Cocktail Recipe Du Jour: The Fuzzy Navel

Did you know there are three different ways to make what people think is the typical "Fuzzy Navel"?

First, a history lesson: the 1980's brought a revival of cocktails and mixed drinks, and the fuzzy navel was one of the first to come forward. Over 30 years ago Ray Foley, a well known bartender and founder of Bartender Magazine was cutting an orange for a garnish when a man nearby made the remark that he could still smell the fuzz of the peach schnapps through the orange juice. Ray looked at the orange and saw the printed word "Navel" on the navel orange, and was inspired.

So what are the three ways to make it? There's the typical Fuzzy Navel:
In a rocks glass, over ice, pour 1 oz. Peach Schnapps and then fill with orange juice.

Then there's the Hairy Navel:
In a collins glass, over ice, pour 1 oz. vodka, 1/2 oz. Peach Schnapps, and then fill with orange juice.

And then there's the Pierced Navel:
In a collins glass, over ice, pour 1 oz. tequila, 1/2 oz. Peach Schnapps, and then fill with orange juice.

So now you know there are 3 ways to have your belly button cocktails!  Cheers!

Steve McQueen in "Wanted: Dead or Alive"

Steve McQueen is adorable in this clip from the episode "The Partners" from the 1958-1961 show "Wanted: Dead or Alive."

Cocktail Recipe Du Jour: Alabama Slammer

Alabama Slammer

Legend has it that the colorful cocktail was first shaken at the University of Alabama in 1975.  There's also been said to have been made famous by Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre.  However, this drink was popular with college crowds as early as the 1980s, and is mentioned in the Playboy Bartender's Guide published in 1971.  The name could've originated from where it was invented, but it could just be from the inclusion of Sloe Gin and Southern Comfort.

I learned how to make it in bartending school the following way:

In a collins glass, pour:
1 oz. Sloe Gin
1/2 oz. Amaretto
1/2 oz. Southern Comfort
Fill with OJ
Garnish with an orange slice, cherry, or both

Best part was, to help us remember the ingredients, our teacher Betty gave us this phrase as a mnemonic device: "Slow Comfortable Screw With Nuts" (Sloe Comfort OJ Amaretto).

The Toupee Skit from "The Dean Martin Show"

Must-See Movie: High Society

High Society (1956)
With a stellar cast and some catchy tunes, this is a no-brainer to see...but there are still some cons that go with the pros of how "must-see" this movie is.

Here's the story:  Jazz musician C.K. Dexter Haven (Bing Crosby) still holds a torch for his ex-wife, Rhode Island socialite Tracy Samantha Lord (Grace Kelly). He stays at a neighbor's house, bringing his full jazz band (including Louis Armstrong) to disrupt Tracy's upcoming nuptials to to a boring but wealthy man (John Lund).  But that's not the only conflict.  Reporter Mike Connor (Frank Sinatra) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Celeste Holm) from Spy Magazine, a fictional tabloid newspaper, are there to cover the wedding.  They are essentially blackmailing their way in, holding on to some embarrassing information about Tracy's father.  So to prevent the tabloid from getting the true story, Tracy begins an elaborate charade, pretending to be overly snobbish and frivolous, as well as introducing the tabloid to the wrong people.  To make matters even more confusing, Mike falls in love with Tracy, and she wakes up on the day of her wedding confused and unsure of what to do.

Crushing on William Holden

He is my "Golden Boy"...hubba hubba.

Classic Movie Quote of the Day

"You may have heard about me. If I'd been a ranch, they woulda named me the 'Bar Nothing.'"

-- Rita Hayworth
in her defining role as
the title character in Gilda

There's Nothing Like It!

There's nothing like two men in a locker room dressed only in their underwear discussing a "matter of inches."

[Courtesy of LiveJournal/Vintage Ads]

Cocktail Recipe Du Jour

Wanna feel sky-high this evening?  Try this one...

Walk on the Moon
2 oz blackberry schnapps
1 oz vodka
3 oz cola
3 oz milk

Pour all in to a cocktail shaker and shake, pour over ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Bottoms up!

Whoa!

A little bit of trivia for you on this hump day...
While filming The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), the tension between Bette Davis and Errol Flynn was thick. Davis wanted Laurence Olivier to play Flynn's part, and so detested him the entire shoot.

During the film when Elizabeth (played by Davis) slaps Essex (Flynn) in front of the entire court, Davis intentionally smacked Flynn right across the face. The anger on Flynn's face is quite genuine, as is his visible imposition of self-control to avoid hitting Davis back.

Crushing on Marlon Brando

Hello, smoldering eyes....

Ginger Rogers and the Royal Desserts Cookbook

This our 1,000th post!!
I found this small recipe book at a garage sale, and fell in love with the horrible food photography and blatant whoring-out of Ginger Rogers.

If you ever wanted to feel the thrill of fame and stardom (like "a burst of applause"), Ginger Rogers has the recipe book for you.

The inside description really peaks your interest.  After all, I can't recall ever giving my dinner a happy ending!

I guess back in the day you could just put a string of words together in hyphens and suddenly invent phrases like "praise-getter."  

But enough of this frivolity.  Let's get to the "applause-worthy" recipes, and I'm sure more photos of Ginger, right?