Sure, for some folks, the Fourth of July is all about fireworks. But for the 75% of all Americans who own a grill or a smoker, the Fourth is our Nation’s No. 1 holiday when it comes to grilling. Which is why 3 out of 4 of those folks will spend some time outside today working over a fire.

But here’s the thing: Though 14 million Americans can cook a steak with confidence because they actually grill something every week, the rest of us – because we use our grill or smoker so infrequently … Well, let’s just say that we have no chops when it comes to dealing with chops (pork, veal or otherwise).

So what’s a backyard chef supposed to in a situation like this when there’s so much at steak … er … stake? Turn to someone who really knows their way around a grill for advice. People like Jens Dahlmann, the Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef for Darden Restaurant’s LongHorn Steakhouse brand.

Given that Jens’ father & grandfather were chefs, this is a guy who literally grew up in a kitchen. In his teens & twenties, Dahlmann worked in hotels & restaurants all over Switzerland & Germany. Once he was classically trained in the culinary arts, Jens then  jumped ship. Well, started working on cruise ships, I mean.

Anyway … While working on Cunard’s Sea Goddess, Dahlmann met Sirio Maccioni, the founder of Le Cirque 2000. Sirio was so impressed with Jens’ skills in the kitchen that he offered him the opportunity to become sous-chef at this New York landmark. After four years of working in Manhattan, Dahlmann then headed south to become executive chef at Palm Beach’s prestigious Café L’Europe.

Jens Dahlmann back during his Disney World days

And once Jens began wowing foodies in Florida, it wasn’t all that long ’til the Mouse came a-calling. Mickey wanted Dahlmann to shake things up in the kitchen over at WDW’s Flying Fish Café. And he did such a good job with that Disney’s Boardwalk eatery the next thing Jens knew, he was then being asked to work his magic with the menu at the Contemporary Resort’s California Grill.

From there, Dahlmann had a relatively meteoric rise at the Mouse House. Once he became Epcot’s Food & Beverage general manager, it was only a matter of time before he wound up as the executive chef in charge of this theme park’s annual International Food & Wine Festival. Which – under Jens’ guidance – experienced some truly explosive growth.

“When I took on Food & Wine, that festival was only 35 days long and had gross revenues of just $5.5 million. When I left Disney in 2016, Food & Wine was now over 50 days long and that festival had gross revenues of $22 million,” Dahlmann admitted during a recent sit-down. “I honestly loved those 13 years I spent at Disney. When I was working there, I learned so much because I was really cooking for America.”

And it was exactly that sort of experience & expertise that Darden wanted to tap into when they lured Jens away from Mickey last year to become LongHorn Steakhouse’s new Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef. But today … Well, Dahlmann is offering tips to those of us who are thinking about cooking steak tips for the Fourth.

Photo by Jim Hill

“When you’re planning on grilling this holiday, if you’re looking for a successful result, the obvious place to start is with the quality of the meat you plan on cooking for your friends & family. If you want the best results here, don’t be cheap when you go shopping. Spend the money necessary for a fresh filet or a New York strip. Better yet a Ribeye, a nice thick one with good marbling. Because when you look at the marbling on a steak, that’s where all the flavor happens,” Jens explained. “That said, you always have to remember that — the higher you go with the quality of your meat — the less time you’re going to want that piece of meat to spend on the grill.”

And speaking of cooking … Before you even get started here, Jens suggests that you first take the time to check over all of your grilling equipment. Making sure that the grill itself is first scraped clean & then properly oiled before you then turn up the heat.

“If you’re working with a dirty grill, when you go to turn your meat, it may wind up sticking to the grill. Or maybe those spices that you’ve just so carefully coated your steak with will wind up sticking to the grill, rather than your meat,” Dahlmann continued. “Which is why it’s always worth it to spend a few minutes prior to firing up your grill properly cleaning & oiling it.”

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of heat … Again, before you officially get started grilling here, Jens says that it’s crucial to check your temperature gauges. Make sure that your char grill is set at 550 (so that it can then properly handle the thicker cuts of meat) and your flattop is set at 425 (so it can properly sear thinner pieces of meat).

Okay. Once you’ve bought the right cuts of quality meat, properly cleaned & oiled your grill, and then made sure that everything’s set at the right temperature (“If you can only stand to hold your hand directly over the grill for two or three seconds, that’s the right amount of heat,” Dahlmann said), it’s now time to season your steaks.

“Don’t be afraid to be bold here. You can’t be shy when it comes to seasoning your meat. You want to give it a nice coating. Largely because — if you’re using a char grill — a lot of that seasoning is just going to fall off anyway,” Jens stated. “It’s up to you to decide what sort of seasoning you want to use here. Even just some salt & pepper will enhance a steak’s flavor.”

Then – according to Dahlmann – comes the really tough part. Which is placing your meat on the grill and then fighting the urge to flip it too early or too often.

“The biggest mistake that a lot of amateur cooks make is that they flip the steak too many times. The real key to a well-cooked piece of meat is just let it be, “Jens insisted. “Of course, if you’re serving different cuts of meat at your Fourth of July feast, you always want to put your biggest thickest steak on the grill first. If you’re also cooking a New York Strip, you want to put that one on a few minutes later. But after that, just let the grill do its job and flip your meat a total of three or four times, once every three minutes or so.”

Of course, the last thing you want to do is overcook a quality piece of meat. Which is why Dahlmann suggests that – when it comes to grilling steaks – if you’re going to err, err on the side of undercooking.

“You can always put a piece of meat back on the grill if it’s slightly undercooked. When you over-cook something, all you can do then is start over with a brand-new piece of meat,” Jens said. “Just be sure that you’re using the correct cut of meat for the cooking result you’re aiming for. If someone wants a rare or medium rare steak, you should go with a thicker cut of steak. If one of your guests wants their steak cooked medium or well, it’s best to start with a thinner cut of meat.”

Photo by Jim Hill

As you can see, the folks at Longhorn take grilling steaks seriously. How seriously? Just last week at Darden Corporate Headquarters in Orlando, seven of these brand’s top grill masters (who – after weeks of regional competitions – had been culled from the 491 restaurants that make up this chain) competed for a $10,000 prize in the Company’s second annual Steak Master Series. And Dahlmann was one of the people who stood in Darden’s test kitchens, watching like a hawk as each of the contestants struggled to prepare six different dishes in just 20 minutes according to Longhorn Steakhouse’s exacting standards.

“I love that Darden does this. Recognizing the best of the best who work this restaurant,” Jens concluded. “We have a lot of people here who are incredibly knowledgeable & passionate when it comes to grilling.”

Speaking of which … If today’s story doesn’t include the exact piece of info that you need to properly grill that T-bone, just whip out your iPhone & text GRILL to 55702. Or – better yet – visit  ExpertGriller.com prior to firing up your grill or smoker later today. 

This article was originally published by the Huffington Post on Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Some people travel halfway ‘around the planet so that they can then experience the excitement of the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. If you’re more of a Slow Living enthusiast (as I am), then perhaps you should amble to Brattleboro, VT. Where – over the first weekend in June – you can then join a herd of cow enthusiasts at the annual Strolling of the Heifers.

Now in its 16^th year, this three-day long event typically gets underway on Friday night in June with a combination block party / gallery walk. But then – come Saturday morning – Main Street in Brattleboro is lined with thousands of bovine fans.

Photo by Jim Hill

They’ve staked out primo viewing spots and set up camp chairs hours ahead of time. Just so these folks can then have a front row seat as this year’s crop of calves (which all come from local farms & 4-H clubs) are paraded through the streets.

Photo by Jim Hill

Viewed from curbside, Strolling of the Heifers is kind of this weird melding of a sincere small town celebration and Pasadena’s Doo Dah Parade. Meaning that – for every entry that actually acknowledged this year’s theme (i.e. “Dance to the Moosic”) — …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there was something completely random, like this parade’s synchronized shopping cart unit.

Photo by Jim Hill

And for every piece of authentic Americana (EX: That collection of antique John Deere tractors that came chugging through the city) …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there was something silly. Like – say – a woman dressed as a Holstein pushing a baby stroller through the streets. And riding in that stroller was a pig dressed in a tutu.

Photo by Jim Hill

And given that this event was being staged in the Green Mountain State & all … Well, does it really surprise you to learn that — among the groups that marched in this year’s Strolling of the Heifers – was a group of eco-friendly folks who, with their  chants of “We’re Number One !,” tried to persuade people along the parade route not to flush the toilet after they pee. Because – as it turns out – urine can be turned into fertilizer.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of fertilizer … At the tail end of the parade, there was a group of dedicated volunteers who were dealing with what came out of the tail end of all those cows.

Photo by Jim Hill

This year’s Strolling of the Heifers concluded at the Brattleboro town common. Where event attendees could then get a closer look at some of the featured units in this year’s parade…

Photo by Jim Hill

… or perhaps even pet a few of the participants.

Photo by Jim Hill

But as for the 90+ calves who took part in the 2017 edition of Strolling of the Heifers, once they reached the town common, it was now time for a nosh or a nap.

Photo by Jim Hill

Elsewhere on the common, keeping with this year’s “Dance to the Moosic” theme, various musical groups performed in & around the gazebo throughout the afternoon.

Photo by Jim Hill

While just across the way – keeping with Brattleboro’s tradition of showcasing the various artisans who live & work in the local community – some pretty funky pieces were on display at the Slow Living Exposition.

Photo by Jim Hill

All in all, attending Strolling of the Heifers is a somewhat surreal but still very pleasant way to spend a summer’s day in Vermont. And that’s no bull.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, that could be a bull. To be honest, what with the wig & all, it’s kind of hard to tell. 

This article was originally published by the Huffington Post on Sunday, June 4, 2017

30+ years ago, David Williamson almost ran away with the circus.

“I was a teenager growing up in Ohio,” Williamson recalled during a recent phone interview. “And this one ring circus came to town. They found out somehow that I did magic and then tried to recruit me to come join their show. The idea sounded so romantic, but my mother wouldn’t let me go.”

We now jump ahead a few decades and Williamson has become a conjurer’s conjurer. Voted “Sleight of Hand Magician of the Year” two years in a row by Hollywood’s Magic Castle, David had also been declared the “Most Wanted Magician” by the International Federation of Magic Societies. Which is why organizations like the Disney Cruise Line regularly sought Williamson out to come perform on their boats. Which is where David wound up doing sleight of hand in front of 1500 people at a time.

Now while this level of professional success (not to mention repeatedly receiving the recognition of your peers) is the sort of thing that every other magician on the planet craves, Williamson was looking for new fields to conquer. Which is why – when producer Simon Painter (i.e., the impresario behind the highly successful “Illusionists” shows) offered David the opportunity to circle back on an old dream – he jumped at it.

“This must have been 3, 3 & a ½ years ago, when Simon first talked with me about this idea for a new stage show that he was exploring. One that would celebrated all of those one ring circuses that used to visit small towns at the turn-of-the-century. Only to make this retro show a true theatrical experience, Simon was going to have the animal acts done as puppets a la ‘War Horse,’ ” Williamson explained. “And as Simon was talking, I remember thinking that it might be fun to play the ringmaster in a show like that. That I could do a lot with a role like that.”

So more than 3 decades after his mother expressly told him not to, David did finally run away with the circus. Which – in this case – involved traveling all the way from Ohio to Docklands Studios in Melbourne, Australia. Which is where Williamson then spent three weeks rehearsing with this veteran group of circus performers who had never before been in a stage show.

Photo by Mark Turner

“Neil Dorwood — our director — showed incredible patience with the cast because … Well, I’m not an actor. I’m a magician. And these circus folk? They’re a really different breed. By that I mean: They’re good natured & competitive & athletic & hardy & a lot of fun. And they quickly form a family. But that said, they’re kind of hard to manage,” David said.

“And here’s Simon & Neil who are trying to build ‘Circus 1903‘ from scratch. Which means that they have to teach us to do all of these theatrical things, learn intricate steps and choreography. And since our first performances were already scheduled for December, they honestly didn’t have a whole lot of time to pull this retro circus show together,” Williamson continued. “But in the end, Neil did a great job. Which is why – as you now watch ‘Circus 1903’ – you get to see all of these great acrobats using new & different muscles. When they’re out onstage, these people are fully invested in making this show a genuine theatrical experience for the audience. You should see them emote when the elephants come out.”

And speaking of emotions & elephants … David said that the most memorable moment during rehearsals of “Circus 1903” came when the cast first got to meet Queenie & Peanut (i.e., that full-sized, mother & child pair of pachyderm puppets which Significant Object spent five months building for this show).

Photo by Mark Turner

“The puppeteers had spent two weeks rehearsing their routine with Queenie & Peanut. And when these elephant puppets first made their entrance on Soundstage 4 at Dockland Studios, as they stepped through the mist with their music & their lighting … I wasn’t prepared for the emotional reaction that I’d have when we were rehearsing that scene. And as I looked around at all of these supposedly hardened circus performers, they were almost in tears as well,” Williamson stated. “And once we actually started performing ‘Circus 1903’ in theaters around Australia, that’s the exact same reaction that people in the audience had when they first saw these enormous elephant puppets. Just a second they’d think ‘Oh, there’s puppeteers there. Isn’t that clever?’ And then – through the magic of the stage – what you’re seeing suddenly somehow transformed into this real enormous elephant with its misbehaving calf. And you – as an audience member — are just dazzled to be in the presence of these magnificent massive animals.”

Mind you, the live circus acts that David introduces & interacts with are pretty dazzling as well. Williams had especially high praise for the Lopez Family, the tightrope act which is presented in the first act of “Circus 1903.”

“Maria Jose Pontigo – who performs with the Lopezes – is fourth generation circus. And she says that ‘Circus 1903’ is like this love letter to her family’s traditions,” Williamson enthused. “That’s why Maria and all the other circus acts just love performing in this show. They consider it a real validation of what their families have been doing for decades now.”

Photo by Mark Turner

And what about David, who’s still something of a newbie when it comes to standing under the big top? Williamson believes that it was all those magic shows which he presented aboard the Disney Cruise Lines that properly prepared him for playing a ringmaster.

“When you work on the Disney boats, you’re constantly in front of three generations — kids, parents and grandparents — all sitting together, laughing and thrilling at the exact same thing. And when we were traveling around Australia late last year – we presented ‘Circus 1903’ to over 30,000 people there – what was really great was that I’d look out into the house and see the exact same sorts of audiences that I saw when I was working on the Disney Cruise Line. These families sitting together with their kids, many of whom had never been to a proper circus before,” David stated. “And what’s especially fun about ‘Circus 1903’ is – because of the theatricality of this show – all of these already great circus acts are amplified somehow. I remember looking out from the wings on opening night looking at this family in the first row. And their two boys are sitting there with their mouths open slack jawed, just wowed by everything that they were seeing.”

Of course, one of the things that was sure to have wowed these small boys was Williamson’s performance as Willy Whipsade, the ringmaster character that he plays in “Circus 1903.” Margaret Gray of the Los Angeles Times – when she reviewed this show‘s just-completed stand at the Pantages Theatre – said that …

… the real secret weapon of “Circus 1903” is its ringmaster, Willy Whipsnade, played by the magician David Williamson (who toured in “The Illusionists,” a magic show produced by the same team). Williamson, tall and imposing, with a bushy white mustache, a booming voice and a quick wit, is now my Platonic ideal of a ringmaster. His Whipsnade has a faintly disreputable, carny edge; he’s the sort of irresistible showman you know will send you home flat broke but happy. He keeps the action moving at a nice pace as emcee, but the show is even more fun when he is the main attraction, inviting children from the audience to the stage and making gentle, hilarious sport of them.

While David is obviously pleased that his character in “Circus 1903” has been singled out for this sort of praise as this new stage show is just getting started on its five-month long, 15-city American tour, Williamson is quick to turn the spotlight back on his brand-new circus family.

“I have to admit that – after all these years of working as a magician – I feel kind of naked when I’m up there onstage without a deck of cards in my hand,” David concluded. “But when I see how the audience reacts to those elephant puppets – not to mention all these wonderful circus acts that I have the privilege of presenting as ringmaster – that’s when I realize that I’m still in a magic show. It’s just the whole theatrical experience of ‘Circus 1903’ – rather than just me – that’s providing the magic this time around.”

Photo by Mark Turner

The American tour of “Circus 1903” continues with a stop at the Buell Theatre in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts February 21st – 26th.

This article was originally published by the Huffington Post on Monday, February 20, 2017