Welcome to the Game-Night Kitchen!

[Dannyalcatraz]

Thank you for that one- CoB is one of my favorite soups!

There was a restaurant chain called Jojo's that had the "Peasant Lunch": unlimited bowls of CoB soup, 2 slices of buttered garlic toast, a heaping handfull of cubed cheddar, and a cored apple. Very tasty & filling.

(Sometimes, I'd add a side of fries.)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

This is my variant on my grandmother's ham & potato soup.

Creamy Creole Potato Soup

You will need:

5-8 small to medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes (don't get the tiny, salad sized ones)
1 lb Earl Cambell's Hot links (or other spicy sausage), cut into medallions
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 whole bulb of garlic, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 qt chicken stock
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup flour
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 can of Milk (see below)
1 bay leaf
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Thyme
Parsley

1) boil or bake your Yukon Gold potatoes

2) while that is going on, in a stock/soup pot, make a roux. That means, take about half of your butter, melt it over a low heat, and use it to brown your flour, slooooowly, with frequent stirring. If you find you are needing to stir constantly, turn your heat down and add a little butter. This is the only part that takes a lot of patience.

3) when your roux is golden to caramel brown, add the rest of your butter and the sausage medallions. Raise the pot temp to just between low & medium, and pan-sear your sausage medallions, stirring constantly.

4) when the sausage has browned, add your chicken stock, all of the onions & garlic, and the bay leaf. Add can of Cream of Celery soup, rinsing can with milk, and then add the milk. Add the other spices to taste. (We, being Creoles, like ours SPA-SAAYYY!).

5) by now, your potatoes should be cooked. Dice all but one, and add them to the pot. Mash the last one and hold it to the side.

6) Bring pot to a simmer, stirring often- this is a thick, dairy-filled soup so you don't want any scorching to occur!

7) add the final potato, mixing it in thoroughly, then turn off heat.


Serve with a side of buttered toast and a nice flavorful cheese- tonight, we used a Yancey's Fancy Smoked Gouda.


Serves at least 6 at 2 ladles/person.

 

[Rune]

Dagnabbit, Danny! Tonight's recipe was going to be Cream of Potato & Bacon! Back to the kitchen to come up with another one, I guess...



Seriously, looks good, though.

 

[Rune]

Episode 28: Chocolate Covered Pretzels.

Well...I was all excited and ready to post a good ole Cream of Potato recipe and here comes Danny with one of his own. So...since Danny has provided the dinner, I'll provide the dessert. And this one's easy, too (assuming you don't make your own pretzels).

Here's what you'll need:

• Pretzels (salted ones work best)
• Chocolate

Melt the chocolate.

Put some water in a saucepan and cover this with a bowl that can withstand the heat. Put chocolate in the bowl and place on the burner. Heat until the chocolate is melted.

Dip the pretzels.

Rest a pretzel on a fork and dip it into the chocolate. Completely coat and then remove from the chocolate. Let the excess drain and then set the pretzel on a tray lined with wax paper. Repeat with other pretzels.

Chill.

Put your pretzels in the fridge to chill.

And there you have it! Until next week, good gaming, y'all!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Dagnabbit, Danny! Tonight's recipe was going to be Cream of Potato & Bacon! Back to the kitchen to come up with another one, I guess...



Seriously, looks good, though.

The Cajun Ninja strikes- haaaiiiii-yahyeeeee!

Ain't nothing wrong with Cream of Potato & Bacon, though.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Here's an ingredient tip: look in your grocery's meat department for Flat Iron steak.

It's a flavorful, boneless cut that has a lot of versatility. I've been using it for stir fry, lately, and its the meat that Boston's uses for its Bacon wrapped steak appetizer w/blue cheese dip.

When I do the stir fry, I typically get a 1lb steak, and cut it into thirds. Like a typical stir fry, I do my veggies first, then set them aside. Then I quickly sear the flat iron to almost medium rare, then remove them. I return the veggies to the pot, along with whatever kind of sauce I'm using in the stir fry. While that is coming back up to heat, I cut the seared flat iron steak into slivers, then put them in the pot as well.

The result of a few minutes of cooking at medium to high heat is a nice beef stir fry with tender slivers of tender, medium rare steak. By this method, a 1lb Flat Iron serves at least 6. Economical, tasty, and healthy.

 

[Rune]

Episode 29: Meatloaf.

Meatloaf is a wonderful thing. Not just when it's fresh out of the oven, but also the next day, when you're scrounging around in the fridge for something to make a sandwich out of.

Moreover, the preparation is simple and it's ready in a couple of hours.

Here's what you'll need:

• Ground beef, preferably lean
• Crushed crackers or bread crumbs
• Eggs
• Onions
• Bell peppers
• Garlic
• Ketchup and/or steak sauce
• Salt
• Black pepper

Mix it.

Preheat your oven to about 350 degrees.

Mix your ingredients together. You should have roughly a fifth of a sleeve of crackers or a like amount of bread crumbs and roughly one egg per pound of meat. The amount of other ingredients you should include can vary according to taste.

Mold it.

Pack the mixture tightly into a deep pan and create a moat around the edge between the pan's sides and the meatloaf. Add a little water to this moat. Glaze the top of the meatloaf with ketchup or steak sauce. Cover with aluminum foil, tented so as not to touch the meat. Bake for about two hours (or until the meat has reached an internal temperature of at least 155 degrees).

If desired, you can drain the grease off of the meatloaf about halfway through the cooking process.

Let the meatloaf rest for a few minutes after removing it from the oven before serving.

Until next time, good gaming, y'all.

 

[Rune]

Episode 30: Shepherd's Pie.

Sometimes a good casserole is simply the most delicious way to feed a group of people and one of the simplest and most delicious of all casseroles is the humble shepherd's pie. Not only that, but if you have leftover vegetables in the fridge (particularly, mashed potatoes, peas or carrots). I also like to use left over pot roast, instead of ground beef, when I've got it.

Here's what you'll need:

• Potatoes
• Milk
• Butter or margarine
• Sour cream
• Ground beef (or left over pot roast)
• Onions
• Seasonings
• Vegetables
• Shredded cheese

Start with the potatoes.

If you haven't already got some mashed, peel and boil some potatoes (preferably starchy ones). When they are soft enough to break apart with a spoon, drain them and then mash them with some sour cream, milk, butter or margarine, salt, pepper, and whatever other seasoning you like.

Cook the beef.

If you haven't already got some beef ready, brown some ground beef. Add in some chopped onion for flavor and season as desired. Mix your vegetables in with the ground beef when you are finished cooking it.

Throw it all together.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees or so. Grease a casserole dish and layer the bottom with your meat and vegetables. Spread the potatoes over the top and top it all with a layer of the cheese. Bake it until the cheese on top is crispy and golden.

Remove the shepherd's pie from the oven and let it rest for a moment before serving.

...And that's it for this time! Until next time, good gaming, y'all!

 

[Rune]

Well, we're back. All links in the table of contents are now fixed (as well as links within my posts throughout the thread).

More recipes to follow!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

In that case:

Spiked Eggnog:

Buy eggnog. Pour some in glass. Add any one (or 2, if you are adventurous):

1) Frangelico Hazelnut liqour

2) Kahluha coffee liqour

3) Seagram's Stone Cherry liqour

4) Buffalo Trace or Wild Turkey whiskey

5) Wild Turkey American Honey whiskey or Bärenjäger Honey liquor

6) di Saronno amaretto

7) Vanilla Cognac- Navan if you can get it Meukow if you can't

'Tis the season!

 

[Rune]

Spiced rum is nice in eggnog, too.

 

[Gilladian]

Mmmmm.... Amaretto and Vanilla Cognac both sound soooo yummy! But I'm not polluting mine by getting it near eggnog! Eggnog is for rum (the only only only time I drink rum at all).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm planning on buying some Kracken tomorrow...

 

[Rune]

Episode 31: White Chicken Chili.

What with all the difficulty with these boards, lately, I've fallen a bit further behind than I had anticipated or hoped. Therefore, tonight, I present a triple-feature!

Some of you may remember MonkeyDragon had a white turkey chili that looked very tasty, although more of a thick soup, than a chili (unless two of the spices you decide to add are cumin and chili powder, that is).

Tonight's recipe is a different take on a similar dish.

Here's what you'll need:

• Pulled or chopped cooked chicken
• Cooked white beans
• Diced tomatoes
• Garlic
• Onions
• Peppers
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Lemon juice
• Cooking oil

Saute.

Coat the bottom of your cooking pot with cooking oil. Heat the oil over a medium-low heat. Chop your vegetables and add the onions to the pot. After a moment, add the garlic on top of the onions. Once the onions have become almost translucent, add in the peppers, as well. Season with cumin and chili powder and add some lemon juice.

Throw it together.

Continue to cook until the onions are translucent, then add your white beans. Increase the heat to medium. Drain your tomatoes (save the juice--you can use it in soups, or--some claim--to cure hangovers). Add in the tomatoes to the pot and continue to cook. Add in the chicken and continue to cook, stirring occasionally to keep the beans from sticking--and scorching. Once heated, serve with some cornbread or corn chips, some sour cream and possibly some shredded cheese over the top.

Or, try a variant.

Consider substituting smoked sausage for the chicken in this recipe and topping with crumbled bacon.

Okay, that's the first one! Next up...

 

[Rune]

Episode 32: Cornbread.

Cornbread. Eat it with chili. Eat it with soup beans. Eat it with greens. Eat it with butter. Eat it with honey. Eat it for dinner. Eat it for breakfast. As any southerner will tell you, cornbread is a fundamental food group.

In case you don't already know how, here's how to make it:

Here's what you'll need:

• Cornmeal.
• Egg
• Milk or buttermilk
• Butter

Before we begin, I want to say something about the value of a good well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. For southern cooking, there is no more important cooking implement. But, if you don't have one, don't fret. You can still make perfectly passable cornbread with a regular pan.

Start the batter.

In a bowl, add your cornmeal, egg and milk or buttermilk. Your batter should have roughly half as much liquid in it as the dry ingredients, so, for instance, one cup of milk to two cups of cornmeal. If you are using a cornmeal mix, it will probably had wheat flour and a rising agent in it already. If your cornmeal has neither of these things, you will want to add a little baking soda (half a teaspoon for the quantity mentioned above) and might want to add some flour, as well--otherwise you may have a courser cornbread than you would like.

Pour it in the pan.

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put your butter in the pan and melt it in the oven. Once melted, very carefully (with oven mitts or pot holders) tilt the pan so that you grease the sides and then pour the remainder into your batter. Stir it in and then pour the batter into the pan.

Bake.

Cook for about twenty minutes to half an hour (cook time will depend on the pan size--and type). When the cornbread is golden on top, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. If your pan is small enough, hold a sturdy plate upside-down over the top of it, then turn both the pan and plate over. Tap the bottom of the pan and, if your pan was greased well, the cornbread should slide right out.

...And that's cornbread! Next up, there's...

 

[Rune]

Episode 33: Soup Beans

Since we've done cornbread, now, let's get some soup beans cookin'!

Here's what you'll need:

• Dried beans
• Ham and/or bacon
• Onions
• Salt
• Pepper
• Water

Soak your beans.

Rinse and soak your beans overnight in a salt-water solution--twice as much water as beans (as these will plump up). Traditionally, pinto beans are used, but you have leeway to experiment with other types of beans.

Put it on to boil.

Drain and rinse your beans. Chop your onions and ham. Add to pot with beans, salt, and pepper. You can also add some hot sauce, if desired. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until beans are soft, adding water as necessary. At this point, Dannyalcatraz points out, you would do well to crush a few of the beans with a spoon to help the broth thicken. Reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve, stirring frequently to prevent the beans from sticking and scorching.

Serve with cornbread on the side and with diced onions over the top. (Or chow chow. If you don't know what that is, you'd probably prefer the onions.)

...And that's it! Until next time, good gaming, y'all!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just as a FYI, vanilla cognac in eggnog tastes like drinking melted vanilla ice cream, so be careful.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Cornbread. <SNIP>
Before we begin, I want to say something about the value of a good well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. For southern cooking, there is no more important cooking implement. <SNIP>

BLESS YOU CHILD!!!!!
It still pains me when I get cornbread from places that think cornbread is sweetened cor cake with no icing. Cornbread should be brown on the bottom, hard on the top and crumbly in the middle without being dry (hard to do without that cast iron skillet). Tastes great with chili, ham and beans, bean soup or with a bit of butter all by itself. Also good as "cereal" with some milk or crumbled up in a glass of sweet Southern Tea (yeah I thought "ewww" when I first heard it too, trust me you will sing a different song afterward).

 

[Thunderfoot]

Wassail - From the Germanic "Vas Heil" the old-aged equivalent of "yo dog, what's up?", transferred to the Old English "Was Hale" leading to the middle-aged term Wassail. In actuality a drink of Medira wine, ale, eggs, apples and spice. Eventually becoming something closer to apple cider. Here is a modern version that you can make that your friends will actually drink.

2 quarts (1/2 Gallon) of 100% Apple Juice (don't use concentrate or sweetened apple drinks)
1 cup of clear Rum (brown run works, spiced rum is a no no)
1/2 cup of Lemon juice
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 orange sliced (but not peeled) into three or four good thick rounds
18 - 24 cloves
1 or 2 sticks of cinnamon

Take a crock pot and turn it to High
place the brown sugar in the crock pot and slowly add the apple juice, lemon juice and rum, constantly stirring until mixed.

Slice the oranges as above and place six cloves in each slice through the peel - alternately you can put the cloves in and then slice, throw the top and bottom pieces away (too much peel) add to the crock pot.

Cover, let this cook until steam starts to form on the lid and add the cinnamon (you don't want to use powdered because it gets grainy, you want the flavor, but not the actual spice in your drink) Re-cover move setting to low until hot, place on warm and serve.

This is a great Holiday tradition, but also works for a light "fantasy feeling" drink that isn't as heavy as ale or beer, but has more "spirit" than wines or meads.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I can report that:

1) Kracken dark rum is nice

2) it does go well with eggnog