Audry, With the exception of some dry seasoning up front, your method sounds great. I use garlic powder, Lowery's seasoned salt, pepper and cayenne... Here's one additional thing to try: After cooking on the grill to the point where the outside is as carmelized as you want, finish the ribs off in the oven. We line a roasting pan with Reynolds Wrap Release foil (to ease cleanup), put the ribs in and add BBQ sauce. (We don't use BBQ sauce while the ribs are on the grill.) Cover the roaster and roast at 350 degF until the ribs are fully cooked. You'll get really tender ribs with that crunchy outsides from the grill, but fully cooked and tender enough to fall off the bone.

Hi Petra: Here is the recipe for BBQ shrimp - my original was written on a cocktail napkin by Bernard the bartender at Drago's in New Orleans. This is not Drago's recipe, but that of the bartender. He told us that after Christmas dinner, the men go outside and set up the grill and a burner and make Charbroiled Oysters and BBQ shrimp - "for later on." Barbecue Shrimp (from bartender at Drago's - New Orleans) Ingredients: 12 raw (largest you can find) shrimp, (here in the Pacific Northwest, we call them prawns and I use 16-20 count for dinner servings or the 21-30 count when I'm serving it as an appetizer)unpeeled with heads* and tails left on 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 rounded tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper healthy pinch of cayenne 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (2 cloves) 1 tablespoon of water half of 1 lemon, seeded 1/4 pound (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch slices Method: 1. Place the unpeeled shrimp, Worcestershire, spices, garlic and 1 tablespoon of water in a heavy 10-inch sautee pan. Squeeze juice from the lemon over the shrimp and add rind to the pan. 2. Cook over high heat, stirring and occasionally turning the shrimp. After a couple of minutes the shrimp should start to turn pink on both sides. 3. If pan looks dry, add 1-2 tablespoons more water to the pan. Otherwise, don�t add water. 4. Reduce to medium-high and cook while gradually add the cold pieces of butter to the pan. Swirl the butter pieces until they are blended, the sauce turns light brown and creamy as it simmers, and the shrimp are just cooked through. This will take about two minutes total if the shrimp are extra-large and about three minutes if they are huge. 5. Serve immediately with crusty bread for sopping up the sauce and lots of napkins for cleaning your hands. Makes two servings. Note: If you can�t find shrimp with the heads on, still be sure and use unpeeled shrimp. Janes Notes *I�ve never used shrimp with the head on � but I do use unpeeled shrimp (prawns) and slit the backs This serves 2 for dinner or 4 -6 for appetizer type servings. J

This is one of those in a jar mixes that you can make up and give out as gifts. Or you can stock up your pantry with them. FRENCH MARKET SOUP IN A JAR Mix 1 pound dried navy beans 1 pound dried pinto beans 1 pound dried Great Northern beans 1 pound split peas 1 pound yellow split peas 1 pound dried black-eyed peas 1 pound lentils 1 pound dried baby lima beans 1 pound dried lima beans 1 pound dried soybeans 1 pound pearl barley 1 pound dried red beans In a very large container, combine navy beans, pinto beans, great Northern beans, split peas, yellow split peas, black-eyed peas, lentils, baby limas, limas, soybeans, barley and red beans; mix well. Divide evenly into 14 lidded jars. Attach a card to each jar with the following recipe: French Market Soup 2 quarts water 1 ham hock 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced Soak 2 cups French Market Bean Mix in water to cover, 8 hours or overnight. In a large soup pot, bring 2 quarts water and ham hock to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Remove ham hock. Stir in soaked beans, salt, pepper, diced tomatoes and green chiles, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil again, skimming foam off the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 1 hour, until beans are tender.

I don't spend a lot of time cooking-my kitchen is awful, no usable counter space so I do a lot of very simple foods, but when the urge strikes, I make more diverse dishes. Following are my faves - Beef Main Dish: I make a family dish, we call it agasate. It's a braised eye round roast, then removed from the pan to soften a couple of chopped onions and some garlic. Put roast back in, cover with water and set to boil. Once roast is cooked, remove and cook down the juices to make a thick gravey-almost like french onion soup. Serve over thick noodles and be generous with the freshly grated parmesan. - Ground Beef Main Dish: Meatloaf and scalloped potatoes - Chicken Main Dish: Chicken alfredo w/broccoli served over noodles -Ground Chicken or Turkey Main Dish: - Pork Main Dish: Baked pork chops and roasted veggies - Vegetarian Main Dish: Baked penne with marinara - Pasta Main Dish: Pasta with my homemade meat sauce - Out on the Grill Main Dish: rib eye steak smothered in crushed garlic - Main Dish Salad: Grilled chicken, chopped apple and pecans over spring greens - Fish Main Dish: Fish tacos-usually made with either mahi mahi or cod, with shredded cabbage, lime & cilantro - Other Seafood Main Dish (such as Shrimp, Scallops, Etc.): I hate shellfish, so I never make anything like that. - Vegan Main Dish: pad thai - Homemade Soup: beef bourguingon or split pea with ham - Main Dish Sandwich: Oven roasted turkey, swiss cheese, cranberry mustard on crusty french bread. - Non-Vegetable Side Dish: ? Stuffing? - Veggie Side Dish: Roasted veggies-beets, carrots, red and white potatoes and parsnips are staples. - Quick & Easy Dessert: Ice Cream! Fresh pineapple when feeling ambitious. - Breakfast Main Dish: Overnight peach french toast