Hottest Tails in a Hotter Month

Global warming enthusiasts would easily confirm that NOLA had the driest and hottest September in its history but that did not stop some creative cooking and cocktailing at Mimiskdo for a fun Marathon Petroleum event. Our guest chef was Cody Carroll who currently owns Hot Tails in New Rhodes, yes New Orleanians - that really is a place. Cody and his wife Sam created the former Sac A Lait Restaurant downtown. We were pleased to have Cody join us and teach the crew how to cook while our semi professional mixologist friend Chris created clever cocktails to pass the time in between demonstrations.

The setup for cooking class required multiple burners so everyone could participate in finalizing their own creations. Without burning down Mimiskdo, the "chefs" managed their ingrediants and first cooked BBQ shrimp. I had always thought shrimp was done in the oven but this very simple and tasty recipe was easily done in saute pans. Cooking away on the side was a beautiful rack of prime rib that served as the main course later in the day. In between was the Italian pasta cookoff with a choice of frog legs, sausage and Alligator with each team choosing either red or cream sauce.

Back at the bar scene, Mimosas started off the morning and quickly evolved to creative cocktails with fresh herbs from the garden. The first cocktail was a Basil Lime Gimlet which was a refreshing blend of Basil infused vodka, fresh lime juice, and fresh simple syrup...and yes Chris made the syrup and infused vodka himself, resulting in a tasty botanical cocktail that can be served over ice or in a martini glass. Garnish of course with a Basil leaf after smacking it to release the oils. The second was the Cucumber Sunrise which is a sunrise colored, cucumber-muddled, vodka drink that certainly was perfect for our warm weather. The ending result after adding Monin Watermelon Syrup, fresh lime juice, and some orange juice was the perfect tropical color easily garnished with a spiral of cucumber and a cocktail umbrella. The final drink of the day was a tasty Brandy Alexander with fresh whipped heavy cream and of course enough Brandy to make everyone grin.

So to beat the heat even into the fall, come up with some creative party concepts to interact with your guests. Disclaimer: No engineers were injured in the cooking and cocktail demonstrations.