Party In The Parking Lot

It's Tailgatin' Time! Get ready for some football!

(Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

The Plate 

Armadillo Eggs 

& Chorizo Sliders

For tailgating you need some "walk-around" food. You know, something you can hold in your hand. I think these two fit the bill.  

Who doesn't love grilled jalapenos, cream cheese and sausage? Sounds like a healthy treat to me. I first heard of these bad boys at a LSU tailgate. Fell in love the first time I tried them. 

And hey, who doesn't love little sliders? I decided to put some south Texas kick to it by adding some chorizo (spanish sausage) and grilled poblanos. Served on Hawaiian Sweet bread, it's the perfect combo of sweet and spicy.  

Armadillo Eggs 

What you need...

12 fresh jalapenos

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

thin sliced bacon

Jimmy Dean's Hot breakfast sausage

What you do...

Slice jalapenos in half and clean out the seeds. Fill with a layer of cream cheese. Then spread a thin layer of Sausage on top of the cheese. Wrap each pepper with bacon and secure with tooth picks. You'll want to place them on a piece of foil on your grill to avoid flair ups. Grill for about 10-15 mins until bacon is done. 

Chorizo Sliders

What you need...

3/4 lb ground sirloin

3/4 lb ground chuck

1/2 lb chorizo, casings removed and crumbled

1 tsp Adobo seasoning

1 large onion, grated

3 large Poblano peppers

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper 

1/2 cup bread crumbs

6 slices PepperJack cheese  

Kings hawaiian rolls

spicy mayonnaise (Kraft chipotle)

What you do...

In a large bowl, mix thoroughly by hand the ground beef, chorizo, adobo, grated onion and bread crumbs. Form the burgers into small patties, about 12-14. Set in fridge to help hold the burgers together. 

Take the poblano peppers, cover with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on grill to blacken. 

Then place warm poblanos in plastic baggy to sweat. After they cool remove the skin and cut into strips. You can then save in a baggy to put on the burgers later. 

Place the burgers on a medium high heat. Cook to medium, about 10 min a side to ensure the chorizo is done. In the last 5 min top the burgers with the cheese. 

To serve:  spread mayonnaise on both sides of the rolls. Lay a burger on the bottom and top with slice of poblano. 

The Playlist

Party in the Parking Lot

Now I know you're amped for the game, but you can't just blow the speakers with ACDC, Eye of the Tiger, Van Halen, etc. You need something old, something new, something borrowed, something ... wait a minute, that's for another event. Well, you get it. Some crowd pleasers, some sing-a-longs and traditional party songs. And, yes that's Neil Diamond in the mix... you know you'll be singing along at the top of your lungs. 

("The Playlist" runs on Spotify. Don't have Spotify?... Click here it's free )

The Bar

Melon Keg of Watermelon Margaritas

4 cups seedless watermelon

2 tbls sugar

juice of 2 limes

8 oz Tequila 

4 oz Triple Sec

Cut the bottom of the watermelon to make it level.

Then cut off the top and scoop out the melon and put in blender to puree.

Drill small hole in the bottom of the melon and attach faucet (you can use one from another container that screws off and on)

Strain the watermelon, add the other ingredients and chill. 

If you want to learn how to make a keg and have an alternate drink option, click below:

Click here to learn how to make a keg and Watermelon Rum Punch

Party on

&

Keep on Cookin'!

Back To The Beach

One last trip before summer's end

When these sails go up

Mountains fade away

Stars come back

I'm finally free

It's only the ocean and me

-Jack Johnson

The Plate...

Brown Sugar-Coffee Rubbed Cedar Plank Salmon / Fettuccine Alfredo 

What you need...

Salmon:

4 (3 by 8-inch) untreated cedar shingles soaked in water for 2 hours

Olive oil, for brushing shingles

4 salmon fillets (8 ounces each) with skin removed

Spice Rub:

3 to 4 cups golden brown sugar

1/4 cup good quality dark roast coffee, coarsely ground

1/2 cup seafood seasoning (Old Bay or your fav)

1/4 cup ground cumin

1/4 cup coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

What you do...

Brush Olive oil on cedar plank. Then add a layer of spice rub. Lay salmon on top off the rub. Put liberal amount of olive oil on top of salmon then add additional rub on top of the fish.

Cook on grill at 400 for about 15-20 min (depending on thickness of salmon). Do not flip the salmon.

Fettuccini Alfredo

What you need...

18 ounces fresh fettuccine

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups grated Parmesan

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

What you do...

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

The Playlist... 

Back to the Beach

("The Playlist" runs on Spotify. Don't have Spotify?... Click here it's free )

The Bar...

Tequila Sangria

2 lemons,2 limes,and 1 naval orange sliced into thin rounds

12 large fresh mint leaves

2/3 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup silver tequila

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 bottle white wine, chilled, (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)

2 cups lemon-lime soda, chilled

Place the fruit and mint in a large pitcher and use a muddler to mash them together. Add the agave syrup, tequila and lime juice. Stir,and then add white wine. Cover and refrigerate for a least 4 hours.

Serve by adding fruit to glass then pour sangria. Top off with a splash of leom-lime soda.

Relax- the only thing better than the sound of the waves hitting the beach is the sound of ice hitting your glass for a cocktail. 

Keep on Cookin'!

Cookin' With Jazz NOLA Style

In New Orleans, self-indulgence is a birthright and drinking is a civilized pursuit.

The Plate

Shrimp Etouffee

Ok, I have to admit... Crawfish Etouffee is my all time favorite, but crawfish are not in season and I am not about to recommend that you use imported frozen crawfish for anything. There, I got that off my chest.  Ok, wait... one more thing. Etouffee is a New Orleans "Creole Classic".  Creole not Cajun, there is a difference; mainly the fact that Creole food contains tomatoes and Cajun does not.  An easier way to describe the difference between the two is to say that Creole is "city food" and Cajun is "country food". There... got it? Ok, let's get on with it. This is a great recipe from "Nola Cuisine".  I hope you enjoy. 

What you need...

2 Tbsp creole seasoning (Tony Chachere)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups shrimp stock
2 tbs minced garlic
1 bundle fresh thyme
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tobasco sauce
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
3 tbsp minced Italian parsley
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

What you do...

Season the shrimp with 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning.
Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet, add the onions, bell pepper, and celery, saute until translucent. Whisk in the flour to make a blonde roux, stirring constantly, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining Creole Seasoning. Add a small amount of the shrimp stock, stir well to form a paste, add the remaining stock gradually, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. You may need a little more stock, but the end result should be the consistency of a gravy, not too thick, not too thin.Add the tomatoes, garlic, Thyme, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, a little salt, black pepper, and Cayenne. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.Add the shrimp, green onions, and parsley, simmer for 10 minutes more or until the shrimp are cooked through. Stir in the 3 Tbsp butter, and adjust the seasonings to taste.

Serve over rice.

Click here for original recipe

The Playlist 

Cookin' With Jazz

("The Playlist" runs on Spotify. Don't have Spotify?... Click here it's free )

The Bar

The "Big NoNO" (a little twist on the NOLA Hurricane)

12 oz light rum

12 oz dark rum

10 oz pineapple juice

10 oz orange juice

10 oz pomegranate juice

1/2 cup simple syrup

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

garnish with orange/lemon slices and cherries

Mix all ingredients in a tall pitcher. Serve in tall glasses over ice.

Laissez les bon temp rouler

Keep on Cookin'!

Come on in... The Pots are on!