Yes I have Nepatatitis, Habititis, CRGtitis, 10.5titis and every other membertitis.
I was sipping my JD and thinking of all the unthinkable stuff that was smoked here; Habs' dates and olives, CGR's eggs for suppfast and God only knows about Nepas different things he smoked and I said I have to do some thing. Thinking back to Caribo's idea about marrying Jordanian food with smoke, the bulb went ON. So I decided to smoke this:
(http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac13/hopfull_romantic/DSC00083.jpg)
This is Labneh. A spreadable cheese a bit thicker in consistency than cream cheese and a Major breakfast staple in this part of the world. The green stuff is wild oregano grown in my garden.
(http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac13/hopfull_romantic/DSC00084.jpg)
Here I am taking small amounts of the cheese blend and rolling it into a ball in my palms. Pens note that I am not wearing surgical gloves
(http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac13/hopfull_romantic/DSC00086.jpg)
This is what 2 pounds made after and 25 minute of freezer chock. The closer one had the oregano, the further in has garlic salt and paprika
(http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac13/hopfull_romantic/DSC00087.jpg)
My trusted ET 73 when they went into the smoker for 2 hours of pecan.
Now this has nothing with what I am doing. This is for you Caneyscud in "retaliation"of a different thread.
(http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac13/hopfull_romantic/DSC00088.jpg)
I will post the results and how they would be stored as soon as smoke is over.
HR
You going to save them for breakfast, or eat them all tonight? :D
God I wish I could Squirt. But as the rule of thumb would have it, I would have to wait for at least 10 days to two weeks (thanks Habs and Pens) before I do. But the catch is, they will be stored in such a way that would enable me to hit two birds with one stone.
Stay tuned as in about 40 minutes they should be done and I will post the follow up pics.
HR
HR,
those look like they are going to be wonderful!
With those being a soft cheese will they take up a more smoke flavor as opposed to a hard cheese?
Now what is you neighbor complaining about? The smoke?
My neighbor show up wanting food when the smoke makes it to his place! :D
I'm going to wait the whole two weeks for my first cheese...day after tomorrow.
It's easy not to be tempted to taste early since it's vacuum sealed. :D
Here's one to add to your "weird-things-to-smoke" list: figs!
I bought a tray of figs at Costco and had some left so I found a blog that told how to smoke figs and tried it.
They we pretty good, it was before I joined the forum or I would have taken pics of them. :D
Carolyn
Yes Carolyn he was complaining about the smoke or the lack of guts to ask for some of whatever I am smoking.
HR
Those look great. Let us know in 3 or 4 weeks how they taste. ;) :)
Quote from: pensrock on October 07, 2009, 01:05:41 PM
Those look great. Let us know in 3 or 4 weeks how they taste. ;) :)
pens 3-4 weeks, that is brutal. I will be content wit 2.
HR
Quotepens 3-4 weeks, that is brutal. I will be content wit 2.
;D ;D 2 will be fine, I just wanted to see if your reaction. :)
HR, you're not 'infected', you're 'affected' and it doesn't go away. I've previously stated that I'm not a patient person. Low and slow takes too long for me. But the cheese is a killer. But, take heart in knowing how long the JD has to be aged before you can get your lips on it. ;D
Your "cheese balls" look good. Please be sure to report back.
Quote from: ArnieM on October 07, 2009, 01:35:49 PM
HR, you're not 'infected', you're 'affected' and it doesn't go away. I've previously stated that I'm not a patient person. Low and slow takes too long for me. But the cheese is a killer. But, take heart in knowing how long the JD has to be aged before you can get your lips on it. ;D
Your "cheese balls" look good. Please be sure to report back.
I totally agree with you about the aging of JD, The problem is that it is aged in Lynchberg and not right under my nose.
HR
Okay this is the final outcome. The Labneh packed into a mason jar and smothered with Pure olive oil. No EVOO here. Just the real thing.
(http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac13/hopfull_romantic/DSC00090.jpg)
This way, I shall have my Labneh as I imagined and will have left over smoked Olive oil in the process.
HR
Quote from: Hopefull Romantic on October 07, 2009, 02:00:09 PM
Quote from: ArnieM on October 07, 2009, 01:35:49 PM
HR, you're not 'infected', you're 'affected' and it doesn't go away. I've previously stated that I'm not a patient person. Low and slow takes too long for me. But the cheese is a killer. But, take heart in knowing how long the JD has to be aged before you can get your lips on it. ;D
Your "cheese balls" look good. Please be sure to report back.
I totally agree with you about the aging of JD, The problem is that it is aged in Lynchberg and not right under my nose.
HR
Uh. on a good day, while wading the rivers I fish in, I can catch a waft of some of that aging JD.
Plus in about 2 weeks The Jack will be in Lynchburg, and I will be right there tasting and smelling all that good barbecue and JD. Can't wait! Then I can play the coveted games of Bung Pitching and Butt Bowling.
HR, that looks really good. I never would have thought of the olive oil. Is that the way the cheese normally comes?
CS, wow, a river of JD. ;D Those must be some happy fish!
Well they sure look good HR :)
There you go, smoked olive oil, too.
I put boiled eggs in the vinegar left behind after we eat our pickled beets.
2 for 1's are always good!
Carolyn
Quote from: ArnieM on October 07, 2009, 02:51:21 PM
HR, that looks really good. I never would have thought of the olive oil. Is that the way the cheese normally comes?
CS, wow, a river of JD. ;D Those must be some happy fish!
Arnie, they sorta look like this!
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l95/43something/mag__rt_twist-2T-1.jpg)
Quote from: Caneyscud on October 07, 2009, 03:09:44 PM
Quote from: ArnieM on October 07, 2009, 02:51:21 PM
HR, that looks really good. I never would have thought of the olive oil. Is that the way the cheese normally comes?
CS, wow, a river of JD. ;D Those must be some happy fish!
Arnie, they sorta look like this!
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l95/43something/mag__rt_twist-2T-1.jpg)
You know CS, it is some how how I feel. It is like I have re - invented the wheel. No one who know this cheese has ever thought of smoking it. I am timpsy with acheivemnet a little JD di not hurt either.
HR
Quote from: Caribou on October 07, 2009, 02:59:36 PM
Well they sure look good HR :)
There you go, smoked olive oil, too.
I put boiled eggs in the vinegar left behind after we eat our pickled beets.
2 for 1's are always good!
Carolyn
You know the old saying; two choices are better than one. If One should fail the other would prevail..
HR
Quote from: ArnieM on October 07, 2009, 02:51:21 PM
HR, that looks really good. I never would have thought of the olive oil. Is that the way the cheese normally comes?
CS, wow, a river of JD. ;D Those must be some happy fish!
No Arnie the cheese come in a block as you have seen it in the bowl without the oregano. Olive oil is added at the end.
And yes fish would look like that if they were to sswime in a JD river. Heck I do that when i finish 3/4 of a JD liter.
HR
HR
This looks fabulous. I'm going to try it.
nepas
Where are you going to get the cheese NePas? I've never heard of it around here.
I found a few places selling it online...
I bet any large Greek/Lebanese/Middle Eastern population centers would have grocery stores that carry it...
Hady,
The consistency of that cheese looks very similar to goat cheese or chevre. Are you familiar with it and is it close? If so, you may have hit a HUGE home run in the States with smoked goat cheese.
Either way, I love your thought process on this.
Larry
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on October 07, 2009, 04:17:27 PM
HR
This looks fabulous. I'm going to try it.
nepas
I would love to hear your feedback on this one Nepas and Squirt is absolutely right you would find it in those stores. Just try to get out of oil.
HR
Quote from: KyNola on October 07, 2009, 07:48:30 PM
Hady,
The consistency of that cheese looks very similar to goat cheese or chevre. Are you familiar with it and is it close? If so, you may have hit a HUGE home run in the States with smoked goat cheese.
Either way, I love your thought process on this.
Larry
You are right Ky it is similar to Goat cheese and chevre (more so to Feta or Goat cheese) but a bit more sticky and more managable as well. It is also made of cow milk and not goat. As for the home run, I will have to wait the couple of weeks >:( >:(. I sorta licked my fingers after putting them in the mason jars and ... sure enough ASHTRAY flavor.
HR
HR, that looks and sounds great! Do you think using fresh mozzarella with some minced garlic in the oil would work? The combo of smoked cheese and garlic plus olive oil! Hmm? ;D
Quote from: HawkeyeSmokes on October 08, 2009, 07:33:41 PM
HR, that looks and sounds great! Do you think using fresh mozzarella with some minced garlic in the oil would work? The combo of smoked cheese and garlic plus olive oil! Hmm? ;D
One of the many things I have learned in this forum (besides being jealous of Nepas for all freebies he gets) is to experiment. I think the mozzarella combination would be good. I just have to mention that the cheese I used here (labneh) has a higher content of salt than mozzarella and the contrast between the saltiness of labneh and the sweetness of the olive oil would be more recognisable.
HR
I wonder if mushrooms would work? They seem to be a smoke sponge, so maybe they would 'give up the goods' if you smoked a bunch of them, then soaked in EVOO for a week or so.. (strain before using)
Quote from: squirtthecat on October 09, 2009, 05:00:20 AM
I wonder if mushrooms would work? They seem to be a smoke sponge, so maybe they would 'give up the goods' if you smoked a bunch of them, then soaked in EVOO for a week or so.. (strain before using)
I have done stuffed smoke mushrooms on the Bradley and yes the do soak alot of smoke (I guess with all the pores on the surface) but did not think about putting mushroom in oil. Huh...light bulb on again!!!
HR
Quote from: Hopefull Romantic on October 09, 2009, 05:13:39 AM
Quote from: squirtthecat on October 09, 2009, 05:00:20 AM
I wonder if mushrooms would work? They seem to be a smoke sponge, so maybe they would 'give up the goods' if you smoked a bunch of them, then soaked in EVOO for a week or so.. (strain before using)
I have done stuffed smoke mushrooms on the Bradley and yes the do soak alot of smoke (I guess with all the pores on the surface) but did not think about putting mushroom in oil. Huh...light bulb on again!!!
HR
I would be a little concerned about the mushrooms going bad while in the olive oil. Now if a person wanted to flavor some vinegar, then I would think they would keep quite a while and you might wind up with some tasty pickled mushrooms.
We had some mushroom caps stuffed with crab meat the other day. They were done in the oven; not smoked, at least on purpose, and they were wonderful. I might try some smoked ones.
Also, I was thinking about this.
My wife got some cherry peppers stuffed with provolone wrapped in prosciutto. The peppers were pickled first and then packed in a jar with oil. I can put up a photo of the jar if anyone likes.
So, I thought - core the cherrys and give them a 2-3 minute parboil in water, vinegar and salt. Drain and cool. Stuff with the provolone wrapped in prosciutto. Smoke them for a couple of hours with apple or pecan, maybe oak, at 210-220. Cool 'em and pack 'em in oil. Let sit. I guess this would sit somewhere between ABTs and smoked cheese. Anyone have any ideas or maybe have tried this before?
That sounds good Arnie. My question is, how long will it keep in oil, kind of like the mushroom question I had. Will the smoking and olive oil keep them going bad? I'm not sure and hope we get some more replies to this.
HS,
I've done hot and cold canning before and I'm still here - a little strange maybe - but still here.
I looked back at my post and decided to change it a bit. Details below.
Canning or pickling cleanliness is right up there with those nasty chickens.
Get a set of canning/pickling jars - mason jars - along with the screw on caps and lids. They're pretty inexpensive.
While smoking whatever you're doing, get a nice big pot of water boiling. Submerge the jars, lids and screw on caps in the water. Heat up the oil, whatever kind you decide on, to about 220. I like to add a bit of pickling/canning salt. (You like a little dill, garlic, black peppercorns - feel free.)
You need tongs that should have also been in the boiling water. Actually, two would be better. Yeah, I know, step 2 came after step 3.
Get you food out of the smoker. (Change: Don't cool 'em first.) Fish out a jar (first set of tongs) and drain. Pack the food into the jar the best you can (second set of tongs). Pour in the oil, leaving about 1/8 to 1/4 air space at the top. Fish out a lid and put it on top. Get a screw on ring out of the water and screw it on, but not too tight. Rinse and repeat for all that you have. Any food left over, eat it.
Put the jars on a cooling rack. As the liquid cools, the lids should 'pop' down. When this happens, tighten up the screw on rings. Store in the fridge.
Sterilization is most important. Don't touch any of the food or anything that would go into the jar with your hands.
Please remember. This is only my advice. If you try this and die, don't email me. ;D
Quote from: HawkeyeSmokes on October 09, 2009, 05:03:09 PM
That sounds good Arnie. My question is, how long will it keep in oil, kind of like the mushroom question I had. Will the smoking and olive oil keep them going bad? I'm not sure and hope we get some more replies to this.
HS sorry I only saw your post this morning.
The Labneh (cheese) I made has been done for generations in the same fashion I have done the only thing different is I smoked it. Usually, the good Labneh would be made some time in April or May and I remember when I was a kid that my late Mom would buy it and have a Labneh rolling party with some of her neighbors and they roll and roll and roll by the kilos. Filling some many large mason jars and then covering them with olive oil. That would be our entire year supply of that Labne until the following spring comes again. It never went bad. No mildew or anything else grew there as long as the labneh is submerged in oil. So would the smoked labneh survive as good, I don't know yet it has never been tried before. But stay tuned and I shall report on the taste and the condition in a couple of weeks, if I managed to wait that long.
On the other hand, you and Arnie started me think about some thing else. Another thing that is a delicacy here is called Magdous. The are baby eggplant (no longer than you middle finger and no wider than two fingers, cored, stuffed with pecans and some spices and then submerged in olive oil. They have to be stored for a while to soften up and then you eat them with bread. The medley of tastes there is incredible and they are great with a cup of tea. So, I wonder how they would taste smoked. This dish is made by older ladies and I am gonna have to ask one of my aunts (got seven) or my mother in law to make them for me and then I ...well we will see what happens.
If you try Arie's recipe and some thing happens to you (God forbids) I will email him.
HR
Just a follow up HS,
I have been reading on the subject and according to this article http://www.wisegeek.com/is-it-safe-to-store-garlic-in-oil.htm it seem that it is if you have olive oil with high acidity.
Although EVOO is available here, it is not widely used because most people prefer using olive oil fresh from the first press or at the most the second and both would be much higher in acidity (not noticeable much in taste) than EVOO.
Listen, once while in Vienna visiting a cousin. While looking through his pantry, I discovered a can of black eyed beans that had already expired for over a year. We use this kind of beans to make a very famous Egyptian dish in this neck of the woods. Being in Austria for over a month (my cousin even longer) and having missed the taste of that dish I opened the can and smelled it. It was fine so I went ahead and prepared the dis and we both had it for lunch. That happened in 1977 and I am still around to talk about it and in case you are wondering nothing happened to either of us that day at all.
Now some things have to be thrown out by expiry dates...milk, medicine to name a few. But now they have expiry dates on cooking oil and even bottled water ??? ??? ??? They are forced to use food grade containers so what the heck could go wrong.
HR
Quote from: ArnieM on October 09, 2009, 05:48:23 PM
HS,
I've done hot and cold canning before and I'm still here - a little strange maybe - but still here.
I looked back at my post and decided to change it a bit. Details below.
Canning or pickling cleanliness is right up there with those nasty chickens.
Get a set of canning/pickling jars - mason jars - along with the screw on caps and lids. They're pretty inexpensive.
While smoking whatever you're doing, get a nice big pot of water boiling. Submerge the jars, lids and screw on caps in the water. Heat up the oil, whatever kind you decide on, to about 220. I like to add a bit of pickling/canning salt. (You like a little dill, garlic, black peppercorns - feel free.)
You need tongs that should have also been in the boiling water. Actually, two would be better. Yeah, I know, step 2 came after step 3.
Get you food out of the smoker. (Change: Don't cool 'em first.) Fish out a jar (first set of tongs) and drain. Pack the food into the jar the best you can (second set of tongs). Pour in the oil, leaving about 1/8 to 1/4 air space at the top. Fish out a lid and put it on top. Get a screw on ring out of the water and screw it on, but not too tight. Rinse and repeat for all that you have. Any food left over, eat it.
Put the jars on a cooling rack. As the liquid cools, the lids should 'pop' down. When this happens, tighten up the screw on rings. Store in the fridge.
Sterilization is most important. Don't touch any of the food or anything that would go into the jar with your hands.
Please remember. This is only my advice. If you try this and die, don't email me. ;D
Thanks for the reply Arnie. I took the post as just smoking and not canning once done. Your answer makes a lot of sense as I to have canned a lot of things.
If I do try this and die, I promise not to email you. Our good friend HR will do that for me and offer his condolences. ;D
It's nice to have friends on this forum!