Regular readers know I love to cook, and this week's gift recommendations are aimed at my fellow home chefs.
First up is the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24 pellet grill for $1,199.99 (campchef.com). I have had great experiences with Camp Chef pellet grills. The patented ash clean-out system and precise, reliable operation make use a breeze, and the wood pellets are available in many varieties.
One of the caveats is that if you want more prominent smoke or wood flavor it can be difficult to achieve with a pellet grill, especially at higher temperatures. Enter the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24, which has a "smoke box" drawer that can hold wood chunks, wood chips or charcoal, enhancing flavor and delivering the best of all worlds from a pellet grill.
The digital controls with controllable temperature and smoke levels, heavy-duty stainless steel construction and the four temperature probes will meet the needs of the most serious outdoor chef. Add wireless control and monitoring from the app, and you have one of the most satisfying outdoor cooking devices available.
I also have come to love USB-rechargeable salt and pepper grinders. When I first tried these earlier this year, I thought they were overkill, but they have proven themselves repeatedly. They have adjustable coarseness and a small LED light that shows where the spices are hitting the food. It also is nice to have one hand free for the grinder and one to flip the meat.
The Littneo grinders I own sell for $25 per set on Amazon. There are lots of other well-reviewed models available ranging from $18 to over $60.
Turntable pairing easy
Q. I read your column about the Cambridge Audio Alva ST turntable that was recommended and on sale. I literally know nothing about audio systems but want to play my vinyl via Bluetooth. I have Edifier Bluetooth bookshelf speakers. Do I need to use a receiver with the turntable to play music over my speakers?
A. The Alva ST turntable will pair directly with your speakers via Bluetooth, so you do not need a receiver. You also can use a wired connection to an auxiliary input, but this might place the turntable a bit too close to the speakers and cause audible feedback and distortion depending on loud passages. Using a longer cable and placing the turntable at least 6 feet away will help avoid this.
Reroute TV audio
Q. I have a Panasonic TC-P42S1 plasma TV and a Yamaha RX-V385 receiver. I just put an antenna on the roof to receive channels and want to send audio from the TV to the receiver. Can this be done, and if so, how?
A. Your TV has an optical audio output. Connect it from the TV to a corresponding input on your receiver, then go to the TV's audio menus and make sure the optical digital audio output is active. It will send the audio to your receiver for playback.
