Hmm, when I was asked to contribute to a site called BrokeAss Gourmet I have to say that I wondered “why ask a dumbass wino to help with that?” Then I realized that, although I own a wine shop I’m not a wino (the other part – ?) and that I know quite a bit about wine that won’t break the bank as that’s what I specialize in. OK, not such a bad fit – perhaps they’ve thought this through.

Without guidance as to subject matter such as matching wine to meals, types of wine to look for, what is a grape, etc. I’m going to start with something simple but important:

Have fun!!

Nothing about looking for wine, buying it and then enjoying it with a date, friends, or family should be a pain in the BrokeAss. Take your $10 bucks (more or less also works) with you to a shop that isn’t intimidating and that has someone who actually knows the wines. I admit this tends to rule out your local supermarket or chain store selling wine but going there is like going to the pharmacy looking for cold medicine – 600 different types across 12 feet of shelf space and who knows which one works better for what. The prices aren’t so hot either.

A good shop helps you sift through all that selection and should nicely guide you to something cheap (yes cheap – not inexpensive) but good and fun. There are a lot of wines out there that fit that bill and many of them will work with whatever you’re going to cook and pair the wine with.
So, don’t be intimidated, set your budget and go find some wine. Oh and be adventurous – I’ll talk about that next time.

This is an awesome way to stretch an expensive ingredient (salmon), by combining it with tasty but less-expensive ingredients, resulting in you getting the most bang for your buck. The burgers are similar to crabcakes but more toothsome and satisfying. The spinach is a healthful, fresh addition and the warm Cilantro Brown Rice makes the perfect bed for the tasty burgers. The burgers are also delicious served on crusty rolls with a garlicky aioli.

We have a massive crush on Food Network chef Dave Lieberman (OK, I have a crush on him. Adam just likes his food.) But seriously, Lieberman is smart, funny, and HOT. Oh, and also, he is totally BrokeAss-friendly! He specializes in food that is tasty and fancy-looking—but inexpensive and made from ingredients that are easy to procure. The following recipe is adapted from a recipe from his cookbook Dave’s Dinners that is perfect for a romantic dinner for two. Serve it with a light Zonnin Prosecco from Trader Joe’s.

The other night, over a drink, I was envisioning what BrokeAss Gourmet would have looked like if it had come about during the ugly Recession of ’74.

This playlist (done on Rhapsody ) includes a freebie, in typical BrokeAss Gourmet fashion. After you listen to it, you get to listen for another 14 days. I’ve been using the service for about a year, and for the price of about 1 disc a month, I’ve been using it every day.

All of these tracks have one thing in common: they’re all about being out of money, or out of love, and they’re all from about ’72-‘79.

BrokeAss Gourmet Mixtape #1 (The ’70s)

1. Big Star – In The Street – A total power-pop gem from ’72. Also, the theme to “That ’70s Show,” (Cheap Trick cover).

2. The Raspberries – I Wanna Be With You – Another power-pop classic, and not quite a lost classic, either. Makes you want to drive around with the windows down, if you owned a car.

3. Elton John – Funeral For A Friend (Love Lies Bleeding) – Captain Fantastic goes prog! It’s like Yes, but with more pianos! Cook something up!

4. Badfinger – Money – Amazing Beatles hard-pop proteges throw in a track from their amazing Straight Up album.

5. Warren Zevon – Poor Poor Pitiful Me – BrokeAss and lonely in L.A., 1976. This is as good as misery will ever sound.

6. Fleetwood Mac – I Don’t Wanna Know – Heartbreak on roller skates, from Rumours. The happy sounds of an L.A. breakup.

7. Joy Of Cooking – Love Is Just A Four-Letter Word – Not-so-well-known Berkeley folk-pop group from Berkeley is sort of like a Bay Area version of the Fairport Convention. Good kitchen music.

8. Electric Light Orchestra – Shine A Little Love – A disco/pomp classic from ’79. Shine a little love, but don’t forget to pick up some two-buck-chuck, either.

9. Dwight Twilley – Long, Lonely Nights – We’d never forget to include a little power-pop rarity on the mix. Dwight Twilley is sort of a cross between a power-pop Tom Petty and a young George Harrison. Very cool stuff for walking around town in the evening.

10. Bruce Springsteen – She’s The One (Live At Hammersmith, ’75) – Sometimes, you gotta improvise, and that’s exactly what the Boss does on what may possibly be one of the best E-Street shows ever. If you thought the Super Bowl show was good, check this one out.

11. Judee Sill – Crayon Angels – BG winds you down with a mellow track – it’s some mystical folk from Judee Sill. Fleet Foxes fans, take note – they frequently cover this track, live. Joni Mitchell, she ain’t. Sill sadly OD’d in ’79. Her “new” album Dreams Come True (2005) is one of our absolute faves.

Hosting parties on a budget can be quite a challenge. And when it comes time to stock the bar, it’s always the same problem at the store: What to buy, how much to buy, and what can you make with it that will be to the liking of every one? Most people will buy the basics: a handle of vodka, a handle of rum, and perhaps whiskey or bourbon. Some OJ, cranberry, coke, diet coke, sprite, tonic, etc. Oh, and don’t forget the limes, maybe lemons, napkins, cups, ice, and the list goes on. While you’ve offered your guests a respectable basic bar to mix their own drinks, you’ve also spent quite a lot of money.

Being the bartender in my circle of friends I’ve noticed that when I go to parties with this kind of bar setup, I’m often asked if I could “make something good” for someone. It becomes my task to check out the ingredients at the bar (or what’s left of them) and improvise “something good”. Next thing I know, I’m making this concoction for a bunch of people who are happy to drink something that they didn’t have to put much thought into. The next time I hosted a party, I remembered this and decided to put this phenomenon to use. In the process, I accidentally figured out a way to spend half as much on my “bar” and serve something special that leaves an impression.

The next time I went shopping for alcohol to stock a party, I decided to skip the part where people make their own drinks, and go right to the part where I’m making them. So I made two cocktails. Two really big cocktails. I came up with two different cocktails that I could make in pitchers. I then set up my bar with a bowl of ice, glasses, napkins and my two pitchers that I simply refilled as the night went on. It was a simple and very cost effective way to host a party and leave a nice impression on my guests.

The trick is using pretty much the same spirits but with different mixers so that there is variety. I recommend vodka as the main liquor, but you could easily substitute rum. Either way, use plain, clear, non-flavored spirits. I recommend Seagram’s vodka or Castillo Silver rum—both are good quality yet relatively cheap.

Triple Sec should be a staple of any home bar. Just like a good bottle of hot sauce, buy it once keep it around, a little goes a long way, and you can mix it with just about anything. A 1-liter bottle costs around $15 and will last through many parties.

So head out to Costco, BevMo or Trader Joe’s to pick up these ingredients and meet me back here next week for some tasty, simple drink recipes.