Barbecue

Frank Comfort has received a second continuance on his hearing to keep his Penllyn Pike barbecue stand open after saying that his attorneys were not ready to present the case. The continuance may enable Comfort to keep his stand open through autumn. Comfort is seeking a special exception from the Lower Gwynedd Township Zoning Hearing Board to enable him to continue operating the stand in the Penllyn section of the township. He received the second continuance on the special-exception hearing Wednesday.

The smoke and aroma of spareribs sizzling on an open pit could be seen and smelled for blocks before entering Lawnside Park nearly a half-century ago. By noon on a Saturday or Sunday, scores of buses would line Evesham Avenue, delivering city folks from Philadelphia and as far away as Newark, New York and Baltimore. They were a hungry lot and eager to savor the ribs smothered in barbecue sauce, along with fried chicken, buttered corn on the cob, collard greens, corn bread, potato salad and sweet potato pie. After eating their fill, folks could ride on various amusements, go swimming, play baseball, ride on the go-carts or simply relax on a blanket under a tree in the wooded area surrounding the park.

"If you gorm bahl croppy, pike to Boont!" That is to say, in an unique American lingo, if you enjoy eating really fine barbecued lamb, come to Boonville. Boonville is a small town in the center of Anderson Valley about halfway between Cloverdale and the coast in Mendocino County, Calif., some 100 miles north and a little west of San Francisco. This is not the same Boonville that you've seen on TV where Fess Parker lives. This Boonville was named after W.W. Boone, one of Daniel's kinfolk.

Alexander "Butch" Lupinetti, 69, of Mount Laurel, a South Jersey barbecue legend who competed nationally for 20 years, racking up more than 600 awards and beating celebrity chef Bobby Flay in a Food Network cook-off, died of a massive heart attack Wednesday, Aug. 4, while vacationing in Pompeii, Italy. With an Italian father, Mr. Lupinetti grew up on pasta, tomato gravy, and meatballs. He would help his mother chop and peel vegetables, and his father prepare fresh meat. The Lupinetti family lived on a Pemberton farm that raised chickens and hogs.

3- to 5-pound whole chicken Kosher salt and ground black pepper For the barbecue sauce: 6-ounce can tomato paste 5 tablespoons agave syrup 3 tablespoons olive oil 5 tablespoons cider vinegar 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon ground...

Now that the weather is nice, a number of completely predictable things are about to happen. Anybody lucky enough to own a convertible will put the top down, splash on the sunscreen and drive around, just for fun. Anybody lucky enough to own a swimming pool will be hanging around it at every possible opportunity. And people lucky enough to have a boat and a place to sail it will be out on the water feeling the wind in their hair and the salt spray in their face. So what about the rest of us?

It is very often possible when purchasing meat to make considerable savings, and eat better in the bargain, if you try to make every cut that you buy "come to the table twice. " Let me give you an example. "Tis barbecue season right? And one of the favorite cuts for the barbecue grill is pork ribs. There are a number of different types from which to choose - back ribs, "baby back ribs," "country style ribs," even "boneless pork ribs" (that somehow seems a contradiction in terms to me - but anyway)

Union leader Henry Nicholas was busy poking chicken wings and spare ribs over a hot, smoky pit yesterday and telling all who would listen that Philadelphia is lucky to have W. Wilson Goode as mayor. "He's been a great leader," said Nicholas, president of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, AFL-CIO, as well as its local union, District 1199C. "The city's bond ratings are up, and more people are working this Labor Day than at any time before," he added.

Norm Eggen did it again! For the fourth straight year, which in this case is "since the beginning of time," Norm and his talented crew from the "Old Country Deli" won top honors, "People's Choice," at the Fourth Annual San Luis Obispo Rib Cook-Off. Ribs, barbecued ribs, are big in San Luis Obispo. They are served by the thousands every Thursday night on Higuera street when the street is blocked off between Osos and Nippomo. Local farmers bring in pickup loads of fresh produce and set up stalls along both sides of the street.

Brownie's Lodge isn't exactly what you'd call fancy. In fact, the longtime Bargaintown institution is downright homely. The main bar is in a plain wooden shack, with decor that can best be described as nouveau rustic. The folks who hang out there, many of whom arrive in pickup trucks or on motorcycles, aren't the ones you'd expect to find in a glitzy disco. No matter. Brownie's is one of the most popular spots at the Shore. And although other establishments have attempted to emulate the place's down-home, no-frills charm, the lodge remains in a class by itself.

Oshgie Ehigianusoi Age: 24 Where ya from? 48th and Baltimore Where he grew up: Atlanta. Lived in Philly four years. What he does: DJ What brought him to Philly: "Records. I collect records. Philly's a great place for that because it's got a history of soul and funk. Those records been here for a long time, and lot of people in the area have a background of buying and keeping those records. So I come out here and purchase them and go spin. " What's different about life up here?

  YOU MIGHT THINK memories of home cooking are the foundation for a Top Cook. Bardre Parrish, of the Yorktown section, recalls his mother's nose for a good meal. "My mom would always take me to the food hall at Strawbridge's [the former department store at 8th and Market], and it gave me a great appreciation for good food," Parrish said recently. "The barbecue chicken I had there definitely inspired me. I treasure the memory. " Parrish's other inspiration was his sixth-grade home-economics teacher, "Miss Gary," at Conwell Russell Middle School, who taught him to make gravy and pepper steak.

Purists complain that you just can't get good barbecue outside of Kansas City, Memphis, the Carolinas, and Texas. But that theory is being tested as two restaurants, Fette Sau and Bubba's Texas BBQ, open a block apart this week in Fishtown, joining Blue Belly BBQ, which opened in July at Sixth and Catharine Streets in Bella Vista. They are part of a trend toward artisan barbecue - some of it practiced by Northerners. When lazy restaurateurs buy a smoker, hardwood, and "hire some kids to cook the barbecue, you do get junk," said barbecue pro Chris Hart, who with his buddy Andy Husbands won the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in 2009.

The Smoke Truck, featuring the barbecue prowess of Mississippian Mark A. Coates, impressed the judges and was named winner of the Vendy Cup at the second annual Vendy Awards Saturday. People's choice winner was Vernalicious - Verna Swerdlow and David Jurkofsky's comfort-fooder - and best dessert honors went to Lil' Pop Shop, Jeanne Chang and Vince Tseng's popsicle company. The winners of both the 2011 and 2012 Philadelphia Vendy Awards will roll into Eakins Oval on Thursday, for the Winners' Oval Event.

Smoky, spicy, and sweet - the smells of barbecue filled the air on Sunday, stretching for six blocks and along the beach of North Wildwood, as the three-day New Jersey State Barbecue Championship came to a close. That's right - New Jersey. Many in the competitive barbecuing circuit have asked event coordinator Eric Shenkus, "What does New Jersey know about barbecue?" Apparently quite a lot. An estimated 75,000 people were expected to attend the 14th annual event. That's a huge difference from the first year, which brought 500 people to a fund-raiser in the parking lot across the street from the local fire company, Shenkus said.

3- to 5-pound whole chicken Kosher salt and ground black pepper For the barbecue sauce: 6-ounce can tomato paste 5 tablespoons agave syrup 3 tablespoons olive oil 5 tablespoons cider vinegar 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon ground...

Frederick Douglass Hunter was one of the most popular people on the University of Pennsylvania campus. He fed the students and faculty. As the chef in Penn's dining service, his job was to keep the students and teachers who patronized the school's cafeteria well-fed and happy. And he succeeded beyond their expectations. After all, it was a cafeteria, and cafeterias are not known for gourmet dining. But Frederick Hunter had a flair and a true love of cooking. He provided students with the nutrition they needed to cope with demanding professors — whom he also fed — and with tough exams and the other stresses of college life.

Menu: Looks French. Tastes American. You can't get thick crepes stuffed with Buffalo chicken or cheesesteak anywhere near Paris. Find it: Northeast corner of 13th and Norris streets, at Temple University. Hours : 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Friday. Look for : Well-worn silver truck painted blue, white and red, and papered with menu items and press clippings. Contact: 215-778-4771. Or search "Creperie at Temple" on Facebook. There since: February 2003.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - We stood on the sidewalk waiting for the Santa Parade on Queen Street and took in the crowd around us; it was the usual mix of families, old-timers, and teens traveling in packs. One thing was different, though, for a December activity: Almost everyone was wearing T-shirts and shorts. This was our first Christmas season Down Under, where the calendar is turning the page from spring to summer and the holidays take place beneath palm trees and sunny blue skies.

Barbecued pork is perfect for the last, lingering days of evening light. This easy dry rub adds flavor in minutes. A blend of spices and peanuts rubbed into the meat forms a crust that is a great alternative to a marinade. The pork can be barbecued or broiled. If you barbecue, heat one section of the grill and place the pork over the unheated section so it cooks over indirect heat. Wine suggestion: This sweet and spicy dish would be nicely matched by an Australian shiraz.