Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

My current favorite is a pretty run-of-the-mill 32oz plastic cup. The kind that you get as a "souvenier" at a sports stadium/arena when you buy a soda and so get charged extra for it. What makes this one special is that I got it on Opening Day at AT&T Park in San Francisco this year, so it says on it "World Series Champion San Francisco Giants" on it. I LOVE that cup!

I've done it several times now, and as long as you are smart about it (stay away from flammable material, make sure the bird is absolutely dry, and lower the bird slowly, no matter how much your brain screams to drop it and run away), it's an incredibly tasty way to cook turkey, and extremely popular with the family. I'm considering trying the method with other foods one of these days - read somewhere about trying it with a beef roast, and also wondering how duck or goose would turn out (although I'm a little concerned about their higher fat content and how that would react with the cooking oil).

Congratulations on your graduation! I graduated from Cal Poly in San Luis and love (and miss) the central coast tons. If you're willing to drive a little, there are some truly awesome places to eat both north and south of Pismo.

If you want fresh seafood in a great location, the place to go is the Old Port Inn in Port San Luis/Avila Bay, at the end of the pier. All of their seafood is locally caught daily.

For a nice upscale steak dinner, go to McClintock's in Shell Beach. It's up on the hill on the east side of Hwy 101 and overlooks the ocean. Great views and great food, and the waiters refill your water glasses from as high up in the air they can hold the pitchers....without (well, hardly) spilling a drop.

But for real Central Coast flavor, nothing beats Santa Maria style barbeque, and the best you can get is either at the Hitching Post in Casmalia, Jocko's in Nipomo, or the Far Western Tavern in Guadalupe. All of them are awesome, but my favorite was always the Hitching Post.

If you're lucky enough to be there on a Thursday night, you have to go to the Farmer's Market in downtown San Luis Obispo. It starts around 5pm and goes for a few hours. Lots of street vendors, farmers selling produce, and restaurants that set up bbq pits. Find the Old Country Deli bbq - it's worth it. To get there, take the Marsh St exit off 101, go straight a few blocks and park, then walk a block over to Higuera St, which is blocked off for traffic for the market.

Have a great time, and congratulations again on your graduation!