HemiSam

I don't have an image but this one is worth a share purely from a curiosity / oddity... The better half and I went to try a Puerto Rican Chinese restaurant for lunch yesterday. The place was packed. Too funny and pretty good. I had some sweet spicy chicken dish with mofongo on the side (very garlicky plantain mash dish with pork cracklings in there). Better half had some tofu dish with tostones (green fried plantains...very garlicky). They used silken tofu which was different. Having been born and raised in Miami it actually felt pretty normal being there...LOL HS

A good smoked turkey is hard to beat, especially when brined and managed properly. A good fried turkey is hard to beat as well, but I have found it's very easy to miss the mark and more so than I assumed initially given the "frying". We'll do ~35 turkeys for the "neighborhood" the day before thanksgiving and one of them will be mine. I always have a backup now...LOL, and last year it was a smoked one. I don't fry the turkeys...I just smoke the ribs...at least 9 racks of oversized Costco "baby backs". It's a bit much keeping them cooking evenly, but with a goodly amount of beverages flowing...first world problems! HS

I've only watched a few episodes, but it's looking like I will keep watching this one... HS

Holy smokes that looks AMAZING, tyrion! I'll need to dust off my Pitts & Spitts smoker I've had for decades. It usually sees a lot of action ahead of Thanksgiving during our neighborhood Turkey Fry. If it gets a touch cooler down here I may just need to do a pork butt in the next few weeks... HS

that looks delicious! HS

Goodspeed, Jimmy. Brent - please accept my sincere condolences for the loss of your friend. Sam

I'm not sure how I feel about looking at this thing. There is a lot to be said for excess, I guess... HS

We took a much needed break from the heat to go visit Vancouver for the first time. Lovely city. HS

Godspeed, Bob. You were and are a class act, sir... HS

A decadent burger with a confit of pork belly and aged cheddar. I won't live forever... HS

Sorry to see that en480c4. I had some today in a cappuccino and it was delish. HS

My Blackcat analog showed up...yay. I ran out of espresso and have been using Inteligentsia Summer Solstice Blend from my last order and it's made supper espresso drinks albeit a bit of work to dial in. HS

I enjoy rum above other spirits and there was a surprising rum tasting / dinner thingy. Sooooo poorly attended that me and my older son basically sat at a table with three ladies that work in the industry...learned a lot from them and also the head chef only had us to deal with...LOL. Odd but delicious experience. HS

I so regret forgetting to put the Black Cat into my shopping cart. I purchased espresso beans from a roaster out of Dallas that a local, independent shop carries and they are an absolute mess to dial in. Tastes delicious but they make an absolute mess...LOL. HS

Awesome news, Jacob! I bet you'll get many a year out of the replacement. I opened the single origin Guatemalan Francisco Martinez from Intelligencia and it's very good. The dry cherry notes definitely jump out at you. It reminds me a tad of the Yemeni cherry bomb coffee from the Austin joint that was recommended I believe by Voltron? Not as refined as that but similar first note. HS

That curry looks amazing, Grahame! We went to a Vietnamese owned BBQ joint yesterday for lunch I'd read about. The BBQ is fairly traditional with prime brisket, ribs and jalapeño beef sausage, but the BBQ fried rice had brisket and a Chinese sausage that was a bit sweet and yummy. They also pickled their jalapeños in a soy concoction that was delish. Overall, high marks. Place is called Brisket & Rice for those that like to wander Houston... HS

My only experience with a Chopard was many a year ago at a large watch shop and the darned thing literally came apart on my wrist. I don't know if the spring bars weren't seated in the lugs or what, but the salesman was as surprised as I was...LOL. I kindly said thanks and excused myself... HS

Godspeed, Robbie Robertson.... https://variety.com/2023/music/news/robbie-robertson-dead-the-band-1235692172/ HS

His story is something I've read a few times in the last few years. Tragically USA in nature, but quite beautiful all the same... HS

Four Roses bourbon tasting dinner. Very nice having the master distiller in town to walk us through all the pours. HS

The blend is tasty, Jacob. I’m using it with the chemex. The blueberry and honey are there, but it’s not the blueberry bomb I’ve had in years past out of Ethiopia. I’ll provide thoughts when I get to the Guatemalan. HS

The latest from Intelligencia. I somehow managed to forget the Black Cat...ugh. Picked up some Hidden City espresso roasted by Oak Cliff out of Dallas. Sourced from a small local shop that does a nice job. Tasty. HS

Nice score, Jacob! I took a hard look at those machines and almost pulled the trigger on one. HS

Filter setup in case it's of any use to anyone. Houston has very hard water. HS

Reading Jacob's post and realized I forgot to include the actual machine...LOL. So surprised how well it's held up simply by using terry cloth and water after uses.