Pisgah National Forest

Over the weekend I took a two day trip to Pisgah. Clocked a little over 380 miles and  enjoyed the rain, sun and mud. This is a really beautyful part of North Carolina with lots if outdoor activities and historic places to see. Here are the pictures I took. 

First ride on the Blue Ridge.

Several weeks ago I had an opportunity to take a day trip up on the Blue Ridge. Here are some shots. 

Finally...,

I finally got the bike after a three month wait!  I've driven it about eighty miles and so far it's has been a blast. Increadable power and the computer mapping makes the bike idiot proof on the tarmac. I'm planning to go on a day trip this weekend and I will post more pictures then. For now here is the bike next to a random old guy who was nice enough to pose for the picture. 

1977 RD400

I recently fixed my 77RD after it was sitting for five years. Still waiting on the KTM but this will do handsomely in the meantime.

Back from the dead...

I have decided to resurrect this blog after two years of sloth. For my five faithful followers I do apologize. :) I have always been involved with and interested in motorcycles from an early age. So with that in mind I have decided to incorporate adventure bike travel into the mix. I recently test rode several street bikes and was not impressed with any of them. After some consultation with my brother Jason he recommended an ADV bike. After extensive review I decided to purchase a KTM 1190 Adventure R. I will be taking delivery soon and anticipate documenting my travels on the bike. I'm still going to try to work in a story or two about food as well. Here is a picture of the bike, I will write an update when the bike arrives in the March or April time frame.

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Goat in Bucaramanga, Colombia

Cabrito a la brasa, or "The Little Grilled Goat" is one of my favorite places to eat here in Bucaramanga. The location is not easy to find and it has a large fan base. It has been family run for years and the same kind folks greet you each time.














Here is a plate of yuca. This popular root can be found in most US grocery stores and in this case is served boiled with a tomato based sauce.













The salad you see here has lettuce, cilantro, tomatoes, aji and lime juice.














This plate of goodness is called pepitoria. This is a combination of liver, tripe, heart and kidneys. This definitely has an acquired taste. You only want to eat one bite, however you'll find the taste so confusing and offensive that you continue to eat it.
















Goat ribs-














Goat shoulder-














Goat, in case you have never had it is or can be very greasy. This was no exception. The seasoning is great and the meat is always tender. If you find yourself in Bucaramanga you should try it.

- SD


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Gear

As promised, here are the tools I use for my hobby. First up is my vacuum marinader. It can be found here. You can do a search for a coupon code and you can save an additional $20.00. What this machine does is remove all the air from the canister and then tumbles the food for the set time up to 20 minutes. The benefit is that it opens the fibers of the food  and lets the marinade soak in. It is supposed to shorten the marinade time from over night to 20 minutes. I've used it for steaks, and whole chickens and it works great.

This is the Traeger Lil' Elite. This grill is fueled by pelets and is ignited by a "hot rod", yes thats what it is called. The pellets go from the hopper you see below by an auger into a "fire pot". The tempature can be set as low as 160 for smoking all the way up to 450 for baking. There are lots of options for pelets from apple to hickory. I have only tried hickory and mesquit. 



 Above you see the digital temp control and below you have the pellet hopper. 

This is a shot of both grills. The second grill is a Kingsford charcol grill. 

 This is the best way to start your fire chemical free. If you have never used one of these you basicaly put newspaper in the bottom and fill the top with you favorite charcoal. It takes about 20 minutes to be ready.

 The crank you see to the right is to lower and raise the charcoal. You also have vents on both sides and some storage underneath.

The last toy is a Redi Check remote thermometer. I got this on Amazon, however recomend getting it from Bed Bath and Beyond with a 20% off coupon.  This really comes in great. I set up the probe and from inside the house I can keep an eye on the cooking progress.  

- SD