Moderator, April 2017 - present
So, time for a proper intro, now that I've been around for a while, and we also have plenty of new members.
I am 46 years old, married to Pia (almost 3 years now, woop woop!) and we have a St Bernard dog called Sally. Sally is now 1.5 years old. We live in Stockholm, Sweden, in the dead center of town. We have recently also purchased a house in the country side. And yes, I do barbecue in both places. What else?
In the beginning...
I was born and raised in the southern part of Sweden, on a farm with a castle called Hammarshus. The castle was built around 1550, was many years later destroyed by war, and later (1789) rebuilt. There is a moat around it, and a large prison cell in the basement, it is still there, with 9 foot thick walls. We're a big family, my dad was 1 of 7 kids, so I have 23 cousins.
Hammarshus from the outside
And an inside shot, a bit old school....
Work
Being raised on a farm was good. That teaches you a lot of things. I later did military service for my country, in the army, and then went to Uppsala university where I got an M.Sc. in Computer Engineering.
Food
I started with food quite late, didn't grasp the concept at first. Soon enough I discovered the fun in experimenting and trying out new combos. I enjoy cooking quite a bit, and have always been intrigued by barbecue. How in the world can you get a piece of meat to taste so heavenly after 12-14 hours in a smoker? I just had to figure that one out. So, I've spent years testing, failing, reading up to become better at grilling. 3 years ago I had worked too much, so I took 5 months off to 'de-stress' and just cook. I did barbecue for the entire time, to improve my game. That was nothing short of awesome.
For me, cooking is therapy. I can have a horrible day, then come home, and after 15 minutes in the kitchen I'm happy again.
Shop talk
When it comes to building things (an offset smoker to name one): I have had two great teachers: my late grandfather, who has built over 30 veteran cars from scratch, none newer than 1920. He has had 6 (!) model T Fords. I've helped him with a few cars. The last one was a Cadillac from 1907. It had a one cylinder engine, where the piston was 6.5 inches in diameter. The flywheel weighed 90 lbs to compensate for the vibrations. The other teacher is my dad, who has the most complete (and well organized) workshop I've seen. I've spent years in the shop.
Leisure
In my spare time I tinker with our newly bought house and ride a motorcycle. I've owned a few fast japanese racers, but now I stick with an oldie: a Danish veteran motorcycle called â€Nimbus sport". It is from 1937, the engine is a straight four cylinder 750 cc, mounted lengthwise. It's perfect for a nice sunday cruise on country roads. If there are any piston heads in this forum you can check out this Youtube video showing the valve lifters in action.
My ride
Grills
I currently have a Weber 22" kettle with the SnS, a Big Green Egg and my custom built offset smoker. I'm a big fan of having few grills, but instead mastering them to the fullest. I feel pretty comfortable with the kettle and the Egg, need a few more hours on the smoker still.
Vices
Well, I drink most beverages, beer, wine and all, but I am really fond of good champagne. Life is too short not to drink with style, and I really appreciate the flavor. If/when you do visit me, I'll be sure to serve you a glass!
The other vice is cheese doodles. I know, I'm supposed to be grown up, but I just can't say no to them.
Next big thing
I planned to do this last summer, but things like life got in the way. BUT: in less than three weeks my brand new bbq cook book is published in the stores! I'm super pumped about this, always wanted to write a book, but don't have a novel in me. Cooking on the other hand, that's a different thing. I'll share some photos and details soon. Barbecue FTW!
