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'!

HOB

Ain't Nothin' But The Blues!

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

Today we're gonna take you on a little trip down the "Blues Trail". Come and take a listen to the "history of the blues"... and of course enjoy some good southern cooking and a little whiskey. 

When it's cold out there's nothing better than a little chili and some blues. Whether you were "Born Under a Bad Sign" or you "See The Light"... you just gotta love the blues. 

Come on in... The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Bar-B-Q Brisket Chili

Oh yeah... Bar-B-Q Brisket Chili. This is a smoky hot bowl of deliciousness! And, like we said the perfect companion for the blues on a cold winter's night. Make it spicy or make it mild... your choice.

What you need... 

1 lb chopped / cooked brisket  (See"Serving it up Texas Style") 

2 cups diced onion

3/4 cup chopped jalapeños (take out the seeds if you don't want it hot)

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

32 oz beef stock

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

5 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp adobo sauce from canned chipotles

1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp chipotle powder

1 1/2 garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cumin

2 tbsp corn flour

32 oz fritos

Cheddar cheese, diced red onions, fresh sliced jalapeños and sour cream for serving

What you do...

Set a medium pot over medium heat and add the onions, jalapeños, garlic, butter, oil, salt and pepper.

Sweat the vegetables until tender. 

Add the beef stock, tomatoes, chili powder adobo sauce, salt, tomato paste chipotle powder, onion powder.

Add the brisket to the chili. In a small bowl, whisk the corn flour into 1 cup of warm water then add to the chili.

Simmer for 10 minutes stirring often.

Serve in bowls topped with Cheese, onions, jalapeños and a shot of sour cream. 

For fun... cut open small bags of Fritos and ladle chili into bag.

The Playlist... HOB

Starting off with Blind Lemon and then head on down to the "Crossroads". Love the passion of the blues, especially in the early days with just an acoustic guitar by your side. Either the Devil is messing with ya or you lost your women... or you just want to go back to "Sweet Home Chicago"; there's always something happening with the blues. 

Things get revved up when Muddy Waters started talking starts talking about not only being a man, but a "Hoochie Coochie" man. 

Then several years later a guy named Jimi took us to the "Red House". And if that wasn't enough... Stevie Ray Vaughan turns it up a notch when he first talked about his "Pride and Joy"!

These are all "blues you can use"... crank it up and have another shot of whiskey.

           The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to History of the Blues

The Bar... 

Beer With Whiskey Back

Whiskey Back... Beer Back- "Backs" refer to a shot served to "chase" whatever your drink of choice. In this case a beer (your choice) with a shot of whiskey (again, your choice). You could choose a spicy Sangrita with a shot of tequila or maybe a Bloody Mary with a beer back (aka a BMW). Your choice, your drink ... your Blues Companion. Enjoy!

Just Crank It Up!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!