Grilling Tips from RHB - The Basics

"So just like it was for our ancient relatives, the main trick to cooking outdoors is learning how to build and maintain a fire. Here's what your gonna need to get started cooking outdoors:

Grill with a lid
Chimney starter if your working with charcoal
Charcoal briquettes with as few chemical additives as possible
Hardwood charcoal
Newspaper
Matches
Wood chips
Aluminum foil
Oven thermometer
Instant- read thermometer
Tongs
Wire grill brush
Patience and plenty of cold beer"

Building and Maintaining a Fire using Charcoal

"First you open the grill up and pull out the grill rack. We like using a chimney starter rather than splashing the charcoal with lighter fluid, a method that can flavor your food with petrochemicals. Pour the charcoal into the top of the chimney starter and then stuff one large sheet of newspaper into the bottom. With a match, light the newspaper in several places through the small holes in the bottom of the starter, and that pretty much does it. After about five minutes, hold your hand over the chimney starter to make sure you feel heat. It will take 20 to 30 minutes for the coals to get hot. You'll know when the top coals look sort of half gray. At that point, dump the coals into the bottom of the grill and spread them all around."

Grilling Using Wood Chips

"We suggest using wood chips because they produce good results and are much more adaptable for gas or charcoal grills. We've found that by wrapping damp wood chips in foil and poking some holes in the packets, you can achieve a close approximation of the smoke penetration that we get in our pits. Often you'll notice that recipes in other books, or even on the packaging of the wood chips you buy, recommend scattering the chips on the fire dry. Ignore these recommendations. You'll just be wasting chips. Instead, pour the chips into a bowl—about a cup and a half of chips will make one packet and you'll need 4 to 6 packets for the average recipe. Cover them with water and soak them for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and divide them between 4 to 6 12-inch squares of aluminum foil. Fold the foil around the chips and then poke some holes in the foil on one side so the smoke can escape. Once you've spread out the coals in the bottom of the grill, put the packets right down on the hot coals, hole side up. Replace the grill rack, place an oven thermometer on the rack, cover the grill, and let it preheat for about 5 minutes."

Janiva Magness, Buddy Guy, B.B. King Lead 2009 Blues Music Awards Winners

Janiva Magness was named Entertainer of the Year at the 30th Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee. She also took home the award for Best Contemporary Female Artist.

Legends Buddy Guy and B.B. King took home multiple awards, including Album of the Year and Best Traditional Blues Album, respectively. Kenny Neal's Let Life Flow took Song of the Year, and Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm were named Best New Artist Debut for the CD 2-Man Wrecking Crew.

The 30th Blues Music Awards took place Thursday May 7 at the Convention Center, with awards given in 26 categories:

Acoustic Album of the Year
Eden Brent - Mississippi Number One Winner
Rory Block - Blues Walkin' Like a Man
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines - A Night in Woodstock
Hans Theessink & Terry Evans - Visions
Fiona Boyes, Mookie Brill & Rich Del Grosso - Live from Bluesville

Acoustic Artist of the Year
Doug MacLeod
Rory Block
Otis Taylor
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines
Eden Brent Winner

Album of the Year
The Mannish Boys - Lowdown Feelin'
Curtis Salgado - Clean Getaway
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep Winner
Janiva Magness - What Love Will Do
Elvin Bishop - The Blues Rolls On

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Janiva Magness Winner
Watermelon Slim
Bobby Rush
Lil' Ed
Magic Slim

Band of the Year
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Nick Moss & the Flip Tops
The Mannish Boys
Watermelon Slim & the Workers
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials Winner

Best New Artist Debut
Chris James and Patrick Rynn - Stop and Think About It
Delta Highway - The Devil Had a Woman
Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcolm - 2 Man Wrecking Crew Winner
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Pay Me No Mind
Eden Brent - Mississippi Number One

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Elvin Bishop - The Blues Rolls On
Watermelon Slim & the Workers - No Paid Holidays
Janiva Magness - What Love Will Do
Sean Costello - We Can Get Together
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep Winner

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Gaye Adegbalola
Marcia Ball
Robin Rogers
Bettye LaVette
Janiva Magness Winner

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Michael Burks
Elvin Bishop
Sean Costello
Watermelon Slim
Buddy Guy Winner

DVD
Broke & Hungry Records, Cathead Blues & Mudpuppy Recordings - M For Mississippi: A Road Trip Through The Birthplace of the Blues Winner
Eagle Eye Media - Albert Collins Live at Montreux 1992
Eagle Eye Media - Carlos Santana Plays Blues At Montreux 2004
Stony Plain Records - Ronnie Earl & Broadcasters - Hope Radio Sessions
Delmark Records - Little Arthur Duncan Live at Rosa's Blues Lounge

Historical Album of the Year
Eagle Records - Albert Collins Live At Montreux 1992 Winner
Jamie Records - Barbara Lynn: The Jamie Singles 1962-1965
Delmark Records - On Highway 80 (Sleepy John Estes)
Ruf Records - Rich Man's War: New Blues & Roots Songs of Peace and Protest (Various Artists)
TopCat Records - Hollywood Fats & the Paladins Live 1985

Instrumentalist-Bass
Bob Stroger
Mookie Brill Winner
Larry Taylor
Bill Stuve
Jeff Turmes

Instrumentalist-Drums
Cedric Burnside
Richard Innes
Jimi Bott
Tony Braunagel
Kenny Smith
Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith Winner

Instrumentalist-Guitar
Sonny Landreth Winner
Lurrie Bell
Michael Burks
Kid Ramos
Ronnie Earl

Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Steve Guyger
Billy Gibson Winner
Mark Hummel
Jason Ricci
Rick Estrin
Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith

Instrumentalist-Horn
Deanna Bogart Winner
Kaz Kazanoff
Terry Hanck
Keith Crossan
Doug James

Instrumentalist-Other
Johnny Sansone - Accordion
Bob Brozman - Mandolin, Ukulele
Otis Taylor - Banjo Winner
Rich Del Grosso - Mandolin
Gerry Hundt - Mandolin

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Henry Butler
David Maxwell
Eden Brent
Bruce Katz
Marcia Ball Winner

Rock Blues Album of the Year
Jeff Healey - Mess of Blues Winner
Sonny Landreth - From the Reach
Michael Burks - Iron Man
Gary Moore - Bad for You Baby
Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King - Blood Brothers
Walter Trout - The Outsider

Song of the Year
Dave Duncan & Curtis Salgado - 20 Years of B. B. King (Curtis Salgado)
Kenny Neal - Let Life Flow (Kenny Neal) Winner
Elvin Bishop - The Blues Rolls On (Elvin Bishop)
Albert Castiglia - Bad Year Blues (Albert Castiglia)
Sonny Landreth - Blue Tarp Blues (Sonny Landreth)

Soul Blues Album of the Year
Irma Thomas - Simply Grand Winner
Curtis Salgado - Clean Getaway
Jackie Payne Steve Edmonson Band - Overnight Sensation
Clarence Spady - Just Between Us
Johnny Rawls - Red Cadillac

Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year
Sharrie Williams
Irma Thomas Winner
Jean Shy
Etta James
Denise LaSalle

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
Tad Robinson
Bobby Rush Winner
Jackie Payne
Johnny Rawls
Curtis Salgado

Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials - Full Tilt
B.B. King - One Kind Favor Winner
Honeyboy Edwards - Roamin' and Ramblin'
Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater - West Side Strut
The Mannish Boys - Lowdown Feelin'

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
Koko Taylor Winner
Maria Muldaur
Nora Jean Bruso
Diunna Greenleaf
Ruthie Foster

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
B.B. King Winner
Lurrie Bell
Magic Slim
Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater
Honeyboy Edwards