Sense of Accomplishment Ribs

Every time I make these, I feel a real sense of accomplishment. It is kind of an arduous process, but the result is well worth the wait. The ribs are saucy, sticky and simply delicious. I recommend Famous Dave's Rich and Sassy barbecue sauce, but whatever sauce you use, the ribs should be divine. It's a three-step process that takes some time, but if you're sitting around on a Saturday afternoon, this a great (and simple) way to pass some time.

Ingredients:

There isn't an exact science to this recipe, I apologize. But it's kind of no-fail, it's just meat, after all.

• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper
• Small handful red pepper flakes
• 3 lb slab baby back ribs
• A whole lot of barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Cut ribs into 3- or 4- bone chunks. I use sharp kitchen shears, it's much easier than a knife.
2. Boil water in a large pot, reduce to med-high, and season water with salt, black pepper and pepper flakes
3. Put ribs in water, cover and let boil for 25 minutes
4.  Take the ribs out and let them rest for 30 minutes
5. Heat the grill and lightly grease it
6. Baste the ribs with barbecue sauce and grill them for 5-7 minutes on each side
7. Preheat oven to 325
8. When the ribs come off the grill, transfer them to a baking dish and smother them in barbecue sauce
9. Cover the dish and bake for 20 minutes

The ribs get fully cooked on the stove. The grill adds some smokiness and the oven gets them all soft and saucy.

CAUTION: Barbecue sauce is very acidic, so make sure you serve with sides that will cut through that acidity. Some steamed vegetables would be a nice complement, instead of something like potato salad that is full of vinegar.

Passion Tea Lemonade

My favorite Starbucks drink of all time is the iced Passion Tea Lemonade. But I can't always be at Starbucks when the mood strikes (which is basically every hot day) so I created my own recipe that I call Clone of Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade. After a little bit of recon I figured out what tea blend they use (Tazo Passion - shocker!) and have tweaked it quite a bit since the first glass I made. Now I make it by the quart, which lasts me like... two days. So here's the recipe. For something sweet, cool, and delicious, there's no better elixir than a fruity glass of tea combined with the summer staple, lemonade.

Ingredients:
2 Tazo Passion tea bags
5 cups water
1 packet lemonade mix (the kind you pour into a bottle of water and shake) -- I use Crystal Light Pure

Directions:

• Steep the tea bags in 2 1/2 cups water for about 20 minutes
• Pour the rest of the water (2 1/2 cups) into a pitcher and mix in the lemonade powder
• Pour the tea into the pitcher and shake a little bit to mix.
• Pour over some ice, top with some sugared lemon peel and a lemon slice!

**Tip: I leave the tea bags in the pitcher while I drink the tea. They are always giving off more flavor. The longer you leave them in, the stronger the drink will taste. I don't take the tea bags out until I've emptied the pitcher.**

Sugared lemon peel: It's exactly how it sounds. Peel a lemon in small strips (I have a Microplane citrus tool that works well) and toss them in some sugar. They'll make the tea more lemony while you drink it.