Abra

Besides your general energy level, Chrome, I'm also truly impressed by your devotion to your family life. Not just showing up, but doing so much cooking for them, real food, day in and day out, even after what I would consider to be some pretty grueling days. I hope they adore you for it! Imagining that butterscotch fenugreek cake is driving me mad. I too love those flavors, although I've never dreamed of combining them. Would you share that recipe?

Well, now that I've read through all this I see that people are mainly using wood chunks for smoke flavor and briquets for the heat, whereas I'd assumed that the actual wood burning was both the heat and the smoke agent. So, if it's just a smallish amount for smoking, I think I can probably find it in bags. I'd been envisioning whole logs of fruit or nut wood, which would be much more problematic. But the famous Santa Maria tri-tip, which is much like brisket, is cooked entirely over red oak, and that's a specific part of its flavor. Uhm, it's off-topic a bit, but I have a turkey in the fridge that I was planning to smoke, until I saw the smoker's directions to inject it liberally first. Maybe a turkey shouldn't be my first smoking attempt? I don't think I want to get into injecting - unless brining would work the same way?

Ok, I'm ready to join the eG Smoker Goddesses. Thanks to Emma, I've found and read both this and the butt threads, and now I'm almont ready to tackle smoking with my new offset firebox Smokin' Pro. It has a huge cast iron grate, so I might be able to do butts and briskets all at once. Sigh. That Minion method looks quite far out, one of those things I would never have figured out on my own. I did see a comment in the method description about off flavors from ignition - do any of you experience that?

You are SO right! Maybe we'll just let this thread sink into oblivion, and I'll get with the program. Unless anyone has advice specific to the Smokin' Pro, that is.

Great thread, and although I still have not seen Al's butt, I've seen everyone else's, and they're, uhm, very appealing. I notice this is mainly a Weber thread, and I just started a thread on my new Smokin' Pro, so if you have any experience with that, please hop on over and advise me. Otherwise, I'll just drool quietly over your butts on this thread.

Ok, I've got my Smokin' Pro, with the side firebox. I've got a more or less useless instruction manual, written by someone whose native language is clearly not English. I know how to grill, and I've used a Brinkman, but this smoker is a new toy, not to mention a whole new world. I wanna smoke like a pro! What are the best resources to get started? One key question is about the wood. The manual does manage to say to use either fruit or nut woods. Rats, all I have is madrona, alder, and oak. So, do I really need fruit/nut wood? They're kind of hard to come by around here, so I'll need to mount a search, if so. Please, share your three best tips for the novice smoker. It's almost July, so I've got to speed-learn. Kick start, please!

Oh dear, that's truly terrible. I'm sending you both good thoughts and wishes.

Holy Cow, Chromedome! What a life you lead. As a person who cooks for a living, but on a much, much smaller scale, I'm totally in awe of the fact that you make it through your day, day after day. I can't wait for the pictures.

Black cardamom has a fantastic, smoky, and some think medicinal, flavor and is used in Indian cooking. I love it, but it's not for baking. When you get going with the aebleskiver, here's a trick from my half-Danish stepson: turn them as they cook with - a knitting needle!

I do a long slow simmer in chicken broth with lots of fresh sage. But now that I see that Marcella recipe, I think I'll try that - it looks even better than my usual way. Cranberry beans have an affinity for fresh sage.

As for smoking, at winesonoma's suggestoin I've just gotten a Smokin' Pro. That should do fine for cold smoking, which is what I'm really interested in. Not to say that lots of ribs and other hot-smoked goodies aren't on the summer's menu as well. I've always been curious abut Agas. What's the theory, or the advantage, of the "always on" mode? Jack, what farmhouse cheeses are local to you? About the best of the English cheeses that I can get here is the Montgomery Farmhouse Cheddar, which is sensational.

Helen, there's a mini-pain de mie pan available from KA too, at that link I posted above.

Drat, I was hoping you'd have some great uses for salad burnet. Mine is lush now, and flowering. I think it tastes pleasant, and is mildly decorative, but I need to use it more than just on sandwiches and in salads. You're giving me tons of ideas for my new smoker. I'd never imagined smoking an egg. I can't wait for the smoker assembly tomorrow so I can get started.

You can get a pain de mie pan right here. King Arthur usually sends a recipe too, with any unusual pan. I've never made this myself, so I'll be curious to hear your report if you do give it a try.

Hey, thanks Carp! I knew there was a reason, but I didn't know the details.

I'm glad you liked them roasted, Tejon. I seem to be the only person who roasts scapes, so I'm glad to have company!

I use Brer Rabbit Full Flavored molasses for gingerbread. I think it was Cook's Illustrated that did a molasses taste-off, and this was the winner. It makes a luscious gingerbread - I used to use Grandma's, but the BR makes a much tastier cake.

Fabulous garden! Uhm, are you eating at all?

Well, for a start I see parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (thanks, Jack!), then several other sages, marjoram, various basils, lovage, tarragon, and a couple of mints. Chervil as well?

Interesting thatyou don't sweeten your salmon brine at all. I'm just getting a new smoker, and am looking forward to trying your technique. Picture size is just fine for me, by the way.

My favorite way is to spritz them with olive oil, do the same to some fat asparagus stalks, and roast them together in a 425 oven for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and a little fennel pollen. Eat them with your fingers.

Beautiful, Marlene! And more thanks to the two of you for making this such a fun week in Blogland. Get well, Sam!

When I bought it in France it had been bottled into regular green glass wine bottles. Don't know if that's a necessity, though.

Hey, Country Cook, I've eaten at that revolving restaurant in Tampere too! I had chanterelle soup - first time I ever tasted chanterelles. I've eaten blood sausage in various places, but I really like it, so I don't think of it as exotic. I was served kangaroo anonymously, in Switzerland, of all places. I thought it was a mysterious cut of beef until my host revealed the secret ingredient. I think tete de veau is exotic, in an unpleasant way, also andouillette and pieds et paquets. Weird French food, all. I ate turkey testicles once, on a dare, but that was in California. In case you're wondering, they're very small. I ate durian in Indonesia and liked it a lot. Also, water buffalo on Sumatra. All in all, pretty tame stuff.

For a good time with red vermouth, try Punt e Mes.