The Beats

Here’s a guide to the beats that we’re rocking to in the kitchen! Click the links (or images) to go right to Amazon and check out a preview of the album. Download and enjoy!

Smashing Pumpkins-Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness This is a 2-day recipe, so we needed to delve a little deeper into one of the best double-albums released in the last 20 years. Disc one, Dawn to Dusk, will give you just enough rock to justify the amount of booze you will most likely consume in your pre-Thanksgiving-day preparations on Wednesday night. Wake up on Thanksgiving morning with the more soothing sounds of Twilight to Starlight while you put the finishing touches on the bird and the day. If things go well, Farewell and Goodnight should be playing right about the time you pop the bird in the oven!

Featured in Jason’s Awesome Turkey Brine

Mad Sweet Pangs: For the Ride – FREE DOWNLOAD

When I make anything with crab meat, it immediately reminds me of the Eastern Shore. There is nothing like a good ol’ Maryland crab feast. It brings together friends, family and good eats and drinks. So, I immediately thought of this band that I discovered while working in Ocean City, MD. Mad Sweet Pangs are incredibly talented, and just an all around fun live band. I’m getting some “mad sweet pangs” for a bushel of steamed crabs just thinking about it, but this delicious Crab Bread Pudding will have to hold me over until my next trip back East.

Featured in Crab Bread Pudding

Otis Redding – The Very Best of Otis Redding: This album is classic and comforting. It is romantic and soulful, and it will instantly lift your spirits. Now, imagine listening to this album while cooking up an incredibly delicious and satisfying quiche for your family. Day or night, these two make a perfect match.

Featured in “It’s So Easy” Quiche

Blind Melon: Soup – This is one of my all time favorite albums. Blind Melon is often viewed as having a single hit about a girl in a bumblebee outfit. This is false information, and listening to this album will correct that false image for you. Simply put, it is an incredible album that showcases the band’s vast talents. Also, listening to this while making your pot of soup will make your soup incredible.

Featured in Hearty Lentil Vegetable Soup

Rebirth Brass Band: The Ultimate Rebirth Brass Band – This one’s a little too obvious. Of course, if you are going to pair a spicy shrimp dish with anything, it better be from New Orleans. Jason has always had a soft spot for some good brass music from New Orleans, and he turned me on to this talented group. This disc is a serious “pick-me-up” and always fills me with lots of energy. Download this while you are cooking away, and you’ll be dancing and bouncing around your kitchen, too.

Featured in Spicy Shrimp Creole

James Brown: 20 All-Time Greatest Hits!– Crank up the soul music to go with these warm brown sugar treats. James Brown that is. Alright…now doesn’t that feel sexy. “I got the feeling” that these are going to be some good cookies.

Featured in Frosted Sugar “Cakies”

Tea Leaf Green: Coffee Bean Brown Comes Alive – This 5-piece San Fran band released this album to showcase their alter-ego, a more acoustic/groovy side to the band’s typical jam-band style. Just as I released the Pumpkin Cakies recipe to showcase a more groovy side to my Frosted Sugar “Cakies” recipe. As for the pairing of the album, the name says it all on this one. The chai-tea spice in the icing pairs perfectly with this album. And who doesn’t enjoy a good cup of Coffee Bean Brown with their cookies?

Featured in Bite-Sized Pumpkin “Cakies”

Shook Twins: Window – These two girls are cute, tiny and great to take to parties….and that’s why they pair well with Veggie Quinoa Bites. Listen to this album and you’ll be hooked. Their voices are soulful, the songs are funky and their sound is unique.

Featured in Veggie Quinoa Bites

Caravan Palace: Panic – Something Italian was just too obvious. I mean, clearly a delicious Caprese salad leads you to want something inspired by the Godfather. But in my mind, a Caprese salad is fresh, crisp and summery. It’s full of bold flavors and brings together a bit of zest and energy. The earthy basil pairs so well with the sweet tomatoes and delicate mozzarella, and then you top it all off with the zing of olive oil. So, I figured – what goes well with earthy, sweet, delicate and zing? Nothing better than a little group from France called Caravan Palace. The electro-swing sound is just what you would think – as complex and delicious as the perfect Ensalada Caprese.