Smoke 'N Peppers BBQ

03/03/2025

Drunken chicken piccata.

Not really. 😂

The sauce had a touch of white wine, but I was three bourbons deep when I made it, so guess I can call it that. 😂

03/02/2025

03/02/2025

Miss Queen Angie Stone:

I sit here crying tears while spinning your catalogue.

As I woke up yesterday morning and started housework, I debated with my wife on what genre to choose.

I was torn somewhere between Blues, Jazz or Gospel.

Oddly enough, this amalgamation is where R&B and more specifically NeoSoul draws much of its inspiration.

It's a genre that you helped shape.

You were a couple huge firsts for me, not just in music, but in this life experience.

For the first time on screen, I saw a woman that looked like the women I knew growing up: my grandmother, friends' moms, the neighborhood "Aunties" who would get you gathered if you got out of line or mouthed off knowing you shouldn't be.

The sistas that would pull you in for a big hug at church and pinch your cheek and call you "shugga".

Proud, radiant and beautiful women who didn't need any validation from the world to know that they were the Sugar Honey Iced Tea.

Watching your visuals for the song "Brotha" and digesting the lyrics was the first time I ever felt fully seen and acknowledged as a 14 year old black boy who innately knew that the world already saw him as a grown man and in many places, a threat.

The lyrics were a refreshing departure from the typical dedication songs because they didn't just sing the praises of black men and put us on a pedestal but you also acknowleded our challenges, shortfalls and ultimately our very human complexity, letting us know that at the end of the day, we're the same as the ones who judge us: fallible humans.

This was important for me to hear as a young man who grew up raised by his Father. To hear that I was worthy was powerful, because even if I received it second hand or on a TV, it gave me a sense of validation that I never had growing up in a home without my mom.

But isn't that something black women are amazing at?

Being surrogate mothers for any and all?

Being the quiet and resounding backbone of the village, even when the village tries their best to demonize and tear them down?

From being forced to function as wet nurses for slave masters babies while neglecting their own to present day where they are expected to champion everyone else's battles and them win, just to be abandoned when it comes to their well being (Women's Rights/DEI anyone?)

Miss Angie, you will be missed. Thank you for sharing your gift and now it's time to take your rest.

As the lyrics from your song "Sunshine" go:

Spring has come and winter's gone, my love

But don't look around for me, child
I'll be gone, gone, gone, gone

(No more rain) Not afraid (not afraid)
Because the seasons have changed

I'm gonna count my blessings (no more rain)

And just follow the sun 'cause you see

My sunshine has come. And I'm all cried out.

And there's no more rain in this cloud.

03/02/2025

I love supporting local but the fruit cups tax my pockets, especially when I'm buying one for the whole family.

Instead we made some at home.

Cucumber, pineapple chunks, navel orange and blood orange since Maddie saw some on Youtube and we talked about them and what they are.

I made a simple homemade Tajin since for some reason the brand new bottle I bought two store runs ago can't be found. 😂

It was easy: chipotle powder, salt and powdered dried lemon peel (I've been working some lemon pepper seasoning blends so I had it on hand.)

Topped it all with a squeeze of fresh lemon. 🍋

03/02/2025

Daddy date yesterday with MaddMan.

Our favorite Pho spot where we don't even order Pho anymore 😂

He wanted broken rice with grilled beef and pork chop and I had Vermicelli with grilled pork and egg rolls.

Now I wanna go back for a bowl of soup... 😩

03/01/2025

Easy meal for us and the kiddos.

Homemade chili for the dogs.

Probably throw the rest on some burgers today.

Been smitten with the Greek style chili sauce at "Hot Dog King" in Newport News, VA for almost 20 years.

Since it's been so long since I was in VA, I've been trying to copycat their style of chili.

It's notably absent of tomato sauce/paste and the versions I've tried adding a bit in throws it off.

Instead this is what I use:

-1/2 lb ground beef
-Enough water to cover
-3 tsps dried minced onion
-5 tsps chili powder
-3 tsps paprika
-2 tsps cumin
-2 tsps each dried oregano, basil and parsley
-1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 stick cinnamon, floated in the chili as it cooks
- salt to taste

Mix all ingredients except cinnamonon stick in a small pot and turn the heat on. Mash beef with masher or strong spoon until well incorporated and all spices are mixed.

Add the cinnamon stick.

Let simmer for at least and hour while continuing to stir well occasionally.

Serve on dogs, burgers, or fries with cheese.

02/24/2025

SD weather already beginning to warm up!

Love it here.

What's your summer vibe?

Fish fry or BBQ?

02/23/2025

Happy Black History Month!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1193108496150948&id=100063554268409&mibextid=wwXIfr

02/22/2025

Today marked my 18th year in the Navy and BOY!

The way they worked me in duty section, I'm certain they put at least 1 percentage point of disability on my head these past 16 hours!

😂 😂 😂

02/21/2025

The fam had a rough week. We hit Chili's to blow off some steam.

02/21/2025

Sorry I only took one pic before the fam demolished this seafood soup.

Let's run down the recipe:

- 4 cod filets (about 1 lb meat)
- 16 oz small raw shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails off)
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3 yellow potatoes, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes or whole tomatoes (crush by hand)
- 16 oz chicken broth
- 16 oz vegetable broth
-8 oz clam juice
- 2 bay leaves
-2 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions:

In a dutch oven add olive oil and the celery, carrots and onion on medium low heat.

Allow to sweat for a few minutes. Add in the zucchini and potatoes along with the chicken, vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes.

Allow to cook for 20 minutes at a low simmer untilt the potatoes are almost tender.

Add the clam juice and mix well. Keeping the pot at a gentle simmer, add the cod fillets.

Allow them to poach in the soup and when almost done, gently flake apart a little with your spoon.

Don't overdo breaking the fish up at this point.
As you serve the soup, the fish will break apart more.

Turn off the heat on the soup and add in the raw shrimp. Cover the pot and allow the shrimp to cook through.

If necessary you can keep the pot at very low heat in order to cook shrimp through faster or if they are frozen.

You can add both fish and shrimp and cook from frozen as well. No thawing necessary!

Serve with a toasted baguette and enjoy!

02/21/2025

A better question is, why do dogs like it? 😆

02/19/2025

Been craving some Carolina Fish Stew but ain't got enough folk to eat it with me.

Instead I made a pot of seafood soup last night for the fam.

We had it with a fresh French Baguette 🥖

Ya'll want the recipe?

02/18/2025

Yesterday was Monday, but in my heart it's always "Son" Day.

Spent some time with my middle man, Maison Odin. I make time each month to spend a day with each one of my kids solo. Just me and them. No mom. No siblings.

Yesterday was a holiday for me so I took Mais with me to do a little light shopping. Sometimes we do big adventures. Sometimes it's small errands.

But the point is the same: time with Dad where they have my full attention and can express themselves freely.

Maison Odin is nonverbal and Autistic, but he communicates in other ways and is bright and energetic.

My kids are my world and I wouldn't ask for a different path as a Dad. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

02/18/2025

Man I miss cooking for our crowd!

But sharing food digitally with ya'll is cool too.

These jumbo lump crab cakes were awesome for dinner and easy to pull off using the air fryer.

Here's the ingredients you'll need:

-1 8 oz can jumbo lump crab meat (pictured below)
-1 8 oz can lump crab meat (pictured below)
- 1 egg (probably costs more than the crab right now)
-1 sleeve fresh stacks Ritz crackers (about 12 crackers), crushed
-1/4 cup mayo
-1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
-Dash W sauce
-Dash old bay
-Melted butter for brushing on top of crab cakes

Steps: Mix everything well in a bowl except the crab meat and crackers. Add the cracker crumbs in and mix again. Once well incorporated, add in both crab meat and mix GENTLY, until just blended together. Use a big spoon or silicone spatula for this.

Place mixture back in the fridge for at least an hour.

^^^ This step is important! ^^^

While this is chilling, preheat your airfryer or oven to around 400.

Remove chilled crab mixture and use large spoon or 1 cup measuring cup to form large hamburger sized crab cakes.

Place on buttered pan or buttered air fryer tray and cook for 8-12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145F, while brushing tops with melted butter every few minutes.

Enjoy as an entree over cheese grits or on a BLT like I did in the pics.

02/17/2025

Jumbo lump crab cake BLT...

Couldn't figure out what sauce to put on this baby, so kept it classic BLT and did Mayo.

What would you have sauced it with? 🤔

02/15/2025

Smoked pork chop with Cheese grits & eggs for breakfast!

🤤

02/14/2025

This 3 step pork chop is a recipe I tried a couple years back and shared with my buddy.

Finally made it again and it's a hit.

It's an incredible BBQ dish due to the pork chops being such an affordable cut.

You could make it with pork tenderloin too if you'd like to serve more than two people.

It consisted of:

Step 1. An overnight brine
Step 2. Smoke until 125 degrees.
Step 3. Sear until 140 and pull to rest and come up to temp of 145.

Incredibly juicy chops with a kiss of smoke flavor.

Goes great with mashed potatoes or applesauce and sauerkraut.