outcome. It may sound like a glorified barbecue, but the details that go into the execution and the time and effort involved in proper cooking are no minor venture.

Pig roasting traditionally has its roots in Pacific Islander and Caribbean cultures, specifically Hawaii, the Philippines, and Cuba. It is even known to be practiced in some Southern Chinese areas. It is a very common practice for New Year's celebrations, and has extended to include Christmas, Christmas Eve, and even Thanksgiving. Now, pig roasting has trickled down into common American culture and is often called a pig pickin' in the Deep South.

As a result, there are several traditional styles to dress and spice your pig, each providing a unique cooking style and flavor. Cooking options and methods should be thoroughly researched before attempting a pig roast of your own, and having an experienced roaster with you can be a huge help!

So, what major things should be taken into consideration?

1. Who & When? - With an entire pig to roast, you better be planning to have a lot of guests. Events that large require enough time in advance for people to clear the time on their schedules. Decide on a date and start compiling your guest list right away. Send out invitations as soon as possible so your friends and family know what date to save.
2. How Big of a Pig? - The common hog will range upwards of 100 pounds, which translates to a lot of meat to serve and eat. However, hogs are available in ranges of weights, and you can even order a younger and smaller pig to suit smaller occasions. If you are uncertain about how big of an animal you need, be sure to ask for an estimate for your guest count when placing your order.
3. Extra Help - Having an experienced chef as help is a great idea. But more than just that, cooking a hog takes hours. Be sure to collect enough volunteers so that the roast can be watched in shifts the entire time. Leaving your cooking unattended could result in disastrous results, to both your meal and your location.
4. Roasting Tools/Kit - When looking through the ways to roast a pig, the options may seem as varied as the stars in the sky. Try taking a look first at the seasoning you want before finalizing on a cooking method. Different styles can have different methods of cooking, so that may help steer you in the right direction. Also, see what method might be most practical for the space you will be using for your celebration.
5. Seasoning - Each culture that has a pig roast tradition has created its own unique flavoring styles. Further, these styles have been modified and blended over time to create unique offshoots. You will find Hawaiian style, Cuban style, Caja China, Puerto Rican, and even Filipino to start. You can even buy your hog professionally seasoned and 100% ready to start roasting!
6. Venue Location - A large meal and a large number of guests is likely not going to fit into the average person's backyard. Start early checking out large venues such as park grounds and community centers. Keep in mind that not all venues will accommodate this style of cooking, so do some thorough research before selecting a location.
7. Tackle the Timing - Because such a large animal takes so long to cook, timing is perhaps the most important point to make your event a success. Take into account the weight of the pig and the estimated cooking times based on your specific cooking method. Some cooking styles require upwards of 24 hours of cooking while others need only 4-6. Get a firm understanding of how much time your hog is going to require, and plan to have all of your roasting helpers ready to begin well in advance.
8. Equipment Rentals - Not all available venues will come equipped with tables and chairs. Be sure to secure enough rentals for all of your guests, as well as purchasing cutlery needs in bulk. Plates, cups, napkins, and silverware (or plasticware) will all need to be bought in heavy excess of your total number of guests.
9. Extra Entertainment - While waiting for the big meal to commence, your guests will have a lot of time on their hands. Adults will be happy to mix and mingle, but recreational activities will help the evening go smoothly. If there will be children at your event, they will need plenty to keep them occupied.
10. Side Dishes & Drinks - While your amazing roast is the main event, no meal is complete with just one dish! Be sure to include a variety of sides and drinks for your guests to choose from, and do not forget to get enough to go around. If you want to home-cook these dishes as well, be sure you have enough support and hands to get everything accomplished.

When in doubt, the best advice you can get is from an experienced roaster. Check out some books from your local bookstore or library. Put in enough time planning, and your event will run without a hitch. Enjoy!

The Best Choices For Backyard Games This Summer

When having a backyard barbecue it is always a fun idea to also have a few options for games to entertain your guests. Games not only mix up the day a bit, but also add a bit of competition for you and your guests. Luckily there are a number of excellent group games to choose from, each of which are discussed below.

Cornhole (also known as Corn Toss or Bag-o): The game of Cornhole is a four person game involving tossing bags full of corn toward slanted wooden boards with a hole in the middle. Points are scored if you get the bags either on the board or in the hole. All in all, Cornhole is actually quite similar to horseshoes, but safer since no metal is used.

Ladderball (also known as Testicle Toss or Bolo Toss): This game involves a PVC ladder constructed in the shape of a three rung ladder. Players toss bolos, which are two golf balls connected by a string, at the ladders and score depending on if the bolos wrap around and stay on the ladder. Normally the game is a two vs. two game, but can be adapted for other sized groups.

Bocce Ball: A popular backyard game originally from Italy, Bocce ball involves two teams trying to toss their team's balls closest to a smaller white ball that serves as the target. Bocce is traditionally played two vs. two, but can be adapted to accommodate eight players since there are eight balls thrown per game.

Washers: A more recent creation, Washers is in a similar vein to cornhole yet involves a smaller wooden box as the target and players toss large metal or plastic washers instead of the corn bags.

There are certainly a number of other excellent backyard games that can help take your barbecue to the next level, but these are some more recent favorites.

Building a Fine Tableware Collection - Accenting Your Table With Elegant Touches

A gathering of family, close friends or business associates calls for only the best dinnerware to be brought out of storage and cleaned to perfection to make each guest feel special. A beautiful table setting is not only pleasing to look at in itself but it can also help to showcase the food itself and make the meal a more enjoyable experience overall. Presentation is one of the most important factors in any food preparation and building a beautiful tableware collection will ease the burden of worry over whether your food will look as wonderful as it tastes.

Large tableware items such as serving platters, bowl and dessert stands are typical "staples" that many homeowners will focus on. Coordinating these items is a great way to build a collection but remember that varying the colors and design will give your tableware collection more flexibility in different settings. An eclectic mix can add more visual interest to a holiday, birthday or any special occasion table than a matching set of dishes. Don't be afraid of bold colors either, a deep blue serving bowl can be a beautiful accent for both a bowl of mashed potatoes or fresh fruit salad in the summer.

Personalizing a setting with individual dishes for each member of your dinner party can be a wonderful addition to any collection - or smaller dishes that may be used more than once on one table. Butter is a popular accompaniment to many foods so having more than one butter dish available on either side of the table will prevent guests food from getting cold while waiting for the butter to make its way around the table. Salt and pepper shakers are a great option but for a large group try using individual salt cellars (these can be used for other spices as well despite the name) at each setting. This will allow guests to season as much as they please and eliminate a lot of requests to "pass the salt".

Using different colors for particular items is a terrific way to let your guests know where to look on the table. If your table is crowded with food, use the same color for beverage related items (goblets, water glasses, pitchers, etc.) and another color for seasonings/condiments (salt and pepper shakers, syrup dishes, gravy bowls). Remember that colors can be mixed and matched on your table without fighting each. A similar pattern can be used to tie your tableware collection together, if desired.

Building a tableware collection is not only a great hobby that can be cultivated over the years but it can be passed on through a family for generations. Prevent damage to your collection by carefully storing all pieces on level surfaces when not in use or carefully wrapped and packaged in boxed during transportation. Glassware is strong but can break when dropped or transferred from extreme temperatures so exercise caution and check with the manufacturer regarding dishwasher and microwave use.

Fine tableware can be found through a variety of sources including retail stores, antique markets or even online. Although collecting antiques can be rewarding, these items can be cracked or damaged from extended use.

Basic Outdoor Kitchens

One of the hottest new renovations you can do to your home is the outdoor kitchen. Over the years it has evolved from the basic outdoor grill and side tables to an array of designs with appliances and stylish accessories. On those days when the weather is nice, more families move outdoors to take advantage. Nothing beats spending your meal times, eating and preparing, in your own backyard custom kitchen. The following are some areas to consider when deciding on how to customize your outdoor kitchen.

First area to consider is, what the purpose is for your outdoor kitchen and what you want the general design to be. For instance, is your focus to entertain a larger group of people or do you want a more intimate family set-up. What types of foods do you want to cook; large barbeque pig-roast style or a gourmet fare? The main style of food that you will be cooking, is a big determining factor for your overall kitchen. The design of your outdoor kitchen should be built around this purpose with other areas such as staying in line with themes in your home and backyard. The climate should also help determine the build of your kitchen; will you want shade, some wall placements to block wind, or a fireplace for colder climates.

The second area to consider is where you are planning on placing your outdoor kitchen. You will want to perform a site survey of this area outdoors and as your idea of a style emerges, you will be able to start visualizing the perfect placement. Usually a gazebo or patio are the primary places. Some have even put theirs out in the middle of a garden landscape. Some factors to help you in this decision process are: where will everyone sit; what are great visual areas that the kitchen can be focused around outdoors; and how accessible do you want to be to the main house.

The third area, and sometimes the limiting factor on what type of outdoor kitchen you will decide to build is what is your budget. There are plenty of sites on the internet to assist you in researching products and ideas. Be sure to set a budget for not only the costs of the material but also for the labor. If you are skilled in this area, you can save plenty of money by being the project manager. One word of advice, it is best not to go with the cheapest materiel you come across, you want to make sure it has durability and will last, such as a quality grill. Future maintenance will also need to be considered in the overall cost and budget.

The final area to determine is what types of accessories and appliances will you need. These can be as much of a choice as what you have in your inside kitchen, but most will need to be weatherproof. Refrigerators, cabinets and more are different things you can put in the outdoor kitchen. For these appliances, you will of course need electricity and plumbing, so be sure to check how easily it will be to install.

An outdoor kitchen can be the most enjoyable part of your entire house. Plan carefully to make sure it is what you want in the end to meet all of your needs. With careful planning and researching the different options, you should be confident your ideas will become a successful reality. Consider the above areas in your planning and you will be on your way to creating a customized and private cooking oasis in your own backyard.

Types of Smokers and Grills

There are several methods of grilling your favorite cuts of meat as well as the type of equipment to do it on. Whether you want to do smoking, direct or indirect grilling, there are a few grills to choose from. Below is a listing of the general grills and smokers that are available to best suit your outdoor cooking needs.

- Charcoal grills use charcoal briquettes as their main source of fuel. They require more start-up and cleaning work than gas grills, but they offer the unmatched smoky, crusty and quick searing of meat.

- Gas Grills are a faster and cleaner way to grill. They are usually fueled by a propane tank, which allows you to turn on with a knob automatically as well as control the heat. Be sure you have an extra tank on hand when having an all day grilling event. There are also natural gas grills which connect directly into you natural gas lines. Natural gas also burns cleaner that propane.

- Smoker Grills use a low heat to cook your food slowly by smoking. By using select woods, they produce tender meat with aromatic flavors. Some grills are made specifically for smoking, while others, such as gas grills can be fitted with additions to create a smoker.

- Fire pit grills are open pits that use fire from firewood to cook with in a old fashioned, camp style setting. They can be a fun way to experiment with you cooking techniques. The food develops a nice caramelization which enhances the flavors.

- Ceramic or Terra Cotta Grills are generally inexpensive and are made from ceramic construction which is great for controlling temperature and retaining moisture to produce for juicy grilled foods. They are usually great as a portable option but need to be careful while handling them as the ceramic can be fragile.

- Electric Grills are an alternative to the associated hassles with propane, charcoal, or wood grills. These are usually the indoor, countertop variety which come in many models. They are great for being a quick and convenient grilling method, however, you usually won't get the same grilling flavor as you would with traditional smokers and grills.

- Barbecue Rotisseries can be a learning curve for most new to the experience to ensure the rotisserie cooks the food entirely throughout the process. Rotisseries cook the meat slowly by rotating on a skewer around the heat source. Careful attention needs to be given to placing the meat on centrally and evenly to avoid misbalance.

- Infrared Grills are relatively new to the market. They use some of the traditional methods to produce the heat but they have a unique method for increasing the temperature. It uses radiant heat primarily for cooking.

Whichever grill you decide on, hopefully the above listings help to narrow it down to your particular grilling needs.

Watch T20 Tollywood Cricket Live For FREE

Movie Artistes Association(MAA), is organising a Twenty20 cricket tournament to raise the funds for the Poor artists.

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Tollywood Trophy Twenty20 is scheduled for June 13th at Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad. The team selection process of its four teams: Balayya Lions, Chiru Cheetahs, Nag Kings and Venkatesh Warriors, led by actors Balakrishna, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh respectively.

Film industry members Murali Mohan, Balakrishna, Nagababu, Jayasudha, Ahuti Prasad, Srikanth, Parachuri Gopalakrishna, Kota Srinivasa Rao and others participated in the event.

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