SXSW Day 3: Moonshine, The Head and the Heart, Fitz live, and SPEAK!

After sampling Austin's finest BBQ at Ironworks (Day 1), then grubbing on Austin's "grab and go" street foods (Day 2), it was time to have a proper sit-down meal to round out the SXSW 2011 culinary adventure. On a recommendation from a friendly Austin-based colleague, my fashionable and fab co-worker and I headed to Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill, right in downtown Austin.  And we weren't the only ones - the place was packed with fellow SXSW'ers - biz folks, musicians (saw Fitz there!), and other locals coming to check out shows.   Built circa 1835, Moonshine is housed in one of the oldest commercial buildings in Austin that was previously home to (among other things) a general store, an overnight home for rural settlers, and a pre-Prohibition era saloon.  Moonshine honors the building's long Austin history by serving-up innovative takes on classic American comfort foods to satisfy the biggest of appetites. 

 

 

    

It was a tough decision between "Pecan Crusted Catfish with Crawfish Tails, Homemade Hot Sauce and Brown Butter Sauce" and "Broiled Rainbow Trout with Cornbread Stuffing and Chile Sage Butter."  I decided on the Trout because I have never had fish stuffed with cornbread (and I love cornbread) so it was a must. For my side dish, I figured "go big, you're in Texas" so I ordered the Baked Macaroni (at this point - health considerations have been tossed out the window like a cheating ex-husband). My friend ordered the Smoked Half Chicken because it came with Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce - an uncommon find! As we waited for our dinner plates, we munched on Moonshine's famous seasoned popcorn and cornbread muffins (both complimentary with every meal), and I sipped on a Sauvignon Blanc (my fav white) from a TX vineyard.

Moonshine's hefty portions certainly epitomize the ol' saying "Everything's Big in Texas!"  It's a good thing we had been walking a lot!  My trout was out of this world! The fish was perfectly cooked and melted in your mouth; the sage flavored sauce nicely complimented the herbs in the cornbread; and the baked macaroni was a perfect ramekin of cheesy down-home comfort; and lastly - look at that - there are even veggies! The carrots were a touch sweet (perhaps maple glazed) which paired well with the sweetness of the cornbread. 

When the very-friendly server came around asking if we had saved room for dessert the realistic answer was "No - I have consumed my body weight in butter" however what came out of our mouths was "we could do a bite of the Sweet Potato Pecan Pie."  Holy hell - what arrived was A LOT more than a bite! It was a whole pie!  A mix between traditional pecan pie and a cake, the crust was a little thicker than a normal pie crust.  It was drizzled with a brown sugar glaze and topped with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Needless to say it was spectacular, and we may have had a little more than just a bite, then gave the rest to our appreciative fellow SXSW'ers at the neighboring table. 

Others recommended sushi or Italian food restaurants in Austin which I am sure are great, but for me... when in Rome... you get me.... this was a perfect last meal in Austin.

And after that mega-meal, I took a few minutes to re-group before hitting the town hard for the last night of running around...

The Day 3 band highlights:

SPEAK:  An up-and-coming foursome actually from Austin, these guys are young, energetic, and infuse their pop sound with well-placed electro-beats.   I was excited to see them play SXSW because I have been digging their EP "Hear Here" (available on iTunes) and they certainly lived up to my expectations!  Recently signed to Atlantic, their full length LP should drop sometime this year - look out for it and see video below!   And as a side note, They played this day time show at perhaps the coolest venue of my SXSW experience to date - The roof of the Whole Foods, just right outside of downtown Austin.  If you like Whole Foods, the Austin flag-ship location is like Disneyland!

Fitz and the Tantrums: If you have been following along, you already know I dig this band have been looking forward to seeing them at SXSW (see this post for videos and more about Fitz). It was an 11:15 PM show and it was packed - We had to fight, wheedle, and plead our way in, but we did it! And it was awesome!  The guys wore their trademark skinny ties and Noelle rocked a gold short dress (a la "Dream Girls"). They danced, they played their hearts out, the audience was totally into them and singing along - I was happy :)

And now it was on to my final show for SXSW 2011, and it was far far away from the Fitz show.  Hardly able to stand on my kankles at this point, but undeterred, I turned to the best mode of transportation in Austin - a pedi-cab.  I am a pedi-cab lover - these boys (and girls although, I only happened to ride the gents ;) ) are super friendly and get you where you need to go FAST with little regard for silly traffic laws. I wish we had these in LA (although people would hate them and run them over). Oh and isn't "Pedi-Cab" a great name for a band? Chew on that Austin youth.  Thanks to one of Austin's finest on the right, I made it on-time to catch The Head and the Heart's final SXSW show.

The Head and the Heart:

A Seattle-based 6-piece folk-ish rock group, H and H finished out their last SXSW show with a high energy bang!  The audience was so amped a few guys jumped on-stage (far left guy and middle dude) and were promptly handed shakers to join the fun. H and H is authentic and their songs are diverse - some introspective & mellow others lively & folksy.  I loved their use of violin and long-keyboard flourishes - I was bopping along!  Recently signed to Sub-Pop, their current self-entitled LP (available on iTunes) will be emimently re-released.  Look out for it and see below!  

Phew!!! Until next year darling Austin...

  Thanks to all of you wonderful readers for following me along.

Hugs and Kisses as always :)

SXSW Day 2: TX Waffles, Death Metal Pizza, Hanson, Foster the People and More!

With heavily band-aided feet, skinny black zipperd-leg pants, and an airy tunic top (because it gets hot) SXSW Day 2 began with breakfast at an historic 1886 Austin landmark - The Driskill Hotel.  Perusing the menu with an eye towards continually soaking up TX culture, I selected the Texas waffle with pecans, blackberries, and bananas.  What makes a waffle a "Texas" waffle you ask - Perhaps BBQ maple syrup or maybe served with a side of ribs?  NO - It's simply in the shape of the good ol' state of Texas!  I could use a waffle iron in the shape of a Z...

So I dispensed with restaurant meals in favor of quick, portable, and plentiful Austin street food.  Whether you fancy tacos, hot dogs (even vegan and brats), pizza, kebabs, sliders, paninis, or bbq sandwiches - it's all here - in trucks, carts, stands, and "hole in the wall" spots.  With Guy Fiere's spirit pumping through me, I polled folks for their favs in Austin street foods.  

Winner for best Pizza: Hoek's Death Metal Pizza - A 6th St. spot that rocks out all night long heavy metal style.  After a lot of running around, an 11 PM slice of pepperoni and sausage really hit the spot.  And a bit of grease dripped on my shoe (no napkin dabbing here) which made the whole experience even more mouth-watering.   

A couple hours later, circa 2 AM after the "Surfer Blood" show, I was hungry again. I decided on sliders with fries at "Slammin Sliders" - a little food shack off 6th.  Although a difficult decision, I decided on the BBQ Cheese Bacon sliders and they were indeed tasty.  The fries were unique - sweet potato sprinked with sugar as well as salt - sort of like the kettle corn version of french fries.

And because I must have the luck of the Irish, a green haired gent wearing a kilt joined my table for the 8 minutes it took me to scarf down my sliders.  

And now the shows - Below are the highights!

Hanson: I know what you are thinking - "I havent heard of those bros since MMM- BOP".  Hanson is back and all grown up!  Zach shreds on the drums, Taylor rips it up on keys, and Isaac rocks out big time on the guitar.  At the SXSW NARAS party, Hanson played songs off their new album "Shout it Out" as well as a great cover of "Hold On I'm Coming" (because they are admittedly old souls at heart despite their age).  Hands down - these guys are talented - if you ever loved MMM-Bop, check out "Thinkin About Something" - it's a 'feel-good, dance-alicious, full of brotherly love' video (wait for the power high 5 at the end).

Foster the People: What an awesome show!  Mark Foster, young front-man of the LA-based rock group, Foster the People, is truly a multi-talented dude. One second he is on the keys, then he whirls around and pick up drum sticks and starts going to town on the floor drum, and then he throws down the drums sticks, and straps on a guitar.  Althought their current big song "Pumped Up Kicks" is fairly mellow (and quite dark) - FTP cannot be neatly placed in a genre because no two songs are the same - they have a ton of range and the show was incredibly high energy.  I was impressed.   Their first album "Torches" is expected to drop late Spring.  Get it.  And because I can't get enough "Pumped Up Kicks" - official video below.

Portugal. The Man: Very interesting experimental rock group from Alaska that everyone's talking about... PTM is cool becayse they do both experimental rock and more traditional rock.  The experimental stuff is great for a chill house party and the other stuff is just good anytime. Their current big song "People Say" has been getting some serious radio airplay and has been rolling around my head for days- perhaps you've heard it... see below.

That's a wrap for Day 2!  Stay tuned for the 3rd and final day of Z's SXSW 2011 food and music adventure.

Hugs and kisses. 

SXSW Day 1: Best BBQ in Austin, Duran Duran and others!

Hiya kids - First day of SXSW successfully conquered!

After landing in Austin, first order of business (after dashing off Fitz Meatloaf blog) is having a proper Texas dinner.  I polled various Austin natives and seasoned SXSW'ers for the very best Austin BBQ and the choice was unanimous - Iron Works BBQ right in downtown (followed by Salt Lick as a distant second).

On a recommendation from the gent behind the counter, I ordered their speciality - the beef ribs plate, and 8,000 or so calories later, I was an incredibly happy girl!  Definitely an ecletic plate - you get beans, potato salad, a white plain slice of bread, raw onions and pickles, along with theree luscious ribs slathered in Irons Works signature BBQ sauce.  

There is no way to eat this daintily (and I ain't a dainty eater generally). I rolled up my sleeves, stretched out, did a couple yoga sun salutations to ready myself to dive into this massive tray of Texas BBQ goodness.    

 I am not usually a big beans person, but I loved these - they weren't too sugary and went really well with the tangy, but a touch sweet, Iron Works signature BBQ sauce (provided in a squeeze bottle for your convenience and can be purchased on their website).  The onions and pickles were a nice crunchy tart counter balance to the beans and creamy potato salad so they really worked on the plate (at first I was confused by them).  The bread slice functions to sop up on any extra beans and BBQ sauce and also nicely absorbs the flavor of the ribs laying on top of them.  And now the ribs  - If you are going to have ribs you may as well have the best and these were freaking awesome.  They were thick and meaty with a perfect char on the ends - the pork loin dish my wonderful friend ordered sadly paled in comparison so I gave her a rib and that was the end of eating pork loin.  I gobbled it up and washed it down with Texas' owner Shiner Bock beer... Ah... so good.  Full of Texas' best I was ready to hit the bands!

Of the 5 bands I hit up last night - I will quickly highlight 3:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr - A duo into car racing hailing from the Motor City (Detroit... duh).  Despite the weird name, these guys are fun and even wear car racing suits! Although definitely rock, their sound has a poppy ethereal breezy quality with a lot of "da da da da das". I liked the track "Simple Girl" and the cover of "God Only Knows".  EP is now out on Itunes with the full length album, tentatively entitled "A Corporate World," expected to land Summer 2011.    

Royal Bangs - I knew nothing about this band before last night, but heard some buzz so decided to make my way down 6th Street to check them out. From Knoxville, Tennessee, they have a Black Keys sort of look and an experimental rock sound.  One dude is on guitar, an other is a master on the keys, and the third is on drums.  The sound is big! For never having heard a single song, they kept my attention and I didn't mind that they didn't move around too much - it was all about the sound.

Duran Duran - Umm.... No introduction needed.  These UK legends kicked off their world tour to promote their new album at Stubb's last night and I was lucky enough to get in (thanks MW!).  They still got it!  Girls on Film!

That's it for me from Austin - Will be back tomorrow with my highlights of Austin street food, more music, and whatever St. Patty's day shenanigans occur...

Hugs and Kisses!

Contemporary Retro - Fitz & the Tantrums with Sundried Tomato Feta Turkey Meatloaf

Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Sandra Dee all wore skinny jeans/pants.  Jeans style then moved to 70s bell bottoms; 80s high-wasted (sometimes pleated  - ack!);  90s acid wash; into the 2000s bootcut, and now skinny is again all the rage (for boys and girls alike)! 


The new skinnies, however, are not your mama's jeans - they have a modern touch - hip rouching, extra long longs worn bunched up, zippers and look fab with chic flats or sexy high heels.

Skinny jeans are not the only thing that continually experience a renaissance. Musicians, of course, borrow from their predecessors to create their own sounds -  hence LA based Fitz and the Tantrums - A 60s style soul indie rock-pop outfit - Fitz is Motown meets Indie-Pop and the result is the perfect combo for dancing, running, bopping in the car, partying, and of course cooking.

Fitz played the New Noise Santa Barbara conference back in October and I was intrigued...  I then heard "Moneygrabber" on Sirius in January and immediately was into it - I felt like K-Earth 101 - but fresh.  I since then grabbed Pickin' up the Pieces - the band's full length LP released on Dangerbird Records and promptly memorized every song.

In interviews, front-man Michael Fitzpatrick, lead soulful diva female vocalist Noelle Scaggs and the rest of the Tantrums make it clear that they are not trying to recreate a carbon copy of 60s era soul music - rather - are interpreting their fav era with their own spin.  Fitz doesn't even use guitars - he said that he wants to create a big sound without use of guitars and he has wildly succeeded

Moneygrabber is the first sizzling single below!

Michael Fitzpatrick wrote the below track "Breaking the Chains of Love" in 5 minutes on a vintage 60s organ!



And the next two round out my top 4 fav that exemplify the throwback Fitz sound.






To go with Fitz and the Tantrums modernized retro sound - the answer is obvious - Meatloaf. However, we are not talking about the "Brady Bunch Alice the housekeeper Sam the Butcher" style of meatloaf recipes.   No sireee -  this is the old school classic dinner with modern flare - Thank you Giada!  The below recipeI is way healthier, very flavorful, easy to make, and looks really pretty when its done with green and red flecks.  I cooked it up wearing skinny jeans and listening to Fitz!

Sundried Tomato Feta Cheese Turkey Meatloaf (serves 4 - 6)


Here is what you need:

- Cooking spray
-1/2 cup bread crumbs (plain or seasoned)
-1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
-1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes (or just regular packed in oil)
-2 cloves garlic, minced, optional (use if your sundried tomatoes are not marinated in garlic)
-2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
-2 tablespoons milk (whole, light, skim)
-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (regular or with herbs)
-1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (use much less, if any, if using seasoned bread crumbs)
-1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
 
Here is what you do:

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper.

Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 - 55 minutes (mine took closer to 55 minutes).

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

And for a colorful side-dish, try Rachael Ray's Pesto Mashed Potatoes.

Here is what you need:
-2 1/2 pounds small red skinned potatoes (TJ's sells a multi-color potato bag)
-Coarse salt
-1 cup stock or chicken broth
-1 cup prepared store bought pesto (or use less if you like!)


Here is what you do:
Cut larger potatoes in half and leave small potatoes whole. Cover potatoes with water and bring water to a boil. Add salt and cook until potatoes are tender 10 to 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and return them to hot pot. Add broth or stock and smash the potatoes up. Add pesto and smash to desired consistency. Serve while hot.

Alright kids - I am off to hit the sweaty Austin streets to join the the rest of the skinny jean wearing guys and gals here at SXSW . 

Will keep you all updated - Fitz show tomorrow night!  On the menu for this eve - Austin BBQ!  And in my homage to SXSW - off to change into flat cowboy boots, a red flannel shirt, and skinny jeans ;)

Hugs and Kisses.

Grammy Shmammy Frammy and Mini Nutella Cheesecakes!

It wouldn't be fitting for The Rockin' Foodie to not touch base on the eve of the music's biggest night - or perhaps the music business' biggest night - THE GRAMMYS.

Say what you will about the this huge commercial spectacle, I support Bono's thought below about the Grammys:

"It was all there: anger, love, forgiveness, family, community and the deepest sense of history... Here was the full power of American music challenging my arrogance. I watched the rest of the show with new eyes. The Grammys invited jazz, country, rock, soul, and classical into the same hall. No regard for demographic studies of what would deliver ratings, no radio call-out research—a mad amalgam of the profound and the absurd and the creeping realisation that one man's Mozart is another man's Vegas."

Let's keep this simple and dive into Z's fav Grammy 2011 nominees and follow it up with a gorgeous Grammy party dessert.  

I have featured several Grammy nominees in 2010 in previous blogs - Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" except I featured the potty mouth version (8/27), Katy Perry's California Gurls (8/18), Broken Bells (12/29), and Vampire Weekend (9/26).  I still dig these songs and artists, but will highlight some different ones to keep things fresh.

In the "Over the Top Pop" Category (I am making up my own categories):  Lady GaGa featuring Beyonce TELEPHONE.  I freaking love this song - Every chick has felt like this at some point in her life - "Dude stop calling me - I am out without you, and thus will call you when I am no longer out.  Go do something else that does not involve calling, texting, or facebooking me. xoxo."



In the "Fashionable Rock" Category: The Black Keys TIGHTEN UP.  It took me a minute to jump on the BK band wagon, but now am on it, and BK I am Howlin' for You!



In the "Sensitive Indie Rock Darlings" Category: Arcade Fire READY TO START.  I am so glad that the Grammys are recognizing these guys because they are just good and honest.



In the "Why Doesn't My BF Write This About Me" Urban Category: Bruno Mars JUST THE WAY YOU ARE and B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars NOTHIN' ON YOU.  Umm - Y'all this know this isn't classically my genre, but these two songs are SEXY. Enough Said.





And now FOOD TIME!  Full and fair disclosure: I have not actually made this recipe yet, but plan to imminently and will post pics and additional tips when I do.  And if one of you makes it before me, please let me know how it is.  I found this recipe as part of the "Petit Chef" food blog community (note the icon on the left side bar) and it sounded so good, simple, and festive for a Grammy Party!  And  as most of you know, I love all things CHEESE and can eat Nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread) by the spoonful - hence its destiny.

MINI NUTELLA CHEESECAKES (Serves 8)

Here is what you need:

-2 (8 oz) bars of softened cream cheese

-2 eggs
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup Nutella
-36 Nilla Wafers
-Red Food Color, optional  (I don't plan to use food color, but could be a nice touch for Valentine's Day)

Here is what you do:

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs and sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in the Nutella and beat until combined. Add in the Cream Cheese and mix until combined. Pour in the food color; about 8 drops, and mix. (optional).  Prepare the cupcake pan with mini paper baking cups.Add one Nilla wafer into each cup. Pour the cheese mixture into each liner to 3/4 full. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for some time before serving. I would likely refrigerate it overnight or at least a couple hours.

Here is the cheezy picture from the website - Happy Valentine's Day I guess...

For those who choose to watch the Grammys - Enjoy the Show! 

For those who don't - Happy Sunday!

Hugs and Kisses.

Candle, Napa Cab Sauv, Amos Lee, Pantry Pasta, & Blogging...

Sometimes on Friday nights, I like to take it easy - I reflect, listen to tunes, and cook.  Such is the case tonight, friends. 

Following a wonderful Restorative Yoga class, I returned home, lit a comfy candle, fired up my iPod, opened a 2007 Rutherford Cab Sauv, and perused the fridge.  Since I just went to TJ's I have the basics - Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and garlic.  After a glance through the pantry, I grab the Capellini dry pasta (angel hair) and its on - feta, olive, tomato, angel hair pasta. 

I can't cook without music  - so I turned to an old friend, Amos Lee - beautiful folk, soul, jazz singer-songwriter.  I don't actually know Amos Lee, but I feel like I do when I listen to his music.  I know its a trite sentiment, but he speaks to me.  He brings tears to my eyes, a smile to my face, and I feel what he is feeling through his words.

 In 2008, my previous wonderful boss and friend passed along Amos' debut 2005 album "Amos Lee" because he thought I would like it - and he was right.   Man - that CD got me through some tough times.  I know every word of that album and I found great hope, acceptance, and peace in his words (and yes, I am choked up right now). 

His music speaks for itself:  See below ALL MY FRIENDS off his debut album, and then one of the most passionate songs I have ever heard, ARMS OF A WOMAN also off that same album. 





And in our great fortune, Amos has just released a brand new album that is currently #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart.  Granted it was a horrific week for album sales, but still... Pushing 40k units in one week in these times is reason to celebrate.  Yay Amos!  I just bought the new album "Mission Bell" tonight and listened to it while cooking and then eating my pasta dinner.  One song immediately resonated with me after only one listening - LEARNED A LOT.  The below video is a live performance probably shot by an iPhone and even with that quality, his voice shines through as if he's standing right next to you.   I can't wait until he plays LA.



Now for the Friday night easy relaxation meal:
 
Kalamata Olive, Tomato, Feta Angel Hair Pasta

What you Need:

- Capellini (angel hair) or any pasta noodle

- Little tomatoes (a handful)

- Kalamata Olives (4 per person)

- Feta cheese (healthy handful)

- Garlic (one clove per serving)

- Olive Oil (couple tablespoons to coat the pan)

- Fresh basil (wish I had some)

- Salt and Pepper

Here is what you do:

Bring boiling salted water to boil, add a little olive oil, and then add the pasta.  Normally, I don't add olive oil to pasta water since it coats the pasta and doesn't allow the noodles to absorb the sauce as well; however, because olive oil is the sauce and angel hair can stick together easily, adding olive oil is a good idea for this dish.  Angel hair cooks very quickly (maybe 5 minutes) so keep an eye on it! Once ready, drain the pasta (but don't rinse it with water).

Chop up the garlic and tomatoes.  Heat olive oil in the same pot as the pasta and then add the garlic. Saute garlic for one minute and then add the tomatoes and saute for an additional minute.  Remove the pot from heat and let stand one minute, then add in the pasta directly to the pot.  The oil will still be a little hot so the noodles will cook for a second in the oil which I like because the noodles get toasty flavored.  Transfer the noodles to a bowl and add the olives, feta, salt, pepper, and fresh basil.  YUMMY and EASY.

Alright - I am now going to watch a bad chick flick, take a bath, and go to bed. 

Hugs and Kisses.

Country... Light!

Historically, Z + Country Music = Not So Much. 

In 1992, when Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart" was "about to blow up and kill this man" - I was hoping it would. 

However, since 1992 my musical taste and appreciation has expanded.  As such, in the spirit of open-mindedness and for blog prep, I attempted to watch Billy Ray perform my previous nemesis - "Achy Breaky Heart".  And folks, I was unable to complete the task. 1:48 seconds into the video, I closed the browser and quickly googled Weird Al's spoof "Achy Breaky Song" for much needed comic relief.  Enjoy the genius that is Sir Weird Al.  

Billy Ray aside, truth is I have grown to like some Country(ish) music...  For example, when the opportunity arises on a Saturday night, I listen to NPR's re-broadcast of the American folk classic "Prairie Home Companion."  You may also catch me humming along to a Country-Pop cross over artist like Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, or Carrie Underwood (don't laugh - I like the song where she bashes the hell out of her cheating ex's car).  I recognize all of the above are girly and not pure Country... that's why my taste is for "Country Light" - less calories, but just as filling (for me).  

And now the main event - WILCO - The very best in "Country Light" and one of my fav bands.

Fronted by founding member, Jeff Tweedy, Wilco's sound (considered Alternative Country/Alternative Rock) is infused with elements of country twang, experimental rock, and synthesizer-pop.  Through Wilco's seven album career, their first couple album's were more Country sounding as the band was formed from Uncle Tupelo, also an Alternative Country band.

Although Wilco doesn't quite have the hardcore twang of mainstream Country it still has Country vibe, particularly the band's 1995 debut album "A.M." which utilizes classic Country instruments - pedal steel guitars, fiddles, and mandolins. This is a great album, and I frequently listen to it when futzing around the house cooking, tidying, up and shining my cowboy boots.

Check out Wilco (with Mr. Tweedy in full Country regalia) performing "I MUST BE HIGH" and "PASSENGER SIDE" off "A.M."



By the fourth studio album, YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT, Wilco's sound became less Country and more experimental rock with long, complex, synthesized intros and outros.  After being dropped from Reprise and later picked up by Nonsuch, this album has been Wilco's largest commercial success selling over 600,000 copies.  I picked up YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT in 2005 and played the CD a ton.  I later got all their albums including the two most recent: Grammy nominated "SKY BLUE SKY" and "WILCO (THE ALBUM)".

Check out the playful fan video of HEAVY METAL DRUMMER - floppy haired boys (a guilty Z pleasure).



And below check out I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART - a standout from YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT.  Although more rock focused, you can still hear the Alternative Country roots deep in the melody.  And for a great documentary chronicling the public controversy between Wilco and Reprise during the recording of this album, Nettlx "I Am Trying to Break your Heart: A Film About Wilco".


And finally a simply beautiful song -  YOU AND I off Wilco's 2009 most recent album WILCO (THE ALBUM) featuring Feist.  And you gotta love David Letterman - the camel thing is funny!


In honor of Wilco's "Country Light" roots, we are making Chili - a down-home Country classic - but a light, healthy, and easy version.  My good friend, Malena Casteel, passed this recipe on from her Mama that lives in the Midwest.  We later learned that "Cooking Light" magazine featured a similar recipe. Since everyone is trying to lose the holiday overage, this is a great stick-to-your ribs chili, but will keep you svelte - and can be made meatless.

QUICK VEGETARIAN CHILI (WITH MEAT) (serves 4)

- 3/4 to 1 lb extra lean ground turkey or beef

-2 tsp. oil

-1 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)

-1 cup chopped bell pepper (1 large bell pepper)

-2 tsp chili powder

-1 tsp ground cumin

-1 tsp dried oregano

-3 garlic cloves chopped

-1 (4.5oz) can chopped green chilies

-2/3 cup barley

-2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
-1 (15oz) can black beans (drained)

-1 (14.5oz) can chopped tomatoes (plain or seasoned)

-Salt and pepper to taste. 

Toppings: Sour cream, cheddar cheese, and cilantro for garnish.

Begin cooking the barley first before chopping the onions, peppers, & garlic because barley needs time to soften.  Pour the vegetable or chicken broth into a small sauce pan.  Add the barley and bring to a simmer.  By the time you are ready to add the barley to the mixture, it will be soft enough to finish cooking with the rest of the ingredients. 

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for one minute.  Add meat, season with salt and black pepper, and brown the meat (or skip this step if you want it to be vegetarian). Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and chilies. Cook together for 1 minute. Add the barley/broth mixture, beans, tomatoes, with a little more salt. Simmer 20 minutes (covered) until the barley and beans are tender.  Stir occasionally so that the chili does not stick to bottom of the pot.  If the chili is too thick for your preference, mix in 1/4 hot water. Top with light sour cream, reduced fat cheddar cheese, and a touch of cilantro for color.  Crumble in a couple saltines for a little extra bite.  Serve with country biscuits and some Wilco on the side.  The chili will keep for a couple days,and in fact only gets better as the flavors meld together.  Plus - your kitchen will smell lovely - just like Laura Ingalls Little House in the Big Woods.

I hope y'all enjoy it!

I leave you with a Country great - Mr. Johnny Cash.



Hugs and Kisses.