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Weekend (Except Not Really) Playlist: Independent Woman

By |July 4th, 2012|Weekend Playlist|

celebrities in flag bikinisSo, if you were smart you took today as a holiday and decided that the rest of the week would just continue on as your respective weekend.  That said, you are going to need a playlist to get you through those five tedious days off.  Thank goodness I’m here to supply you with a musical “snack” for that time period after your barbecue and beers.  So, sit back, relax, and celebrate your independence with this special fourth of July mid-week Weekend Playlist.

Why Did You Eat That: Spar-becue

By |September 26th, 2011|Guest Blogger, Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|

This week, I asked one of my oldest (not in age, but in friendship duration) and very dearest friends if he’d be willing to share one of his recipes.  I know I’m partial, but I can’t believe that not only can my pal speak German fluently, recite Shakespeare, and mix up the perfect purple drank, he can cook!   I mean, ladies, how is this man single?  Anyway, this isn’t some froofy girly girl recipe … so if you wanna impress your main man with something delicious that he will appreciate, keep reading. (Oh… and please behold this amazing school dance photo of me my male bff.  Sorry, dude, had to):

After a pilgrimage to Neely’s Interstate BBQ in Memphis and sampling their phenomenal BBQ spaghetti, I was determined to recreate it for myself.  It’s not nearly as difficult as one would think, but it does take a bit of time.  For the record, if my writing seems disjointed or broken, I’m watching Nigella Lawson and am enthralled by her accent and, um, other attributes.

What you need: 

  • 1 tablespoon good olive oil
  • 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • BBQ sauce (recipe follows)
  • 1lb pork, beef, chicken, turkey, dog, cat – cooked and chopped to bits
  • 1lb spaghetti

First things first, the BBQ sauce:

  • 2 cups of ketchup (about 1 20oz bottle)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard (don’t skimp – get Colman’s)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
What you do:
  1. Combine everything in a pot, bring it to a boil and then reduce to a slow simmer for about an hour or an hour and a half.  Length of time depends on how thick you want it.  There’s also a lot of wiggle room in the sweetness/bite of the sauce.  The recipe I listed is Neely’s original and it’s got decent balance.  However, I like a little more vinegar flavor so I added a bit more and cut back on the sugar.  If you want it sweeter, add more sugar/brown sugar.  The sauce as is has decent tang, but if you want some heat, throw in some cayenne pepper or some hot sauce to bring the spice up a bit.
  2. Once you’ve got the sauce square, heat up the oil and throw in the peppers, onion and garlic salt and cook everything until it’s nice and soft.  Once done, throw in the BBQ and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, put in your chopped meat and reduce to a simmer.  Bring your pasta water to a boil, salt it appropriately and then cook your pasta til al dente.  Mix the sauce/meat and the pasta and voila, BBQ spaghetti.
  3. For the meat, you have a lot of options – you can buy pulled pork (sans any kind of sauce) or brisket, brown some ground beef/turkey/chicken – whatever.  Just make sure you chop it up small enough so it blends well.  When I made this, I bought smoked pork loin from one of the BBQ joints down here and chopped it up and it turned out really well.  I doubled the recipe and it fed a dinner party of 10 perfectly, and I’ll take the lack of leftovers as a testament to how good it was.

OK – back to Nigella.

JC

 

Why Did You Eat That: Accessorize Your Meal

By |July 4th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|

We get it. The Fourth of July is all about the grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, but just like any good outfit, your plate also needs accessories.  Enter the party dip and holiday cocktail.

A real crowd pleaser, queso, is sure to be a hit (except for all your lactose intolerant pals). For some reason it’s impossibly difficult to find any decent queso in CA (ironic?).  So, I took matters into my own hands and started making it at home.

I shouldn’t really have to explain this… but I will.

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. Velveeta cheese (sliced into 1 inch cubes)
  • 1 can (10 oz) of Rotel

Directions:

  • Melt cheese and Rotel in a pot. Serve with tortilla chips.

Finally, something we can thank Texas for.

I love when I receive emails like this (from my dear friend, Dev):

Watermelon Martinis

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups watermelon cubes (rind and seeds removed- duh)
  • 3/4 cup lemon vodka……  this is does NOT sound like enough….
  • 6 Tbsp lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp cointreau or Triple Sec
  • 3 Tbsp sugar

Directions:

  1. Blend together with approximately 3-6 ice cubes. Blend until slushy…

or perhaps you would just like to blend the watermelon up and mix in the ingredients for a martini.

“Id like to invite you to consider” whipping these gems up for the July 4th weekend. I feel they would be a hit any party.

Not only are these drinks gems, but so is dear, sweet Dev for sending this recipe.

Hope you have a happy, fully accessorized, Fourth of July.

xx,

WhyDid