Bobby's Whiskey Chicken Cordon Grill is an interesting twist on the classic cordon bleu chicken that uses a double shot of whiskey to boost flavors. (Photo by Pam Brandon)

The divas love a grill master who plays with his food — and this cheesy version of classic chicken cordon bleu is the creation of our pal Bobby who’s king of the ’cue in his back yard. His secret ingredient: a tease of whiskey to notch up the flavors.

Serve on crusty bread with a slice of fresh tomato, lettuce and a dollop of mayo or a good ol’ Southern side of macaroni salad and a slice of dill pickle. Don’t forget the sweet tea. Or a cold brewski.

Bobby’s Whiskey Chicken Cordon Grill
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Double shot of whiskey
4 slices provolone cheese
4 slice Swiss cheese
4 thin slices smoked ham

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry; filet each breast to create two thin pieces (or gently pound to 1/2-inch thickness). Place chicken, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and whiskey in a resealable plastic bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat grill or stovetop grill pan to high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and grill 3 to 5 minutes each side or until cooked through. As chicken finishes cooking, add slice of provolone, slice of ham, then slice of Swiss. Cover and cook until cheese melts.

Now, on to those mushrooms I mentioned in Part 1! Once again, my indecision led me to two different mushroom dishes, instead of having to choose between them.

The first was Marsala-marinated portobello mushroom slices. This recipe produced another pairing conundrum in that the marinade had Marsala wine (a fortified wine from Sicily) blended with honey, soy sauce, olive oil and hot sauce. I wasn’t sure which ingredient to consider most, but had read wine used in cooking should take some precedence when choosing wine to serve.

With my go-to wine assistant Ryan Stanford at the Boynton Beach Total Wine store helping me, we decided upon another Sicilian wine for pairing and pulled a 2007 Cusumano Nero D’Avola ($12.99). This grape was new to me, and being the adventurous type, I was eager to give it a taste. (Cool fact: this bottle is stopped with a glass cork!)

The nero d’Avila, a grape variety also known as calabrese, was deep colored with a rich and juicy palate. It was medium-bodied with balanced tannins and acidity, with dark fruits flavors and a hint of pepper.

This was a wine we heartily enjoyed on its own, but paired with the Marsala mushroom dish… “A crowd pleaser,” declared Gwen. All heads nodded in agreement, because their mouths were too busy drinking and eating.

Everyone raved over the mushrooms, too, savoring the sweet, salty and peppery weave that exploded in our mouths. And neither the wine nor the food overtook the other. In fact, they made for well-behaved, gregarious play dates.

Last up from the grill, the simplest yet perhaps most satisfying course of evening: grilled portobello mushroom caps. This is the vegetarian’s competition for the grilled burger or steak. With just a brush of olive oil on both sides, a few minutes over the flame, and a sprinkle of salt, you’ve got a juicy, meaty mushroom ready for a bun or to be plated with grilled onions.

And no scoffing, you carnivores, until you’ve sunk your teeth into one!

We poured a 2006 Sobon Estate Cougar Hill Zinfandel ($16.99) to accompany this mushroom and… eureka! We hit vegetarian pairing perfection, if I do say.

This zin had a luscious body full of jam and a little pepper, with a long, lingering finish. Tiffini actually lingered over the aroma, saying that it was appealing like a favorite cologne.

Scott thought the wine was slightly smoky but then confessed he might be confused thanks to the grill 10 feet away or the four other glasses of wine we already drank.

It took just one bite of that warm, hearty ‘shroom and you would have thought it was a different type of mushroom with the chorus of guttural, sensual sounds emanating from the table.

The big berries and the juicy mushrooms were each excellent playing off each other with the richness of fruit and of earth.

Dining outdoors in the warm Florida evening, ripe for wine and grilling.

And if all of that eating and drinking wasn’t enough, I couldn’t resist finishing off the meal with a wine granita; something I’d never had before and also so easy to make. Think of a slushy flavored with wine, instead of syrup.

This particular recipe called for riesling (I used Columbia Winery riesling from Washington), red seedless grapes and sugar. Toss them in the blender, pour the mixture into a shallow pan and freeze. Scrape the frozen mixture into an elegant glass (I used margarita glasses) and voila! An icy treat for big kids.

With bellies now full and hearts warmed by not only the pleasures of sumptious food and wine, but of engaging company, as well, we gave one last toast to an outstanding, experimental meal and to vegetarians everywhere.

RECIPES

Marsala-Marinated Portobello Grill

1/3 cup Marsala
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp tamari or shoyu soy sauce
1 to 2 tsp olive oil
½ to 1 tsp hot sauce
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
6 oz Portobello mushrooms, sliced crosswise into ¼-inch thick strips

Combine the Marsala, honey, tamari, oil, hot sauce, and black pepper in a small nonreactive bowl. Mix well, then add the sliced portobellos. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing every so often.
Preheat the grill to high. When the grill is hot, using a pair of tongs, lift the mushroom strips from marinade, shaking off any excess. Carefully place the strips on the gril (over indirect heat), one by one. Grill just long enough so they get a good, grill-marked sear, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and grill the other side until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve at once.

– Passionate Vegetarian, by Crescent Dragonwagon

Simple Grilled Portobellos

1 portobello mushroom — the largest you can find — per serving
Olive oil
Salt to taste

Preheat the grill to high, then lower the heat to medium.
Using a pastry brush, lightly coat both sides of the mushroom with oil.
Place the oiled mushroom on the grill over indirect heat, gill side down. Grill until softened and seared, 3 to 4 minutes. The mushroom should be tender and hot all the way through. Remove from grill, salt lightly, and serve.

– Passionate Vegetarian, by Crescent Dragonwagon

Wine and Grape Granita

1 lb seedless red grapes
¾ cup riesling
¼ cup superfine sugar

Put ingredients in blender, process until smooth.
Pour mixture into a rectangular cake pan. Freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, simply use a fork to scrape the granita into bowls or glasses.

Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts will win a generous bag of groceries. Why not you?

To enter today, share your best tip for grilling. (Each weekday’s contest will be different.) Post your tip in the comments section at the end of this entry.

Please use your real email address when you register, so we can reach you when you win. (We won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise.) We’ll pick the best idea or recipe and award that person yummy foods to try!

When you win, we’ll contact you about how to collect your bag ‘o yummies in a reusable, eco-friendly shopping bag (Thanks, Whole Foods, for the bags!).

Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!

A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.

Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.

Allow us to advocate for the dad “who has everything,” the man who’s impossible to shop for or surprise. He’s the unlucky dude who each year watches as moms everywhere are celebrated with feasts and flowers on their special day.
But what does he get on Father’s Day for his patience and paternity?
A tie. Socks. Tools, if he’s lucky.

Guided by the belief that a great steak trumps even the nicest tie, a robust bottle
of red zin trumps a pair of socks, and the hog snapper special at Captain Charlie’s trumps any wrench any day, we offer culinary ideas for the dad or granddad in your life.

Besides, how many ties can a guy have?

FOR THE WINE LOVER:

An oenophile’s tour of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

We asked Chris Golding, manager of the Total Wine & More store in Palm Beach Gardens, to put together an eclectic sampling of his favorite Pacific Coast vino.
His tour begins in California along the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley, where Titus Vineyards produces an outstanding red zinfandel. It proceeds to Mendocino County for a creamy white pinot gris from the Martin Ray winery. From there, it’s on to Oregon’s Willamette Valley for a bottle of HK1 Pinot Noir, a medium-bodied wine, before landing in Columbia Valley, Wash., for a richly layered swirl of Apex Cabernet.

The wine tour:

Titus Zinfandel, Napa, Calif., $27.99

Martin Ray Pinot Gris, Mendocino, Calif., $14.99

HK1 Willamette Pinot Noir, Oregon, $19.99

Apex Cabernet 2005, Columbia Valley, Wash, $27.99

FOR THE BEER CONNOISSEUR:

A preview of summer beers.

Because there’s more to summer than baseball and mangoes, we pass along these summer brew selections from Chris Golding. (Prices are per six-pack.)
Samuel Adams Summer Ale, brewed with malted wheat and a rare African pepper that gives it a spicy flavor, $7.99

Boulder Sweaty Betty Blonde, a pale ale with a fluffy white head, $9.49

Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale, a smooth, golden brew, $7.99

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA, a pale ale with bold hops flavors, $8.49

Kona Wailua Wheat, a light wheat Hawaiian beer brewed with passion fruit, $6.99.

FOR THE GRILLMEISTER:

Fire-worthy and fresh ingredients.

For beef-loving dads there are few things better than a juicy rib-eye. The folks at Whole Foods know this so they have a Father’s Day special: 12-ounce rib-eye steaks for $7.99. Because the beef comes from stellar stock — no antibiotics, no supplemental growth hormones and no animal byproducts in its feed — it needs little more than a good fire.

Still, we asked Frederic Van Coppernolle, a French chef who is Whole Foods’ prepared foods coordinator for the Florida region, to whip up a marinade suggestion. For a barbecue taste with a twist, he stirs together 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons of peanut oil, one cup of ketchup, 2 cloves of crushed fresh garlic, 2 tablespoons of grained mustard, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of coarse black pepper, fresh herbs — such as sage, rosemary or tarragon, chopped finely — and 2 tablespoons of bourbon.

Lightly dip the steaks in the sauce and set them in the fridge to marinate for no more than 30 minutes. The brown sugar, ketchup and bourbon will caramelize the steaks.

For fish lovers, he suggests grilling a fresh piece of fish wrapped in cedar paper. The Cedar Grilling Papers, $7.99 for eight sheets, cook the fish in “a smoky steam,” said the chef. Season the fish with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, then place it in a moistened sheet of cedar paper. You can add fresh herbs, a julienne of leeks or other vegetables. Wrap the sheet around the fish and place the fish in a corner of the grill, away from the highest heat. A 1-inch thick filet will cook in 7 to 10 minutes.

Shopping basket for Dad:

Whole Foods rib-eye steaks, $7.99 for 12-ounce steak.

Cedar Grilling Papers, $7.99.

Organic Roma tomatoes, locally grown corn and fresh herbs, market price.

FOR THE COFFEE LOVER:

A small and mighty machine.

We asked Ben Williams, general manager of the Williams-Sonoma store in CityPlace, what would be on his wish list. Without much hesitation, he described what sounds like the Ferrari of espresso makers — the Nespresso Essenza C100 Automatic Espresso Maker, $249.95. Using pre-measured coffee capsules, it brews one cup at a time.

“It’s the best, freshest cup of espresso you’ll get in your life,” said Williams, no relation to the store founder. “Hit the button and you’re done.”

FOR THE SPORTS BUFF:

A delicious stop before the game.

Why not get Dad a couple of tickets to go watch the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Stadium? But skip the stadium food and take him to Captain Charlie’s Reef Grill for a pre-game treat. The sautéed or blackened hog snapper over rice and beans is a home run.

Tickets for the Jupiter Hammerheads, minor-league baseball team, run $8.50 for adults, $6.50 for 62 and older, and $6.50 for 12 and under. You can buy them at the stadium box office.

Captain Charlie’s Reef Grill is at 12846 U.S. 1, Juno Beach. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, but you can call for hours and crowd estimates. (561) 624-9924.

FOR THE MAN OF LEISURE:

Accoutrements of relaxation.

Meet Richard Ruvido, outdoorsman, father and product specialist at the Gander Mountain superstore in Palm Beach Gardens. He’s the guy with the stories. He’s got anecdotes about skiing the Alps, first-hand testimony on the lasting properties of the perfect ice cooler, suggestions great and small for the perfect gift.

“Here’s the story line,” he said with a sweep of hands across the merchandise, “You’ve got a guy and he wants to relax. So he’s got to have a hammock.”
That would be the Eagles Nest Outfitters SingleNest Hammock, about $49.99, a sling hammock of woven nylon that packs to the size of a softball.
“And while he’s relaxing on his hammock, he could be smoking some ribs,” Ruvido goes on.

Smoking, he means, in a Smoke Hollow 38-inch LP Gas Smoker, about $159.99. And this relaxing fellow could reach over into his Igloo Ice Cube MaxCold 70-quart Cooler with Wheels, about $39.99, for a cold drink. Or he might prefer a swig of Rioja wine from his Stansport Spanish Wine Bota, about $7.99, a leak-proof leather sack like the ones he may have toted many moons ago on his backpacking trek through Andalusia.

And, there must be a grill: Coleman Road Trip Grill LXE, about $199.

FOR THE MOVIE BUFF:

Some mouthwatering scenes.

Remember the garlic-slicing scene in the 1990 movie Goodfellas? Of course you do. Anyone with a healthy appetite who saw that film must remember the scene where the Paul Sorvino character slices paper-thin slivers of garlic for his crew’s prison feast. That garlic is destined for greatness in this quintessential Italian meal, a symphony of searing meats and simmering red sauce.

Sure, there are a lot of guy flicks with memorable food scenes. There’s The Godfather (“Leave the gun, take the cannoli”). There’s the pinot noir extravaganza that is Sideways. There’s even Ocean’s 11, where the Brad Pitt character eats in just about every scene.

But there’s something about Goodfellas that awakens one’s desire for great, red-sauce Italian fare. So order the film for Dad, and plan a full-blown Goodfellas escapade.

The meatballs — Ever heard of meatballs on the grill? Neither had we until we got the scoop from Williams of Williams-Sonoma. The gourmet foods and cooking supply chain offers a new tool to give meatballs an open-fire taste. The Meatball Grill Basket ($49.95) is a gadget with a dozen perforated wells — think stainless steel egg crate — that allows the fat to drain off. The basket flips over for thorough cooking.

The sauce — Eucavani’s. There’s no reason to slave over the stove when you’ve got Chef Frank Eucalitto’s delectable Italian sauces at hand. Chef Eucalitto, of Café Chardonnay fame, offers four great sauces under his and his partner’s Eucavani’s label. The A La Vodka sauce is a big seller, but the Pomodoro makes for better meatball sauce. Pick up the sauces at Costco, or check eucavanis.com for product info.

The extras — Carmine’s gourmet food market offers an impressive selection of gift baskets, and by that we mean gift baskets you’d actually unwrap and dig into. Our favorite is Carmine’s Signature Italian Basket, a cornucopia of pastas, sauces, breadsticks, bruschetta, olive oil, dipping seasonings, soppressata, garlic dressing, amaretto cookies and chocolates. It’s $100 at carmines.com, or at the market, 2401 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens.

A lot of amore for Dad.

Fennel seeds and dried thyme, along with other seasonings, create a flavorful crust for grilled shrimp. (AP)

Grilling generally is a healthy cooking method because little or no fat is needed. But the intense, dry heat can quickly turn food tough and leathery, especially if you start with something lean.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pork and beef tenderloin, as well as most white fish and shellfish, are healthy choices because they are all low in fat. That also means they usually are low in flavor and moisture, too.
For these leaner proteins be sure to season assertively using marinades and rubs, plus keep an eye on the grill to avoid overcooking. And be sure to season with salt only just before grilling, as salt can draw moisture out of the meat.
As for the grilling itself, it’s all about timing.
Boneless, skinless chicken and turkey breasts are best grilled quickly, over medium-high heat. Also, don’t use a fork to turn your poultry or you’ll just end up losing valuable moisture when you pierce the surface.
Grill chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side and turkey breasts for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165º. Grill whole pork tenderloins over medium-high until they reach an internal temperature of 155º. The temperature will rise to the recommended 160º if you let the pork sit for 5 minutes off the grill before slicing.
To keep lean cuts of beef, such as tenderloin and round steak, from drying out, it’s best to grill them over medium-high heat to a doneness of not much more than medium-rare.
Most lighter-fleshed fish and shellfish should cook for just a few minutes per side over medium-high heat.
This recipe for fennel seed and thyme-crusted grilled shrimp uses an aromatic spice blend to create a flavorful crust. Cook the shrimp until they are just opaque, no more than 2 minutes per side.
To complete the meal, add a spicy arugula salad and some wedges of olive oil-misted grilled flatbread, which can easily be made using store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough.

Time: Start to finish 20 minutes

Fennel Seed and Thyme- Crusted Grilled Shrimp
Servings: 4
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon salt
Lemon wedges, for serving

In a shallow dish, cover eight 10-inch bamboo skewers with water and set aside to soak.
In a small bowl, combine the fennel seeds, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, pepper and oil. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.
Heat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a charcoal grill.
Divide the shrimp between the skewers, threading them through the sides. Season with salt. Grill until the shrimp are golden brown on both sides and opaque at the center, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges.

Per serving: 159 calories; 50 calories from fat; 6 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 172 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 1 g fiber; 460 mg sodium.

Kirby’s
Bar & Grill

841 Donald Ross Road

Juno Beach, FL 33408

(561) 627-8000

R E V I E W
Jupiter Island Grill

FOOD: A
SERVICE: A
ADDRESS: 311 E. Indiantown Road, Fisherman’s Wharf Plaza, Jupiter
TELEPHONE: (561) 746-6283
PRICE RANGE: Moderate to semi-expensive
HOURS: Nightly, 4 p.m.-11 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: MC, V,
AmEx
RESERVATIONS: Accepted
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS:
yes
WHAT THE GRADES
MEAN:
A — Excellent
B — Good
C — Average
D — Poor
F — Don’t bother

Times are tough, and we’re all eating out less.
But Red Lobster has new menu items worth trying.
The chain has trained more than 3,500 chefs in 680 restaurants as certified grill masters.
Each restaurant’s grill has been retro-fitted to burn oak so they can prepare 14 wood-grilled menu items, eight of which are new.
Guests also can order any seafood or shellfish item grilled.
Some of the featured menu items include wood-grilled lobster, shrimp and scallops, and peach bourbon BBQ shrimp and scallops.

For people who favor poultry or meat, there’s maple-glazed chicken, and wood-grilled sirloin.
To find the Red Lobster nearest you, call 1-800-LOBSTER or visit redlobster.com
Photos courtesy of Red Lobster.