Welcome to the Game-Night Kitchen!

[Rune]

Episode 24: Black Bean Chili

Well, the weather's turning chilly around these parts, so this is a great time to do a nice pot of black bean chili.

Here's what you'll need:

• Ground Beef or Stew Meat.
• Onions
• Bell Peppers
• Black Beans, canned or pre-cooked
• Diced Tomatoes
• Tomato Paste
• Beef Broth
• Chili Powder
• Garlic
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cumin
• Sugar
• Butter or Margarine
• Lemon Juice

Chili.

Brown your ground beef or cook your stew meat with some onions and bell peppers, as well as salt, black pepper, garlic, chili powder, and cumin.

Add in a little beef broth, then add the tomatoes, beans (red beans and kidney beans are also good in this recipe, but, personally, I really like black beans for this dish) and tomato paste.

Add a little butter or margarine and just a hint of sugar and lemon juice. Add more seasoning as desired, then let your chili simmer until you are ready to serve.

...And that's it! Good gaming, y'all!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Hmm...

Between that and Lisa's recipe, I'm thinking about using something like a pork loin or a fattier cut to make some sort of pork & black bean chili...

 

[Rune]

Hmm...

Between that and Lisa's recipe, I'm thinking about using something like a pork loin or a fattier cut to make some sort of pork & black bean chili...

Bacon works nicely.

 

[Rune]

Had a game tonight, so I'll post an update tomorrow instead.

Here's a teaser: This one's for all you hobbits out there.

 

[Rune]

Episode 25: Fried Mushrooms.

This is another snack that takes a bit of cooking, but will be well worth the effort when your hungry gamer-friends descend upon you.

Here's what you'll need:

• Mushrooms
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oregano
• Basil
• Thyme
• Garlic
• Paprika
• Buttermilk
• Cooking oil

Heat the oil.

Pour about two inches of oil into a pot and heat over medium heat (or slightly higher). The oil will be hot enough to cook with when you can flick a drop of water into it and it immediately boils away.

Anytime you are dealing with a large quantity of oil, you run the risk of having some make contact with your heat source--and then--a grease-fire. In the event of a grease-fire, make sure you put it out by pouring a generous amount of salt or baking soda onto the base of the flames. They also make special fire-extinguishers for grease-fires. DO NOT try to use water (or other liquids) to put the fire out--that will just spread it around! Of course, this assumes that the fire is still small enough to manage safely. If it is large enough to threaten your well-being, get out of the building and contact professional fire-fighters.​

Batter.

Mix all dry ingredients (except the mushrooms) and then mix in buttermilk until a thick, smooth-ish batter is produced. The seasoning you choose to use is quite forgiving, so feel free to experiment with other flavors!

Dip and dunk.

Stab a mushroom with a fork and coat it with batter. Let any excess drip off. Hold the mushroom just above the surface of the oil and gently pry the mushroom off into oil. Be careful not to let the mushroom fall from too high, or the oil will splash and, at the very least, burn you. Repeat with the rest of the mushrooms, but don't overcrowd the pot. When each mushroom is golden, remove it from the oil with a pair of tongs and let it drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.

When you are finished, turn the heat off and let the oil completely cool before disposing of it.

Serve your mushrooms and bask in the complements that are sure to follow!

Until next week, good gaming, y'all!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You might want to invest in a pot spider: Helen''s Asian Kitchen Spider Strainer - Bed Bath & Beyond

Perfect for getting things into and out of hot oil in bunches instead of singles- a time saver for something like this. Depending on mesh size, can also work as a strainer, especially when making your own stock.

 

[Gilladian]

I want to share a recipe for yummy yummy treats my great-aunt used to make. They were called 7 layer cookies when I first heard of them. I've since heard them called other things, including ooey-gooey chewies.

Start with a 9x12" tray. In the bottom, fill it with a layer of crushed graham cracker crumbs. 1 1/2 pkgs is usually about the right amount. Then pour one stick of melted butter over them. Toss and spread evenly. On top of this add:

1 regular bag of chocolate chips
1 regular bag of butterscotch chips (white choc can be subbed if you hate butterscotch. Or toffee chips can be used)

2 cups of chopped walnut or pecan pieces
2 cups shredded coconut or raisins or dried minced fruit of any sort (coconut is traditional, but I hate it, so sub fruit)

Then drizzle two cans of condensed milk over the top.

Place in a medium oven (350 to 375) and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the chips all melt and glue everything together. Allow to cool completely, remove from the pan and cut into small squares. VERY RICH!

I have seen the ooey-gooey variant replace the graham crackers and butter with a layer of brownie mix. If you do that, follow the baking instructions for the mix. EVEN RICHER!

 

[Rune]

Episode 26: Hearty Chicken & Vegetable Soup.

Well, here we are, half a year in, and my wife's a little under the weather, so we'll just celebrate the milestone with a nice, simple, chicken soup.

Here's what you'll need:

• Cooked chicken, pulled or cut into bite-sized pieces
• Chicken broth
• Vegetables
• Salt
• Pepper

Put it in a pot.

Add your broth and chicken into a pot with some salt and pepper to taste (and other seasonings, if desired). Start cooking this over a medium heat.

The type of vegetables used will determine the order you add them to the soup, as well as whether or not they have already been cooked before (this is a great soup to add leftovers into!).

Raw potatoes or carrots, for instance, will want to be cut into smallish pieces and cook for longer than will less dense veggies. Robustly flavored vegetables, like tomatoes or corn would be best added soon after (and, if you're using fresh tomatoes, peel them! Your soup will be much better without those tomato skins floating around in it!). Fresh cabbage, squash, and/or zucchini will all turn to mush quickly, so should be added late in the cooking process.

...aaand that's it for this milestone episode, folk!

Good gaming, y'all!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Do you like lox & bagels? You know with cream cheese, red onions, and maybe capers? If so, I just tried a few variants you might enjoy.

1) Instead of bagels, I buy pretzel-rolls/pretzel-bread or some good sourdough buns. They're actually slightly healthier- except for the salt- and they're easier to chew than your standard bagel. In addition, it's easier to find good pretzel breads as opposed to good bagels.

2) Instead of cream cheese, try an herbed soft cheese. Boursin is the easiest to find. We have also tried garlic & Herb D'affinois Brie. Each adds a nice new dimension to the creamy side of the equation.

3) Instead of cream cheese, substitute a good guacamole. The texture is nice & creamy and partners nicely with the red onions. And the salmon on top seems not to mind.

The past few times we've had lox at home, I've actually been combining either 1 & 2 or 1 & 3. Both are winners.

 

[Rune]

Episode 27: Cream of Broccoli Soup.

A good hot soup is a fine thing for a cold night of gaming and broccoli is a fine thing at any time.

That's why, this time in the Game-Night Kitchen, we're fixing up a fine batch of broccoli soup!

Here's what you'll need:

• Milk
• Broccoli
• Butter
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper

Start with a double-boiler.

If you don't have a double-boiler, you can put a couple of inches of water in one pot and fit another pot on top. Pour your milk into the top pot and put the whole set-up on the burner on high.

If you are using fresh broccoli, wash it and cut it up, then add it to the milk. If using frozen broccoli, skip right ahead to adding it to the milk.

Thicken.

Melt some butter (about one stick per half-gallon of milk used. When it is melted, blend in some flour (about a quarter cup per stick of butter) and some salt and pepper. For these quantities, you will probably want something like a teaspoon of each, but if you feel you want to add more when the soup is done, you can do so then.

Once the broccoli has gotten soft, stir this mixture into the soup to thicken it.

If you want to add cheese, you can do so at this point. Either add a soft cheese, cut into small pieces and let it melt, or add shredded cheese and mix it in.

That's it for tonight, but tomorrow night we'll have another soup, so, until then, good gaming, y'all!