Booze belongs in the kitchen!

Everyone knows that a good meal can become great when paired with the right wine, beer or big brown jug marked XXX. You won't get any disagreement here. Why wait until the food is on the table to crack a bottle though? Make it part of the cooking process. There have been numerous occasions where I am stuck for an idea of how to prepare a nice piece of meat. When that happens, I tend to head to the liquor cabinet (ok, it's the cupboard above my stove. I ain't fancy). Consider it my muse. I am always amazed how many people this catches off guard. I get a lot of "I didn't know you could do that!" Cooking is like prison basketball, there are no rules.

Here are three of the better recipes I have McGyvered, with booze being the catalyst. I will let you dictate portions and measurements. Like I said, no rules.

Old Sam Pork:
Marinate boneless pork chops in a mixture of olive oil, dark rum (I used Old Sam) and apple juice for a marinade. I added minced onion, garlic powder, a dash of chili powder and black pepper. Toss it all in a tupper wear dish or ziplock bag and let it bath. I let it sit for a couple of hours and it turned out perfect. Had a real buttery taste. The intention was to grill it on the Q but it wouldn't cooperate so I pan fried it and it was dandy! Tossed a bit of the marinade into the pan for good measure.

Baked Mexican Salmon:
Get yourself some nice salmon fillets to start. Next up...TEQUILA!!!! Don't be afraid to go heavy on the hooch because most of it will burn off in the cooking process. Get your oven preheated to 325. While you are waiting for it to heat, garnish your salmon with black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and lime zest... oh my, plenty of lime zest. Personally, you can't have enough lime zest. It is really the key to this recipe. Bake for 20 minutes with tinfoil over the pan. Remove the tinfoil and let broil for 3-5 minutes. This recipe is like my first born, it was an accident and I love it.

Scallops Caeser:
This recipe doesn't include booze but it was inspired by it. Do you know how to make a Bloody Caeser? Clamato Juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and celery salt. Everything you need for a caeser, minus the vodka. And you know what, toss it in if you feel like it. This is not an intervention, I won't judge. Take all that goodness, toss it in a sauce pan, get it heated then toss in your scallops. Serve it on rice, pasta, the naked torso of the Asian Med student that rents your basement... however you feel like serving it, go for it.

Those are just some of the recipes my liquor cabinet(cupboard)has inspired. Try some of your own and if the don't kill you, share them with me.