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'!