What's to Eat?

To a chef, the scariest three words in the English language are, "What's to eat?"  That's because when asked that question, a chef can feel kind of like a prisoner caught in a spotlight.  Unlike restaurants that have printed menus, when your friends or family suddenly decide that they're hunger is your responsibility and you hadn't intended to feed them, you're on the spot to come up with a tasty treat.  To keep your blood pressure from spiking when you're suddenly put to the test, I decided to dedicate this week's blog to guerrilla cooking, Man Cave Munchies Style.

Got Beer?

One thing that every red blooded American male has in his fridge is beer, right?  While you can drink it, you can also use beer to make a number of crowd-pleasing favorites that are sure to satisfy your guests.  Below are 5 of my favorites:

Beer Bread - This recipe is so easy, it's scary.  In fact, I don't consider it cooking.  It's more like chemistry.  If you mix the proper ingredients in the proper amounts, then pop it in the oven for 45-minutes you wind up with crusty on the outside, fluffy on the inside bread that can be used to build a sandwich, sop up sauce or eaten on its own.  Check out the step-by-step video below.

Beer Cheese Soup - Here's another easy to make recipe that uses beer as its base.  The only other ingredients needed are shredded cheese, chicken broth, a diced onion, butter, flour, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.  Follow the directions in the video below and you'll be able to pull this recipe together in less than 30-minutes from start to finish.

Pigs in a Blanket - If all you've got in your fridge is beer and hot dogs, as long as you have flour and baking powder handy, you can feed a crowd with this recipe.   This is a fan favorite during football season that I usually serve with Boston baked beans that I also make with beer.  Why not?

Beer Pizza - Yes, Virginia, you can make homemade pizza without yeast by substituting beer as the leavening agent.  While the video below shows me making the pie on a barbecue, you can bake it in a 500-degree oven just as easily.  I even show you how to make the dough in a food processor in 2-minutes flat.  No fuss, no muss.  

Beer Brownies - What's dinner without dessert?  Especially when you can make brownies using beer.  You heard me right...Beer Brownies.  All it takes is a cup of flour, 1 beer, 4-eggs, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, a cup of sugar and a 1/4 cup of softened butter or margarine.  Mix the batter, pour it into a prepared baking dish before popping it into 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes.  YUM!

Want even more recipes?  Check out my new Man Cave Munchies cookbook.  Available in both digital and print format, my cookbook is interactive since it contains both hyperlinks and QR codes that make cooking a snap.  Pick out a recipe, click on over to the video and cook. So easy even a man cave man can do it.