A month or so ago, my cousin Russell came up to visit us. One of the things we decided to do while he was here: to perfect the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich (GCS). We gathered several different kinds of bread, three kinds of butter, and dozens of different cheeses. Then we invited an impartial panel of taste-testers to come over for dinner, and we spent the next couple of hours in the kitchen grilling up dozens of combinations.
Through trial and error, this is the recipe we concocted.
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Trav & Russell's Ultimate GCS
French bread
Unsalted butter, softened
Muenster cheese, sliced
Smoked cheddar cheese, sliced
Spicy brown mustard (optional)
Bacon bits (optional)
Cut the french bread into 3/4" thick slices, cutting along the diagonal at a 45-degree angle. Cut away the crusts on two sides, leaving the top and bottom crusts from the loaf.
Apply a thin layer of butter to one side of a slice of bread, and place it buttered-side down on the hot griddle or skillet. Immediately place a slice of muenster cheese and a slice of smoked cheddar cheese on the slice of bread. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of bacon bits over the cheese, and then squeeze a thin ribbon of the spicy mustard over everything.
Butter one side of another slice of french bread. When the cheese begins to melt around the edges, place the second slice of bread atop the sandwich (butter-side out) and flip the sandwich over. Cook until well-toasted and evenly-browned, flipping as needed.
Serve immediately with a cup of hot tomato soup.
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Anthony and I have proclaimed the GCS to be the official geek food. When we lived together at Cottonwood Terrace, and again at Gold Claim, it became a popular ritual for us to meet in the kitchen at midnight for some grilled cheesy goodness. Then we would discuss Dungeons and Dragons at length while we cooked and consumed the artery-clogging snacks.
If we weren't up for D&D, we would make up a batch of sandwiches and then retire to our respective computers, where we would play a LAN game of Age of Kings or Age of Mythology (and lately, Diablo2).
And guess what I'm eating right now? You know it.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Monday, May 08, 2006
Church Lady Mac-N-Cheese
Who doesn't love mac-n-cheese? Nobody, that's who.
This is my adaptation of the American classic, based on dozens of batches that I have sampled over years and years of Baptist potlucks. And I could be biased here, but I believe that Baptists make the best mac-n-cheese. And I believe that browned, crunchy burnt cheese is an addictive substance. Please enjoy it responsibly.
Of all of my recipes, I think this one is Anthony's favorite. We used to eat this stuff every now and then when we lived together at Cottonwood Terrace. It was Anthony and my wife (fiance at the time) who gave this dish its distinctive name.
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Church Lady Mac N Cheese
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided use
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until almost tender. Drain, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, and add the flour. Cook over low heat until the flour is slightly browned. Using a wisk, add the milk and continue to cook over low heat, stirring quickly and constantly, until thickened (do not allow to boil). Add the cheeses and continue to cook, wisking constantly, until smooth and creamy (be sure to save about 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar for later).
Lose the wisk, and get a large wooden spoon. Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce, and stir until evenly coated. Taste the mixture, and add salt and pepper as necessary. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish, top with the shredded cheddar you set aside, and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browned on top.
Serve piping hot with an ice-cold IBC Root Beer.
This is my adaptation of the American classic, based on dozens of batches that I have sampled over years and years of Baptist potlucks. And I could be biased here, but I believe that Baptists make the best mac-n-cheese. And I believe that browned, crunchy burnt cheese is an addictive substance. Please enjoy it responsibly.
Of all of my recipes, I think this one is Anthony's favorite. We used to eat this stuff every now and then when we lived together at Cottonwood Terrace. It was Anthony and my wife (fiance at the time) who gave this dish its distinctive name.
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Church Lady Mac N Cheese
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided use
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until almost tender. Drain, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, and add the flour. Cook over low heat until the flour is slightly browned. Using a wisk, add the milk and continue to cook over low heat, stirring quickly and constantly, until thickened (do not allow to boil). Add the cheeses and continue to cook, wisking constantly, until smooth and creamy (be sure to save about 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar for later).
Lose the wisk, and get a large wooden spoon. Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce, and stir until evenly coated. Taste the mixture, and add salt and pepper as necessary. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish, top with the shredded cheddar you set aside, and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browned on top.
Serve piping hot with an ice-cold IBC Root Beer.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Making Metheglin
Metheglin is the root (Welsh) word for "medicine," and refers to a special alcoholic beverage made from honey and water fermented with herbs and spices.
I don't know how "medecinal" this particular recipe is, but it sure tastes good. The next time I make this recipe, I'll multiply it...because dude, this is a lot of work for a six-pack. Once I get some five-gallon glass jugs, I'll make a couple of cases of it.
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TRAV'S CINNAMON METHEGLIN
Ingredients:
1 pkt. Red Star Premier Couvee wine yeast
1 oz. barley malt
2 cups lukewarm water
1 t. yeast nutrient
1/2 t. yeast energizer
3 lbs. orange blossom honey
Filtered water
1/4 C crushed cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
1 T. sparkoloid
1 Campden tablet
Directions
Sterilize all equipment by soaking in a mixture of bleach water (1 tablespoon of unscented chlorine bleach to each gallon of water) for at least 10 minutes. Rinse well before using.
In the large stock pot, bring 3 quarts of filtered water to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in the honey. Cover and set aside to cool.
In a sterile quart jar, smack the yeast with barley malt in 2 C lukewarm water. Set aside.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a tea kettle, and add the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes (to desired strength). Pour the "tea" through a strainer into the must, discarding the cinnamon and cloves.
When the must has cooled to 70 degrees F, add more honey or water to reach the desired specific gravity. Pour the must into a sterile carboy, leaving 2" of head space at the top of the jug. Pitch the yeast, cap the jug, and shake well for 5 minutes. Finally, remove the cap and attach the fermentation lock. Set the jug in a cool, dark place to ferment undisturbed for 2-4 weeks.
Rack, stabilize, clarify, and bottle. Makes 1 gallon of a warm-tasting, medium-sweet mead.
I don't know how "medecinal" this particular recipe is, but it sure tastes good. The next time I make this recipe, I'll multiply it...because dude, this is a lot of work for a six-pack. Once I get some five-gallon glass jugs, I'll make a couple of cases of it.
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TRAV'S CINNAMON METHEGLIN
Ingredients:
1 pkt. Red Star Premier Couvee wine yeast
1 oz. barley malt
2 cups lukewarm water
1 t. yeast nutrient
1/2 t. yeast energizer
3 lbs. orange blossom honey
Filtered water
1/4 C crushed cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
1 T. sparkoloid
1 Campden tablet
Directions
Sterilize all equipment by soaking in a mixture of bleach water (1 tablespoon of unscented chlorine bleach to each gallon of water) for at least 10 minutes. Rinse well before using.
In the large stock pot, bring 3 quarts of filtered water to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in the honey. Cover and set aside to cool.
In a sterile quart jar, smack the yeast with barley malt in 2 C lukewarm water. Set aside.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a tea kettle, and add the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes (to desired strength). Pour the "tea" through a strainer into the must, discarding the cinnamon and cloves.
When the must has cooled to 70 degrees F, add more honey or water to reach the desired specific gravity. Pour the must into a sterile carboy, leaving 2" of head space at the top of the jug. Pitch the yeast, cap the jug, and shake well for 5 minutes. Finally, remove the cap and attach the fermentation lock. Set the jug in a cool, dark place to ferment undisturbed for 2-4 weeks.
Rack, stabilize, clarify, and bottle. Makes 1 gallon of a warm-tasting, medium-sweet mead.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Traditional Irish Dinner
Happy St. Patrick's Day! As always, I will be cooking a traditional Irish dinner tonight to mark the occasion, and I thought I would share the recipe with you guys in case you wanted to follow suit. On tonight's menu:
Trav's Corned Beef & Cabbage
1, 5-lb. corned beef brisket
1 t. dry mustard
2 t. salt
2 T. brown sugar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 T. sweet pickling spice
1 T. whole peppercorns
6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 T. dried)
36-48 oz. dark beer (the cheap stuff)
2 large onions, quartered
2 cups baby carrots
1 large head of cabbage, cut into quarters
1 large turnip, chopped (optional)
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. flour
1/2 C. cold water
Wash the corned brisket under cold water, pat dry. Score both sides of the brisket by making 1/4" deep cuts in a crisscross pattern, about a half-inch apart, and trim off excess fat from both sides. Rub both sides of the brisket with brown sugar, and place on a rack in the bottom of a dutch oven.
Make a garni bag for the spices: combine the dry mustard, garlic, pickling spice, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley, and cloves (and any seaoning packet that might have come with the brisket, if desired). Pour the spices onto a 6" square piece of cheesecloth, and tie into a bundle with string. Set aside.
Add enough beer to the dutch oven to completely cover the brisket. Add the garni bag, and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, adding more beer as required to keep the brisket covered. (Tip: place a large glass bowl filled with potatoes or water in the dutch oven, on top of the brisket. It will weigh the brisket down and keep it submerged in the beer.)
When the brisket is almost fork-tender, add the onions, carrots, and cabbage (and turnip, if you like). Cover tightly, and allow the vegetables to boil/steam in the dutch oven. When all is tender, remove from heat. Arrange the cabbage and vegetables on the bottom of a deep-dish serving platter, and discard the garni bag. Slice the brisket thinly against the grain, and lay the slices over the vegetables.
Making the gravy:
Measure out 4 cups of broth from the pot, and discard the rest. Bring the broth to a full rolling boil. Mix the cornstarch and flour with the cold water, and wisk rapidly into the boiling broth. As it boils, the gravy will thicken quickly...add a little bit of beer if it becomes too thick, and add a little more flour if it becomes too thin. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the hot gravy over the slices of brisket, and garnish with fresh parsley springs. Serve immediately with hot bread and a medium-dark beer (such as Harp or Smithwick's). Feeds a half-dozen people.
Trav's Corned Beef & Cabbage
1, 5-lb. corned beef brisket
1 t. dry mustard
2 t. salt
2 T. brown sugar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 T. sweet pickling spice
1 T. whole peppercorns
6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 T. dried)
36-48 oz. dark beer (the cheap stuff)
2 large onions, quartered
2 cups baby carrots
1 large head of cabbage, cut into quarters
1 large turnip, chopped (optional)
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. flour
1/2 C. cold water
Wash the corned brisket under cold water, pat dry. Score both sides of the brisket by making 1/4" deep cuts in a crisscross pattern, about a half-inch apart, and trim off excess fat from both sides. Rub both sides of the brisket with brown sugar, and place on a rack in the bottom of a dutch oven.
Make a garni bag for the spices: combine the dry mustard, garlic, pickling spice, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley, and cloves (and any seaoning packet that might have come with the brisket, if desired). Pour the spices onto a 6" square piece of cheesecloth, and tie into a bundle with string. Set aside.
Add enough beer to the dutch oven to completely cover the brisket. Add the garni bag, and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, adding more beer as required to keep the brisket covered. (Tip: place a large glass bowl filled with potatoes or water in the dutch oven, on top of the brisket. It will weigh the brisket down and keep it submerged in the beer.)
When the brisket is almost fork-tender, add the onions, carrots, and cabbage (and turnip, if you like). Cover tightly, and allow the vegetables to boil/steam in the dutch oven. When all is tender, remove from heat. Arrange the cabbage and vegetables on the bottom of a deep-dish serving platter, and discard the garni bag. Slice the brisket thinly against the grain, and lay the slices over the vegetables.
Making the gravy:
Measure out 4 cups of broth from the pot, and discard the rest. Bring the broth to a full rolling boil. Mix the cornstarch and flour with the cold water, and wisk rapidly into the boiling broth. As it boils, the gravy will thicken quickly...add a little bit of beer if it becomes too thick, and add a little more flour if it becomes too thin. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the hot gravy over the slices of brisket, and garnish with fresh parsley springs. Serve immediately with hot bread and a medium-dark beer (such as Harp or Smithwick's). Feeds a half-dozen people.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
King Cake
Mardi Gras! It's getting close to that time of the year again, and I am pretty stoked about it. For starters, I love Cajun food. And it has become a bit of a tradition since I moved to Colorado, that I throw a big Mardi Gras party for my workgroup on Fat Tuesday.
No Mardi Gras would be complete without the quintessentiall New Orleans treat, the King Cake. Traditionally this cake is shaped like a giant crown, and is decorated with colored sugar in green (symbolizing Faith), purple (for Justice), and gold (for Wealth). A tiny doll (usually the baby Jesus from a Christmas nativity set) is baked into the cake, and tradition holds that whoever gets the doll in their slice of cake must provide the cake next year.
I'm going to make one of these this weekend. Here at 7,800 feet, I think that it just might be the highest altitude that this dessert has ever been prepared.
King Cake
2 pkgs. yeast
1/4 C lukewarm water
1 T honey
2-1/4 cups milk
1/3 C melted shortening
2/3 C sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons salt
6 cups of all-purpose flour
1 T. ground cinnamon
1 T. grated lemon peel
1 t. vanilla extract
1" tall plastic baby doll
Melted butter
1 pkg. vanilla glaze or cake frosting
colored sugar
In a small bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water and honey. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Scald the milk, then allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large glass bowl, add the yeast mixture, scalded milk, melted shortening, sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon, lemon peel, vanilla extract, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, then fold in remaining flour until a stiff dough forms.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic (the dough will be sticky). Return to glass bowl, cover with a wet towel, and let rise until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and divide into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion out into a long rope about 1/2 inch thick, then braid them together to make a single rope. Coil this braid into a ring, and place on a buttered baking sheet. Hide the toy doll in the cake by slipping it between the baking sheet and the dough. Brush with melted butter, and allow to rise until doubled in size.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then glaze and decorate with colored sugar, gumdrops, sprinkles, candied fruits, etc. Serve warm.
No Mardi Gras would be complete without the quintessentiall New Orleans treat, the King Cake. Traditionally this cake is shaped like a giant crown, and is decorated with colored sugar in green (symbolizing Faith), purple (for Justice), and gold (for Wealth). A tiny doll (usually the baby Jesus from a Christmas nativity set) is baked into the cake, and tradition holds that whoever gets the doll in their slice of cake must provide the cake next year.
I'm going to make one of these this weekend. Here at 7,800 feet, I think that it just might be the highest altitude that this dessert has ever been prepared.
King Cake
2 pkgs. yeast
1/4 C lukewarm water
1 T honey
2-1/4 cups milk
1/3 C melted shortening
2/3 C sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons salt
6 cups of all-purpose flour
1 T. ground cinnamon
1 T. grated lemon peel
1 t. vanilla extract
1" tall plastic baby doll
Melted butter
1 pkg. vanilla glaze or cake frosting
colored sugar
In a small bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water and honey. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Scald the milk, then allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large glass bowl, add the yeast mixture, scalded milk, melted shortening, sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon, lemon peel, vanilla extract, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, then fold in remaining flour until a stiff dough forms.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic (the dough will be sticky). Return to glass bowl, cover with a wet towel, and let rise until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and divide into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion out into a long rope about 1/2 inch thick, then braid them together to make a single rope. Coil this braid into a ring, and place on a buttered baking sheet. Hide the toy doll in the cake by slipping it between the baking sheet and the dough. Brush with melted butter, and allow to rise until doubled in size.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then glaze and decorate with colored sugar, gumdrops, sprinkles, candied fruits, etc. Serve warm.
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