David Rosengarten is a superb chef, a brilliant taster, an entertaining writer, and an inspirational teacher. He is best known for his popular TV programs on The Food Network, where he hosted about 2,500 shows in the 1990s.
I met him in Ithaca, New York, where he was working in a wine shop and I was writing about wine and teaching wine part time at Cornell. I hadn't seen him for several years until one day I got an email from him. He was coming to Chicago to conduct a spectacular gourmet dinner for the benefit of Share Our Strength, an important charity that fights hunger. He wanted to taste the best Chicago Hot Dogs and wanted me to help him find them. The next morning we started at 7 a.m. and hit four classics stands by noon (yes, there are hot dog stands open at 7 a.m. in Chicago). By 2 p.m. he was on a plane back home to NYC so he could do a tasting of duck breasts for his superb newsletter on food, wine, and travel, The Rosengarten Report. On our drive around town I asked him what he prefered to drink with ribs and without hesitation he said "lemonade" and that he had a great recipe. Here it is.
Recipe
Yield. Makes 1 large pitcher of lemonade, enough for 6-7 people to get a good drink. Preparation time. 1-2 hours
Ingredients
5 large lemons, well washed
3/4 to 1 cup of granulated sugar, according to taste
3 cups water
4 cups ice cubes
Do this
1) Roll the lemons with your palm on the counter to soften them. Cut off their ends. Cut each lemon in half at the equator, and squeeze out the lemon juice in a juicer. You should have about 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice per lemon.
2) Place the squeezed lemon halves, and the lemon juice, in a large pitcher (one that holds 9-10 cups is perfect). Sprinkle lemon with the sugar, and stir the sugar in well with a wooden spoon. Bruise and muddle the lemon halves just a bit as you stir.
3) Add the three cups of water, and stir vigorously to blend. Taste for sweetness. Add a little more sugar if you think it's necessary. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Surprisingly, when lemon juice and lime juice have a chance to age an hour or three, the flavors open up, similarly to the way red wine flavors open when aired.
4) When ready to serve, stir the lemonade, and fill the pitcher up with ice cubes (four cups should be just about right). Stir again, and serve immediately.
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ThermoWorks Pocket Thermometer - No More Guessing
A good thermometer is why I never serve overcooked or undercooked food. This one has a very thin tip with a tiny thermocouple so it gives an accurate reading in just six seconds. I cannot recommend it more highly. It will improve your cooking overnight and pay for itself in a hurry. And it is inexpensive. Click here for more about thermometers.
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These are the same knives used at the best steakhouses (Peter Luger, Smith & Wollensky, Morton's and others). Machine washable, temper-ground, serrated, high-carbon stainless-steel, full-tang blades with excellent cutting edge retention, beefy hardwood handle, rust and stain resistant, and they stay shiny without polishing. And now they have the AmazingRibs.com imprimatur. Click here for more info on these wonderful knives.
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AmazingRibs.com is all about the science and zen of barbecue, grilling, and outdoor cooking, with great BBQ recipes and techniques: Baby back ribs, spareribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, steak, burgers, chicken, smoked turkey, lamb, barbecue sauces, burgers, steaks, rubs, and side dishes, with the world's best buying guide to barbecue smokers, grills, and accessories. It is edited by 
About Product Reviews and Best Value Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals. These are highly recommended products based on features, quality, and especially value. Rest assured that when we recommend a product, it is really because we like it, not because someone has paid us to say so because we do not accept advertising from products we review. We purchase many products we review although occasionally suppliers send us samples. We have always been transparent about when we are reviewing a product sample, even before 
The prize for Best BBQ Tool at the 2012 The National Barbecue Association conference went to a simple inexpensive fridge magnet by Meathead. It includes the latest USDA recommendations as well as chef recommendations (and they often differ) as well as color photos of the different stages of doneness for red meats. The temperatures are the same for both indoor and outdoor cooks. 
With a $30 donation you'll get a 100% cotton brushed twill adjustable low profile cap with the AmazingRibs patch sewn on. I'll even toss in a small bag of BBQ'rs Delight wood smoke pellets. Click here for 
