Some food, some drink.

Has this ever happened to you? You're right in the middle of laying out a great Tex-Mex feast when you realize that you've got nothing in the fridge that'll properly adorn a tortilla chip. No sweat! So long as you keep just a few basic ingredients in your pantry and a bag of corn in your freezer, you can throw together a quick and super-easy corn and black bean salsa faster than you can open the cans. Double-check your labels, but in most cases this recipe is not only vegan, but gluten free as well, so even if you're stuck having to throw something together at the last minute for a gathering of friends and family, you'll have something that everyone can eat!

Have you ever had cold brewed coffee? For the uninitiated coffee connoisseur, the experience can be revelatory. I love the clean and complex flavors in cold brew coffee; this is a beverage that begs to be made into a cocktail. Not being one who'd want to deny a drink its destiny, I've combined cold brew joe with two other elixirs that have serious depth of flavor in their own right: Irish whiskey and demerara sugar syrup. Add a shot of dairy to bring it all together, and you've got an instantly cool and sophisticated happy hour!  If you've never made cold brewed coffee, no worries; I'll walk you thru the method for that as well, and make sure you have everything you need to easily do this drink at home.

It's a standard at just about every [Americanized] Mexican restaurant: That orange-hued rice that invariably sits between the frijoles and the enchiladas on your #3 special. What do they put in that "orange rice", and for that matter why doesn't it ever seem to taste like anything? In this video, I'm going to show you how I do Mexican restaurant-style rice; and while I can't claim that this recipe is authentic in any way, shape, or form, I can guarantee that this is a rice side that won't get pushed to the side of your plate when the guacamole and sour cream become but a memory.

Elotes, a.k.a. Mexican street corn is kind of like the Snickers bar of vegetable recipes. There's a reason they serve the stuff as a treat at fairs and carnivals, and that's because the really good elotes are slathered in mayonnaise and dairy; meaning the calorie conscious and/or vegans in the crowd have no path to sweet, juicy, grilled corn satisfaction. Because not every meal should be eaten with reckless abandon where nutrition is concerned, I've come up with a recipe that I think does a good job showcasing that charred, sweet, spicy and tangy flavor, despite the missing umami usually delivered courtesy of mayo and cheese.

Those packets of taco seasoning they sell at the supermarket sure are convenient, but what are you really paying for? Many of those all in one seasoning packets contain generous doses of salt, sugar and starch in addition to herbs and spices. I reckon most folks would rather pay for the latter two as opposed to the accompanied filler; and the best way to assure that you're getting what you're paying for is to roll your own taco seasoning mix. While it's true that you may have to stock your spice rack a bit for this recipe, this seasoning mix is versatile and can be used on just about any sort of animal protein including fish, chicken, and pork in addition to the old standard that is lean ground beef.

In this video I'm sharing…

You know that metal cocktail shaker you registered for as a wedding gift that's sitting in your liquor cabinet next to that bottle of Tequila that you juuust can't seem to finish? Well, it's time to blow the dust off that barware for a whiskey drink that really showcases the mint taking over that patch of your backyard. The whiskey smash is a quinesenntial sour cocktail that frames the timless taste of barrel-aged Kentucky sour mash in the tang of fresh-squeezed lemon and cool mint. Teetotalers in the audience aside, if that doesn't get ya thirsty for a drink, then I can't help ya.

Rice, pasta, potato. Lather, rinse, repeat. Don'tcha ever feel like mixing up the side dish routine a little bit? When I'm looking for something a little different sitting on a plate next to my Sunday pot roast, I turn to oatmeal. Oats are often overlooked when it comes to savory recipes, and that's a shame, because oatmeal; specifically steel cut oats (a.k.a. pin oats) are an fantastic alternative to the usual sides. With only six ingredients (five if you don't count water) and a hands-off method, this is a side dish that's as simple as it is unique. If you're a fan of those boxed or bagged boil-it-up -quick side dishes (and you don't mind waiting a wee bit longer for home cookin'), I reckon this'll be right up your alley.

I doubt there are many folks out there that would turn down a handful of puppy chow (a.k.a. "muddy buddies"). Chocolate and peanut butter is practically a flavor in and of itself (just ask my lovely wife), and that sweet cruch always leaves you wanting for a second handful. All the same, sometimes even the classics can use a makeover; and when I'm making puppy chow for myself, I like to jazz it up a bit with some of the flavors found in Mexican chocolate, like cinnamon and vanilla. And because I like a little spicy with my sweets, I've also added pecans toasted in butter and ancho chile.

Even if you're not a fan of chile with your chocolate (and you probably should be!), be sure…