On the smoked salmon, there's two kinds of smoked salmon.

Cold Smoked salmon -- If you buy it in a store, this is what you'll get, or in gift baskets wrapped up in plastic, like lox for a ridiculous price per pound. This stuff is more cured than cooked. Decent to lovely if done well, rubbery if poorly done.

Smoked salmon -- Fishy food of the gods, honest-to-gum cooked in a smoker with heat, serve it warm. The way restaurants usually do it. If you can get good fresh salmon, consider skipping the brining. Wild caught salmon and King Salmon stand up better to flavors like soy sauce, whereas a farmed Atlantic salmon will just end up tasting like the brine.

Soak the wood chips about 20-30 minutes in water -- half alder and half hickory.

Season a fresh fillet with a bit of salt and fresh ground pepper, and maybe some garlic juice.

Start the chips smoking on medium heat and put the fillet in, skin side down. Close up the smoker.

Here's the hard part -- wait about 20-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. It's done when it's still pink but not mushy on the inside.

Serve freshly steamed veggies
OR
With sprouted wheat or ezekiel bread toasts and a thick creamy but tart garlic dressing. I whip up some homemade mayo, add garlic juice, lemon juice Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper. Great party appetizer.

I know what I'm having tonight... and I can't WAIT 'till the salmon start running again here. It beats the heck out of grocery store farmed salmon.