Howdy From Cee Dub's

Howdy from Cee Dub & Pen:

When I wrote last we were putting the finishing touches on our new cookbook and getting ready for our winter tour. The new book, Gather 'Round the Table with Cee Dub, came off the presses just as we started our tour the third week of January. Our tour consisted of nine different venues in nine weeks. After 80+ demonstrations and 7,000+ miles, we took a couple of weeks off to catch our breath.

Last year's sky-high fuel prices, along with the economic down-turn, has impacted Cee Dub's as it has most small businesses. Shortly after getting back to Texas, both Pen and I were offered full-time employment on a different ranch than the one we'd been at since moving to Texas the fall of 2006. Given the current economic situation it made good sense to accept the offer.

But ... as a result the two clinics currently scheduled for May 2009 will be the only ones we'll have this year. So, with Mother's Day, Father's Day, Graduations, and Weddings coming up, now would be a good time give a gift to your favorite DO cook and sign up.

2009 Clinics, Our New Book, & Tuning Up Dutch Ovens
When I, the author, and Pen, the publisher, send a new manuscript to the printer, the apprehension we feel is somewhat like waiting for the birth of a child before the days of ultra sounds. As with a baby you want it to be perfect.

The printing process takes a certain amount of time and there is nothing the author or publisher can do to make it happen any faster. The editing, tweaking of the manuscript, spell checking, and proof reading is over and there is nothing to do but wait.

The thrill of opening that first box right off the delivery truck and seeing the "baby" for the first time is a very fulfilling moment. But, the apprehension we feel as the "parents" continues until we receive the "reviews."

The cookbooks were literally hot off the press when we set them out on the display table at the start of our first sportsmen's show in Pasco, Washington on January 16, 2009. By the last day of the show some folks had already read the book cover to cover and came back to us with their comments. Trust me we were, and are, as proud as new parents when folks tell us it's our best cookbook yet!

Given the current economic state in the country right now, we believe, as the author and publisher, that it is the right book at the right time. In our travels this winter we talked to lots of folks who want to lower their food costs, and processing one's own meat is a great way to cut costs and end up with a superior product. But, all is not all doom and gloom! The section on Hillbilly Cookin' will bring a smile and show folks just how much fun outdoor cookin' really can be. It's a great addition to any cookbook collection or camp library.

We've been teaching Dutch oven cookin' for twelve years and cannot count the friends we've made in those clinics. More than a few recipes in our cookbooks actually come from folks who have taken our clinics. A personal benefit for Pen and me is the knowledge we gain from the folks who come to attend our clinics.

With us both holding full-time jobs now for the first time in ten years our opportunity to teach clinics will be curtailed. We still have openings in both our Round Top and Hunt, Texas, clinics next month. We're not saying this is your last chance to attend a Cee Dub clinic, but it's a sure thing that we'll be teaching fewer clinics in the foreseeable future.

Register for Your Dutch Oven Clinic

With the weather getting nice, it's time to get those Dutch ovens out of the shed or garage and get them ready for some great new recipes and summer fun. Here are some things I do to tune up our Dutch ovens when they've been in storage a long time.

1. If I smell a rancid grease odor when I remove the lid I place the DO upside down on my propane camp stove and turn the burner on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. It doesn't get hot enough to take the seasoning off but it quickly eliminates that rancid odor.

2. Check the lid fit. If food debris has built up on the inside flange of the lid, just clamp the lid handle in a bench vise and clean the inside flange with a wire brush.

3. Wipe each oven and lid inside and out with a very thin film of Camp Chef Cast Iron Conditioner and you're ready to cook!

Have a great time cooking with your Dutch ovens this summer, try out some new recipes from the new cookbook, and remember to check out our 2009 summer clinics on our website!

May yer grub never burn!

Butch & Pen