Shut Your Mouth

I'm Just Talkin' Bout Shaft!

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

He's a complicated man, no one understands him but his woman.

The 70's... psychedelic and super cool, especially with that awesome music from the movies. They came out one right after the other... Shaft, Superfly, Foxy Brown and Willie Dynamite. A whole new genre was born. Superfly was even billed as "Hotter than Bond and Cooler than Bullit".

So today we pay homage to the super cool dudes and ladies with some Badass BBQ, a cocktail to get you ready for the streets and of course... that awesome music. 

Here's to the "cat that won't cop out" and "the man that would risk his neck for his brother man".

The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Badass BBQ Ribs

When you're talking about "Badass dudes" and music I always think about Memphis and when I think about Memphis I think about BBQ. Memphis is not only the home great BBQ but also the legendary Stax records (best known for cranking out a lot of this great music). 

We love us some BBQ spare ribs. With this recipe you will impress your guest with the great aroma of hickory, BBQ sauce and the ribs smoking away on the grill.  Let's get started...

What you need... 

1 slab of pork spare ribs
1 package of Hickory chips
a good dry rub & sauce

For the dry rub-
4 oz paprika
2 oz sugar
1 tsp onion powder

For the "Badass Sauce"-
16 oz ketchup
8 oz water
1 chipotle pepper
1 tbsp adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers)
3 oz brown sugar
3 oz white sugar
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp dry mustard powder
1oz lemon juice
1oz Worcestershire sauce
4 oz apple cider vinegar
1 oz light corn syrup

What you do...

Ok ... we have a dry rub for a marinade and then the "sauce" for serving. 

First you need to prep the meat by pulling off the membrane. 

Then cut off the excess fat. 

Season both sides of the slab with the dry rub and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

Soak your hickory chips for 30 min. and preheat your grill to 275 degrees with coals on one side to create a hot side and cool side. 

Place the slab on the grill away from the hot coals using indirect heat. 

Cook for about 2 1/2 hours "curl side" up.

Flip the slab over to finish cooking for 1 hour.

Baste ribbs with sauce for the final 30 minutes. 

For the sauce-

Combine all ingredients in a stockpot and bring to a boil.

Stirring often to prevent sticking.

Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for at least 2 hours. 

The Playlist...

Shut Your Mouth

Did I mention how awesome this music is. I always loved the Stax records sound; very cool, very clean and very hip. Of course there are other labels as well, but for me the anchor was always Isaac Hayes with Stax records. 

It really doesn't matter the label I guess because we're talking legends here.

Think Issac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield and Tower of Power. They just don't make music like that anymore kids. 

Some are one hit wonders... check out William DeVaughn on "Be Thankful For What You've Got". 

And of the course the legends... love Curtis Mayfield and the whole "Superfly" soundtrack. 

We also have some of the newer superstars... Lenny Kravitz does a great job with "Billy Jack". 

And if you didn't know "What is hip?"... you do now. 

             The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen toShut Your Mouth

The Bar... 

The Superfly

What you need... 

2 oz Gin

2 oz fresh lime juice

6 oz ginger ale

ice

What you do...

Add the ice first.

Then add the Gin followed by the lime juice.

Fill to the top with ginger ale.

Garnish with lime wedge

Hotter Than Bond...

Cooler Than Bullit!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Down In Dixie

Put Some South In Your Mouth

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

Let's go on over to Willie and Lauramae's place and see what's cookin'. Drop-in friends are the best aren't they?

I think it's pretty much a phenomenon of the south though. Don't really see a bunch of folks just stopping by anywhere else. 

That's why you should always have a pot of coffee on, a pitcher of sweet tea and maybe some beer and wine... just in case. 

Well we're in luck cause Miss Mae's got some sweet tea made, some fried green tomato sandwiches with homemade potato chips and some good ole southern music on the phonograph. 

Pull up a rocker...

The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Fried Green Tomato Sandwich / Garlic Potato Chips

What you need... 

For the sandwich-

6 medium green tomatoes

1 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

Kosher salt

3 tbsp pickling spice

1 handful fresh dill

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of cornmeal

1 tbsp chili powder

4 large eggs

peanut oil for frying

12 slices brioche bread

Yellow and red tomatoes, sliced

The Potato Chips-

3 large russet potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves of garlic / minced

2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

Ketchup for serving

What you do...

The sandwich-

Slice the green tomatoes 1/4 inch thick and place in a large bowl.

Combine the vinegar, sugar and 1 tbsp salt in a saucepan.

Tie the picking spice in a tea ball or cheese cloth and add to the saucepan along with the dill.

Simmer over medium heat stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Add 2 cups of cold water and pour over the green tomatoes.

Let them sit at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, chili powder and 1 tsp salt in a shallow dish.

Whisk the eggs 2 tbsp water and 1 tsp salt in another dish.

Dredge the green tomato slices in the flour mix then dip in the egg mix then back in the flour.

Fry in the hot oil, turning only once until the crust is golden (about 3-4 minutes per side).

Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

Spread each slice of bread with spicy Mayo then layer the fried green tomatoes then top with the yellow and red.

Now that's a sandwich!

For the chips-

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place two rating sheet trays in the oven to heat up (this will help keep the potatoes from sticking).

Wash and lightly scrub the potatoes.

Slice the potatoes using a mandoline into thin strips.

Place in a large bowl of water to remove excess starch.

Drain well and pat dry.

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic and salt & pepper.

Add the potato planks and toss to coat.

Remove the hot trays from the oven and set the planks on the trays in a singe even layer. 

Lightly sprinkle the paprika on the potatoes then place the trays back int eh oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping the potatoes half way through. 

Remove from the trays and season with salt.

The Playlist... 

Down In Dixie

All about the South... from New Orleans, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and those old "Cotton Fields " of home; it's all here. 

Love Marc Broussard's "Home", and check out the "Muscle Shoals-version" of "Simple Man" & "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd". 

We've covered pretty much all the bases. So, grab your sweet tea, kick back and relax.

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Down In Dixie

The Bar... 

Sweet Tea Sangria

What you need... 

1/2 lemon sliced

1/2 orange sliced

1/2 cup cherries

1 Granny Smith apple chopped

1/2 cup simple syrup

2 cups Rose' Wine

1 cup vodka

6 tea bags

Fresh Mint for garnish 

What you do...

Make the simple syrup and let cool

Steep the tea bags in 36 oz boiling water (about 10 minutes)

Squeeze juice from the citrus into a pitcher and add the syrup

Add the cooled tea, cherries wine and vodka

Let it chill for a couple of hours

Serve in tall glass or mason jars

Spoon in some of the fruit and top off with mint

Lauramae Ain't Waitin' Supper On Y'all All Night

Come And Get It!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Somethin' 'Bout A Boat

 Sittin' On The Sea

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

Out there in the wind, floatin' on the free... ain't it great?
As Kenny Chesney says- "Vessels of freedom, harbors of heeling... Boats."

For me, there is nothing better than sailing to nowhere. All you need is a great cocktail, a little something to snack on and a playlist full of laid back tunes. Boy, are you in luck...

For todays excursion we're grillin' up some Maple Bacon chicken bites and washing it down with a great Ginger beer / rum cocktail. And you know we have some cool, laid back tunes for you... all about boats of course.

Grab your boat drinks and come aboard.

The pots are on!

The Playlist... 

Grilled Maple Bacon Chicken Bites

There is nothing better than maple syrup, bacon and grilled chicken! So we figured... hey, why not put 'em all together. Just a little walk-around snack that's easy to make and no mess. Just what you want while you're sailing on the high seas or floating around in the bay. 

What you need... 

1 1/2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast / cut into bite size chunks
12 slices of maple black pepper bacon / cut in half
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

What you do...

Mix the syrup, oil, salt, pepper and vinegar in a large resealable bag.
Add the chicken and turn to coat well.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place 2 layers of paper towels on a microwavable plate.
Place the bacon in a single layer on the paper towels.
Cover with a layer of paper towels.
Microwave on high for 4 minutes.
Remove chicken from marinade and wrap a piece of bacon around each piece.
Thread each piece onto a skewer.
Grill skewers over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes.

The Playlist... 

Something 'Bout A Boat

Like Mishka says - "The ocean is my potion, I need vitamin sea." I mean... I could hang out all day and listen to songs about the sea, kinda like taking a virtual vacation. 

And whether you're taking your grandpa, your dog or even your horse... it's all good. Sailing is just great for whatever ails you.   You can be vindictive like Tonto ("If I Had a Boat") or just getting into trouble drinking all night with Grandpa ("Sloop John B").

One caveat of course is to heed the warning from Kenny Chesney - "Ol Joe got a Boston Whaler... he swears since the day he got her she's been nothing but a pain." 

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Something 'Bout A Boat

The Bar... 

Red Sky At Night

"Sailor's Delight"... yes indeed!

What you need... 

2 oz Rum 

4 oz Ginger beer

8-12 leaves of purple basil

2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice

crushed ice

lemon wedge

What you do...

In a lowball cocktail glass, add the purple basil leaves, lemon juice and a layer of crushed ice.

Muddle in glass until the leaves are crushed and the liquid has a reddish tint.

Add rum and stir.

Add the Ginger beer.

Garnish with basil and lemon wedge

Best enjoyed in the cockpit of a sailboat on the ocean at sunset.

Somethin' 'Bout A Boat...

Gives A Man Hope.

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!