Jim’s Appetizers, Drinks
Fanelli’s Monterey Cheese "SoHo" Snack
from Fanelli's Restaurant in Soho, Manhattan
This one is so easy you may think it’s not a big deal. Wait’ll you try it!
Monterey Jack cheese cut into 1/4” cubes
toss with:
olive oil
garlic
pizza red pepper
Italian seasoning
salt
Serve with Carr’s crackers.
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Guacamole
Ingredients:
1 Big Hass Avocado
1 small Lemon
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/3 Cup Herdez Salsa - Hot
2 tsp. Cholula hot sauce
1 Tbsp. finely chopped Cilantro
That’s all you need to know. You know how to smash and mix this. The Herdez “Hot” Salsa is not really very hot but it has great flavor. The Cholula “Hot” sauce is not very hot either but flavor is super.
The Cilantro drives this recipe to the maximum of good taste.
DRINKS
A bartender at our favorite place in California told us that he invented this drink. He lied. It was invented at some bar in San Francisco that he didn’t work at. It is the single best gimlet/martini drink we’ve ever tasted.
Here’s what you’ll need
for TWO drinks:
A martini shaker
A mulling rod
Tanqueray or other good London style Gin (OK, if Gin gives you a headache the next morning this drink is still great with Vodka.)
6 Basil leaves (for two drinks)
Simple Syrup (half water and half sugar)
A Lime
Step 1:
Squeeze the juice of one lime into the martini shaker.
Put the 6 basil leaves into the martini shaker.
Step 2:
Mull (smash) the basil leaves and lime juice mixture. I made a mulling rod out of a piece of 1” diameter wood rod from Lowes. A shorter muller makes you cut your hand on the shaker edge.
Step 3:
Add to the martini shaker:
4 Jiggers of Tanqueray Gin
(or Vodka)
1 Jigger of Simple Syrup --
note: you may want more than one jigger of syrup.
Crushed ice
(To stretch this delicious drink and to keep me sober while I have too many, I add a jigger or two of water.)
Step 4:
Shake well and then,
Pour into 2 martini glasses either with the crushed ice or with ice filtered out and...
LIVE IT UP !
The BASIL GIMLET
Greek Chicken Wings
Toss about 12 wing parts in a bowl with some olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Grill wings until skin is crispy and a bit charred. If gas grill let grill get very hot and close the lid. When grill is hot put wings on the grill. Turn them over every few minutes.
Grill for 25 minutes and look for the skin to get a bit charred.
Mix the following ingredients in a new or clean mixing bowl:
Some salt
Black pepper
Olive Oil
Oregano
Some Lemon Juice
Half teaspoon cornstarch.
Stir the grilled wings in
the sauce and serve.
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Beach Breeze
JoAnne’s latest drink discovery from the 3S Restaurant and Bar on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale. This drink is easy to make and DELICIOUS!!
A jigger or two of Rum
About 5 jiggers of Pineapple/
Coconut Juice
A dash of Nutmeg
and some Ice.
Sticky Rice Snack
Great snack or side dish.
In a rice cooker prepare about 2/3 cup of rice (this is the little cup that comes with the machine) with 1 cup water (machine measurment). When finished put into a mixing bowl and stir in:
1 Tbsp. Pine Nuts
Several shakes of Garlic Powder
About 2/3 tsp. Chicken Bouillon (to taste)
Squeeze about half a lemon
Some Finely chopped Parsley
Best Deviled Eggs
BEST TASTE YET!
For about 4 eggs (8 halves) I mixed:
4 yolks
1 Tbsp. Sweet Relish
1 tsp. Mayonnaise
1-1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
2/3 tsp. Cholula Sauce
You can vary the amounts to your taste but the idea that the mayonnaise can be reduced to a teaspoon makes these eggs less fattening.
Best Pickled Eggs
Ingredients:
1 Quart Jar
8 Hard Boiled Eggs
1/2 of Quart Jar full of Apple
Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Cloves, ground
1 tsp. Dill Weed
For SWEET PICKLING:
3 Tbsp. Sugar
Eggs need only 1 days soaking in this mixture to develop flavor. Keep in fridge.
Jim’s Smoked Salmon Dip - IMPROVED !
In the photo above the refrigerator container on the left has the completed mixture in it.
Salmon already tastes like it’s smoked but smoking it makes it even BETTER. I get 1/2 pound cut pieces from the grocery store and then smoke the salmon for about an hour and a half on my electric smoker with some wet hickory chips next to the heating coil.
The recipe for the Smoked Salmon Dip (or Spread)
About 8 oz. of smoked salmon
About 1 Tablespoon of Dill Weed
Juice from a whole Lemon
About 2 - 1/2 Tablespoons of Hellman’s Mayonnaise.
AND THE TWO NEW INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce.
Break up the smoked salmon in a mixing bowl and mix in the other ingredients.
I don’t think you’ll believe how good this’ll taste!
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These are the new added items: Dijon Mustard, and Louisiana Hot Sauce
Sushi Rice
Ingredients:
(Ingredients quantities are for our small automatic rice cooker.)
1/2 Cup Rice
1-1/2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Vegetable Oil
Instructions:
RINSE the rice (in its cooker) with clear water until the rinse water stays clear.
Add all ingredients.
Cook automatically.