Garlic Parmesan Hefeweizen Pull Apart Bread I worked for a money laundered in college. I was a waitress at a small cafe right on the Rose Parade route through Pasadena. It wasn’t until later that I was able to dissect how complicit I was in his illegal dealings. He’d call me once a day and… Read More
Honey Hefeweizen Boule Loaf. Simple, easy and delicious. Perfect recipe for first time bakers! Last year, with a camera crew in my face, I interviewed the head brewer at my favorite Los Angeles brewery. “All I am is a yeast wrangler. I don’t work for the brewery, I work for the yeast.” He laughed until… Read More
Twenty Minute Cinnamon Roll Beer Biscuits, plus the secret to the perfect cinnamon roll filling that doesn’t leak out the side once cut. I’ve had a complicated year. One that began with life in one state and ended in another, literally and figuratively. A year of answering questions with “It’s complicated.” Where I’m living, what… Read More
How to Make Flaky Biscuits, step by step with photos, & Sour Cream Cheddar Beer Biscuits Biscuits, the glorious tender flaky beast that they are become the subject of massive levels of debate for something with so few ingredients. Ask a Southern grandma what she thinks and she’ll tell you you’re doing it… Read More
Jalapeno Cornbread Beer Bread Muffins, cooking with beer There’s a contradictory element to cornbread. It’s enough to be a meal all on it’s own, especially when you eat 4 of them, with a beer and some honey butter, but you miss the rest. You miss the ribs, and the greens, and the coleslaw and… Read More
I love this bread in spite of how easy it is. Yes, in spite. In fact, I almost resent it for being so easy, I like a challenge. I like to work for it. I like beer pizza dough that takes 24 hours and I love that it takes all day for me to… Read More
My book tour kicks off in a few days and one of my first stops is at Bear Republic, one of my favorite California breweries. On October 10th, from 6:30 to 8:30 I’ll be at the pub in Healdsburg hanging out, signing books, hoping to meet some of you and gleefully consuming… Read More
Don’t judge me for this. It’s obligatory. After all, I am a blogger, and it is pumpkin season. And as the beer-food blogging hybrid beast that I am, pumpkin season means two things. First, there is the food blog trend of Pumpkin All The Things that I must participate in. Second, there are the most… Read More
The Beast of Yeast If you are among the yeast-averse, those who are convinced that bread making isn’t in your skill set, you probably haven’t even read far enough to see that I have faith in your yeast taming abilities. Not only is it easier than you think, it’s so completely satisfying to watch… Read More
Before we jump in to my treasure trove of beer and food pairing tips, we need to dispel one myth: there are no rules. Drink what you prefer and eat likewise. If YOU like it, it’s a good pairing, there are no hard and fast rules, just considerations and principles to keep in mind.… Read More
If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen my announcement that I shot a TV show for Lifetime back in January. The premise of the show was to take people with interesting ideas for food products and develop those ideas into product lines that end up on grocery store shelves. There is a… Read More
I’m a firm believer that the best pizza dough takes at least 24 hours. I’m also a firm believer that most of us don’t usually have that type of forethought. At least it’s a rare occurrence for me. I started making this pita bread dough when I wanted to make a day-of pizza, which… Read More
Do you remember when I told you that once I discovered that homemade corn tortillas where so good it made me realize that I didn’t actually hate corn tortillas, I just hated those sad cardboard disks they sell at the store? Pita bread is an even bigger revelation. It’s not as quick as those… Read More
Let’s talk about chocolate stouts for a minute. If you aren’t aquatinted with these Dark Knights, you might be under the impression that your beer will be like a tall glass of malty chocolate milk. For the most part, that isn’t the case. While I was at Hanger 24, those awesome guys let me… Read More
Before we continue with my Beer Pizza Dough post, you have to forgive me for the overly moody dough photos. I was trying franticly to get them taken before I lost all of the light (damn daylight saving). But it could be worse, see: That pizza dough looks like it should be listening to Radiohead… Read More
I have wandered into a complete obsession with making bread. It started slowly, and really, rather timidly. When I first started, I was afraid of yeast, and a wee bit convinced that it hated me. I threw several mounds of fail dough in the trash after it refused to rise. I learned a few things… Read More
I didn’t grow up eating Sweet potatoes. I never saw them on my Thanksgiving table or at Sunday dinner. They just didn’t exist in my world. Until one chilly afternoon in College when I stopped by the dorm room of a Souther friend of mine who had just pulled a Sweet potato, covered… Read More
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… Read More