Rule #3!

Thank you so much Bear!  Here's to cold middles and cooked fat!! Smiles.

I do indeed take it pretty raw, but am happy to learn of other rare fans and devotees out there therefore! So fun! A great way to have meat indeed! Happy terrific Tuesday to you!!!!

And thank you also Disco! You can tell your wife that her wine fancy is indeed shared!!! Delicious stuff!

Cheers to all!!!!!! - Leah

Oh Brad!!!!!!!!!!!!! 78????????????

It's 28 here and that's considered "warm" for this time of year even!

And your food & wine ensemble sounds so very perfect and delicious!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING!!!

I like this frozen idea, and will play more with that!

But 78???? Send some of that here!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!

Terrific stuff!!!!!!!

Cheers! - Leah

Foamheart, that expression is fantastic! I remember your great quip and also your neighbor, who would grill or smoke steak that was frozen, to achieve my preferred result, back in some Bison & Barolo thread of mine, right? Fantastic input!!!!

(Your neighbor forever has been in my mind and as my kind of eater)!

And yes, as gross as it sounds, I actually need it COLD/RAW, to the touch, in the middle - not rare, and not VERY RARE, and not merely "bloody," but COLD, and yet I ALSO do want the outside or the fat all crispy, the way Bearcarver likes and described too, and thus that contrast! (I don't ask for much, right)? But when I ask!!!!! Smiles.

I like my ahi tuna the same way, in that instead of just "sashimi," and all raw, I'd rather have the seared contrast of cold inside and some edges cooked on the outside.

And so, I do adore EXTREMES! (Middle kids are this way and hate anything in the middle). Or that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

ANYWAY, Brad, you had me cracking up with laughter about your overcooked steak request!!!

As try as I might, I am not "a good sport" when steak is overcooked! That story was thus precious! Why eat the steak at all, if you'd be happy to eat a mere shoe, or a piece of something so dry, right? I find it insulting not only to the food, the host, but even to God!

OK, OK, but I am "learning" to accept that we all take our steak in many ways in this great world. But funny stuff it indeed is!

And while there may not be enough White Burgundy to deal with that kind of texture, I'd try mightily and probably increase sales in that department by quite a bit!

Oh I so wish that all the Smoking Forum people lived in some huge gated community for Smokers or something, and that we could have these fabulous discussions over epic feasts and with copious bottles of wine!! (If any real estate building mogul is reading this, give it thought! I'd move in)!

Speaking of frozen doings, I had some "frozen, pre-cooked, New Zealand Green Lip Mussels on the half shell" in my freezer that I wondered about and wanted to somehow smoke, and so I did that just now and they were terrific.......


So the half shell mussels were icy and frozen and I then poured them into a perforated grill pan with some grapeseed oil greasing it...


And I got pistachio shells ready (instead of smoking chips) yes Knuckle47 has changed me forever!!!


And I turned the shells upside down, as I realized that with them frozen, it wouldn't be just brine but lots of icy watery stuff dripping around...


And smoked on high heat just some 7 minutes, to thaw, since they were already cooked...



And the smoky flavor was AMAZING!!!!!!! I really loved it!


This went over a salad that had red pepper and shallot hiding underneath, and then a cayenne pepper, grey sea salt and olive oil whisked up dressing...



White Burg of course...

(Funny, I have had ALMOST every wine in this great world which I've desired to try, and mostly REDS, and was a serious "red devotee" for three decades and only drank red for quite some time).

Yet, once experiencing White Burgundy, gasp, smile, sip, toast, smile again; that was "as good as it gets" to me; I then became a convert, and just feel that it is "how wine should be!" Smiles. Delicious stuff!!!

For anyone ready to try this "dry" style of fantastic wine, a fabulous pairing is CHEESE and also OYSTERS! Hell, if it's really a fine day, then just have both!

I think you'll fall in love with it!

But back to this evening's mussels....






It was fabulous! I went back in with a knife and even scraped off the little scallop like stubs that remained on the shells!

OK, forgive the "book length" blather today.

Just getting excited as it is so fun to share!!! This site is a joy and a gift!!!

Cheers to all!  - Leah (Ready to watch yesterday's "The Blacklist" via On Demand. Ahh, another fine thing!

Hah! (Brad). Hopefully your overcooked pal takes his pizza in some way that's easier to handle! Smiles.

Yes, chat with your fishmonger as these mussels are  lovely!!!

Meanwhile, happy midweek to all!!!!!!!

Cheers!!! - Leah

Happy midweek to all!

Well let's hear it for FROZEN food indeed!

(Today's schedules dictated that a super quickie meal take place and early at that, and so I pulled out more of those frozen New Zealand Green Lip mussels, and a bag of frozen okra even)!



I thawed the mussels and then just microwaved the okra, and then poured olive oil and cayenne over it all and some chopped raw elephant garlic!



So simple and quick, and yet also healthful, wonderful, and fun!


Let it never be said that cleaning out one's freezer can't be terrific!!! Smiles.

Happy hump day to everyone!!!!!!!! Make today amazing!!!!!!

Cheers!!! - Leah

Thank you so much Bear! So simple, but so tasty!!!

Happy midweek!!!

Cheers!! - Leah

Happy Thursday Great Cookies!!!!!!!!

I'm just tucking in today's grilled bluefish (God I love bluefish) because I did love and devour this earlier and yet it's now "wine o'clock" and so I must find something else to pair with that lovely stuff, but here's to first things first therefore, and some simple grilled bluefish, chopped raw elephant garlic and salad!





This fish was so soft and the skin so crispy and what a lovely thing!

OK, I WILL smoke something again soon, and meanwhile just send some Thursday cheer your way! 

Make this evening amazing!!!!!!!!

Cheers!!! - Leah

Happy Friday to all!

Just sneaking in today's simple plate, as I did learn something today in relation to smoking, wine, life and so it goes!

I was on my own today and thus opted to use up some frozen octopus and have a salad with that. I contemplated smoking or grilling and then thought, "No, it's windy, and I'll just sauté this in a pan and have it. AND, worse yet, I am in need of making a wine run!


And so, I ate my lunch, and while it was lovely and I am always grateful for every meal, (indeed), I have come to the conclusion that octopus is so much better when smoked, and when grilled too but really so great when it is smoked; and that from now on, whether dining alone, whether it is windy outside or whatever seems like a big effort to be skipped; it is far more worth it to go smoke it, or grill it and do it "right!"

Secondly, meals are better with wine alongside too!

Those are my two lessons learned today. It's good to learn! Smiles. It is!

Happy weekend to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!!!!! - Leah

Thank you so much Bear!

And Happy Weekend to You!!!

Isn't that funny how once having everything smoked, the other preparations just begin to seem almost blah by comparison?

A fabulous habit, this smoking stuff!

Cheers!!! - Leah

Hey OldSalty!!! That "reverse sear" (if I'm not mistaken) sounds delectable and perfect!

And I'm delighted to know that somebody else takes their steak this way!

Here's to your good taste!!!!! Smiles. Indeed!

And thank you tons for the great explanation of how you achieve this!!! That makes great sense!

Cheers! - Leah