Blues You Can Use

Here's To The Guitar Slingers

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

Like bluesman Bryan Lee says... "Do you wanna Boogie?... I don't, I want to melt your skull!" We mention Bryan because, not only is he a great blues guitarist in his own right, but he helped discover Mr. Kenny Wayne Shepard (pictured above). At the age of 13 Bryan brought him onstage to play to play the blues. And, as they say... the rest is history. Check him out on Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile". 

This is truly some of my favorite music and food. Put on some blues, put a pizza on the grill, give me a cold libation and I'm good to go. 

Sometimes you just gotta crank it! It's kind of like primal scream therapy. It's good for what ails you.  

And, in the words of Bryan Lee... "put the pots on, cause we're cookin'!" 

The Pots Are On...

The Plate...

Char-Grilled Spicy Italian Sausage Pizza

Ok, this is so quick, easy and delicious you're going to want to make it all the time. You can make your own pizza dough or even buy pizza dough in your deli section at the store.  I really live the convenience of having it already made. And, Mama Mary's is good stuff.

You'll want to mess around with your own ingredients. We've even had pizza parties where we give everyone there own crust and set up a "buffet" of ingredients. So, play around with it and have fun.

What you need... 

1/2 lb Italian sausage / sliced

1 yellow pepper / roasted and chopped

1 jalapeño / roasted and chopped

olive oil

Mama Mary's thin & crispy pre-made pizza crust

1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese (slice and pat dry with paper towel to remove water)

2 tbsp Italian seasoning

3-4 tbsp of your favorite Marinara sauce

What you do...

Grill the sausage in a medium sauce pan until golden brown. (about 10 minutes)

Add the yellow peppers and jalapeño and cook until soft.

Heat your grill to high - 500 -600 degrees.

Brush the "top" side of your pizza crust with olive oil and put olive oil side down on the grill for 1-2 minutes.

Brush the "bottom" side of the pizza crust with olive oil and flip cooking for 1-2 minutes. 

Add the marinara sauce, then cheese, peppers, jalapeño and sausage. 

Close grill and cook for 3-4 minutes until the cheese melts and top with Italian seasoning. 

The Playlist...

Guitar Slingers - Blues You Can Use

Every now and again you gotta let loose...  get loud and crazy.  Well, here's some "blues you can use"... guitar slingers at their best.  

Kenny Wayne, Billy Gibbons, Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray... they are all here. As usual we have some old, some new and some you probably never heard. They all have one thing in common. They can flat tear up a guitar. 

I love Billy Gibbons on ZZ Top's first album playing the "Hendrix" inspired "Brown Sugar". Not to mention Big Head Todd covering John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom"; greatest blues song ever. 

Like Stevie Ray says - "I use strings as thick as barbed wire, tune em down and play em hard".  Rock on my brothers and sisters!

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

The Bar...

Ginger Beer Sangria

What you need...

2 oz Ginger Beer

2 oz Vodka

4 oz fruity white wine

2 oz sour mix

slice lemon 

slice orange

1 strawberry / sliced

2-3 raspberries

2-3 blueberries

• 
  

• What you do...
• Mix everything together except the ginger beer. 
• Let it set up for at least an hour.
• Pour into tall glass and top off with ginger beer.  
• 
  

Tune em Down...

And Play em Hard! - SRV

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Sky Bed

Dream A Little Dream. 

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

Luxuriously self indulgent... that's what we are all about this evening. 

Just imagine laying in a bed that is hanging from an arbor, on the third floor of your beach house, listening to the ocean, enjoying the cool breeze of the night air... got it? Welcome to the Sky Bed. 

I can't think of a better way to spend an evening. Grab a cocktail, turn on some music and lazily graze on a few decadent snacks you put together earlier. Just lay back and relax... we got this.

The Pots Are On!

The Plate...

Garlic Hummus, Goat Cheese Peppadew Peppers & Strawberry Chocolate Shots

Just a little something to help pass the time as you sip on your cocktail listening to the ocean waves hit the shore. Forget about dinner. 

Sometimes you just need to gear down and enjoy the night. We've put together a little sampling of some of our favorite apps for your lounging pleasure. Just be careful with the strawberries... they are addictive. 

What you need... 

The Hummus - 
4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas / drained (keep the liquid)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup sesame paste
6 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tbsp of the liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes of hot sauce


The Peppadews - 

Peppadew Peppers / (usually in the deli area or by the olives)

5 oz goat cheese

1 zip lock bag

chives / finely chopped

The Strawberries - 

Large strawberries
Chocolate bars for melting
Godiva liquor
Chocolate syrup

What you do...

The Hummus - 
Throw garlic into your food processor and mince.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and puree.
Serve at room temperature.

The Peppadews - 
Place goat cheese in a zip lock bag and cut a small hole in the bottom corner.
Squeeze the cheese into the Peppadew peppers.
Garnish with chives.

The Strawberries - 
Cut the bottom off the strawberries to make a base so they can stand up.
Scoop ou the middle.
Dip them into the melted chocolate, place on parchment lined pan and put in freezer.
When you're ready... take them out and fill with 1 part chocolate syrup / 1 part Godiva liquor.

Complete your platter with assorted cheese, crackers and maybe some prosciutto.

The Playlist...

The Sky Bed

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

The Bar...

Lush

What you need... 

Ice

1 oz Vodka

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

1 oz Elderflower liqueur 

2 oz chilled rose' champagne

Small frozen red grapes

What you do...

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Add the vodka, Grand Marnier and Elderflower and shake well.
3. Strain into a chilled martini glass, top with Champagne and garnish with grapes. 

Sweet dreams. 

Keep Calm...

And Have Another Shot!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Al Fresco On The High Seas

Ahhh.... The Great Outdoors

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

Hey, if you're gonna eat "Al Fresco", then let's do it right.  Dining out on the boat on the high seas... does it get any better than this?  I don't think so. As you know, I'd rather be sailing to nowhere than doing anything on land. 

Love to dine and entertain outside, but just thought we'd take it up a notch.  Just sailing around, listening to some laid back tunes and have a cocktail or two. Enjoying friends, good food and conversation. 

This week we tried to be a little healthier while we set sail. So, take a load off and come on board.

The Pots Are On...

The Plate...

Shrimp Burgers / Spicy Avocado Aioli

See... something just a little healthier for you as well as a little different flavor for your grilling pleasure. Plus it kinda fits in with the whole sailing thing. And, it's pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. Of course we had to throw a little spice in there... and some awesome Avocado Aioli.

I think you're gonna like it. 

What you need... 

1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 egg
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 garlic clove
3/4 cup bread crumbs/whatever kind you like
1 poblano pepper / roasted, peeled and chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 hamburger buns
3 medium tomatoes / sliced
some mix greens

for the Aioli:

1 avocado / halved pitted and peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves
1 serrano pepper / leave the seeds in if you want it hot
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

What you do...

Combine the shrimp, egg, cilantro, garlic bread crumbs, poblano, salt and pepper in a food processor.
Mix into a puree.
Form into 6 patties and set aside.
Set your grill to medium-high heat about 400 degrees.
Brush the patties with oil and grill until golden. (about 3 minutes per side)


For the Aioli:
Scoop the avocado into the food processor.
Add the mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, serrano and cilantro.
Mix until smooth.
Salt and pepper to taste.

The Playlist...

Al Fresco On The High Seas

Just sit back listen to the waves hitting the side of the boat as you listen to Bob sing Redemption Song to you. What a great day, huh?

We put together some of my favorites to play while your hanging out on the open seas. Love Jack Johnson teaming up with Eddie Vedder and Zach Gill on "I shall be release"... great song.

Oh course we threw in some "acoustic reggae" from another favorite, Mishka... check out "Coastline Journey", very nice.

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

The Bar...

Lola 

What you need...

2 oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

1 oz sweet vermouth 

2 dashes Angostura biters

Top off with Cherry Cola

Orange wedge for garnish

I Think I'm In Dire Need...

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Tailgatin'

Get Your Game On!

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

Are you ready for some football? You know the party is comin' to your Ci-tay!!!

Every year about this time, we gear up for an event that may be bigger than the game itself... The Tailgate.

There's no other place that you can have a "Party in the Parking Lot". Grilling, drinking, eating, dancing and cheering... ain't nothing better.

So get tricked out. Set up your tent, crank up the tunes, haul out the coolers, get out your horseshoes, Corn Holes and Beer Pong tables... It's time to get your game on!

The Pots Are On!

The Plate...

T's Buffalo Chicken Dip & Atomic Shrooms

Ok, we're firing it up for the tailgate, so you might want to grab your cocktail or beer before you continue. Here's a couple of great apps for the pre-game that you can make ahead.

First off you can get your Buffalo Wing fix without all the mess. Simple and easy, served with crackers or on celery sticks. Saves you a bunch on paper towels and man is it good. Thanks Ms. T.

Second, we fire it up a little more with Atomic Shrooms... you know you want one, but don't stop, cause that's when the heat comes. Another easy one that you can also make ahead. Hey, we're looking out for ya' man.

Ok, grab another cocktail...

What you need... 

T's Buffalo Chicken Dip 

8 oz cream cheese (1 tub)
8 oz blue cheese dressing (enough to cover the cream cheese)
4 or so cups of rotisserie chicken
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6-8 oz Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce

Atomic Shrooms 

7-8 oz Andouille sausage
Splash of whiskey, about 1/4 cup
18 large white mushrooms
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Serrano pepper, finely chopped (seeds in hot/seeds out not as hot)
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup Manchego cheese, grated

What you do...

For the Dip 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of an oven safe dish.

Shred the chicken and cover the cream cheese completely. 

Cover the chicken with the wing sauce.

Spread a layer of blue cheese dressing over the top.

Top it all of with the cheddar cheese. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted. 

Serve with celery sticks, crackers or chips. 

For the Shrooms 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the andouille into 1 inch chunks and put them in a food processor.
Pulse until finely chopped and set aside.
Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Mince about half of the stems in the food processor.
Brush the mushroom caps with olive oil and set on a baking sheet.

Pour olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the andouille.
Cook about 3 minutes.
Add the minced mushrooms and Serrano peppers.
Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Add splash of whiskey to deglaze the pan.
Now throw in the bread crumbs and mix all together in the pan.
Stir in the Manchego cheese.

Stuff the mushroom caps with the filling.
Bake until stuffing is lightly browned... about 20 minutes.

The Playlist...

Tailgatin'

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

Y'all Ready?!!!

The Bar...

Sweet & Sour Saturday

What you need...

3 oz Sweet & Sour mix

3 oz Cherry Cola

2 oz Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry 

Cherries and slice of lime for garnish

What you do... 

Pour everything in your shaker. 

Shake 'em up and pour into your favorite "Tailgatin'" glass.

Garnish with cherries and lime. 

Nothing else says it's football time in the south like Southern Comfort - "Get your game on!"

Get Your Game On Y'all!

Thanks, Ms. T! Cheers!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!