HURRICANE PARTY!!!

I can not imagine there are many advantages to living in hurricane-prone areas. I mean, I can imagine many advantages to the areas themselves -- living near a beach, gorgeous weather deep into the year, having swimsuits qualify as "casual wear -- but from June to November of each year, I can't think that hurricanes rank too high on everyone's Things I Love About the South list. To further reinforce that assertion, I need only ask Chef Tim Lyons at blu seafood and bar. After all, it was Hurricane Wilma that chased him from his plush digs in the Keys and Louie's Backyard and sent him and his coastal cuisine to Durham. (Thanks, Wilma!) But if one had to look for a silver lining behind that dark funnel cloud, I would imagine that the Southern tradition of the Hurricane Party would have to qualify.

Folks in coastal towns all across the Southeast and the Gulf are familiar with the tradition of the Hurricane Party. These get-togethers need very few requirements in order to manifest. First, you need a safe location, preferably a structure that can stand high winds and high waters. Second, you need a lot of food and some adult drinks. Third, and most important, you need a hurricane.

The Hurricane Party serves many purposes. Since they can sometimes last as long as 3-5 days, they help provide a welcome destraction from the potential destruction that is going on just outside the walls of the "safehouse." Friends and neighbors all gather together to wait out the storm and use all different sorts of diversions, be it board games, drinking games, or anything else that might help pass the time. The sense of community comforts many people and alleviates the stress of a potentially disturbing situation.

Hurricanes typically knock out the power in many of these regions, which illustrates another vital function of the Hurricane Party. Many households, restaurants and other businesses have caches of foodstuffs that could rot or spoil without proper refrigeration and, once the power goes out, this process is expedited. So these huge gatherings help people consume their refrigerated and frozen goods rather than see them wasted. Often times, food that goes bad quicker is consumed at the earlier hours of the hurricane party, which leads to the ice cream going first!

In typical Keys tradition, Chef Tim Lyons and the staff at blu will be hosting our Second Annual Hurricane Party this Thursday, September 2nd. Don't worry about the hurricane; you don't need one at blu to enjoy this party! Instead, we will take a smoker and a grill out back and prepare cuisine inspired by Hurricane-prone regions. Gumbo from New Orleans, Cuban roast pork, Jamaican Smoked Jerk Chicken, to name a few. And what Hurricane Party would be complete without beverages? How about some mojitos, daquiris, Alabama slammers and... er, hurricanes?

$25 is all it will cost for the food. We'll set up serving stations outside, get some cool reggae and zydeco tunes, and have a cool relaxing evening with some good food and friends. Also, be sure to check out our new mural provided by Sneha, Lynette and Amy, three wonderful Jordan High School Art Department alumnus. The weather should be turning cooler and I predict an awesome evening.

Reserve now!

BURNT ENDS -- Because bacon just won't do it for you anymore

At some point over the past several years, bacon has become a trendy ingredient in many foods and menu items. I've even seen people infuse it into alcohol, add it to drink recipes, wear it on their clothes, etc. The hipster community has embraced bacon and this food fad has taken on a life all its own. However, there is a food item out there with enough flavor to punch bacon in the face, and it is the "burnt ends" of the brisket.

Burnt ends get their name from their appearance. After a brisket has been all rubbed up with spices and smoked for hours and hours, a blackened crust forms on the outer edge of the meat. The sugars and spices caramelize, forming what is known as "brisket snot." These unctious, flavor-filled little morsels of food are prized pieces of meat, but were not always considered as such.

The brisket has two main parts, the point and the flat. The flat is usually what is purchased in supermarkets, since it is easily trimmed and has a neat little fat cap on top of beautiful red meat. The point however, is usually trimmed away, as it contains much more fat throughout the meat and is harder to trim. Many pit cooks would keep the brisket intact while smoking it, allowing the fat from the point and on top of the flat to melt into the meat, flavoring it and keeping it moist at the same time. However, since they didn't think they could sell the blackened and seasoned trimmings from this meat, it was usually discarded.

Arthur Bryant's BBQ in Kansas City had another solution. Since long lines usually snaked around the block at their joint on Brooklyn Ave., they kept the trimmings and "burnt ends" in a bucket for customers waiting in line to eat for free. This whetted many appetites while people waited to be served. But Mr. Bryant noticed that the burnt ends were getting more popular than the meat he was selling, and realized that he would have to charge for it. As you can imagine, this upset many people in Kansas City. Now burnt ends are one of the most popular menu item at Arthur Bryant's, and at many other BBQ joints across the country.

This month, blu seafood and bar is featuring burnt ends on it's monthly wine dinner. "The LandLover's Wine Dinner" features four courses of steak-themed dishes. The second of these courses is a "Wedge Salad with brisket "burnt ends" and blu cheese dressing. Imagine that... Brisket burnt ends spread over a wedge of Romaine and drizzled with blu cheese dressing!

The dinner is Wednesday, August 18 at 7pm, and the four courses, each paired with a wine from Hope Valley Bottle Shop, is only $45. And we apologize ahead of time for converting you from bacon.