Bond...

James Bond

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

Bond... the guy with all the cool guns, cars, gadgets and oh yeah, the "Bond Girls".  You can't forget women with names like Honey Ryder and Pussy Galore. 

James Bond is the most iconic character in cinema, which probably explains that the "Bond" films are the longest continually running series in the film industry.  After 23 movies and 6 different actors playing Mr. Bond, it is still the king of the box office.

Hard to believe that the first Bond film, Dr. No, come out over 50 years ago in 1962.  The movies, of course, were based on the Ian Flemings novels which all started back in 1953 with "Casino Royale".

And... sorry folks, but for me "Nobody Does It Better" than Sean Connery.  He's still the coolest Bond Dude in my book. 

So, for your eyes only, we have Mr. Bond's favorite dish, the recipe for that cool "Bond" cocktail (probably a little different than you thought) and of course the coolest theme music ever.



The Pots Are On... 

The Plate...

Roast Beef 

Roast Beef... another one of my favorites; although James Bond preferred his "cold".  

I love me some hot, tender roast beef, covered in gravy.  It always took me back to "Sunday Dinner" at my grandmother's house.  I know, not very "cool" for a Bond theme, but it is one of Bond's favorite foods. 

Bond also loved Filet of Sole, but cold roast beef with a little potato salad was his favorite. 

So, today we are giving you a very easy way to guarantee a perfect and tender roast.   

What you need...

One 5 lb boneless chuck roast
Salt and pepper
1 large red onion, sliced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
4 tbsp all purpose flour

What you do...

Preheat oven ot 450 degrees.

Line a baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to completely wrap the roast.
Salt and Pepper all sides of the roast.
Spread the onions over the top of the roast and pour vinegar around the sides.
Bring the ends of the foil together and fold to create a "tent" and completely enclose the roast.
Pour about 1 inch of water into the pan around the foil-wrapped roast.
Bake until the meat is fork tender and brown (about 3-4 hours).
Check the water level while baking and add as needed.

When done, remove from the baking pan and let it cool.
Unwrap foil, careful to save the juice.
Place roast on a platter and cover with a tent of foil to keep it warm.

Pour the juice from the roast into a measuring cup to let the fat rise to the top.
Skim off the fat and add water to make a total of 2 cups.
Heat saucepan over medium-low and add flour, whisk in liquid to make a roux.
Cook and continue to whisk until the flour is light brown.

Slice the roast and serve with the gravy or, as James Bond would do, wait for it to completely cool and eat it cold.   He's such a badass.

The Playlist...

Bond

From the first few notes you know something cool is about to go down.  Followed by that awesome, almost "surf" guitar... Yes, something sinister is about to be played out right before your very eyes.

Many have attempted the "Bond Theme" complete with much discussion over which one is best and who really paid it justice over the years.  The truth is the music has been nominated for an oscar several times, but only won once with Adele's "Skyfall" in 2013.

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

The Bar...

Vesper Martini - Shaken... Not Stirred

Bond's preferred cocktail in Ian Fleming's first Bond book, Casino Royale, was the Vesper Martini - 

part gin, part vodka and a touch of Lillet Blanc wine.  However, when it came to filming the first Bond movie, Dr. No, Smirnoff paid to have their vodka promoted, meaning they didn't want the gin mentioned.  Bon's brand of booze quickly caught on and changed the cocktail culture forever. 

What you need...

3 oz Gin

1 oz Vodka

1/2 oz Kina Lillet (Blanc Lillet) or Dry Vermouth

Lemon peel for twist and garnish

Shake not stirred in martini shaker with ice.

Strain into martini glass and add twist of lemon.

"How reckless of me. I've made you all wet."

"Yes, but my martini is still dry."

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

The Masters

A Classic

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

But... having a famous Master's Pimento Cheese sandwich at Augusta National is awesome; especially when they are only a buck fifty.  Eating the sandwiches has become as much a part of a trip to the Masters as seeing the blooming azaleas. They even come wrapped in green just in case you drop your paper on the ground (blends in so you don't see it on TV).  

Tiger may not be there this year and the Eisenhower tree is gone... but you can still count on having a good ole Pimento Cheese sandwich.

This week we threw in some cool "Golf Tunes", my favorite cocktail for the golf course and a new take on the classic Pimento Cheese sandwich.  

The Pots Are On...

The Plate... 

Pimento Cheese & Jalapeño Cakes

Ok, see there is not really anything extraordinary about the Master's Pimento Cheese sandwich... except for the fact that you're at The Masters.  Although it is tradition, they are cheap and the supposed "secret recipe" has been changed over the years due to a change in vendors.

So, with all of that said, we decided to reinvent the Pimento Cheese sandwich, add a little kick and Tadah! - Pimento Cheese & Jalapeño Cakes.

What you need...

For the topping - 

4 strips of bacon (for garnish)

12 oz extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup sharp yellow cheddar, grated

1 jar (7oz) of pimentos, drained and chopped

1 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp chili powder

4 chopped green onions for garnish

For the batter - 

1 cup self-rising cornmeal

1 cup self-rising flour

2 tbsp sugar

2 eggs beaten

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

3 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 jalapeño seeded and chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

7 onces green chiles, drained and chopped

1 tbsp butter and  olive oil to sauté onion & jalapeño 

What you do...

For the topping - 

Cook the bacon until crisp.  Let cool then chop and set aside for garnish.

Chop green onions and set aside for garnish.

Combine all of the other ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for a couple hours.

For the batter - 

Preheat your oven to 375.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar eggs, buttermilk and melted butter.

In a small pan over medium heat, sauté the onion and jalapeño using 1/4 tbsp of butter and olive oil.

Then add salt, pepper and green chiles to the pan.

Let this cool then add to the batter.

Spray your muffin tin with Pam and fill 3/4 full with batter. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Let it cool then add your toppings and garnish with the bacon and green onions. 

The Playlist... 

The Masters

I think you're gonna like this... back in the 80's good ole Peter Jacobsen got together with Mark Lye and the late Payne Stewart to form a band called Jake Trout & The Flounders.  They got together with the likes of Hootie & the Blowfish, Alice Cooper and Joe Walsh (to name a few) to lay down some hilarious takes on some old classic rock favorites.  And of course they were all based on the great game of golf.

I love their cover of Alice Cooper's 18 (I'm on 18).  

Peter got together later with some friends to form Jake Trout & The Ball Washers.  You can hear their song "Cheers & Boos" about the Phoenix open's famed 16th hole...

Love it!

And, not to be out done... Bubba Watson got together with Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Ben Crane to do "2.Oh".   

We threw in a couple of songs from the "Tin Cup" sound track and of course we had to start it all off with the classic "Love's Theme" from Barry White.  It's tradition.

Enjoy!

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

The Golf Boys "2.Oh"!

The Bar... 

The John Daly

What you need...

2 oz Vodka

1 part lemonade

1 part Iced Tea

Lemon wedge for garnish

For a twist you can add a little Triple Sec. 

Add them all to a tall glass filled with ice and garnish with lemon or orange wedge.  

Remember Kids, Don't Drink & Drive...  

Don't Even Putt!

Please Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Surf's Up

It's Totally Tubular Man!

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

Ah the surf! Totally "stoked" man.... the waves hitting the shore and the surfers hitting the waves.  

Grab your long board, head out to the point break and line-up dude.  

As the Beach Boys say... "Catch a wave and you're sitting on top of the world".  

I know I know, it's not summer yet.  I just thought we could get a head start and forget about all of the cold weather of winter.  Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. 

So, to get you in the mood we are offering up a little surf and turf, some cool surf guitar slingers and what else... a Mai Tai.  Aloha Baby!

The Pots Are On...

The Plate...

Filet Mignon / Creamy Shrimp & Crab

Did I mention that I love steak... especially a good Filet.  I also love seafood... any seafood.  So, this for me, is the best of both worlds; especially when I want to indulge.  

Nothing more decedent than a little "Surf & Turf" with cream sauce.  Thought about a little Bearnaise or Hollandaise, but that's way to much work.  Trust me, you can't go wrong with a little wine, garlic and heavy cream. 

Ok, I promise that later we will have an offering on the "lighter side", but today... 

We eat like "Da Big Kahuna". 

What you need...

2 Filet Mignon

4 extra large shrimp

1 lb of Alaskan King Crab legs 

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 tblsp olive oil

1 pint of heavy cream

3 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1 stick of butter

What you do... 

Saute the garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Boil the Crab legs, remove the shell and retain the meat in a small bowl.

Set your grill to medium high.

Olive oil, salt and pepper Filets and bring to room temperature.

Sear the filets 3 minutes per side then move to cooler part of grill.

Olive oil, salt and pepper shrimp add to grill. 

Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side. 

To make the sauce - 

Add the sautéed garlic, white wine to a small pan on low heat and reduce by half.

Stir in the heavy cream and boil till smooth. 

Turn heat back down to low and add 3 tblsp of butter.

Stir continually until the butter is melted.

Remove filets and let them rest for at least 5 minutes.

Plate the filets, top with shrimp and crab.

Cover with sauce and garnish with parsley, (if you're feeling fancy).

Crank up the music and careful with that "air guitar" while you're eating.

The Playlist...

Surf's Up

Oh yeah... a little "Surf" music for ya; not just any surf music, but today we are featuring  the virtuosos of the "Surf Guitar".

Surf music first began to gain recognition in the 60's with the likes of the Beach Boys, The Ventures, Dick Dale and countless others. It was always the guitar slinging surfers that caught my attention.
And, as we do, you'll find some old, some new and some you probably never heard.

You gotta love old Dick Dale's Miserlou, but how about Stevie Ray and Dick's remake of Pipeline... Awesome!

There are a lot of hidden gems here, so grab your Mai Tai and enjoy.

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

The Bar...

The Mai Tai

What you need...

1 oz dark rum

1 oz Amaretto

3 oz Orange juice

3 oz Pineapple juice

Dash of Grenadine 

Pineapple and cherry for garnish

Mix rum, amaretto, orange and pineapple juice in shaker with ice. Shake, pour into cocktail glass.

Add the grenadine and garnish with pineapple wedge and cherry.  

Cowabunga Dude!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Mahalo!