Deja VooDoo

The Feeling That Something Bad Is About To Happen ... Again!

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

Not for the feint of heart ... Today's menu is full of Louisiana Hoodoo, smoky swamp blues, a little VooDoo chicken and a special brew from the VooDoo Queen herself.  
So, come on in and follow us through the low hanging moss deep into the bayou.  
Watch out for the gators (you know they love chicken). And, be careful you don't see you a Loup Garou.  Tis the season...

You gonna need a little Gris Gris to survive this adventure.

The Pots are on... 

The Plate...

VooDoo Chicken Wings

At the restaurant we always had the one customer that said - "That all ya got? I wanna see some real heat!"  So, when we did our wings, we offered them regular, spicy or VooDoo!  

Made people sign a disclaimer.  Hell, if you ate six wings without passing out we even gave you a certificate. 

See, the secret was to get a hot sauce that, at first wasn't that bad; but on the back end... Katie bar the door and bring out the fire extinguisher! 

So... consider yourself warned.  

Use extreme caution! May cause spontaneous combustion... Proceed at your own risk!!!

What you need...

3-4   lbs chicken wings
1/4 cup olive oil

Dry mix -

4 tbls smoked paprika
2 tbls dry mustard
2 tbls sugar
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper

VoooDoo Sauce -
1 cup butter
2 tbls minced habanero pepper
2 tbls minced serrano pepper
1 cup Frank's XTRA Hot Cayenne Pepper sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1tsp lemon juice

Blue Cheese mix -
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
8 oz blue cheese, crumbled

What you do...

VooDoo sauce - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add Frank's sauce, minced peppers cinnamon, pepper and lemon juice. Stir then let simmer for 3-5 minutes.  Cool, then puree in blender.


The Wings - Set your grill to Med-High, about 400 degrees.  Coals on one side so you have hot side and cool side.
Toss wings in olive oil.  Rub the wings with dry mix and let them set up for about 30 min.
Put the wings on the hot side of grill and cook for about 4 min. per side.  Move to cool side of grill and cook for additional 2-3 min. 

The Playlist...   Deja VooDoo

Some good ole Swamp Blues for ya.   I love Tony Joe White and very excited to see that he just released a new CD "Hoodoo". Check out "Who You Gonna Hoodoo Now?"(Awesome cut).  And... if your not familiar with the "Boy Wonder" guitar slinger, from Louisiana... Mr Kenny Wayne Shepherd, well let's just say that you are in for a treat. Crank it Up!

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

The Bar... 

Marie Laveau's Swamp Water

This will put you in a trance - 

1 oz Whipped Cream Vodka

2 oz White cranberry juice

2 oz grapefruit juice

1 oz Midori Melon Liqueur

 

Click here to witness the experience of VooDoo Wings Post 

Watch out for the Loup Garou!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'

Hangovers and Heartaches

Featuring the music of Robb Barkley

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

Mr. Barkley... what can I say.  A restauranteur, songwriter, Chef in his on right and great friend.  We have shared many a recipe and many good times (or as we call it... Making Memories).
So, pay attention, we are both experts in the field of Hangovers... and well yeah heartaches too.  I was lucky enough to accompany ole Robb in the studio for a couple of his recordings;  great talent with a little old school style.  Could be the PBR... just saying.  So, come on in the kitchen.

The Pots are on...

The Plate...

Green Chili Grunge Burger / Sweet Potato Fries

So... You partied all night like a Rock Star. Now you're swearing it "will never happen again". There are all kinds of theories about curing this pain. Some folks prefer the "hair of the dog". My bet is on greasy grub and alcohol-absorbing carbs. (Or at least that's what I always tell myself.) So, here you go... The Hangover Helper.

Ok, get off the couch and get cookin'!

What you need...

3/4 lb ground beef (80-20)
3/4 lb ground sirloin
Brioche hamburger buns
1/4 cup cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1 4oz can chopped green chiles
1 small yellow onion chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs Kosher salt
1 tbs fresh ground pepper
cheddar cheese
lettuce and tomato
Spicy chipotle mayo (purchase in store or make your own... 1/2 cup mayo, a chopped chipotle, 1/4 chipotle sauce from can, mix all together)
brioche bun
one egg
1 tbs Tabasco sauce

What you do...

Heat up the grill to medium-high, about 400 degrees. 

Mix cilantro, garlic, green chiles, onion and olive oil in blender to make a paste.

Mix the "paste" in with the ground beef and sirloin. Divide to make 1/4 lb patties and salt / pepper both sides. 

Grill burgers about 3-4 min per side (only flip once). 

In the meantime... Fry one egg with a dash of Tabasco sauce. 

The last minute put a slice of cheddar on each patty.
Build your burger on a Brioche bun with spicy mayo and top with fried egg, lettuce and tomato.

Sweet Potato Fries -
Olive Oil for tossing
5 Sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch long slices
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs smoked paprika
1 tbs Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a sheet tray with parchment.  Toss sweet potatoes in a large bowl coat with olive oil. Mix chili powder, paprika and salt and sprinkle on potatoes. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes,  turning occasionally.

The Playlist...

Hangovers and Heartaches

My ole buddy Robb singing about a place we've all been.  In the fashion of an old George Jones' tune, he reminds us that "Hangovers and Heartaches make a wreck of your life".  But, hey it's ok... have another beer and get back on that horse. Hey bartender, pour me a vacation. 

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

The Bar...

H&H Bloody Mary

The best and spiciest Blood Mary you've ever had!

6 oz Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix
2 oz (at least) Deep Eddy Vodka
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1 Tsp celery salt
1 Tsp horseradish
1 Tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Garlic stuffed olives
1 boiled shrimp (optional, but nice touch)
1 slice of lime for garnish
1 stalk celery
splash of Worcestershire sauce


pour Bloody Mary mix, Vodka, lime juice, salt, horseradish, and cayenne pepper in shaker.  Pour into tall glass add splash of Worcestershire and ground pepper.  Garnish with celery, olives and lime.

Step 2 (optional) chase with PBR tallboy... see don't you feel better?

Hey, you can't drink all day unless you start first thing in the morning.  Just saying...

Hangovers & Heartaches on You Tube

Available on iTunes

Have another Bloody,  

Please... Day Drink Responsibly

&

Keep on Cookin'!

Dino Martini

A romantic night at Cafe Italiano 

kind of... hey, it's what you make it!

"Drink to me only... that's all I aks... ASK.  And I will drink to you!"

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

Hey Pallies, it's about that time.  Dinner is poured... I mean served.  I would have loved to eat dinner with the "cool one".  I just love cooking a little Italian dinner with some cool music to sing along with.  And, let me tell you... after a couple of glasses of wine ole Dino and I sound pretty good together.  (If that sounds scary, you ought to hear me singing along with Luciano Pavarotti.)  Anyway... one of my favorites is Italian night.  Start with a good martini and finish with some good wine with dinner.  For our "Plate" tonight I recommend Pinot Grigio Ramato.  It's a wonderful dry wine with a little rose' tint. 

The Plate... 

Grilled Swordfish with Roasted Poblano Fettuccine Alfredo 

Ok, with apologies to Dino I'm going a little Tex-Italiano on ya. I think your gonna like it.  You get the sweet creamy Alfredo with the slight heat of the Poblano, perfect combo.  The trick is to marinate and grill this firm and wonderful piece of fish just like a steak.
My boys used to come over for Italian night, and this was always the dish of choice.  If you are even thinking about starting your diet.... do it tomorrow.  This is one "rich" dish.  And, I think you are going to be surprised how easy it is to make.

The pots are on...

What you need...

4 (5-6 oz each) Swordfish steaks

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp lime juice

2 poblano peppers

18 oz Fettuccine 

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup lemon juice

12 tbsp butter

What you do...

Combine the Soy sauce salt, pepper and lime juice for your marinade.  Marinate the swordfish for 30 minutes before hand.  

Set your grill to med-high, about 400 degrees.  

Grill Poblano peppers until blackened on all sides.  When done place in zip lock bag to sweat.  This will help separate the skin.  

When peppers cool, peel away skin, seeds and slice julian style. 

Put the swordfish directly on the grill and cook about 3 minutes per side. 

Meanwhile cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but still firm to the bite. 

Drain pasta and set aside. 

Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a skillet to blend.  Add the butter and cook over medium heat to melt the butter. Remove from the heat.  

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining cream and Parmesan to the cream sauce. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. 

Put pasta with sauce on a plate top with the Swordfish steak and finish off with Poblano peppers.  

The Playlist..

Dining with Dino

Ok, I mean come on... is there any better music to sing along with?  I don't think so.
Try cooking this dinner and playing Justin Bieber, just doesn't work.  This is one of those playlist you really need to crank up a little while you are cooking.  Then you can turn it down a little for dining.
At least that's what my wife always says... "Turn it down"!
So, Sweetie besame mucho and pass the pasta please.

The Bar...

"Flame of Love" Dino's Favorite 

"You can't buy happiness... but you can pour it"! - Dean Martin

2oz Vodka

Splash of Fino Sherry

Caramelized orange peels

Orange peel to coat glass

Click on the video for the original recipe

 

Ok folks, remember... 

Don't drink & drive, don't even putt! 

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!