Need to get a BGE at this Cookoff!!!!

Smoked Signals

Washington, DC (CNN) -- The White House will play host to the first "BBQ on the Back Forty" competition barbecue event on August 11 and 12th, presidential spokesperson Jill Mitchell announced Thursday. The event, to be hosted by President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, will be held on the South Lawn of the White House and will bring 40 of the top barbecue competition teams to Washington.[p]"The President and Mrs. Bush are great fans of quality barbecue", Mitchell said. "They see this as an opportunity to promote this uniquely American institution".[p]According to a press release, teams will compete in four categories- beef brisket, pork ribs, chicken and pork shoulder for a total contest purse of ten thousand dollars. Winners will also be invited on a tour of Washington aboard Marine One.[p]Judges for the event will include The President and Mrs. Bush, **** and Lynn Cheney and Condoleeza Rice.[p]CNN, Inc.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story) [p]

Adrian B.

I need to get in on that action. I have some buddies in the USSS, and I'd love to get a hookup on that! :~)[p]
I can dream, can't I?

Smokey

Smoked Signals,[p]Sounds like a job for Natureboy. He live in that neck of the woods.

Seattle Todd

Smoked Signals,[p]I think that is SO cool! I'm very love/hate with the President's politics. But I love this. I love America and I love food. BBQ is probably THE most American food you can find that isn't an embarassment such as fast food, fish sticks, processed cheese, etc.[p]BBQ sauce in particular is a matter of pride for America in that is the only major sauce that is completely from our nation and not from another source. Ketchup? Originally from Indonesia, moved to England and ended up here.[p]Viva la BBQ!!!

James

Seattle Todd,[p]Weren't tomatoes unknown in Europe until Colombus found them here?[p]

James

James,[p]
I found this out there [p]"The Spanish explorer Cortez conquered the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, later to be renamed Mexico City, in 1521. It is presumed that the tomato found its’ way across the Atlantic shortly after. The earliest mention of the tomato in European literature is found in an herbal written by Matthiolus in 1544 [3]. He described tomatoes, or as they were called in Italy, pomi d'oro (golden apple), and wrote that they were "eaten in Italy with oil, salt and pepper". This provides evidence that the first tomatoes to reach the Old World were a yellow variety, and that they were introduced via the Mediterranean. Red tomatoes were said to be introduced to Italy by two Catholic priests many years later [9]. Although not specifically documented, early tomatoes were probably small fruited, since they most likely were of the small-fruited cerasiforme variety cultivated by the Aztecs. Additionally, later emphasis on breeding for smooth-skinned cultivars [3] suggests that early cultivars had a rough skin. "
[ul][li]Tomato History[/ul]

Cornfed

Smoked Signals,[p]This does sound pretty interesting. Anyone know which teams are going?[p]Later,
Cornfed

Cornfed

Cornfed,[p]Oh, wait, was I just April fooled?[p]Later,
Cornfed