I love the Food Network. It’s one of my go-to channels when there’s nothing else on. In fact, as I type this up, I’m watching the Good Eats on home brewing, which seems appropriate.

So, why am I telling you this? Well, my recipe for beer cookies was inspired by the Cookie episode of Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown. A young man by the name of Sean LaFond was a finalist. He provided the commentators with a lot to talk about because the base of his cookie recipe was a Belgian style white beer. Here’s the original recipe, if you’d like to take a look at it.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

• 32 oz home brewed Vanilla Porter
• 6 2/3 oz honey
• 1 C. butter
• 2 C. powdered suger
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla (I added extra but didn’t measure how much)
• 2 2/3 - 3 C flour
• 2/3 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 C. dark chocolate chips (optional)

The Process:

1. Combine the beer and honey in a saucepan and reduce. Skim the foam off the top of the beer occasionally. When the mixture begins to show lots of large bubbles and is bubbling aggressively, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°
3. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and blend thoroughly.
4. Add the vanilla and the beer reduction and blend again.
5. Mix the baking soda and flour together, then add slowly to the batter.
6. Scoop the dough on to a cookie sheet, preferably lined with parchment paper. I used a measuring spoon (1 tablespoon size) for the last batch and a 2 oz scoop for the batch before that.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven.
8. Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes before moving them off the cookie sheets.

The measurements above resulted in approximately 4 dozen cookies - 2 dozen of which were sent to DragonCon, 1 dozen given to GeminiFatCat, and 1 dozen I kept for myself!

Notes:

I suggest reducing your beer and honey first and then calculating the amount of the other ingredients you need based on how much of the beer reduction you end up with.

My next variation will use a coffee-chocolate stout in place of the Vanilla Porter, but I haven’t brewed the stout yet!

If you give the recipe a try, or got a chance to taste the cookies, leave a comment and let me know what you think about them!

So I’ve been working on a cookbook for the last few months and it’s finally finished and available. It’s a small collection of 50 recipes that range from main courses to low and full sugar desserts and side dishes. These recipes have been tested by friends, a few of whom looked like they were willing to eat the plates too.

I’m not real great at this self marketing thing, but since cooking is all about creativity it would be foolish not to post here. Especially considering this is where I got my start blogging.

So, please enjoy the recipe below (the aforementioned Puddin’ Cookies, submitted by my father) with my compliments and if you’d like to try others you can head to Lulu and pick up Comfort Cooking. Certainly if anything is time well wasted cooking is.

Keep your knives sharp, your marble boards cold and your cooking creative.

(more…)

Honey-Garlic and Lime Marinade

A quick and simple marinade for your pork or chicken to add some sweet
and tangy flavor to your meal.

You’ll need
.25 cup fresh lime juice (normal or key lime)
1 tsp honey
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients into a gallon sized Ziploc bag, seal and shake well.
Open and add meat of choice, seal and shake again. Put into fridge and
let sit at least 6 hours or overnight.

Prepare meat by frying, baking or grilling.

“Keep your knives sharp, your marble board cold, your spice rack neatly
organized and your kitchen creative.”

Been a while since we’ve had one of these, but I was playing in the kitchen again and didn’t have absolutely everything on hand that I wanted, so substitutions were made and my partner liked it. And since it’s getting colder outside for some of us I present it to you…

Barley and Lentil Stew with Sausage

You’ll need

Hardware:
Dry Measuring Cups/Spoons
Wet measuring cup
Skillet
Cooking spoon
Crock-pot

Software:
1 lbs pork sausage
.5 cups barley
.25 cups lentils
1 bay leaf
1.5 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion (chopped)
10 crimini mushrooms (quartered – and any kind of mushroom will work)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1.5 tsp marjoram
1.5 tsp oregano
2 or 3 beef bullion cubes
4 tbs dill
2 tbs soy sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
Approximately 5 cups water

Plug in your crock pot and turn it onto the medium setting. Add 2 cups of water, the barley, lentils and bay leaf, cook for about 40 minutes, checking periodically.

Meanwhile, chop veggies and garlic and place to the side. Fry your sausage with the olive oil until it crumbles nicely, do not drain this.

When the timer for the barley and lentils goes off remove the bay leaf and stir, add in 3 cups of water and 2 to 3 beef bullion cubes. Stir and set timer for 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off add the sausage, veggies and garlic, stirring after each addition. Add spices and soy sauce and cover.

Wait approximately 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally, for the stew to simmer and flavors to blend and serve with warm biscuits and butter.

Keep your knives sharp, your marble board cold, your spice rack neatly organized and use your kitchen creatively.

I love waffles! I’m always looking for new waffles recipes and if I can’t find one I like I’ll start mashing ideas together to get a good one. This week I stumbled upon a waffle that’s great for breakfast and would work just as well for dessert.

The batter for these may work for pancakes as well but I haven’t tried it yet.

Speaking of breakfast, am I the only one who prefers it at night?

Banana Cinnamon Waffles

You’ll need
Hardware:
Waffle iron
Small mixing bowl
Large mixing bowl
Cooking spray
Cookie sheet
Ladle
Tongs

Software:
2 cups white all purpose flour (2 cups self rising flour can be used, omit the baking powder)
2.5 tsp baking powder
2 large or 3 medium eggs
2 cups milk
.25 cup butter
.5 cup of sugar
1 Tbls vanilla
1.5 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
.25 tsp nutmeg
1 or 2 mashed bananas

Heat waffle iron
In the large mixing bowl melt the butter
Stir in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
Add vanilla and stir
Gradually blend in milk
Separate eggs and add yolks to mixture and put whites in small bowl
Blend yolks into mixture
Mix in flour and baking powder
Whip egg whites into stiff peaks and set aside
Smash banana/s and blend into mixture
Fold in egg whites

Spray the waffle iron and ladle with cooking spray and use one (or one and a half depending the size of your iron) ladles of batter to fill the iron
Put finished waffle on cookie sheet and let it finish crisping in a 200 degree oven while you finish cooking the rest of the waffles.

Left over waffles can be stored for approximately 2 days.

Dessert waffles can be served banana split style.

In the immortal words of the Chairman “Allez cuisine”

Grew up as an Air Force brat and lived on Norton AFB as a kid. My dad would go to the coolest places and bring home some of the neatest things. He brought home a wok for my mother once and she perfected one of the best fried rice recipe.

I make a variation of it today with my own little electric wok, but you don’t need one if you don’t have one, it can be made normal kitchen gear.

Fried Rice

You’ll need
Hardware:
1 wok (or 1 skillet and a very large mixing bowl)
Rice cooker (or however you normally make rice)
A flat, rectangular wooden spoon
Paper plates or small bowls

Software:
3 eggs
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 medium onion
2 cups rice
.25 lbs bacon
1 meat of choice (a rib eye steak or 2 chicken breasts or 1 butter flied pork chop)
Soy Sauce
Canola Oil

Dice veggies, bacon and meat
Begin cooking rice as per instructions on the packaging
Heat wok/skillet over medium heat
Add bacon and fry to desired consistency
Remove the bacon and set aside, leave the grease in the wok/skillet
Add diced veggies and cook until onions are glossy
Remove veggies and set aside
Add 1 Tbls of oil to the wok/skillet and allow to heat
Drop in diced meat of choice and stir constantly (cook pork/chicken to complete and/or beef to desired taste)
Remove cooked meat and set it aside
Add 1 Tbls of oil to wok/skillet
Beat eggs and add to heated oil
Stir constantly until scrambled and remove
Return bacon and meat to the wok (if you do not have a wok use a large mixing bowl)
Fold in cooked rice
Combine veggies and eggs with the rice and meat in the wok/bowl and stir
Sprinkle in four or five dashes of soy sauce and stir
Remove from wok/mixing bowl and fold into a serving dish
Allow to cool for approximately 2 minutes before serving

In the immortal words of the Chairman “Allez cuisine”

Why I thought this would work to make cookie bars I don’t know. But I did try, and as soon as I finished mixing the batter and was presented with a rather crumbly mix that I had to push into a baking pan for solidity, I knew these bars just weren’t going to work.

If you do manage to make these into bars that don’t fall apart, please let us know.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Crumbles

You’ll need
Hardware:
13×9 baking pan
Wax paper
Ziplock bag
1 small mixing bowl
1 large mixing bowl

Software:
1.75 cups flour
.5 tsp baking soda
1.25 cups white sugar
.75 cup of peanut butter
.5 cup butter
1 Tbs vanilla (more or less per your taste)
1 egg
1.5 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350
Line pan with wax paper, overlap on two sides
Combine flour and baking soda in a small bowl
Beat peanut butter, butter, vanilla and sugar in large bowl until creamy
Beat in egg
Gradually add flour mixture
Stir in chocolate chips
Add batter to lined pan and use overlapping wax paper to press the batter into the pan
Fold excess wax paper to rest on sides, leaving the batter bare
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes
Cool for 2 to 3 hours then remove from pan using the folded wax paper edges
Insert cooled mixture into a ziplock bag and break down with hands

Store for approximately 2 weeks for use on fruit salads, ice cream or other desserts

In the immortal words of the Chairman “Allez cuisine”

I love to cook. It’s probably my one true passion and it’s a great kicker when I’m having a rotten day.

What does this have to do with the site? Well, I’m going to share some of my favorite recipes, ones I’ve come up with on my other, others I’ve modified. Considering that I live with a diabetic you’ll often Splenda replacements listed along with sugar.

As for the enchiladas… when Jenn posts her shortbread I’ll consider posting them.

This week I give you

Peanut Butter Fudge Refrigerator Cookies (which I swiped from my dad)

You’ll need
Hardware:
1 large cooking pot (the kind you would use to cook pasta)
Wax paper
Two tablespoons
Two cookie sheets
Room in the fridge

Software:
2 cups white sugar (or 1 cup Splenda baking sugar)
.5 cup of cocoa powder
1 cup of butter or margarine
.5 cup of milk
1 pinch of baking soda
.5 cup peanut butter (natural peanut butter also helps cut down on the sugar)
1 Tbs Karo Syrup (lite Karo works here as well)
2 tsp vanilla
3.5 cups of Quick Oats

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a medium pot
Bring to a boil and stir constantly for 2 minutes
Remove from heat
Mix in baking soda
Beat in peanut butter, karo syrup and vanilla until peanut butter is completely melted
Mix in oatmeal
Drop mixture by tablespoons onto wax paper lined cookie sheets
Place sheets into fridge to cool for approximately 1 hour
Transfer cookies to airtight container once cooled and return to fridge

Makes roughly 30 cookies

In the immortal words of the Chairman “Allez cuisine”

We thought we’d let you know about some of the upcoming posts we have planned.

Most of our posts have ended up being writing related, which was not our intent. Our plans are to provide you with more posts about non-writing related activities. Here are some of the things we’re currently working on.

Quantum Physics and Creativity

I watched a movie from my Netflix queue this weekend and was surprised by what I saw - Did you know there’s a connection between Quantum Physics and Creativity? I’ll be posting about it later this week.

Beading Projects

• Pictures of a quick project I did for Gemini and to get rid of some old beads
• Pictures of some in-process beaded bracelets
• Some ideas for upcoming beading projects

Textile Projects

• A cross-stitch project I’m working on for a friend
• One or more of many unfinished crochet projects

Kitchen Related Projects

• I’m about a third of the way through my first brewing project - a Honey Brown Ale. I’ll post more about it in about a week when it’s time to bottle.
• Gemini is working on some recipes for posting - though I’ve been informed that she refuses to post her famous Enchilada recipe!

Future Projects

• Graphic and 3D works-in-progress
• Sewing projects
• Audio projects
• New and first-time craft projects

Most of these future projects are waiting on my new computer. At the moment, it’s not working properly, but as soon as it is, I’ll start working on some of these.

Have a Creative day!
–Edge

So, it’s time for dinner and I had no idea what to make. Found a polish sausage and sliced it, dropped it in a pan with some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and some red wine vinegar and let that fry on a low heat. Sliced and chopped some onion, grape tomatoes and mushrooms and added it to the pan. Ok… what next, what’s in the pantry that can go with this… hmm… egg noodles… drop those in some water and cook away… now what? Looks okay so far, but… hey, what’s this… a can of cream of mushroom soup… opened that baby and added it to the heating mixture of meats and veggies. Spiced it up with some salt and pepper, drained the noodles and served hot with bread and butter.

Somehow there was nothing left by the time dinner was over so I’m guessing it wasn’t too bad. I believe the term used here was Fabu. This means I watch WAY too much Rachel Ray. ?

But how often does this happen to people? How often do you walk into your kitchen to feed yourself or your family and look at what could be massive amounts of food, a full pantry and fridge and still have no idea what to cook? Too many options? Too few? Want a simple meal or complex? The above took about twenty minutes by the way.

How often have you gone into the kitchen to make dinner and wondered what the heck to do with that you have to cook? How often do you try and experiment with flavors? For some people, cooking is a pleasure better than anything deep fried and covered in chocolate. For some, it’s a stressful situation where everything must be laid out and the recipe at hand. Me, I can go both ways, which is why I hate cooking for the holidays.

But there’s hope for the recipe impaired: All Recipes is a website that allows a user to tell it what is in the cupboard and it will come up with a recipe from its databases that uses those ingredients. Even better, you can get the recipes adjusted for how many servings are needed. Sounds like making that thanksgiving stuffing for 40 just got easier.

How do you handle your pantry pondering? Have you discovered anything incredible or have you suffered a cooking disaster? Come share your recipes, successes and failures with us. And next time I’ll share a flavor nightmare.