Breaking Up is Hard To Do - Jenny Lewis, Cee-Lo Green, and Pot Pie

We have all been there – One day happy as a clam staring googly eyed at your significant other, and the next day – SPLITSVILLE.

And now you are single.

So Ladies – What do we do upon arrival at Splitsville... We call our girl friends to bask in the reassuring words that we are soooooooo much better off without him.  Although initially a painful process, after some time, reflection, and a few good cry fests, the clouds begin to lift, and a new feeling sets in – “Man, feels good to be free.”

Enter “BREAKIN' UP” by Rilo Kiley off its 2007 4th studio album, “Under the Blacklight”, released by Warner Bros. Records. Ever since “Troop Beverly Hills” in 1989, I have loved Jenny Lewis. In 2002, Ian re-introduced me to Jenny, this time not as a cute red-headed Wilderness Girl, but rather as the the grown-up front-woman of alternative indie rock outfit, Rilo Kiley. And it has been a love affair ever since for me (and I know we won't break-up).

Check out the below fan video of “Breakin’ Up”.  It's funny and casts the dude as “feeling good to be free” and the chick giving the big "F-U" (she is now a Cee-Lo Green fan).



Now Fellas – At Splitsville – my experience is that you all do one of the following: (1) go into complete despair and break plates (I have seen “500 Days of Summer”), (2) start becoming Sir Humpalots, or (3) get angry and just yell F-U!!!

Enter Cee-Lo Green’s “F*CK YOU”, the first single off his upcoming album, "Lady Killer", co-produced by Bruno Mars.  Cee-Lo (rapper, writer, producer, and 1/2 of Gnarls Barkley) has captured the sentiment perfectly of seeing your former love out with someone else. The video (below) landed on YouTube last Friday, August 20, and has already become a viral smash hit.  It’s infectious – You will forget your ex's phone number faster than you will forget these words.

Enjoy below... because sometimes the only appropriate words are - F*CK YOU.  Warning - the below contains unabashed bad words... (in case young kids or your boss are walking around).



For the moment, let's forget about romantic candle-lit dinners for 2 - Food can be a singularly wonderful experience! Being single, and perhaps broken-hearted, doesn’t mean that we must resort to Hungry Man dinners or sodium-packed Lean Cuisines… no, my friends - we will cook on. Cooking alone is very therapeutic, and with a little help from Jenny and Cee-Lo, making oneself an easy and comforting meal can be the ticket to feed the soul and mend the heart.

So here we go – Easy & Quick Chicken Pot Pie for One*: 

Ingredients:

-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (purchase this cooked and chopped, if you like)
- 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced (optional)
- 1/2 cup of whatever vegetables on hand - traditional pot pies use sliced carrots and peas.  If using frozen or fresh veggies, be sure to cook them first. For fresh, pan saute them for a few minutes, and for frozen, boil them.  Canned veggies are easy also because they come in 1/2 cup sized cans - simply open and drain.
-1/4 of a (10 3/4-ounce) can of cream of chicken soup  (or cream of mushroom soup).  98% Fat Free Campbells varieties exist for both. 
-1/4 cup chicken broth
-Salt and pepper (optional) - If using canned salted veggies, no need for extra salt.
-1/2 cup instant biscuit mix (Bisquick)
-1/3 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon of melted butter

Here is what you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a greased small casserole dish (or an oven-safe big mug or soup bowl), layer the chicken, sliced eggs, and veggies.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.  Mix the soup and chicken broth, and pour over the layers. Stir together the biscuit mix and milk, and pour this over the casserole.  The milk/biscuit mixture should be thin enough to pour easily.  Drizzle melted butter over the top. Bake until the biscquit topping is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.

Then, soothe your soul with a home-made pot pie accompanied with an empowered freedom song and 2 choice words.

*Recipe Adapted from Paula Deen
Follow Z on Twitter! @therockinfoodie

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

Greetings and Welcome Friends!

Thanks for stopping in to The Rockin’ Foodie - a blog where I combine my two loves: Food and Music.

Each entry will feature a song, a playlist, or entire album that I will pair with a complementary dish, cocktail, or entire menu.

All recipes are tried and tested by me, and will have accompanying photos of the finished dishes (as prepared by yours truly in my own little kitchen). The recipes are fairly accessible so anyone can probably make them - or if you don’t cook, just ask a friend, your sig other, or your mama bear to make a dish for you!

I will be featuring all genres of music from all decades. One week... a new baby rock band and another week classic hits from the seventies.   Feel free to click on the music player at the bottom of each entry to listen to the featured tune(s).

I also love suggestions so feel free to leave me a comment, and let me know what you are listening to and what you like to eat!

I hope that you will find this blog fun, and perhaps give you a new food tip or maybe lend a different view point on a song you have heard before.

So let’s get started - This Foodie is Ready to Rock!

Follow Z on Twitter! @therockinfoodie

Spinach Garlic Pizza with Semi Precious Weapons - Cheap, but Gorgeous.

“I can’t pay my rent, but I’m f*©k!ng gorgeous!!!”

So goes the opening line of the self-entitled single, “Semi Precious Weapons” by the super glammy glam foursome, Semi Precious Weapons (SPW).

Next best line - “I gave up food because that sh!t’s expensive.”

I hear ya Justin (SPW frontman) – fancy food can be freakin’ expensive – but you don’t need foie gras, truffle oil, saffron, or filet mignon to eat fabulously.

The Rockin’ Foodie’s kick-off pairing is Spinach Garlic Pizza with Semi Precious Weapons – A f*©k!ng sexy meal that even the gorgeously broke can afford (with maybe even a little $$$ left over for multi-purpose wet wipes).

Hailing from NYC (the land of amazing ‘za), SPW are the ultimate sassy modern age glam rock band – make-up, high heels, lots of glitter, lots of leg, lots of rock… you get me… A contemporary throwback to KISS, the New York Dolls, or Motley Crüe…

Seeing SPW live was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Justin Tranter - the high kicking, sheer tights wearing, diva frontman – puts on quite a show complete with spraying champagne into the audience and on-stage wardrobe changes. Plus Adam Lambert (American Idol) was next to me at the bar – very appropriate because Justin also heavily utilizes the guy-liner.

Currently on tour with Lady GaGa, SPW is taking off it’s clothes at major venues worldwide. Their self-entitled LP was released on June 29, 2010 by Geffen/Universal, and you can grab it on iTunes or through their website www.semipreciousweapons.com. The whole album is super fun, and in addition to “Semi Precious Weapons”, I particularly love “Magnetic Baby” and plan to play the hell out “Sticky with Champagne” on my next birthday.

But at the end of the day after the glitter comes off, SPW is a bunch of guys on tour looking for some cheap and tasty grub. Nothing fits that bill better than PIZZA… Carbs and cheese – my fav.

So let’s get to the pizza - no meat because that sh!t’s expensive and no fancy toppings – just regular stuff found in any ol’ grocery store or my personal favorite, Trader Joe's (TJs).

Pizza dough - $1.29 from TJs – wheat, white or herb – your pick! One package of dough makes 2 pizzas which will feed 4 people easily. If you are cooking for 1 or 2 people, just throw the other half in the freezer.

Pizza sauce - $1.89 for a jar from TJs. One jar makes 4 pizzas.

Shredded Mozzarella cheese – $3.69 at TJ’s for a bag that will cover 2 or 3 pizzas. Get the Lite kind if you are worried about how you look in tights. And for vegans, TJs offers a great shredded soy cheese blend.

Grated Parmesan cheese – Very cheap item that will last you a long time. We all know those green canisters of parmesan cheese last at least a decade). I buy TJ’s Grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bag of Spinach - $1.89 from TJs - good for two pizzas, and it will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Garlic cloves (7 – 10) per pizza – cheap, about a buck or so.

Olive Oil - Going to assume you already have this in the house.

Salt - Again, going to assume you have this.

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. You could use a pizza baking stone, but it’s totally not necessary. Just get out a regular baking sheet and sprinkle cornmeal on it. I like cornmeal instead of flour for pizza because flour can have a doughy taste. Then spread the dough out over the baking sheet with your hands. If you own a rolling pin, great, start rocking and rolling. I don’t’ have a rolling pin, so I use a tall drinking class dusted with a little cornmeal.

Spoon the pizza sauce over the dough and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Fill a pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. While boiling, add the spinach and let it cook for about 1 minute. Drain the spinach (using a strainer or a colander), and then press the spinach between two paper towels to extract any excess water.

Top the pizza with the wilted spinach, and then top with the garlic cloves. It’s a good idea to slice each clove thinly so they definitely soften up in the oven.

After adding the sauce and toppings, I like to brush the crust with a little olive oil because it will help it to brown nicely in the oven – if you don’t have a brush, use your hands!

Place the pizza in a 450 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes (you’ll know its ready when the cheese is bubbly, the crust is browned, and the garlic looks a tiny bit charred). While you wait, feel free to turn up the volume on some SPW, strut around in high heels, practice a few high kicks, and tell yourself how fabulous you are.

Remove pizza from oven, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and parmesan cheese and ENJOY!

This pizza is great for entertaining. It also works as a pre-dinner appetizer or as dinner for 2, 3, or 4 people. Two pizzas will only set you back 12 or 13 bucks which is like 3 bucks a person… not bad – you may even be able to pay rent.

Add a light white wine like a sauvignon blanc (or champagne!), and you have a cheap, but preciously gorgeous evening.

* Recipe adapted from “Pizza and Wine – Authentic Italian Recipes and Wine Pairings – Leonardo Curtis and James O. Fraioli