Patio Daddio BBQ - Musings of barbecue, cooking, and life -- served hot, fresh and saucy

Welcome! My name is John Dawson and I'll be your host in this little culinary adventure. I suppose I should offer at least a brief introduction of myself. I am a Christian, a husband, the father of three young girls, a USAF veteran, and an amateur cook living in Boise Idaho.

By day I am a senior software engineer specializing in web user interfaces. I am a member of the Kansas City Barbeque Society and I've been competing in barbeque competitions since 2006 under the name "Patio Daddio BBQ", thus the blog name.

As for cooking in general, my passion is good hearty rustic food. I often say that life is too short to eat mediocre food. It may sound corny, but food to me is a way of giving a little of myself to those I cook for. It's a gift on a plate. There are few things in life more intimate than sharing a meal. I am also an artist, so cooking is a natural creative outlet for me. This blog is just an extension of that same outlet.

As the tagline implies, my intention here is to offer my thoughts and ideas about food and life. I hope you find it interesting and educational.

If you have comments, concerns, complaints or suggestions I want to hear from you. Please don't hesitate to send me the good, the bad and the ugly.

You can see my media appearances and press here.

Cheers,




P.S. All of the photographs and recipes that you see on this site are mine, unless specifically attributed otherwise.