The Final Final!

Congratulations to me on grading all of my final exams from two sections of English 1001 before bedtime on the night the papers were due!

What a feat of grading!
What good essays the students wrote!
What a relief!
(To them and to me.)
What peace of mind!
(For them and for me.)

Now what will I find to do with myself between now and summer school?

No more Blackboard postings,
No more stacks of papers patiently waiting to be graded until the eleventh hour,
No more emailed questions about what to do after "the dog peed on my essay."

Maybe I'll blog more!
(Ever heard of that Louisiana community in Catahoula Parish called "Frogmore?" I'll rename Eunice "Blogmore!")
Maybe I'll be a better Daddy and husband!
Maybe I'll grow a garden!
Maybe I'll take up a hobby!

Ah, sweet release! May the next three weeks until summer school pass real slooooooooooooooooooooowly!

Charcoal or Gas? A Consumer Analysis from English 1001

The consumer research essay caused me great headaches due to the vast amount of possibilities to compare. As I was sitting outside considering topics, my husband was BBQing and the idea seemed to hit me like a load of bricks. Gas VS. Charcoal.

--Kelly Ford, English 1001, Spring semester 2007

The Perfect Grill

By Kelly Ford

April 2007

Barbecuing has been around for hundreds of years. It is a simple process of preparing food, requiring little more than meat and fire. However, the decision on how to generate the fire tends to spark great debate from barbecuing aficionados worldwide. Gas versus charcoal? Grilling versus smoking? For as many positives there are to both, there are as many potential drawbacks. Before purchasing a grill, you must consider convenience, price, the type of meat you plan on cooking and cooking method.
In the convenience category, gas grills seem to have a distinct advantage over charcoal grills. Charcoal grills obviously require charcoal and starter fluid, where a simple push of a button will ignite a gas grill. Charcoal can be messy, requiring cleaning of your grill before each use. However, gas grills are typically cleaner and easier to maintain. Most gas grills are made of stainless steel and resist rust, while the carbon steel often used to fabricate charcoal pits, tends to rust after exposure to the elements. When using a charcoal grill, your fire will take twenty to thirty minutes to be ready for grilling. On the other hand, ignite a gas grill and you can begin cooking in ten minutes. Another convenience factor to consider is the ease and availability of purchasing fuel. Charcoal and lighter fluid is readily available for purchase at almost any convenience or grocery store, while propane is available only at certain stores and may require a special trip across town. This trip could be inconvenient if your propane bottle is empty and you spontaneously decide to light the pit.
Price is another consideration when purchasing a grill. Both gas and charcoal models come in many shapes and sizes with gas grills typically more expensive. Gas grills are typically made of stainless steel, which is a much more valuable material than the usual carbon steel of a charcoal grill. You will also pay more for the ease and convenience of a gas grill. Some high-end gas grills can become quite pricey. Four to eight hundred dollars is a common price for a six hundred square inch gas grill. A comparable, if not larger charcoal grill will usually cost significantly less. I found a Weber Genesis E320 LP gas grill with 637 square inches of cooking area priced at $599.00 while the ProDeluxe Char griller, with 830 square inches of cooking area is available for $119.00. Propane costs $2.40 per gallon and a five-gallon bottle will last around a month of barbequing three to four times a week. On the other hand, you can purchase a ten-pound bag of charcoal from your local discount store for around seven dollars and typically, you will get two barbeques per bag of charcoal.
The type of meat you plan to prepare plays a large role in your consideration of gas versus charcoal. Small, relatively thin cuts of meat such as steaks, pork chops, and chicken breasts will grill equally well on both gas and charcoal grills. The hot, even flame of a propane-fueled grill will be an advantage during direct grilling. While it is possible to achieve direct grilling on a conventional charcoal, the fire will require you to waltz the food from hot to cool spots as the fire dictates. When cooking larger cuts of meat that require an extended cooking time, a gas grill has a charcoal grill beat in convenience. Turn the gas burner to low and you will maintain a relatively constant temperature for hours, however; using a charcoal grill to cook a brisket or pork shoulder can be tricky. You will be required to add fresh coals to the fire every hour during cooking.
My biggest consideration when shopping for a grill is preferred cooking method. Grilling versus smoking. The taste of the meats cooked varies greatly depending on the style in which the meat is prepared. The chief drawback of gas grills is they do not work particularly well for producing wood smoke. It is easier to smoke on a charcoal grill. Simply use wood as your primary fuel or add wood chips to your hot coals to obtain a true smoke flavor. On the other hand, smoking on a gas grill is sometimes a little tricky. Most high-end gas grills come equipped with a smoker box that you simply add wood chips to and ignite the burner until smoke appears. If your gas grill is not equipped with a separate smoker box, you will have to assemble a smoker pouch to get a true smoky flavor. Still, your average gas grill rarely produces the intense smoke flavor achieved with a charcoal grill or smoker. Charcoal and wood impart a distinct flavor that is hard to replicate.
In the end, the question of whether to buy a gas or charcoal grill boils down to your temperament. Did you grow up watching your dad get the charcoal ready? Do you enjoy tailgating at a football game on a cold day? Do you enjoy a tender delicious smoked brisket or a quickly grilled steak? Having weighed all of my options and considered the pros and cons of both grills, I will select the charcoal grill every time. In my opinion, the taste produced by wood and charcoal grills far outweighs the durability and convenience of gas.
Following is a quick reference table obtained at http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-415,subcat-FOOD.html.

Charcoal or Gas? A Consumer Analysis from English 1001