Easy Beer Bread

Beer bread is one of those

things that are so easy to make that people think that there's got to be a trick. It's the easiest bread you'll ever make, and it's so easy that it's one of the things I suggest people who have never baked anything, bake. Plus, it's really fun, and it makes incredible bread. It's enormously fun to see what a particular brew does to the same recipe for bread. Plus, you can add herbs, or dried fruit, or even chocolate, to make the bread a bit special. There really are endless variations.

There isn't. It's that easy to make. It's easy because with the use of the beer, and a little baking powder, and sugar, you don't need to add yeast to the flour. The beer does that for you. And for those who want it simpler still, you can use self-rising flour. What makes it fun is that with a basic recipe, there are endless variations. First of all, there's the beer; a dark beer, like a porter or a stout, makes a richer more robust bread. And there's something about the bread that really truly brings out the flavor of the beer.

Mostly, though, I encourage you to think about which beers to try; keep in mind that it's more economical to buy beer by the six-pack, so be prepared to drink the other five; it's your frugal duty. Also keep in mind that when cooking with beer, as in cooking with wine, if you wouldn't drink it quite happily, you certainly shouldn't cook with it. I favor dark beers; hearty stouts and porters, and fruity beers, with dried fruit in the bread, and, interestingly, hoppy IPAs, all work well in beer bread.

Basic Beer Bread Recipe (Makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (plus a little more for handling)
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 12 Ounces of Really Good Beer

Procedure

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and flour.
  2. Add beer and continue to mix. Begin with using a wooden spoon, but as the batter grows stiff, use your hands.
  3. The batter will be sticky, and slightly lumpy, but you do want the beer and flour to be quite thoroughly distributed.
  4. Pour into a 9 x 5 inch greased loaf pan.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees ) for 50 for 60 minutes. The top will be crunchy, and the insides will be soft.

This is a bread that needs to be eaten in a day or two, or frozen. You can substitute 3 cups of Self-Rising flour, but if you do, leave out the baking powder. You can make whole wheat beer bread by using 1 1/2 cups white flour, and 1 1/2 cups whole wheat; you'll need another teaspoon of bking powder though, and I use an extra Table spoon of sugar or sweetening. You might want to adjust the sugar upwards, depending on the beer, and personal taste; I've gone as high as 3 Tablespoons. Feel free to substitute brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup, but you might need to adjust the flour by a Tablespoon or two, as well. Variations include a cup of grated cheese, added to the batter just before pouring into the pan, two tablespoons of fresh dill or rosemary, one or three finely chopped garlic cloves (depending on your fondness for garlic), a half a cup or so dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or walnuts or raisins and cinnamon . . . The important thing is to pick the beer first, and pick a really good beer, and then think about what would go well with that beer. This will likely require careful thought and a couple of beers to figure out.

New Year's Eve Traditional Foods

It seems like every culture has its own tradition about which foods to eat on New Year's - either New Year's Day or New Year's Eve - in order to ensure luck, prosperity, friendship, and good cheer.  

Black Eyed Peas

One of the most common here in America is the tradition of eating black eyed peas.  Their shape is said to resemble coins, and because dried beans can be stored and then either eaten or replanted, their very nature echoes the idea of plenitude.  

Black eyed peas are often eaten on New Year's in a Southern dish called Hoppin' John.  This is basically a casserole of black eyed peas and rice, along with ham hocks and some seasonings.  Emeril Lagasse has an excellent Hoppin' John recipe here on the Food Network website.

Greens

Another Southern America tradition, greens are eaten because they look like folded (American) money.  Although now that our money is getting so colorful, that's not as true as it used to be!  Collard greens and kale, in addition to being supercharged with nutrition, are easily available fresh this time of year.  In the days before global produce transport, this alone was enough to recommend them!

My favorite kale recipe (and I do have one) is to make "kale crisps."  Preheat your oven to 475.  Mix cleaned kale leaves with kosher salt.  Lay the leaves out on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy.  You won't believe it's kale!

Golden Food

The tradition of ensuring prosperity by eating golden food technically belongs to Chinese New Year, which occurs in February.  But why not have some golden food on January 1st?  A "golden" theme could include foods as diverse as fried tofu, sesame noodles, Ritz crackers, Lay's potato chips, and snickerdoodles.

Pork

Pork is considered a lucky food in many cultures.  Pork indicates abundance and good fortune, not least because it proves that you had a pig to slaughter!  Pigs are also considered lucky in Austria and other Germanic cultures because pigs always root forward.  Animals which move backwards (like chickens, which move backwards when they scratch for food, or shrimps) are considered unlucky.

A ham hock is a classic addition to Hoppin John.  Ham can also be served at the table as a main dish, or cooked with lentils in a pea soup (an Italian New Years tradition).

Herring

Herring is a popular New Years meal because they are an abundant fish, and their scales are silvery (like coins).  Pickled herring is eaten at the stroke of midnight in many Polish and Polish-American homes.

Grapes

In some parts of Spain, celebrants rush to eat twelve grapes before the clock finishes striking twelve.  They are called "the Twelve Grapes," and are said to grant luck to anyone who can eat one at each toll of the bell.  (Choking hazard!)

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is another classic New Years recipe, both because the leaves of the cabbage resemble money, and because sauerkraut is an abundant food.  (If you have ever made sauerkraut, you know what I'm talking about!)  The Pennsylvania Dutch are particularly fond of this tradition, and serve their sauerkraut with beef spare ribs.

Eddie's Pan Asian Restaurant: One of Seattle's Best

Several months ago I reviewed Thai River, a restaurant that would come to be one of my go-to places places for good Asian food. When some friends and I wandered over there in October and found the doors locked during regular business hours we were a bit concerned. Later the restaurant would sport a "pardon our dust" renovation sign that lingered for well over a month. It looked like one of the best Thai spots in town had come on hard times and closed like so many good neighborhood businesses. Then the location came under new management as Eddie's Pan Asian Restaurant, which also happens to be one of the other best Thai spots in Seattle.

I've never really spent any time on Mercer Island, but if I had I'm sure I would have heard about Chef Sirichai "Eddie" Khoabtrakool's famous first restaurant, Thai Pepper. Since 1989 Thai Pepper was considered one of the best eateries in the city. With Eddie's newest venture, located on Aurora Avenue just blocks from Green Lake, he continues to provide creative, wholesome fare to Seattle's hungry.

But Eddie's Pan Asian Restaurant isn't what I'd call a traditional Thai place. Among the standards like Phad Thai and various curry dishes, Chef Eddie has a number of items on the menu that incorporate some flavors not usually found in Thai cuisine. The Tamarind Beef, for example, is a hearty, autumnal stew of fresh meat, tomato, onion and a flavorful peanut sauce seasoned liberally with nutmeg. Along with dishes like the Marinated Lamb, Eddie's menu isn't so much pigeonholed as Thai and is really more of a good, mixed-genre affair.

This is not to suggest his traditional Thai dishes don't stand up to scrutiny. Eddie's curry is out of this world and his Tom Kah (lemongrass soup with coconut milk) is one of the best I've ever tasted, especially with the in-house red pepper paste for some additional kick. Eddie's Phad Thai may be a bit too sweet for most hardcore noodle-heads, but it still beats most of the other Phad Thais I've had in a city brimming with the stuff.

Eddie's also provides an extensive menu of heart-healthy dishes that don't skip on taste. The low-fat menu, including a number of tasty tofu items, uses little to no oil. In all of the dishes on the entire menu you'll find very fresh, very firm vegetables that, as any gourmand will tell you, make all the difference in the world.

If you're feeling indulgent, the house desserts are still rather light and not at all cloying. The fresh banana or pineapple with chocolate syrup is a sweet but not overbearing finish to a meal, while the Thai Iced Tea is so good it may very well be addictive.

What really sets Eddie's Pan Asian Restaurant above its many competitors is the service. I come from a family that appreciates the value of a friendly business atmosphere. Not the fake, sickly sweet friendliness of corporate chain restaurants, but the genuine courtesy of small, owner-operated locations where it's not uncommon to have a chat with the guy whose name is on the sign out front. Eddie and his staff remember faces and make everyone in the dining room feel welcome. This is how a business should be run, not with gimmicks but with an undefinable human touch.

Ronald McDonald is One Bad Clown

McDonald’s has got to stop targeting kids so much. Period.

Ronald McDonald, the infamous “clown” from the McDonald’s gang of misfits, actually visits elementary schools. While I am unclear what exactly he says at the elementary schools, I am quite clear what his purpose is: the “evil” clown wants to start a cycle of dependency and get the next generation addicted to McDonald’s. Gee, I was under the mistaken impression that the clown from Stephen King’s “It” was scary, but he has nothing on old Ronnie. I wonder if he learned his tricks from Joe the Camel.

Happy Meals are also a little creepy. Give your kid some crappy food and win a free prize. Nice strategy there.

And how about movie tie-ins or the convenient (and brightly colored) playgrounds in front or on the side of most suburban McDonald’s. That way, even if your child is not hungry for their disgusting hamburgers, they will still be enticed by the sweet life of the McDonald’s playground.

When will it stop? Childhood (and sadly adult) obesity is on the rise in the United States. According to an article in TIME magazine, children as young as three years of age are already fans of McDonald’s. I refuse to believe that this is all a result of bad parenting and instead believe that it is the tricky marketing of crap food to children through advertisements and other means.

In 2007, many food companies (also known as Junk Food Distributors) agreed to stop advertising during television shows that are specifically targeted to children such as Sponge Bob Square Pants. As far as I know, the company with the golden arches (nor any of its competitors) has ever agreed to do the same.

Congress needs to take action to stop fast food companies from preying on young children. The eating habits that today’s youth are getting may just challenge them with health complications for the rest of their lives. Recently, four governmental agencies have  taken steps to propose voluntary nutrition standards for advertising on television. At this stage, it appears that the standards are still voluntary, so it is necessary for parents and concerned citizens to take a stand. (For a really interesting perspective on the Obama Administration’s attempts to deal with this problem, check out this Huffington Post article.)



Menu Psychology: Getting Us To Eat More

In an odd coincidence, both the New Yorker and the New York Times have run stories this month about the psychology of how restaurant menus are designed.  They cover some of the same ground, although the Times' article is much more in depth, and follows a menu designer through the process of redesigning a menu.

A valid (if sad) point raised by the articles is that restaurants were never terribly profitable, and in the last few years, times have gotten very desperate.  Anything a restaurant can do to increase profits, no matter how slim, is worth their consideration.  

Oddly enough, I have found myself going out to dinner more in the last few years, even as I have worked hard to trim any excess spending from my budget.  When I worked at an office, I would go out to lunch at least two or three times a week (my secret budgetary shame) to the tune of $5 to $10 a pop.  And for food that, let's face it, was not the greatest.  

Now that I work from home, I not only feel justified in going out to a real restaurant a few times a month, but I also find that it's a great way to connect with friends.  When you go out to dinner with someone, you spend at least an hour of quality time with them, away from the distractions of home (television, movies, video games, etc.)

Overall my food budget has dropped by at least half since I started working from home, since I cook 9.8 out of 10 meals from scratch for myself.  The remaining .2 out of 10, I'm happy to eat at a restaurant.  (For one thing, leftovers!)

I have a local "restaurant friend," and she and I frequent small, family owned restaurants.  (Not least because there aren't any chain restaurants within half an hour of here.)  I was amused to think of those restaurants' menus in the context of these articles.  

There is the menu of the Mexican restaurant, for example, which simply lists the ingredients in the item.  Which lends a certain sameness, considering that most Mexican dishes have the same ingredients.  (Tacos: beef/pork/chicken, lettuce, cheese.  Flautas: beef/pork/chicken, lettuce, cheese.  Enchiladas: beef/pork/chicken, lettuce, cheese.)

Or the menu for the Chinese restaurant, which divides all of their dishes up by the kind of noodle used.  For the life of me I can never remember the difference between "wide crispy noodle" and "narrow crispy noodle."  Ordering dishes there is kind of a crap shoot (unless you order the combination dinners, or regular fare like Mongolian Beef) but fortunately it's all delicious.  And I particularly love them for using a little tealight candle in a teapot warmer, to keep your table's tea warm.

I think that, despite the dire warnings of the CSPCI food cops, most of us are reconciled to ordering a ton of food when we go out to dinner.  We divide it in half and take the rest home as leftovers (or we plan to, anyway).  Or we simply go out to eat less often.  These articles make it sound like a mental arms race between you and the restaurant, but it's only like that out of desperation.  And think how self-satisfied you can feel now, if you go out to eat tonight instead of cooking at home!

Caramel Popcorn

It's not too late to make

something affordable and tasty as a holiday gift. Caramel popcorn, made from scratch from freshly popped popcorn is pretty fabulous and quite inexpensive. The basic process consists of freshly popping popcorn, then coating it in a caramel coating made with butter, sugar, corn syrup and flavorings. But that's just the basic variety; there are a number of additional ingredients and flavorings. Peanuts, chocolate chips, other nuts, chili, orange peel . . . there's a lot of room for ingenuity and variety.

The recipes all suggest coating the mixing bowl with oil; do not skip this step. It makes coating the popcorn with the caramel syrup easier, and it makes an enormous difference later when you're cleaning up.

The basic recipe here calls for five quarts of popped popcorn, and butter; don't skip the butter. The butter is half the taste. Make it and share it with friends. You'll notice several of the recipes call for baking soda; that helps the syrup harden so it's not sticky. There's a fast microwave method for making caramel popcorn too, for those in a hurry. Personally, I'm intrigued by this New York Times recipe for Spicy Caramel Popcorn. There's something to be said for sweet and spicy, with just a touch of salty. But the one that struck me as the one to make this holiday season is one from Orangette, called Caramel Corn with Salted Peanuts. The blogger Orangette is better known as cookbook author Molly Wizenberg, who has a charming anecdote about exactly how she re-discovered the caramel popcorn she'd had years ago in a restaurant.

Great Yule Recipes

If you want to do something a little different this Christmas season - maybe you're an atheist (like me!) or a pagan, or maybe you just feel quirky - why not celebrate Yule instead?  Yuletide is a traditional winter solstice festival, originally a pagan festival that originated in Germany.  It was later incorporated into the Christmas tradition, when everyone suddenly decided (against all evidence and logic) that Christ should take over the December holidays.

The traditional Yule or Saturnalia was all about fertility, and traditional Yule foods reflect that.  Yule festivities typically consist of a ton of food, a celebration of the harvest of the year, and a demonstration of abundance.  

Yule Log

Although the Yule Log is traditionally an actual log that is actually burned in the fireplace, the term also came to denote log shaped chocolate cakes which were served at Yule.  Also called Buche de Noel, this French dessert was traditionally made by baking a yellow sheet cake, rolling it up like a log, and frosting it.  I found an excellent Betty Crocker Yule Log recipe here.  (It calls for cake mix, but I'm sure you can follow the directions with a "from scratch" cake if you prefer.)

Wassail, Mulled Cider, and Mulled Wine

Wassail is an ancient drink, most similar to the modern hot spiced cider.  The original wassail was commonly a mildly alcoholic drink, something halfway between ale and grog.  Wassailers would add sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, then heat the concoction to lend it a heady warmth.

Modern mulled cider can be easily prepared on the stovetop, using apple cider and a number of handy ingredients.  And as a bonus, it smells absolutely delicious!  

And don't overlook mulled wine!  Mulled wine is wine prepared the same way as wassail or mulled cider.  Simply add a bit of sugar and spices to taste, and heat gently.


Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are a classic solstice treat, and have even been entrenched in Christmas carol.  Just be sure that you use the right chestnuts - horse chestnuts (common here in the Pacific Northwest as a decorative tree) are actually deadly poison, and nearly killed Penny Arcade.

Roasted Meats

Are you sensing a trend?  Food at the winter solstice should be warm, and roasted as long as possible - not only to release the flavors, but also to tenderize "difficult" meats.  And as with the mulled beverages, a roasting cut of meat makes the house smell delicious!

This page on Yule recipes traditional to Iceland lists several roasted meat recipes.  

Yule Bread

Yule bread began as an Irish tradition, and was spread to the Scandinavian countries, where it remains a tradition.  Many Yule bread recipes are simply Irish soda bread in a slightly different form, often with some currants or bits of candied orange peel.  For example, Grandma's Danish Yule Bread recipe includes raisins, dried cherries, dates, and citron.

Fruit Cake

Yule bread is NOT the same thing as fruit cake, although you might be forgiven for thinking so.  In fact, fruit cake shares a common heritage with Yule bread, but it was more common to southern and central Europe.  Fruit cake is Yule bread gone wild - more packed with fruity bits, and often soaked in rum or other liqueur.

The Aesthetics of the Japanese Lunchbox

For a lot of us, the Japanese lunch box can be as much of a mystery as some of the other cultural habits. So much care and detail goes into most of these boxes that you often wonder about any hidden messages or historic significance of the boxes. Well, there's a handy little book that can help you explore this mystery further - The Aesthetics of the Japanese Lunchbox.



This 200 page treat was written by Kenji Ekuan and contains a number of photographs that certainly enhance the topic at hand. What's interesting about his take is the way he links the organization of the lunch box to various spheres of Japanese life and culture. To this effect, he talks about the history of the box layout itself. When did it start out? What did it look like at the beginning? Then he uncovers the way in which various social trends and turbulent times have left their mark on this intriguing element that is now a significant part of people's everyday life. What will interest history buffs and art lovers alike is the way he finds deeper meanings in the way the lunch box has changed according to external influences.

One thing to keep in mind is his presentation style. The author has embraced this topic rather wholeheartedly and thus, tends to be more technical in his writing. So, while this provides the reader with detailed explanations from various angles, it can be a bit much to take in one go. Let's just say that it's not what you would read on a plane or train.

Making Real Hot Chocolate

If you love hot cocoa but you’d really like to try some hot chocolate this season, it’s the perfect time to make some! It’s surprisingly easy to make if you want to make it at home; of course, you can order it at your favorite restaurant if they serve it as well.

To make a big pot of hot chocolate to share with your friends and family (feel free to adjust if it’s just for the two of you), gather together a cup of sugar, 8 cups of milk, 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Using a good knife, place the chocolate (squares or a bar form work well) on a cutting board or other safe surface and chop it up into fine pieces. The finer the better—it will melt faster that way—but don’t stress over getting the tiniest pieces possible. Scrape them up and put them into a mixing bowl.

Next, pour your milk into a pan and heat it on the stove over medium-low heat. You don’t want it to boil, but do make it hot enough to steam.

Pour your cup of sugar and teaspoon of vanilla into the milk. Stir this up until the sugar dissolves; once it has, turn off the heat. Pour a cup of the mixture (using a ladle works well) onto the chocolate in the mixing bowl, taking care to allow the chocolate to melt slowly. Stir it up with a whisk, turning the chocolate over and making sure all of it is coated with the milk mixture.

Keep slowly adding your milk and mixing until your entire pot of milk is gone and you have a delicious-looking chocolate product left, and immediately serve in the coziest mugs you’ve got!

If you want more of a thick, dessert-like hot chocolate, try this more involved recipe for four:

You’ll need a half cup of milk, a half cup of heavy cream, 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, 2 ounces of sugar, 5 egg yolks and a tablespoon of white crème de cacao.

Chop your chocolate up like you would for the recipe above, and instead of the milk, allow the cream to heat on the stove. Unlike the milk, bring it to a boil. Then pour it slowly over the chocolate like you would for the recipe above; only keep half of it warm on the stove.

Next, whisk your egg yolks and sugar together. Once blended, add a scoop of the cream left on the stove into the mix, and quickly whisk it all together. Now add this mixture back into the pot with the remaining cream as you continue to whisk it. Now stir this mixture over low heat for about 20 minutes, allowing it to thicken. Stir the entire time. Once you can run your spoon through the mixture and it parts without running through the open part, it’s ready to use.

Add the rest of your ingredients, as well as the melted chocolate, and keep stirring until it’s cooled off and ready to serve—with a spoon! 

Give the Gift of Chocolate

Having a hard time coming up with that perfect gift? With only nine days left until Christmas, you’re getting down to the wire! No worries, though—if you can’t come up with the right appliance, toy, outfit, or other gift, why not give something that everyone can enjoy—chocolate!

If your loved one hates chocolate, of course, ditch the idea.

However, if he or she is like most people, the gift of sweet chocolate would be much appreciated. Here are some ideas; of course, if he or she has a favorite (we always get my dad his much-loved M&M’s), go with that.

Godiva: Bliss in your mouth is what this is! If your budget is big enough for it, splurge on something sweet from this famous chocolate maker. From stocking stuffers to full-blown assortments, you can get what you need—your chocolate fix?—from Godiva. The Godiva store also has some Christmas deals for you to check out, too.

Buy Now, Pay Later: In college I used to get everyone chocolate (and other goodies) from Figis because I could make payments. Consider this option if you’re on a tight budget but still want to make mouths happy this holiday.

Choxie: Available at Target stores, this brand has some really cool designs that are almost too pretty to eat. They come in exotic flavors like Sea Salt Caramel, Tiramisu, Lemon Biscotti, Fiery Pineapple and Strawberry Balsamic—but you can always go with tried and true tastes like mint, toffee and milk chocolate, too. Ghiradelli is also has fantastic flavors to go with.

Whitman’s Sampler: Who hasn’t enjoyed a Whitman’s? These come as small or as large as you’d like with traditional flavors and are available pretty much everywhere. Ferrero Rocher is another well-known brand, as well as Russell Stover. Lindt also has some incredible chocolates, including my favorite variety—the Swiss Tradition De Luxe Collection.

A Chocolatey Night Out: If you have a famous chocolate eatery or factory where you live, treat your loved one to a night out. Maybe you could do fondue at the Melting Pot, or try Bailey’s Chocolate Bar. If nothing else, grab some chocolate supplies and make your own sundaes at home—or give your friend a coupon for a “Chocolate Night for Two.”

Homemade Chocolate: If you are famous for your fudge or other decadent delights, whip up a batch and deliver it in a pretty tin with a bow.

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