Green HackBerry in the #BigGreenEgg

In the part of Dallas I reside in a known fact exists that the best BBQ is/was slow cooked with green wood from the nuisance tree Hack Berry.  Other fruit woods add much flavor and are hard to beat when it comes to the great smolder they produce but the Hack Berry has been somewhat intriguing to me in the past year.  Our property just-so-happens to have a large 'in the way' Hack Berry that obviously needs to be removed.  Slowly but surely I have chipped away at this monster which produces many limbs, twigs and large logs that are amazing for the #BigGreenEgg.  This wood is very green and when used produces amazing blue smoke that is mellow and burns for days.  Of course it will produce more build up in the smoker but its good black stuff that will enhance/season your foods while creating a moisture rich environment as they cook.  Using green wood is no secret and will help any type of cooking device produce higher levels of moisture and smolder for longer as they wood has no time to cure.  When using wood for indoor fire wood or heat most like to cure the wood for many months before using since the green wood will clog normal indoor/heating chimneys.  Good luck with the #slowandlow cooking and try different fruit/hardwoods until the right one for you comes along.  Different woods will burn and react in various ways so have fun and mess around when you build your fire and prepare the almighty bed of coals.  

Can I still get Soup?

At this point I do not care much if its Gazpacho or Something a little warmer, just give me soup! Craving is not the correct word to define my absolute need for some delicious bowly goodness> I NEED IT, Now. With weather continuing to be stranger than normal the good veggies which are abundant in wet-cool temperatures of winter/first spring flourish with no climatic issues whatsoever. Good Times! My cousin delivered some gorgeous lettuces today and they are so full of life and color that I could not help tasting them before they got into my fridge. Simple broth with some great noodles and basic vegetables will make a hearty and satisfying meal for the biggest appetites, trust me.

Many Moons

In all fairness the time is flying by and the weather here is a roller coaster.  This brings good and bad things to the surface outdoors.  My tropical plants enjoy a nice warm winter inside the shed.   They sit under T5 (fluorescent) lights that are perfect to add a bit of heat and plenty of lumen (light) whilst the weather is unfavorable outdoors.  When the freezing stops then the exodus begins back to their comfy outside homes.  This year I felt like a Yo-Yo since the evening forecasts where inconsistent to say the least.  Despite a close watch on the weather from various (local/non-local) outlets I was in constant flux.  Just two days ago I made the executive decision to leave them outside.  Unfortunately a quick trip into the low 40's last night was eminent but lucky for me it is bright and warm out.  Hopefully the current forecast will hold. 

     Seafood is on my mind and I cannot stop thinking about shrimp, oysters and craw-fish.  Add the wild halibut season and I am in heaven.  Sea Breeze Seafood Market http://www.seabreezefish.com
is where I get fresh catch options that rival any larger market in the vicinity.  When I make my way back south from the eastern coastal waters of Cape Cod it's a bitter sweet arrival of great meats and farm fresh foods but the loss of salt water bounty is hard and heavy.  Cape Cod is such a joy to explore with rich food and rustic charms.  So many choices of seafood in raw, fresh catch form and the beaches are spectacular (especially when the sun rises).

It proves to be more trouble than expected to get truly fresh, high quality seafood which boggles the mind since the metroplex is so 'BIG'.  Indeed there are a few 'markets' here and there and yes the large Asian markets are an option but I have past experience with all and they are small time in the knowledge/service department.  Of course you can try ordering wholesale (Sysco or boutique-type distributor) but you may encounter bulk order issues and the service/knowledge is still going to be non existent.  If I ask a question about an item in your display case you will not retain my patronage I you have to 'ask' someone else.  These are not obscure questions...I need information about an item sitting right there in your display case.  This is so troublesome to me it brings a tear to my eye.  Not really but seriously folks, if you work with food and furthermore if that foodstuff/product is raw or in an otherwise uncooked for PLEASE inform yourself on its origins, uses and content (fat, protein, flavor etc.).  These small tid-bits of information WILL sell your products.  Many great entrepreneurs before have tested these simple tactics of involvement and informative interaction.