NerdSmurf

serves 4 as an appetizer, 8 as a snack

Ingredients

3 cups pickled cucumbers, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 quart peanut oil
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup fine- or medium-ground cornmeal
2 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground

Procedure

With a salad spinner or paper towels, remove excess moisture from pickle slices until they are dry and slightly sticky to the touch. Heat oil in wok or Dutch oven on medium high, to about 375°F. Line a counter or sheet pan with several layers of paper towels for draining fried pickles.

Set up a breading station with two wide containers, bowls, or pie plates. In one, combine panko, cornmeal, and Old Bay; in the other, stir together buttermilk and nutmeg.

Dip five pickle slices in buttermilk and let excess drip away. Lightly toss slices in breading until thoroughly but lightly coated, using forks or chopsticks to keep hands clean.

One by one, drop pickle slices into oil and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. While pickles are frying, dredge and bread next batch. Remove with a strainer or slotted spoon to paper to drain and cool for five minutes. Serve with mayonnaise and hot sauce.

serves 1

Ingredients

• ice
• 1 1/2 ounces reposado tequila
• 1/2 ounce Averna
• 1/2 ounce ruby port (we like Noval Black)
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 to 2 ounces ginger beer (we like Fever Tree)
• For garnish: 1 paper-thin slice fresh ginger, 2 blackberries (optional)

Procedure

Combine the tequila, Averna, port, honey, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Cover and shake for 10 seconds.

Fill a Collins glass with ice. Simultaneously strain the mixture and pour the ginger beer into the glass. (Or strain mixture into glass, top off with ginger beer, and stir gently.) Garnish with ginger slice and blackberries. Serve immediately.

serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 cup orange sherbet, softened
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 2 orange slices for garnish, optional


Procedure

Add all ingredients to blender and mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour into serving glasses and garnish with orange slices.

serves 1

Ingredients

4 parts bourbon (2 oz)
1 part Cointreau (1/2 oz)
1 part fresh grapefruit juice (1/2 oz)

Procedure

Add all the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice.

Shake well (using the hard shake) and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Two (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• One (12-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (preferably unsweetened)
• Two (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• One (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• One (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
• One (15-ounce) can whole sweet corn, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups cooked white or brown rice (for serving)
• 1 cup coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (for serving)
• 1 cup chopped scallions (for serving)

Procedure

In large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes and their liquid, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes to pot. Let simmer for 5 minutes and then add tomato paste, vegetable stock, and peanut butter. Stir until tomato paste and peanut butter are well incorporated. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add all beans and corn. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

To serve, place a half cup of rice in large bowl and add two ladles of chili. Top with cheddar cheese and chopped scallions.

Ingredients

• For the Sauce
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon dried crushed chili
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
•  
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg, beaten
•  
• 3 lbs of chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats
• Peanut oil for frying

Procedure

Place the vinegar, white sugar, water, fish sauce, sherry, garlic, and chili in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and let boil unto reduced by half, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the cornstarch and water mixture and let boil until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, and baking powder. Place the beaten egg in another shallow bowl. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Working in batches of a few wings at a time, toss the wings in the flour mixture, then coat in the egg, and toss again in the flour mixture, continue until all wings are battered.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Fill a 12-inch cast iron skillet with 1-inch of peanut oil. Bring the oil to 375 degrees over medium-high heat. Place half of the wings in the oil and fry until golden brown on first side, then flip and continue to fry until second side is browned, 5-7 minutes per side. Remove wings to a paper towel lined plate, then place in the oven to stay warm. Repeat with the second batch of wings.

Place all of the wings in a large bowl. Pour in the reserved sauce and toss to coat. Place wings on a plate an serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 cups water, divided
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 3 good quality black tea bags

Procedure

In a small saucepot, heat 1/2 cup water and sugar over medium heat. Slit vanilla bean down the center lengthwise with a paring knife, and use the tip of the knife to scrape the seeds from the inside of the vanilla beans. Add seeds and whole bean to sugar mixture. Continue to cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is clear. Set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 6 cups water in a large saucepot until just before boiling. Shut off heat, and add tea bags. Allow to steep until completely cool.

Remove tea bags and vanilla beans, and discard. Mix vanilla syrup into tea, stir with a large whisk or wooden spoon. Pour into a pitcher filled with ice. Serve immediately.

serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vanilla ice cream
• 2 dashes (1/8 tsp) brandy
• 2 dashes (1/8 tsp) curaçao
• 2 dashes (1/8 tsp) maraschino liqueur such as Luxardo
• 2 oz champagne or sparkling wine (extra dry, sec, or demi-sec)
• garnish: slice of pineapple, slice of orange, slice of lemon, 2 cherries and 2 strawberries

Procedure

Scoop the ice cream into a tumbler or cocktail glass.

Ingredients

• 1½ oz bourbon
• 1½ oz peppermint schnapps (Rumpleminze)

Procedure

Add both spirits to a double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Stir to combine, top off with more crushed ice to fill and garnish with a mint sprig sprinkled with bar or powdered sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
• 12 large eggs
• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon chopped, pitted kalamata olives
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped capers
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped parsley for decoration

Procedure

In a small bowl, soak sun-dried tomatoes in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Place eggs in a large saucepan. Fill with cold water to 1/2 inch above eggs. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Kill heat. Cover. Let sit 7 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath and let sit 3 minutes. Peel and cut in half lengthwise, removing yolks.

In a medium bowl, combine 8 egg yolks, mayonnaise, olives, parsley, capers, thyme, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mush together with fork, adding more mayo for creaminess if desired.

Fill each egg white with 1 or 2 teaspoons of yolk mixture. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.