Hot Salt

Hot Salt is something I make every fall when the hot pepper plants are producing millions of hot peppers. It can actually be made with both green and red hot peppers but I always use green as the result looks electric. 
Ingredients
Salt about 1/4 cup
Hot peppers 3-4 depending on spice and size

How to
Mince the hot peppers.  Put into mortar and add salt. Grind with pestle until salt is colored and you can no longer see large pieces of peppers.   Let sit out in mortar occasionally grinding with pestle for hour or two so any excess moisture can evaporate.  Put into ziploc or salt shaker.

How to use
Sprinkle on fresh garden tomatoes
Sprinkle on black bean quesadilla
It is nice on eggs

Rim a bloody mary glass
Really anywhere you need salt and heat.

Creamy Butternut Squash and Carmelized Onion Soup

Last weekend I made this soup for some friends as an appetizer and it overshadowed the rest of my dinner party. Everyone was asking for seconds and thirds so much so that I did not have any left to take pictures. Instead, I had to make some more today(Such an easy soup that this is not a hard task)
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash
3 large or 5 medium onions
4 cups stock( chicken or vegetable )
salt
1 cup greek yogurt
Pam
Parmesan rind

1. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and them pam the aluminum foil
2. Cut the top and bottom off a butternut squash and then cut in half and remove the seeds with a spoon.

3. Cut onions into 1/8th pieces.
4. Put the squash cut side down on cookie sheet and onions in middle.

5. Bake in over at 350 degree for about 90 minutes until the squash is soft occasionally mixing around the onions with tongs ( about every 30 min)

6. Once squash is soft all over remove the sheet from the oven and allow to cool.
7. Once cool add onions to soup pot and then remove flesh of squash from skin and add squash to soup pot.
8. Add 4-5 cups of stock and add in 1 inch piece of Parmesan rind
9. Blend with immersion blender until smooth and add salt to taste
10. Heat back up over medium
11. Once hot blend again with immersion blender while adding 1 cup of plain greek yogurt.
12. Serve to friends, have friends ask for recipe

A Few Good Sailing Movies

Ok so you have been watching the Americas Cup and after a comeback of epic proportions Oracle has won. Now what to watch to continue that fall sailing bug.

Wind
The best racing movie of all time and it is about the quest for the Americas cup. Not to mention female sailors will find a sailing hero. You must watch this if you love racing.

Morning Light
It is a Disney Film but do not hold that against it. This is the story of a team of young sailors from being recruited up to finishing the Transpac race. It has moments of greatness that are so real to any racer. When I was at the premiere years ago with a friend and the trim trim trim trim scene came on she doubted that was real and every racer knows that is real. Overall a great movie that has the character and warm fussy of Disney with the reality of sailing. ( Disclaimer I am friends with one of the sailors in real life)

Ring my Bell

I bought a ships bell for outside my back door to function as a combo back doorbell and a dinner bell. Ok, in reality just because I love the idea. Now ships bells need a rope(line) handle attached to them. So I tied my own following the instructions in The Marlinspike Sailor. Then also following the standard instructions I painted it white but in ordder to stand out I mixed a tiny bit of blue into the paint. Doesn't it look great!!

Ever since I put it up everyone who has stepped onto my back deck has wanted to ring the bell.

Concord Grape Jelly

A few years ago my gate to my fence going from the driveway to the backyard broke. Replacing the whole fence was out fiscally and doing just the gate was going to look odd and not match I decided to put in an arbor and planted Concord grapes and Niagara grapes. Well the Concord grapes are ripe and purple.
I had 1.8 lbs of grapes.
Ingredients
1.8lbs concord grapes
1.8 cups sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Prep
Cover Jars with 2 inches of water and boil 10 minutes to sterilize.
Put a plate or two in freezer to test jam later


Recipe
1. Remove the skins for the grapes .
2. combine the skins and 1 cup sugar together in a blender or food processor till skins pureed
3. Over medium heat combine grape insides, remaining 0.8 cup sugar, juice of 1/2 lemon, and skin sugar mix. Simmer until grapes are broken down about 15 minutes
4.Strain through a fine mesh sieve or food mill
5. Return jam to pan to simmer 15 minutes
6.Start testing by putting a dollop on the cold plate and then see if it runs.When not running jam is done may take up to anther 25 minutes of simmering
7. Pour Jam into jars and place lids on  finger tip tight
8. Place under water and boil 10 minutes remove from water and allow to cool

Painkiller Sorbet- Pineapple orange coconut rum sorbet

As many if not all of you know Painkillers are a delicious rum drink made up of Rum( often and classically  Pussers but I occasionally use Mt Gay) OJ, Pineapple, coconut milk and topped with a dusting of fresh ground nutmeg. In other words the most delicious things in a glass possible.
Now a good friend of mine challenged me to make it into a delicious sorbet or ice cream, Adding milk was problematic so we need to talk sorbet which is based on fruit juice.

Ingredients
3/4 cup Pineapple juice
1 1/4 cup Orange juice
1/2 cup simple syrup ( dissolve two cups sugar in one cup water over low heat and then store)
2 tablespoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 oz rum (pussers or mt gay)

Combine everything except the rum and pour into ice cream machine. I use this one. Depending on machine stir for 20-40 minutes. Half way through add the rum. Stir until mostly iced up and transfer to plastic ice cream container. Allow to continue to harden until fully set another 2-4 hours. Serve. As a delicious serving suggestion try a shot of rum over the whole thing.

Under Armour Women's Offshore Sedna Shorts

So I live in Baltimore home of Under Armour. I love the company and often sail right past their headquarters. So when they made a line of offshore shorts I was so happy. I went out and got a pair right away of the ones I tried on the Sedna were my favorite. I have been wearing them sailing. ( yes even sailing past the Under Armour headquarters)

Pros
1. Cute
2. The semi belt buckle aspect is lovey and makes them fit wonderful at the waist
3. The zippered pockets are convenient and open and close well but too small see cons
4. The fabric is durable and has held up to non skid without pilling
5. The fabric is sweat wicking and quick dry
6. Baltimore company

Cons
1. Too short : they are not long enough that if you are sitting on the rail your bare skin is against the rail which is painful
2. Related to 1 the too short aspect also causes rolling up in the thigh area with extensive movement
3. The pockets are not deep enough for a multitool or really much of anything a but deeper would be nice
4.A minor thing they only come in black and purple. I own the black which is nice looking but a dark tan or light gray would be good since well purple shorts are a but much for me.

Overall
B- I might get them again but they are better for cruising or hanging out at the bar rather then racing.

If you want to but them they are $37.99 and you can get them here

Note I am in no way affiliated with Under Armour I just wear their clothes and sail past their headquarters.