Ok, here is what I would do:
Soak the meat in whatever flammable beverage you are planning on.
as for the cheese - yes you can smoke it - just do it at a low temperature (low and slow)
Multiple woods - go for it - I love hickory and mesquite. Also throwing in some applewood gives a real nice...
The key is to match your wood to what you are smokin! I did not notice the flavor when I smoked with it. However, if you soak the meat in the whiskey first and then smoke it - you will get a much better flavor of the whiskey. Personnaly, I like brining my meat in good old coke and spices...
12 inch skillet
man o man do I love cast iron.
I learned to cook in my great grandmothers skillet (I have an old panotype picture with the thing on the fire!)
Hopefully you really washed it out well with soap to remove the machine oils. I typically will wash it, boil it to remove residue...