One of my favorite dishes in the world is Cioppino, Italian style fish stew. As with most dishes, there are probably as many recipes for Cioppino as there are people who love it. Not wanting to be left out, I offer up my take on the classic dish. As always, look at this as a starting point. Take away items you don’t like, add in ones that you do. Have fun!
Alaskan Cod/Halibut on Pineapple Planks
We love fish, but after a while it all starts to taste the same. Smoked, grilled, grilled on cedar planks, steamed, it all gets boring after a while. Sure, you can make heavy sauces and such but that’s just masking the fish. I wanted something new that would allow me to have a new taste, but still know I was enjoying a good piece of fish. So last night I tried steaming some cod on pineapple, and the results were quite tasty. This is really drop dead simple to make. Give it a try, I really think you’ll like this one.
Cocktail Hour
Okay, we’ve been hitting the food end of things pretty good, so I think now would be a good time to go into something a bit more spirited. Queue up some of “The Chairman” in iTunes, dim the lights a bit, and pass the martini shaker… It’s Cocktail Hour kids!
First and foremost, what I’m talking about here is a true retro cocktail party. Classy, refined, full of good conversation, food, drink and company. I am NOT talking about filling a garbage can with fruit punch and pouring whatever someone brings into it. Although, that has it’s place. (coughs) No, I’m talking the throw-back cocktail party. Back to the birth of cool. Sinatra, Miles Davis, Beatnik Poetry, Audrey Hepburn ( oh yeah, the cabaret scene in Funny Face). Dean Martin, and the Martini. Cool man, real cool.