Ted Reader - Beerlicious: The Art of Grillin and Chillin

To my dad, Calvin Alexander Reader (August 11, 1925 to January 4, 2010).

Thanks for all of your love and guidance in helping me find my path.

Thank you for my first beer and for teaching me that a wheelbarrow makes a perfect grill.

And thanks mostly for loving my mom so passionately and deeply for all your days.

Thanks again for just being the best.
Love, T

TABLE OF CONTENTS

W hen Ted told me he was going to write a cookbook about beer and BBQ, my first thought was that he had finally found the perfect literary project. It reminded me of that old David Allan Coe song about Steve Goodman writing the perfect country and western song. It seems Teddys been preparing to write this book for his whole life. Beer, fire, and meat are surely three of his four favourite things. Whats the fourth? Well, that will have to be in another book.

Im an American and we like beer. But not like Canadians like beer. Im lucky enough to count Ted and quite a few other Canadians as friends, and I can tell you that Canadians like their beer much more than we Americans do, so its only logical that the master of Canadian grilling and BBQ wrote this book. And, of course, there is no food that goes better with beer than BBQ. The smokiness and the spiciness that flavours the food are a perfect match with the refreshing coolness of a good beer.

We all love to hang around the grill, telling stories, tending to the food, and having a few beers. Its the ultimate relaxation for the working man or woman. We spend our lives trying to build a better backyard with a great grill so we can host and entertain our family and friends. And when we do, the main ingredients are always good food and beer. It just doesnt get any better than that.

We all think were pretty good at grilling, too, but the truth is were all in line behind my World Famous friend. Ted Reader is the Pied Piper of this lifestyle. Follow him and youll always eat good food, drink good beer, and have a good time.

Ray Lampe, Dr. BBQ

T he art of grillin & chillin marries two of my favourite things beer and BBQ! Think about it backyard bliss created by wonderfully grilled or BBQ foods, all with my favourite libation: beer. Its Beerlicious! Beer and BBQ were meant for each other and combine in perfect harmony. One is not complete without the other in my world or in this book. It has over 100 recipes made with over 100 different beers the perfect marriage of beer and BBQ.

What does beer mean to me? It means a good time. It means icy cold (nothings as refreshing as ICE-COLD BEER). It means hanging out with family and friends, whether its after a hard day of work or at a friendly get-together. Dont get me wrong, I love my Jack Daniels, but I also love beer. Not only do I love to drink it, but I love to cook with it. I love it so much that I named one of my sauces Beerlicious (Teds World Famous BBQ Beerlicious BBQ Sauce, made with 17% draft beer). Thats the most beer you will find in any store-bought BBQ sauce.

I love beer. My man cave at Casa BBQ has TWO beer fridges in it. Ones an old-style draft fridge and the other is a multi-shelved model that easily holds more than 50 varieties of beer. It keeps them ice cold just a degree or two above freezing. For me, beers have to be cold. I love them cold, especially when I am working on one of my many grills or smokers. When the coals are hot and the sweet smell of smoke is in the air, nothing is more refreshing than an icy-cold beer.

Greg Cosway and Les Murray are my partners, managers, and friends. Their love of beer has been an inspiration to me. They LOVE beer. In their world, there is always time for a beer and thats a good rule to live by. Good business comes from a cold one. Deals are made and beer is guzzled with passion and conviction. Their love of beer is truly a great thing incredibly inspirational. In fact, they love beer so much that they own Torontos Festival of Beer (www.beerfestival.ca), a four-day event dedicated to beer. Now thats Beerlicious!

I have many favourite beers, different beers that I like for different reasons, but I know I like them all cold its a personal thing. When Im on vacation, butter-basting myself on a hot beach, I want an ice-cold beer to take my core temperature down a few degrees. When I worked in a restaurant, I couldnt wait until the end of my shift for the frosty brew ready for me at the bar. There is something about beer that is very comforting. Being in your backyard with family and friends having a beer and grilling is like youre on beer-cation. When youre stressed out, it can help take the edge off. If youve had a really bad day, you can count on a beer to make you feel a little better when its all over. Some say that beer is medicinal I wouldnt disagree. Beer makes no demands on its drinkers. It doesnt need a gimmick or a hot chick to sell it its beer.

Beer is the oldest alcoholic beverage; it has a strong and delicious reputation that has developed over thousands of years. Much good still comes from beer. I like beer, a lot of my friends like beer, and I know my mom likes a good beer. My brothers both like beer. My brother Edward was the one who really taught me how to drink beer. I blame my obsession on him. Ive tasted premium beers, cheap beers, expensive beers, light beers, heavy beers, and funky beers. I dont think Ive ever had a bad beer, just some I dont care for.