Smoking.

I am still smoking.

But I'm doing it in different ways and it has taken on a whole new meaning.

I'm still filling my lungs with smoke on a daily basis.

But these days it's either exquisite Tibetan incense or Jalapenos over an open hickory-wood fire in the Hibachi in my parking space.

Sure beats the hell out of the miserable, reconstituted dregs of the chemical-soaked, stinking tobacco plants, the smoke of which, make no mistake, I still deliberately inhale about one out of every three or four days or so. Make no mistake -- I'm sure there's still plenty of carbon monoxide involved. But there's no nicotene. It's not perfection by a long shot but it is a huge improvement.

Right now I've just replenished the hardwood fire for the third time tonight, and am keeping an eye on it 'til the flames subside. They whip up around the sides of the Thai dumpling steamer I've provisionally converted into a smoker and threaten to melt the plastic handles.

I'm smoking most of the remainder of the jalapenos I got Saturday now to make chiles chipotles. The smoking of the chiles is a necessary step. There's something indescribably beautiful and even almost sacred about it. The flames out there at close to midnight, basically roasting chiles, in a small-batch, strictly local homemade way that's reproduced by all the local produce stores everywhere in this part of the world with their giant gas-fired tumblers, the smell from which draws people in from all around.

The batch last night turned out really well. Way damn well. Way better than I had any right to expect. Which is why I am doing it again. So what if it's a three day process to make one tiny batch? Batch one is good, batch two will be better. I'll manage the balancing of spices and vegetables better, I am sure. The step of smoking the chiles is this most labour-intensive part. I have to watch the flames, and almost constantly. It takes hours, and still they don't smoke to the dryness you can get in smoked japapenos from Juarez.

And yes, when the time comes to boil them with piloncillo and spices I "cheat" and use the gas stove inside my apartment.

This "slow foods movement" thing has got me in its grip! And no, I'm still not "raw" like Don Schrader. I keep an open mind, but in the world of "harm reduction strategies", smoking jalapenos to boil them in piloncillo is still a damn sight better than smoking cigarettes.