Background noise a perfect ingredient

Background noise. It may be a favorite iTunes playlist, the topical stimulus of a cable television show, the rotations of an oscillating fan in constant motion, the purr of a kitten or slumbering cat, the home fountain mimicking a trickling brook or a cascading water fall, the hum or sizzle of a restaurant hive on a busy night, the air pressure stream of a CPAP machine, or maybe even the giggles of children playing in their room over a baby monitor . No matter the source we each have a tendency to fill air space with noise either on an intermittent basis or for an extended period of time. I happen to apply it when I write, cook, or drive. Don't get me wrong, silence cut by mother nature's hiccups (birds singing, insects clicking, frogs chirping, wind whipping, tidal lapping, rain falling) is also all right by me. A specific scallop dish from a 2003 edition of Dana Carpender's 15 Minute Low-Carb Recipes: Instant recipes for dinners, desserts & more comes to mind when I think about background noise as a simple ingredient lending to the creative process. That dish, Jalapeno Lime Scallops is described by Dana Carpender as "A sterling example of how a few perfect ingredients can combine to make something greater than the sum of the parts." I think about the act of "creating" in very much the same way, whether it's cooking in the kitchen or composing at my desk...my insertion of background noise is a necessary ingredient to designing and delivering the perfect moment, intermittently or long term.

Lime light and Quinoa

Simple is the order of the day when summer time frolic creeps into being the routine rather than a solitary diversion. Easy to pack foods that don't lose their luster when secured in portable containers (tucked away in an ice-laden cooler) dominate the weekend menus. Tis the season for...motor boating along the intercoastal waterways, taking excursions to local fishing holes or socializing with friends on a tide exposed sand bar. Revisiting a folder from a 1999 Wegmans School of Culinary Arts class I took in Ithaca, NY called Grains and Greens for a light, refreshing lime vinaigrette infused quinoa "the mother grain." Quinoa cooks like rice, takes half the time and expands to four times its size. Found a similar online recipe that includes black beans to link here, but my preference is for apricots and currants instead of the beans. Served with grilled shrimp ala Bobby Flay prepared on skewers over a simple hibachi shore side this two course meal paired with some grilled pineapple makes for a relaxing leisure filled afternoon in a lawn chair or on a blanket size beach towel.

Herbaceous L'il Jig and Green Tea Press

Live from the start of St Patrick's Day celebrations in the Lowcountry we plan the experience from start to finish. It's not about an affair to remember, it's about the occasions to record in memory that bring you back year after year. From the beverage in the to-go-cup to the green beaded necklaces to the parade down the street it's the people, places, and what's consumed to celebrate Irish heritage that keeps us all in the green. Our little band of revelers make it an annual tradition to create parade route beverages, one nonalcoholic and one a bit saucier. Each year the challenge remains the same...to do something different and always with a little green.

Green Tea Press (inspired by Stonehill Tavern)
2 ounces chilled brewed green tea, 1 ounce Ginger syrup, 2 ounces chilled club soda, 1 lime wedge and 1 mint sprig
Fill pint glass with ice, add green tea, syrup, and soda and stir well. Garnish with lime and mint

L'il Jig (inspired by Pegu Club)
3 Thai basil leaves, 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, ice, 1 1/2 ounce silver tequila, 1/2 ounce Chartreuse
Muddle the basil leaves with lime juice and syrup, add ice, tequila, and Chartreuse. Shake well and strain.

Start Celebrating the Irish on Hilton Head Island: http://www.stpatricksdayhhi.com/
Finish in Traditional Fashion in Savannah: http://www.savannahsaintpatricksday.com