Give me a reason

Well again you should already know this (if you've been reading) I got a new job, and we went out to Cooters for a celebration. Well I finished my first 40 hour work week in a few months, and it felt great. All that time in the office I wanted to let loose and relax a bit, but I'm not a drinker (anymore) so bars and clubs have gotten old anyway. I really wanted another reason to celebrate too!

I couldn't find any place better to relax a bit other than a small restaurant. I found a new pizza place out of a local paper I wanted to go to a few months back, so I decided to go there, but after some last minute reading and reviews I opted to go to our favorite pizza place. Plus we haven't ate pizza from anywhere else in about 2 years if not longer. Since I already knew the quality of the food, and they opened a new dining room and released new pizzas for the experience. I wanted to check it out.

So I invited a friend, me and the misses head to the spot.  I get there a few minutes late (its one of the things I do).... We meet our friend outside and my wife gives him the first of a new cupcake recipe she had just baked. Then we head in. Welcome to Best NY Pizza, the greet you when you walk in the door. The place has a upscale pizzeria feel to it, with a casual dining room right inside the front door, a short walk and we reach the new dining area. I have to say it was very nice, from the dim lights, the candles, soft music playing and an amazing visual attraction (you'll have to go to find out what it is). We are greeted and promptly seated in a nice booth. As we start going over the new part of the menu. I end up going with a my favorite pizza "The Best"  in their personal size, my wife went with their new "Mexican Taco" pizza, our friend opted to be the different one and got a Philly Cheese Steak. We placed the order and got a few garlic knots to hold us over until dinner came.

After some great conversation and admiring how nice the new dining area was. Enjoying the amazing garlic knots, our dinner arrives. The pizza looked wonderful and the cheese steak was equally as appealing. See for your self;

The Best

Mexican Taco Pizza

Philly Cheese Steak

My "Best Pizza" is always wonderful, so much flavor and the perfect texture every time. This time was even better since it came right from the oven into my mouth!! The "Mexican Taco" pizza looked even better in person than it did in the menu picture. The taste was perfect, a great balance of everything you would think of in a taco pizza. From what I was told the Philly cheese steak was good, but the bun was soggy, sorry for that Norm. I said their Pizza was the best, and the other food was great...lol

So if you're in Tampa and want the most amazing pizza in the city, a great atmosphere, or order the pizza to take home, make sure to stop into my favorite and soon to be your favorite pizza place; Best NY Pizza located at 14741 N Dale Mabry, Tampa Fl. 33618

Make sure to say hello to the chef, Norm did!

Since we're on the topic of pizza I might as well post a recipe. The beginning of April I bought a 20lbs beef brisket for my wifes birthday. I cut half of it for smoking and the other half to try to make corned beef. Back on yopic, after we had the smoked beef brisket the fiorst night we had plenty of leftsovers, so it was time to get creative. I whipped this beauty up one night and cant wait to make it again. It was the best leftovers have ever tasted. I also plan to try this with chicken, and it would probably work well with pork if thats youe thing(its not mine).

BBQ Brisket Pizza

Pizza dough:

1/2 tbls Basil

1/2 tbls Cilantro

1/2 ts Rosemary (broken up in hand)

20 grinds Pepper
1 box jiffy pizza crust

Mix dough per the instructions on box, add the above ingredients.

BBQ Mix:

1/4 cup Bbq sauce

Splash Favorite vinegar

1/2 tbs Worcestershire

1tbs Garlic

1/4 tbs Apple juice

1/2 cut red onion

Pizza Sauce:
1/3 cup Favorite tom sauce (I prefer homemade)
1/4 cup Bullseye BBQ sauce
 1tbs minced garlic
Splash worcestershire
 Splash garlic red wine vinegar
 Fresh ground pepper
 Pinch dill
Pinch marjoram
 Pinch cilantro
 Pinch thyme

Italian mix shredded cheese to top

1 1/2 lb well smoked beef brisket

Melt remaining fat off in skillet. Chop it up, put in a bag with bbq mixture, thoroughly coat and set aside. Spoon pizza sauce on crust then add beef and onion mixture from bag, top with cheese and bake 15-20 min.

Eat & Enjoy!!

For the love of waves & BBQ

So a few weeks back we ventured across the state, well not really ventured since we have made the trip time and time again. Plus it’s the coast I was born on and where God lead me to the love of my life. Back to the story we decided to head to Cocoa beach instead of going straight to my hometown.

Although we have some of the worlds most beautiful beaches here in the Tampa Bay area, the main reason to go to Cocoa beach is the waves, if you have ever visited a Gulf coast beach you know its rather flat and to an Atlantic coast born soul like me when I go to the beach I expect nice borderline knock you down size waves. So we made plans to get there around noon spend some time on the beach and then find some place to get some grub and head down to our original destination. We arrive at the beach late, and if you know me this is a regular occurrence.... Ha.

So we get out on the beach and quickly remember its spring break season so it’s packed. We find a nice spot to set up and rub each other down with some SPF 50 (gotta protect the tattoos and the kiddies). The misses is not really in a beach mood (cause aunt flow) she said she didn't want to attract sharks, so she was nominated to hold down the fort, while us boys head to the ocean. We hit the water and realized the marine forecast was a tad bit off on the water temp, but we forge on in and get use to the water rather quickly. The waves were decent when we got there but picked up as the day went on. Of course we get the random fish swimming between our legs, my oldest swears a snake swam around his leg and wrapped around one, I still say it was seaweed. Then I feel a small mouth with what felt like tiny little teeth try and take my baby toe from me, but my cat like reflexes let me keep the toe... but the father and his two daughters that were playing in the water about 20 feet from us didn't get as lucky. The wife says she heard them talking (they were seated near us to) after the dad carried one of the girls to shore with blood running down her face, saying a fish had bit her eyebrow then they ran to doctor her up in the bathroom and we didn't see them the rest of the day (hope all is well with her). So me and my boys play in the waves a little more, then went to dry off a bit on shore. We talk about our dinner plans and since we don't go to chain restaurants I had a few places in mind we decided on a beach side BBQ joint.

Then back to the water we go, we have to deal with what feels like even colder water this time but the waves are twice as big as when we got out. We get a decent way out and we start to dive through some waves and then body surf back to shore. After a few times of doing this and being at the beach for a few hours we decided to head back to shore and go get changed for dinner. After drying off and tossing on some clothes we head to our dinner spot "Slow & Low BBQ" home of the 6lb Joel's Crazy pork sandwich.

 We get there and let the kids pick where we sit so out on the patio we go, and the place is packed so this is a good sign.

We get seated at a nice table by the bar and we all dive into the menu's; deciding on their BBQ nachos for our appetizer, I see a cup of Brunswick stew on their menu and after watching an episode of Diners, Drive inns, & Dives with this stew in it I wanted to try some as soon as I came across it. What luck the very next time we go out to eat there it is staring at me on the menu. While we all pick and choose what we want for our entree and sides our nachos come and we are ready to order..... My oldest gets their "Big Brat" sandwich, the youngest of the group got a hamburger, the Misses got the normal sized "Joel's Crazy pork sandwich on garlic Texas toast, I went with a Blacken Mahi Mahi sandwich and of course a cup of Brunswick stew.

Our awesome waitress takes the menus and we dig into these amazing nachos that are topped with pulled pork, fried jalapenos, and all your favorite nacho toppings. They were delicious and the perfect start to an amazing dinner. After we finish off the nachos she brings out the stew, which was absolutely fantastic (be on the look out for my version coming soon!). We relax and reflect on the day as we wait for dinner, and talk about service the food came quick and hot. We all get our food, the big brat was huge and from the time it took my son to inhale it I'm guessing it was quite tasty, my wife's sandwich was piled high, the youngest was delivered a great looking burger and curly fries, and my Mahi was blacked perfectly! Although I didn't get pictures of the food (a mistake I won't make again) it all looked great. The table was pretty silent except for the occasional can you pass this or that for the next few minutes which is always a good thing when eating. We all are pretty close to being finished, and the question of dessert comes up, everyone is a little worried that by the time they finish dinner their won't be room.... but me being me I had looked at the menu on the drive over (via: urbanspoon blackberry app) and was already set on getting their fried banana sundae. The misses and I decided to share our dessert (trying to eat healthier), each of the boys get their own, one with a peanut butter pie and the other with a chocolate oreo cookie cake. I can say that when the fried banana sundae came to the table I was amazed they also did half caramel and half chocolate for us, they sat the oreo cake in front of the youngest his eyes grew wide, the peanut pie was inhaled as fast as it was sat down so I didn't get a sample, but this oreo cake was the choice of the slowest eater I know(which is fine by me I like to take my time as well) so I got a bite and as it was tasty, their cake couldn't hold a candle next to my wife's homemade chocolate cupcakes (check her out at http://www.electriccupcakes.com/), the cake was a bit dry and flavorless but the kid didn't seem to mind to much. We finished off our dessert and waited for the youngest but he opted for a box to take the rest home in, they both begged for the cherries we had placed atop our sundae, so they each got one and I paid the tab left a good tip and as we all stood up it became all to knowledgeable that we ate WAY too much but it was so worth it.

So if you're ever in Cocoa Beach and hungry be sure to stop at Slow and Low BBQ at 306 N Orlando ave Cocoa Beach 32931, check their site http://www.slowandlowbarbeque.com/ for specials and more. Great atmosphere, even better food, perfect pricing, and awesome service!

While there I was inspired to make a BBQ ranch spinach and cabbage salad with BBQ Chicken. Here's that recipe for those of you who like a quick and easy dinner this is another one. It’s close to my southern BBQ shrimp but tastes so different you could eat them back to back and not grow tired. So try it for yourself……

Here’s the recipe;

BBQ Ranch Spinach and Cabbage Salad (with bbq chicken)

Pinch of each Rosemary, Sea salt, old bay, paprika, basil, and minced onion

8 Grinds fresh black pepper

½ ts liquid smoke

1 ts Worcestershire sauce

Splash of Red wine

Water to cover

Boil chicken

Sauce:

1 ¾ tbls Ranch

¾ tbls Mayo

Few drops hot sauce

1 tbls Garlic

½ tbls Dijon

1 ½ tbls Horseradish

Pinch Old bay

40 Grinds black pepper

Pinch Paprika

Pinch Cayenne pepper

½ ts Basil

½ ts Parsley

½ tbls BBQ sauce

Salad:

Spinach

Cole slaw mix

Sprinkle of your favorite Italian cheese

Croutons to top

Eat and Enjoy!!

Southern Tropical Shrimp Salad......

Salad is one of my favorite foods, but the same old chef salad can get old after awhile. So I like to see what I can come up with and I've made this a time or two before but as you already know (if you've read my previous blog) I don't write down how I made what I make. I file it somewhere in this big ole dinosaur brain of mine....Ha! No really though most of my recipes are rattling around in between my ears, and when I need to reproduce them, I walk into the kitchen and they just flow out. 9 and half times out of 10 they are exactly like there were the first time I made them…..but now I'm starting to keep pens and paper closer to the kitchen so as I make things I can run and chicken scratch the way I did it down. Then its the wife's job to interrupt what's I scribbled and type it out (a deal we made since she is the main one that was pushing me to blog about the food I make)....she’s also started writing them down and I yell out what I’m doing in the kitchen.

I was born in Florida and the wife in Maryland so seafood is in our blood, we pretty much agree when it comes to this topic. So you can bet there is always some kind of seafood on hand, mainly shrimp and fish is always around, but as of now we have like 3 types of fish, scallops, shrimp, crawfish, and I'm sure I'm missing something...be prepared to see a lot of seafood recipes here. So back to this salad, like I said I've made it before and it was a hit. So I was in the mood once again so here is the recipe for my version of a Southern tropical shrimp salad.

It's a quick and easy dinner and if your schedule is anything close to mine then having quick and easy dinner recipes on hand is a life saver.

Southern Tropical Shrimp Salad

6 oz shrimp, tails removed

Lay shrimp on a plate and add 1/4 - 1/3 c pineapple juice, sprinkle shrimp with old bay, cilantro, parsley, basil, fresh ground pepper, and minced onion.

In a skillet on med heat with evoo sauté garlic, 1 ring diced red onion (reserve ¼), 4-5 pineapple chunks diced, and 2 small bay leaves. Sauté until onions are soft. Dump in shrimp with juice and spices. Cook until pineapple juice is gone.

Sauce:

¾ tbsp mayo

1 tbsp horseradish

Dash hot sauce

1 tbsp Dijon

2 drops liquid smoke

Splash Worcestershire

1 ts molasses

1 ½ tbsp ranch

½ tbsp parsley

½ tbsp cilantro

3 dashes of chili powder

2 dashes of dill weed

½ tbsp basil

25 grinds of fresh ground pepper

1 dash of cumin

1/8 ts fresh garlic

¼ ts smoked paprika

Salad Mix:

2-6 oz leafy spinach

2oz tri-colored cole slaw mix

Divide salad mix into two bowls. Top salad mix with a serving of your favorite croutons, left over onions (divide among servings), 1 oz aged white sharp cheddar (per serving), 30g sauce each, and divide shrimp evenly, split onions and pineapples between both dishes. Top with a couple grinds of fresh black pepper and cilantro.

Makes 2 servings

P.s. Goes great with a nice crusty bread.

Eat & Enjoy!!

Penne ala….. What you never?

So my wife loves pasta and I don't.....but for some strange reason I can take almost any pasta and a few ingredients and make it something amazing.  She found a BOGO coupon for this Ronzoni garden delight pasta and since we eat that brands wheat pasta (the only pasta I try to eat btw) I figured why not try it.

 While we are standing in the store pondering at what type of pasta to buy, I see they have the brand in penne pasta. So I ask the misses if she likes penne ala vodka, she then informs me she's never had it; my jaw dropped. How in the world can she claim to be a pasta lover and has never had penne ala vodka (one pasta dish I really like)? So I was determined to change that and since we had no dinner plan it was changing tonight. So I quickly went through my head trying to remember everything I knew was in my favorite penne ala vodka dish. So we went and got some smoked turkey sausage(trying to eat healthier), and I pretty much had everything else at home besides the vodka so we stop at a liquor store on the way home and got some; Platinum distilled 7 times vodka it was like 2 bucks and was pretty good, thanks for the recommendation liquor store lady!

We were ready to get started as soon as we got home. This is one of the first times I wrote down measurements (when I cook I NEVER measure) or write an ingredients list for that matter, but I guess I'm going to have to start since I wanted to start a blog about all the things I love..... So the great wifey that God blessed me with helped with the writing of the recipe.

Now I make the food how I like it, while being inspired by the original dish, weather it be this dish or any other I post keep this in mind(might make that my warning at the end of all my recipes just for the nit-pickers) if you cook it come back and let me know what you think.

Twice as good: Penne Ala Vodka

First off you can use jar or can sauce, but I ask why? You can make a quick but still amazing tomato sauce here’s how;

Tomato Sauce:

Mirepoix 1:1:2

1^st carrots ¼ c

2^nd celery ¼ c

3^rd red onion ½ c

Sweat in evoo in the order above, just until the veggies get a bit soft.

Add evoo as needed and a little more right before tossing in;

3 med Bay leaves

1 tbsp each Basil, Oregano, & Parsley

¼ tbsp each Rosemary, Thyme, & ground blk pepper

¾ tbsp Marjoram

Dash kosher sea salt

1 can (15oz) Tomato sauce

7 oz Diced tomatoes

2 tbsp Minced garlic

Splash red wine

Dash cayenne (optional)

Add to the above mirepoix, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Then food process ½ the sauce to make smooth, return to simmer for 20 minutes.

Sausage:

7oz Smoked turkey sausage

Slice into rounds, put in med skillet w/evoo and heat on med heat until brown on each side. Drain and set aside.

Make penne as directed on box. Toss in evoo and ground blk pepper when cooked.

Penne ala Vodka Sauce:

1 ½ c of above tomato sauce

¾ c heavy cream (almost room temp)

½ c premium vodka

Handful of parm cheese

Put all in the skillet the sausage was cooked in and reduce by ¼ - ½ remove from heat, cool slightly. Add cream and parm heat on med-low heat, stir until one even color, and sauce is heated evenly. Add penne and sausage. Plate and top with parsley.

Eat & Enjoy!!

P.s. The Lady loved the Penne Ala Vodka….she said it’s her new favorite pasta dish. I love putting a smile on her face and a lil something in her belly.

Breaking the Cherry......

Well a quick rundown of me, I'm what you would call and old soul. I have had a great deal of ups and downs and now I'm doing my best at keeping the ups going. Lived all up and down the Eastcoast of the states. I'm very persistent and can do just about anything; ask and see.

 I'm a Baptist, who's married to a wonderful woman since 2001, I have two amazing boys, I love to cook, wrench on a car, get tattooed, practice photography, play with guns, art, writing, spend time doing nothing whatsoever with my wife, helping her bake (I'm the cook she's the baker), trying to get our business off the ground (ElectricCupcakes.com), and about a million other things.

                                             (Me & the Misses)

                  

Food is one of my favorite hobbies you could say; I'm kinda of a foodie or more of a cookie as I'd rather cook than go out to eat. I love most all cuisines and will try pretty much anything once. I love experimenting in the kitchen.....but I do like to go to smaller privately owned restaurants to see what they have to offer. Not a fan of chain restaurants, haven't really ate fast food in a hot minute and I feel so much better since I cut it out. Plus I'm really picky as to quality of food now, If  I can make it better in my kitchen at home I feel jipped when I have to pay the bill, seeing as I could have made twice or 3 times the amount of food for the same price and ten times as better. So I started leaving reviews when I was unhappy and now I'm doing the blog thing so I have my own space to bitch and moan or to show you how to make great food at home.

This blog is going to be a jumble of recipes, reviews; everything from restaurants to products, DIY stuff, and me bitching and moaning about whatever I feel the need to ramble on about....but knowing me this list will grow and the blog will be more than the average person can handle...(charlie sheen moment....winning. LoL) but for real I’m going to try and get at least a new post up weekly, or at least that’s my plan. So subscribe to my blog, pass it on and enjoy!