Dj Sc set from 8.5.11

Here is my set at Six Olives Lounge in Tacoma, Washington for 8.5.11.  I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.  Though the 2-3 hour set usually contains bits of jazz and soul, I decided to just record the one hour set of deep house.  I hope you enjoy it.  Stream or download for your bumping enjoyment.

Dj Sc 7.22.11

Here it is. Finally after several attempts to upload this set, I finally got wordpress to cooperate. This is my first set as resident of Six Olives Lounge in Tacoma, Washington. I haven’t Dj’ed in over 10 years and it’s all up and up from here. An infusion of Jazz, Soul and House music (inspired by my forever home, Chicago). Jazz and Soul is mixed throughout and the house music kicks in around the 1 hour mark. Dj Sc spins every friday from 930-midnight at Six Olives Lounge. As always, Enjoy!

Podcast #21 - Six Olives Inspired

Just in time for the Summer Solstice, a podcast inspired by one of my favorite places to sit for a spell – Six Olives Lounge. Six Olives Lounge has easily become my home away from home. Their slogan of inspired cocktails and small plates (seriously the Baby Bella-wich sandwiches are insane) definitely hold true. Being that it is a lounge you’ll hear music ranging from jazz to blues, which is perfect for a chill and relaxed hour or two of cocktails and food. The songs selected here are part of a compilation disc I made for the lounge. There are some familiar artists and possibly some unfamiliar artists, but the goal is sharing good music inspired by Six Olives. Download to your favorite player or stream directly from the blog. As Always, enjoy!

Tracklist:

Work Song – Nina Simone
Steppin’ Out – Kurt Elling
I Did It In Seattle – Roy Ayers
Undun – Kurt Elling
Peg – Steely Dan
Resolution Part 1 – Kurt Elling
Slow Like Honey – Fiona Apple
Nobody Knows Me – Aya
Aht Uh Mi Hed – Shuggie Otis
Still Hungry – Sam Sparro
Lucky Girl – Jazzanova & Paul Randolph
Little Bird – Jazzanova & Jose James
Tight – Kurt Elling
Weak – Gretchen Parlato

Podcast #20 - ...Gone to the city...

Amazing that this is the 20th podcast. If you think about it, that is roughly 20 hours of music. Feel free to check out any podcasts you might have missed. This particular podcast coincides with Mother’s Day weekend. To honor such a special time, I’ve compiled a variety of tracks containing amazing female vocals and out-of-this-world production, which In my opinion, is the key to an amazing tapestry of music. Featured artist include: Amalia, Brand New Heavies, Janelle Monáe, Lisa Shaw and Jaidene Veda, just to name a few. So stream or download to your favorite player and enjoy before your night out on the town. Go to the city!

Tracklist:

Sunday (Jimpster Remix) – Jaidene Veda
Feel – Lisa Shaw
Dance or Die (Feat. Saul Williams) – Janelle Monáe
A Love Like This – Jimpster
Nobody Knows Me – Aya
Guinea Pig (Feat. Julia Biel) – Ben Watt
Luxurious (AD Bourke Remix) – Amalia
Never Stop (Postino Remix) – Brand New Heavies
Little W. 12th Street (Feat. Monique Bingham -DJ Spinna Remix) – Ralf GUM
Superman (Feat. Bucie) – Black Coffee
All The Funk I Need (B.Kun Remix) – Amalia

Gluten-free moist strawberry goodness

Over the course of 4-5 months now, we’ve adopted a meatless and somewhat gluten-free diet. One area of concern in choosing this new way of eating was the loss of flavor. Is it possible to successfully exchange certain ingredients without compromising the result? Let’s be honest here, using new ingredients in order to make delicious versions of your favorite recipes can be very intimidating and oftentimes daunting. I happen to have a sweet tooth, so this becomes even more of a challenge. DAK (real names not used here) ran across a recipe for a gluten-free strawberry swirl cake and of course we made a few adjustments and changes. The cake is not only amazing, but super moist and extremely yummy. You honestly can’t have just one slice. Topped with no-fat Greek yogurt and a bit of strawberry swirl glaze…I have no words. Sometimes gluten-free desserts ain’t all that bad. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cake
2 cups white or brown rice flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tblsp gluten-free baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
1 cup strawberry swirl (2 cups frozen berries and 2/3 cup sugar, reduced by 1/4 to 1/3)
2 eggs
1/2 cup no fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup canola oil

Strawberry Swirl
2 cups frozen strawberries
2/3 cups of sugar

Preparation

Simmer strawberries and sugar until reduced by 1/4 to 1/3. Cool. In a medium mixing bowl, sift or whisk all dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. In a separate medium mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla paste, oil, 1 cup swirl and yogurt, and combine with the dry ingredients, set bowl aside. Pour the cake batter into a greased (or use cooking spray) 9-inch round spring-form cake pan. Pour 1/2 cup swirl on top of batter. Swirl in with butter knife. Bake at 400 F (approximately 200 C) for 30-35 minutes, until center of cake springs back when touched, or tooth-pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean and allow to set and cool. Slice, add a dollop of no fat Greek yogurt and drizzle remaining strawberry swirl. Serve it up. Deliciously moist!

...you seriously can't just have one slice of this deliciousness

4 cheeses and earthy black truffle oil...yummy!

I made this dish for a Thanksgiving gathering in 2010. I kept meaning to post the recipe and in all honesty with the holidays, it completely slipped my mind. The other day my cousin asked for a Mac & Cheese recipe and I immediately remembered what I had forgotten – Doh! Black Truffle Macaroni & Cheese. I found this recipe some time ago and as always tend to change up the steps to suit my own tastes. I combined four cheeses (which includes the complexity of blue cheese), bechamel sauce and the earthy depths of black truffle oil. I have not been so lucky as to get my hands on a real truffle as I understand they are extremely expensive but the oil has always done me quite well. So give this recipe a whirl if you are so inclined. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces (2 cups) dry elbow macaroni
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded American cheese
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Cheddar
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Swiss cheese
Up to 2 ounces ( 1/2 cup) crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bread crumbs
Black truffle oil, to taste

Preparation

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, then whisk in the flour, stirring for several minutes to “cook” the flour and eliminate its raw taste. Slowly pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly. Next add grated nutmeg and whisky until evenly distributed. Bring the sauce to a simmer while whisking regularly so it does not stick. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the macaroni according to package directions until al dente. Run cold water over the pasta to stop its cooking, drain and set aside.

When the sauce is ready, remove it from the heat and stir in the cheeses, Worcestershire, Tabasco and a bit more of black truffle oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir over medium-low heat to warm the dish through. Pour into an oven-proof dish and top with bread crumbs a bit more cheese if you like and drizzle a bit of truffle oil on top. Broil until golden brown. Lightly drizzle with black truffle oil and serve it up!

Note: You may have noticed that I drizzle a lot of truffle oil. You don’t need much actually, I just like the earthy taste of it. Use it to your taste.
Bonus: This dish tastes even better the next day because all of the flavors will have married quite nicely!

Podcast #19 - The Road Less Traveled

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

Tracklist:

Didn’t Cha Know (Biscope Boot) – Erykah Badu
Weight Of My Mistakes (Jimpster Remix) – Seal
King Of Sorrow (LOGAM Remix) – Sade
Trinity Dub (Three) – Massive Attack & Mad Professor
Massage Situation – Flying Lotus
Welcome To Me – Amalia
Keep On – D Train
I Adore You – Caron Wheeler
Pastel Assassins – Prefuse 73
Roberta Flack (feat. Dolly) – Flying Lotus
Bittersweet (Jay’s Main Event) – Jay ‘Sinister’ Séalee & Louie Vega starring Julie McKnight
Sometimes (12″ Groove Version) – Vindahl

Podcast 18 - I Stay Woke

Tracklist:

Play Dead – Björk
I Stay Woke (Master Teachers Pt. 2) – Erykah Badu
Human (Extended Version) – The Human League
Life’s A Dance (Nu Opo Swing Mix) – Opolopo & Amalia
Shari Vari (Original Mix) – A Number Of Names
No Sad Goodbyes – Swayzak
Separator – Radiohead
So Cruel (Sasac Remix) Favorite Flava
You Play Too Rough – Blue Six
Cherry – Lisa Shaw
All The Funk I Need – Amalia
Cascades of Colour (Wamdue Black Mix) – Ananda Project, Chris Brann
Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long – Erykah Badu

a bowl of power packed breakfast oats

Oatmeal is a fairly easy and nutritious breakfast to make, though depending on how it’s prepared will result in how good and nutritious it is. One could make an extremely watery bland bowl or a bowl with so much sugar that it might as well be a candy bar. This easy recipe takes regular rolled oats (fiber) and combines them with walnuts (omega 3′s), dried apricots (fiber), blue berries (antioxidants), and flax seed (omega 3′s) to create a power packed breakfast worthy of trying, adopting and adapting. A bit of vanilla bean paste is used to add to the deliciousness. Don’t like apricots? Try other dried fruits like raisins, currants or cranberries.

Ingredients

1 cup of regular rolled oats
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp of vanilla bean paste or extract
1/4 cup of rough chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup of frozen blueberries
1 tsp of ground flaxseed

Preparation

In a medium sauce pan add 1 cup of water and 1 cinnamon stick and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to medium and add oats and stir for about one minute. Add vanilla bean paste, dried apricots and walnuts and continue to stir until oats until water is reduced and oats have cooked thoroughly. Oats should be easy to stir, not stiff. Turn off heat and immediately portion out your oatmeal in to a bowl. Top oats with blueberries, flaxseed and serve. An easy, low sugar, power packed and delicious bowl of oatmeal makes for a great way to start your day.

7 Layer Bar Ice Cream? Eat your heart out Ben & Jerry!

Remember the 7 Layer Bar recipe from New Years Day? Well, there was no way our household could finish off that pan. So to use the remaining cookies, we adapted a good ole fashion Ben & Jerry’s vanilla ice cream base with rich and decandent crumbled 7 Layer Bars. The result: A rich and creamy dessert that could potentially hold its own against a Ben & Jerry’s concoction or two. It’s not summer yet, but who needs the heat to enjoy this treat?

Ingredients

2 cups, crumbled 7 Layer Bars
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 tbsp of vanilla bean paste or extract
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup half-and-half

Helpful Tools
Ice Cream Maker – the most important and helpful tool you will need
Food processor – no food processor? Use your hands

Preparation

Using a food processor or your hands, crush 7 layer bars into bite size morsels in a bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl, pour in cream and whisk in sugar a bit at a time. Whisk until completely blended. Next, add vanilla bean paste and half-and-half and whisk until evenly blended. Following the Ice cream maker’s manufacturing instructions, slowly pour in ice cream base and mix until it slowly begins to thicken. Slowly add in 7 layer bars while the machine continues to churn. It is important to add in the bars at this time so that they are evenly distributed throughout the ice cream. If they are added too early, they will simply fall to the bottom. Continue churning until the desired texture of ice cream is reached. Transfer to container(s) and freeze overnight. Makes about 1 quart maybe a little extra if you’re lucky. Enjoy!