Day Drinkin'

Cheers!

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

You can't drink all day unless you start first thing in the morning... 

at least that's what they say!

So here's to just hanging out... whether your at the beach, the ballpark, strolling around sightseeing or just sitting around listening to a little music with your friends. 

Today we've whipped up a little rum and tequila concoction called a "Tropical Fishbowl Margarita"... What? Yes kids, a fishbowl full of margaritas. 

Now you need something to chomp on, so how about cooking up some "Drunken shrimp tacos"? Then we can crank up a little "Day-Drinkin'" music... Sounds good to me! 

Hey bartender... another round!

The pots are on!  

The Plate... 

Drunken Shrimp Tacos

Easy, quick and tasty... that's what you want when you're just hangin' out. 

And, if you really want to make this easy you can just grill the shrimp, pour em' on a platter and cover them with some Queso Fresco, Oaxaca or whatever cheese you like and serve with some chips. Voila!... Camarones con Queso!

What you need...

32 medium shrimp
2 oz white tequila
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 lime juiced, plus a couple of wedges for garnish
Canola oil
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup red cabbage
1/2 cup of quest fresco or jack cheese

Easy spicy mayonnaise-
1 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp light agave syrup
1 chipotle pepper, minced plus 1 tbsp of the adobo sauce sauce
Kosher salt

 What you do...

Make a marinade by combining the tequila, cumin, paprika, cayenne, garlic, lime juice and a little canola oil in a large bowl. 

Add the shrimp and toss well to coat. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Skewer the shrimp to prepare for the grill. 

Heat your grill to medium. Cook shrimp until pink. This will not take long. 

Remove the shrimp from the grill and place on a large platter. 

Add the shredded cheese, cilantro and lime juice over the top of the shrimp.

Combine the mayo, Mexican crema, lime juice, agave chipotle and adobo sauce to make the spicy Mayo.

Place large tortillas in a large nonstick sate pan or a flat grill sprayed with cooking oil. 

Warm for about 30 seconds on both sides.

To assemble place the shrimp inside a folded tortilla, top with spicy Mayo, cilantro and red cabbage.

Arriba! 

The Playlist...

Day Drinkin'

Well we've put together a collection of little dittys to sing along to. There seems to be a theme here. 

Some are cool, some are a little raunchy and some just plain ole fun. 

If you're headed to the beach then you have to have the Brothers Osborne's "Rum" on your playlist. If you're hanging out at the bar then Reckless Kelly or Blackberry Smoke seem about right. 

And, if you're just hanging out with friends... well it just doesn't matter. You're with friends so crank it up. 

Cheers!

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

The Bar... 

Tropical Fishbowl Margarita

Saw this on the "Tipsy Bartender". Love that guy. He makes a party out of just mixing a drink. Cool idea and what better concoction to enjoy with friends while you're "Day Drinkin'"!

What you need... 

6oz tequila
3oz coconut rum
2oz Triple Sec
2oz Peach Schnapps
1oz Lime Juice
6oz Pineapple Juice
1 Bottle of orange juice
Orange Slices
Lime Slices
Strawberries
24oz Corona beer bottle

What you do...

Take a large fish bowl and add about a quarter full of ice.
Place orange and lime slices along the side, wedged into the ice so they stand up on the side.
Now add the strawberry slices.
Pour in the tequila, rum, triple sec and Peach Schnapps.
Then pour in the orange juice followed by the Pineapple juice.
Last, placing your thumb over the top of the beer, place the open bottle upside down in the bowl.
Add straws and crank up the music.

As the Tipsy Bartender" says- "Put your lips on that!"

Well...

Alrighty Then!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

OZ

Guardians Of The Groove

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

WWOZ...  Probably one of my favorite radio stations on the planet.

Music that celebrates the cultural heritage of New Orleans and all that is Louisiana.
Every form of music is represented on OZ... jazz, blues, R&B, brass bands, gospel, cajun, zydeco, Caribbean, Latin and many many more. And I love that they give an update of live music in the city every hour.

So today we're headed back, way down yonder, to the city that care forgot... back to New Orleans.
We put together a little Seafood Bayoubaisse and have a little Gin Fizz while we listen to some Ozee.

Listen to your city!...

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Seafood Bayoubaisse

One of my favorite finds at the bar in Muriel's over in the French Quarter. Actually a friend of mine introduced it to me and ever since I find that I just crave it. Pictured above is the original version at Muriel's... Awesome stuff. 

What you need... 

For the Bayoubaisse-

2 lbs assorted gulf fish (corvina, redfish, grouper... whatever you like)
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb crab meat
3 cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Juice and zest of one orange
1 cup fennel julienned
dash of saffron
1 cup leeks julienned
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper


For the broth-
2 tbsp olive oil
1 roasted red pepper peeled and chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
8-10 peppercorns
2 sprigs os thyme
water to cover
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

What you do...

For the Bayoubaisse-

Place the stock on the heat and bring to a simmer.

Add the saffron, leeks tomatoes, orange juice & zest, fennel garlic and parsley. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the fish and cook for 8 minutes.

Add the shrimp and crab cook for additional 6 minutes.

For the broth-

Place ingredients except the water and wine in a sauce pan and heat saute for about 3 minutes.

Add the water and wine bring to a boil reduce and simmer cooking for 30 minutes. 

Combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil in a food processor.

Puree until smooth.

While it's still running add the olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper

Remove the seafood from the pan and place on a large bowl/platter paddle the broth over the seafood.

Serve with a crusty french bread. Enjoy.

The Playlist... 

WWOZ Radio

Our favorite playlist (and the most followed on Spotify). Love OZ and all of the original music they play. New Orleans is such a melting pot of culture and music that there's a little something for everybody. 

There's so much talent here that it's hard to break it down to a favorite. Dr. John, John Boutte', Allen Toussaint, Jon Cleary, the Neville and Marsalis families... I could go on and on. 

Check out one of my favorite band leaders, great trumpet player and founding member of the Rebirth Brass Band... Kermit Ruffins playing one of his newest songs "I'm so New Orleans". And you have got to catch Kermit live, usually down at the Blue Nile on Frenchmen St. 

So have a listen and as Kermit says "All Aboard... "We Partyin' Y'all!"

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

The Bar... 

Ramos Gin Fizz

Concocted by bar owner Henry Ramos in the 1880's and a favorite of governor Huey Long; this is one of the signature cocktails of New Orleans. 

What you need... 

1 1/2 oz gin

1/2 oz lime juice

1/2 oz lemon juice

1 1/2 oz simple syrup

2 oz half & half

1 small egg white

2 dashes fleurs d'orange

club soda

What you do...

Put all of the ingredients except the club soda into a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake shake shake.

Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.

Top off with club soda.

Garnish with a little orange slice (optional) or just go ahead and enjoy.

Kermit Ruffins... 

He's Partyin' Y'all!

#imsoneworleans

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

A Change Is Gonna Come

Give Thanks!

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

So happy that spring is finally here and we get to enjoy this beautiful day. It's a time of new beginnings and renewed change... starting fresh and never looking back. 

Today we're making a light grilled Pinot Grigio chicken with a great Honey citrus glaze, while we enjoy a great Italian wine and listen to our "Change is gonna come" Playlist. 

We all have a great deal to be thankful for... so let's go forward with grateful hearts!

The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Pinot Grigio Chicken / Honey Citrus Glaze

With the weather starting to warm up we thought we'd throw something a little lighter on the grill. And not just some old boring chicken. How about jazzing it up a little with some of my favorite wine and a sweet citrus glaze? Sounds good to me.

First we're going to marinade the chicken in wine, citrus and some honey. Then we're going to grill it and finish it with a little wine, citrus and honey glaze. You can never get enough of a good thing.

I love cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in my food. Ha... Ok that's a really old joke, but I love it.  Grab a glass a wine and fire up the grill.

What you need... 

For the marinade-

1/2 cup of Pinot Grigio wine
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp of honey
juice of 1/2 of an orange

For the chicken-

2 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/3 cup Pinot Grigio wine
1/3 cup honey
Juice of 1/2 an orange
Juice of 1/2 a lime
salt and pepper

What you do...

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large baking dish and add the chicken.

Cover and place in the fridge for one hour.

In the meantime heat up the grill to medium (about 350). 

Make the glaze by combining the the wine, honey orange/lime juice, salt and pepper in a small pot. 

Bring to a simmer for 1 minute then remove from heat. 

Put the chicken on the grill and cook for about 6-8 minutes per side.

After you flip the chicken let it cook for about 5 minutes then brush with the glaze and finish cooking.

Open another bottle of wine and enjoy!

The Playlist... 

A Change Is Gonna Come

Love this song and love the way Sam Cooke sings it. Today celebrate... "Oh Happy Day"!

Let Mike Farris "Take you there". He has such a great voice and raw emotion. Check him out with his full choir on "Sit down servant"... gives me chills. 

We have a few selections from the "Oh Happy Day" compilation including superstars like Jon Bon Jovi, Al Green and Michael McDonald (to name a few). And I love this version of Van Morrison's "Have I told you lately". It's a little known fact that Van actually wrote the song "Have I told you lately that I love you" and "Someone like you" as a prayer. 

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to A Change Is Gonna Come

The Bar... 

Astoria Pinot Grigio

We had this fabulous wine at Trattoria da Imatti, (loosely translated as "the fools place", but that's a story for another time), in Florence, Italy. 

Great wine... bright aromas of melon and hints of honey with fresh fruit flavors with a refined finish.

What If Today...

We Were Just Grateful For Everything!

Happy Easter!

Ocean Drive

Beach, Boogie & Shag!

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

We're going to the beach, putting on some good ole Beach music and dance the night away! Carolina Beach music is a regional genre from the 60's that swept the country. And to go with this unique music you had to have a cool dance... thus the birth of the swing style dance called "the Shag". 

Today we're cookin' up some sweet and spicy pasta with some delicious blackened grouper, listening to some old rhythm and grooves and enjoying some "High Tide" punch.

Get out your dancing shoes.

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Blackened Grouper Linguine / Beurre Blanc Sauce

There is nothing I love more than some good spicy fish over pasta. With this dish you get sweet and spicy. The beurre blanc sauce has a great sweetness that really goes well with the blackened fish. 

Sounds fancy, but trust me this is really easy to make. 

I don't know why more restaurants don't offer an entree like this... Hmmm. 

What you need... 

Linguine:

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt

6 oz fresh linguine

Beurre Blanc:

2 cups heavy cream

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 shallot minced

4 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

Grouper:

1 tbsp olive oil

Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere)

1 8oz grouper filet

2 cloves garlic minced

1 oz shredded parmesan

Lemon wedge for garnish

What you do...

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add olive oil and salt.

Add the linguine and cook for about 2 minutes.

Put cream, lemon juice, red pepper, vinegar and shallots in a saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a boil and reduce by about half.

Whip in the butter until it is smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. 

Sprinkle the Cajun spice all over the fish. 

Cook until well seared (3 min per side).

Pour the past into the pan with the Beurre Blanc and toss to blend.

Now arrange the linguine in the center of the plate and place grouper on top. 

Garnish with lemon wedge. 

The Playlist...

Ocean Drive

Sweet soul music... that's what we're talking about! You can't help but feel good listening to these great old dance tunes. I don't know exactly what makes up a great "shag" tune. They say it's a 4/4 beat with a little "blues shuffle"; fast or slow it doesn't matter. 

A lot of modern day musicians try to copy the style, but the original R&B groups had it down to a science. I mean if you don't feel like dancing to this stuff, especially at the beach, then something is wrong. It's windows down, cruising the boulevard, dancing on the boardwalk, good time music. 

Starting us off is a great cover of Little Walter's "My Babe" by Columbus Short... great tune. Then it gets a little revved up with Arthur Conley singing about "Sweet Soul Music".

There're a lot of great classics here. So put on those old loafers and get out there and dance. 

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

The Bar...

High Tide Punch

What you need...

Malibu Rum

Blue Hawaiian Punch

Sprite

Orange slice for garnish

What you do...

Pour equal parts rum, punch and sprite into big picture. 

Garnish with orange slice.

Have a couple and shag like nobody's looking'!

Dancin' The Night Away...

That's What He Thinks!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Boogie Back To Texas

Eight Beats To The Mile!

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

Ok Buckaroos... in the words of Jerry Jeff Walker, "We're trying to slide one by you once more..." 

Grab your boots, hat and a long neck... we're headed way down Texas way. Actually we're gonna "Boogie Back To Texas" with a little Texas swing music done in the old Bob Wills & Ernest Tubb's style. Think dance halls, hundreds of purty people and a couple of ugly ones (can't everybody be as good lookin' as us).

We've got some great Shiner Bock Fajitas, Bob Wills on the radio and a killer Cadillac Ranch Margarita. 

Come join us as we "Waltz Across Texas."

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Steak Fajitas with Shiner Bock Peppers

You've been there... you know when that big steaming plate of Fajitas comes by you at the restaurant. It's like a freight train full of deliciousness just went by with the smoke stacks in full plume.

Well, their easy to do and man are they awesome. Hey, you can't go wrong when you start off sautéing your peppers in Shiner Bock beer.

And there's really no wrong way to do this or wrong ingredients. You wanna throw in some Serrano peppers, mushrooms or jalapeño peppers... go right ahead.

"Don't matter how you do it, just do it like you know it!"- Jerry Jeff Walker

What you need... 

1 lb top round steak

1 bunch fresh parsley

1 bunch fresh cilantro

2-3 cloves of garlic

1 large red onion- sliced

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup Olive Oil (EVO)

3 Poblano peppers- cut into strips

1 red pepper- sliced

1 green pepper- sliced

1/4 cup Shiner Bock beer

8 flour (or corn) 8 inch tortillas

Lime wedges for serving

What you do...

Combine the parsley, cilantro, garlic, and half of the sliced onion with salt and pepper to taste and place in a food processor.
Add the red wine vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil the the mix and blend until smooth.
Pierce your step with a fork in several places and put in a large plastic bag.
Add half of the mixture from the processor into the bag with the steak.
Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Cover and put the rest of the sauce to the side for now.

Heat up your grill to medium-high.
Remove the steak from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
Take steak out of the marinade and put on the grill.
Cook 5 minutes per side until medium-rare.
Take off the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat up a little oil in a sauté pan (fancy word for skillet).
Add the peppers, onion, salt and pepper to the oil and saute' for about 5 minutes.
Now add the beer, cover and continue to cook until the peppers are tender, about another 5 minutes.

Warm the tortillas on the grill.
Thinly slice the steak and and put on platter for serving.
Take the rest of the "marinade" and pour over the steak.

Load up tortillas with steak and cover with the onion and pepper mixture.
Garnish with a little lime to make it fancy.

The Playlist...

Boogie Back To Texas

Ah... Bob Wills, some Ernest Tubbs, a little swing and a few songs about Texas. It just doesn't get any better than this kids!

Again, we have a little old, a little new and today some new takes on some old classics. Check out Robert Earl on "T for Texas". It's off of his brand new bluegrass CD "Happy Prisoner". Great stuff complete with an all star cast. 

We also have a couple off of Asleep at the Wheel's new one called "Still the King". This is an awesome compilation of music celebrating Mr. Bob Wills; complete with special guest like Lyle Lovett, The Avett Brothers,Willie Nelson and George Strait to name a few. 

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Boogie Back To Texas

The Bar...

Cadillac Ranch Margarita 

What you need... 

1 cup tequila

1 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup Cointreau 

1/2 cup cranberry juice

Sliced lime for garnish

What you do...

Stir all ingredients together to dissolve sugar.

Pour desired amount into a cocktail shaker with ice.

Strain into margarita glass and garnish with lime. 

All My Ex's Live In Texas...

That's Why I Hang My Hat In Tennessee!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

All About That Bass

No Treble...

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


Bring on the Boom! Today it's all about the ladies... the Divas that bring us joy while singing with that big ole "upright" bass. No Barbies and banjos here. We're talking about mamas that know how to belt it out old-school style. 

Grab your champagne martini and come have a seat. The "Butts" gonna be a while. The tunes are hot and this ain't no place for little hip-hop girls. I think I heard somewhere that "hips don't lie"! 

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Smoked Boston Butt

Low and slow... that's the only way to go. Man, it is worth the wait.  The key is to get a good smoke going first before you put the roast right on the grill. You won't have to mist the pork let some recipes call for because of the beer "bath" in the roasting pan. 

What you need... 

1 5lb Boston Butt

2 tbsp canola oil

fresh thyme

1 medium white onion chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

2 tbsp ancho chile powder

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 chipotle in adobo chopped

2 cups wood chips

Couple of beers to fill the roasting pan while cooking.

What you do...

Soak the wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the thyme, garlic, onion, ancho chile powder, brown sugar, cumin, coriander, orange juice, lime juice and chipotle. 

Cook down to dissolve the sugar then remove from the heat.

Put the pork in a large pan and pour the marinade over the pork.

Cover and let it refrigerate overnight.

Set up your grill for indirect heat and set to 220 degrees. 

Add the wood chips. 

Remove the pork from the fridge and place in a roasting pan (fat side up) and bring to room temperature.

Pour a little beer in the bottom of the pan and place on the grill.

Grill until the internal temp reaches about 190 degrees (about 5-6 hours).

Take the pork off the grill and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Shred or slice the pork for great, smoky pork.

The Playlist... 

All About That Bass

Like we said... a little old school, big band swing for you today. 

Love that bass and love Scott Bradlee and the postmodem jukebox... great remakes and covers. 

And, if you haven't heard of Renee Olstead you need to. She does a great cover of the old Ray Charles tune... "Hit the Road Jack"! 

We threw in a little old, something new and something blue... just to keep you on your toes.

Turn that "Boombox" up! 

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

The Bar...

Champagne Cosmopolitan

What you need...

1 1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz cranberry juice

1/2 oz Cointreau

Splash of champagne

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

ice

Orange peel for garnish

What you do... 

Pour the vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau and lime juice into a shaker filled with ice and mix.

Strain into a martini glass and top off with champagne.

Garnish with orange peel.

This Doesn't Have A Thing To Do With Fishing...

Does It?

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Take Me To The River

And We're Rollin'!

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

Never saw the good side of a city 'till I hitched a ride on the riverboat queen. As they say down south... "If you hadn't done it you ain't seen it". 

Come on y'all... let's take a trip down the mighty Mississippi; sit outside on the upper deck, feel the breeze and listen to that paddle wheel slapping the water. We'll enjoy a little catfish, sip on a big glass of mint lemonade and listen to some tunes about the river.  

Big wheels keep on turning'...

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Blackened Catfish

Ahh catfish... one of my all time favorite southern dishes. I like it whole, fillet, fried, grilled and blackened. Any way you want to do it is fine by me. 

Now, this is not the old school bottom feeder fish that we're talking about. Today you can get farm raised catfish that has dined on feed that is 35% protein. They are raised in fertilized nursery ponds that contain abundant natural foods as well as their feed. The result is some mighty good tasting fish.

Today I think we will stick with hot'n spicy blackened catfish like they do down New Orleans way. Be careful... we want to blacken the fish, not burn it. 

What you need...

4 catfish fillets (6 oz each)
2 tsp each- cayenne, dried thyme, chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, sea salt, and black pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp butter
4 lemon wedges

What you do...

Mix all of the dry ingredients together for the blackened spice rub.

Rub the spice mix all over the fish and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

Heat your grill to high and place a cast iron skillet on the grill until it is "white hot".

Add oil to the pan and when it slightly starts to smoke you're ready.

Add the catfish and cook about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer the cooked fillets to the oven to continue to finish for an additional 4-5 minutes.

Serve with a little butter and a wedge of lemon.

The Playlist...

Take Me To The River

Dip me in the water... washing me down. So many cool lines and so many cool songs have been written about "the river". Maybe it's the hypnotic flow, the coolness of the water or just the shear majesty of the mighty Mississippi. 

It seems that there is either a since of mystery and adventure on the river, or a calming peace as you watch it roll by. 

 As JJ Grey says- "Only this river can bear me away!"

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

The Bar...

Mississippi Mint Lemonade

What you need...

1 1/2 cups vodka

4 cups water
1 cup sugar

8 lemons

1/2 cup fresh mint

Ice

What you do...

Zest 1 lemon and place in saucepan and top with  1 cup water and sugar.

Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves.

Remove and let it cool ( remove lemon zest).

Muddle the mint in a pitcher.

Stir in lemon juice and vodka, then pour in the sugar/water syrup.

Stir in water.

Fill glasses with ice, pour in lemonade and garnish with lemon slice and mint. 

If You Come Down To The River...

Bet You're Gonna Find Some People Who Live!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!