I contributed this recipe to a magazine that I have been interning for called Su Voz Latina. I invite you all to check out their website at SuVozLatina.com and click HERE to check out a step-by-step video featuring the lovely Jessica (of TheRestIsJustIcing.com and Editor of Su Voz Latina) and myself. 

-Farzad
farzad@themensfashionblog.com

The Super Bowl is this Sunday. If you are having a party, why not make it Miami themed with these great recipes!

Starters:

Plantain Chips

• 3 large Plantains
• Oil for frying
• Kosher Salt
  

In a heavy based pot heat vegetable oil over medium heat to 375 degrees F.

slice plantains into chips. Fry the plantains in small batches until crisp and golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Season with salt immediately. Serve with Guacamole.

Mango Salsa and Tortilla Chips

• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup peeled, diced cucumber
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
• Salt and pepper

Combine the mango, cucumber, jalapeno, red onion, lime juice and cilantro leaves and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

The Main Event

The Miami Burger ( Courtesy of The Food Network)

• 1 pound ground chuck (80 percent lean) or ground turkey (90 percent lean)
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola Oil
  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 8 thin slices Swiss Cheese
  
• 4 thin slices smoked ham
• 2 dill pickles, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper. Cook burgers.

Combine the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread both sides of each bun with the mayonnaise and the mustard. Place a slice of cheese on each bun bottom, place a burger on top, and then top the burger with a slice of ham, another slice of cheese, and some pickle slices. Cover with the bun tops.

Cook the burgers on a sandwich press or wrap the burgers in aluminum foil and cook in a hot skillet over high heat (put a heavy skillet on top of the burgers to press them) until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Fried Pineapple

• 1 Pineapple
  

Slice pineapple and sprinkle salt on both sides and grill.

Coconut Pudding

• 2 quarts coconut milk
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and diced small

Add coconut milk and sugar to a large saucepot and stir over medium heat until sugar and salt is dissolved. Pulse pineapple in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the pineapple to the pot and cook, stirring often until the pineapple is integrated into the mixture. Make a slurry in a separate small bowl by gradually whisking 1/2 cup water into the cornstarch. Whisk slurry into mixture in pot and allow to reduce and thicken until it is the consistency of yogurt. Transfer to serving dishes and chill.

1/2 oz Malibu® coconut rum
1/2 oz creme de bananes
1/2 oz Midori® melon liqueur
1/2 oz pineapple juice
1 1/2 oz whipped cream

Pour rum, creme de banane, melon liqueur and pineapple juice into a stainless steel shaker over ice. Add whipped cream, and shake; until well mixed and sufficiently chilled. Strain into an old-fashioned glass and shoot

Serve in: Old-Fashioned Glass or Shot Glass

This isn't your mom's store bought boxed mac and cheese! This recipe comes from pauladeen.com and was truly awesome!

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk, warm
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash hot sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
3 cups shredded Cheddar
1 pound cavatappi pasta, cooked al dente
1 cup crushed potato chips
5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for topping

Directions

Heat oven to 350 to 375 degrees F. 

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the warmed milk and bring to a boil, continue to whisk constantly. The mixture will thicken as the heat increases. Continue to stir while adding the dry mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Stir in the 3 cups of Cheddar until it melts. 

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and add to a 3 quart casserole dish. 

Sprinkle the chips (I used black cracked pepper for extra spice), bacon and Parmesan on top and bake for 35 minutes.

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Difficulty: Easy

This weeks drink is a shot that I had the pleasure of enjoying at Oasis Lounge on Saturday night in Downtown EP. If you're in town, I HIGHLY recommend you stop by to visit Collin (who is now General Manager...CONGRATS!!!) and check out this great spot for drinks, food and socializing. Also, this Friday from 8-10pm, amazing cover band The Vibe will be playing at Oasis Lounge.

The Pumpkin Pie Shot

 - 1/2 shot Kahlua

-1/2 shot Baileys

-Top off with small amount of tequila

-Light the tequila and sprinkle with cinnamon. Stand back cuz the sparks will fly!

-Once the flame is out, enjoy the shot!!

**While the picture above resembles the Pumpkin Pie Shot, it is not an actual representation. It is a layered shot and this is the closest looking pic I could find. 

-Farzad

farzad@themensfashionblog.com

The harvest season is always filled with fun decor and hearty vegetables, most of which are pumpkins. Pumpkins are to be seen everywhere from house to house. Some pumpkins are carved for Halloween, others are just to signify harvest time and Thanksgiving. So what do you do with that old pumpkin you have sitting at your front door? The perfect solution is to use it, not toss it. Use the seeds. Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of the minerals like zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese along with being a good source of protein. In men, pumpkin seeds maintain good prostate health and strengthen bones. So take a deeper look at these delicious and very healthy treats and follow these simple instuctions for a great snack.

Spiced Up Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

• fresh pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
• spray oil
• sea salt
• cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Spread seeds over foil and spray with oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste.  Stir with spatula and spread seeds evenly across sheet.
3. Toast seeds until golden brown, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes.

Try pairing this recipe with Dogfish Head's "Pumpkin Ale" for an even better harvest experience. A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar.

Got questions or comments? Email me!
 
-Matt
matt@themensfashionblog.com

In the simplest of terms, the Ice Jacket allows you to freeze the outside of a liquor bottle for both presentation purposes and service purposes. Instead of a cold liquor bottle from the freezer, you’d have a bottle with a thick layer of ice formed around the outside. The Ice Jacket would be perfect for times when you’re hosting a party and need to leave the liquor on a counter for guests, or even for those times when you’re bringing the beverages to a party.

Set up is easy, simply place a bottle of your favorite libation on the Ice Jacket’s Base-Grip, slip on the Sleeve and close the Clips to create a water-tight seal. Next, fill the assembly to the indicated level, insert the Plug and place overnight within the freezer. Retrieve assembly from freezer, release the Clips, and allow to stand briefly before removing the Sleeve. Behold your bottle encased in ice and featuring themes limited only by your imagination.

The Ice Jacket is fun, authentic and easy to use. Historically, many types of liquor have been enjoyed at the coldest possible temperatures; drinkability increases as temperature drops. Not only does the Ice Jacket keep the content of a bottle from warming once it has been removed from the freezer, it eliminates the need for ice cubes within your beverage. Each time the freezing process is executed a one-of-a-kind presentation is created. The Ice Jacket provides a unique centerpiece for seasonal and theme-specific events.

For more information on The Ice Jacket or to order one, visit their web site at http://www.icejacket.com/.

Got questions or comments? Email me!
 
-Matt
matt@themensfashionblog.com

The BELT is the newly improved BLT which adds just what you need for extra flavor. If you like egg salad, you are going to love this one. The BELT sandwich is pretty messy with egg salad squishing out the sides with every bite, but it was so worth the mess as it tasted great! The creamy and tangy egg salad goes really well with the juicy tomatoes and the salty bacon.

BELT (Bacon Egg Lettuce Tomato) Sandwich
(makes 1 sandwich)

 One of our loyal readers (ok, it's my Uncle Chris) sent me recipe that he endorses as "a real crowd pleaser". I trust him, not only because he's family, but he's also an alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America. Try the recipe out and let us know what you think. 

Chocolate Marquis

8 Egg Whites, whipped stiff

14 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate

10 oz. Mascarpone Cheese, room temp

Lady Fingers

Raspberry Jam (or your choice of jam)

6 oz. Espresso

4 Tablespoons of Kahlua (or Grand Marnier, etc...)

Line a bread loaf pan w/clear wrap. Split the lady fingers and spread with jam. Set aside. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler then cool to room temperature. When cool, fold the chocolate into the egg whites but do not overmix. Pour half of the chocolate mousse into the lined loaf plan, chill for 20-30 minutes. Then layer the mascarpone cheese on top, chill 20-30 minutes. Finally, pour the remaining mousse over the cheese and refrigerate 20-30 minutes. When complete, place the lady fingers over the mousse (jam side down), and pour the espresso and Kahlua over the lady fingers. Close the clear wrap and chill overnight.

Slice like a loaf of bread and serve over a sauce, garnish w/mint leaf.

Questions or comments? Email us at admin@themensfashionblog.com

• 1 lb ground beef    
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• Provolone Cheese, thinly sliced

Directions

• In a large skillet, brown ground beef, celery, green peppers, mushrooms and onion.
• Drain the fat.
• Stir in remaining ingredients, simmer covered, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• If Sloppy Joe mixture seems a little too juicy continue simmering uncovered till it thickens to the consistency you desire.
• Serve on a fresh or toasted bun topped with a slice of Provolone Cheese.

Got questions or comments? Email me!
 
-Matt
matt@themensfashionblog.com