HouseParty: Kikkoman Grilling House Party #Review #KikkomanParty #Sponsored

We have been a Kikkoman family for several generations now. No other soy sauce has ever come through the door and my father always treated the brand like the one and only when it came to his soy sauce selections. From original to low sodium versions (red top or green top), the soy sauce sat by on the table with the everyday condiments. Kikkoman over the years has expanded their brand and products greatly. I recently found a Kung Pao recipe and needed Chinese Rice Wine……Kikkoman again was there for me.

Hosting a party for brand you are already familiar with, enjoy and trust is super simple. I already know where to hunt for what items and my only con is that all stores carry a Kikkoman product but not all carry a decent selection of the items they make. I even resorted to Amazon when I could not find what I wanted and knew Kikkoman made it. Heck, I have the bottle with 1/4 left of Ponzu sauce and I knew there was a lime version because I had the bottle in the fridge. Then I found out they also make a chili version, so the hunt begins again.

My Kikkoman Houseparty kit was phenomenal:

• 11 Kikkoman Shirts with the Kikkoman logo
• 11 Free Item Coupons
• 11 Kikkoman Ready, Set, Grill! Booklets
• 11 Washoku (Issue #13) Culinary Insiders Booklets
• Receipe cards
• 1 Set of Kikkoman branded Tongs
• 1 Kikkoman branded Shopping Bag
• An AMEX gift card to help with costs associated (i.e. supplies) with the Party

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I was super excited when I saw the shirts! Yeah, I have this thing about brand logo shirts and sort of unintentionally collect them. Due to Kikkoman being so generous with the party pack and including a gift card, this means I can make this party rock. I even bought shrimps to make a shrimp lo-mein. I went with the easy route of making beef short ribs and chicken sesame thighs. When choosing your short ribs, just make sure they have a decent thickness, as you will be grilling them and you also want your guests to get a good amount of meat from each rib. I was able to find beautiful ones at Sprout’s Farmers Market, which also carries the Teriyaki Takumi line of Kikkoman products. Chicken thighs remain juicy and because again we are grilling, I opted for skin on and they are usually priced economically. The shrimps were on sale the week of my party and because I was making the lo-mein that same day, I went with a mini cooking class on how to make the most from everything and even used celery leaves versus stalks for my entree.

We started the night before by marinating the chicken thighs.  I simply mixed the sauces from Ponzu Lime to Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce and Soy Sauce.  I also added a few dashes of a Schezwan spice mix and big dollop of sriracha paste.  You simply mix the ingredients to taste and then add the meat of your choice.  Allow the meat to marinate over night and this means no prepping the following night.  You simple just grill the thighs until fully cooked and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds while they rest.  The sugars from the sauces allow the seeds to stay in place.

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Then came the Lo-mein.  I first cleaned the shrimps and then made a quick marinade.  I made a medley of vegetables from green and red bell peppers, onions, some chopped fresh ginger and garlic.  The marinade was a dollop of Teriyaki Takumi, Garlic & Green Onion, some fresh onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.  I found some Schezwan whole peppercorns and was able to add a small dash to the mix too.  You start by heating up your wok and cooking the fragrant (harder) vegetables.  I like a crunch still left, so I do not allow them to fully soften.  I then add the shrimps and celery leaves, then the lo-mein noodles.  Quickly toss and done!

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The beef short ribs were a cinch to make to.  The night before I marinated them in the Roasted Garlic Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce and that was all.  Next day, simple grill and you want you can glaze them with the sauce again but we opted not to, as the Kikkoman flavor was perfect with just the marinade.

 

You have simply meals full of flavor and that equals enjoyment!  Thank you Kikkoman and HouseParty for another super event.  Don’t forget to pick-up some pot stickers!

 

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from . I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Hooley Dooley Extendable Roasting Forks for Grilling

Now that summer is coming to a close as a season, everyone is looking to try to squeeze the most out of the season’s waning days and create lasting memories. Bonfires on the beach and barbeques in the backyard are the orders of the day. And a staple of all those things are hot dogs, sausages, roasted marshmallows, peppers, onions, squash, and corn on the cob. And one thing all those delicious goodies has in common with each other are the roasting sticks you’d use to cook, grill and toast them. And Hooley Dooley sent me a set of skewers to end all skewers, all full of chrome and hardwood handles and a nifty little carry pouch to go from the BBQ to the beach and make you the belle of the ball.

Skewers and kabobs are regular fare in this house, regardless of the season. In California, the weather is usually fair enough that we can have a BBQ all year round, so these Hooley Dooley Roasting Sticks will see a lot of action. From kielbasa, sausages, hot dogs, or just hunks of seasoned meats, these forks are by far the most useful BBQ skewer we own. See, our old stainless steel skewers were durable, and usable, but being as they were skewers and not forks (an important distinction), food tended to turn, slide and sometimes even fall off. They got very hot, and were awkward to hold being steel from top to bottom. But Hooley Dooley put a nice, big hardwood handle that’s easy to grab and easy to hold. But that’s not even the best part. Our old skewers were about 16″ which put your hand in very close the fire. Hooley Dooley solved that issue with an extendable fork that starts at 20″ and extends to a whopping 28″. So whether it’s a bonfire or a Weber kettle, your food gets cooked and your hand doesn’t. And the build quality will ensure these will last for many, many years.

But there’s one issue I had, and it makes me feel like a broken record, because at $37.50 for four BBQ forks, it’s very, very expensive. I think they’re well made, and useful, and would make a great gift, but at almost $40 for the set it’s, for me, a deal breaker. I don’t see the value there, especially when similar sets run half that price. Hooley Dooley says that a portion of the proceeds goes to “Relay for Life Fundraising”, but they don’t say how much of any other documentation to support it. There’s also a 100% satisfaction guarantee, but again doesn’t say for how long or if return shipping is your responsibility. There’s a lot to like about Hooley Dooley’s Roasting Forks, but not enough to overlook the super high price. I like them, but I don’t know if I “$40” like them.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Hooley Dooley.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Elite Chef Stainless Steel BBQ Grill Brush

Summer is for grilling (goofy, rainy SoCal July notwithstanding) and we grill here. A lot. Grilling, smoking, BBQ. The outdoor cooking stations get put through their paces. Almost as important as the tongs, the spatula, the skewers, and the charcoal, is a good grill brush. We have had a few, of similar shape and design, as the Elite Chef Products version we’re going to review here today. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t stack up as well, and I’ll go over exactly why.

A grill brush needs a few things to be truly effective. Good bristle spread, good bristle density, and they need to have the tensile strength to stay standing under pressure, while exposed to heat, and being possibly caked with grease and/or BBQ crud. This one mostly passed, but came up short in bristle density and tensile strength of the bristles. The Weber version I had of this type of grill brush did very well for over 3 years. The Elite Chef version will not last that long. The bristles were bent and left gaps after the first use, especially around the corners.

Next, a grill brush should have a good, long, sturdy handle and shaft to keep your hands away from the heat and grease, but also be strong enough that it won’t bend or fold under a good amount of pressure sometimes required to really get the grill clean. And while this one held up okay on the first use, by use 2 it showed signs of being bent or curved. One would assume after a few uses you would have to flip and use the pressure to bend it back. also, the hollow stainless steel handle feels just a little flimsy.

Lastly, the version of this brush from Weber is cheaper. While the hand is a composite plastic in that one, it’s sturdy and strong and well made enough to last many, many years. I don’t think this one will last as long, and I don’t see the logic in paying more for it based on my experience with it. It’s adequate and will do the job for one season of maybe more if you’re careful, but I don’t feel it’s worth the price they’re asking.

 

Connect with Elite Chef Products:

• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Elite Chef Products.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.