Now I am a pretty good cook– but like most of us I read recipes to get inspired. Good recipes are like good books, they're hard to put down. I particularly like recipes so magical that they transport me to exciting locations, rich with possibility. These are the recipes that excite me. These are the recipes I turn to on special occasions. But I'll tell you something. IRL, I don't always use recipes.

There are all sorts of reasons why I don't use recipes everyday. Sometimes I make a dish so many times that a recipe is just redundant. Other times I feel like getting my creative game on so I follow my instincts, just to see how good they are.

None of that means I think recipes are irrelevant IRL (in real life). If I thought that there would be very little room for this blog, any of the other blogs I read or even the 8 shelves of cookbooks that tower over each end of the desk where I peck away at this keyboard.

There are exceptions however. Too many to go into. Baking is often an exception. I usually follow pastry recipes or make only small (logical??) adaptations to them. I can't make good ice cream to save my life, unless I follow a recipe word for word and then make it twice. I blame that strict bugaboo known as science. It's always lurking– just hoping I lose the logarithm or invert the integers.

But cocktails can be an exception too. I often turn to my bartenders guide IRL even when making something as simple and familiar as a Manhattan. And I'm not sure why.

Harvey Wallbanger. It sounds like some sort of slacker dude, and in a way maybe it is. But for our purposes here I’ll say that it is an alcoholic drink or cocktail made with vodka, Galliano and orange juice. It has a murky pedigree, as do so many classic libations.

Still, we know that it’s one of the original party drinks of the 1970s. It’s also true that they are easy to make and even easier to drink.

There's nothing simple about its history and its place in the world of alcoholic beverages. This drink has a convoluted past. Marketing professionals got involved in promoting Harvey Wallbangers hard in the 1970s. And that’s probably where the misinformation began.

According to legend, the drink was named after a 1950s era California surfer named Tom Harvey. After a disappointing performance on the waves one afternoon he consoled himself at the legendary Sunset Blvd. watering hole called, Duke's Blackwatch Bar. Where it is said that two-time world champion mixologist Donato 'Duke' Antone was serving up with one of his 'special' cocktails, (a Screwdriver with a dash of Galliano liqueur). After several drinks, the disappointed and highly inebriated Harvey tried to leave the bar, but unfortunately kept bumping into things, including the walls. Harvey 'the Wallbanger' soon became his nickname and this famous cocktail was born.

Now all this may be perfectly true. Or not. But we know that there are plenty of notable 'Duke' creations such as The Rusty Nail, The White Russian, The Godfather and The Flaming Caesar. Some of these drinks were created specifically to promote a liqueur. So it would not be unheard of for Mr. Antone to play along in the promotions game. Even if it was 20 years after the supposed fact.

Today is Day 3 in my weeklong series of small plates with wine pairings. The wine is St. Supéry Savignon Blanc and we paired it with a healthy green salad just in time for the New Year. Because eating greens at the New Year is a tradition in my house. According to folklore, greens are a stand-in for money, and the more greens you consume right now, the more cold hard cash will come your way in the New Year.

Now just so you know, the 'green' I have decided to present here is the much maligned Brussels sprout. Because Brussels sprouts, a member of the cabbage family can be enjoyed in more ways than most greens. Roasted, grilled, braised, fried, sautéed and (if you must) boiled.

How about raw Brussels sprouts? Have you ever had them shaved into thin ribbons and served with a citrus vinaigrette?

Are you still with me? I mention this because I know what you are like. Usually I take a bit of time deciding exactly what I am going to call the recipes I present here. I am no dummy and I know that if it sounds delectable (or contains the word chocolate) then you are far more likely to spend a moment reading the words I write and imagining the food I present here.