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 

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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'!

Mommy Needs A Cocktail

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

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

Ah summer... the kids are out of school, running around, playing... driving you crazy! 

Here's a little something for the kids... and mom. Because, if the kids aren't happy, Mom's not happy. 

And if Mom's not happy, nobody's happy.

Today we've put together some fun stuff to make that trip to the beach a little more bearable. Or if you're having a little "stay-cation" this will be fun to whip up while your hanging on the back patio watching the kids in the pool. 

How about some realistic looking "Sand" pudding, with some watermelon shots for Mom? And of course some fun tunes for the kiddos to keep them smiling and singing. 

The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Sand Pudding 

Great idea to keep the little varmints busy and out of your hair. Kids love to play in the dirt and or sand; so now they can play with their food. Besides, it's pretty tasty too. 

Sand Pudding

What you need... 

1 pkg Vanilla Wafers

2 Oreos

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup powdered sugar

2 small pkgs French Vanilla instant pudding mix

2 3/4 cup of milk

12 oz Cool Whip

What you do...

Add Vanilla Wafers and 2 Oreos to your food processor and crush until they look like "sand".

In a bowl, cream together softened 8 oz cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar until smooth.

In another bowl mix the pudding with milk and then add the pudding mixture to the cream cheese mixture and stir together.

Fold in all the Cool Whip.

Layer into a bucket- sand, then pudding, sand, pudding, sand.

You can add some gummy worms to liven it up if you like. 

The Playlist... 

Mommy Needs A Cocktail

Well here you go... our first playlist for the kids. A few sing-a-longs, some funny stuff and a few thrown in for Mom. 

Just have another slice of Watermelon... You'll be singing along before you know it.

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Mommy Needs A Cocktail

The Bar... 

Watermelon Shots

Yep, a sneaky little way of getting your fix Mom! You might want to make one half without the booze to give to the kids (just don't get them mixed up). 

What you need...

4 3oz boxes of Red Jello

2 1oz boxes of unflavored gelatin

4 cups of vodka

4 cups of boiling water

1 12-14 lb watermelon

What you do...

Cut the watermelon in half lengthwise.

Use a spoon to scoop out all of the flesh (fruit) of the melon.

Be sure to scrape down the inside so that it is relatively smooth.

Add the Jello, gelatin and boiling water to a bowl and mix well.

Now add the vodka.

Divide and pour the mixture into the watermelon halves.

Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Slice the watermelon first crosswise into 1 inch wide slices.

Then, cut each big slice into 2-3 smaller slices.

Enjoy... Now, don't you feel better?

Oh Monica...

cards & coasters available at MikWright

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Willie's Retired Surfers Bar

Smile... We're Headed To The Bar!

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

Hey kids... Summertime is just around the corner. Pack up the cooler and let's head down to the beach. Better yet, let's head down to Willie's Retired Surfers Bar and hangout... a little day drinkin' in the surf and sun. 

On the menu today at Willie's... Swordfish with Peppercorn butter, a refreshing La Paloma tequila cocktail and listen to some laid back "Summertime" tunes with our friend Trey McGriff & Hills Rolling. 

Grab your longboard...

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Roasted Swordfish/Peppercorn Butter

Grilled or roasted, either way this is a great dish for your holiday weekend hangout. Swordfish is such a great hearty piece of fish. It's great by itself or served over pasta or some flavored rice. 

We decided to kick it up a little with some Peppercorn Butter. Cause you know you can't go wrong with a recipe that starts off with butter. 

What you need... 

1/2 stick of butter (that's 1/4 cup for your technical measuring types)
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 clove of garlic / minced
1 tsp ground mixed peppercorns
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt
4  1 inch-thick swordfish fillets (about 6oz each)

What you do...

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Mash butter, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, and lemon peel in small bowl.
Season to taste with salt.
Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle swordfish with salt and ground mixed peppercorns and add swordfish to skillet.
Cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
Turn swordfish over and transfer to oven.
Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.
Transfer swordfish to plates.
Add seasoned butter to same skillet.
Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until melted and bubbling.
Pour butter sauce over swordfish and serve.

The Playlist... 

Willie's Retired Surfers Bar

A collection of tunes to "while away the hours" at the bar...

Featuring Trey McGriff & Hills Rolling with a really cool tune "Summertime"... love that laid back "retro surf" guitar. 

Also check 'em out on "The Ocean and Us" and they finish off the playlist with "Watching Waves"... sounds like a great way to spend the afternoon to us. 

As usual, we have some old, some new and some redone... give a listen to Brian Wilson's updated "Good Vibrations".

Grab your Paloma... but don't disturb me, I'm watching waves!

   The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Willie's Retired Surfers Bar

The Bar... 

La Paloma

• Pour some kosher salt on a plate. Rub half of rim of a highball glass with a grapefruit wedge; dip rim of glass in salt. Combine 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, and 1 teaspoon sugar in glass; stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup mescal or tequila, add ice, and top off with 1/4 cup club soda. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Come On In...

  

  The Water's Fine!

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  For more cool tunes from Hills Rolling click here Whiskey Child
   Also available on iTunes Hills Rolling and Spotify
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

  & 

  Keep On Cookin'!

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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"!