The Chubby Gnome's Review-O-Tron REMIX: Desert Magnolia BBQ

Yesterday I had the opportunity to revisit this barbecue joint and sample a much greater selection of items on the menu. I had both my lunch and dinner there the day before this writing, and both of them back up my original opinion on the restaurant. Read on for thoughts on some of the best barbecue I've ever eaten.

The Chubby Gnome: A Study of Spirits: Part 1

Ever since I started cooking professionally I've had a strong interest in cooking with alcohol. In fact I prefer to cook it than to drink it (though I enjoy that a great deal too). Over the years I've compiled a working knowledge of booze, what separates liquors from similar forms, what different nationalities and styles of liquor do to a spirit's taste and texture, as well as how they interact with other foods. Over the next several posts I'll be discussing what I've learned, and hope to condense it all into a useful, workable package to give you a working knowledge of your own, as well as spark some new recipe ideas too.

Down-Gnome Cooking: Stuffed Cornbread Loaves

This is another recipe that I conjured up looking for something that I could easily pack for work and would be able to enjoy at or near it's full potential after a quick nuking. This one is a quick adaptation of Emeril Lagasse's stuffed cornbread recipe utilizing a few ingredients I had available at the time, as well as a few optional tweaks that I found round out the flavor and make it a bit more of a meal-type dish.

Down-Gnome Cooking: Arnold Palmer Braised Brats

Hey boys and girls, here's a quick recipe from the Gnome:

I've been working on a number of easily transportable recipes that I can brown-bag to work for lunch the last few weeks. There are plenty of eating opportunities near my office but with how strapped I am for cash it has become much more effective to simply cook my own and pack it in. As such I'm working hard on building myself a menu of portable edibles that hold well and don't mind a little time in the fridge followed by a subsequent radiation bath.

The first in this series of brown-bag gourmet is an excellent recipe for braised bratwurst I stumbled across very recently. To be completely honest I was just dicking around in the kitchen, but the results were excellent, and so now I give it to the world.

The Chubby Gnome: An Ode to Breakfast

An Ode to Breakfast:

I love breakfast. It's by far my favorite meal of the day, and I will have it at any point in the day, as many times as I like. If there's one thing other than my hairy feet that make people draw comparisons between myself and hobbits, it's that.

The Chubby Gnome's Review-o-tron: Grinders 13

2 Locations: (1618 South State Street, SLC and 2125 South 3200 West, WVC)

State St Location:


WVC Location:


With both locations in the Salt Lake Valley, this local sandwich shop is dedicated to the subtle art of a handcrafted, inexpensive, wonderfully tasty sandwich. Most of their meats are either cooked or sliced in-house, and even what isn't is of considerable quality.

Sandwiches come in 2 sizes. 6" and 10". These sizings are a bit misleading as the 6" is actually a lot closer to 8 or 9" and the 10" is easily a foot long, not that I'm complaining, mind you. The more sandwich I get to stuff in my face per dollar the better.

Down-Gnome Cooking: Cream of Racism

Cream of Racism soup is a time-honored tradition in the Fat Kid household. While it’s great any time of year it really flourishes in the winter. The creamy, starchy soup combined with the satisfaction of surviving yet another winter unstarved is a wonderful experience. And now, I share the love with you.

The Delivery Guy's Lament

You have to smell it all day, but you can’t eat it...

The Fat Kid's recent Food Jock post got me to thinking around this question "What am I really 'into' as a foodie?" Some people, like the Fat Kid, love seeing competition. For many seeing an art in creation is just as beautiful as the finished product.

While I do enjoy a good food competition now and again, I can't say that I'm part of this demographic. For me food is a full sensory experience, and seeing it on a TV screen just isn't going to get me salivating.

To smell freshly grilled meat just barely pulled off a grill, or a smoker that's been running for a few hours and the fat of the roast inside has just begun to render out. That's what gets me drooling. In fact I think I may run out of paper towels to protect my keyboard with before I finish this article.

Gas Station Gourmet: Say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, but they mix a damn fine drink.

At the Fat Kid's behest, I'm tasked with an article on the best thing I've ever eaten from a gas station.

This one is pretty difficult for me. I try not to engage my higher brain functions if it becomes necessary to pick up food at a gas station, and chips, Cheetos, and jerky only come in so many variations.

But the beverages. Oh my the beverages (note- beverage is a very fun and obnoxious word to use). Sodas and juices, energy drinks and cheap booze of all kinds! It's a wonderland of insulin-spiking proportions.

I could spend all day talking about soda alone, but I'll leave that for another time. For now I want to focus on things you can only find (for the most part) at a gas station. Here we go.

I Am The Chubby Gnome

Greetings, Internet. I am the Chubby Gnome