eG Foodblog Tag Team IV: Marlene, Dave, snowangel - Cold Turkey, Three Ways

[snowangel]

Whew. What a long day. I've smoked in colder weather, but it wasn't windy. Learn something new every day. I had untold trouble keeping the temp up on the Kettle, which is normally opposite of what happens. I'm very good at getting the temp down, and today, I perfected my skills in getting the temp up (open it up and stir things around).

Marlene, it got late here, too, and I was checking the temp like you

No, there were no flames. Peter set the camera to the fireworks setting.

First, the disappointment.

This is kind of a crumby photo, and I apoligize, and will plead the "I just got a new camera):

This was a very fatty hunk of venison with lots of collegen. But, venison collegen is different, apparently, because it doesn't melt. Must be all of that leaping and bounding in front of cars. And, although it was a fatty chunk, the fat stays tallow like.

Were I to smoke venison again, I would do a very short smoke followed by a braise. Paul and I both agreed on that.

But, to the successes!

Especially in the upper left corner, you'll see evidence of the smoke ring, which was not as visible in mine as it was in yours. The ring has been elusive to me, but on one of the smoking topics, we decided that while it is good, it doesn't mean that stuff without a deep smoke ring is any less smoky.

Bunned and sauced.

Wow. Just wonderful. Beyond belief. Smoked butt rules. I just might like it more than bacon. (and when I get things right with this camera, it is wow, too!).

For my second sandwich, I piled on the pork, a smattering of sauce and the slaw. This is indeed a worthy slaw, and I will post the recipe soon.

I smell like smoke. I've had fun smoking. And, I survived smoking without smoking.

Dave, so how slow are things going down your way?

Edited to add the Cole Slaw recipe.

[Marlene]

Folks, we're getting very near to the end of this blog and I wanted a few words before I pass out (from exhaustion) for the night.

This has truly been a blog like no other. 33, 449 views and 850 posts so far can attest to that. First of all, thanks to Dave and Maggie for providing the inspiration to do this in the first place. But my major thanks are reserved for Snowangel who truly suffered with me in silent sisterhood agony as we explored the ups and downs of cooking while trying to quit smoking and still remain civil while juggling family, volunteer and work committments.

I'm not sure I would ever willingly put myself and my soul on display while trying to kick a habit again, but I have to tell you that the support of the eGullet community has been positively overwhelming. Every single one of you gave me the courage to keep trying. I fell, and got back up. I fell again. And heck, I'm still falling. But going from 2 packs a day to 2 cigarettes a day, is a fairly major achievement for me. And I'm not done yet. We're going to NY in March and I've told Don to book a non smoking room. (You can only imagine the brief panic that caused in my soul.)

Maggie, my hat is so totally off to you for staying smoke free these past 12 days. You have become my idol, my heroine, my goal.

I cooked my heart out for you folks, while I was going through mass withdrawal. And you know what? I enjoyed every single minute of it. The withdrawal paled in comparisson to the wonderful vibes and best wishes we got here. I loved cooking for you. Doing a blog can be exhausting. To the point where you never want to cook another thing, or take another picture. But I didn't feel that way this time because of the empathy and support I was getting from y'all.

So my most heartfelt thanks are given to you, the members. Thank you for your support, your encouragement and your best wishes. You've given me the courage to continue trying and to be determined to succeed.

I'll be around to answer questions tomorrow, but in the meantime, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[snowangel]

I did not have the energy, nor the time, tonight to pull all of the pork. This was interesting. I got a shoulder blade, not a butt, and they perform differently. I think I may have been a bit premature in pulling the thing off, So, I pulled some, wrapped the thing up tightly in heavy duty Reynolds foil and it is sitting on the deck. Tomorrow morning, I will put it in a 225 degree oven, take care of household business and pull it later, and get ready to make some smoked stock and parcel the pulled pork into appropriately-sized ziplocks. This is a way of taking care of the pork when you don't want to deal with all of it at the time (and it works well, trust me, I've done it).

But, back to that big ass shoulder blade. It is more well marbeled, and seems to need more time on the smoker for all of the stuff (the tendons, collegen, whatever) to meld together. So, I will give it oven time tomorrow and melt all of those lovely bits into silken smoothness, pullable by an easy tug.

[Dave the Cook]

Sorry I'm late. It was a late dinner, and I had to take my son home, it being a school night and all.

I finally had to take my butt off the fire in mid-stall. People were clamoring for dinner, and it really was getting late, even by my standards. So it was a good butt, but not a great one. I've put the rest back in a very slow oven for finishing.

I did manage an app: smoke-toasted pitas.

I halved them and served them with store-bought hummus (that's right, no shredded cheese for me, but pre-packed hummus is fine!)

Back to the butt:

It had a decent smoke ring, but it wasn't nearly pullable -- you can see some telltale cut edges:

I dressed the slaw (after adding a few green onions and some chopped white onion) with a vinaigrette made with a little celery seed, brown mustard and honey.

A soft white bun, some sauce (tomato puree, worcestershire, molasses, cider vinegar and pepper sauce -- thinner than western, thicker than eastern) and there you have it:

[snowangel]

What was it with our pork today? Were the gods against us? I've never had pork that took this long to get done, and it appears, Dave, that you had the same experience. Yes, some oven time won't hurt any of our butts (or blades).

[Fat Guy]

You're all heroic. Your cooking, your personal journeys and your willingness to put yourselves out there are inspiring. Great work; good luck!

[snowangel]

This has been a most interesting 12 days. I spent most of my time here

(Paul and I built this desk) in my sunroom or here

I must clarify by saying that my kitchen is tiny, but it is not yellow. I need to figure out the white balance on my new camera (but most of the literature is in Spanish). Well, the floor is, but the rest is grayish white.

But, back to the business at hand. This blog, on my part, started as a lark, because I was serious about quitting. The lark ended when the blog began. It has been an oddly emotional week, and I have felt oddly pubescent -- moody and off kilter.

It has been hard to fall, pick myself up, fall again, and make some confessions that seem truely sick -- all to a vast audience. But, pick myself up I do, and I do that very well (the falling and the picking up).

My PM folder is brimming with e-mails which I haven't had the energy to respond to, but will spend a day or two doing nothing, and then respond. These PM's, as well as the on-line support has been invaluable. I've wondered over the past few days whether this quitting endeavor would have been better accomplished quietly, by myself or in view of thousands. The verdict is still out on this, but I have felt vulnerable.

I have cooked, I have cleaned, I have done the laundry, and taken a boatload of photos. And, spent countless hours in AIM talking to Marlene as we are working out this new way of life. And, we will talk tomorrow and work our way through our cravings. We've gotten each other through many a rough moment!

As the Olympics start, and I hear that familiar music (but still miss Jim McKay), I'd like to award gold medals to Paul, Diana, Heidi and Peter. The stalwarts, who have endured far more photos during 12 family dinners than anyone should endure, but they are buoyed by what the mommy is doing. Families take a pounding during blogs. Just ask mine.

The coffe maker is set for tomorrow, and the burr grinder is full of beans, Peter has changed the linens on my bed, fresh from the dryer. Reward for a hard 12 days!

[Dave the Cook]

I should add that while I am a little disappointed in tonight's repast, it was easily the best butt I've smoked in the last twelve days.

I want to thank everyone for their support, their tips, and their good will. I've tried quitting many times before, but this time it might stick, and I believe it has a lot to do with this blog. So thank you, everyone, with special props to our guest quitters Maggie, Matthew and Brooks.

I especially want to thank Marlene and Susan, not just for the amazing food, the words of encouragement, and the good spirits they've managed throughout, but for the incredible effort they made when I got stranded in Florida without a decent connection, and with a case of the flu that is only now starting to clear. They kept this thing on the rails, and I'm very grateful.

[Pan]

This has been very moving. There really is a community here, built around a shared interest in food. I'm sure all of us would be really happy if our words help you to kick the habit for good. I know that I felt my words were totally inadequate, and that I really have no idea just how hard this process is for you.

Matthew and Brooks, please check in and let us know how you're doing.

[Rebecca263]

I'm very grateful to all of you for doing this blog. My kiddle has read most of it with me, and she vows to never smoke anything, other than food, forever. The honesty that you all showed, about the real difficulties in quitting, sent the message not to start home. You're all some of our favorite eGulleters, and I hope that you're around, in good health, for a long time to come. Bonuse for me: I got to learn some great new recipes and methods of cooking, and I had something eGullet related that is really meaningful to share with kiddle during this snowstorm, too! THANK YOU!

edited by me to say:BONUSE! hahahaha!

Edited February 13, 2006 by Rebecca263 (log)

[Anna N]

My thanks to all of you for an exciting blog. I had to leave in the middle of things yesterday to attend to family obligations and I admit to being a little resentful at being pulled away just as things were heating up. I admire you all for the courage to do all this on a public stage. I know I could not. I wish you the best in staying away from smoke except the good kind.

[Smithy]

You've outdone yourselves. Those photos and the step-by-step discussions of the smoking process are amazing. If, or when, I ever decide to try smoking meat, I'll now have a fine tutorial.

As always, I'm impressed by the quality of your blogging. You three have posted your usual fine photos (even with a new camera, Susan) and words. The fact that you've done it under such pressure, and managed to stay civil, and not turned into blithering idiots, really shows gumption.

Congratulations on your successes. Congratulations, too, to the others who've tagged along and quit - or at least started to quit - during this time. Thank you for sharing this time with us. Do please let us know, somehow, how it all goes, even after this blog is closed. There'll still be plenty of support and encouragement for you.

[johnnyd]

What a saga! An epic foodblog to say the least. Congrats (and gold medals) to all

[Safran]

Marlene, Snowangel, Dave,

This has been a nail-biting blog and I've enjoyed every single moment of it...the food, the real-life choices, the HONESTY. I found you so respectful of us by admitting when things weren't going well when the three of you could actually have chosen to omit or simply lie about things. And the FOOD, what can I say about the food?? I wanted to sit at each and every one of your tables and eat with you...and in a way, I felt that I have. Thank you for having me as a guest.

edited to add: That smoke-free Durango will never be the same again...

Edited February 13, 2006 by Safran (log)

[Marlene]

That smoke-free Durango will never be the same again...

←

That's actually been one of my favourite things about this. My car has never been so clean (no ashes anywhere) or smelled so nice.

I'm looking out the window at the smoker, realizing we never cleaned it last night. It was too late and too dark to even think about it. I'm also realizing I forgot to line the water pan with foil, so it's going to be a mess to clean up. Where does one dump a pan full of grease and water anyway?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Thanks to all of you for bringing us into your lives to learn and share these experiences! Beautiful photographs and marvelous ideas for the foods you all chose!

Watching a personal journey up close? priceless!

[snowangel]

That smoke-free Durango will never be the same again...

←

That's actually been one of my favourite things about this. My car has never been so clean (no ashes anywhere) or smelled so nice.

I'm looking out the window at the smoker, realizing we never cleaned it last night. It was too late and too dark to even think about it. I'm also realizing I forgot to line the water pan with foil, so it's going to be a mess to clean up. Where does one dump a pan full of grease and water anyway?

←

In the trash. Use a wadded up newspaper as a spatula. The kettle uses disposable foil pans, which makes clean up really easy!

[Chufi]

thank you so much, all of you, for doing this. Sharing your food-life is one thing (and even that can be a demanding job.. ) but sharing the other stuff, the very personal stuff, is another.

You are all heroes to me. You've inspired me, and I 'll never be judgemental of my friend who wants to quit but has such a hard time doing it (and hasn't 'succeeded' yet) ever again.

Thank you, and good luck on the journey into freedom that lies ahead of you.

[Toasted]

This has been such a great blog. I wish it didn't have to end. The food looked wonderful- and that's coming from a vegetarian! Reading the blog everyday was like going to a quit smoking support group. Today marks my one week smoke free. I can't even express the freedom I now feel from ending this addiction. Thanks to everyone.

[Romanian1]

A Blog of absolutely EPIC proportions ladies and gents, it is heartwarming to see people with a view to food and cooking that is so similar to my own.

Ive been lurking here since the beginning and although this is my first post i have been eagerly monitoring the thread daily and it has inspired me to write something similar on my own forums (which are totally unrelated to food but i feel the need to educate as most of our members are from the UK and of the eggs chips and beans brigade)

A massive thumbs up and a thanks to all the contributors ,i can only hope everyone else has been inspired as much as me.

Now i just have to find one of you delightful ladies to marry me.

[Megan Blocker]

This has been such a great blog.  I wish it didn't have to end.  The food looked wonderful- and that's coming from a vegetarian!   Reading the blog everyday was like going to a quit smoking support group.  Today marks my one week smoke free.  I can't even express the freedom I now feel from ending this addiction.  Thanks to everyone.

←

Woo-hoo!!! Go, Toasted!

And congrats to Dave, Marlene and Susan (and Matt, Maggie, and all the other fabulous quitters) for a fantastic and inspiring blog.

Way to go, guys - this has been awesome!

[eJulia]

Congrats to all who worked very hard this week to quit a very nasty addiction. Best wishes on your continued success! Oh yeah, the food was great, too!

Keep up the great work!

[MelissaH]

Three cheers for all our quitters! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!

You've all been incredibly gutsy for doing this in public, and letting us see it all. (And it's been fun rooting for you from the peanut gallery.) Great work, terrific job to everyone, and many wishes for more successes of all kinds, big and small.

MelissaH

[Madge]

I have also been lurking but doing so with utmost admiration. Well done and don't beat yourself up with any little slips. Pick up, dust up and off you go.

[maggiethecat]

Rebecca: if this blog served no other purpose than to prevent your daughter from smoking, Susan, Dave and Marlene have done heroic work. Speaking of daughters, it's Honor's birthday today -- she's spent years trying to get me to give up my ciggies, and on Thanksgiving Day, 2005 she extracted a quit date from me. This is, more than anything, for her. Happy Birthday, Sweetie.

As a fellow-traveler I know how hard this has been. I got to rock gently in a corner, whimpering and sucking my thumb while you three cooked for 15,000 virtual guests, took care of your kids, sweated out the flu in a dreary hotel room, wrote about it and took pictures ! Thanks for your kind words, Marlene Susan and Dave, and thanks for allowing me to pop in occasionally for a primal scream.