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:

Who Says There's No Substitute for Success?

By Carl Weiss

Image courtesy Man Cave Munchies

While I've pointed out in past episodes that no recipe is chiseled in stone, what foils many chefs is coming to the realization that they don't have the necessary ingredients to complete a dish.  While there might be time enough to hop on down to the grocery store or spice shop if you've yet to begin cooking, when you're smack in the middle of preparing a meal only to realize that you're missing a vital ingredient, many chefs tend to panic.  Having been a man cave man all my adult life, I've learned that when push comes to shove, you can sometimes substitute one ingredient for another without anyone being the wiser.  Hell, improvisation is part and parcel of the man cave mantra.  Below you'll find my down and dirty list of substitutes that can save the day when you're midway through food preparation only to realize that you forgot something.

The Boozy Bunch

By Carl Weiss

A funny thing happened when I was perusing the 63 videos on my YouTube channel.  I noticed that 2 of the top-10 videos on Man Cave Munchies were homemade liqueurs: Irish Cream and Double Dutch Chocolate.  At that moment it hit me...My audience REALLY likes recipes with booze.  So, I decided to up the ante by devoting the month of November to booze-infused recipes.  For a starter, I decided to give you guys yet another favorite homemade hooch of mine: Amaretto for $5 a pitcher.  (see the video at right) The great thing about making homemade liqueurs is that you can use the cheapest booze on the shelf, since the alcohol is more about function than form.  You can also control the flavor, since you are in charge of that as well. Add a pinch of this or a double dash of that and you will wind up with a whole new taste sensation.

Football Favorites

By Carl Weiss

Image courtesy of Flickr

Now that it's football season once again, I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes that are sure to please and feed a crowd. The secret to fabulous football fare is to have 3 courses, the appetizers that you will serve at the start of the game, the entree you will feed your friends at halftime, not to mention dessert for the fourth quarter.

Bock to the Future!

By Carl Weiss

Image courtesy of Flickr

One of the reasons more than 300,000 people have watched my videos has to do with the fact that beer is an ingredient in more than a quarter of my recipes.  And why not, since it's a great way to add flavor to many dishes.  I mean, it probably won't enhance the taste of your cornflakes.  But it most definitely can add an extra kick to stews, soups, breads and barbecue, to name a few.  Since Octoberfest is right around the corner, I thought I would review some of the ways I have used the humble brewsky in a recipe or twosky.