The Taste & Sounds of the Tropics Anytime

THE RE-OCCURRING Z DAY-DREAM:

Lying on a tropical beach with a fruity cocktail in hand - no phone, no email, no worries.  I have at times stared at the Windows 97 "tropical" themed wallpaper and closed my eyes and wished I was basking in the sun on that computer-generated beach...  Alas back to reality - No Hawaii, Jamaica, or Kokomo trips for Z this year... but I did enjoy me some good tropical eating & listening - & just for a minute - that little day dream felt a bit less far away...    

On this lovely Labor Day weekend and as the Summer of 2011 begins to fade (although soak it up while it lasts - the Fall Equinox is a good 20 days away kids), the good news is that you can bring a little of the Islands right to your home with easy recipes containing ingredients found in your local super market all year long.

 Below are Z's picks for a healthy, cool, yet spicy, tropical dinner with many thanks to AG for conceptualizing and preparing this mini-vacation meal.

On the Menu:
Starter: Pineapple Gazpacho
Main Attraction: Curried Sweet Potato Roti wraps 
Dessert: Pineapple Buttermilk Sherbet
Beverages: Fruity Cocktails

Let's begin!

Tropical Pineapple Gazpacho (adapted from Moosewood Lowfat Restaurant Favorites) Serves 4-6




Here is what you need:

-4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
-1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded (with extra slices for garnish)
-1 medium red pepper, diced
-1 small red onion, diced
-2 medium tomatoes, diced
-1 cup canned unsweetened pineapple chunks in juice (or use fresh if in season)
-2 tbsp. red wine vinegar (optional)
-generous pinch cayenne or chili powder, or more to taste
-1 tsp. ground cumin
-1 1/2 cups crusty bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks (can be old)
-3 cups tomato juice
-salt and pepper to taste

Here is what you do:

In a blender or food processor, combine the garlic, 1/2 the cucumbers, 1/2 the bell peppers, the red onion, 1/2 the tomatoes, the pineapple and its juice, vinegar (if using), cayenne or chili powder, cumin, bread chunks, and tomato juice and puree until smooth. If using the blender, it will be quite full so be sure to hang on to the top when you turn it on.

Transfer to a bowl, then stir in the remaining vegetables. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with cucumbers, lemon slices, or cilantro. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Onto the main course - Curried Sweet Potato Roti (adapted from Moosewood Lowfat Restaurant Favorites) Serves 6-8

"Roti" is the name used in the Caribbean for rolled or folded dough turnovers that have a variety of fillings. Here we wrap flour tortillas around a smooth, curried sweet potato filling made more substantial and chewy by the addition of either chicken, beef, seitan, or soy meat products - chef's choice!

Here is what you need:

For the potato mixture:

-4 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes

-1 tablespoon canola oil or 1 tablespoon other vegetable oil

-2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

-1 cup chopped onion

-1/2 cup chopped bell peppers

For the spice mixture:
-1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

-1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
-1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling
-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
-1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
-8 ounces chopped beef or chicken, soy -meat, or seitan
-6-8 eight inch flour tortillas (depending on your filling amount preference)

Here is what you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a covered saucepan, bring the sweet potatoes and enough water to cover them to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until soft.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes, until they begin to pop. Stir in the bell peppers and the spice mixture ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes, until the peppers are tender, adding about 3 tablespoons of the sweet potato water to prevent sticking.


When the sweet potatoes are soft, drain them and mash them with the lime juice. Stir in the cilantro and meat or non-meat, then add the cooked onions and peppers and mix well. Sprinkle in salt to taste.

Prepare a baking dish with a light coating of oil or cooking spray. Place about 1/2 cup of filling on each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through.

And finally, serve hot, topped with a dollop of nonfat sour cream or yogurt, if desired, and some chopped parsley or cilantro.  AG and I added side of TJ's mango ginger chutney which was a perfect sweet spicy compliment!  Yum!

No tropical daydream is complete without a summery beverage.  AG and I made our take on a Tequila Sunrise, but summer cocktail varieties are endless, and for other options check out this blog posting from Summer 2010 serving up the 7 cocktails shown below.  

Lastly, time to indulge the sweet tooth with a cool (fairly figure friendly) easy tropical dessert:

Pineapple Buttermilk Sherbet (Serves 8; makes 5 - 6 cups) (adapted from Moosewood Lowfat Restaurant Favorites)

Here is what you need:

-2 cups nonfat or regular buttermilk

-2 cups undrained canned crushed pineapple (20-ounce can) or fresh pineapple
-2/3 cup sugar
-A couple ounces finely sliced and chopped ginger root (optional for an extra refreshing blast)

Here is what you do:

In a bowl, stir together the buttermilk, pineapple, sugar, and ginger (if using) until the sugar has dissolved.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. After about an hour, when the mixture has begun to harden, stir it with a fork until it becomes slushy. Cover and return to the freezer for another hour or two, until it is very stiff but not frozen solid. Stir it again with a fork and serve. If the sherbet has frozen hard, remove it from the freezer to soften for about 30 minutes before serving or whirl it in a food processor, scraping down the sides several times, for about 2 minutes, until well blended and smooth.  And that's it - No fancy gadgetry required!  Our sherbet came out a hair on the runny side, albeit tasty and smiling, so best to freeze this for about 5 or 6 hours for solid consistency. 

Onto the music selections for our dreamy tropical mini-getaway evening.  Since AG gets the credit for this dinner, we mutually selected music for your listening pleasure... From Mr. AG - The Bomboras - An all-instrumental LA surf band formed in the summer of 1994, sharing a love of 60’s Surf/Garage such as The Ventures, Booker T, and The Sonics.  Check out this live rendition of "Garage Grinder" and feel free to bob your head up and down quickly and repeatedly. 

And from Z: To go with our Caribbean inspired main-course - Jamaican reggae from Mr. Bob Marley, and to end with a relaxing finish - the beautiful serene voice of Hawaii's great - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. 

Sigh... I can practically feel the gentle breezes and warm sun on my face...

Hugs and kisses friends.

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.

Happy New Year! Champagne Cocktails! Broken Bells!

House parties are my favorite New Year's Eve celebrations.  I like to ring in the New Year with close pals over great music, witty banter, festive Champagne cocktails, delish appetizers, & either "Anderson Cooper 360" (with Kathy Griffin) or good ol' "Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve" (with Ryan Seacrest since Mr. Clark is an octogenarian plus, but looks good!). 

Of course, it's also fun to get swanked up & head out for a big NYE celebration... Whether you stay in with a few close friends or family, throw a huge party, or spend a night on the town, we will all likely drink bubbly!  

 As such, I bring you easy Champagne Cocktail recipes, which can also be made non-alcoholic by substituting sparkling water or tonic water for Champagne. Let's Toast, Friends!

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail: Place a sugar cube in the bottom of a Champagne Glass, fill 1/2 of a glass with Champagne, & then top with pomegranate juice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds on top.  Sparkly!

Blueberry Champagne Cocktail: Same as above, except use blueberry juice.  I like Sparkling Blueberry Juice from Trader Joe's.  Float fresh blueberries on top. Sweet!

Raspberry Mint Champagne Cocktail:  Muttle together raspberries & mint with a splash of orange flavored liquor (like Cointreau or Triple Sec) to make a juice.  Fill a glass 3/4 up with Champagne; and then add the orange liquor, raspberry, mint mixture on top.  Garish with a mint leaf.  Minty!

Chambord Champagne Cocktail:  Fill a glass 3/4 full with Champagne, & top it off with a splash of Chambord.  Easy!

And finally my last music selection of 2010!!

Many great artists released excellent albums and songs this year - The Black Keyes, Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers, Florence and the Machine, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, LCD Soundsystem, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Jason Derulo, (yes I do listen to some pop) but my favorite 2010 release is the first self-titled album from BROKEN BELLS. 

A Starbucks impulse buy one late March morning, I grabbed this album (and a latte) after hearing our intelligent & music savvy dept. intern raving about it.  He was right - it's a great album.  A combination of James Mercer from the Shins & Danger Mouse, this melodic duo transcended their collective genres to create an airy, wispy, quasi space-agey, but grounded and fresh sound.  I can't wait for James and Danger Mouse to give us the second album!

If you haven't seen the non-official Hall and Oates dubbed version of THE GHOST INSIDE, check it out below - it's funny!!


And now for the official version of THE GHOST INSIDE.



Finally friends, as 2010 comes to a close, I must say a heartfelt THANK YOU for reading and supporting The Rockin' Foodie blog on this food/music adventure.  I am happy to report that the Rockin' Foodie is global with readers in Denmark, Russia, China, UK, Spain, Australia, Malaysia, Brazil, Germany, Slovenia, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Canada, France, and of course, the US of A.  I deeply appreciate your time, readership, comments, and support.

I look forward to hearing more from you all in the New Year.  As such, please feel free to drop me a comment or an email, & let me know your thoughts & what you are listening to & cooking. 

Cheers to a sumptious, harmonious, and safe 2011!

Happy New Year!

Hugs and Kisses.

Manic Monday? Not This Monday...

This Monday, September 6, is Labor Day, which means.... NO morning commute, NO blackberries, NO conference calls, and NO emails!  HOORAY!

Marked as our country’s national tribute to its hard-working folks since 1882, Labor Day is a day of rest, relaxation, and good times. And we deserve it – Hell, I think we deserve Labor Month! But, alas, this isn’t France, so we have to make the most out of the ONE recognized day for our hard-earned wrist tendinitis.

Unless you are Paris Hilton or a Kardashian, whether we like it or not... we work.  Many artists have captured the feeling and necessity of the 9 - 5 through song: Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang", John Lennon's "Working Class Hero", Loverboy's "Workin for the Weekend", and Dolly Parton's "Working 9 to 5", just to name a few.  But, Huey Lewis' WORKIN' FOR A LIVIN' is one of my picks for this week. 

Off the 1982 album, "Picture This", the spirit of his ditty, I think, resonates with us working folk no matter your occupation.  Although a simpler time in 1982 when rent was only $200 a month, Huey is right - we all need money to pay off car loans, rents, mortgages, and fun vacations, thus we work for a living.  Check out the Huey Lewis and the News 1982 live performance below... I love Huey's moves, rad harmonica playing, and 80s Brooke Shields' style eyebrows. 



And now for a similar, but ladys' perspective, of what it feels like wake up Monday morning to begin the daily grind - The Bangles, 1986 hit single, MANIC MONDAY.  In perhaps 1987 or 1988, my oldest brother gave me his Bangles record along with his old record player (he upgraded to a cassette player), and I was soooooooooooo excited.  I played that Bangles record on my own record player in my pink bedroom every day.  I felt so grown-up.  Watching the below original Bangles video brought back those memories.   Whatever your life was like in 1986, this video may bring back some memories for you too....


But this Monday will certainly not be a Manic Monday, and many us will not be Workin' for a Livin'.  Rather, Americans all around the country will be celebrating with food, family, friends, and facebook (oh the albums and tagging from the weekend festivities will be plentiful). There will be BBQs, picnics, and plenty of sleeping-in followed by late morning brunches. Popular and yummy LA brunch spots like Taste on Melrose, Toast, Kings Road Café, Jack and Jills, and The Overland Café will be teeming with hungry Los Angelinos waiting for their Bloody Mary and eggs.

But since this is not a Manic Monday and we have a little time, consider leaving those crowded brunch spots behind this week and cook an equally festive and yummy brunch at home for you and your loved ones. 

So here we go – Labor Day Brunch for a relaxing Monday - and the menu is Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs,  Roasted Red Potatoes, plus fruit, cheese, bread finished with Mimosas and Bloody Marys.

Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs:

Here is what you need:

-4 oz Sliced Smoked Salmon (aka lox – Scottish, Norwegian, Nova Scotian, or Alaskan smoked salmon will all work. A 4 oz. package of Scottish Smoked Salmon won’t cost more than $7 even at Bristol Farms).

- 10 Eggs (rule of thumb is 2 or 3 eggs per person)

-1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

-12 to 15 blades of fresh chives (finely chopped – easy way – snip them with kitchen scissors)

-Salt (I like Kosher salt) and freshly ground black pepper

- Extra virgin olive oil or butter

Here is what you do:

Chop the salmon into small pieces (and save some for garnish). Combine eggs, cream, and half the chopped chives and whisk all together. Heat olive oil or butter over medium heat for about 30 – 45 seconds. Add the egg mixture. Scramble eggs with wooden spoon. Lightly salt and add pepper (be careful not to add too much salt because salmon is already pretty salty). When eggs have come together but remain wet, stir in the chopped salmon.  Serve from warm pan or plate the eggs directly.  Either way, sprinkle the remaining chives and salmon on top to garnish.

Roasted Red Potatoes

Here is what you need:

- 2 pounds small red new potatoes

- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

- 2 tablespoons melted butter

-1.5 teaspoons sweet paprika

-1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped

-Salt and pepper

Here is what you do:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Sort potatoes. Potatoes that are 2 inches or less in diameter can be left whole. Halve remaining potatoes. I par-boil the potatoes for about 4 minutes because they can take a long time to cook in the oven, but this is optional.  After par-boiling, drain the potatoes and then spread them evenly on a baking pan. Lightly coat the potatoes with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place the pan in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes begin to brown up. Melt butter and add the paprika. When the potatoes are ready to come out of the oven, transfer them to a bowl and season them with salt and pepper. Then pour the butter/paprika mixture over the potatoes to coat evenly. Sprinkle in parsley and toss the whole thing up. Add salt and pepper to your taste, and then serve along side the salmon eggs.

To finish off this Labor Day home brunch, add the following at your leisure: fruit, cheese, and carbs (baguette, Danishes, scones...)

And since there is no work today, let’s add Mimosas or Bloody Marys.

Mimosas are easy: Combine about equal parts Champagne and OJ. 

Bloody Marys: Of course you can use Bloody Mary mix, but this is fun to make and very festive to commemorate our No-Work Monday.

Here is what you need

-1 Bottle (2 quarts) of Tomato Juice or V8

- 8 shots of Vodka (adjust to how much you want to ring in the day off)

- 4 or 5 tablespoons horseradish (depends on how much you like)

- 3 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce (about 10 dashes)

- 1 tablespoon Hot sauce (adjust per your taste)

- 1 tablespoon celery seeds or celery salt

- Juice of 1 lemon

- 1 Teaspoon course black pepper

- Garnishes: celery, stuffed olives, lemon or lime wedges.

Here is what you do - it's simple!

In a large pitcher, combine all the ingredients and stir them up. Put a few cubes of ice in glasses and pour. Garnish with the celery, olives, and lemon or lime wedges.

No matter what you all do on Labor Day (whether cooking Brunch, BBQing, or laying around catching up on NetFlix), I hope you all rest and soak it up before the J-O-B begins again.

Summer Anthems with Summer Cocktails

Hi Friends –

Join me in resisting the back-to-school ads and Fall wardrobe catalogs - at least for a few more weeks - because Summer is certainly not yet over.

I love the California Summer. After work, you can head to a sunny roof-top patio restaurant with friends (for Z, the Peninsula Hotel) or to the beach for a quiet evening constitutional (for Z, Manhattan Beach). And, CA Summer weekends are mini-vacations… BBQs, water sports, lazing around in the sun, dining al fresco (all so fun, but can give a terrible case of "the Mondays…").

If the last couple days are any indication, it looks like more sunny days are on the way. So let’s soak it up with the best of Summer anthems through the decades paired with Summer cocktails Rockin' Foodie style.

From Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong's slow 1950s melodies to present pop diva daisy dukes-wearin Katy Perry – the below playlist captures the best of Summer themes.

Before we dive into the pairings, a huge thank you goes out to Malena Casteel - the creative mixologist and drink historian who was integral in creating these recipes. As a side gig, Malena bartends private events so if you are interested in her skills - malenacasteel@yahoo.com

The 50s

SUMMERTIME – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (1957) – Originally written by George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward for the 1936 opera, Porgy and Bess, this has become the quintessential Summer standard recorded over 15,000 times. I love the 1:32 slow horn intro… then enter Ella’s gorgeous voice with the long drawn-out syllables of “Summertime and the living is easy” – Summer is captured right there in all of 6 words.

Such a leisurely and evocative standard requires a slow drinking Summer cocktail straight out of the 50s and before – the Gin Martini, but with added sweetness. I never thought I could drink a gin martini because I don’t like gin, but this martini has made me a convert.

Here is what you do: Combine equal parts Hendricks Gin and St. Germain Elderberry Liqueur with a dash of simple syrup (buy it or just bring to boil equal parts water and sugar, and then cool it down). Combine in shaker with ice and then pour into a martini glass and sip sloooowly.

As a tip - Bev Mo sells almost all liquor used in these recipes in very cute small bottles.

The 60s

SUMMER IN THE CITY – The Lovin’ Spoonful (1966) – A Billboard #1 Hit in the US, this song is NOT about lovely beach romances or cool summer breezes – nope – this pays homage to sticky Summer nights. This ditty is all about getting the hell out of work, changing into something fun, and going out for the evening – dancing, drinking, throwing a few darts - getting it all in before the morning grind begins the next day – very Norma Rae.

This drink has no frills – no umbrella, no juices, no pinky colors – it’s simply a beer poured into a tall glass, but with a Summer twist by adding a dash of Sprite, and then followed with a tequila shot. Simple, clean, does the job.


The 70s

IN THE SUMMERTIME – Mungo Jerry (1970) – This British pop song became a world wide hit in the early 70s climbing up UK, US, and Canadian charts. Celebrating the carefree days of Summer – In The Summertime, is my fav easy, happy, Summer tune. Besides images from the movie "Wedding Crashers", this song reminds me of Summer picnics. When the weather is fine, Z loves to picnic– and why not go big and bring the bubbly for a fancy champagne basil and strawberry cocktail that you can drink right out of a picnic paper cup. This is my current fav drink.

Here is how you make it: Muttle strawberries and basil with simple syrup in the bottom of a glass, add some ice, then add champagne, and top it off with a dash of Sprite. To make it picnic ready, pre-muttle your basil and strawberries with the simple syrup and store in a container. Pack a bottle of champagne and a can of Sprite. Once you are nice and settled on your blanket, add the muttled strawberry basil mixture to a paper cup and then top with the champagne and Sprite. Easy, breezy, and elegant!

The 80s

KOKOMO – The Beach Boys (1988) – The Beach Boys (originally from So Cal) scream SUMMER – "California Girls", "Surfin USA", "Surfin Safari", and of course Kokomo. Kokomo, as a single, was actually released to coincide with the Tom Cruise movie, "Cocktail" (appropriately titled for the Rockin Foodie this week!).

As child of the 80s, my elementary school’s 1989 talent show was replete with girls lip-synching to Kokomo (not me – I played the piano). This is the perfect classic beach and flip-flops song, and thus it must be paired with the classic beach cocktail – the Mai Tai. Since there are many different Mai Tai recipes, the brilliant Malena (who occasionally goes by the nickname, May) helped me come up with a simple home version that doesn’t require a lot of specialized ingredients- we call it the May Tai. 

How to make a May Tai: In a tall glass with ice add a heavy pour of coconut run, then a splash of grenadine, pineapple juice, and OJ (in that order for a pretty layered effect) and then float Myers dark rum on the top. The back-scratchers photographed here are from a Hawaiian Mai Tai enjoyed by my mama bear in 1988.

The 90s

SUMMERTIME – DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (1991) – This song has the distinction of being the only Grammy winner of this playlist! Cross colors, rayon, bad hats, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air – for me that encapsulates the 90s. I love when Will reminisces about the Summers of his youth. This song is infectious and makes me want to play Will Smith’s “Welcome to Miami (bienvenido a Miami)” and watch my brother’s play basketball.

So in conceptualizing this cocktail, I wondered “What does Will Smith drink? Per Eve Mendes, http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/01/23/eva_mendes_reveals_will_smith_likes_girl Sir Smith can’t hold his liquor and likes girly drinks – but its ok Will, I didn’t pair you with a pina colada, instead it’s a Summer vodka cocktail with a nod to basketball – A Melon Ball.

Here is what you do: Combine equal parts vodka & Midori (the green stuff), then top with OJ and a cherry.

The 2000s

ALL SUMMER LONG – Kid Rock (2008) – A mash-up of Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama", this is Kid Rock’s biggest single yet. This hit rounds out our list because it’s a bit country and gives a nod to taking the boat out on the lake with your buddies – This song is made for Whiskey! As Mr. Kid Rock says himself, he was “sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow” but the Rockin Foodie requires we put that whiskey in another vessel before we get on that boat (don’t want the Coast Guard to chase us down!). And since we are talking "Sweet Home Alabama", here is the Rocking Foodie take on an Alabama Slammer mixed with lemonade that you can throw in a water bottle and take out on the lake.

Here what you do: Combine equal parts Southern Comfort whiskey, Amaretto, and lemonade and just drink it over ice or out of a sport bottle shirtless.

The Summer of 2010 baby!

CALIFORNIA GURLS – Katy Perry (2010) – Indeed Lady Katy - you got this nailed – we Cali girls are unforgettable, fine, fresh, and fierce. Off the “Teenage Dream” album slated for official release by EMI/Capitol August 24, this first single is, hands down, 2010's Summer anthem (followed closely by Unkle Kracker’s great tune “Good To Be Me”). Everything from the adult Candyland video to the frisky lyrics, make me want to stand up in a convertible with the top down (my top up, of course) and just have a good time. And since Katy mentions it and it's Z’s fav cocktail going back to college, I have to pair this 2010 anthem with the Rockin' Foodie version of a Sex on the Beach.

Here is what you do: Combine equal parts vodka, coconut rum, and peach schnapps, add a splash of pineapple juice and cranberry juice and enjoy over ice...mmmm… it’s the grown up gurls’ melted Popsicle.

Follow Z on Twitter! @therockinfoodie