9/14/2009

I have been playing cards since I was a little kid. I like to play Gin, Poker, and I love the game Casino. Casino was the first game that I was taught when I was a kid. It is very easy to learn, but very difficult to master. On the way to and from the races Jeg Jr. or Jeg Sr. and I will try to get in a little “2 out of 3”. Woody refuses to learn Casino, or play the game with me because he thinks that I am cheating the whole time. We can sometimes lure Mitzi or Samantha in for a game, but it is tough to play with them because the competition is sometimes pretty brutal. I love to do card tricks too. (Maybe this is why Woody won’t play with me) Mastering tricks can take years. My brother Andy and I mastered a trick about 10 years ago that we started working on when we were kids.

If I get a chance at night after qualifying, or between rounds on race day, I love to take a deck of cards and head into the pits. I meet more racers and fans this way. It usually starts off when someone that I know calls me over to their pit to convince a non-believer. By the time I leave, I have usually made some new friends and maybe changed the non-believer’s mind a little. I just like to entertain people. By the way, my deck of choice is Jegs Playing Cards. Jeg and his brothers had the deck of cards designed with a caricature of me as the Joker. I decided to develop new tricks just to use the Joker. You can get your own deck Here.

It’s funny because I have kids and adults begging me to reveal all my secrets. Mitzi even tried to sneak a clause in our wedding vowels that would have me share the secrets with her. (We won’t talk about that now!) I always tell kids that I put the directions for the tricks in the box, and then I tell them Randy (a guy that I work with) took the directions out of the box. The kids will normally leave me alone and take their frustration out on Randy. It is hilarious to watch.

How about the recipe? This is a great one. It is simple, but it does take a little time. Don’t worry- it is worth the wait.

Sweet Potato Fries / Chili- Lime Mayo
(Makes 2 Servings)

Ingredients: (For the fries)

1 Pound Sweet Potatoes (Peeled/ Cut into 3/8 inch sticks)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
To Taste Salt
To Taste Black Pepper (Fresh Ground)
To Taste Sea Salt (Coarse)


Procedure: (For the fries)

Toss the sweet potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper.

Lay the sweet potato sticks on a non-stick baking pan.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. (Be sure to turn them a couple times while they are cooking for even browning.)

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt.

Ingredients: (For the mayonnaise)

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic (Fresh / Minced)
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice (Fresh Squeezed)
To Taste Salt
To Taste Black Pepper (Fresh Ground)

Procedure: (For the mayo)

Mix all of the ingredients together and refrigerate until needed.

Putting it all together!
You are going to need a couple bunches of arugula as a garnish. I also hollowed half of a lime for the dip. I like to wrap the arugula around the fry and run it through the mayonnaise.

Enjoy!