A vegetarian ... Really?

One year ago, my teenage son returned from a month away at camp and declared he was now a vegetarian. My emotions went crazy. Where did I go wrong? How did this happen? How did my adventurous eater, my son who shared jerky snacks with me, my son who kept a running list of "foods for dad to make," suddenly come out and declare he no longer wanted to eat meat?  I didn't know how to react. What will I cook now?

Ok, I thought. Maybe he means no red meat. I began to panic as I questioned his limits, going through some of his alleged favorite dishes. 

Barbecued Brisket? "No"

Grilled rotisserie chicken? "No"
Crab legs? "No"

Bacon hasselback potatoes?  "Sure, but without the bacon."

No bacon? I had to be alone.  I needed time to think and reflect on this news.  Were there signs that I missed in his upbringing.  I went back to look at his "foods for dad to make" list -- mujadara; polenta; tomato bisque; corn chowder; baba ganouj; rosa sauce; homemade ranch dressing.  Almost everything on the list was a success, but was he trying to tell me something?

Is it possible this is not a choice?  Is it possible he was really born this way?  Maybe I just have to let him be his own person, and accept him for who he is.  I guess it is OK if he really is a vegetarian.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.   

Scott's Favorite Rub [Recipe]

Baked Beans [Recipe]

Dad ... will you make ribs?

Music to my ears.  My daughter's 18th birthday, and she wants dad's ribs for her birthday dinner.  I thought about it for several days before settling on a menu.  I decided on a few racks of big, meaty beef back ribs.  Along with this, their perfect accompaniments -- corn on the cob, baked beans, and cole slaw.

The evening before my daughter's birthday dinner, I made the cole slaw -- it's always better the next day.  I also put some of my favorite dry rub on the meat, and put it back in the refrigerator to marinate over night.

On the day of the big dinner, I put the ribs into the smoker -- a gift my kids got me for Father's Day last year.  After the ribs smoked for about three hours, I wrapped them in foil and put them back into the smoker box to continue cooking; a technique known as Texas Crutch.  While in the smoker, I prepared the baked beans, and a cola-based barbecue sauce.

About 45 minutes before serving, I unwrapped the ribs and placed them on the grill.  I slathered them with the tasty barbecue sauce, and let the heat take care of melding all of the flavors together.  Ready to serve, the ribs were cut into "single serving" ribs. A beautiful pink smoke ring was present, and the meat was tender and moist.  

While there was a lot of "oooh's" and "mmm's" around the table, but the best compliment I received was when my 95 pound daughter asked me to pass her a third rib and a second helping of beans.  It was a good day.