Playing For Change

Connecting The World Through Music

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

Today we're celebrating one of the greatest movements in recent years "Playing For Change". 

And what a great cause... Playing For Change is dedicated to building music and art schools for children around the world. 

Between 2002 and 2004 they first traveled from LA to New Orleans and then New York to record street musicians playing outside. It soon grew to recording around the world. 

So join us for a little Jerk chicken, a cool "African Lullaby" cocktail and some great music played from the heart.

The pots are on! 

The Plate...

Jerked Chicken Kabobs

I was thinking about some street food for today... you know something awesome that you might buy from one of those cool food trucks. I was also thinking that we had to put a little worldly spin on it. 

So we decided to bring you a great recipe for two of my favorite things... kabobs and jerk chicken.  Very easy and very tasty. 

What you need...  

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup thyme

1 tbsp allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg

3 cloves of garlic

small piece of ginger (about an inch/peeled)

Juice of one lime

1 red onion / chopped

1 Habanero or Scotch Bonnet pepper

Salt and Pepper

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces

What you do...

Put the orange juice, olive oil, soy sauce etc. (all the wet and dry ingredients) into a food processor.

Puree until smooth. 

Add about half of the mixture to a 1 gallon plastic resealable bag. 

Add the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. 

Heat your grill to medium-high.

Skewer the chicken pieces and grill on one side for about 5 minutes then flip.

Cook for about another 5 minutes.  

Serve with a little salsa and some of the extra marinade you saved for dipping... Oh yeah! 

The Playlist...

Playing For Change

It all started when Mark Johnson first heard Roger Ridley singing "Stand By Me" on the street in Santa Monica. Mark returned to record Roger then he and his partner Whitney Kroenke hit the streets of America with a mobile recording studio and cameras in search of inspiration and the heartbeat of the people. 

The movement grew to include street musicians from all over the world later adding well known musicians like Bono, Keb Mo, Keith Richards, Toots & the Maytals, Stephen Marley and Taj Mahal.

I love the way they later included different musicians and styles from all over the world playing the same song. 

So sit back, relax and enjoy the music. It's all good!

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

The Bar... 

African Lullaby

I was first introduced to Amarula Cream by my South African neighbors. Think Baileys Irish Cream, but smoother. I know... sounds too good to be true.

It is actually made from the fruit of the African Marula tree...
Go get you some. 

What you need...

4oz Amarula Cream liqueur

1 oz coconut milk

8oz milk

2 dashes of fresh nutmeg

coconut shavings for garnish

What you do...

Mix Amarula, milk, coconut milk in shaker

Pour into martini glass and garnish with nutmeg and coconut

Stand By Me!

Playing For Change is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music. Join the movement here:   https://playingforchange.com/membership-new/

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Beach Colors

It's Tiki Time!

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

The weather is warming up and the rum is going down... must be time to head to the beach. 

Today we pay tribute to our friend Marty Nickel and celebrate the release of his new EP... "Beach Colors".

Marty Nickel is a singer songwriter from Atlanta,  Georgia; although you would think he's a native of New Orleans with his "gumbo" like mixture of influences. Think of Jimmy Buffett, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Guy Clark with a little Bob Marley thrown in. 

There's nothing better than hanging with Marty on a sunny afternoon, listening to him sing about the islands, sipping on some rum and maybe grilling up some fresh fish.

Join us... It's time to go "Down Island Way". 

The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Halibut / Pineapple Plum Sauce

What you need... 

2 cup - dice pineapple
1 cup - red and yellow cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp - dice garlic
2 tbsp - olive oil
2 tbsp - butter
1 small - deseeded red chili pepper
1  - hallibut fillet
1 cup - plum sauce
1/2 tbsp - brown sugar
1/2 tsp - salt
1 tbsp - olive oil

What you do...

Mix all the sauce and set aside

Dice up the pineapple, garlic and cherry tomato

Put oil and butter in a pan and fry the halibut skin side down first then flip

Add the garlic and sauce for half a minute 

Then add the mix plum sauce with the pineapple, cherry tomato and small chili pepper

Simmer for about 2 minutes then serve it up with lemon garnish

The Playlist... 

Beach Colors

From ballads to beach Marty's songs are an eclectic mix of music. 

Wether he's taking us down to Cuba and the Blue Beach of "Varadero" or just singing of his love for "Salty Water"... Marty paints a picture with his songs that takes you away on a virtual vacation. 

Of course with all of this rum and good times comes the reminder that things don't always work out the way you planned... check out "Shoot the Weatherman" and "Girl with the Tacklebox Face".

But, it's all good, just have "Mike the Mojito Man" serve up another round. 

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

The Bar... 

Mike's Blueberry Mojito

What you need... 

1 cup fresh blueberries
4 oz clear rum
10 fresh mint leaves
2 tsp sugar
juice of 2 limes
6 oz club soda
ice

What you do...

Pour the blueberries into your blender and puree.

Add mint leaves and sugar to a cocktail shaker.

Use a muddler (or the end of a wooden spoon) to muddle.

Add the lime juice, rum and pureed blueberries.

Shake shake shake...

Pour ice and club soda into a couple of tall glasses.

Pour in the rum mixture and stir. 

Garnish with a lime wedge, sprig of mint and blueberries.

Turn up the tunes and enjoy!

As The Rum Went Down...

Everything Was Looking Up!

Available on iTunes, Amazon & CD Baby

Check out more info here martynickel.com

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Cinco Cinco

Cinco de Mayo!

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

It's fiesta time kids!!! Time for some Margaritas and Music! It's Cinco de Mayo (Cinco de Drinko)!
Sorry, but we just love anytime we can drink tequila, have a little Tex-Mex and listen to some "Bom bon" musica. 

Some folks think this is the celebration of Mexico's Independence Day... It is not!

Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over a far superior French army way back in 1862. The much smaller Mexican army (2000 to France's 6000) reportedly took over and defeated the French while they were asleep.

No matter how it happened the bottom line is the Mexican's kicked the crap out of the French... sounds like a good reason to party to me.

Oh course all this was short lived when, a year later,  Napoleon sent 30,000 troops back to take over the Mexican army. Hey... celebrate your success while you can!

So crank up the music and grab a big bottle of blue Agave...

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Grilled Chicken with Ancho-Tequila Glaze

Fire up the grill... it's party time. And yes you guessed it, we're making something with tequila. 

Today we borrowed a recipe from our good friend Michael McKenzie (a man that celebrates beating the crap out of the French, but that's another story). He usually whips this up pool side out at his place in Vegas. This is easy, spicy with a little citrus zing and simply "delicioso"! 

What you need... 

1 1/2 cups hickory chips
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
Fresh ground pepper & Kosher salt
12 bone -in chicken thighs, skinned
2 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp agave syrup
3 tbsp tequila
1 1/2 tbsp hot sauce
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
6 lime wedges

What you do... 

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

Preheat your grill  to medium-high.

Create a cool side and hot side with coals all on one side.

Combine the chile powder, sugar, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.

Add chicken to a bowl and toss with the dry mix.

Place the Agave, olive oil, tequila, butter, red pepper flakes and hot sauce in a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil and cook to reduce by about half.

Place chicken on the grill, meat side down on the "cool" side. 

Brush with the Agave/tequila mix and grill for 15 minutes.

(good time to have a Sangria!)

Turn chicken over and move to the "hot" side to grill for 5 more minutes.

Briefly grill the lime wedges.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with remaining Agave/Tequila mixture and lime wedges. 

Thanks Michael

The Playlist... 

Cinco Cinco

Like Sammy says "Mas Tequila"... that's all you really need to know about a Cinco Cinco party playlist. 

We threw a few of the traditional tunes to get you in the mood. And, as usual, some new folks you may not of heard. Check out Boom Boom Boom by the Iguanas and Spill the wine by Los Mocosos.

Happy Cinco de Mayo... crank it up and go "en Fuego"!

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

The Bar... 

Sangrita

The traditional Mexican way to drink Tequila, dating back to 1920. The basic concept here is to complement the flavor of 100% agave tequila with a peppery and citrus chaser. 

What you need...   

A good bottle of 100% blue agave blanco tequila
A good Sangrita chaser

Mexico City style Sangrita-
5 parts tomato juice
2 parts fresh lime juice
1 part orange juice
Seasoned with Salso, Worcestershire and tabasco 
Lime wedge

What you do...

Mix together the Sangrita and pour into a cocktail glass. 

Garnish with lime.

Now take a shot of Tequila and chase it with the Sangrita... 

Aribba!

Yo Quiero...

Fiesta Grande!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin"!

Lost In The Backyard

Just Trying To Get Home!

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

Sometimes it's nice to just kick back on the porch and do a little reminiscing. You know, just think about... well, not a whole lot actually. 

As Lyle Lovett says- "This old porch is just a long time of waiting and forgetting... and remembering the coming back and not crying about the leaving." Always loved that. 

Pull up a chair and have a couple of Superitas, some Carnitas, sit back and enjoy the day. 

Just don't go wandering off... you may get "lost in the backyard". 

The pots are on!

The Plate... 

BBQ Pork Carnitas

Carnitas are the perfect thing for hanging out on the porch. 'Cause while you're trying to remember what it was the you were trying to forget in the first place... things can get confusing. 

We'll make this easy for you. Plus, you gotta love a easy dish that you slow cook. Kind of like getting a little break after the prep work so you have time for that Superita. And you know anything good takes time.

What you need... 

2 lbs of pork tenderloin / chopped into small chunks

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Smoked paprika

Flour (enough for dredging)

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions / chopped

2 red bell peppers / chopped

4 stalks of celery / chopped

4 gloves of garlic / sliced

1 bottle of Mexican beer (hey it is Tex-Mex)

15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes

2 chipotle peppers / chopped, plus 1 tbsp of the Adobo sauce

2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup cilantro / chopped

Tortillas 

Lime wedges

What you do... 

Season the pork with salt, pepper and paprika.

Then dredge in the flour and set aside.

Heat a dutch oven with 3 tbsp of the vegetable oil.

Add the pork and brown on all sides.

Remove the pork reduce the heat and add the extra oil.

Add the onion, peppers, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and sweat for about 8-10 minutes.

Uncover and stir for 2 minutes then deglaze the pot with the beer. 

Let the liquid reduce for a couple minutes.

Then add the tomatoes, chipotle and adobo sauce, thyme and cilantro. 

Add the pork back to the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for another 5 minutes.

Heat your tortillas up in a pan, load them up with your pork mixture (carnitas).

Garnish with a little lime wedge (could come in handy with your Superita or beer).

The Playlist... 

Lost In The Backyard

A collection of some Alternative Country Blues for you to hang out on the porch... or wherever. 

Again, we are mixing it up with some old school, some new folks and even threw in a soundtrack for you. Love the song "Weary Kind" from the movie Crazy Heart. Ryan Bingham does a great job on just about everything he does. 

Check out the new kids on the block; Jason Isbell's "Different Days" will get you to thinking, while Lucero's "Drink till We're Gone", will just make you want another Superita. 

There's a lot of great stuff here, just don't end up like James McMurtry and get lost in the backyard. 

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Lost In The Backyard.

The Bar... 

Superita

Awesome featured cocktail from Chef Ford Fry at his new "Mex-Tex" restaurant... Superica.
A cocktail that's strong, salty and sweet... perfect!

What you need...

2 oz Herradura Double Reposado
1 oz Combier
3/4 oz Lime juice
1/2 oz Orange juice
Dash of brine from olive jar
Citrus marinated olives

What you need...

Pour in to a martini shaker with ice.
Strain in to glass.
Serve straight up in Martini glass.


*To make citrus-marinated olives: Drain olive brine from olive jar and reserve for drink use. Zest two lemons, two limes and two oranges, then juice. Marinate olives in a mixture of the lemon, lime and orange juices with a little water and the citrus zest.

I must have got lost in the backyard...

When I went out to play.

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

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!