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Jackie Dodd-Mallory
Senior Editor

Jackie Dodd-Mallory

Honey Porter Glazed Chicken Skewers

Honey Porter Glazed Chicken Skewers (grill and oven methods listed) via @TheBeeroness

I have two very distinct sides to my personality, dueling forces that pull me in opposing directions with near cartoon ideation. Although Devil and Angel would be easier to deal with, mine are more Old Lady and Free Spirited Gypsy.

As much as I would like to tell you that Gypsy wins the battles, it’s Old Lady that tends to run the show.

A few years ago Gypsy got ahold of the controls and decided to buy a motorcycle. Paying penance to Old Lady, I signed up for a Motorcycle Riders Training Course. It was a three-day crash course (pun intended) in how to ride a motorcycle without killing yourself.

I also allowed the Old Lady side of me to buy the safest helmet and motorcycle jacket with armor I could find.

Jackie on Triumph

The first day of class I was equal parts nervous and intimidated, as I noticed I was the only novice in the group and one of the youngest. Most were crotch rocket guys wanting to "blast the Crest" as soon as possible. The only other girl was a woman who wanted to learn to ride so she could bike cross-country with her partner for their 20 year anniversary.

No one talked to me. Really, no one talked. We were all a bit insular trying to figure out how to learn not to kill ourselves, drowning in the Dead People Smeared On The Road stories told by the ex-bike-cop who taught the class.

On the final day of class we met early in the morning in a parking lot in Long Beach just as it started to rain. A little drizzle that scares the crap out of most of Los Angeles. We were given the opportunity to come back on a non-rainy day but collectively decided, with a series of sideways glances and nods, that we would all stay and ride like Bad Ass SoCal People in the very light drizzle.

The final segment of the day was an obstacle course through the gigantic empty parking lot.  Trying to make sure I was at least in the top half of the pack, time-wise, I set out a bit faster than I should have.

As I rounded the first curve, set over a large white arrow painted on the pavement of the parking lot, my bike slipped out from under me and began to skid along the wet ground as I tumbled in the opposite direction.

Ex-bike-cop was visibly relieved to see that I was fine and address the issue with the group by saying, "I think now is a really good time to tell everyone that paint on the pavement gets really slippery when it rains."

Honey Porter Glazed Chicken Skewers (grill or oven method listed) via @TheBeeroness

To which I responded, "No, ten minutes ago would have been a really good time to say that. At this point, it’s pretty obvious."

Sometimes, when you are so immeshed in an activity, you don’t think to state what’s really obvious to you, like ex-bike-cop and the paint. For me, it’s this chicken. Maybe you’ve noticed that I tend to lean away from that popular Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast that we all grew up with. Mostly because it’s so often dry and flavorless.

If you favor that cut, try the boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets, so much more flavor and they can take some serious heat before they dry out. Chicken thighs are a bit of secret ingredient when it comes to chicken dishes, making your favorite chicken breast recipe taste at least 30 percent better if you use the thighs instead. They do take a bit longer to cook, but it’s completely worth it.

Honey Porter Glazed Chicken Skewers (grill or oven method listed) via @TheBeeroness

And that was the only time I ever dumped a bike. At least so far.

Honey Porter Glazed Chicken Skewers

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cloves garlic grated with a microplane (or minced)
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup porter or stout beer
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped shallots about 1 medium shallot
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets cut into cubes
  • oil for the grill
  • Chopped cilantro for garnish optional

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, honey, porter, red pepper flakes, mustard, soy sauce and pepper. Add the chicken cubes, refrigerate for 1 hour and up to overnight.
  • Remove the chicken from marinade (reserve the marinade) thread the chicken through wooden skewers.
  • In a pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil and shallots. Sautee until shallots have softened, about 5 minutes. Add marinade and boil, stirring frequently, until reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes.

Grill directions:

  • Preheat grill to medium high.
  • Brush the grill lightly with oil.
  • Brush the chicken with the glaze, place on the grill. Brush with glaze and turn every 2-4 minutes until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with chopped cilantro prior to serving.

Oven directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 400. Place chicken on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Brush liberally with glaze. Roast at 400 for 30-40 minutes, brushing with glaze every 8-10 minutes until cooked through.
  • Sprinkle with chopped cilantro prior to serving.

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Grilled Peach Ice Cream

Grilled Peach Ice Cream

I’m really hard on myself, I’ve told you that before. I’m a nothing-is-ever-good-enough kind of person. Lately, my photos have been in my line of fire when it comes to Stuff I’m Not Good Enough At. I can’t figure it out, why the light is never that beautiful, why the images aren’t compelling enough, why the heck I can NEVER master the over head shot. By the way, this all drives my husband crazy, because in the Grand Tradition of Amazing Husbands, he thinks I’m the most talented person in the world, let’s not disrupt that delusion, I sort of like it.

So, one of my tangible fixation for resolving at least some of the issues I have with my sub par photos was this slightly deranged idea that I NEEDED a reclaimed wood table. I NEEDED it (#firstworldproblems). I priced this absolutely necessary item, and in the Los Angeles area, this need could be fulfilled for the low, low price of about $2000. My aforementioned Amazing Husband disagreed that this was an actual need after seeing the price tag for such items.

I couldn’t stop thinking about such a need, and scoured Craigslist for the possibility that I might be able to pick one up. But as luck might have it, an old house in my neighborhood started to get torn apart. It was a 1920’s California Bungalow and the sight of it being ripped apart made me a little heartsick.

As I drove home one night, I noticed a stack of gorgeous antique wood, full of age and scars that I couldn’t get out of my mind. After dinner I pulled on a pair of old boots, waited for the workmen to leave for the day, and began to dig the gorgeous planks out of the trash piles.

I had two very specific feelings about this slightly insane venture of trespassing to dig through a trash pile, at dusk, in East Los Angeles. First, I felt like a crazy person (and clearly an amateur who didn’t think to bring gloves to dig through construction waste and old wood) as I tried to ignore the freaked out looks from passers by. Second, that I was heroically saving this amazing wood from the fate of a land fill (also slightly insane that I was heroizing myself for something so selfish).

Grilled Peach Ice Cream2

After I got home with Heroically Aquired Gorgeous Wood, I used actual real life and potentially dangerous power tools to nail it together, saw off the excess and I then had myself a Personally Reclaimed Wood (prop) Table. And posted the picture of my slightly insane venture on Instagram.

Although I’m fairly certain that my newly acquired fake table did not improve my photos, I’m still happy to have him in my house instead of a landfill.

Grilled Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 yellow peaches cut in half, pit removed

Grape seed or canola oil

Instructions

  1. In a sauce pan off heat whisk together the sugar, cream, milk, vanilla, and egg yolks until very well combined.
  2. Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spatula.
  3. Transfer to an airtight container (strain through a fine mesh strainer if any lumps were created), refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours and up to 24.
  4. Preheat the grill to medium high heat (alternately, a cast iron grill pan can be used).
  5. Brush the cut side of the peaches with oil. Place, cut side down, on a hot grill. Close the lid and allow to grill until deep grill marks appear, about 4 minutes.
  6. Remove from grill and gently peel the skin away (should remove easily).
  7. Chop the peaches.
  8. Add the peaches and the ice cream base to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until set, about 2 hours.
  9. Remove from freezer about 5 minutes prior to serving to make scooping easier.

Grilled Peach Ice Cream3

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie via @TheBeeroness

There are a few buzz words that seem to grab peoples attention and promote a recipe to Social Media Sharing Gangbusters status. These words include: Skinny, Quick, Easy, No Bake, Only 3 Ingredients, You’ll Never Guess The Secret Ingredient!  None of these phrases are the type to attract my attention on their own.

I like a recipe that takes time, uses fat and sugar, and I’m not scared of a long list of ingredients or complicated directions.

Sometimes, however, I do invent a recipe that inadvertently falls into one of those Gangbusters categories that people seem to like. This, for example, takes 15 minutes and zero baking. It also tastes amazing in a way that seems to contradict the short amount of time it took to make.

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie via @TheBeeroness

You can buy Dulce de Leche, or make it from scratch (here is a really great post on How to Make Dulce de Leche from a blogger I have a girl-crush on). It’s simple to make from scratch, but if that doesn’t fit your time schedule, or intimidates you, it’s fairly easy to find in markets.

I found myself in ownership of a batch of Dulce de Leche after spending a 100 degree day knee deep in Holiday Cheer while making and shooting Christmas Cocktails for the Holiday Issue of a print magazine. Nothing screams July like Brandied Hot Chocolate with Candy Cane Whipped Cream or Dulce de Leche Eggnog. Although I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity, I can’t say that I really wanted to consume hot buttered rum or mulled wine on triple digit summer day.

Ice box pie was in order.

 

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

For the Crust:

  • 12 graham cracker rectangles
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • 4 tbs melted butter

For the Chocolate Stout Layer:

  • 1/3 cup stout
  • 1 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips 8 wt ounces
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar

For the Dulce de Leche Layer:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tbs powdered sugar
  • ½ cup Dulce de Leche
  • Additional Dulce de Leche for serving if desired.

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor add the graham crackers and brown sugar, process until reduced to fine crumbs.
  • While the food processor is running, add the melted butter, process until combined.
  • Add crust to a 9 inch spring form pan. Using a heavy, flat bottom glass, press very well into the sides and bottom of the pan (starting with the sides), make sure to press very well until the crust is very compacted into the sides and bottom of the pan.
  • Add the chocolate chips to a small bowl. Heat the stout until very hot (about 170 degrees), pour stout over the chocolate chips, stir until well combined and creamy. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 ½ cups heavy cream and ¼ cup powdered sugar, beat on high until soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle the cooled chocolate mixture into the mixer. Once it has all been added, turn off the mixer and gently stir until all of the cream and chocolate has been combined an no white streaks or dark chocolate streaks remain. Pour into the crust. Place in the freezer while you work on the Dulce de Leche layer.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 cup heavy cream and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar. Beat on high until soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle the Dulce de Leche into the mixer. Once it has all been added, turn off the mixer and gently stir until all of the Dulce de Leche and whipped cream have been combined.
  • Add the Dulce de Leche cream on top of the chocolate layer, smooth into an even layer.
  • Freeze until set, about 1 hour. Remove from freezer 10 minute prior to serving and allow to warm slightly before cutting. To remove from pan, run a sharp knife under very hot water, then run the knife between the crust and the side of the spring form pan to release.
  • Heat remaining Dulce de Leche and drizzle over slices prior to serving.

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie via @TheBeeroness

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Mini Brownie Sundaes

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

This is another one of my "it’s not a recipe" recipes. Because it’s not, it’s assembly instructions on how to assemble these cute little party desserts.

I made these for the Forth, a huge hit with with the under 5 set, and small enough to be the perfect size for little fingers.

The only thing I would do differently next time is nix the cupcake wrapper. It was too difficult to try and disrobe the mini brownies when they are piled high with ice cream and toppings.

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

I used my favorite brownie batter, and next time will just liberally spray the mini muffin tins instead of using the cupcake papers. If you want to buy them, most "brownie bites" come sans cupcake wrappers, so you’ll be all set. If you want to make them from scratch, skip the wrappers, use a brownie batter not a cupcake batter (you want to avoid the domed top and hope for a concave one), and let them cool completely before topping with ice cream.

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

If you have the freezer space, you can make up trays of these in advance and just pull them out when the moment strikes. I used an amazing grilled peach ice cream that I’ll be posting later in the week, but for a classic flavor combo, good ol' vanilla works just fine.

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

Mini Ice Cream Sundaes

Yield: 24

Ingredients

  • 24 chocolate mini muffins, cupcakes or brownie bites
  • 1 pint ice cream
  • 2 cups whipped cream
  • sprinkles
  • 24 cherries

Instructions

  1. Place the mini brownies on a serving tray.
  2. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out a ball of ice cream and firmly place it on top of each brownie.
  3. Top with whipped cream, then sprinkles then a cherry.
  4. Serve immediately.

Notes

If making from scratch, use brownie batter rather than cake batter to avoid a domed top. Skip cupcake papers and spray mini muffin tins liberally. Use a cookie scoop for the perfect sized ice cream ball.

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp


Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp

None of us really know what we’re getting into when we launch that very first blog post, that Hello World! salute that enters us into the abyss of Blogland. We start these little cubbyholes in the internet Universe out of curiosity, desperation, boredom or just the hope that maybe our lives will take a dramatic tilt. We see the Holy Trinity of blog talent, the online mistress Trifecta we have to master when it comes to blog success: Food, Photos & Writing.

This by itself is a huge undertaking, the hope to be really fantastically,mind-blowingly amazing at three really specific careers, wrapped up in one title, delivered to you at our chosen URL. But that, unfortunately is just the perfectly placed cherry on top of the seasonally appropriate Sundae. Beneath that homemade cardamom whipped cream and strategically placed sprinkles melts an amalgamation of skills that we don’t just need to attempt, we need to master.

Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp

Of course we need to be a skillful recipe developer, photographer, food stylist, culinary-guru and engaging author. But that’s not all, your plate isn’t nearly full enough, pull yourself up to the buffet of online careers and load your platter. You will also need to add to the aforementioned list: SEO expert, web designer, social media darling, PR pro, marketing expert, branding aficionado, and business manager. After all, if you hired someone for each of those positions you’d be in the hole for over 200K.

But who else is going to register the LLC, build the website, apply for a trademark, get a PO box, take those gorgeous photos, not to mention edit them, write the posts, send DMCA take down notice, answer the emails, write the recipes, cook the food, do the interviews, fix that broken code, install the right plugin, promote the content, network with the right people and ohmygodican’tdoitall!

Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp

We need to give ourselves a break. These are ten really difficult jobs, ten careers for which colleges all over the land offer 4 year degrees. We can’t be good at them all and we can’t really afford to hire them all out.

We need to learn to make peace with it the things that aren’t were we want them to be. It’s a triage in a way, the biggest blood loss goes to the front, the rest can wait. In the midst of these panics, we need to remember the list of thing we are really good at is longer than the list of things we shame ourselves for. Because, odds are, there is someone out there wishing to be as good as you are at something.

Don’t forget that when you start to panic about creating a newsletter or figuring out copyright laws. You are really good at more that you are really bad at, the ship will float, it just takes time.

Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 5 cloves garlic grated with a microplane (or minced)
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp red chili flake
  • 3 tbs tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup wheat beer
  • 4 tbs butter cut into cubes
  • 1 tbs honey
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • pinch salt
  • 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 tbs olive oil

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan over medium high heat stir together the smoked paprika, garlic, cayenne, chili powder, red chili flake, tomato paste, beer, honey, pepper and salt. Add the butter and bring to a strong simmer, stirring frequently until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • In a separate pan heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and cook until ust starting to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce into the shrimp pan, cook until the sauce thickens and shrimp are cooked through.

Spicy Beer Shrimp5

Super Soft Strawberry Cookies

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies P

Last month California Strawberry Commission generously paid my way to BlogHer Food conference in Austin Texas. As conferences usually go, the memories of the people and food stand the brightest in my mind. The bloggers from all over the globe, the friends I usually only see online, and the food I’ve been reading about for years were right in front of me.

BHF CThe highlight of the actual conference sessions was a fantastic workshop on food preservation and how to use more food, and waste less. This was not only a reminder to me of how much food I waste, but a call to action on what can be done with those food scraps that usually go in the trash or compost bin.

Kate from the Hip Girls Guide to Homemaking is a brilliant source of knowledge on the subject and taught us how to make fruit vinegar (amazing in salad dressing!) like this Strawberry Vinegar on her site. I got me thinking about a strawberry extract, or a strawberry syrup. I love baking with strawberries and I love Italian Sodas, but those syrups always have so many chemicals!

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies4

Syrup is also a great use of in-season strawberries. Those giant flats of gorgeous berries are being sold at bargain prices right now, but sadly, the berries don’t stay beautiful as long as we’d like. Once the berries start to lose their luster, you don’t have to toss them! There are a lot of fantastic ways to use those up, like making a beautiful syrup that you can store in the fridge, or even freeze for use in colder months when strawberries are harder to come by.

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies5

At the farmers market last week, I came into ownership of about 3 pounds of strawberries, much to the delight of my strawberry obsessed daughter. Once the shine started to fade, I used most of what was left to make this syrup and froze what was left.

These cookies turned out beautifully, just as soft as I wanted with a hint of fresh strawberry syrup.

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies3

Super Soft Strawberry Cookies with Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbs strawberry syrup
  • 3 ¼ cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • pinch salt

For the Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 8 wt ounces mascarpone
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbs strawberry syrup
  • 1/2 cup chopped strawberries for garnish

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter and sugar. Beat on high until well incorporated. Add the eggs and strawberry syrup, mix on high until light and fluffy.
  2. In a separate bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt, stir to combine. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the butter and slowly mix until the dough comes together, scraping the bottom to make sure the butter is full incorporated.
  3. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface. Dump the dough into the center of the plastic wrap, form into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 325.
  5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ½ to ¾ inch thickness. Cut into shapes.
  6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the shapes on the parchment paper and bake until the top no longer looks wet but has not started to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Immediately pull the parchment paper with the cookies onto a flat surface. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  7. To make the frosting add the butter to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a whisk attachment), beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and softened cream cheese, beat on high until full incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined. Add the syrup, mix on high, scraping the bottom to make sure the frosting is fully incorporated, until well combined.
  8. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting, garnish with sliced berries

Strawberry Syrup

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chopped strawberries
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan over high heat, add the strawberries, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, for ten minutes.
  2. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl (reserve pan). Pour the strawberry mixture into the strainer and allow to all the liquid to drain into the bowl.
  3. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to press the solids into the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible.
  4. Put the liquid back into the sauce pan and simmer until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies2

Grilled Romaine Salad with IPA Caesar Dressing

Grilled Romaine Salad with IPA Caesar Dressing

In the world of salad dressing, there isn’t a more fiercely debated member than Caesar. Some swear that the only way to make it is by hand, table side, others claim blasphemy if not strictly adhering to the original recipe, invited in the 1920’s in Tijuana Mexico by Caesar Cardini, while some insist that it’s not Caesar dressing without anchovies. All of these camps, win or lose, are still people who get riled up over a sauce that goes over lettuce, therefore I can’t fully respect any of them. It’s a condiment, lighten up.

Grilled Romaine Salad with IPA Caesar Dressing

My version, by sheer inclusion of the beer, can never really be held up as a true Caesar dressing. And while anchovies aren’t in the original version, the anchovy heavy Worcestershire sauce that was use is no longer available, making them essential to grab that true taste.

The inspiration for this dish came from a guy who used to frequent the restaurant I work at in college. He would order a Caesar salad, no grilled chicken thank-you-very-much, a shot of IPA, and a chocolate milk shake made with equal parts stout and milk. He would then pour about a tablespoon of the IPA on his salad and drink the rest. At the time I thought it was really strange, but he was a good tipper and I was a good smiler (all you need when you’re 19 and bring guys beer and food) so I encouraged his habits. The more I saw him, watched his obvious excitement when his beer flavored meal arrived, the more I understood how all those flavors worked (although I’m not sure I’d pair a milk shake with a Caesar salad).

It stayed with me, this beer-salad-beer-milk-shake diet he seemed to live on, and now I’m on board. He was on to something.

Grilled Romaine Salad with IPA Caesar Dressing

Grilled Romaine Salad with IPA Caesar Dressing

Ingredients
  

For the Salad:

  • 2 Romaine hearts cut lengthwise
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • ½ cup parmesan
  • Croutons

For the Dressing:

  • 6 anchovies filets packed in oil
  • 1 clove garlic smashed
  • 2 egg yolks room temperature
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup IPA room temperature
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbs parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
  • Brush the cut side of the lettuce with olive oil. Place on the grill, cut side down, until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes.
  • In a blender or food processor add the anchovies, garlic, egg yolks, mustard, and beer. Blend until well combined and light and frothy, about 3 minutes.
  • Heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking (20 seconds in a microwave is sufficient). While the food processor is running, slowly add the oil, drop by drop, until an emulsion forms. Add the salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese, pulse to combine.
  • Place each Romaine half on a plate, drizzle with dressing, top with remaining Parmesan and croutons. Serve with knife and fork.

This is how I make homemade croutons. 

 

Grilled Guacamole

Grilled Guacamole This grilled guacamole isn’t just a product of my grill junky status, grilling avocados is a fantastic idea and the perfect way to get some of that wonderful smoke flavors into your favorite summer dip. After all, the 4th of July is right around the corner, and next to Thanksgiving, it’s America’s favorite reason to take a day off work, eat too much food, and spend the day with people we love.

Grilled Guacamole2

Of course meat was made for the grill, but vegetables have an ever better transformation when cooked with fire. When comes to grilling, anything goes, don’t forget about how amazing fruit is when it has a bit of char, or even slices of pound cake. Don’t discount pizza, it’s quick and fabulous off the grill.

Try something new next time you break out your grill, who knows, you might just find a new way to impress your guests.

Grilled Guacamole

What I’m making for 4th of July:

Beer Chili Cheese Hot Dogs

Watermelon & Cotija Salad

Boozy Watermelon Stars

Roasted Potato, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad

Stout S’Mores Bars

Best Quinoa Salad Ever

Grilled Guacamole

Ingredients

  • 4 avocados, ripe but firm
  • ½ red onion
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs fresh squeezed lime juice
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped
  • 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat grill to medium high.
  2. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit. Bush the cuts side of the onion half and the avocados with olive oil.
  3. Put the onion and avocados on the grill, cut side down, close the lid. Grill until dark grill marks appear, about 5 minutes.
  4. Chop the red onion. Scoop the avocado into a bowl, add the chopped onions along with the remaining ingredients and mash until combined.

Beer and Peach Potpie

 

Peach and Beer Potpie2

This bowl embodies a bit of culinary contradiction. It’s a bit of soup, and it’s a bit of a dessert, two genres of  menu items that don’t seem to be easily meshed. But I have a love for soupy pies, given to me by a young kid I met in the back of a squad car.

I used to work with propation kids, I’ve told you that before, all from different parts of Los Angeles, some with gang ties, some without families, all wanting help in one form or another. Peter (*Name changed) was a walking contradiction to what most people assume was inside this big kid with a criminal record.

Peach and Beer Potpie

He was a sweet, honest, hard working kid that had never so much as been tardy from any class he’d taken. He had, however, stolen some food when his mom was too drunk to buy groceries and his little sister needed to eat, this earned him a all expense paid trip to Juvenile hall and then a spot in a Group Home. His grades were good enough, he always stayed out of trouble, and I was able to find him part time work at a Jewish deli & bakery in the Valley. When his birthday rolled around I asked what he wanted, the company I worked for had a small budget for special occasions that I was able to access for a present for him. "Pie making…stuff." He’d been working in a kitchen for weeks, fell in love with his ability to produce really great food, but outside work he’d never made food that didn’t require a microwave. I bought him a pie pan, a rolling pin, pie weights and pie cookbook. His reaction to the gift was much more shy and reserved that I’d expected. When I asked him why he was quiet, he said, "This is the first birthday present I ever got. Thank you."

I had to immediately whisk him to the kitchen to put said gift to use or I would have cried all over him. Instead we made a pie. The crust was gorgeous, but with limited ingredients in the state funded Group Home, the pie turned out a bit more watery than I had intended. I was deflated. He didn’t notice. He took one bite and a huge smile lit up his big face. It tasted great, and he had no preconceived ideas about what homemade pie looked like because he’d never seen one. Now, soupy pie makes me happy.

Peach and Beer Potpie4

I found out a few years ago that Peter is doing really well, he’d put himself through culinary school, works as a chef and teaches classes at the community college.

Long live pie.

Beer and Peach Potpie

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups 6-8 large peaches yellow peaches, sliced (peeled if desired)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 tbs cornstarch
  • pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup hoppy wheat beer
  • 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
  • Egg wash 1 egg, 1 table spoon water, beaten

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • Add the peaches to a large bowl. Sprinkle with brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Use your hands to stir the peaches until they are fully coated with the dry ingredients and all of the dry ingredients have been moistened.
  • Pour the beer over the peaches, gently stir to combine.
  • Place 4 oven safe bowls (1 cup size) on a baking sheet. Divide the filling evenly among the bowls.
  • Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface, cut into 4 squares. Cover each bowl with a square of puff pastry. Brush with egg wash.
  • Bake at 400 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.

Peach and Beer Potpie5

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Grilled Watermelon Salad

Grilled Watermelon Salad5

Grilled watermelon salad is the perfect summer side dish. Slice up some watermelon rings, throw them on the grill (literally if you’re brave enough), wait for some gorgeous smokey grill marks to spear and you’re half way there.

Grilled Watermelon Salad

If you don’t have a grill, a grill pan will work fine. You can also skip the egregious use of fire all together and just cut the watermelon into bite sized chunks. The saltiness of the Cotija and the briny quick-pickled red onions set of that great sweetness of in-season watermelons.

Grilled Watermelon Salad2

It’s also a great salad to serve at room temperature, making it the perfect low maintenance side dish to serve on your summer party table. It also has a lovely sweetness that pairs well with a spicy food, I served it with these wings. It does not, however, keep very well. If you plan to make it ahead of time, keep all of the components separate and toss just prior to serving.

If you need a patriotic plan for the rest of the watermelon, check this out.

Grilled Watermelon Salad7
Grilled Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or rice wine)
  • 1 tbs raw honey
  • ½ red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 2 slices (2 inch thick each) watermelon
  • ½ cup crumbed Cotija cheese (can substitute feta)
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar and honey. Add the red onions, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  2. Place the watermelon slices on a hot grill until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes per side.
  3. Remove the watermelon rind and chop the grilled watermelon into bite sized chunks, place in a large serving bowl.
  4. Pour the red onion and the vinegar over the watermelon. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese and cilantro.

Grilled Watermelon Salad6

Grilled Beer and Buttermilk Chicken with Sriracha Glaze

Beer & Buttermilk Grilled Chicken with Sriracha Glaze

The above picture is  pretty strong illustration of what I did nearly the entire weekend. Along with spicing up my beer wings, I also made a Sriracha butter for grilled corn. In other news,I ran out of Sriracha.

Maybe it’s the new grill that found it’s way into my backyard, or maybe it was eyeing this chicken recipe, or this one, but I really wasn’t able to think about anything but beering up some chicken and giving it a good grilled char.

Beer & Buttermilk Grilled Chicken with Sriracha Glaze3

I’m also trying to figure out how to grill a pie, but more on that later.

 

Grilled Beer and Buttermilk Chicken with Sriracha Glaze

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken:

  • 2 cups Buttermilk
  • 12 ounces IPA beer
  • 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
  • 1 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoons cayenne
  • ½ teaspoons cumin
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 white onion sliced
  • 2 lbs chicken drumsticks and wings
  • Cilantro minced (optional)

For The Glaze:

  • ¼ cup Sriracha
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ½ cup IPA beer
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1/3 cup mirin

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, 12 ounces beer, salt, smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin, and brown sugar. Add the onions and chicken to the marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 12.
  • Just prior to grilling, make the glaze. In a saucepan over medium high heat, whisk together all the glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 8 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard marinade.
  • Place the chicken on a preheated grill, brush with glaze, cook for about 2 minutes, flip and brush with glaze. Continue to flip and brush with glaze every 2-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken). Transfer chicken to a serving platter and sprinkle with cilantro.

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Beer & Buttermilk Grilled Chicken with Sriracha Glaze4

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling2

My grill broke last summer. We were in the middle of a move, and I still held onto the hope that we could fix it, so it wasn’t replaced. In Southern California, grillin' isn’t just a summer activity, it’s a year long love affair, making an entire 13 months sans grill a really long time to deprive myself of the chard glory of fire cooked food.

We just replaced it this past weekend and I can’t get enough of it. I had been trying to satisfy my urge to grill via my grill pan. Although it is a pretty fantastic pan, after making this corn on my stove top in a grill pan I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to have the real thing. I think I’ve officially reached Grill Junky status, lets hope I can keep it under control.

Hope you don’t mind too much, but I’ll be posting my grilling adventures over the next few weeks. And probably well into fall.

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling

My favorite pinterest board right now is my Grillin' like a Villain. Feel free to post links to grilled food I should be aware of!

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Artichokes:

  • 2 fresh artichoke
  • 4 tbs melted butter
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • Vegetable oil for the grill

For the Filling:

  • 4 rings fresh pineapples (cut off rind and remove core)
  • 12 ounces fresh lump crab meat
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp mustard powder
  • ¼ tsp hot pepper sauce
  • 8 large Brussels sprouts
  • 2 ounce crumbled goat cheese

Instructions

  1. Prepare a pot of lightly salted boiling water. Preheat the grill
  2. Slice the artichokes down the center, lengthwise. Using a melon baller and a paring knife remove the hair from the choke as well as the inner purple leaves, leaving a cavity in the center of the each artichoke half.
  3. Boil in the pot of lightly salted boiling water until the outer leaves tear away easily, about 20 minutes.
  4. Grill the pineapple rings until strong grill marks appear on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill, allow to cool slightly, chop.
  5. In a small bowl stir together the crab meat, pineapple, sour cream, hot pepper sauce, ½ tsp each of salt, pepper, chili powder, and mustard powder.
  6. Using a cheese crater, grate the Brussels sprouts, this should equal about 2/3 cup. Stir the grated Brussels sprouts into the crab mixture.
  7. Once the artichokes are done cooking, remove from water and allow to drain.
  8. Mix the melted butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Brush artichokes on all sides with melted butter mixture.
  9. Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Grill artichokes, cut side down, until nice grill marks appear, about 5-8 minutes. Baste artichokes with melted butter while grilling.
  10. Remove from grill, fill the cavity of each artichoke with crab mixture and top with crumbled goat cheese. Return to the grill, crab side up, and cook just until the filling is warm and the cheese has started to melt, about 3 minutes.
  11. Serve immediately.

Notes

Starting at the outside and working inward, use the artichoke leaves to scoop out and eat the filling.

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling3

Chicken and Beer Summer Stew

Chicken and Beer Summer Stew3

Recently I read a response that a famous food personality had to the aggressive criticism of what is arguable to the worst food show on TV. She said that people who expect American households to cook with real, whole, unprocessed ingredients just don’t understand how real US households function, that it isn’t realistic to expect people to cook food that isn’t mostly can-and-box, defrost-and-feed type food.

I can’t underscore enough how much I not only disagree with this mentality, but how that line of thinking devalues food and the abilities of working America. I grew up in a family of ten, a family that was pay check to pay check on our best months, I’m not naive to what American households face when it comes to limited time and money.

Chicken and Beer Summer Stew2

I also have more faith in America, in food, and the resources we all have access to that can empower people to cook for their families in ways that don’t necessitate can openers and microwaves. The mentality that the best we can do is a jazzed up Hungry Man and a can of apple pie filling in the middle of a pre-made cake is demeaning. We can do better, regardless of budget. Corn is inexpensive, it’s easy to grow herbs in even the windowsill of an apartment, and inexpensive meat like chicken thighs have more flavor than their light meat counterparts. We can buy vegetables in season, when they are the least expensive, and freeze batches for months. We have options and abilities that extent far past what may be expected of us. Some of the best food I’ve ever had was handmade food in the poorest parts of the world, made with simple, inexpensive ingredients. America isn’t old enough to have  a rich culinary history, but it isn’t too late to start building one that doesn’t begin with yelling a food order out of a car window into a metal speaker.

We can do this, I have faith in us.

Chicken and Beer Summer Stew

 

Chicken and Beer Summer Stew

Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 4 chicken thighs cut into cubes
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 red pepper julienned
  • 2 carrots peeled and sliced into coins
  • 1 shallot minced about 1/4 cup
  • 1 tbs flour
  • 1 cup white ale
  • 1 ear of corn
  • ½ cup shelled English peas
  • 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 5 leaves of basil sliced into ribbons
  • 1 loaf crusty Italian bread for serving

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil in an enamel cast iron pot or Dutch oven.
  • Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken cubes.
  • Once the oil is hot but not smoking add the chicken, cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from pot.
  • Add red peppers, carrots and shallots (plus additional oil if the pan is dry), cook until vegetables have started to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Sprinkle with flour, add the beer, scrapping to deglaze the pot, making sure the flour is well combined without lumps.
  • Add the chicken back into the pot along with the corn and peas.
  • Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer, cover with the lid at a vent and allow to simmer for ten minutes.
  • Stir in the lemon juice, remove from heat.
  • Stir in the cream, turmeric, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with basil.
  • Serve with bread.

Chicken and Beer Summer Stew5

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Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream #CAStrawberryShortcakes

Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream #CAStrawberryShortcakes

My first official assignment as a Brand Ambassador for California Strawberry Commission was to re-invent the strawberry shortcake.  After a brief stop on the idea of another chocolate strawberry shortcake, and possibly a lemon lavender version, I settled on a matcha version, something I hope is new to you all (I like to feel inventive!), and matcha goes so well with strawberries.

I’ve had Matcha powder (Japanese green tea powder) in the back of my mind for a while,  on my list of foods to bake with. It gives a great contrast of color and flavor to the gorgeous strawberries, if you’re a matcha lover, I think you’ll agree.

I also have a pin contest to tell you all about. It’s a great excuse to spend a little extra time on pinterest while checking out some fantastic strawberry recipes, getting inspired for those summer cook-outs and trying to win some extra cash!

Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream #CAStrawberryShortcakes

Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Shortcakes:

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1-2 tbs matcha powder*
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • 6 tbs chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • ½ cup whole milk

For the Strawberries:

  • 4 cups strawberries, cleaned and chopped
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp lime juice

For the Lime Whipped Cream:

  • 1 ½ cups chilled heavy cream (or whipping cream)
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tsp lime juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Add flour, sugar, matcha, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a food processor, pulse to combine.
  3. Add the butter cubes, process until the butter is incorporated, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the milk, process until just combined.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop large spoonful’s (about the size of a lime) onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced.
  6. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or until the tops have just started to brown, remove from oven and allow to cool.
  7. In a large bowl, stir together the strawberries, lime juice and granulated sugar, set aside.
  8. Once the shortcakes have cooled, make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream, powdered sugar and lime zest until soft peaks form. While the mixer is runner, add the lime juice, beat until incorporated.
  9. Split the shortcakes and fill with strawberries and whipped cream.

Notes

*Note: 2 tablespoons of matcha powder will give you a strong green tea flavor and a deeper green color. If you want a more mild, mellow flavor, add only 1 tablespoon.

 Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream #CAStrawberryShortcakes

Warm Duck Fat Roasted Potato Salad with IPA Mustard Vinaigrette (with vegetarian option)


Warm Duck Fat Roasted Potato Salad with IPA Mustard Vinaigrette (with vegetarian option)

The anemic looking, plastic tub dwelling potato salads of my youth put a pervasive distain in my culinary soul for the union of the words "potato" and "salad." It wasn’t until I found a non-mayo based version that I really started to see potential. While I’ve used sour cream, blue cheese dressing and even bacon garlic aioli, the mustard vinaigrette edition is a fun twist. I also like to roast the potatoes rather than boil them, it prevents the possibility of the over cooked mush and it brings out flavors that might otherwise be washed away in boiling salted water.

For the vinaigrette I used an IPA from a brewery not to far from me, Noble Ale Works out of San Diego. A newer brewery that, rumor has it, just celebrated their second anniversary. Like most brewers I’ve been lucky enough to come across, this team seems profoundly dedicated to what they do, fiercely loyal to to their community, and in near constant pursuit of the perfect brew.

Big Whig IPA is a fine example of a West Coast IPA, with a bold hoppyness that’s balance with a pale male, citrus notes, a bit of caramel and some pine. The accessibility of this beer makes it perfect to add to your summer beer rotation and the light seasonally appropriate flavors make it perfect for a salad dressing.

 Warm Potato Salad with IPA Mustard Vinaigrette bottle

Warm Duck Fat Roasted Potato Salad with IPA Mustard Vinaigrette (with vegetarian option)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs red potatoes cut into small cubes
  • 2 tbs duck fat use olive oil for vegetarian
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ cup chopped shallots
  • 1 clove garlic smashed
  • ¼ cup stone ground mustard
  • 1 tbs honey
  • ¼ cup IPA
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup chopped green onions
  • 2 weight ounces crumbled Roquefort cheese about 1/3 cup
  • ¼ cup flat leaf parsley chopped
  • ½ cup shelled peas

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • Heat the duck fat (or olive oil for vegetarian) in a large oven safe skillet (cast iron preferred). Add potato cubes and 1 tsp salt, tossing to coat. Cook until potatoes start to brown, about 5 mintues. Transfer skillet to oven and roast for 20 minutes or until fork tender.
  • In a blender or small food processor, add the shallots, garlic, mustard, honey, IPA, smoked paprika, pepper and ½ tsp salt, process until well combined, about 2 minutes.
  • In a large bowl add the potatoes, mustard vinaigrette, green onions, blue cheese, parsley and peas, toss to coat. Serve warm.

I use this Duck Fat because it’s well priced and good quality. A little goes a long way so one jar will last a while. (Affiliate Link)

Warm Duck Fat Roasted Potato Salad with IPA Mustard Vinaigrette (with vegetarian option)

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Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter I’m can’t decide what I’m more excited about, the best grilled vegetable recipes I’ve made in years, or this awesome giveaway.

Lets talk about this corn for a second. Of course the original purpose of the corn itself was merely as a vehicle for the Sriracha butter, which I adapted from The Sriracha Cookbook (you should buy it, and the Veggie Lovers version), but the sweetness of the grilled corn with the spicy butter made me forget that I had acctually made other things for dinner. This is a meal all by itself. I would also recommend serving it American State Fair style in bed of aluminum foil so that you don’t miss all that fabulous butter that will melt away. And don’t be shy about adding it to your other grilled foods, shrimp and zucchini would love to take a dip in this stuff.

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter

Now, we can chat about this little giveaway. I’ve teamed up with some other awesome bloggers to give one lucky reader a shiny new iPad:

Enter to win an iPad!

 

Give them a visit, enter to win and GOOD LUCK! And if you don’t win, you can always console yourself with some tasty, spicy, grilled corn.

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup scallions, chopped
  • 2 tsp sriracha
  • 6 ears corn
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Place butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a small food processor) along with garlic, scallions and sriracha. Process until all ingredients are well combined.
  2. Scrape onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll into a log shape, refridgerate until chilled and firm, about 1 hour. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.
  3. Remove the husks and the silk from the corn, leave stalk on, if still attached. Rub corn with olive oil, salt and pepper all sides.
  4. Cook on a preheated grill for 15-20 minutes, rotating every 3-5 minutes.
  5. Place grilled corn on a sheet of aluminum foil, top with a few slices of sriracha butter, fold foil around corn.

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter3

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie3

 

This is a baking PSA, a result of an ongoing panic attack I’ve been having since I turned my book into the publisher. I’ve been convinced that most people who attempt to make my Chocolate Stout Cake with Raspberry Chocolate Ganche won’t know there is a difference between weight ounces and fluid ounces, confuse the two and end up with a failure. These things keep me up at night. Because if you make a recipe of mine and it fails, I feel awful, even if the recipe isn’t to blame. Even if you are totaly to blame for the failure, I still feel terrible.

Weight ounces and fluid ounces are not the same thing. In fact, for the most part, they have nothing to do with one another.

Weight ounces measure weight, fluid ounces measure volume. One does not equal the other.

Take a bag of chocolate chips, for example. It will probably list on the package: 12 weight ounces (often abbreviated as just "wt oz"). Pour those chocolate chips into a measuring cups and you’re bound to see it reach about 2 cups, or 16 fluid ounces.

12 weight ounces of chocolate equals about 16 fluid ounces.

Cheese is the same. 8 weight ounces of shredded cheese is about 16 fluid ounces.

Flour is even worse. Most bakers weigh their flour rather than measure it in cups (although most recipes will say cups) but  if you see a baker call for ounces of flour, she probably means weight, not volume. Have I lost you yet?

Generally, 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of flour is only 4 weight ounces.

Most of the time, the difference is easy to distinguish, and lucky for us, beer is equal when it comes to fluid ounces and weight ounce. 8 fluid ounces of beer equals 8 weight ounces (one less thing to worry about!)

The biggest worry in the cooking and baking world are generally cheese and chocolate. Mostly because they are sold in weight ounces, but recipes vary when it comes to what they call for. Recipes should call for those items in weight ounces, but if you aren’t familiar, and just load up your measuring cup with shredded cheese or chocolate chips and think you’re looking for fluid ounces, you’ll most likely have a recipe disaster on your hands.

The take away:

When you see a recipe calling for ounces: figure out what type of ounces or your recipe may not work.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest, I feel better. Although I still want to kick the crap out of the a-hole who decided to use the same word for both.

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie2

And take moment to check out those glorious cherries in the middle of that pie.

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pie crust
  • 2 3.5 ounce bars 60% chocolate (total 7 weight ounces)
  • 3 tbs unsalted butter cut into cubes.
  • 2 tbs light corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup stout
  • 3 tbs heavy cream
  • 2 1/2 cups pitted dark sweet cherries such as Bing, about 16 wt ounces pitted

For the Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbs stout optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Rough out pie dough, transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, trim off excess. Prick several holes in the bottom.
  • Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until a light golden brown. Allow to cool.
  • Break the chocolate into chunks and add to the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water along with the butter, corn syrup and stout. Stir frequently until the chocolate has melted. Add the cream and stir until completely incorporated. Add the cherries, stir until all of the cherries are well coated. Pour into the crust. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours and up to 24.
  • Once the pie has cooled make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract (and stout, if using) to a stand mixer. Beat on high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Notes

Note about chocolate: you can use up to 70%, but the higher the percentage (which indicates the amount of cocoa in the bar) the more bitter the chocolate, therefore the more bitter the pie. If you use a really low cocoa content, like a 30%, the pie may have a harder time setting up because of the lower cocoa content, and higher milk content. I would stay between 55% and 70%.

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Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie

Ginger Lime Daiquiri

 

Ginger Lime Daiquiri

Did you know rum used to be an accepted form of currency in the United States? This was, of course, a really long time ago. Before whiskey and beer took firm hold of the American liquor scene, the US was all about the rum. So what happened? I blame frat boys and The Captain for our current view of rum, but these days rum is starting to find it’s way back into the hearts of craft liquor lovers. I’m not much of a hard liquor drinker, I tend to favor good beer and cheap wine, but after researching the history of rum for an article I wrote, I have a newfound respect. I also found the taste of Ten Cane Rum to be stellar, by far my favorite of all the rums I sampled.

Ginger Lime Daiquiri2

I also realized that although most people think of that syrupy pink blended guy as a daiquiri, the original version is all about well made rum and some lime juice.

And I threw in some ginger simple syrup for good measure.

 

Ginger Lime Daiquiri

Yield: 1 cocktail with plenty of simple syrup for several more drinks

Ingredients

Ginger Simple Syrup:

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup ginger, peeled and sliced

Ginger Lime Daiquiri (makes 1)

  • 2 ounce golden rum
  • 1 ounces lime juice
  • 1 ounce ginger simple syrup
  • Dash fresh ginger, grated with a microplane or fine zester

Instructions

  1. Make the ginger simple syrup: Add water, sugar and ginger to a pan over medium-high heat. Stir continually until sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Allow the ginger to steep until syrup has cooled to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Strain out the ginger and store simple syrup in a plastic squeeze bottle or jar in the fridge until ready to use (can be made up to a week ahead of time).
  2. Make the Daiquiri: Add rum, lime juice and ginger simple syrup to a shaker full of ice. Shake gently for 15-30 seconds, strain into a cocktail glass. Grate fresh ginger into the glass.
    Notes

Ginger simple syrup also makes a fantastic addition to watermelon margaritas

 

Ginger Lime Daiquiri3