Classic American West Coast Boxing

[Chuck1052]

I still can't believe that John Ruiz is allowed to get away with his awful fighting style in a boxing ring.

- Chuck Johnston

[kikibalt]

I still can't believe that John Ruiz is allowed to get away with his awful fighting style in a boxing ring.

- Chuck Johnston

[THEHAMMER321]

I still can't believe that John Ruiz is allowed to get away with his awful fighting style in a boxing ring.

- Chuck Johnston

Yeah I wouldn't give a fig to see him fight unless I knew the other guy would put him to sleep right away otherwise he would be putting the people who watch the fight to sleep clutch then grab over and over again

[THEHAMMER321]

Frankie Baltazar, my grandson Rocky and Art Frias

Where did he get that height

[kikibalt]

Frankie Baltazar, my grandson Rocky and Art Frias

Where did he get that height

His mom, his uncle Louie was 6'6, Rocky is about 6'5

[bennie]

I still can't believe that John Ruiz is allowed to get away with his awful fighting style in a boxing ring.

- Chuck Johnston

Yeah I wouldn't give a fig to see him fight unless I knew the other guy would put him to sleep right away otherwise he would be putting the people who watch the fight to sleep clutch then grab over and over again

Haye will do him early, Hammer, I'm sure of it.

[bennie]

Dagenham sensation Kevin Mitchell is rewarded for a hot run of form when he faces Aussie hard man Michael “Rocky” Katsidis in London in May for the WBO interim lightweight title
Despite the irritating and confusing ‘interim’ tag, this is a showdown not to be missed, a showdown of two genuine world class fighters with a particularly high threshold to pain. Katsidis features in one blood-and-guts battle after another and Mitchell willingly shrugged off the best shots of Leeds puncher Carl Johanneson – a Johanneson at his best – and those of Colombian puncher Breidis Prescott, the man who famously spreadeagled Amir Khan in Manchester, to come through in style both times. Unbeaten in 31 outings since turning pro as a crack amateur seven years ago, Mitchell looks ready for the world at 25 and linked up with renowned London trainer Jimmy Tibbs recently, which will serve him well against the relentlessly aggressive Katsidis. As his recent fights have shown, Mitchell is already moving and boxing quite brilliantly under the vastly experienced Tibbs.
Katsidis has won his last three, in good company, and lost only to the top-flight duo of Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz in 28 outings, when a leaky defence cost him, although he was ahead when Casamayor nailed him in an unforgettable encounter in the States in 2008 (10 rounds), which remains the only time Katsidis has been stopped. He dropped a 12-round split decision to the “Baby Bull” Diaz on Texas territory in September 2008, on Diaz territory. Katsidis adorns a distinctive Greek warrior helmet into the ring and then goes to war and has proved immensely popular among boxing fans the world over. To use the rather unpleasant adage, it is kill or be killed with Katsidis and he ‘ruined’ Luton’s Graham Earl in a savage encounter at Wembley in 2007, climbing off the floor to pound Earl into five-round corner submission. Leeds referee Micky Vann threw out the towel at one point in yet another unforgettable encounter. Katsidis is obviously hittable and he busts up badly but call him a modern day Jeff Fenech – he can fight and he can whack.
Mitchell showed the same championship calibre when he dazzled the monstrous Prescott over 12 rounds just three months ago in Newcastle, with Khan lurking in the venue, since when he has upended Colombia’s usually durable Ignacio Mendoza in just two rounds at Wembley. He stopped that man Johanneson in nine make-or-break rounds in 2008 for British and Commonwealth super-featherweight titles and has never looked back, tightening up a loose defence under Tibbs, resisting his natural urge – his Katsidis-like urge – to throw caution to the wind and, of course, moving up a weight. The L-plates were removed some time ago and Mitchell is now up there with the Forumula One boys, with the 29-year-old Katsidis, who looked like a fighter as an 11-year-old.
To repeat this is a showdown simply NOT to be missed, except for those of a faint-hearted disposition.

[Chuck1052]

Throwing a combination of punches and then clinching is bad enough, but John Ruiz throws a jab and then clinches repeatedly throughout a bout. In fairness, it is the only way that Ruiz can compete with his meager talent. Moreover, Ruiz parlayed his awful fighting style into getting quite a few good paydays.

- Chuck Johnston

[dagosd2000]

Throwing a combination of punches and then clinching is bad enough, but John Ruiz throws a jab and then clinches repeatedly throughout a bout. In fairness, it is the only way that Ruiz can compete with his meager talent. Moreover, Ruiz parlayed his awful fighting style into getting quite a few good paydays.

- Chuck Johnston

Hey Chuck
Kinda' like Ali fought after coming out of retirement.

[kikibalt]

Throwing a combination of punches and then clinching is bad enough, but John Ruiz throws a jab and then clinches repeatedly throughout a bout. In fairness, it is the only way that Ruiz can compete with his meager talent. Moreover, Ruiz parlayed his awful fighting style into getting quite a few good paydays.

- Chuck Johnston

Hey Chuck
Kinda' like Ali fought after coming out of retirement.

Thats right, I never thought about that...

[Chuck1052]

Throwing a combination of punches and then clinching is bad enough, but John Ruiz throws a jab and then clinches repeatedly throughout a bout. In fairness, it is the only way that Ruiz can compete with his meager talent. Moreover, Ruiz parlayed his awful fighting style into getting quite a few good paydays.

- Chuck Johnston

Hey Chuck
Kinda' like Ali fought after coming out of retirement.

Thats right, I never thought about that...

Touche!

- Chuck Johnston

[Randyman]

Zero hour is approaching, the ring walk, the first bell, the power, the future; David Haye’s first defence of his WBA heavyweight title against former two-time holder John Ruiz is ‘go’ for Manchester on April 3 and make or break for the quick, dangerous, charismatic Londoner who won the title just a few months ago in Germany with a disappointingly nit-picking decision over a freakish Russian and needs to show what he can really do as heavyweight champion of the world. Oh, it’s good to see a world heavyweight title fight back in the UK, a world heavyweight champion from the UK!
Ominously, Haye faces a man with a long and horribly established reputation for clinching and clinching decisions, and this is a real worry for the 29-year-old Haye. Ruiz is the mandatory challenger to Haye, not a man anyone chooses to fight, but Haye has no option. Even the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, who between them have ‘cleaned up’ the dire heavyweight scene prior to Haye’s lightning transition from outstanding cruiserweight to their outstanding rival for the prize of the world’s best heavyweight, conspicuously overlook the spoiling, 38-year-old Ruiz, which says it all. They know how bad Ruiz could make them look.
It also says this: if Haye does a number on the Puerto Rican, he enjoys bragging rights over his two rivals and can expect one or both of the Ukrainians to face him sooner rather than later; if Haye wins but looks poor, the Klitschkos will continue picking and choosing fat surly Americans for another couple of meaningless years before taking on Haye, whom they dislike; if Haye loses, he loses his title and an awful lot of face. The champion has spent much of his brief tenure at heavyweight outrageously and quite rightly ‘slagging’ those lumbering, tiresome, robotic Klitschkos.
Haye is sharp, in and out of the ring, small for a modern heavyweight at 6ft 3ins but with long arms and refreshing fluidity as he showed when he was able to pick off the giant 7ft, 23st Nikolai Valuev in November for 12 rounds for the WBA belt. Robots are no longer the order of the day. Haye moved well and showed a good jab throughout. He staggered the Frankenstein-like Valuev in the last round with a big left hook, although more ‘devil’ in his work from the start would have been nice. Haye says he hurt his right hand and fingers on the hand were strapped together when he returned to England, puffy looking round the face. Valuev held two wins over Ruiz but Haye went into the Lion’s Den and did what he had to do.
Comparitively, this gives Haye an edge next month, an obvious edge. He also holds advantages in speed and power over Ruiz. Combine the latter two and this is what makes up Britain’s David Haye: a big-hitter made all the more big-hitting by the rapidity of his shots. Ruiz has seen it all before, of course, a pro since 1992 and 6-0 alone in Britain, after an early career spell here. He won his two WBA titles through what is known in boxing as “astute political manoeuvring” or just Don King, who essentially gave up on his man when Ruiz lost the titles to little Roy Jones and big Valuev, both on points. For all his mauling and leaning on, Ruiz does obviously throw a few shots and possesses a pretty chin, much like Frans Botha, the last challenger to make his way here for a world heavyweight title crack when he took on Lennox Lewis in London in the summer of 2000. Lewis took him apart, two rounds, almost knocking Botha clean out of the ring in what now amounts to a precedent.
Haye, on home turf, also needs to blow Ruiz away.

Time will tell if Haye has the right stuff to keep the title for any length of time but I'm more than positive that he has the right stuff to beat Ruiz. I think Ruiz will frustrate Haye for a few rounds before Haye figures him out and stops him in the late middle rounds.

Randy

[Randyman]

Our thread . . .

We hit 1000 pages on January 30th, which just happened to be my 58th birthday. We've averaged a page a day since then. We hit a thousand just a few days before this forum reached it's 2nd anniversary. We just keep rolling along like a well oiled machine. Great to have our new friend Paul (Hammer) on board, definitly one of us.

I'm not a statistition, just a guy who is happy to be here. Mas manana! Buenos noches amigos.

[dagosd2000]

THE MOUTH THAT BORED

I remember when Muhammad Ali was in town to train for the Norton fight. Both boys were training at some swank hotel in Mission Valley putting the last touches on their upcoming fight. Ali would come out first. He drew a big crowd. Only fighter I can remember who trained with a microphone in the ring. Oh,he was charming all right. I don't know if San Diego saw him as a fighter or some sort of curiosity piece. Between Ali and Bundini Brown,there was enough laughter to fill up a week on Laugh In.

Ali did his thing of mostly letting his sparring partners,Billy Joiner,Tony Doyle,and Alonzo Johnson work him against the ropes and deal out shots to the his body and head as Muhammad protected himself with his arms against his sides and raised up. I think the public wanted to see him dance,but Ali's days as a hoofer were long behind him. Even so,I didn't think Norton had much of a chance.

During Ali's stay he was scheduled to work a day in Tijuana. There was a lot of hype in TJ with fight posters in Spanish nailed on every telephone pole and light post. But when the time came for Ali's sojourn south of the border,he was a no show. He cancelled. Never got a straight answer on that,but my feeling was that Ali wasn't going to charm the socks off the Mexican "aficianados."

Ali wasn't Mexico's "type" of fighter. Ali was a dancer.By that time, was more of a holder and staller. He could get away with that in the U.S.,but in Mexico they can't stand a fighter that holds and stalls. Maybe they could have bought the dancing,but even then,Mexicans like the "killer." The guy who says "screw defense. I'm wading in throwing everything I have." Frazier anf Tyson were popular. Ali never was.

Ali was smart not going down to TJ to do his act with his mouth. That's another thing Mexican fans can't stand. A cutesy mouth. A guy that talks too much.Add to it that Ali was African/American and that sealed the deal. You see Archie Moore and Joe Louis were gentlemen aside from being great fighters. Frazier and Tyson were scary and relentless. They were accepted African/American fighters.You could say they were even embraced . But Ali? All the wrong ingredients for Mexico. He knew that.

Muhammad Ali knew that if he went to Mexico the"aficianados"wouldn't be laughing with him,but at him. He would have been the mouth that bored.

[Chuck1052]

It is amazing that Joe Frazier wasn't more popular because he was extremely aggressive and had a tremendous workrate when in the ring. Of course, Muhammad Ali was a very charismatic individual, which is a major reason why he overshadowed Frazier even though the latter was much more of an "action" fighter.

- Chuck Johnston

[Rick Farris]

I found most of Ali's bouts boring. We all have seen Ali's matches from the beginning to end of his career.
At the same time, I was watching boxing televised weekly from the Olympic Auditorium.
By comparison, Ali bouts were boring. Entertaining, maybe? Not for me.

[THEHAMMER321]

I found most of Ali's bouts boring. We all have seen Ali's matches from the beginning to end of his career.
At the same time, I was watching boxing televised weekly from the Olympic Auditorium.
By comparison, Ali bouts were boring. Entertaining, maybe? Not for me.

I think a lot of people are afraid of saying negative things about Ali but I for one never liked him as a fighter and I never understood all the fuss over him yes he was the fastest heavy ever but he wasn't an action fighter he got away with a lot of holding and hitting he got the benefit of a lot of bad decisions and even though he did score knockouts he was not a big hitter there I said it I hope i won't go to hell for saying it

[kikibalt]

I found most of Ali's bouts boring. We all have seen Ali's matches from the beginning to end of his career.
At the same time, I was watching boxing televised weekly from the Olympic Auditorium.
By comparison, Ali bouts were boring. Entertaining, maybe? Not for me.

I think a lot of people are afraid of saying negative things about Ali but I for one never liked him as a fighter and I never understood all the fuss over him yes he was the fastest heavy ever but he wasn't an action fighter he got away with a lot of holding and hitting he got the benefit of a lot of bad decisions and even though he did score knockouts he was not a big hitter there I said it I hope i won't go to hell for saying it

I agree with all you said Paul.

[Chuck1052]

Let me say that I don't like the fighting styles of Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr, but love to watch Manny Pacquiao in action. As you can see, my preferences in regards to fighters has changed somewhat since I started following Muhammad Ali after he made his first comeback, which is when I also started watching boxing on television and seeing fight shows in person on a regular basis.

- Chuck Johnston

[kikibalt]

This one is for Randy, who I know likes to eat

Slow-smoking ribs in the great indoors

Using the stove top instead of the grill is an easy way to get some wonderful-tasting, smoke-flavored baby backs.



Hens are tea-smoked in a wok. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

By Noelle Carter, Los Angeles Times

March 4, 2010

The other day, I just couldn't shake the thought of slow-smoking some ribs. I was in the mood for Memphis-style baby backs, the meat fall-off-the-bone tender, a simple dry rub tantalizingly complicated with deep hickory notes, the flavors drawn out with a tart vinegar-Dijon mop.

There's a primal wonder to smoked food — that such depth of flavor can come from so simple a technique. And then, of course, there's the lure of the sunny afternoon spent in a lawn chair with a cold beer while you're waiting, patiently, for the Weber to work its magic.

But then it started raining.

The audacity of winter. Even in Southern California, we have our seasons. I took a good long look at my kettle grill through the kitchen window as it rained, but those ribs wouldn't stop dancing through my head, like a song that just wouldn't let go.

Of course, not all smoking needs to be done outdoors, and I was not going to let the weather get in my way. Before long I was rummaging through the cupboard, looking for my large roasting pan. I grabbed a cooling rack, some heavy foil and a baking tin for a makeshift drip container and soon I was ready to smoke. Right in the kitchen. Right on the stove top. Rain or no rain.

Stove-top smoking is certainly not a new concept: Scatter some wood chips in a roasting pan, put the meat on a rack to sit above it. Loosely cover the pan and heat. Watch for the chips to start smoking and cover tight, then smoke to desired doneness. Voila.

There's nothing complicated about stove-top smoking and I'd even argue that it's probably easier to master than smoking outdoors. You don't have to mess with charcoal or vents, deal with chambers or manage chips or pellets for hours on end.

On the stove top, you regulate the heat by adjusting the burner knob. It's easy to set up (make a smoker from kitchen odds and ends as I did, or buy a commercially made one). And though you'll smell the aroma of the smoke, most of it should be contained within the pan (you may get a faint whisp, but nothing to set off the fire alarm).

But like everything, stove-top smoking does have its limitations. First is size: Since the smokers have to be small enough to fit on the stove, you may not have the surface area you get with a regular smoker or grill.

Further, because the smoke is tightly contained, stove-top smokers can impart flavor quickly, so you'll need to keep a careful eye on them to make sure food doesn't come out smelling like a campfire.

And, of course, you may miss the glory of the great outdoors, getting a sunburn as you wait for that brisket to finish.

I cleaned my rack of baby backs and massaged a dry rub into the meat. I then refrigerated them, uncovered, overnight to form a pellicle (that tacky surface you want so the smoke — which is particulate — will adhere).

The next day I gently smoked them using no more than a few tablespoons of fine hickory chips smoldering over moderately low heat. After an hour the ribs were nicely smoked, the meat mostly done. I moved the rack to a baking dish and poured over a little of my "mop," covered the dish tightly and continued to steam the ribs in a low oven until tender (I knew they were done when the meat tore easily from the bone).

To finish the ribs, I uncovered the dish and broiled them for just a couple of minutes to crisp the edges. I had my smoked ribs — almost as rich and flavorful as anything I could've smoked outdoors.

It's amazing the depth of flavor just a little smoke can impart to a dish. But there's more to it than mere "smokiness." You'll find a great variety of character, depending on the type of wood used and its intensity.

Woods range from assertive hickory to delicate apple. Cherry is pronounced and pecan lends a fragrant nuttiness. Mesquite can be either delicately sweet or overwhelmingly assertive depending on how (and how much) it is used. It's not hard to find alder chips (popular in the Northwest) or corncob (possibly best known in the Northeast). Or try flavored hardwoods — say, wine casks or bourbon-soaked oak.

For stove-top smoking, look for small chips or shavings; they smolder more readily than larger chips.

Experiment with different woods, and when you're comfortable, try blending. Like spice blends, smoker blends can impart distinct, layered flavors and lend amazing depth to a dish, whether you're smoking a tough cut of meat or delicate fish or vegetables.

Try adding aromatics to the blend, such as herbs, spices or citrus peel. I recently smoked beef short ribs using a blend of hickory and oak chips to which I added fresh minced rosemary. I smoked the ribs for an hour to flavor, then finished them in the oven, braising them with garlic and red wine. The result was a richly complex dish, full of depth and flavor.

You can even smoke without any wood at all. I've tried riffing on classic tea-smoked duck with other birds and seasoning blends. I love game hens for their great flavor — and they're small enough to make perfect single servings. Dry-brine the hens with a little five-spice powder, brown sugar, fresh grated orange peel, ginger and garlic. Roast them until they're almost done, and then smoke the birds over very high heat using a wok (some pans and commercial stove-top smokers may not be suitable for smoking over high heat) for just a few minutes (too much smoke, and all that flavor turns to bitterness).

I've tried a variety of teas, including Lapsang souchong, which can be harshly intense as a tea but smokes beautifully. I've also tried tea-smoking combining the leaves with a blend of rice and sugar; the rice lends a wonderful earthy nuttiness to the flavor, and the sugar lends a sweet caramel finish and rich color to the dish. Out of curiosity, I tried smoking with fragrant jasmine tea — the flavor is amazingly delicate and sweet, subtle and flirtatiously aromatic.

Stove-top smokers are, by design, "hot" smokers, meaning they smoke and cook over higher heat; "cold" smokers, on the other hand, transmit smoke from one chamber to another over a distance, so that the meat is smoking but not cooking (cold smoking is a classic preservation technique).

With the stove-top smoker, I found that I was able to regulate the temperature fairly easily, heating just enough to smolder the wood chips while maintaining a low (225- to 250-degree) temperature. (I started at a moderate heat, then reduced the heat when the chips began smoking.) Inserting a probe thermometer makes it easy to check and adjust the burner as needed.

That control makes it a breeze to smoke even the most delicate items, such as shrimp, salmon and even oysters on the stove top. Recently, I tried scallops. I seasoned them with just a touch of salt and pepper and smoked them over a couple of teaspoons of alder chips until they were just barely opaque and cooked through, less than 15 minutes. To complement the smoky flavor and brighten the dish, I served the scallops over a tart fennel salad, dressed with a little olive oil, shallot and lemon juice. Simple flavors but a rich composition.

Of everything I've smoked, though, probably my favorite is pork belly. Marinate the meat in a simple brine with maple syrup and a little bourbon for a few days in the fridge. Then gently smoke the pork belly over apple wood for about an hour, until it is tender and the smoke has had a chance to infuse its flavor. Slice and serve it right away (it's basically hot-smoked bacon), or add it to stews, hash or eggs.

And you can't beat that aroma — there's nothing like the smell of apple-wood-smoked bacon perfuming the house. As it smokes, I can't help but reach into the fridge for a cold beer. Now if only I could fit a lawn chair in my kitchen.

[email protected]

[dagosd2000]

THE TOUGH GUY

"So you won the title when you were asked to fill in."
"I was in the gym ,but I wasn't in shape to fight for the championship."
"Maybe he took you lightly bacause of that."
"Maybe he did. That's not a good way to go into a fight."
"How did you feel after it was over?"
"I was walking on a cloud. A month before I was just waiting around."
"What's next for you?"
"Defend my title until."
"When will that be?"
"I'd like to fight twice a year. With the money that can be made,twice a year is good enough."
"Anyone in mind?"
"Whoever's the best guy out there."
"And who's that?"
"The public will tell me."
"How long do you want to go on?"
"I hope I can continue before my body betrays me. I want to go out winning,but that is very hard to do."
"How do you feel now?"
"I'm fit.I feel I've got some good years left."
"Well,good luck. You're on top now. I hope it lasts a long time."
"Thank you. I hope it goes on forever,but thinking that way is when you get your head knocked off."

[Randyman]

This one is for Randy, who I know likes to eat

Slow-smoking ribs in the great indoors

Using the stove top instead of the grill is an easy way to get some wonderful-tasting, smoke-flavored baby backs.



Hens are tea-smoked in a wok. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

By Noelle Carter, Los Angeles Times

March 4, 2010

The other day, I just couldn't shake the thought of slow-smoking some ribs. I was in the mood for Memphis-style baby backs, the meat fall-off-the-bone tender, a simple dry rub tantalizingly complicated with deep hickory notes, the flavors drawn out with a tart vinegar-Dijon mop.

There's a primal wonder to smoked food — that such depth of flavor can come from so simple a technique. And then, of course, there's the lure of the sunny afternoon spent in a lawn chair with a cold beer while you're waiting, patiently, for the Weber to work its magic.

But then it started raining.

The audacity of winter. Even in Southern California, we have our seasons. I took a good long look at my kettle grill through the kitchen window as it rained, but those ribs wouldn't stop dancing through my head, like a song that just wouldn't let go.

Of course, not all smoking needs to be done outdoors, and I was not going to let the weather get in my way. Before long I was rummaging through the cupboard, looking for my large roasting pan. I grabbed a cooling rack, some heavy foil and a baking tin for a makeshift drip container and soon I was ready to smoke. Right in the kitchen. Right on the stove top. Rain or no rain.

Stove-top smoking is certainly not a new concept: Scatter some wood chips in a roasting pan, put the meat on a rack to sit above it. Loosely cover the pan and heat. Watch for the chips to start smoking and cover tight, then smoke to desired doneness. Voila.

There's nothing complicated about stove-top smoking and I'd even argue that it's probably easier to master than smoking outdoors. You don't have to mess with charcoal or vents, deal with chambers or manage chips or pellets for hours on end.

On the stove top, you regulate the heat by adjusting the burner knob. It's easy to set up (make a smoker from kitchen odds and ends as I did, or buy a commercially made one). And though you'll smell the aroma of the smoke, most of it should be contained within the pan (you may get a faint whisp, but nothing to set off the fire alarm).

But like everything, stove-top smoking does have its limitations. First is size: Since the smokers have to be small enough to fit on the stove, you may not have the surface area you get with a regular smoker or grill.

Further, because the smoke is tightly contained, stove-top smokers can impart flavor quickly, so you'll need to keep a careful eye on them to make sure food doesn't come out smelling like a campfire.

And, of course, you may miss the glory of the great outdoors, getting a sunburn as you wait for that brisket to finish.

I cleaned my rack of baby backs and massaged a dry rub into the meat. I then refrigerated them, uncovered, overnight to form a pellicle (that tacky surface you want so the smoke — which is particulate — will adhere).

The next day I gently smoked them using no more than a few tablespoons of fine hickory chips smoldering over moderately low heat. After an hour the ribs were nicely smoked, the meat mostly done. I moved the rack to a baking dish and poured over a little of my "mop," covered the dish tightly and continued to steam the ribs in a low oven until tender (I knew they were done when the meat tore easily from the bone).

To finish the ribs, I uncovered the dish and broiled them for just a couple of minutes to crisp the edges. I had my smoked ribs — almost as rich and flavorful as anything I could've smoked outdoors.

It's amazing the depth of flavor just a little smoke can impart to a dish. But there's more to it than mere "smokiness." You'll find a great variety of character, depending on the type of wood used and its intensity.

Woods range from assertive hickory to delicate apple. Cherry is pronounced and pecan lends a fragrant nuttiness. Mesquite can be either delicately sweet or overwhelmingly assertive depending on how (and how much) it is used. It's not hard to find alder chips (popular in the Northwest) or corncob (possibly best known in the Northeast). Or try flavored hardwoods — say, wine casks or bourbon-soaked oak.

For stove-top smoking, look for small chips or shavings; they smolder more readily than larger chips.

Experiment with different woods, and when you're comfortable, try blending. Like spice blends, smoker blends can impart distinct, layered flavors and lend amazing depth to a dish, whether you're smoking a tough cut of meat or delicate fish or vegetables.

Try adding aromatics to the blend, such as herbs, spices or citrus peel. I recently smoked beef short ribs using a blend of hickory and oak chips to which I added fresh minced rosemary. I smoked the ribs for an hour to flavor, then finished them in the oven, braising them with garlic and red wine. The result was a richly complex dish, full of depth and flavor.

You can even smoke without any wood at all. I've tried riffing on classic tea-smoked duck with other birds and seasoning blends. I love game hens for their great flavor — and they're small enough to make perfect single servings. Dry-brine the hens with a little five-spice powder, brown sugar, fresh grated orange peel, ginger and garlic. Roast them until they're almost done, and then smoke the birds over very high heat using a wok (some pans and commercial stove-top smokers may not be suitable for smoking over high heat) for just a few minutes (too much smoke, and all that flavor turns to bitterness).

I've tried a variety of teas, including Lapsang souchong, which can be harshly intense as a tea but smokes beautifully. I've also tried tea-smoking combining the leaves with a blend of rice and sugar; the rice lends a wonderful earthy nuttiness to the flavor, and the sugar lends a sweet caramel finish and rich color to the dish. Out of curiosity, I tried smoking with fragrant jasmine tea — the flavor is amazingly delicate and sweet, subtle and flirtatiously aromatic.

Stove-top smokers are, by design, "hot" smokers, meaning they smoke and cook over higher heat; "cold" smokers, on the other hand, transmit smoke from one chamber to another over a distance, so that the meat is smoking but not cooking (cold smoking is a classic preservation technique).

With the stove-top smoker, I found that I was able to regulate the temperature fairly easily, heating just enough to smolder the wood chips while maintaining a low (225- to 250-degree) temperature. (I started at a moderate heat, then reduced the heat when the chips began smoking.) Inserting a probe thermometer makes it easy to check and adjust the burner as needed.

That control makes it a breeze to smoke even the most delicate items, such as shrimp, salmon and even oysters on the stove top. Recently, I tried scallops. I seasoned them with just a touch of salt and pepper and smoked them over a couple of teaspoons of alder chips until they were just barely opaque and cooked through, less than 15 minutes. To complement the smoky flavor and brighten the dish, I served the scallops over a tart fennel salad, dressed with a little olive oil, shallot and lemon juice. Simple flavors but a rich composition.

Of everything I've smoked, though, probably my favorite is pork belly. Marinate the meat in a simple brine with maple syrup and a little bourbon for a few days in the fridge. Then gently smoke the pork belly over apple wood for about an hour, until it is tender and the smoke has had a chance to infuse its flavor. Slice and serve it right away (it's basically hot-smoked bacon), or add it to stews, hash or eggs.

And you can't beat that aroma — there's nothing like the smell of apple-wood-smoked bacon perfuming the house. As it smokes, I can't help but reach into the fridge for a cold beer. Now if only I could fit a lawn chair in my kitchen.

[email protected]

Thanks Frank. I appreciate articles about food. BBQ is one of my (many, many) favorites. I have smoked briskets, ribs, hot links ham and just about everything else at onetime or another. I'm no expert but most of it has turned out pretty good. I have never tried an indoor smoker but maybe someday I'll give it a try. As it says in the article, you're limited to small portions.

Randy

[Randyman]

Sometimes I feel like the Lone Ranger when it comes to Muhammad Ali. I grew up watching him. Ali was the heavyweight champion of my youth. Granted he had some stinkers but I think overall he has proved himself to be an all time great heavy. The best? Well that probably comes down to opinion.

I wrote about Joe Frazier a while back. I meant everything I said about him. Joe has my respect but so does Ali. When he came back after being stripped of his title he was a different fighter. he was flat footed and no longer had the quick flashy foot movement, though he had brief moments when he could still wow the crowd.I don't know that Ali ducked anyone in his career and he took the heavyweight championship to an international level, fighting across the globe. he never made excuses when he lost and in those times when he was really tested he rose to the occasion. In his toughest fights he showed the kind of heart that we write about here on these pages.

[Randyman]

THE TOUGH GUY

"So you won the title when you were asked to fill in."
"I was in the gym ,but I wasn't in shape to fight for the championship."
"Maybe he took you lightly bacause of that."
"Maybe he did. That's not a good way to go into a fight."
"How did you feel after it was over?"
"I was walking on a cloud. A month before I was just waiting around."
"What's next for you?"
"Defend my title until."
"When will that be?"
"I'd like to fight twice a year. With the money that can be made,twice a year is good enough."
"Anyone in mind?"
"Whoever's the best guy out there."
"And who's that?"
"The public will tell me."
"How long do you want to go on?"
"I hope I can continue before my body betrays me. I want to go out winning,but that is very hard to do."
"How do you feel now?"
"I'm fit.I feel I've got some good years left."
"Well,good luck. You're on top now. I hope it lasts a long time."
"Thank you. I hope it goes on forever,but thinking that way is when you get your head knocked off."

I don't know from personal experience but it seems like hanging onto a title is harder than winning one.

[dagosd2000]

THE ALI'S OF THE WORLD

These fighters with tremendous speed,reflexes,quickness. Floyd Junior,Sweet Pea,Ali,Johnson,Roy Jones,Willie Pep. In their primes, were they the best? They weren't always in the greatest fights. It wasn't a life and death struggle. They'd win every round ,almost, in an easy victory. Many of the bouts went the distance. But they had their knockouts too. The only guy that I can think of with everything was Robinson,but that's no revelation. Could Muhammad and Johnson have smothered the attacks of Dempsey.?Make Marciano miss too much? Frustrate Joe Louis? It's highly possible.

Remember the Whitaker/Chavez match? Nothing to write home about,but Pernall was robbed of a victory. I think of a fight like that when I think of those other combinations I mentioned. Maybe the greatest fighters weren't the most exciting...except for Ray Robinson.