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Jahresarchive: 2012

Pumpkin Ale Cheesecake with Beer Pecan Caramel Sauce

27.09.2012 54 Comments

I conducted a very non-sientiffic study on my Facebook page about pumpkin beer. To be honest with you, I have always been a touch hesitant of fruit flavored beer. And although pumpkin is a squash, therefore  not a fruit, it seems to fall under the same umbrella in my mind since I make pies out of them.

But I love nothing more than trying new and exotic beers. And I always want input and feedback from other craft beer fans. So, my very un-scientific study yielded the final conclusion: based only on comments and likes, I want to search the town for the following Pumpkin Beers for another non-scientific Beer Tasting Study:

Dogfish Head, Pumpkin

Avery, Rumpkin

St Arnold, Pumpkinator

Southern Tier, Pumpking

If you have any suggestions, please chime in. I’m looking to expand the reach of my non-scientific study.

Pumpkin Ale Cheesecake with Beer Pecan Caramel Sauce

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

For The Cheesecake

  • 9 standard sized graham crackers
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • 4 tbs melted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 16 oz cream cheese softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cup pumpkin ale
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs flour

For The Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin beer
  • 1/4 cup corn syrup
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 1/3 cup pecans

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor add the graham crackers and brown sugar, process until only crumbs are left. While the food processor is still running, add the melted butter and process until it resembles wet sand. Dump into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Press into the bottom until well compacted.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the brown sugar, white sugar and cream cheese. Mix until well combined. One at a time, add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until well combined, scraping the bottom, before adding more.
  • Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon nutmeg and salt, mix until very well combined.
  • Add the beer and stir until combined.
  • Sprinkle the flour over the bowl, stir on medium speed until just combined.
  • Pour over the crust.
  • Bake at 350 for about one hour or until the center no longer jiggles when you shake the rack the cheesecake sits on, it will still look wet in the center. The secret to a great cheesecake is not to over bake it, it's better to slightly under bake it for a smooth mousse like texture.
  • Chill until set, about 3 hours.
  • To make the caramel sauce, add the sugar, beer and corn syrup to a pot and stir over medium high heat for about 1 minute. Stop stirring and allow to boil, untouched, until it turns an amber color, about 10 minutes (230 on a candy thermometer). Add the butter and cream, stir until combined. Add the pecans and stir. Allow to cool to approximately room temperature before serving over chilled cheesecake.


Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups

26.09.2012 33 Comments

 

 

 

I’ve got a bone to pick with Reeses. First, they make the only store bought candy that I can’t stop eating. The only Halloween treat I’m actually tempted to eat in bulk.

But my real issue is with their so called Peanut Butter Cup Pumpkins.

On first glance this Halloween treat seems like it contains, or at least tastes like, pumpkin. Which lures me into breaking my self imposed ban on store bought candy only to be left with the realization that the only thing Pumpkin about it, is the shape.

So I give to you the exact opposite. An Unprocessed, homemade treat that is not shaped like a pumpkin but contains real life, home roasted pumpkin.

If you want to make it a touch easier, you can combine canned pumpkin pie filling with peanut butter until it tastes right to you, but I like to roast my pumpkins myself. I just love real life produce that much, I pledge my allegiance to the framer and not the factory.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbs honey
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

(you will also need mini muffin tins and mini muffin papers)

Instructions

  1. In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Line a mini muffin tin with mini muffin papers. Add about 1 1/2 tsp of melted chocolate to each paper. Using the back of a spoon, gently "paint" the chocolate up the sides of the papers, making sure to leave enough on the bottom for a sturdy base.
  2. Place muffin tin in the refrigerator, chill until set, about ten minutes.
  3. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined. (Taste filling, add more honey for a sweeter filling.)
  4. Once the chocolate has set, add a small amount to the middle of the cups, making sure to avoid the top edges.
  5. Remelt chocolate if necessary.
  6. Top the muffin papers with melted chocolate, tap the muffin tin lightly on the counter to evenly distribute chocolate. Make sure the pumpkin filling is completely covered.
  7. Chill until set, about 10 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen.

 

Pumpkin Ale Waffles & How To Roast A Pumpkin

25.09.2012 33 Comments

 Although most of you are in the giddy early stages of fall, here in Los Angeles it’s still over 90 degrees. So what the rest of the country is referring to as "Fall," I am calling Pumpkin Season. And to curb my near constant urge to shove as much pumpkin into everything I consume, I have elected to only make pumpkin from scratch, no cans.

It’s only really helped a little. It’s pretty easy to roast a pumpkin and turn it into massive quantities of pumpkin treats.

If you haven’t roasted your own, don’t be intimidated, its pretty simple.

Start with a pie pumpkin. They go by various other names, but they are not Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins used for carving. They are small, about the size of a cantaloupe.

Preheat oven to 375.

Remove the stem by running a butter knife around the edges and then prying it off. The most stubborn one I removed by whacking it on the edge of the counter. Popped right off.

Cut the pumpkin in half, right through the hole left by the stem.

Scoop the seeds out with a spoon.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place pumpkins on baking sheets, cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast at 375 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a fork can easily slide into the skin.

 Allow to cool and sccop the flesh out.

For a smoother texture, process in a food processor for about 3 minutes.

See, that’s not so hard. You can totally do that.

Pumpkin Ale Waffles

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 eggs divided
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 stick melted butter
  • 1 cup Pumpkin Ale

(Makes 6 to 8)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat waffle iron.
    • Get out three bowls.
    • In the largest bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking power, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, stir until well combined.
    • Divide the eggs between the last two bowls, egg whites in one, yolks in the other.
    • In the yolks bowl, add the milk and pumpkin puree, stir until well combined. Add the melted butter and stir.
    • Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes.
    • Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined, don't over mix. Add the beer and stir until combined. Gently fold in the egg whites.
    • Spray waffle iron with butter flavored cooking spray. Cook waffles according to manufactures directions.

     

     

    Skinny Baked Potato Soup 210 Calories

    24.09.2012 21 Comments

     

    Raise your hand if you ate way to much this weekend.

    I finally found pie pumpkins in my city wide search and participated in hours of pumpkin glutton. Those posts will be up later, but I needed a bit of a pumpkin detox before jumping back in for more. I have no plans to stop my fall pumpkin worship, but I needed a break.

    I am also preparing for October Unprocessed. Have you taken the challenge? I signed up. Andrew of Eating Rules has asked if we could all go just one month without eating processed foods. I did it last year and found that it was both easier and more challenging that I had thought. What is processed food? That’s quite the debate, but it gets you thinking. It was, more than anything, a great reminder to read every single label on every single package I buy. Why am I buying a jam with ingredients I don’t recognize when I can just buy the one with only two: Strawberries, sugar.

    Why don’t I just buy my bread from the baker down the street, with his 4 ingredients rather than the  package from across the country with 17 ingredients?

    More produce, less cans, no Doritos. You can do it.

    There is no fixed answer to the question, "What is unprocessed?" but the simple answer is: do you have (or could you have) all of those ingredients in your kitchen and could a person reasonably make it themselves.

    For instance, I have lots of friends who are home brewers and they make beer themselves. So that makes beer OK to have, it passes the Kitchen Test. If you could reasonably assume you COULD make it, it’s OK.

    However, I have no idea how to pronounce half of the ingredients in Oreos, I don’t have those in my kitchen, I could not make that product, with those exact ingredients, so sorry, no Oreos for me. For more in depth answer to the questions, you can read this.

    The best thing about this challenge, is that it gets us thinking. About what we eat, who we "vote for" with the dollars we spend, and what we are training our bodies to crave.

    And if you can’t go a month with eating just real whole food, then why not? Why is that hard for you?

    I encourage you sign up, even if you know you can’t be perfect. Can you do Unprocessed Wednesday Night Dinners? Sign up and give it a try. It will get you thinking about what you’re eating, and what you are feeding your family.

    This soup recipe could even be debated (although it is not yet October). While some ingredients easily pass the kitchen test, it reminds you to read the labels on the brands of sour cream and cheese you buy. Some will only have three or four easily recognized ingredients while some brands will have several more. It’s just about being mindful of what you buy.

    Skinny Baked Potato Soup 210 Calories

    Ingredients

    • 1 tbs olive oil
    • 1/2 cup chopped onion
    • 1 leek, chopped (only white and light green part)
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 3 cups fat free chicken broth
    • 4 cups cauliflower, chopped
    • 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/2 tsp pepper
    • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1/4 tsp chili powder
    • 1/2 cup milk

    Garnishes:

    • 1/2 cup light sour cream
    • 1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, 1 large tomato, chopped
    • 1/2 cup green onion or chives, chopped

    (Makes 4 servings)

    Instructions

    1. In a pot over medium high heat, add the leeks and onions, cook until softened, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, and cauliflower and allow to boil until vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes.
    2. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, puree until smooth. Stir in the spices and milk, return to heat and allow to simmer until thickened to desired consistency (the longer you simmer, the thicker the soup will become).
    3. Divide among 4 bowls, top each one with 2 tbs sour cream and stir. Top with remaining garnishes and serve.

     

    DIY Glow In The Dark Halloween Ghost Craft

    21.09.2012 19 Comments

    DIY Glow In The Dark Halloween Ghost Craft


    Maybe you don’t know this, but the first post I ever did for this blog was a craft post on how to make Homemade Paper Lanterns. It wasn’t too much longer that I was sucked into the food blog scene and haven’t really looked back.

    I do still love to get my crafting hands dirty, and this little DIY is so easy, I hope you forgive me for my break from those food posts I love so much.

    Make a dozen or so to hang from your trees on Halloween, they turned out a little creepy in the best way.

    Materials (for 1 ghost):

    1 large clear plastic christmas ornament (I found this at Michael’s Arts & Crafts for $1)

    1 to 3 glow sticks (or glow necklaces) that are small enough to fit inside the ornament

    Round black felt stickers, or black felt cut into cricles

    6 feet of cheese cloth (most grocery stores sell this in the baking section)

     

    Remove the metal top from the ornament. Place the glow sticks inside (but wait until dark to break the glow stick). I found that two or three work better once its dark.

    Replace the metal top.

    Add the black felt stickers (or cut out circles and glue them) to the ornament to resemble eyes.

    Cut the cheese cloth into 2 foot strips. You can also cut it into various lengths to add a bit of dimension.

    Layer the cloth over the ornament and push the metal ring through the cloth.

    DONE!

    That’s it, takes about 5 minutes.

    Here is day time creepy ghost:

    And night time creepy ghost.

     

     

    Beer Pretzel Bread Bowls & Oktoberfest

    20.09.2012 20 Comments

     

    Although Oktoberfest has morphed into a festival of beer, it began as a celebration of a royal wedding more than 200 years ago. It starts in September, last for 16 days and ends on the first Sunday in October.

    I can assume that most of you won’t be making it to Munich to participate in the festivities at the celebrations birth place. But, if you want to throw yourself your own little Oktoberfest, I have some facts for you that can help you celebrate in a more authentic fashion than those American street fairs in late October with macro beer and  sorifity girls in period inaccurate midriff baring wardrobes.

    First, you’ll need some local beer, Oktoberfest only serves beer brewed in the Munich city limits. Follow suit and find the breweries closest to your own home, or talk that home brewer you know into making you a batch, those guys are always up for sharing.

    Second, learn the opening salute. For the past 60 years the celebration has been kicked off by the mayor of Munich yelling, "O' zapft ist!" (it’s tapped!) after the very first keg of Oktoberfest beer has been tapped.

    Make fun of people who can’t hold their liquor. Really, this is always a good idea, but at the festivals in Munich, those who get too drunk and pass out are teased with  the label "Bierleichen" (beer corps). Please, know your limits.

    Traditional foods include:  Roast pork, sausages, pretzels, potato dumplings, cheese noodles, potato pancakes, sauerkraut, and  spiced cheese-butter spread.

    Although not technically a traditional Oktoberfest food, beer cheese soup has made it’s way onto Oktoberfest menus all over the word. Throw in some sausage and sauerkraut and serve it in a pretzel bread bowl to make it a little more credible.

    Beer Pretzel Bread Bowls & Oktoberfest

    Print Recipe

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cups bread flour
    • 1 packet of dry active yeast
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 1/4 cup wheat beer
    • 2 tbs olive oil
    • water
    • 1/3 cup baking soda
    • 3 tbs melted butter
    • 2 tbs coarse salt

    Instructions
     

    (Makes 4 bread bowls or 8 dinner rolls. Bread bowls are fairly small and only hold about a cup of soup each.)

    • Add flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachement. Stir to combine.
    • In a microwave safe bowl, add the beer. Microwave for 20 seconds, test temperature and repeat until the beer reaches 110 degrees (if the beer is too hot, it will kill the yeast). Sprinkle the beer with the yeast and wait for it to foam (this is called proofing the yeast, if it doesn't foam the yeast is bad).
    • Pour the beer into the bowl and stir at a low speed until well combined, turn the speed up to medium until the dough gathers around the hook and is smooth.
    • Oil a large bowl with olive oil. Remove the dough from the mixer, form into a ball and place in prepared bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm, dry area until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
    • Remove the dough from the bowl, knead on a light flowed surface until smooth, about 2 minutes. Break into 4 equal pieces (you can also make 8 dinner roll size portions) form into balls. Cover balls with plastic wrap, allow to sit until doubled in size, about 20 mintes.
    • Preheat oven to 375.
    • Fill a large pot with water, making sure there is room for it bubble up without spilling over, but deep enough for the large dough balls. Bring water to a boil, add the baking soda. Cut an X into the top of each bread ball. Place gently in the baking soda water and cook, turning once, for about 30 seconds. Remove from water and place on a baking sheet covered with a Silpat, or sprayed with cooking spray, cut side up. Repeat for all bread balls.
    • Brush liberally with melted butter, sprinkle with salt.
    • Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until a dark golden brown in color.

     

    Crab Cake Eggs Benedict with Bacon Hollandaise

    19.09.2012 16 Comments

    I think we know each other well enough by now that I don’t have to try and pretend. If a dish is easy, I’ll tell you. If it’s quick, I’ll tell you. If it’s healthy, I’ll tell you.

    This is none of those things. It is, however, worth the effort. It’s a special occasion breakfast to keep in your back pocket, for, you know, if Bradley Cooper stops by for breakfast. It could happen.

    It’s actually not that difficult. Although, I do hesitate to say that since my "not that difficult" is someone else’s "Oh my GOD, is she nuts??"

    But really, you can do this. I even gave you a food processor version of a hollandaise, which is SUPER easy, you don’t even have to worry about turning your sauce into scrabbled eggs, which is what I did the first time I tried to make it the traditional way.

    If you want to make this in stages, you can assemble the crab cakes ahead of time, put them on a plate, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then cook the following day. You can also make the sauce ahead of time, and then reheat slowly in a double boiler. You can EVEN replace the poached eggs with fried eggs to make it even easier. But really, it’s not that difficult.

    And I believe in you.

    I think all food people have a small stash of items that we buy at Gourmet Food Stores that we save for special recipes. Spices, the good salt in those fancy containers, crab meat, things like that. This is a recipe I found worthy of breaking into my Gourmet Food Store stash. Rare for a breakfast recipe, but this one made the cut.

    Crab Cake Eggs Benedict with Bacon Hollandaise

    Ingredients

    For The Crab Cakes:

    • 1 egg
    • 2 tbs green onions, chopped
    • 1/4 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
    • 1 tbs melted butter
    • 8 oz lump crab meat
    • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs, plus one cup divided
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp pepper
    • pinch cayenne
    • 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning

    For the Hollandaise:

    • 4 strips bacon
    • 4 tbs butter
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 2 tbs lemon
    • pinch cayenne
    • 4 eggs (for poaching)

    Makes 4 servings

    Instructions

    1. Combine all the crab cake ingredients in a bowl (reserving one cup of Panko for the coating). Form into 4 patties, about 1 inch thick. Place remaining Panko in a bowl. One at a time, place the patties in the Panko and press until well coated on all sides with bread crumbs. Place on a plate and refrigerate until ready to use.
    2. In a pan over medium high heat, cook the bacon, turing frequently, until crispy and cooked trough. Remove the bacon and set aside. Once the bacon is removed, add the crab cakes to the pan, cooking in the bacon grease until golden brown on the underside, flip carefully and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
    3. In a food processor, add the bacon, process until only crumbs are left. Add the egg yolks and process for about 3 minutes. Melt the butter in a pot on the stove (or in the microwave) until hot and steaming. While the food processor is running, slowly, slowly add the butter until well combined with the yolks. Add the lemon and the cayenne, process until combined. If your sauce is too thick, add water to thin, about a teaspoon at a time.
    4. Poach the eggs in simmering water.
    5. Place one crab cake on each plate, top with poached egg, then sauce.

     

     

     

     

     

    The Dirty Girl Scout: Chocolate Mint Beer Float

    19.09.2012 18 Comments

     

    This isn’t a recipe. Not really, it’s more like assembly instructions for how to make a float that tastes like a Girl Scout Thin Mint, but with beer.

    Boozy, chocolatey, minty.

    But there really isn’t a recipe involved. Add more ice cream if that’s what you like. Add more beer, if that suits you.

    I used my homemade Chocolate Mint Stout Ice Cream & a lot of Bison Chocolate Stout.

    It tastes like beer. In case you were hoping for one of those overly sweet concoctions they sell at diners.

    But, more or less, this is how you do it:

     

    Step one:

    Add a few scoops of chocolate mint ice cream to the bottom of a mug.

     

    Grab some beer, chocolate stout is preferable.

    Pour beer over ice cream.

     

    Enjoy.

     


    Chocolate Mint Stout Ice Cream

    18.09.2012 25 Comments

    There are two ways to look at this.

    It’s either the summer death rattle manifesting itself in an ice cream during the first week of fall, or it’s the nexus of the best of summer treats and the best of fall beers joining forces at the perfect moment.

    For this, I used Bison Chocolate Stout. Rich, dark and beautiful. Although I did try and hold out for the Stone Chocolate Mint Stout that I’ve been teased with for months now, I may have to give this recipe another try when the red tape is lifted and the world is able to indulge in that.

    I also used Green & Blacks Mint Dark Chocolate, adding a smooth peppermint flavor.

    Resulting in a rich, smooth ice cream that’s like a Girl Scout Thin Mint, but with beer. And, that’s really what those cookies need: beer.

     

     

    Chocolate Mint Stout Ice Cream

    Print Recipe

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups whole milk
    • 3 fresh mint leaves
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 cup chocolate stout or chocolate mint stout
    • 7 ounces of 60% dark chocolate with peppermint oil such as Dark Chocolate Mint from Green & Blacks, broken into chunks
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 1 1/4 cup white sugar

    Instructions
     

    • In a pot over medium high heat, add the cream, milk, mint leaves cream and stout. Bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, remove and discard mint leaves, and stir in the chocolate until melted.
    • In a separate bowl, add the egg yolks and the sugar, whisk until well combined. Slowly add the chocolate milk, whisking continually, until about 1/2 the mixture has been added to the egg yolks. Add the egg yolk mixture back into pot, whisk until well combined. Return pot to heat and bring to a mild simmer.
    • Refrigerator until chilled, about 3 hours.
    • Churn in ice cream maker according to manufactures directions. Chill until firm.

     

     

     

    Green & Blacks provided me with a sample of chocolates used in this post. I was not monetarily compensated for this recipe. All thoughts, opinions and ideas are my own. 

    Jalapeno Bacon Dip

    17.09.2012 23 Comments

    This is a Game Day win.

    Maybe it’s cliche but my favorite part of game day parties is the food. And the socialization.

    I understand football, don’t get me wrong. I played powder puff in college at the Free Safety position, I even made a girl cry once. But that’s on her, if you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the end zone.

    It’s just that my attention span is pretty short when it comes to things I have no emotional investment in the outcome.

    But I do love being at the house of true fans, which give me some emotional investment in their team winning. I’ll root for your team, and bring you some bacon dip, as long as your team isn’t playing The Seahawks. Because if I root against The Seahawks, I might wake up a single woman the next day.

    Jalapeno Bacon Dip

    Ingredients

    • 2 fresh jalapenos
    • 16 ounces cream cheese
    • 6 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
    • 1 cup parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup divided
    • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350
    2. Cut the stems off the jalapenos.
    3. Since the seeds of the jalapenos contain most of the heat, you can adjust the heat level of your dip depending on how many seeds you leave in. For a mild dip, remove them all, for an extra spicy dip, leave them all in. I removed the seeds from one pepper and left the seeds from the other. The dip was perfect heat level for some, but too spicy for others. I would recommend removing at least half of the seeds to serve to a large group.
    4. Chop the peppers.
    5. In a food processor add the chopped jalapenos (with the amount of seeds you want), cream cheese, 1 cup parmesan, sour cream, bacon (reserve a few tbs for a garnish on top), smoked paprika, and garlic powder and process until well combined.
    6. Pour into a baking dish. Garnish with remaining cheese and bacon.
    7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
    8. Serve warm.

     

     

     

    Beer Braised Chicken Tacos with Beer Corn Tortillas

    13.09.2012 24 Comments

     

    When it seems like your entire life revolves around a food blog, small things make you really excited.

    Like making homemade tortillas with beer and realizing how much better they are than any other tortilla you’ve ever had.

    Or getting a shout out from The Cooking Channel as if they knew just how to fuel your obsession with them.

    Or realizing that because Foster Farms is willing to fly you into Napa a few days early for the National Cook-Off Finals, you get to visit the following breweries: Laguanitas, Russian River, and Bear Republic.

    And then your Aunt tells you that your Grandma and Guy Fieri’s Grandma where roommates in college, which sounds like a Mad Lib, but turns out to be true.

    Small wins that make me so excited, you’d think I won a Beer Cooking Oscar. This is what keeps us playing the Man Behind the Curtain on these little blogs we are so dedicated to. Bloggers are easily excitable, which maybe why we spend so much time on the other side of these computer. Sometimes our excitement isn’t fit for public consumption.

    Back to these tortillas. Homemade tortillas are a completely different animal from those cardboard disks they sell in supermarkets. Soft, slightly sweet, and they only take 5 minutes to make. To use a beer analogy fit for an SAT exam:

    Coors Light is to Pliny as Store Bought Tortillas are to Homemade Tortillas

    I’m not kidding, that much different. If you don’t believe me, and really, why should you, I’m just the overly excited girl behind the screen, try it and report back. I really think you’ll be amazed.

    For this recipe, I used Lagunaitas IPA. And like I’ve mentioned before, IPA’s give you a huge punch of beer flavor. If you want a milder beer flavor, grab a traditional Pale Ale, a Blonde or a Wheat Beer.

     

     

    Beer Braised Chicken Tacos with Beer Corn Tortillas

    Print Recipe

    Ingredients
      

    For the Tortillas

    • 2 cup Masa
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 1 1/4 cup room temperature beer
    • 2 Tbs melted butter or olive oil

    For the Chicken

    • 4 boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp chili powder
    • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
    • 2 tbs olive oil
    • 1 cup beer

    Recommended Garnishes

    • 1/4 cup chopped onion
    • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
    • 1 avocado chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Chop Chicken thighs into small, bite sized pieces. In a bowl, place all spices and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat.
    • Heat olive oil in a dutch oven. Add the pieces and sear quickly. Reduce heat, add beer, cover and cook until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
    • In a large bowl, add the Masa and the salt, stir to combine.
    • Add the beer and butter, stir to combine. If the dough is too dry to hold together, add additional beer or water. If it is too wet, add more Masa.
    • Form into balls a bit larger than golf balls.
    • Prepare a tortillas press by wrapping in plastic wrap or covering with parchment paper (you can place tortilla ball between two sheets of parchment and use a rolling pin). Place one ball in the center.
    • Press, rotate and press again until thin.
    • Heat a griddle (or cast iron skillet) to a medium high heat (about 350 for electric griddles).
    • Cook until slightly brown on the bottom (about 30 seconds to a minute) flip and cook on the other side. Don’t overcook.
    • Fill tortillas with chicken, garnish and serve.

     

     

    Cheesy Potato Pancakes with Jalapeno Sour Cream

    12.09.2012 23 Comments

    I like to throw parties, invite people over and make them feel at home. I like to make more than enough food, and for everyone to leave very full and with a take away bag of goodies. But the last time I had a little gathering at Casa De Dodd, I had overlooked my Gluten Free friends. I had remembered the vegetarians, and the vegans, the people who don’t drink beer, but for the ones who are allergic to gluten there wasn’t much. I felt terrible.

    Gluten Free isn’t a fad diet. It isn’t Paleo or Raw or Weight Watchers. It isn’t a choice. It’s a medical condition and a food allergy  that is one of the fasted growing diagnosed food allergies in the United States.

    Gluten Free (Celiac’s Disease) people don’t want to give up bread. And regular pizza, or hamburger buns and flour tortillas, they don’t have much of a choice. Eat gluten free or become debilitatingly ill. Have you ever had food poisoning? In away, it’s like that.

    And with over 3 million American’s allergic to gluten, chances are your next party may have one. It might even be you, Celiacs is most often diagnosed in adulthood. Because we want everyone who walks into our parties to feel at home, we all need to have a stock pile of appetizers to accommodate. Because unlike other diets, this isn’t a choice.

    Because gluten is used as a thickener in tons of processed foods, it can easily hid in obscure places like canned soup, pre-made salad dressing, imitation crab, cheese spread and some brands of soy sauce.

    At each party I need to have a few Celiac Friendly dishes that I made from scratch so that I can be sure there isn’t any rogue gluten waiting like a digestive ninja to attach my friends insides. Potatoes are a great place to start. Because who doesn’t love potatoes? It’s like not liking puppies or The Beatles.

    So when you come across Gluten Free appetizers and dishes that you love, bookmark for them for gatherings. Because your friends would do it for you.

    Cheesy Potato Pancakes with Jalapeno Sour Cream

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup red potatoes, grated with a cheese grater
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tbs masa (corn flour used to make corn tortillas)
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp onion powder
    • pinch cayenne
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (if using pre shredded, check to make sure it does not contain gluten)
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 1 jalapeno, diced, stem and seeds removed
    • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

    Instructions

    1. Place grated potatoes between several sheets of paper towels, press to remove some of the moisture. In a bowl, combine the grated potato, egg, masa, salt, pepper, cayenne and onion powder, mix until combined.
    2. Heat olive oil over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Form potatoes into silver dollar sized pancakes about 1/4 inch thick. Add to the pan and cook until browned, about 2 minutes, then flip pancake. Top the pancakes with a small amount of cheddar cheese, cook until cheese is melted and underside of the pancake is browned, about an additional 3 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to drain on a paper towel.
    3. In a bowl, combine the sour cream, jalapenos and smoked paprika, mix. Top the potato pancakes with sour cream. Serve warm.

     

    Mac And Beer Cheese Soup

    11.09.2012 35 Comments

     

    I have a confession to make. Before starting this blog, I tried to make beer cheese soup and failed. I was baffled, at first, but figured out that a combination of my lack of patience (manifesting itself in my cheese dumping rather than slow adding) and a furious boil, resulted in a sloppy mess.

    Second confession of the day (just call yourself a priest, and I’ll say a few Hail Mary’s on my way out) is that even though I love this recipe, I think I may love the photos more. Because right after I took them I was reminded via ping of my first post and how on their best day, those photos are hideously below average. I’ve worked really hard to bring my photography up to an acceptable standard and these photos reminded me of how my work is paying off.

    Third confession, I won a state-wide Cook-Off on Friday. Ok, not really a confession, but I’m excited, so I thought I would share.

    Fourth confession, I still have  a crush on Luke Perry. And Val Kilmer’s character in Real Genius. Looks like I went one confession too far.

    Mac And Beer Cheese Soup

    Note: Cheese sauce separates easily if the mixture is brought to a boil, or if pre shredded cheese is used. If the mixture does separates, try to puree the cheese sauce with a hand blender before you add the noodles.
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 tbs olive oil
    • 1 onion chopped
    • 1 fresh jalapeno stemmed, seeded and chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic chopped
    • 4 tbs butter
    • 1/4 cup flour
    • 1 tbs corn starch
    • 12 ounces Hefeweizen
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • 1/4 cup heavy cream
    • 2 cups cheddar cheese thinly grated, don't use pre shredded
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp pepper
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni noodles

    Instructions
     

    • In a large pot heat the olive oil. Add the onions and jalapenos, cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
    • Add the butter stir until melted.
    • Sprinkle the flour and corn starch on top of the melted butter and whisk until combined.
    • Add the beer, broth and cream bring to a low simmer.
    • 1/4 a cup at at time, add the cheese and stir until completely melted before adding more (do not boil or cheese will separate). Repeat until all the cheese is incorporated into the soup.
    • Add the salt, pepper, smoked paprika and stir to combine.
    • Add the macaroni noodles and cook until noodles are al dente.
    • Add additional beer or broth to thin to desired consistency.

    Cucumber Cups Stuffed With Goat Cheese Caprese

    10.09.2012 26 Comments

     

    Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

    On Friday I fought a culinary chicken battle that ended with a giant foam core check with my name on it. This was my second attempt to win the Semi-Finals of the Foster Farms Chicken Cook Off, last year wasn’t my year. But this year, I won a giant check, a trip to Napa, the opportunity to cook at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (my favorite prize so far) and the chance to grab another Giant Check worth ten grand.

    I’m so excited. Not just because the other dishes I was competing against were incredible and each worthy of their own Big Check, but because, in a way, this Big Check (that currently sits on my bar, in all it’s 4 foot long splendor) serves as a validation for what I do. I’m good at this! See, look, other people picked my recipe out of thousands of other ones!

    Maybe that seems silly, I create 3 to 5 recipes a week, post them for you and you seem to like them. You send me emails and post comments telling me that you liked my little creations. That should be enough, right?

    But for some reason, that Big Check gave me tangible evidence that my recipes are good. Other people, who don’t even know who wrote that recipe, liked it.

    Maybe I have a future here.

    ;

    For this, I’m resurrecting and re-creating one of my most popular posts.

    I love these little cucumber cups, so easy, so versatile, the perfect thing to throw together for a party. They take about 5 minutes, and they look so fancy. I used persian cucumber for these, smaller than your standard English cucumbers and the skin is so thin, there is no need to peel them.

    Just use a small melon baller to scoop out a good portion of the middle, or use a paring knife to cut a wedge out of the middle and you can fill them with just about anything.

    Cucumber Cups Stuffed With Goat Cheese Caprese

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup balsamic
    • 4 Persian Cucubers
    • 2 oz goat cheese
    • 1 large beefsteak tomato, chopped
    • 3 large basil leaves, chopped
    • salt & pepper

    Instructions

    1. Place balsamic in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Cook until reduced by half (you can also by pre-reduced balsamic, called balsamic glaze, in the market near the balsamic vinegar).
    2. Cut the cucubmbers into 1 1/2 inch slices. Use a melon baller to scoop out the middle, leaving the walls and bottom in tact.
    3. In a bowl, add the goat cheese, tomatoes, basil and stir until combined. Salt and pepper to taste.
    4. Fill cups with goat cheese mixture, drizzle with balsamic reduction.

     

     

    Beer & Bacon Pecan Bars

    06.09.2012 56 Comments

     

     

    Clearly, I’m ready for fall. And in Los Angeles, that just means that Dodgers games are starting to end and I get to wear a light sweater. If I feel like it. Oh, and fall produce. If I haven’t mentioned to you before my favorite part of living in Southern California, its this: Farmers Markets.

    This Golden State that I live in grows half of all the produce grown in the United States (that’s a lot) and we get to have Farmers Markets nearly every day of the year. And although mid-rant I realize that this post doesn’t even contain any produce, it does contain those fabulous flavors of fall. With bacon. And beer. And fall farmers markets are my favorite. No matter what day of the week, somewhere in Los Angeles there is a Farmers Market in which I can unnecessarily bundle up and walk from stall to stall with a cup of coffee buying local vegetables in the "chilly" mid 60 degree weather.

    Pecan pie will always remind me of fall and for nearly a year I’ve wondered what it would be like to add bacon. And of course, beer.

    Turns out, these are the best damn pecan pie bars I’ve ever had.

     

    Beer & Bacon Pecan Bars

    Print Recipe

    Ingredients
      

    For The Crust:

    • 1 stick plus 2 tbs 10 tbs unsalted butter
    • 2 cups flour
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 tbs water

    For the Filling

    • 1 cup stout
    • 1 stick butter
    • 2 cups chopped pecan
    • 2 cups brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
    • 1/4 cup heavy cream
    • 2 eggs
    • 5 strips of bacon cooked and chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350
    • In a food processor add the flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and salt, pulse to combine. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the food processor. Process until butter is incorporated into the flour mixture. Add the water and process to combine. Add additional water, 1 tsp at a time if there is flour that still hasn't been dampened.
    • line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper (this will make it easier to remove from the pan) and dump the shortbread into the pan. Press into the bottom of the baking pan in one even layer.
    • Bake at 350 for 12 minutes of until a light golden brown. Allow to cool before adding the filling or the crust and filling will mesh together.
    • In a pot over medium high heat, add the stout, cook until reduced by half. Add the butter and stir until melted, remove from heat. Add the sugar, pecans, cream, corn syrup and stir until melted. Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the eggs and stir until combined.
    • Pour the filling over the crust, sprinkle with cooked bacon and bake at 350 until the filling no longer jiggles when you gently shake the pan, about 25-30 minutes.

     

     

     

     

     

    Compost Toffee

    05.09.2012 36 Comments

    There is this bakery in New York called Momofuku Milk Bar that sells baked goods so perfect, they defies the laws of baking. They have this incredibly popular Compost Cookie recipe that people line up to buy fresh out of the oven.

    And I’ve been missing New York a lot lately, and the time I used to spend there, before I was a mom. I miss the roof top parties, the back stage passes, the music festivals, the rock shows, chatting with celebrities, chefs tastings, my single friends with fascinating careers, and epic dinners that lasted all night.

    Which might be why I wanted to a little piece of the NYC I miss, turned into a toffee.

    But then last night I got to do something even better than all those night in New York during my 20-something life. I ran around the back yard playing "I’m gonna get you" with my little girl, while my husband volunteered to do the dishes, and then my daughter curled up in my lap to eat rasins and watch Sesame Street.

    No passes, no list, no plane tickets.

    As much as those pre-mom nights had a higher marquee  value, this is the good stuff. This is what I’ll miss when I’m old, and even my grandkids have babies.

    I loved my 20’s, and I’m glad I was able to run around the world with my husband, but now I’m glad to run around the back yard with my daughter.

    And if all I have left of New York is memories and cookies I turn into toffee, I’m ok with that. Because it all comes down to my life’s motto: Figure out what is great about the situation you are in and enjoy the crap out of it. 

    Compost Toffee

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup butter
    • 3/4 cup brown sugar
    • 3/4 cup white sugar
    • 2 tbs corn syrup
    • 2 tbs water
    • 2 cup 60% dark chocolate
    • 1/4 cup pretzels, smashed
    • 1/4 cup potato chips, smashed
    • 2 tbs butterscotch chips
    • 2 standard sized graham crackers, smashed

    Instructions

    1. In a large pot over high heat add the butter (make sure to use a large pot) and stir until melted. Clip a candy thermometer onto the edge of the pot, add both types of sugars, corn syrup and water. Stir continuously until it turns an amber color and hits 300 degrees. This process will take between 15 and 20 minutes from start to finish. pour onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a Silpat. Allow to cool.
    2. Add the chocolate to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until chocolate is melted. Pour over the toffee and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle remaining ingredients evenly over the warm chocolate. Allow to cool until set.
    3. Cut into pieces.

     

    Chili Beer Chicken Wings

    04.09.2012 39 Comments

     

     

    Last Friday I was able to visit the Los Angeles CBS studios. They even let me do a cooking segment. Originally slotted for 4 to 5 minutes, the loved me so much, they let me run to 6 1/2 minutes. Aren’t they great?

    A few questions threw me off, "Were you in a sorority?" and "What IS craft beer?"

    The first, I’m ok with dismissing, but the second left me to wonder. If you have to define Craft Beer in one sentence to someone who knows nothing about beer beyond the college Greek System drinking games, how would you do that? It seems like everyone has different definitions, some focusing on the size of the brewery, or the quality of the ingredients or the breweries funding source or even if the company is publicly trader. But what about the beer? What makes if truly craft? You could write entire books trying to answer that one question.

    What is "craft beer"?

    If you have a quick, one sentence answer for me, I’d love to hear it.

    But in the meantime, I’m going to introduce you to a beer that was perfect for my sort of sweet, fairly spicy, beer infused chicken wings that are sort of perfect for the beginning of football season.

    Dogfish Head, Festina Peche is brewed with peaches (not an extract) that feeds the yeast so the peach flavors are pervasive. Not a beer for everyone, it tends to be a bit polarizing, but an excellent example of a well done Berliner Weisse fermented with peaches. It is also an excellent beer for this recipe.

    Chili Beer Chicken Wings

    Print Recipe

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 1/2 lbs chicken wings and drumsticks
    • 1/3 cup cornstarch
    • 2/3 cup beer
    • 1/4 cup soy sauce
    • 2 tbs honey
    • 1/2 tsp chili powder
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/4 tsp red chili flake
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tbs rice wine vinegar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 425.
    • Rinse the chicken wings in cold water and dry well.
    • Sprinkle chicken on all sides with cornstarch and rub to coat.
    • In a separate bowl, add the beer, soy, honey, chili powder, garlic powder, red chili flake, salt, and vinegar, stirring well to combine. Add the chicken, toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for ten to twenty minutes.
    • Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
    • Remove the chicken from marinade and arrange wings on the baking sheet and bake at 425 for ten minutes.
    • While the chicken is baking, add the remaining marinade to a pot over medium high heat, stiring frequently, reduce until thickened and syrupy, about 8-10 minutes.
    • Once the marinade has reduced, remove the chicken from the oven and brush with the thickened marinade, turn them over, brush with marinade on the other side.
    • Return to the oven and allow to cook for an additional ten minutes, basting again.
    • Allow chicken to bake until cooked through, an additional 10-15 minutes.
    • (Note: the total cooking time for the chicken will be approximately 25-35 minutes, requiring basting every ten minutes)

     

     

    Coconut Cornmeal Shrimp With Jalapeno Peach Jam

    03.09.2012 17 Comments

     

    I’ve had a busy week, and my body has decided to request that I slow down.

    On Friday, I was asked to do a cooking segment on CBS news in Los Angeles. I’ve spent the week preparing. My husband helped me run through the segment in the evenings, and for an entire week my drive home consisted of me practicing my talking points, out loud, looking like a crazy person, on an LA freeway. It  all seemed to work, the segment went well:

    The Beeroness Cooks on CBS

     As soon as I started my drive home from the studio, I started to crash. The next morning I lay in bed as my incredible husband got up with Tater, and I was able to sleep until the late, late hour of 8:45. In Mom Time, that’s pretty close to sleeping until noon. As I lay in bed, trying to pull myself together and trick myself into thinking I’m not actually sick, I watched this, this and this, and laughed so hard I think it worked. Maybe it’s true what they say about laughter and that whole "Best Medicine" thing.

    And on Thursday I leave for the Foster Farms Cook-Off. I’ll be competing against 4 other cooks for $1,000 and a trip to Napa for the Cook Off Finals with a prize of $10,000.

    Wish me luck! I’ll be posting on twitter and instagram as the contest goes along.

    And now, the recipe. I bought a huge bag of Masa to make corn tortillas with, and if you have never made corn tortillas, you really, really need to . They’re so good, nothing like those cardboard disks they sell at the store, and they take about 5 minutes. The flavor is so good, I’ve been throwing the corn flour into everything, I’m totally in love with it. And the Jalapeno Peach Jam I also used on pork chops. So Good.

    Coconut Cornmeal Shrimp With Jalapeno Peach Jam

    Ingredients

    For The Jam:

    • 3 cups peaches, skin removed, chopped
    • 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, diced
    • 1 tsp cornstarch

    For The Shrimp:

    • 1 can coconut milk
    • 2 lbs raw shrimp, shell and tail removed
    • 1 cup Masa Harina
    • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp pepper
    • pinch cayenne pepper
    • 1/4 cup oil

    Instructions

    1. Add the raw shrimp and coconut milk to a bowl. Chill in the fridge for about 45 minutes while you make the jam.
    2. In a pot over medium high heat, add all of the jam ingredients. Stirring occasionally, allow to simmer (not boil) until thick, and the peaches have broken down, about 45 minutes. Smash peached with a potato masher until a jam like consistency is reached. Remove from heat and set aside.
    3. In a bowl, combine the masa, coconut, salt, pepper and pinch cayenne. One at a time, remove the shrimp from the coconut milk and allow to drain a bit before adding to the cornmeal mixture. Coat the shrimp well in the corn meal mixture.
    4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
    5. Remove from heat. You can either top the shrimp with the jam or serve the jam as a dipping sauce.