smitty55

Come on now Chris, it was Spezza's fault, he should have know it was coming lol.

Day of, don't usually wait more than an hour before going in the smoker. It's not like they're cooking fast at 160°. I like to finish them in a hot cast iron, plus I don't mind a pink tinge in my pork. Good luck

Yep, me too. I specially like it when she talks about big red snapper and gobbles the snorkel mouthpiece lol.

I pretty well coat the whole side with the curry and work it in with a fork. The others side will get steak spice and whatever else I feel like at the time, including fresh ground black pepper. Cheers

Maybe just the o rings on each end of the fuel line. Does the primer bulb stay hard? Cheers

I don't know how you can say that. If that was the case it would be Mathews on the pk not Marner.

Cliff I've mentioned here before but one of the easiest and most appreciated things I put into my smoker is well spiced fresh pork chops when they go on sale. I mix up the spices at times but have really taken a liking to using curry on one side. After a few pans of chips they are about half cooked when they come out. Some are eaten fresh while the others get vacuum sealed and frozen for future meals. They are really good and quick to cook up. Cheers

I've been keeping a close eye on a Dolgo crab apple tree waiting for them to get fully ripe. This tree is so loaded some branches are almost touching the ground. Went with the wife the other day and in just over a half hour got around 1 1/2 grocery bins full, about 40lbs. It's a long process as each apple then needs to to have the stems and blossom end removed and then cut in half. First batch was 8 quarts of apples in the stock pot and then water just to the top of the apples. After mashing and boiling for 15 minutes the mash went into two jelly bags and two strainers lined with cheesecloth to drain. We got 12 cups of juice from that which will required 9 cups of sugar to be added and boiled to the jelly stage at 220°. The filled jars will then be processed for 10 minutes. I figure we'll get around 16 half pint jars out of this batch which is on for this afternoon. Plus there is still at least two more batches worth of apples left so we'll have a ton of jelly to share with friends and relatives and enough to last us for years. Pics to come later. Cheers

I hear a good number of sports analysts saying that Marner is actually more valuable than Mathews. He plays in all situations, scored more points and makes other players around him better. Cheers

I wouldn't say quite often but that sounds just like me dragging big gang trolls for Lakers with leadcore or copper. I'm generally targeting structure and I like to be close so if I tap bottom the odd time then I know I'm right where I want to be and sometimes it triggers strikes too. Even when the thermocline sets up I still prefer structure to wide open big water. Speaking of which Dave, I guess Great Slave doesn't stratify? Cheers

If you want an alternative or a cheap back up for your dipsy that is small, light and adjustable down to 80ft, and can also be used with a side planer to widen the spread you should take a look at the Davis Instruments Fish Seeker. It's a small acrylic fully adjustable diver meant for light line down to 6lb. Even on back lake trout fishing it's an easy way to get your lure down and real easy to change as you search for the right depth, specially mid summer. https://www.davisinstruments.com/product/fish-seeker-clear/ Cheers

I figure it's salty enough with the anchovies, capers and olives so I rinsed them all the first time I made it and have continued to do so. I guess with the few additions I made you could say it's not exactly a traditional puttanesca but I think it improves the dish. 30 minutes is still pretty fast and it is hot and easy for me. So it is still a Puttanesca with a little variance to me. You should try it OI and see how you like it, you may not want to go back. It gets pretty thick so I use a deep non stick wok type pan with a glass lid to keep the splatters down. Cheers

Brian here is the recipe I use. I developed it myself and it turned out so good I had no need to change anything. My wife finds it a bit too much for the amount of capers but I'm fine with it. Amazingly all those strong flavours blend together quite well without being overpowering. You need some capers for sure, but you could always cut back on it. I use half a jar. Fresh parm is a must, it makes a big difference. I tbsp of pepper flakes has a nice tingle, two is fairly hot but still ok for me. Manitoubass2 tried it and thought it was great. Puttanesca. 1/3 cup evoo 4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped (1 small bulb in my case) 1-2 tbsp red pepper flakes I can (50g) anchovie fillets, rinsed and finely chopped 3 tbs capers, rinsed 25 pitted kalamata olives, rinsed, medium chopped. 1 540ml can diced tomatoes 1 540 ml can crushed tomatoes 4 green onions, medium chop (or onion of choice) 2 more cloves of garlic, squashed and finely chopped. (just because I wanted to add some real fresh garlic flavor at the end) 3 Tbs basil flakes Chopped mushrooms and red/green pepper (optional) Fresh grated Parm for the plate Fry anchovies, garlic and pepper flakes in oil until garlic is golden (medium heat) Add tomatoes, olives and capers and heat to light simmer. Whisk to incorporate oil. After 5-10 min add onions, basil, extra garlic and optional ingredients if using. Simmer 5 -10 minutes more and serve with desired pasta and choice of meat if using. (shrimp, fish ,sausages, chicken etc) Cheers

OI do you ever make Puttanesca? Or is it too strong for you? That recipe that I posted here is great IMO. Ready in 30 minutes and chock full of flavour. I make it every couple of months. Cheers

Nothing too exciting here, but I was in the grocery store a couple of days ago and picked up 3 reduced loaves of bread. Sliced them in 3in slabs and filled up the smoker. After 4-5 hours and 4 pans of chips the ones on the bottom were totally dry but had to finish the upper ones in the oven which I had on anyway to keep some jars warm for my Million Dollar relish. A double recipe included 12lb of cukes, 4lb onions, 6 green and 4 red peppers worked out to 14 pints, exactly what the recipe said it would. As for the bread, after going through the food processor I ended up with a gallon bag full of smoked bread crumbs, should do us for a good while. Cheers

Not sure where you heard that, loons can dive down to 200ft. Cheers

I used to go in June or early July and the bugs can be so bad that it kind of wrecks the trip. This year being so late and wet bad reports were coming in well into July. We always ended up going in late July or early August. Bugs were about done by then, fishing was just as good if not better and the water was actually warm enough to enjoy a swim. If you end up booking at Alwaki or Kipawa let me know, I have maps made up for Walleye spots and a pile of Laker runs all around that area down to Hunters Lake. Both Alwaki and Kipawa lodges are well known for their excellent customer service and Barb's kitchen at Kipawa lodge is famous. You can't go wrong with either. Cheers

By far your best bet is to join the Kipawa forums for info. You can go through all the trip reports as well as going through all the other posts. http://kipawafishingforum.net/index.php Personally I'm a huge fan of the hub area, having stayed at Corbeau Lodge (now privately owned by Eric Lindros) and Alwaki Lodge, which is a 14 mile boat ride from the main dock. Another 8 miles further brings you to Kipawa Lodge, generally regarded as the highest rated lodge in the whole system. About ten years back Smallmouth bass got in to the North end of the system and have now migrated down to the hub area. 3 Seasons Camp averages over 3lb with the largest being around 8lb. https://www.kipawalodge.com/ https://www.facebook.com/KipawaLodge/ https://www.alwakilodge.com/

Nothing at all Chris, no text no pics.

You may be surprised, a lot of cleaning and repairs are like $30 from what I've heard.

So yesterday when I was in Kanata and stopped by a Sobeys. This is high tech central area and there is a large oriental population so this store seems to carry a more varied produce section than most. Anyway I notice a pile of large trays just loaded with small Thai Chili peppers like 200-300 hundred in each tray. Dirt cheap too, just over $3 so I couldn't refuse. Figured I'd dehydrate them. So I'm looking at them around noon today and I said to myself I bet they'd be good smoked. ?️ So I found a metal fruit basket to hold most of them that just fit in the smoker and a splatter screen to hold the rest. I also filled a pie plate with paprika, it's hard and expensive to find good smoked paprika these days. So after 5 hours and 4 pans of chips they were getting fairly dry but I'll have to finish them in the dehydrator for sure. The ones in the basket were second shelf up and they all turned pretty dark but the ones two shelves up didn't darken much, but they sure smell good. Regardless, I'm looking forward to trying them, I'll leave a bunch whole and grind up the rest, should be good for the year, these are pretty hot peppers, in the 50,000-100.000 SHU range, so I won't be using lots at a time. The pic doesn't show the color well except for a few as I dumped the screen load on the top.

Right near the beginning she asks him if there is anything else added like nitrates and he said no, only salt and brown sugar. It sure does look like nice bacon, I really like thick sliced. My local butcher makes great bacon and he uses a cure. He said it's not worth taking the chance on someone getting real sick. I agree, specially for the home smoker like us. Cheers

It depends on what and how you are curing when it comes to using nitrates. Also called Pink curing salt #2. It contains 6.25% sodium nitrite, 4% sodium nitrate, and 89.75% table salt. The sodium nitrate found in Prague powder #2 gradually breaks down over time into sodium nitrite, and by that time a dry cured sausage is ready to be eaten, no sodium nitrate should be left. Nitrites inhibit the growth of anaerobic bacteria, which logically inhibits toxin production. Nitrates turn into nitrites over time which makes them a time-release form of the inhibiting compound. Two Forms of Pink Salt Pink salt comes in two forms: cure No. 1 and cure No. 2. Cure No. 1 pink salt is used to cure all meats that require cooking, brining, smoking, or canning. This includes poultry, fish, ham, bacon, luncheon meats, corned beef, pates, and other products. It is 93.75 percent table salt and 6.25 percent sodium nitrite. It is used at a rate of 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of ground meat. If you are using it for a brine, you use 1/2 cup InstaCure No. 1 per gallon of water, plus 1 3/4 cup table salt, 2 1/4 tablespoon sugar, and any spices you wish. Cure No. 2 is formulated for dry cured products such as pepperoni, hard salami, prosciutti hams, dried sausages, and other products which do not require cooking, smoking, or refrigeration. One level teaspoon (a mix of 1 ounce sodium nitrite (6.25 percent), 0.64 ounces sodium nitrate (4 percent) to 1 pound of salt) is used per 5 pounds of meat. People often ask if they can cure meats without nitrites and just increase the salt. Salt inhibits bot's growth, but won't kill it. Neither will vinegar. You should not attempt to cure meat at home without a curing salt. Note that if you decide to use a nitrate-free cure, you should recognize that there is an increased risk from pathogens when consuming the cured meat. You may also want to shorten the curing time to limit bacterial growth. Lastly, botulism spores are not killed by cooking in a water bath, it requires temps over 240°F which requires the use of a pressure cooker/canner. That being said, the farmer up the road still cans lots of beef each year and she still just uses a water bath method for 10+ hours, just like the old days. This is a good site to visit. https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/salting-brining-curing-and-injecting/science-curing-meats-safely Cheers

That last pic looks so rich and sticky, oh yea!

Here's something to consider for a reasonable price , a reel that has a long history of durability and quality. 3 SS Bearings, lifetime bail spring, built to work. http://www.daiwa.com/us/contents/reels/ss_t/index.html