Smoking as in lighting up, or as in trying to dry it for the winter?! The first WOULD be crazy!
I thinly sliced the younger lobes, sauteed in butter (careful, it dries out quick), little salt and pepper and added to an omelette. Excellent flavor! I've got about half of it left that I'm likely going to cook in an alfredo sauce and serve over pasta tomorrow night. I did a quick rinse to try and wash off any spores that might be ready to go, and dumped the washwater on a couple big tulip poplars in the back yard. We'll see if they get established...
It's one of the five or so mushrooms that are almost idiot-proof, the only stipulation that you avoid them if they're growing on pines or hemlock. There have been reports of reactions (vomiting, nausea) in the species that grow on conifers, but as long as it's growing on hardwoods you should be OK. I haven't heard of anyone having any weird reactions to the hardwood-using species down here, and a buddy of mine routinely feeds it to folks at his gatherings... Plenty of good info on the web on them, or if you want I've got an extra copy of Phillips' Mushrooms of North America (I just got the 2nd edition, but the 1st is still a heck of a good resource).
