Bad To The Bone

On The Mend!

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

Had your shoulder, knee, hip or (anything else for that matter) replaced? We feel for you and know how it feels to be jacked up, laid up and tore up... no fun!

Well kids... when you're on "the Mend", there's only one thing to do. Mix up a good cocktail, eat well, sit back and enjoy some tunes. 

Today, with the help of our good friend and Director of research Ian Doige, we have assembled the perfect mix for your recovery.  

It's all gonna be fine... pull up a chair and put your feet up.

The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Smoked Pork Butt

Well... when you have a little time on your hands and you feel like your own butt has been smoked there's only one thing to do. Pull up a chair and smoke a big ole butt yourself. It definitely cures what ails you. 

We'll start with a little marinade, some dry rub and some glue... Yep, some glue. Don't worry, it's all gonna be fine. 

What you need... 

The marinade-

2 cups cider vinegar

1 cup corn oil

1 can pineapple concentrate

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup smoked paprika

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

!/4 cup fresh ground pepper

1 chicken bouillon cube / dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water

The dry rub - 

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup of salt

1/3 cup black pepper

1/4 cup smoked paprika

1 tbsp each- garlic, onion chili powder

1 tbsp each- celery salt, ground cumin, sage and cayenne pepper

The Glue-

2 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp honey

And don't forget - 

1 pork butt / about 5-6 pounds

you'll also need some apple or hickory chips soaked in water for about an hour

What you do...

Marinade-

Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together.

Put about a cup of the marinade to the side to use for basting.

Inject a little marinade (with a cajun injector) into the butt in several places.

Place the butt in a big ole resealable bag and cover with the remaining marinade.

Marinate in the fridge overnight.

The Rub-

Take the pork but out of the fridge and pat dry.

Cover the pork with a coat of the "glue" and sprinkle with the dry rub mixture.

Smoking-

Set your grill up for indirect heat. One side hot (where the coals are) and one side cool (no coals)

You want your grill to be about 225-250 degrees.

Add the wood chips to the grill and your off.

Place the pork butt on the grill (on the cool side).

After 2 hours baste with the marinade and cook for 1 more hour.

Baste again and cook for 1 more hour. Repeat one more time (we are now 5 hours in).

Remove the pork from the grill and wrap in aluminum foil and return to the grill until the pork butt Reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees. 

Remove from the heat and let it stand for about 15 minutes. 

Slice or pull apart with large forks. 

Enjoy!

The Playlist... 

Bad To The Bone

Well... feeling "Bad to the Bone"? Just sit back and crank up the tunes. Hopefully these will help take your mind off the pain. If not take another pill. 

Tracy can tell you how you got into this mess with his anatomy class. And when you go to rehab and break out in a "Cold Sweat" for goodness sake just jump up and do the "Hippy Hippy Shake"!

It's all good... 

           The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Bad To The Bone

Just take two of these 

and call me in the morning... Thank you Dr. Ian

The Bar... 

Bone Shaker

What you need...

2 oz Gin
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz Rosewater
Dash of vanilla extract
1 fresh egg white
2 oz heavy cream
soda water
Mint for garnish

What you do...

Combine all ingredients except soda water in a shaker.

Add ice and shake shake shake. 

Pour into glass without the ice and add a splash of soda water.

You should be able to stand a straw up in the froth.

Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Drink it down... now don't you feel better?

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Roots

Back Where We Belong

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

Unfiltered, not overproduced and pure... that's the thought of the day as we get back to our roots!

Today it's all about pure comfort, taking us back to a place we all belong. We've got some Sweet'n Spicy Chicken with Blue Agave, an old fashioned cocktail and a playlist that will take you back to your roots. 

Come on in... The Pots are on!

The Plate... 

Sweet'n Spicy Chili Chicken / Blue Agave

If you are getting back to your roots there's nothing better than some good ole fried chicken... unless of course you kick it up a notch with a little spice. We did just that, but then through in a little sweetness with the Blue Agave syrup. 

Now you need to do a little planning for this one by brining the chicken ahead of time... don't worry, it's worth it!

What you need... 

1 4-5 lb chicken / cut into 10 pieces

4 cups warm water 

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup lime juice

4 dry papilla chilies / remove all seeds and stems

4 dry ancho chiles / remove all seeds and stems

salt and pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

2 limes zested

Vegetable oil for frying

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch (secret ingredient)

Salt and pepper

2 eggs 1/4 cup milk

lime wedges for garnish

Blue Agave Nectar

What you do...

Brine - In a large bowl or container add the water, salt, sugar and lime juice and stir until dissolved.

Add the chicken and refrigerate overnight.

For the dry rub - Cut or tear apart the chiles into small pieces and toast on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes.

transfer the chiles to a food processor and add salt, garlic powder and lime zest.

Pulse until you have a "coarse" powder. 

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.

Add the chicken to a bowl and coat with the dry rub. 

Let it rest on the countertop until the chicken come to room temperature.

Now get a heavy pot and heat enough oil to come about halfway up the pot.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees.

Now set up the dredging. 

Put the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large paper bag or large zip lock.

In a separate bowl or pan whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. 

Now dredge the chicken (one piece at a time) in the bag first then the wet mix.

Then back to the bag. (you may want to use thongs for this part)

Shake off the excess and place the chicken in the oil to fry.

Be sure to keep the temp up to 350 so only 2-3 pieces at a time.

Fry until golden brown and cooked through ( about 10 minutes)

Remove the chicken and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Arrange the chicken on a platter squirt a little lime juice on them followed by a drizzle of Blue Agave nectar. 

The Playlist... 

Roots

Just love it when music is unfiltered, not overproduced, and processed. Today we've put together a playlist with some of the newest and hottest artist that do just that. They play from the heart... pure  untouched and uncensored.

Pure to the soul... enjoy!

  The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to  Roots

The Bar... 

Improved Old Fashion

What you need...

2 oz bourbon

1 tsp simple syrup

1/2 tsp maraschino liqueur

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 dash of absinthe

Lemon zest and peel for garnish

What you do...

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail glass with ice.

top with the lemon zest and add the lemon peel.

Untouched, Uncensored...

And Pure Soul!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Beach Vibe

Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe

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

Spring break... How about a beach break? Got spring fever, got a beach vibe? We're here to help. 

Grab your long board, flip flops and floats... time to head south and get out of these winter blues. 

Today we've got an easy roasted Halibut recipe, some cool laid back tunes and if that's not enough we'll throw in a little "Painkiller". 

Feelin' good we're feelin' alright Yeah! ... The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Herb Roasted Halibut

Ok, this is one of the easiest and most tasty dishes we know of. We promise you that this will be so of the best flakey, flavorful fish you've ever had.

And just in case the weather is not cooperating you can prepare this inside in a matter of minutes and just pretend you're at the beach.

What you need... 

8 oz fresh Halibut
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large sprig of thyme
2 garlic or jalapeño stuffed olives
1 egg

What you do...

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place the fish on a piece of parchment paper.

Season the fish with salt and pepper.

Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over fish. 

Lay the thyme on top and place the olives next to the fish.

Beat the egg together with 1 tbsp of water to make an egg wash. 

Brush the egg wash around the edges of the parchment paper.

Now fold the edge of the parchment paper under and around the fish make a little package.

Place the package on a baking sheet and cook for 12-15 minutes util cooke through.

Serve hot in the parchment paper. 

The Playlist... 

Beach Vibe

As usual, a little old a little new, but all good. Starting us off is Pepper with "Stone Love"... kinda how we feel about the beach. Or maybe it's better described as "True Love". Either way, it's all good. 

"Just follow the sun"and you will start singing "I shall be released" then you'll feel the "Pressure drop"!

Wonderful world, beautiful people... it's all good. And when you're on the beach (like Donavon says) "If it don't matter to you, It don't matter to me"!

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Beach Vibe

The Bar... 

Painkiller

What you need... 

2 oz Pusser's Rum 

4 oz Pineapple juice

1 oz Orange juice

1 oz cream of coconut 

fresh grated nutmeg

Fresh mint

What you do...

Pour all of the liquid ingredients into a glass filled with ice.

Shave fresh nutmeg on top and garnish with mint.

You Need Some Vitamin Sea!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Italia

Life Is Short... Mangia Bene!

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

Ciao Bella... today we're talking pasta... we're talking fine wine... we're talking about music with passion. You in?... that's what we thought. 

I'm telling you, some people just know how to live right. So with that in mind, we're gonna show you how to create an Italian bistro right in your own place. 

Tonight's specials are  Linguine cooked in a rich red sauce with spicy Italian sausage with capers and Feta cheese, a wonderful Sangiovese wine and some beautiful music. 

Light the candles... The pots are on!

The Plate...  

Linguine Con Salsiccia Piccante Italiano 

Not your Mama's Spaghetti... This pasta is sweet and spicy with a little bit of brininess from the capers, a little cheese and a lot of flavor. It's easy to make and we think you're gonna love it. All we can say is Ciao Bella.

What you need... 

Extra-virgin olive oil
1-1 1/2 lbs spicy Italian sausage
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
20 oz crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp parsley
3 tbsp fresh basil / chopped
3 tbsp capers
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Splash of wine to deglaze
1 lb of Linguine
8 oz Feta cheese, crumbled

What you do...

In a large skillet, heat the oil then add the sausages. 

Add the onions and garlic.

Cook until the sausage is no longer pink and the onions and garlic are soft.

Add the tomatoes, oregano, parsley and basil and turn down to simmer.

Add a splash of wine to deglaze the pan.

Continue for about 20-30 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Add the capers and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. 

In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the directions. 

Once strained, place the pasta in a serving bowl.

Toss with the sauce and add the feta right before serving.

The Playlist... 

Italia

Is there anything more romantic and passionate than Italian music... don't think so. 

Luciano starts us off with the hope in tomorrow "Domani Verra". Can't think of a better way to start. 

There are many great classics here, along with a few newer selections. Check out Chris Botti with a couple of selections from his "Italia" compilation, including the song "Italia" with Andrea Bocelli. 

So sit back, have some wine and take it all in. 

la vita è bella

                         The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Italia

The Bar... 

Tignanello Super Tuscan

From one of the oldest wineries in Italy...the Antinori family. And this is one of their best.

This was the first Sangiovese to be aged in barriques, and the first red wine to be blended with non-traditional varieties.  It is made from Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The wine is aged in wine barrels for 12 months and then for another 12 months in the bottle.

One of our favorites... if you are lucky enough to find a 2010 vintage buy all you can. 

Life Is Short...

Eat Well And Enjoy!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Game On 2016

Welcome To The Show

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

This is it... the big "L", or I guess the "marketing folks" like to just say "50"... looks better on T-shirts I guess. And once again we have the controversy of the game being played in one place with all the credit going to the big city... Santa Clara vs San Francisco . It's always something. 

Today we're bringing back an old favorite Buffalo Chicken Sliders, some Winter Sangria and an updated "Game On" playlist. Fire up that grill!

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Today we revisit one of our favorites.

Love me some chicken wings, but not always the easiest thing to eat without a roll of paper towels handy.  These are great cause they're not quite as messy and hey, they're grilled, so that's got to count for something.  Not to mention those awesome Hawaiian rolls.  You got the hot with the sweet with the tangy.

What more could you ask for?

What you need... 

1 lb boneless chicken breast
2 packs of Kings Hawaiian sweet rolls

2 tblsp olive oil

salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup "Frank's" wing sauce
3 tblsp butter
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup of celery, rough chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tblsp white wine vinegar

What you do... 

Chicken

Brush the chicken with olive oil then add salt & pepper.
Heat grill to medium high heat.
Grill the chicken over medium high heat.  

About 3-4 minutes per side, until they are golden brown. 

Combine the hot sauce, butter, paprika and apple cider vinegar to a medium sauce pan.

Place on the pan on the grill and stir melt and mix all together. 

Now dip the cooked chicken into the saucepan to coat. 

Grill for about one minute per side to glaze the chicken with the hot sauce.

Cut chicken into bite size portions and serve on Hawaiian rolls with Blue Cheese sauce. 

Blue Cheese Sauce

Combine the mayonnaise, blue cheese, celery vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. 

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Playlist... 

Game On 2016!

Woohoo... the house is rockin' baby!  

This is the big one! Numero 50 or the big "L"... so you need some of that high energy to keep the crowd moving.  

As usual we have a little old and a little new.  With Beyonce and Coldplay and who knows who else... they'll be partying at the half.  But, you can't wait for the half... you gotta get your party on now!

... so come on and jump on the "Crazy Train".

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Game On

The Bar...

Winter Sangria

What you need...

1 cup blood orange juice
1 750ml bottle Malbec or similar red wine
1/2 cup orange liqueur like Cointreau
1 cup dark rum
4 cups liter lemon-lime soda
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tblsp agave nectar
1 cinnamon stick
1 Blood orange or regular orange
1 ruby grapefruit
1 pear, peeled and chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped

What you do...

Add the apple, orange, pear and grapefruit to a large pitcher and squeeze the lemon juice on top.  Muddle the fruit with a wooden spoon.
Add the red wine, rum, liqueur and stir.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 2 hours.
Add orange juice and agave nectar.
top off with the lemon lime soda.
Garnish with cinnamon stick.

"The Man"... Vs

Superman

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Remembering Glenn

Take It Easy

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

An American singer, songwriter, producer, actor and founding member of the Eagles... Glenn Frey is a musical icon. He and the Eagles started a whole new genre of music... "the California Sound". 

Frey, Don Henley and Randy Meisner started there California journey as a back up band for Linda Ronstadt way back in the early 70's and as they say... the rest is history. 

So in honor of Mr. Frey we are all about that California thing today... Fajita Salad, a Tequila Sunrise and of course... tunes by Glenn Frey. Enjoy...

The Pots Are On!

The Plate... 

Fajita Salad

It doesn't get anymore Californian than a Fajita salad... easy to make, healthy and delicious. 

What you need... 

1 1/2 lbs Flank Steak
1 package of mixed greens
1 cup cilantro / chopped
2 scallions / chopped
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
1 green pepper / sliced
1 red pepper / sliced
1 medium onion / sliced
1/4 cup orange zest
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 lime zest
Sour cream

What you do...

Pulse the cilantro, scallion whites, chipotles, chili powder, lime juice, salt, pepper and olive oil in a food processor or blender.

Coat the steak with the paste. 

Toss the peppers and onion with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and salt.

Mix the greens with the remaining scallion greens, 1/4 cup cilantro in a large bowl.

Set a rack 6 inches from the boiler and preheat a pan for about 10 minutes.

Set the steak on the pan and surround with the peppers (don't cover the steak with the peppers).

Cook for about 12 minutes. 

Remove the steak to a platter and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Slice into thin strips.

Toss the vegetables and continue broiling until they are soft (about 8 more minutes).

Pour orange juice and zest, lie zest, 1 tbsp olive oil and salt over greens.

Arrange steak over top of the greens. 

Lightly spread sour cream over the top.

The Playlist... 

Remembering Glenn

Consolidating his solo recordings and those with the Eagles, Frey released 24 top 40 singles on the Billboard charts. He was also a winner of 6 Grammys and 5 American Music Awards. 

Take your pick... there are so many great songs written by Frey and his counter parts. Probably one of the best and the one that started it all is the song he co-wrote with Jackson Browne "Take It Easy". 

"Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona"...

Enjoy!

 
         The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to  Remembering Glenn

The Bar... 

Tequila Sunrise

What you need... 

2 oz silver tequila

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 oz grenadine

1 slice of orange 

1 maraschino cherry

ice

What you do...

Shake the tequila and orange juice together.

Fill a chilled 12 oz glass with ice and pour in orange/tequila mixture.

Slowly pour in th grenadine and allow it to settle to the bottom of the glass.

Garnish with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.

There's A Hole In the World Tonight

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

&

 Keep On Cookin'!

Can't Buy Me Love

For The Love Of Money

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

So you didn't win the lottery... well tomorrow's another day.

Just remember that money "Can't buy me love"... or as my granddaddy always said "but it can buy you something that looks a whole lot like it"! Ole Grandpa... what a kidder.

And, even though you didn't win you can still live it up. Let's celebrate with a little gourmet meal and a "Millionaire" cocktail. We'll put on some tunes to remind you that you should "be thankful for what you got".

The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Gourmet Grilled Cheese / Caramelized Onions

And... The Millionaire Salad

Ok, you can still pretend like you're rich without breaking the bank with these two awesome treats. What's not to like about grill cheese. And, if you jazz it up a little it's even better. 

And, do we really need to say anything about lobster? Anytime is a good time for lobster. 

What you need... 

The Grill Cheese-

2 tbsp canola oil

5 tbsp butter / softened

2 large onions / sliced

2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp sugar

12 slices Italian bread (ea about 1/2 inch thick)

8 oz Gruyere / thinly sliced

The Millionaire Salad-

2 1lb lobsters or lobster tails

8 oz mix salad greens

1 large ripe mango

1/3 cup peanut oil

fresh ground pepper

1/2 red onion / thinly sliced

3 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp lemon zest

kosher salt

What you do...

The Grill Cheese

Heat the canola oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. 

When the butter melts add the onion and cook until caramelized (a little brown, about 20 minutes).

Add the vinegar, sugar and 2 tbsp water.

Continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated. 

Transfer the onions to a bowl.

Butter 1 side of each bread slice. 

Lay 6 slices butter-side down on a work surface. 

Top each with 2 slices of cheese a little onion and then 2 more slices of cheese.

Top with another slice of bread (butter-side up).

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. 

Add the sandwiches and cook until the cheese begins to melt and the bread browns.

Flip and continue to cook until brown.

Cut in half and serve.

The Millionaire Salad-

Parboil the lobsters about 5-10 minutes

Remove the meat from the claws. Cut the tails in half lengthwise and remove the meat.

Put the lobster aside in the fridge for now.

Rinse and dry the salad greens / cut into bite-sized pieces.

Peel and cut the papaya into 1 inch chunks. Save the hull for serving.

Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the oil to the pan. 

Lightly pepper the lobster and add it along with the red onion to the pan.

Cook the lobster and onion for about 3 minutes turning frequently.

Remove the meat to a plate leaving the onion in the pan and remove from heat.

Add the sherry vinegar and lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Add any juice that has accumulated on the plate with the lobster meat.

Return the pan to medium heat and add the mixed salad greens.

Using tongs, continuously toss the salad until they are warmed not cooked (about 1 minute).

When the greens are warm, lift them out of the pan and fill papaya shells.

Fill with the lobster and papaya. 

Spoon the dressing from the pan over the salad and serve. 

Enjoy.

The Playlist... 

Can't Buy Me Love

And, just like the song says- "Dollar sign, dollar sign in your eyes. shiny things, diamond rings gonna make you blind. 

The best advice here is from our good friend Ben Harper when he sings about "Diamonds on the inside"... isn't that what you really want? 

Anyway, you didn't win... time to "Be Thankful For What You Got"!

         The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Can't Buy Me Love

The Bar... 

The Millionaire

So you're not a millionaire... you can at least drink like one.

What you need...

4 oz rye whiskey or bourbon

1 1/2 oz Grand Marnier

4 dashes pastis or bitters

1/2 oz grenadine

1/2 oz lemon juice

1 egg white

What you do...

Add rye (or bourbon), Grand Marnier, bitters (or pastis), grenadine, lemon juice (if using), and egg white to cocktail shaker without ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds to blend all ingredients.

Fill shaker 2/3 full with ice. Shake again, vigorously, until egg white is frothy and drink is well-chilled, about 30 seconds.

If you shake the drink very well, twice, before straining, you should emulsify all the white before any of it curdles, and you can simply strain the drink into two chilled coupe glasses. If you open the shaker and see a few curdled bits of white, double-strain by pouring it out of the shaker through a standard strainer into a fine mesh or tea strainer held above the chilled glasses.

Dollar Sign, Dollar Sign...

Make You Go Blind!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!