Giving God the glory because we can do nothing without his guidance!
What an incredible experience it was to participate in the inaugural Open Fire World Championship at Memphis in May! Thank you, Al Frugoni and team, for a wonderful experience. 🔥
My family teammates and I are going home with so much joy, having made new friends for life. This community is now an extended part of our family. Thank you for the warm welcome!
Our relationship with our fellow competitors grew closer than that, and it only felt right to call them my neighbors after borrowing a “cup of sugar” from each other.
We could not have achieved this victory without our sponsors, who have believed in us from day one. It’s a team effort!
To Faith, Family, Food, and Fire!
Sponsors:
@yodersmokers@rakporcelainusa@chefuniforms@cowboycharcoal@theculinarycode
🎥: @samuelscontrino
#openfirecooking #livefirecooking #yodersmokers #grill #cheflife
WE HAVE A WORLD CHAMPION. 🏆🔥
The first-ever Open Fire World Championship has a winner.
1. 🥇 Team THE CULINARY CHARM @theculinarycharm — 99.97
2. 🥈 Team CARNIVORE CARNIVAL @aceswildbbqandlivefire — 98.89
3. 🥉 La Sociedad Del Asado @sociedaddelasado — 97.39
4. 🏅Weber @_dustingreen_@webergrills — 96.97
Congratulations to @theculinarycharm — the first-ever Open Fire World Champions. You earned every point of that score. 👑🔥
To every team that competed in this first edition — different countries, 24 hours, over live fire — THANK YOU. You made history with us. This is just the beginning. 🌎🔥
And to all our incredible sponsors who made this possible — we couldn’t have built this without you. This championship exists because you believed in live fire. 🙏
None of this happens without the most dedicated, passionate team behind the scenes — every single person who worked tirelessly to make this first-ever championship a reality. You know who you are. THANK YOU. 🙌🔥
The Open Fire World Championship is here to stay.
See you next year. 🔥
📍 Memphis in May 2026 — Liberty Park, Memphis, TN @memphisinmay
#openfiremeatup #ofmu2026 #memphisinmay #openfirecooking #alfrugoni
The most amazing 4-course open fire cook in the books! A privilege to be cooking among top live-fire masters from around the world at @memphisinmay for the inaugural @openfiremeatup Open Fire World Championships. 🔥
We wait to hear the results tonight to see who will be crowned the champion!
Thank you to our sponsors:
@yodersmokers@cowboycharcoal@rakporcelainusa@chefuniforms@theculinarycode
🎥: @samuelscontrino
#openfirecooking #cheflife #grill #yodersmokers #livefirecooking
Smoke in the air. Fire on the grates. That's right, @memphisinmay is rolling smoke, and the live-fire action is unreal.
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Proud to see teams across the competition grounds throwing down on Yoder Smokers live-fire grills—there’s nothing like seeing American-made steel firing at full throttle in the middle of one of BBQ’s biggest events of the year. Memphis showed up hungry… and these teams came ready.
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#yodersmokers #memphisinmay #bbq #bbqlife #grilling #memphis
Happy Resurrection Sunday! We sing because He lives, giving us a new song. Death was defeated and we have a new life with Jesus. 💛
Pandan Flan recipe coming to our website soon.
#flan #mexicandessert #vietnamesedessert #eastercandy #dessert
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of
God.” 1 Peter 1:18-19
His love note to the world by becoming the Passover Lamb for you and me.
Recipe found in Exodus 12:8
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«Pues saben que Dios pagó un rescate para librarlos de la vida vacía que heredaron de sus antepasados». Y no fue pagado con simple oro o plata, los cuales pierden su valor; fue con la preciosa sangre de Cristo, el Cordero de Dios, sin pecado y sin mancha». 1 Pedro 1:18-19
Su nota de amor al mundo, al convertirse en el Cordero de la Pascua por ti y por mí.
La receta se encuentra en Éxodo 12:8
#goodfriday #passover #jesus #lamb #salvationinchrist
I’m grateful for this experience sharing the fire with my family and friends. I have to say, over 8 hours for a cooking competition isn’t easy. I think running a restaurant is lighter work compared to this. 😉
The weather cooperated, and God granted us the most beautiful day ever.
We took first place in beef and third overall in the competition. Thanks to Yoder Smokers for providing my crew with the best equipment out there for that perfect live fire experience.
And thank you, NBBQA, for the warm welcome!
#livefirecooking #yodersmokers #grill #foodcompetition #beef
@nbbqa@yodersmokers@chefuniforms@rakporcelainusa
Capirotada is a traditional Mexican bread pudding eaten during Lent. I gave the recipe a little twist by adding a banana purée to the sugar water and rehydrating the dried fruits in warm orange juice.
Then there was the inspiration to create a recipe, taking the traditional pozole flavors from the chicken- or pork-based soup and transforming it into a fish dish that I am calling Pescado Tostamale.
I invite you to prepare this meal with a heartfelt reflection on Lent and the profound significance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, as we prayerfully get our hearts ready for the joyful celebration of Resurrection Sunday.
I list the ingredients for both recipes in the caption, while the instructions are written in the comments below.
Thanks to @fiestamartofficial for providing all the fresh ingredients for these recipes.
Capirotada Ingredients
Custard:
3 bolillos
2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
1 piloncillo chopped
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 bananas
2 egg yolks
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
Toppings:
4 oranges, zested and juiced
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup almond slices
1 plátano macho, sliced
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces queso panela or cotija
Assemble:
5-10 tortillas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pescado Tostamale Ingredients
8-12 corn husks
Chile Paste:
6 guajillo chiles
¼ cup hot water
2 garlic cloves with skin on
½ white onion
1 Roma tomato
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
8 red snapper fillets
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup hominy rinsed
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
Garnishes:
1 cup green cabbage, sliced
1 lime
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons radish, diced
1 tablespoon chile piquin crushed
Assemble:
8 mini tostadas, slightly toasted
¼ cup Mexican crema
Salsa de Pozole:
30 chiles de árbol
¼ white onion
3 garlic cloves
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
#lent #capirotada #fishrecipe #mexicanfood #recipe
🔥 Live Fire Competitor Spotlight: Emma Velázquez Nguyen 🔥
We are excited to welcome Emma Nguyen and The Culinary Charm to the 2026 NBBQA National Live Fire Championship powered by Yoder Smokers.
A two-time World Food Championships Fire Woman Champion, Emma is known for creating bold, expressive live-fire menus where every ingredient tells a story.
Her cooking is deeply rooted in family, culture, and the spirit of hospitality. Competing alongside her husband Peter Nguyen, son Preston Nguyen (World Food Champion), daughter Evalyn Nguyen, and teammate David Patin, Emma represents the true heart of the live-fire community.
🔥 Nashville will host some of the most talented fire cooks in the country.
🔥 A $10,000 purse.
🔥 The best grills in the world from Yoder Smokers.
📍 Nashville, Tennessee
📅 March 25–28, 2026
#NBBQA #NowThatsSmokin #LiveFireBBQ
Transforming an ordinary brownie mix into a decadent treat took some time. Learning from our mistakes and using the right chocolate, we made these heart-shaped brownies bloom into something lovely.
If we are honest, sometimes we don’t like change because it can be difficult and scary. The unfamiliar cultivates fear when all we crave is comfort.
But transformation begins in the mind by replacing worldly thinking with divine truth. It is empowered by the Holy Spirit, not just human effort.
God created us with a purpose. Listen to your calling and fulfill it.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6
#valentinedessert #chocolate #dessert #desserttable #brownies
Take a peek at what our snowed-in Dallaska weekend looked like. I love this time of year when we get to slow down together as a family.
A dance party car ride to H Mart before the snow arrived. I had ordered a Korean cookbook a couple of days ago, hoping it would arrive before we left for the grocery store, but it arrived 30 minutes after we left.
So we gathered all the ingredients from last year’s recipe, plus the salted brine shrimp I couldn’t find last time. This year, I missed picking up some plum syrup —oh, and bigger bowls. I need bigger bowls for next year’s kimchi session. I would have loved to experiment with dashi broth in the rice paste—next time.
It seems that with every year we gain more experience, learning from this beautiful culture’s cuisine. Maybe we can take a trip to Korea with Julian’s girlfriend and learn from her umma’s family.
That would be lovely.
And of course, the sledding down our neighborhood hill. Always a great time with the neighbors.
Now comes the patience. In a couple of weeks, when the kimchi has fermented to a richer, funkier flavor, we will make Kimchi-jjigae (kimchi stew), just in time for the Lunar New Year. But in the meantime, we made a quick kimchi called baeuchu-geotjeori, using smaller leaves to serve as a side with our meals.
What a wonderful world God has made for us to enjoy each other’s cultures and cuisines. So delicious.
#food #kimchi #koreanfood #theculinarycharm #foodie
How have 365 days flown by already? What a sweet ride it has been, capturing these adventures with my family and friends. Thank you, God, for opening doors for us, and we can’t wait to see what you will do in 2026. Cue up the new chapters! ✨✨✨
#newyear #cheflife #firstfamilyoffood #foodie #travel
