The 8-Bit Cook & The Quest For Deliciousness

Buttermilk Soft Pretzels

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 04:14:00 +0000

Welcome back, guys! Earlier this week, I posted my recipe for potato leek soup and paired it with a delicious buttermilk soft pretzel. The creaminess of the soup with the salty bread was truly amazing! As promised, here is the recipe for the pretzel. Enjoy it with a bowl of soup, some artisan mustard, some jalapeño cheese sauce or just shove it in your face straight from the oven, without ceremony. Good luck resisting...I think I ate two of these before plating it with the soup for the picture.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 Cups warm buttermilk (about 110º-115ºF)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter, melted
2/3 cup baking soda

Water for boiling
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Coarse Sea Salt or pretzel salt

Step One: Warm buttermilk in a microwave to 110º-115ºF. This should only take about 45 seconds on high, depending on the power of your microwave.

Step Two: In a large bowl, whisk the sugar into the warm buttermilk and then sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the buttermilk/sugar mix. Let stand until the yeast is foamy (usually about 5 minutes). This is a very important step...the foaminess of the yeast will be a sign of the success of your bread or in this case, pretzels. During this step, you are "activating" the yeast. Yeast is what makes bread rise but it won't rise if it isn't activated. And if your buttermilk is too hot, you can kill the yeast. So be careful not to get the buttermilk too hot.

Step Three: Mix together salt and flour in a separate bowl and then add to the buttermilk/yeast cup-by-cup. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook, otherwise, just use a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula to form a rough dough.

Step Four: Wash your hands and dig in! Knead the dough to form a smooth dough. You can effectively knead your dough in the bowl. If you don't feel you have enough space to form a smooth dough, turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead.

Step Five: Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil into a bowl and roll the ball of dough in it, coating evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in size (about an hour).

Step Six: Divide dough into two balls and roll into ropes on a floured surface. Next, cut ropes into 8 even pieces each (for a total of 16 pieces).

*The surface I am using is a baking mat. This is a silicone sheet that I can roll out, coat with flour and use for working dough. It is a super-useful tool, easy to clean and something you should definitely add to your arsenal!

Step Seven: Roll the 16 sections into ropes. Try to form the ropes into even strands. The OCD in me likes evenly shaped pretzel twists. If you don't care, then don't worry about it. You might save yourself some sanity. After all, the shape won't effect how delicious the pretzels turn out.

* Cover the pieces with plastic wrap while you're rolling out the ropes. This will prevent the pieces you still need to roll from drying out.

Step Eight: Twist together the ropes to form a twisted-loaf-like...er...shape...yeah...and make sure to pinch the ends together so they won't separate when boiled and baked. Make sure to cover the twists with plastic wrap while rolling out/twisting the next set. Again, you want to prevent the dough from drying out.

Step Nine: Cover dough twists with plastic wrap and let rise for about 15-20 minutes.

Step Ten: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step Eleven: Add about 12 cups water and 2/3 cup baking soda to a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add the pretzel twists, one-by-one, to the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds, flipping over halfway way through with a spoon or spatula and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheets.

Step Twelve: Brush with beaten egg yolk/water mixture and sprinkle with sea salt/pretzel salt.

Step Thirteen: Pre-Heat oven to 450º and bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cook about ten minutes before serving.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Make sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

Potato Leek Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:10:00 +0000

As we have previously established, Fall is here! Time for delicious dishes that warm the belly and the soul. One of my favorite soups is potato leek. There's a pub here in Las Vegas that used to serve the most amazing potato leek soup with Irish soda bread. I would visit with my friends at least once a month and no matter what I ordered, it was always with a side cup of potato leek soup. That pub has since become completely homogenized; their menu filled with more generic fare...stale, boring...more cheeseburgers, less authentic cooking and that soup, a wistful memory. Well...a memory until I decided to just re-create the stuff myself! The results took me right back to that dimly lit pub, the music and best of all, the memories of hanging out with my friends, drinking Guinness and having a laugh. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

INGREDIENTS

4 Cups Yellow Potatoes (peeled & cubed)
3 Leeks (cleaned and finely chopped)
1/2 White Onion (finely diced)
4 Tbs Butter
2 Cups Water
2 Cups Milk
2 Cups Half & Half
2 Tsp Salt (or to taste)
1 Tsp Ground Pepper
Crumbled Bacon & Parsley to garnish

Recommended extra equipment: Immersion blender. Immersion blenders are not very expensive and come in extremely handy in the kitchen when making soups, sauces or even if you want to make a quick smoothie or shake without getting out a full-sized blender. They are also easy to use and easy to clean. You can get a good one for around $35. Trust me, it's worth it!

Step One: Prep your veggies! Peel your potatoes and dice them into small cubes. I recommend yellow potatoes because they have a delicious, naturally buttery flavor. They just make better soup. Period. Peel and finely dice your onion. The smaller the pieces, the better. Most importantly, when you're prepping your leeks, peel them apart and wash them throughly! Leeks are layered and lots of dirt likes to hide in those layers. If your leaks aren't clean, you might as well just be making dirt soup. Because the flavor will be...earthy...to say the least.

* If you're garnishing with crumbled bacon, don't forget to cook it! Or you can just cheat and use bacon bits.

Step Two: Sauté your onion & leeks! In a skillet, add two tablespoons butter, pinch of salt and sauté leeks until tender (about 5-6 minutes). In a large, deep pot, add 2 tablespoons of butter, pinch of salt and diced onion. Sauté until slightly transparent and tender (about 5 minutes).

Step Three: Add potatoes to onions! Allow the potatoes to cook with the onions for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step Four: Add leeks & water to onions and potatoes! Add cooked leeks and two cups of water. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until potatoes are completely tender.

Step Five: In a separate pot, combine milk and half & half and heat to a slow boil. Stir frequently and be very careful not to scorch the milk mixture.

Step Six: Using an immersion blender, blend the cooked potatoes, onion and leeks until smooth.

Step Seven: Add hot milk and half & half to blended potatoes & leeks. Mix together completely and add remaining salt and pepper. Simmer, UNCOVERED, for about 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. I stress "uncovered" because if you cover the soup, the heat combined with the cream could cause it to bubble up and overflow like a volcano of deliciousness. And that is NO FUN to clean off your stove...learn from my mistakes, kids.

Serve it up hot and top it with parsley and bacon! It's delicious with your favorite crusty bread, Irish soda bread or (if you're feeling sassy) a fresh baked soft buttermilk pretzel (recipe coming later this week)!

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The Outbreak Cook: Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 07:22:00 +0000

CAUTION! WALKING DEAD SPOILERS AHEAD!

Tonight, on The Walking Dead, our buddies from Terminus met their bloody end. And as I suspected last week, Bob was, indeed, bitten during the mission to the food bank. Bob revealed the bite when he was laugh-crying hysterically as the Termites were munching down on his leg, "Tainted meat!" he shouted.

I can't get into the science of the zombie virus and food contamination but we can talk about the very real biological danger cannibalism presents. Aside from being mortifying and heavy on the "ick" factor, our good friend, Science has proven cannibalism leads to degenerative neurological diseases and ultimately, death. In the 1950's and 60's, a Kuru epidemic swept through a tribe of 8,000 people in Papua New Guinea. 1,000 people died. Scientists attributed the disease to the tribe's regular practice of "ritualistic mortuary cannibalism."

What is Kuru disease? Here's a nice, science-y explanation from scienceblogs.com: "The word kuru means “shaking death” in the Fore language, and describes the characteristic symptoms of the disease. Because it affects mainly the cerebellum, a part of the brain involved in the co-ordination of movement, the first symptoms to manifest themselves in those infected with the disease would typically be an unsteady gait and tremors. As the disease progresses, victims become unable to stand or eat, and eventually die between 6-12 months after the symptoms first appear."

So, why would eating human flesh cause such devastating physiological problems? According to Andy Ellington at the University of Texas at Austin, part of it has to do with these little guys called prions. "Prions are interesting because they’re sort of the exception that proves the rule of DNA. That is, while DNA replicates sequence, prions replicate conformation. Prions are peptides or proteins that assume a particular conformation. When a prion comes in contact with a similar protein that is not shaped the same the prion forces the protein to assume its conformation, and they aggregate together in a tight knit architecture known as an amyloid. This is the same sort of amyloid that occurs in the very similar prion disease Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD) and in Alzheimer’s. So, you can sort of think of prions as the first domino that initiates a cascade of conformational events that leads to a big, tangled mess in your brain. Not good."

Below is a picture of brain tissue on a microscopic scale. The damage is obvious.

Remember several years ago in the UK there was an outbreak of something called "Mad Cow Disease?" Yeah...same thing. In that case, the cows became ill because they were fed OTHER COWS in their feed. And then people became ill and died because those cows were slaughtered and turned into burgers. The cows suffered from the exact same symptoms as the human members of the tribe in Papua New Guinea half-way around the world.

It would seem nature is sending us a very, very clear message: Cannibalism = bad. So, although Gareth and his crew met a brutal death at the hands of Rick and his group, the Terminus people had already doomed themselves to a much slower, debilitating end. In a way, what Rick did was a mercy.

So, remember, kids... no matter how bad things get in the zombie apocalypse... just eat a squirrel.

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The Outbreak Cook: Open A Can Without a Can Opener

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 14:15:00 +0000

I have zero survival skills so I'm fairly certain I wouldn't live through the zombie apocalypse on my own. The one thing I can do is cook and in the event of a zombie outbreak, I'm hoping that skill would be enough to make me valuable to a group. Until that nightmarish day when the dead rise and survivors are on the brink of losing their humanity, I will prepare by honing my skills in the kitchen and doing as much research as possible into survivalist cooking so that I might save the world with campfire cupcakes. I'll be doing a new regular feature on this blog as I do us both a favor (effectively saving your life...you're welcome) by combing the internet and posting a new tip every week for cooking in an apocalypse.

****

CAUTION: WALKING DEAD SPOILERS

This week, on "The Walking Dead," we saw our group go to a food bank in search of supplies. Naturally, the building was full of walkers and the basement (where the much needed food happened to be) was waist deep in some really nasty water and who-knows-what else. They scuffled, they killed, they got their canned food. But Bob was pulled underwater and emerged in kind of a funny state. I thought he was bitten. Did anyone else get that impression? Let's discuss in the comments below. Well...now that the Terminus crazies have him, he was DEFINITELY bitten. Oh, well...that's what you get for leaving the group to go have a cry in the woods. Poor Bob.

END SPOILERY TALK

****

This week's tip: how to open a can without a can opener! Let's face it, you're going to be busy grabbing up provisions, weapons, ammunition and the occasional bottle of booze for a Molotov cocktail (or to simply chug to try to escape from your new, terrifying reality). You might forget to snag a can opener from that previously looted house or department store before running for your life. I found this nifty video on YouTube from Mission Survivor. Check out their website and YouTube channel for more helpful tips and tricks.

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Video Game Pick of the Week: Contrast

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 14:31:00 +0000

The official description from the game's website: "CONTRAST is a charming 2D/3D puzzle platformer where you can shift from a fantastic 3D world to a mysterious shadowy universe in 2D in the blink of an eye. Initially scheduled to release on PC, Contrast will also be available on the PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® Arcade in late 2013.In CONTRAST, you will explore a dreamlike, vaudevillian world of the 1920s. In this universe, where the boundaries between showmanship, magic, intrigue and deception are blurred, you play as Dawn, the imaginary friend of a young girl named Didi."

A friend first turned me on to this game on the Xbox 360. The second it loaded, I was completely blown away by everything about it. "Contrast" is a stunning visual treat with a completely immersive environment. The world is rich with some of the most beautiful artwork I have ever seen in a video game and the score is hauntingly beautiful, adding to the environment without being intrusive. The game is challenging and fun as you're forced to come up with new and different ways to traverse the city and complete Didi's tasks.

My only complaint is that "Contrast" is only single-player. Should Compulsion Games decide to put out a sequel, I would love to see it be single-player or co-op. A game this beautiful deserves to be shared with friends!

Check it out on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One!

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The Verse: A Firefly Fan Film Q&A With Director Julian Higgins

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 15:51:00 +0000

I am a Browncoat, through and through. If you need to ask "What's a Browncoat?" then stop reading. Stop reading IMMEDIATELY and go binge-watch the Joss Whedon masterpiece "Firefly" and the movie "Serenity" (available on Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime). You will thank me for it later...trust me. The only disappointment you might experience is that it ends; it ends way too soon and that might break your heart a little (or a lot, depending on your level of obsession). "Firefly" was a genius mix of sci-fi and western following the rag-tag crew of the firefly class cargo ship, Serenity. Led by Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), we explored the outer reaches of space, smuggled cargo, robbed a train, outran Reavers and the Alliance alike...we laughed, we cried, we misbehaved. The show originally aired on FOX and never really had a fighting chance. The episodes were aired out of order and the show was shuffled from night-to-night with no hope of ever finding a foothold. And then it was gone. But the deed was done and a fandom was born. Here we are, 12 years later, still talking about it.

Recently, a friend sent me the link to a "Firefly" fan film called "The Verse." I clicked the link, not really sure what to expect. I wasn't actually prepared to be blown away by the quality, story and effects. Produced by Loot Crate, "The Verse" follows the crew of the Overland, a Serenity-style transport ship. The characters are fun and interesting and the dialogue perfectly captures the vibe of the original universe, complete with plenty of Chinese swearing and my personal favorite, "gorram." But where this fan film sets itself apart is in the detail. From the original music to the set design, this little film is the perfect tribute to the world we love so much. The film stars Ryan Caldwell (Bret Hunter), Jennifer Wenger (Caroline Stack), Zack Finfrock (Rusty Duvall), Peter Weidman (Travis Sandspur), Tybee Diskin (Maribelle Crawford), Alex Marshall-Brown (Annie Whitehall), Ewan Chung (Jon Zhou), and Vic Mignogna (Commodore Woodruff).

Director and producer Julian Higgins took the time to answer 8 questions about the making of "The Verse" to give us a little more insight into the making of this labor of love. Find Julian on Twitter @JulianHiggins!

Q) First, let me congratulate you on a fantastic short film! You’ve done the Browncoats proud! Loot Crate is an amazing company but seems an unusual choice for a producer. How did the film evolve with Loot Crate as your production partner?

A) Thank you for the kind words! We've been overwhelmed by the amazing response from the Browncoat community. Loot Crate is an incredibly awesome company that are just huge fans of all things geek and gamer culture. I personally started working with Loot Crate in November of 2013 after my long time collaborator Zack Finfrock, Loot Crate's inhouse artist, invited me to join him and writer/actor Peter Weidman as the main director/editor/co-writer for their monthly web shorts. Monthly, we'll do some fun web short for the community that ties into the theme of Loot Crate that month. I've been doing them since then.

When it became clear that there would be a GALACTIC themed crate that included some amazing Firefly items from Quantum Mechanix, we both immediately had the same thought: We HAVE to make a Firefly short film. Luckily, the owners of Loot Crate, Chris Davis and Matthew Arevalo, were 100% on board. So, the weekend after Comic Con I sat down and came up with the characters, the story and the title. I took those over and pitched them to Peter and Zack, who loved it and we fined tuned the basics. Peter went off and wrote our first draft, and then we all three polished it into the final script. After that, Loot Crate approved it and gave us the creative freedom to go off and create something that would make everyone proud.

One month time in total. August 10th the script was finished, September 10th "The Verse" went live! It really wouldn't have been possible to do without Loot Crate.

Q) One of the many things about the film that was a huge stand-out was the ship, the Overland. The design (inside and out) was the perfect homage to the Serenity without being a carbon copy and the effects were extremely impressive! Can you tell me a little about the design process and how your crew pulled off such shiny boat?

A) Living in Los Angeles, we're incredibly lucky to be in close proximity to a lot of great movie studios and sound stages. One of those is the famous Laurel Canyon Stages, who's Stage B houses a beautiful space ship set. This includes a couple great ship hall ways, two different cockpits and a medical bay. Amazingly enough, this is the exact same space ship set that they filmed as the derelict transport for the Firefly episode "Bushwhacked". Talk about a geek out moment.

Once we secured Laurel Canyon Stages for filming, designing the Overland became a lot clearer. Zack and I worked together using screen captures of that episode and, since we'd be filming on the same sets, decided to use that ship's exterior design as a starting point and inspiration for the Overland. Zack drew up some great concept art sketches of the ships exterior and also an interior layout that would correspond with the sets in a way that makes sense for our film. The 3D model was expertly built by some of the fantastic artists on the "Firefly Online" video game team, and was brought to life by Dastoli Digitial -- our visual effects team. Once we were on set, we added our own Firefly-inspired interior set decoration and detailing created by our production designer Paul Bianchi. He even built our ships engine from scratch, and hand cranked it himself during the scene! All of those pieces come together beautifully and voila: Welcome aboard the Overland!

Q) The music gave me chills. As a massive Firefly fan, I was taken back to the series with that wonderful twangy steel guitar and fiddle. If I’m being honest, I actually got a little misty with nostalgia. So much detail obviously went into the making of The Verse and the score was a subtle, yet vitally important co-star. Was it difficult to capture the feel of the original music?

A) I'm a huge fan of movie and television music. I think Greg Edmonson's Firefly's score is one of those things that elevates the show to another level. It's a beautiful sort of nostalgic, fly-with-the-wind sound that makes the ship feel like a home. Full credit goes to our talented composer Dan Martinez (www.danmartinezmusic.com), who absolutely understood and brought that emotion and sound from the Firefly series to life for our film. Together, we played with the choices about the familiar themes and instruments that inspired thousands of fans to fall in love with the original series. Once we established the sounds needed, Dan did a wonderful job composing the music and adding his own personal artistry to that existing pallet. I especially loved his use of the beautiful live violin, mandolin and guitar. Furthermore, all of that beautiful music was done in less than two weeks! The man is ridiculously good at his craft and was a huge part of what made "The Verse" work.

Q) The original characters of Firefly were so memorable. It’s difficult to watch The Verse without making comparisons to Captain Reynolds, Wash, Jayne, Zoe and Kaylee but you still managed to create a unique crew with their own unique personalities and relationships. During the writing process, what aspects of the story and character development proved most challenging?

A) When you're making a short film, you have an incredibly small amount of time to introduce your characters to the audience in a meaningful way that gives them a chance to know them and fall in love with them. Peter Weidman, one of our co-writers and the actor who played "Yoke" in the film, said it really well: "It's like writing Firefly on fast forward". Introducing and establishing 6 new characters in 15 minutes was by far the biggest challenge. Joss Whedon created a brilliant dynamic between the characters on Firefly. For us, there was definitely inspiration taken from the original series in our writing. The Serenity crew was a family. The Overland crew is a dysfunctional bunch. We wanted fans to quickly recognize the world, and feel like they were back with a new, yet familiar, crew of misfits.

Q) The cast is fantastic. I can honestly say I enjoyed every performance. Was the casting process difficult or were they all as passionate about Firefly as you seem to be?

A) The entire cast and crew were full of Browncoats! That's what made the project so fun: Everyone was a fan of Firefly and couldn't wait to get to work on our own little slice of Joss' world. Zack, Peter and I discussed the characters dynamics and who would work best for what character. Some characters changed from male to female early on. Some roles adjusted for the actors and as the story developed. Ultimately, the final cast was made up mostly of actors and people that I've directed in previous projects of mine. There were also some great actors that I had wanted to chance to work on something with, and who happened to be right for the roles. It all worked out beautifully. By the end of the whole thing, it was great to get to play around with a gang of old friends and make some new ones as well.

Q) Quantum Mechanix, the creators of Firefly Online, are credited as creating some of the original models and props for The Verse. How did they come to be involved?

A) Quantum Mechanix was a humongous help in making "The Verse" a reality. They were an early collaborator, as they were providing some amazing exclusive items in the GALACTIC crate that month. We met Andy Gore, CEO of QMx and executive producer of the "Firefly Online" game, and he was thrilled with our idea and wanted to know how he could help. From there, Andy introduced us to Sean Kennedy, one of his very talented 3D artists from "Firefly Online". We worked together on creating the final design for the Overland using Zack's concept art and designs. Over the following weeks, Sean took the time to build our 3D ship model from scratch and we passed it along to our visual effects team at Dastoli Digital to bring it to life..

Likewise, Andy offered us access to the fantastic "Firefly" props and replicas that QMx creates for use in our film, which helped add an extra layer of authenticity. We are very thankful to have had their help and support, and we're all super excited for the reveal that you will have the opportunity to fly the Overland in "Firefly Online", as well as play an exclusive game mission based on our film's story!

Q) Fandom can be daunting. Every fan has an opinion (usually quite a strong one) and sometimes, it’s not a good one. Was it at all intimidating to create something in a universe so passionately loved?

A) Absolutely! I think if you're making a film based on something that is known and loved, there should be a lot of pressure, in a good way, to make sure you're doing a good job for your fellow fans. You want to make sure that what you're making is connecting to the original material, and that you're working hard to bring that spirit back to life. The overwhelmingly positive response from the fans for this project has been incredibly exciting and humbling. And when you're even getting a loving shout out from Nathan Fillion on Twitter, and executive producer/director Tim Minear on Facebook... What more could you ask for as a cast and crew?

We're just incredibly happy everyone is just as excited as were to bring out something we love as fans, for fellow fans. As the director, I feel lucky to be part of an amazing team of fellow producers, writers, actors and crew that ultimately were what really made this project shine. We all had a lot of fun playing in Joss Whedon's amazing sandbox with "The Verse", and we hope that we get to come back and play again!

Q) What are your current obsessions (ie. Video games, television shows, websites, music, comics….FOOD)?

A) Man, that's a big question! I'll keep it short and give one of each.

Video games: DayZ on PC. Love me some zombie games.

Television Shows: "Comedy Bang Bang" on IFC, my brother Aaron has been working on the show! Ridiculously funny.

Websites: www.seehearparty.com -- Pick some categories for GIFs. Pick music. Instant music video! You will lose a lot of time on this site.

Music: "Guardian's of the Galaxy" soundtrack. All amazing tracks.

Comics: Re-reading the "Serenity" comics.

Food: Trader Joe's Cookie Butter. Seriously, get it.

Thank you, Julian, for taking the time to answer these questions!

----

"The Verse" gives us a little taste of what it could be like to bring back "Firefly." Joss Whedon created such a rich and interesting universe that is so full of potential for more characters, more stories and a lot more adventure! Even if the crew of Serenity never graces the screen again, "Firefly" has inspired a generation of filmmakers and provided endless joy to millions of people around the world. So, as long as there are Browncoats, she'll keep flying.

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Video Game Pick of the Week: Chariot!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 19:07:00 +0000

Welcome Back!

Today, I thought I would share with you a fantastic video game that I just discovered on my Xbox One called Chariot. The best part is that Chariot is FREE this month for Xbox Live Gold members! And who doesn't like free?

Chariot is a co-op platformer/puzzle game where you play a blue-haired princess on a quest to deliver your dead king's funeral chariot to his final resting place. Naturally, the ghost of the king accompanies you the entire way providing you with snarky comments and a boatload of criticism. You can play by yourself or with a friend as your faithful fiancé.

The goal of the game is to push, pull, shove, tug and fling the chariot through 25 levels of underground, maze-like catacombs. The environments are gorgeous and magical, fun to traverse and even more fun to conquer! I could probably sit here and talk about the environments all day long. The design is unique but the colors are what pulled me in. The levels are vibrant and bright with just the right mix of fantasy and realistic landscaping. The physics are realistic and provide a genuine challenge. Personally, I love platformers. These games remind me of simpler days when all I had was my trusty Nintendo NES and Super Mario Brothers.

I had a blast playing this game with my friend but it was just as fun playing it alone! So, give it a shot. I dare you not to become immediately addicted!

Chariot is available for Xbox One, PS4, Wii U and Steam.

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EASY Flour Tortillas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 01:55:00 +0000

Welcome Back!

Most people, when they want a burrito and are out of tortillas, will go to the grocery store and buy them...or simply run out to Taco Bell or Del Taco and order a burrito the quick and easy way. I decided to try to make tortillas from scratch. I had never done it before. Tortillas were just something I always bought in the package or were already handily wrapping my delicious fajitas for me. But I was feeling adventurous!

Flour tortillas are shockingly easy to make. Most recipes call for lard or shortening but I used butter instead and the results were delicious! These tortillas contain ingredients you may already have in your pantry so you won't find yourself going out of your way to find what you need. They were slightly thicker and more filling than store-bought (as is usually the case with homemade bread) and they actually kept my burrito hotter longer than store-bought as well! Who woulda thunk? So, take a step outside your comfort zone and and whip up a quick batch of tortillas! You won't be sorry!

Ingredients

1 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
4 Tablespoons Chilled Butter
2/3 Cup Warm Water
Oil for greasing

Step One: Combine Flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix well.

Step Two: Add the butter and combine until you have a mealy, crumbly, dusty consistency. It's easiest to use a pastry cutter. You'll get a nice, even texture. These are great to have around, especially when making biscuits or scones when cold butter is essential.

Step Three: Add the warm water and mix together to form a rough, soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and work it into a smooth dough. Knead for about 5-6 minutes....

...until it looks like this!

Step Four: Lightly oil a bowl (vegetable or olive oil works perfectly) and coat the dough. Cover tightly and set aside. Let the dough rest for about 1 hour.

Step Five: Flatten the dough into a disk and cut into 8 even wedges.

Step Six: Roll each wedge into a ball and using a rolling pin, roll the ball into a thin, flat circle on a floured surface. To make rolling easier, lightly dust the rolling pin in flour and roll from the center of the ball out.

Step Seven: Stack rolled dough on a plate with wax paper between each tortilla. This serves three purposes. 1) It keeps the dough from sticking together. 2) It prevents the dough from drying out. 3) It makes transferring the dough to the pan WAY easier!

Step Eight: Pre-heat a dry pan on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, pick up a tortilla with the wax paper and plop it in the pan, dough-side DOWN. Don't cook the wax paper. That will not work out well. Cook on each side for one minute or until the tortilla is cooked and browned in spots. Don't be startled when air pockets begin to form. You can mash them down with a spatula or just let them deflate on their own.

And that's it! Flour tortillas! So easy! I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please comment below. I would love to hear from you! Join me next time when we'll be making...something tasty...I'll figure it out. Now, go forth and COOK!

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Toasted Walnut Honey Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:34:00 +0000

Welcome Back!!

It's Fall! And Fall means it's time to bake delicious treats. I love, love, love baking in the cooler months. Everything tastes a little better and...well...I'm not sweating my a$$ off in my tiny little kitchen with poor ventilation.

My first Fall recipe is this delicious, dense cake. It's spicy, nutty and perfect with a cup of coffee for breakfast or dessert. I used brown sugar so the cake isn't overly sweet but I went all out with the cream cheese frosting for a bit of sweet satisfaction. Best of all...it's actually pretty easy. Because, let's get real, we have stuff to do....there are movies to watch, video games to play, children to warp....it's a lot. So, get your whisk ready and ratchet up that self-control because you will want to shove all of this in your face when it comes out of the oven!

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1 Cup Butter (softened)

2/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Honey (warmed)

4 Large Eggs (beaten)

3 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Toasted Crushed Walnuts

For the Icing:

8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)

3 Cups Confectioners Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

4-5 Tbs Milk

Pre-Heat Oven to 350º and butter (or spray with cooking spray) a 9x5 loaf pan and line the bottom with wax paper.

Step One: TOAST YOUR NUTS! Using medium-sized skillet, heat your crushed nuts over medium heat until they become fragrant, (about 10-15 minutes) and set aside. DO NOT wait for them to change color, you just want to bring out the oils and flavor of the nuts, not burn them. Burned nuts are funky, so be careful.

Step Two: Sift together flour, baking powder, ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon and set aside.

Step Three: With an electric mixer (or a whole lotta arm-power) mix together the brown sugar and butter until it forms a creamy, fluffy concoction that makes you want to eat it with a spoon. But don't. Trust me.

Step Four: Warm your honey! I don't have a picture, so just imagine what 1/3 cup of honey looks like in the microwave for about 20 seconds. You just want the honey to warm to the point where it's liquid, less thick, easier to work with. Don't COOK it; WARM it.

Step Five: Mix the honey in with your butter/brown sugar until nice and smooth. It should actually be kind of runny.

Step Six: Beat in your eggs! And beat them WELL! Gradually add your eggs to the mixture and beat thoroughly. Eggs want to separate and glob together, especially the whites. Be prepared to spend a good amount of time on this step.

*TIP It helps to beat the eggs separately before adding them to the mix.

Step Seven: Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, gradually add the flour mixture and toasted nuts to the egg/butter mixture and stir until a sticky dough forms.

Step Eight: Scoop the dough into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.

Step Nine: Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cover with foil for the first 20 minutes (this will prevent the top from getting too brown). The cake is done when you can test it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Set the cake (in the pan) on a wire rack and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Use a knife and run it along the sides of the cake to ensure it is not stuck to the pan and then turn the cake out on the wire rack. Peel the wax paper from the bottom and let the cake cool completely.

Cream together all the ingredients for the frosting until smooth and slather your cake with it! Slice and serve!

When you store this cake, let the frosting set up and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate to keep it from drying out. Chances are good it will only last a couple of days anyway. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

Check in next time for easy home-made flour tortillas!

Ichabod's Buttermilk Doughnut Holes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 04:31:00 +0000

Welcome back!

I know it's been a minute since my last post and I am sorry, dear readers, for being so neglectful. But I think today's recipe may well put me on the path to forgiveness!

Let me preface this post by telling you that I am a Sleepyhead. What is a Sleepyhead, you ask? No, I am not referring to some form of Narcolepsy, but I am completely, utterly obsessed with the Fox series Sleepy Hollow. It's a modern adaptation of Washington Irving's classic tale about a headless horseman and the town he terrorizes. Ichabod Crane, played by the charming and handsome Tom Mison, is brilliant and sardonic as he battles his way through the modern era with "Leftenant" Abbie Mills at his side. I'm not going to babble on for too long, so just take my word and watch it if you haven't seen it.

The following recipe was inspired by the episode from season one called Blood Moon. Ichabod experiences doughnut holes for the first time and falls in love...and is then promptly disgusted by the 10% levy (tax). I used buttermilk for a more dense and satisfying doughnut hole along with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg for a little extra flavor.

So, here you go, my fellow Sleepyheads....and future Sleepyheads! Enjoy! And don't forget to serve them up in a brown paper bag with a cup of coffee on the side!

Ingredients

For the Doughnut Holes

5 Cups Vegetable Oil for Frying

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

3 Tablespoons Sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Cup Buttermilk

2 Eggs

1/4 Cup Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter (melted)

For the Glaze

1 3/4 Cups Powdered Sugar

5 Tablespoons Whole Milk

2 teaspoons Vanilla (or Almond) Extract

STEPS

1) Whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze and set aside. If you're feeling sassy, soften up some cream cheese and throw it in for funsies (be sure to compensate with a little extra milk). It didn't occur to me until after I made this batch that it would have really been delicious.

2) Mix together well all dry ingredients for the doughnuts and in a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and the eggs until completely smooth (no obvious whites or yolk floating around).

I know, guys...lots of whisking...we'll get to the fun stuff soon, I promise. In the mean time, let's take a moment to appreciate Tom Mison...so dreamy...

Ahem...where was I? Oh, yeah! Doughnut holes!

3) Combine the buttermilk/egg mixture with the dry ingredients and work until a soft dough forms using a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon. You'll end up with something that looks like this:

4) Add melted butter to the dough and work together well until you have a nice, soft, sticky dough like this:

5) Pre-heat oil in a deep pan to 350º. If you don't fry very often, use a thermometer to keep track of the rising temperature. Hot oil is nothing to mess around with. For the pan, my favorite thing to use is a Lodge Cast Iron Chicken Fryer. Lodge makes amazing cast iron skillets. They last forever and I use them for everything. Being from the Texas, we fry everything in cast iron...that's how my grandma did it and that's how I do it.

6) Using your hands, form the dough into small balls no larger than 2 inches or so. Remember, as soon as the dough hits the hot oil, the baking powder will kick in and those suckers will get bigger. At this point, the dough is not very firm. And that's okay! Form the balls as you cook them. If you do them all at once and set a bunch of them aside, they will turn into blobby messes. So form about 5 balls at a time, pop them in the oil, let them cook, remove and repeat.

** Be sure to use a metal spoon to transfer your doughnut holes to the oil! DO NOT use your fingers because you WILL burn yourself! Safety first, kids!

7) Fry each batch for about 5 minutes, flipping the ball over in the oil halfway through to cook both sides. As I said above, work in small batches, usually no more than 5 to avoid overcrowding the oil. Remove when the doughnut holes are golden brown and set aside on a paper towel to drain the oil. Move to a wire rack, drizzle with the glaze and serve em up warm for that season 2 Sleepy Hollow premiere!

So, there you have it...one of my favorite new recipes and one I will be making in the years to come. Enjoy the season premiere! I know I'll be watching!

If you like this recipe, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

Movie Review: Knights of Badassdom

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 19:46:00 +0000

Welcome Back, Apprentices! I'm going to be honest with you right out of the gate, guys…this is not a "good" movie. You will not finish this movie having your mind blown by its awesomeness but, if you can appreciate the cheesiness, you will walk away with a satisfied chuckle. Unlike other films I deemed not-very-good and raged over the two hours of my life I will never get back, I don't regret spending time with this goofy little gem.

Knights of Badassdom is about a group of LARPers whom, while out for a weekend battle, accidentally summon a succubus demon from Hell with a book of spells purchased from "the internets." It is up to the LARPers to destroy the demon and save mankind…or, at least save the other LARPers from being slaughtered like sheep with only their foam swords to protect them. The cast is truly stellar with Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Steve Zahn (Reality Bites, Treme), Summer Glau (Firefly, Serenity), Danny Pudi (Community) and with Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) pulling double duty acting and as the executive producer.

The writing is not fabulous…there are some truly cringe-worthy moments centering mostly around Kwanten's character, Joe, the slacker lead singer of a Doom Metal band who gets dumped by his high school sweetheart. So, just let me warn you now, you will fight the urge to turn the movie off and walk away whenever Joe starts to sing. It happens twice…so just hang in there!

The characters are pretty underdeveloped and read like the first episode of an internet web series. In fact, this film probably would have been an awesome web series if the script was broken up and fleshed out a little more. But as a film, it falls flat in some areas. Right now you're probably wondering why I even liked it and I honestly don't have a solid answer for you except to say that the cast kept me engaged. Peter Dinklage was, as always, a joy to watch. As a mushroom-eating knight wielding a +3 mace made by his mother (and yes, I spent far too long wondering how his mother constructed the mace), Dinklage manages to steal almost every scene. The man can do comedy and drama like nobody's business and we, as a society, are better for having him entertain us. Steve Zahn is hilarious as an "accidental millionaire" hiding from reality as a level 27 Wizard. He is so oblivious to reality and consumed with his imaginary world that he, ironically, can't face the fact that he actually summoned a demon. Ryan Kwanten and Summer Glau have their moments. In one particular "fight" scene, I had a faint glimmer of River Tam's epic battle in Serenity when she took on a roomful of Reavers on her own. But in this film, the lack of stunt choreography only served as a reminder that the memory was all in my head. Glau's physicality was underused and the scene poorly shot in what could have been a fantastic film highlight. But remember, these are LARPers, not actual "big damn heroes."

The real stand-out performance for me was Jimmy Simpson who plays Ronny, the Gamemaster. He is introduced as the foil, the long-time rival of Joe going back to their days together playing Dungeons & Dragons. Upon first impression, you think you are just going to hate this guy…he's the master of his LARPing domain (likely the only domain he has ever and will ever master) with his minions trailing after him as he barks orders in hilariously butchered Olde English. But every moment with him onscreen is pure gold. He plays the part with the perfect balance of conceit and comedy. Had he tipped the scales too far in either direction, the character would have been ruined and I'm fairly certain the character WOULD have been ruined in the hands of any other actor. Simpson found the charm of the character as deeply invested in the game and truly appreciating the imagination and creativity behind it. Ronny's sincerity gives him a lovable quality that, again, could have been buried in smarminess had another actor been in the role.

Clearly filmed on a budget, this movie contains precious little CG. And I think we're all better off for it because…honestly, it's not very well-done. Most of the gore happens offscreen with copious amounts of fake blood being thrown around (a la the original Evil Dead) and a final "boss fight" with a wonderfully terrible, floppy latex monster rampaging through the LARP battlefield. I won't ruin the sheer, campy awesomeness of the monster by posting a picture here. I want you to experience it yourselves.

I've read other reviews of this film that speak of genuine disappointment that something so wonderfully nerd-centric went so wrong. But I think you can appreciate movies for different reasons. This movie kept me entertained and that's what matters. Besides, how could I NOT watch it as a huge fan of Firefly, True Blood, Game of Thrones and Community? Overall, I enjoyed Knights of Badassdom and I'll likely watch it again with friends, food and many, many cocktails.

Rating:

+ 10 Awesome Cast
+ 5 Wonderfully Cheesy F/X
+1 Just For Trying
-2 Terrible "Doom" Music & Awkward Singing
-7 Character Development/Writing

Stay tuned! Tomorrow I'll be posting my recipe for delicious buttermilk cinnamon rolls! Be sure to like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

Short Hair & Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 19:19:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! Today, we're taking a break from the kitchen to discuss something that has been swirling about the nerdosphere of late, short hair. Specifically, the great social experiment that occurs when a woman cuts off her long, luxurious locks. It's a topic near and dear to my heart because in May of last year, I shaved my head for charity. Yep. With a razor. It was GONE. Check out the picture below…see that? GONE! Shaved away by that lovely bearded and tattooed man!

Having short hair is an adjustment. It is. And when I made the decision to shave it off, I was met with mixed reactions from friends and family. More than once, I was asked, "So, what kind of wig do you plan to get?" I was taken aback by that reaction. I was shocked that some friends and family thought having a bald head would be something to be ashamed of…to be covered. Because how could I dare to go out in public with a shaved head? Other reactions ranged from praise and admiration to disbelief. Many of my girlfriends responded, "I could never do that." And I always wondered…why not? It's JUST hair. It grows back. But then, I realized, there is so much wrapped up in a woman's hair. Other's perceptions of our femininity and sexuality is frequently directly associated with the length of our hair. Even our health is associated with our hair length. One day, I went to the grocery store and the woman at the check stand gave me a pitiful look and leaned in close, "How's your treatment going, honey?" I blinked, not sure how to respond. I quickly recovered and smiled, "I'm not sick." She turned about three shades of red.

The social implications run far and wide and exist among men and women. They are perpetuated by a media-obsessed culture with one, set idea of what feminine beauty should be: young, skinny and long, flowing hair.

Recently, there was an online article published by some guy going by the name Tuthmosis entitled "Girls With Short Hair Are Damaged." The website that published the article is dedicated to the lowest common denominator of men. And it is not a website any male friend of mine would frequent since I prefer to keep the company of men who are…you know…intelligent. I can't bring myself to actually link to the site because, frankly, that's what the administrators want…more attention. The article proclaimed that women are delusional and damaged if they think they are, in any way, attractive with short hair and that others are just lying if they say women are attractive with short hair. He goes on to say that women with short hair are deranged, demented and that we must be making some sort of political statement if we cut off our hair. But, in the end, for that "writer," it boils down to sexuality because surely, all women with short hair, are lesbians. The "writer" freely touts his opinion as universal fact and goes on to detail how one day, a woman with short hair came to his place and texted with one hand and performed a sexual act on him with the other…way to underscore your credibility as a writer there, Sparky. You just proved my point for me. Your argument is now invalid. Pictured below, Tuthmosis in his natural habitat.

Felicia Day, founder of the Geek & Sundry YouTube network and Nerd Queen to us all, recently cut her hair into a gorgeous short and chic messy do. Because she is in the spotlight, the trolls came out to play on YouTube (as they tend to do), leaving stupid, infuriating comments like, “Love your videos, will be back when you grow your hair out.” How does the length of her hair effect the content of her videos or her network? Answer: It doesn't. Comments like those reflect the narrow, pathetic views of an individual incapable of seeing the bigger picture. He succumbs to the Photoshopped version of beauty that is most likely plastered to his bedroom walls and in the magazines stashed under his bed. And in the process, he loses out on some fantastic original content and possibly, as Felicia points out herself in a response on Tumblr, missing out on a real-life woman/girl.

A few online trolls even went so far as to post "before and after" photos of Felicia to prove their point. The best part of this little trollful attack, is that the before picture ISN'T EVEN HER! Read her hilarious and always classy response on her Tumblr page.

So, what is it about short-haired women that society finds so mind-boggling? Why does the length of our hair define us as women? By cutting off our hair, are we making a bolder, political statement that we will not center our existence around a patriarchal society any longer? Are we actively telling men their opinion no longer matters to us? Are we making some sort of sexual declaration of lesbianism? We can ask ourselves these questions and get hundreds of different answers.

Here are mine:

When I shaved my head, I felt free. It was a liberating, cathartic experience that made me feel happy and new. It's a feeling that I hope all women can experience at some point in their lives. And I love having short hair! Partly because it suits me and partly because my hair is naturally thin and curly. Living in the desert, this is a horrible combination since the dry air dries out my hair and makes it a frizzy, brittle mess. My hair looks healthy for the first time in 5 years. Do I struggle with my femininity? Occasionally. But not because of the short hair. I struggled with long hair, too. Unfortunately, I was not born with that innate ability to accessorize or style my hair with any Vogue-like sensibilities. I have to try…really try to feel pretty. Not because I'm not pretty but because it is a constant journey to search out my own beauty. For women, beauty is a great social and personal experiment. We play with different looks, haircuts, clothes, jewelry and types of makeup until we find the combination that suits us best. We fight a daily battle against society's expectations and the media's unrealistic, unrelenting barrage of Photoshopped, "ideal" beauty. Sometimes we come out victorious... sometimes we're able to look past all the crap and see ourselves for who we really are: gorgeous, unique creatures with infinite gifts to offer the world.

Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news! Be sure to check back next week when we'll be making buttermilk cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting!

Baked Andouille Corn Pups

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 02:50:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! Today, we're making baked andouille corn pups for a slightly healthier and spicy, cajun twist on the classic fried corn dog! The good news is, with this recipe, you don't miss out on that delicious, crisp cornbread outer shell but you cut WAY back on the grease! Keep in mind, you can substitute andouille sausage with regular hotdogs, turkey dogs or veggie dogs if you choose! I like andouille sausage because it is spicy, flavorful and delicious! So get ready to add a new staple to your family dinners and check off one more thing you can stop buying in the frozen food aisle! If you like this recipe, please take the time to like us on Facebook and follow on Twitter for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup reduced-fat milk
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (extra for kneading)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 andouille sausages, halved
1 large egg, beaten (optional for browning)

Brown Mustard (or the sauce of your choice)

Heat the milk until it's warm to the touch. Usually, a good 30 seconds in the microwave on high will do the trick. You want to be able to stick your finger in and hold it there without being uncomfortable (about 100º - 110ºF). Just make sure your finger is clean first because otherwise…gross. Transfer the milk to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top of the milk. This will activate the yeast and make your dough rise. Let the yeast and milk set for about 5 - 10 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda and set aside. Stirring together the flour salt and baking soda in a separate bowl helps to combine these ingredients more thoroughly and makes for a more even dough.

Add the olive oil, cornmeal & brown sugar to the milk/yeast mixture and mix together well with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.

Gradually add flour mixture, stirring well, until it forms a sticky dough.

Dust with more flour and using your hands, knead until it forms a smooth dough. Lightly oil a clean bowl and transfer the dough to the oiled bowl.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.

Pre-heat your oven to 450º and lightly grease a baking sheet.

Divide dough into 16 equal pieces and roll into balls. Place on a lightly floured surface. Slice andouille sausages in half.

Roll balls of dough into ropes.

Wrap the ropes of dough around the andouille sausage, making sure to slightly overlap each turn.

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and brush with beaten egg.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and serve with your favorite dipping sauce!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Be brave and experiment with the dough! If using regular hotdogs or veggie dogs, add chopped jalapeño, minced onion or 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the dough during the kneading process. Remember, cooking is FUN! Don't be afraid to try out new things…what's the worst that could happen?

Points:

+10 Mixing

+ 5 Baking

Meat is ….huh? A Reality Check For Morrissey

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 17:38:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! Today, we're going to take a little time out of the kitchen to discuss the importance of tolerance and education in today's world. I know, I totally just sounded like an elementary school teacher there, didn't I? Well, that's because SOMEONE has not been a very kind or tolerant fellow lately. So please forgive the editorial, Dear Readers, but for the sake of culinary peace and harmony, it needs to be said.

In a recent online Q&A, singer/songwriter Morrissey went on a crazy-town rant comparing eating meat to rape and pedophilia. Now, clearly the celebrity bubble surrounding Morrissey isn't frequently popped with reality or he wouldn't be so cavalier with his opinions. Comparing the intent behind committing rape or molesting a child to eating a piece of fried chicken shows a detachment from basic human compassion that is just frightening. I'm sure the many victims of these crimes truly appreciate having their life-altering trauma reduced to eating a plate of bacon and eggs for breakfast.

I get it, he's a vegetarian. And that's nice. I respect his life decisions. The problem is that Morrissey doesn't give others the same courtesy. Rather than working to raise awareness about vegetarianism in a peaceful, educational way, Morrissey chooses to fling about judgement and over-the-top condemnations. Sure, he's done the occasional ad for PETA and he even cancelled a tour to Canada to protest their policies on seal hunting, but what has he really done to raise awareness about vegetarianism for the average family? Oh, wait…that's right…he can't be bothered. Morrissey just walks away if he's ever introduced to someone who "eats beings." One has to wonder if the air has gotten too thin from where he's perched on his high horse. I eat meat. I like it. Does that make me a horrible person? Obviously, I could never deign to be in the same room as someone so clearly superior to my pitiful self as the Great Morrissey but am I really in the same category as rapists, murderers and pedophiles? My vegan and vegetarian friends still, somehow, tolerate my presence. But they also happen to be logical, normal, sweet human beings.

Celebrities have a unique opportunity to reach out and help humanity. They have the spotlight, the money and the audience who will listen to their causes and occasionally answer the call to action. But I can't help but feel that Morrissey is squandering an opportunity to really make a difference for vegetarianism. If he feels so passionate about the subject, he needs to speak about it in a way that will affect change, not perpetuate anger and ignorance. But perhaps I ask too much from a man who titled his albums "Meat is Murder" and "Viva Hate."

To Morrissey, I would suggest he visit RAINN.org for more information on rape and abuse. And if you or someone you love has been assaulted, please seek help.

If you're curious about some delicious vegan food, check out Mad Beet and Vegan Shibby by my friends Gia and Gem…both promoting veganism in a positive way! Well done ladies! I love you both!

Stay tuned for a new quest and be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

Bonus Holiday Quest: Easy Cinnamon Pecans

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 07:02:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! My sincerest apologies for my absence. Life tends to throw the unexpected at you and sometimes it hits you square in the face. But all is well, my friends! I've started a new job working for that company that makes that game-box-thingie and I have never been happier! My work schedule is finally settling down and I can spend more time with you lovely folks! So, let's get to it!

It's the holidays! 'Tis the season to flood into shopping malls en masse to buy your loved ones more useless crap to clutter up shelves and rooms already filled with useless crap! "But...but...who DOESN'T need more useless crap?" you ask. I know...I know...we ALL need more useless crap in our lives. But why not try something new this year?

Every holiday season, I make cinnamon pecans and give them as gifts to my nearest and dearest. I like giving treats rather than just buying stuff as gifts because I find that my friends really do appreciate it more. They appreciate the time I take to prepare them and the love I put into each and every batch. It may sound cheesy, but there you have it; I cook for the people I love to show them how I feel. And my friends look forward to these nuts every year. They're sweet with just a hint of spiciness from the cinnamon and they are like crack. Try not to start eating them because you will not be able to stop. You can put them on ice cream, salads or just sit on your couch and shove them in your face during a "Being Human" marathon on Netflix. <----- Yep...that happened.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups Pecan Halves
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Evaporated Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

GEAR:

Large Saucepan
Wooden Spoon or Heat-Resistent Silicon Spatula
Parchment or Wax Paper
Cookie Sheet

LINE a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside.

COMBINE evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon in saucepan over medium heat. Stir ingredients until sugar is melted.

ADD the pecans to the pan and continue to stir with a wooden spoon or heat-resistent silicone spatula until the pecans are well coated and there is minimal liquid left in the bottom of the pan (about 2 minutes).

REMOVE from heat and spread on parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet to let cool. When pecans have cooled completely store in air-tight container or put them in pretty bags and tie with pretty ribbon to give as lovely little gifts!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Have a wonderful holiday season and I'll be back soon with some delicious baked Andouille Corn Pups!

POINTS:

+10 Kitchen Savvy for Holiday Cooking!

If you like the blog, don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

True Blood - Dessert! Ambrosia Ice Cream & Vanilla Pizzelles

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:27:00 +0000

Welcome back, Truebies! This is part 3 of 3 posts to celebrate the return of our favorite bunch of Vamps, Weres, Telepaths, Fairies & misguided sexual deviants from the deep, deep South, True Blood! We've made a delicious basket of deep fried amazing-ness as a main course, a boozy concoction to get you pleasantly drunk while watching Billith and his mutant fangs reign down awkward, religious terror on the poor minions of Bon Temps - and now, we have dessert!

Ambrosia Ice Cream with Pecan Pralines & Vanilla Pizzelles

Ambrosia is a salad commonly served in the South. It consists of cherries, oranges, pineapple, coconut and various creamy bases all mixed up with miniature marshmallows. It reminds me of old Southern ladies in giant, floppy hats and floral print dresses and hot summer days. And it's the dish people bring to pot-lucks when they don't feel like putting in a whole lot of effort. You know that guy. You might have been that guy. The following dessert requires just a little more effort but it's still fairly easy to achieve. So, let's get started!

Pecan Pralines

2 Cups Pecan Pieces
1/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

Pre-Heat Oven to 350º

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Using a spatula, evenly spread the pecan mixture on the parchment paper in a single layer (no piles).

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and stir. Bake for another 10 minutes (for a total of 20 minutes) or until the coating is dry.

Let cool and store in an air-tight container. You'll only need 1 cup for the ice cream but you can eat these delicious pralines plain, add them to cereal or sprinkle on your pancakes and waffles. Delicious!!

Basic Vanilla Pizzelles

3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Melted Butter
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 Cup Flour
2 TSP Baking Powder

Pre-Heat Pizzelle Press to Medium Setting

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick. I recommend using an electric hand mixer to make life a little easier. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Using a spatula, gradually blend the flour in with the egg/sugar mixture until a smooth, thick batter forms.

Spoon batter into Pizzelle press and cook for 25-45 seconds or until you achieve the desired shade of golden-brown goodness!

Ambrosia Ice Cream

2 Cups Heavy Cream
2 Cups Whole Milk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 TSP salt
1 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Coconut
1/4 Cup Chopped Mandarin Oranges (canned)
1/4 Cup Drained Crushed Pineapple (canned)
1/4 Cup Chopped Maraschino Cherries
1 Cup Pecan Pralines

In a large bowl, whisk together heavy cream and sugar until foamy. Whisk in whole milk, vanilla & salt. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove from refrigerator and whisk until smooth.

Prepare ice cream according to your ice cream maker's instructions. When ice cream is at soft-serve stage (after about an hour), add fruit, pralines and coconut and mix until evenly distributed.

Serve with Pizzelles, drizzle with cherry juice and garnish with fresh mint and maraschino cherries.

*TIP I used canned fruit in this ice cream because most ice cream compressors will freeze fresh fruit to the point where eating it can nearly break teeth. Canned fruit is usually packed in a sugary syrup that protects the fruit from over-freezing and makes for a pleasant ice cream experience!

And that's the menu! I hope you enjoy these dishes as much as I did! Be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

True Blood - Cocktail Time! The Fizzy Fang

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:45:00 +0000

Welcome back, gentle readers! In case you haven't noticed, I love themes. And I mean, I LOVE themes. If there's a way to tie together my nerdy cooking obsession with my psychotic pop culture obsessions, I am all over it like cheese on mac. And my obsession with True Blood goes back to before the very first episode ever even aired. So, what better reason than the True Blood season premiere to post a super-fun 3-parter?

And now it's time for the fun bit...the boozy part of our 3-parter. Thanks to a certain group of bat-crap crazy Lillith-loving a-holes bombing the crap out of the Tru-Blood factories of the world, I was unable to procure all the ingredients I needed for this delicious fizzy cocktail. But, when faced with adversity, I rose to the challenge and found this at my local VONS grocery store:

...and the Fizzy Fang was born!

Ingredients:

Your favorite Vodka
Blood Orange Soda
Grenadine
Lime Juice (& Lime Wedge for garnish)
Fresh Mint
Maraschino Cherries

In a glass, mix together two parts blood orange soda, one part vodka, about 1 tablespoon of lime (or to taste) and about a tablespoon of Grenadine. Garnish with fresh mint, maraschino cherries and a lime wedge.

*TIP For a more minty flavor, crush your mint in the bottom of your glass.

Simple, delicious and it gets the job done, honey. I'm pretty sure it would get the stamp of approval from Tara and Lafayette. Be sure to pop in tomorrow when we wrap things up with dessert: Ambrosia Ice Cream and delicious Italian Pizzelles! And remember, drink responsibly, kids! Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

True Blood: Southern Fried Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome back! This week, we're celebrating the return of the bloodiest, nakedest, Southern twangiest vampire show on television today: True Blood! Today, we're paying tribute to everyone's favorite back-water bar and grill, Merlotte's, with a fry basket good enough to make Lafayette blush. You ain't gonna see nothin' green but the garnish here, honey. So, brace your arteries, fire up that stove and get out that cast iron skillet because we're gonna bread and fry everything but the coffin!

What's in the basket? Well, we have fried chicken strips, fried shrimp, french fries and hush puppies. Don't know what a hush puppy is? Don't panic, it's fried cornbread! Once they clean up the fairy after-birth, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to order something very similar to this in Merlotte's. In this blog, you'll find the recipes and basic instruction for each item in the basket. In later posts, I'll elaborate on technique for those of you in need of more detailed instruction and break each item into a quest for those of you following along with your character tomes.

Basic Fried Chicken Strips

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Cut Into Strips
Vegetable or Peanut Oil for frying
2 Cups Buttermilk
3 Cups Flour
1 TBS Ground Pepper
1 TBS Salt
1 TBS Onion Powder
2 TSP Cayenne Pepper

In a shallow dish, soak your chicken in the buttermilk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Pre-Heat Oil in a heavy duty skillet (ie. cast iron) or dutch oven to 350º Do not fill the skillet more than halfway with oil; too much becomes dangerous.

Mix together flour, pepper, cayenne pepper, salt and onion powder in a large bowl. Trust your nose! Smell the mixture and if you feel like it needs more seasoning, don't be afraid to add it!

Transfer pre-soaked chicken strips directly from buttermilk to flour mixture and coat well. For a thicker, crunchier breading, coat again in buttermilk and return for a second time to flour mixture.

Fry chicken until golden brown and crunchy, roughly 8 to 10 minutes. Make sure you turn the strips over halfway through cooking. Do not cook more than three strips at a time. Overloading the oil will drive down the temperature and effect the cooking time and greasiness of your chicken. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain grease.

Crispy Fried Shrimp

1 Pound Uncooked Shrimp, peeled & deveined
Vegetable or Peanut Oil for Frying
1 Cup Buttermilk
2 Tsp Tabasco Sauce
1 Cup Self-Rising Flour
2 TBS Cornmeal
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Ground Pepper
1 Tsp Onion Powder

Pre-heat Oil in skillet or dutch oven to 350º

Whisk together buttermilk and Tabasco sauce in a shallow dish.

Mix together self-rising flour, cornmeal, salt, ground pepper and onion powder in a separate dish.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels.

Dredge shrimp FIRST in flour mixture, then transfer to buttermilk mixture and coat well. Return shrimp to flour mixture and set aside until all shrimp are breaded.

Fry until crispy and golden brown in small batches, roughly 5 minutes per batch. Be sure to turn the shrimp over halfway through cooking. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain grease.

Hush Puppies

3/4 Cup Self-Rising Cornmeal (or 3/4 Cup regular cornmeal + 1 tsp baking powder)
1/2 Cup Self-Rising Flour
Vegetable or Peanut Oil for frying
1/4 Cup minced onion
1/2 Cup Creamed Corn (canned)
1 Large Egg (beaten)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper

In a skillet or dutch oven, fill a little under halfway with oil. Pre-Heat Oil to 350º

Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl until a smooth, thick batter forms. Let it stand for about five minutes

Carefully drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. A good rule of thumb is not to go over a tablespoon per hush puppy. Fry in batches of 5 or 6. Again, overloading the oil will drive down the temperature of the oil and effect cooking time and greasiness. Fry until golden brown and crunchy, roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Be sure to turn the hush puppies halfway through for even cooking. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain grease.

French Fries

5 Pounds Russet Potatoes

Vegetable or Peanut Oil for Frying

Salt & Pepper to taste

Large bowl of cold water

Peel and cut potatoes into sticks.

Transfer potato sticks to bowl of cold water and let soak for at least 2 hours. Why? Well, soaking the potatoes (fries) in cold water gets rid of a lot of the starch and helps achieve delicious, crunchy french fries. You can soak them all night if you feel like it. But I recommend at LEAST 2 hours. Also, if your water isn't cold enough, add ice cubes and stick it in the fridge.

Remove from bowl to a paper towel lined baking sheet and pat dry, removing any excess water.

Get ready! You're going to fry these bad-boys twice for maximum crispy deliciousness!

Pre-Heat Oil to 300º in a deep skillet or dutch oven

In small batches, fry potato sticks until tender. Test them with a metal spatula or knife. When you can easily slice through a stick, pull them from the oil and transfer to a paper towel lined pan. Pat away the excess grease with a dry paper towel. Repeat until you have lightly fried the entire batch.

Increase oil temperature to 375º

Again, in small batches, fry the potato sticks until golden brown and crispy. About 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain the grease. Season with salt and pepper or other seasonings (garlic, cayenne, onion powder, etc.).

And that's the fry basket in a nutshell! Don't fix it too often or you might find yourself wheezing the next time you're running from a hungry vampire. Be sure to pop in tomorrow because I'll be posting my special True Blood cocktail, the Fizzy Fang. And Friday, we're turning a traditional Southern salad on its head with Ambrosia Ice Cream!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

Oh, Doctor, My Doctor!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 15:13:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! Today, we're taking a break from the kitchen to talk about one of my favorite subjects: Doctor Who!

It was confirmed on Saturday by BBC that the 11th Doctor, Matt Smith, will soon leave us in this year's Christmas special. The announcement has spawned all sorts of reactions from fans across social media ranging from understandable sadness and confusion (announcements from just last month had confirmed him for the eighth season) to the ridiculously childish and hostile lashing out on Twitter to impassioned debates over Steven Moffat's competency as a story-teller and show-runner. But that subject is neither here nor there for this Whovian. That debate is for another day.

In the beginning, it was difficult for me to say good-bye to David Tennant as the 10th Doctor. He was my first Doctor as we got to know each other one fateful day when I was at home, sick with the flu and BBC America was airing a second series Doctor Who marathon. I was immediately pulled in through my feverish haze and when the marathon ended, I sought out the first series and have been hooked ever since. I was a sobbing, snotty mess when Tennant left. His last words, "I don't want to go," always resonated with me because Tennant was very clear about how much he loved Doctor Who. He'd even mentioned in interviews that watching Doctor Who as a child made him want to be an actor saying,

"I can only have been three and I was just enthralled by Doctor Who. But I was quite clear that I didn't want to be a Time Lord, I wanted to be the person who played a Time Lord."

And it was obvious, in those last heart-wrenching moments, that he, David Tennant, did not want to go. But it was his time. The time comes for every Time Lord when he must surrender the mantle and regenerate into a new version of himself.

Over the past four years, I have slowly grown to appreciate Matt Smith's quirky portrayal of The Doctor. He gives him a strange mixture of youthful naiveté with his innocent, confused reactions to River Song and barely contained simmering rage on the brink of exploding all over whatever baddie was dumb enough to put The Doctor in a trap.

But most of all, I will miss his humor; the twinkle in his eye and his crooked smile as he gazes with awe and appreciation at a creature that would scare the socks off anyone else. It's hard not to smile and laugh along as he shouts "Geronimo!" and dives, head-first into the fray, saving the universe with only his sonic screwdriver in hand and his Companion at his side.

Matt Smith's incarnation has given us bow ties and fezzes and cowboy hats (oh, my!) and some of the best Companions the show has ever seen. Watching Rory grow from being an over-sized boy to The Last Centurion during his travels with The Doctor was truly one of my favorite story lines. And River Song showing him up behind the wheel of the T.A.R.D.I.S makes me giggle every time.

And although the announcement has been made and speculation has begun on who will be the next Doctor, I will look forward to watching Matt's final appearances in the upcoming 50th Anniversary Special and have my box of tissues ready for a weep-fest during the Christmas Special.

So, thank you, Matt Smith, for making me laugh, giving me a new adventure to look forward to every Saturday night and knowing how to rip out my heart and break it into a million little pieces. Best of luck as you dive into the fray of your new adventures. Geronimo, Doctor!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter and like on Facebook for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

Star Wars Day: May the Fork Be With You

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! Coming up this Saturday is one of the greatest holidays in the history of the Universe: ...MY BIRTHDAY! ...Oh...and STAR WARS DAY! That's right, May 4th is the day designated to come together and celebrate all things Star Wars! If you're like me, maybe you're planning an awesome movie marathon with your friends to celebrate. You've been combing the interwebs for some delicious Star Wars - themed recipes that are a little more creative than well-placed puns (Boba Feta Salad -- Whoever thought THAT one up must've lost sleep in the attempt) and making something green and blaming it on Yoda. I take a different route with my themed cooking. I like to take inspiration straight from the source. There are tons of foods mentioned in the Star Wars universe and very few of those dishes are given very detailed descriptions. To some, this is a bad thing. To me, this is room to play. After some careful research, I've put together a delicious, versatile menu that would please even the most finicky Jedi.

Noryath Meatbread

What is meatbread? Who knows? More importantly, do I want to know? Noryath Meatbread is only described as a type of food from Noryath, a planet in the Nuiri sector of the Outer Rim. The Outer Rim territories are frontier planets, not widely settled and a little bit primitive. My nerd brain immediately screamed, "WESTERN PLANET!" And meatbread became bread stuffed with meat. But not just any meat, we're making pulled pork barbecue stuffed bread! But worry not! You can substitute any filling you like...use ham & cheese, philly cheese steak or turkey & stuffing with cranberry sauce (if you're vegetarian, roast up some veggies)! Holy crap! The possibilities are endless! Those Noryathians knew what the hell they were doing with that meatbread!

*TIP Prep the pulled pork the day before. The longer it sits, the better it tastes and it will mean less work on the day for more Star Wars enjoyment.

Pulled Pork Barbecue

INGREDIENTS

4lb pork shoulder (bone in)
2 tablespoons smoked sea salt (or regular sea salt)
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons onion powder
1/2 cup water
1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

Cover the pork shoulder evenly with all seasonings and place in crock pot. Pour the water in the bottom of the crock pot and cover tightly.

Cook on high for 6 hours. By now the meat should be so tender, you will be able to just shove it off the bone and pull the bone out. But be careful, sometimes smaller pieces of bone break off in the cooking process. Make sure you remove all bone and then shred the meat with a fork. Do not drain the juices!

Pictured above - shredded pork, PRE-barbecue sauce.

Add the bottle of barbecue sauce and stir well. Cook on high for one more hour and let stand. We're letting the barbecue cool for the sake of the meatbread (we will be stuffing fresh bread dough and hot filling makes the dough difficult to seal closed). If you're serving the barbecue on regular buns, serve hot, straight from the crock pot.

Bread Dough
Recipe makes enough for 5 rolls...you WILL have leftover barbecue. You can easily freeze your leftover barbecue in an airtight container or make extra rolls, wrap them in plastic and place in a freezer bag. Make sure you date the bag for freshness.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm water (100º F)
1 packet active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp salt
Olive Oil

Dissolve sugar in warm water and sprinkle the surface of the water with yeast. Remember not to get your water too hot or you will kill your yeast and it won't activate. When the yeast has foamed (about 5-10 minutes) gradually add flour and salt. Knead together until an elastic dough has formed and flour is completely incorporated.

Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a separate bowl and transfer the dough to that bowl. Turn the dough over in the bowl to coat it with the oil. Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled in volume (about 1 hour).

PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 375º

Meatbread assembly:

Deflate dough with your hands and divide into 5 even balls.

On a pastry mat (or wax paper dusted with flour) press the balls of dough into rectangles. Spoon barbecue filling into the center of the dough, being careful to leave plenty of space to pull up the sides and pinch closed.

Sprinkle a cookie sheet with cornmeal and place the rolls seam down.

Place on the center rack of your oven and bake for 25 minutes or until bread is light golden brown. Use a wooden spoon and thump the bread. If the bread sounds hollow, it is done!

*Tip If you get a little juice seeping out from the bottom of the bread, don't worry. It's normal. Use a spatula to remove the rolls from the cookie sheet if they're sticking a little.

Spicy Corn Ahrisa

Traditional Spicy Ahrisa is made with greens and soypro and usually served with bread. It was a popular dish served in many cafes on Coruscant in the waning years of the Old Republic. Soypro is described as a high-quality meat substitute. Assuming soypro is a variation on Tofu, these are essentially tofu meatballs. But for the sake of this recipe (and a more harmonious menu), I decided to forego the tofu for cornmeal and incorporate the bread with the Ahrisa.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Self-Rising Flour
1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Cornmeal
- If you can't find self-rising cornmeal, use regular cornmeal and add 2 tablespoons of baking powder
2 eggs beaten
5 Large Fresh Jalapeños - seeded & finely diced
1/2 cup of diced onion
1 can creamed corn
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
If you're feeling sassy, you can add 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Oil for frying

PRE-HEAT OIL in a large pan, dutch oven or deep fryer to 350º You want about 3" of oil if you're using a regular pan instead of a deep fryer.

In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients until if forms a batter and set it aside for a few minutes.

Carefully drop the batter into the hot oil a tablespoon at a time. Try not to overcrowd the pan. Adding too much batter will drive down the temperature of the oil, lengthen the cook-time for the Ahrisa and it will come out greasy and heavy. You also need room to be able to turn the balls over for even cooking on both sides. I find the perfect number to be about five drops of batter at a time.

Cook until the Ahrisa is golden brown and crispy. Set aside on a paper-towel lined plate for excess grease to drain and place them in a warm oven until all the batter is cooked.

Dipping Sauce

1 Cup Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder

Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

So, there you have it! Easy(ish) and delicious! I plan to do a little more experimenting with Star Wars food in the future, so stay tuned! Personally, I can't wait to see what other tasty goodness can be found in a galaxy far, far away!

May the 4th Be With You!

Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more 8-Bit Cook news!

Quest 2.0: Pizza Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:08:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! Holy crap! You made it to level 2! You did it, guys! All that baking, boiling, sautéing, slicing, dicing and chopping got you here! And what better way to celebrate than with a pizza party? That's right, kids, you're going to learn to make pizza from scratch today! But be warned; like bread, once you learn to make your own pizza, you realize how completely sub-standard frozen or even delivery pizza really is. You will become a pizza snob, casually thumbing your nose at greasy, tasteless pizza with cardboard crusts and freezer-burned vegetables. In this post, I'm going to demonstrate the versatility of pizza dough. We'll be making my favorite roasted garlic white pizza, cheesy pizza sticks and garlic knots!

<--- Admit it! You want this in your face!

You want this in your face, too! ---->

TIP: Make the sauce the day before you plan to make the pizza. Spreading out the work will make you less tired and the enjoyment of shoving your face full of pizza will be heightened.

ROASTED GARLIC WHITE SAUCE
*This recipe makes two batches of sauce. Cut recipe in half for one pizza.

10-15 Cloves Roasted Garlic
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Cups Milk (whole or 2%)
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
4 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Roast your garlic! Remember that post all about roasting garlic? DO THAT! Too lazy to refer back to that old quest? Fine! I'll go over it again, but only because you asked nicely. But to keep this post from getting too long, you're getting the condensed version...and you're going to LIKE IT!

PRE-HEAT OVEN to 375º

1. Peel outer skin and chop off the top 1/4 of the head of your garlic.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.
3. Wrap loosely in tin foil, forming a tent.
4. Bake on oven-safe baking sheet for 45 minutes to an hour.
*Garlic is done when the cloves are golden and soft.
5. Peel and set aside.

Start your sauce!

In a sauce pan, gradually warm the 2 cups of milk over LOW heat. Use a whisk and stir frequently to keep the milk from scorching.

In a separate sauce pan, melt the butter. Add two tablespoons of flour to the melted butter. Whisk the mixture well and add one tablespoon of flour. Whisk the mixture again and add the last tablespoon of flour.

Gradually add warm milk to the flour/butter mixture. Add the milk at a rate of about a 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk the mixture well as you add the milk. At this point, the mixture will start to seize up and lump together. Don't panic! That's supposed to happen. As long as you continuously whisk the mixture, the sauce will smooth out as you add the rest of the milk. But again, don't add the milk all at once. Keep it gradual and keep whisking.

*Pictured above - scary, seized up milk/flour/butter mixture and gorgeous, smooth sauce after much patience and whisking. I couldn't take pictures of all the in-between stages because it's actually a very fast process.

Add salt, cayenne and one tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk together well (I know, you're sick of the word "whisk"...it's almost over...) and let the sauce simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Pour the sauce into a food processor or blender (or use a submersion blender) and add roasted garlic cloves. Blend it together well and set aside. If you prepared the sauce a day or two before you need it, cover it well (I recommend an air-tight plastic container) and refrigerate.

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH
*This recipe makes two batches of pizza dough; enough for two 15" pizzas or one 15" pizza, plus pizza sticks & garlic knots. Cut recipe in half for one pizza.

2 Cups Warm Water
2 Packets Active Dry Yeast
4 3/4 - 5 Cups Bread Flour
2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Yellow Cornmeal

Warm water to about 100ºF. Remember not to get the water too hot or you will kill the yeast and your dough won't rise. Pour warm water in a mixing bowl (if using a stand mixer, use the mixer's bowl; if not, use a large mixing bowl) and stir in sugar and olive oil. Sprinkle the yeast evenly on the surface of the water and let the yeast foam (activate). It takes about 5-10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, measure out the flour and mix in the salt. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook, gradually add the flour/salt to the water/yeast mixture to form a smooth, elastic dough. *If you don't have a mixer, use a heavy duty spatula or wooden spoon. As the dough begins to thicken use your CLEAN hands to work the dough until smooth.*

Remove from the mixing stand. Add the parmesan cheese and work the dough with your hands until the cheese is evenly distributed throughout the dough. Drizzle a large bowl with olive oil and transfer the ball of dough to that bowl. Turn the dough over in the bowl, coating it with a thin layer of olive oil.

Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled in size. About 1 hour. Using your hands, deflate the dough and divide the dough in half.

For the sticks & garlic knots, sprinkle a large cookie sheet evenly with cornmeal. The cornmeal prevents your pizza crust from sticking to the cookie sheet and helps in creating a firmer, crispier crust.

For pizza sticks and garlic knots, divide one ball of dough in half again (you should now have three balls of dough; one larger and two smaller balls of equal size). Using your hands, press one of the smaller balls of dough into a rectangle. Try to make the thickness of the dough as even as possible. Press it down until it is about 1/4" thick. Divide the other smaller ball into 6-8 even SMALLER balls. Roll the smaller balls into ropes (like with Play-Doh when you were a kid) and then simply form the rope into a knot.

*TIP Let the pizza dough rest for a few minutes after you push it into the rectangle shape. You may find the elastic nature of the dough has pulled the shape inwards, making it smaller. By letting the dough rest and then RE-working it into the size you want, you will minimize shrinkage before and during the baking process.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and using a pastry brush, coat the garlic knots with butter and sprinkle with garlic powder and a little salt. Spread the rectangle of dough with the garlic white pizza sauce, making sure you take the sauce to the edge of the crust and sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese. It is important that you push the sauce towards the outer edge of the dough. When the pizza bakes, the heat will draw everything towards the center of the pie. You want to minimize that inwards pull and make sure the cheese and sauce are evenly distributed.

PRE-HEAT OVEN to 500ºF
*Temperature is for sticks, knots and pizza

Bake on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes. Brush the garlic knots once more with melted butter and slice the rectangle into sticks.

The sticks and knots make a fantastic appetizer or a fun treat for the kids. Serve them up with some red pizza sauce to dip (I like Ragu when I'm feeling lazy and I add a little cayenne for some extra kick...you'll learn homemade red sauce in a later lesson).

For the pizza, pre-heat a pizza stone (or you can use a room temperature cookie sheet in a pinch). Sprinkle the hot pizza stone (or cookie sheet) with cornmeal and press the dough into a 15" disk.

*TIP I highly recommend getting your hands on a pastry mat. With a pastry mat, you roll the dough out on this non-slip surface and then transfer easily to the pizza stone. A pastry mat will make your life so much easier!

I spent a little time working in a pizza parlor as a kid and I learned some super-handy tips and tricks to making good pizza. After you spread out your sauce, sprinkle with a small amount of cheese. Having that little bit of cheese will give your toppings something to bond to on the bottom, keeping your toppings from sliding off your pizza and onto your plate when eating. Now, add your favorite toppings! I chose caramelized onions, roma tomatoes, roasted peppers (red & green bell peppers & jalapeños) and baby portabello mushrooms.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and cheese is melted! Let the pizza sit for about five minutes before you cut into it.

You did it!! Enjoy shoving your face full of delicious pizza! In the future, we'll be doing more themed meals for True Blood and Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary Special. And we'll be having more tabletop themes as we play Apples to Apples and Four Taverns!

Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow on Twitter for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

POINTS

+10 Baking

Quest 1.9 Tex-Mex! King Ranch Chicken Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:15:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! Today, we're going back to my roots with a delicious and easy Tex-Mex dish called King Ranch Chicken Casserole. What is King Ranch Chicken Casserole, you ask? Well, it's basically a creamy chicken enchilada casserole with just the right amount of kick and a whole lotta cheese! Serve it up with some refried beans, spanish rice and guacamole (don't forget the margaritas!) and it is sure to please!

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

3 Chicken Breasts & 3 Chicken Thighs - Poached & shredded
or 1 Whole Rotisserie Chicken Shredded
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Medium or Hot Diced Tomatoes with Peppers, Drained (Rotel or Hatch)
1 Medium Onion
Corn Tortillas
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 Cups Mixed Shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack Cheeses

Prep your chicken! Remember what we did last week with the chicken fried rice? If you're using fresh or frozen chicken, do that again! Boil your chicken in a large pot for about 45 minutes until the meat is white and juices run clear. If you bought a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, that's fine. I would recommend getting one seasoned only with salt & pepper or with garlic. Let the chicken cool and shred with a fork. Put it in a large bowl and set aside.

Pre-Heat Oven to 350º

Dice your onion! Using a clean, sharp knife and a cutting board, dice your onion. Don't worry about getting the pieces too pretty. It's all going to be one delicious, mixed up masterpiece of yumminess!

Mix together chicken, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, canned tomatoes (drained), onion, Cayenne, salt & pepper. Make sure it is well combined before continuing to the next step!

Grease a 9" x 13" inch lasagna pan or a large casserole dish. Line the bottom with corn tortillas. I'm weirdly compelled to cover as much of the area of the pan as possible. You don't have to be as weird as I am. I don't recommend it at all. It makes life a little difficult. Just layer as evenly as possible.

Layer 1/2 the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas and distribute 1/2 the cheese evenly on top of the chicken mixture. Repeat, creating a second layer. You should have just enough mix and cheese for 2 nice layers in a lasagna pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes... remove foil and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melty and bubbly.

When done, be sure to let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes. I know, it's torture. But if you cut into it right away, all those gorgeous layers are going to spread. So, take that time to mix up some margaritas, do a shot of tequila or just stand over the pan and drool.

See! I told you it was easy! We'll revisit Tex-Mex casseroles again in the future. I have an insanely delicious Taco Casserole that I learned to make when I was a freshman in high school and I still make it to this day! We'll also explore burrito bowls, carnitas and maybe we'll even make some tortillas from scratch just for shits and giggles!

POINTS:

+5 Dicing
+5 Baking
+5 Boiling (If you took the time to poach your chicken)

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Intertainment From The Enter-Webs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 03:23:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! Today, we're taking a break from the kitchen so I can share with you some of my favorite web series! But don't worry because tomorrow we'll be back with one of my favorite Tex-Mex recipes, King Ranch Chicken Casserole! YUM!

The internet is truly the new frontier for entertainment. With technology and quality equipment so readily available, anyone with a good idea, a lot of talent and a boatload of passion can make a web series. Don't get me wrong, anyone can make a web series but not just anyone can make a good web series. There is some truly mind-blowing talent on the internet creating everything from cooking, gaming and DIY shows to dramatic, comedic and Sci-Fi series good enough to rival anything in theaters or on television. So settle in and get ready to lose (more) hours of your life to the internet because these are my favorite shows!

The Guild

Where better to start than at the beginning? The Guild was the first web series to really capture my attention. Written and produced by Felicia Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog), The Guild centers around main character Codex (Felicia Day) and her MMORPG guild-mates. In-game relationships cross over into reality when Zaboo (Sandeep Parikh), a guild-mate with a crush, tracks Codex down in real life, proclaims his devotion and moves into her apartment. Codex organizes a meeting with the rest of her guildies to try to convince Zaboo to go home to his mom. In spite of his creepy, cyber-stalkery ways, Codex begins to sympathize with Zaboo and the guild relationships evolve into real friendships. The Guild has 5 seasons under its belt and is available to view on YouTube and Netflix.

A Simple Walk Into Mordor

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, you know the filming locations for the three epic movies are all located on the two islands that make up the country of New Zealand. Two fans, Chris and Kerry, decided to make the trek on foot, Fellowship-style, from Matamata (the location for the Shire) to Mt. Ngauruhoe (the double for Mt. Doom). A Simple Walk Into Mordor is the five-part documentary of their adventure. Armed with backpacks, cameras and one seriously hot Kiwi guide, the boys set out to cast the cursed Ring into the flames of Mt. Doom (or dig a shallow hole and bury it...whatever works, right?). The documentary is funny, sweet and at times, a little bit gross (for the record, blisters do not pop like bubblewrap and are not nearly as fun!).

So, check out the Rooster Teeth channel on YouTube and subscribe (it's FREE!) for all 5 episodes and more great, original content!

TableTop

Who wants to sit around and watch (almost) total strangers play tabletop games? When the Geek & Sundry network announced this show as part of their debut lineup, I asked myself that same question. And then I watched the first episode and was instantly hooked. Hosted by Wil Wheaton (Stand By Me, Star Trek: TNG), Tabletop is a surprisingly fun and engaging web series with new episodes every other Thursday featuring Wil playing a new tabletop game with his friends. His guests usually consist of a variety of actors, hosts, comedians and game creators from television, movies and the internet. The majority of the guests are hilarious and fun to watch. And the competition gets real sometimes but never in a negative or awkward way. TableTop is a great way to learn about games you might not know existed and perhaps start your own tabletop night with your friends!

Be sure to subscribe to Geek & Sundry to support all their fantastic, free content!

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

"It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." - Pride & Prejudice

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a unique modern adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel Pride & Prejudice. Using a single camera, video diary filming style, we follow the adventures, love and heartache of our heroine Lizzie (Elizabeth) Bennet, her sisters and her friend, Charlotte. Of course, the relationship most viewers focus on is the epic romance between Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy. Although Darcy in the web series pales in comparison to Colin Firth's version of Darcy in the 1996 BBC production and it seems almost unfair to compare the two. So, we won't. Or we'll really, really try not to. The love story is still very sweet and fraught with humor, misunderstanding, a little bit of drama and whole lot of passion. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries may not have the best acting in the world, but Ashley Clements (Lizzie) holds her own and does justice to the classic character. Once I started watching, I got completely wrapped up in the heart of the story. In spite of the fact that I'd read the novel and seen almost every version of P&P ever produced, I still found myself tuning in twice a week for new episodes. And the idea of using a web series to expose new generations to classic literature is fantastic. One can only hope that someone was inspired to pick up Austen's book and get lost in the manners, humor and romance of Pride and Prejudice.

Chris Hardwick's All-Star Celebrity Bowling

I'm terrible at bowling...really, truly awful. So, why would I want to watch bowling on The Nerdist YouTube channel? Because it's AMAZING, that's why! Chris Hardwick (AMC's Talking Dead) is a borderline professional bowler (his father was an actual pro bowler) who invites celebrity guests to bowl for charity against him and a rotating roster Nerdist team. The odds are usually stacked against the celebrity challengers and they rarely ever pull out a victory. But the show is laugh-out-loud hilarious with celebrity guests from shows like Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and Doctor Who. Subscribe to the Nerdist Channel for a huge variety of fantastic free content and "Go bowling sometime, you guys!"

My Drunk Kitchen

You're not going to learn how to cook watching this show. It just isn't going to happen. But I don't watch for the cooking tips, I watch for the laughs. The premise is actually quite simple; girl sets up camera, girl gets drunk, girl attempts to cook and sometimes the food is edible. Hannah Hart is adorable, charming and insanely funny as she mixes cocktails and cuisines while dishing up a buffet of delicious puns (see what I did there?). My Drunk Kitchen is my go-to when I'm having a rough day or feeling down. One episode can brighten my day and change my outlook on life. Be sure to subscribe to Hannah's YouTube channel, MyHarto, for more drunk cooking shenanigans!

Noaksey

Meet my friend, Dean, aka Noaksey. Self-proclaimed fool and gamer, Noaksey posts his video game play-throughs on his YouTube channel. From classic games to the newest 3D graphics extravaganzas, watch Noaksey shoot, kick, punch, smack, hack, race, chase, murder and maim his way through every digital 'verse imaginable with his trademark wry sense of humor and a charming British accent to boot! Subscribe to Noaksey's YouTube channel for more game-play antics!

Daily Grace

Grace Helbig is out of her f*cking mind...but I mean that in a good way! Grace has a five-days-a-week vlog on YouTube where she talks about anything and everything that may be on her mind. She speaks at a break-neck pace and is sometimes hard to follow. Watching her show is like watching a beautiful female Tasmanian Devil tear through a boutique full of delicate lacy underwear. She's a whirling dervish of wit, sass and confusion. You just have to step back and wait for the dust to settle. Her quirky sense of humor and seemingly stream-of-consciousness approach to vlogging makes her unique and super-fun to watch in the land of online video-diaries. Subscribe to Grace's YouTube channel for more Daily Grace!

MetaDating

Hosted by pro gamer Sean Plott (known online as Day[9] ) and game designers Sean Bouchard and Bill Graner, MetaDating explores romance and dating in the world of video games. During a live-stream session, the two Seans and Bill play a dating/romance-based game, have a few drinks and try to make the characters in the games fall in love, usually with some pretty hilarious results. My favorite episode has the boys playing a game called Facade. The in-game dialogue and interactions are insanely funny as they interact with a married couple named Tripp and Grace. But they must tread lightly because they can set off a firestorm of an argument and drive the couple to divorce. It is extremely entertaining to watch the boys gleefully ruin the NPC's marriage and then go back for more. There are eight fantastic episodes of MetaDating and Geek and Sundry has not announced plans for another season yet. But my fingers are crossed for more!

Vaginal Fantasies

I love trashy romance novels. The trashier the better. And what could possibly make a trashy romance novel even better? Answer: if it was a PARANORMAL trashy romance novel! And now, finally, there is a book club for me! Hosted by Felicia Day, Bonnie Burton, Veronica Belmont and Kiala Kazabee, Vaginal Fantasies is a regular hangout that happens every third Tuesday of the month and a book club with an enormous community on GoodReads. Ghosts, demons, zombies, succubi and all manner of supernatural creature engage in hot, sweaty monkey love and solve a little bit of mystery or something...I'm not sure what. We're focusing on the sexy time, guys. During the monthly hangouts, we have a few drinks, discuss the book and cast the characters with actors we imagine would fit the part. The discussion is engaging and funny and anything that encourages people to read (especially trashy romance novels) is good in MY book. <--- yeah, that just happened... Subscribe to Geek and Sundry for more Vaginal Fantasies!

So, those are a few of my favorite online shows. A lot of people use YouTube to watch music videos, cat videos, videos of the latest idiot making a fool of him/herself on the evening news or clips from Saturday Night Live. And that's great. But YouTube also has a whole community of incredibly talented people making amazing original content just because they're passionate about it. And occasionally, if you're lucky, as a viewer you're going to find something you are just as passionate about watching.

I'm sure I'll be posting more amazing stuff that I love in the future. And if you watch something you want to share with others, post it on my Facebook page or in the comments below!

Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!

Quest 1.8: Chicken Fried Rice!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:48:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! I hope you enjoyed the Game of Thrones menu from last week! I know it was a bit more challenging but I knew you were up for it. I have faith in you, my little cooking minions! It was a busy weekend with Easter, the season finale of The Walking Dead and the season premiere of Game of Thrones so today, we're going to dial it back a notch and prepare one of my favorite recipes, chicken fried rice! The great thing about this dish is that is easy, delicious and versatile!

Shameless plug: Remember, for more 8-Bit Cook news, join the community on Facebook and like us on Twitter!

On to the quest!

Chicken Fried Rice
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 Chicken Breast
3 Chicken Thighs
1 Medium Onion
5 Medium Carrots
1 Cup Frozen Peas
1 Bay Leaf
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
1/4 Tsp Celery Salt
Salt & Pepper
Soy Sauce
2 Eggs
4 Cups Cooked Rice (white or brown)

Prepare your chicken! Fill a large pot with filtered water. Make sure there is enough water to fully submerge the chicken (6 cups worked for me). Peel and chop 1 carrot, 1/4 of the medium-sized onion and garlic cloves. Add them to the pot with the bay leaf and celery salt. Don't worry too much about how neat your pieces are. You just want large hunks of veggies because as we cook the chicken, we're also making chicken broth! Later, we're going to use that broth to cook the rice! Cover with the lid and put the pot on the stove over medium heat for about 1 hour. Chicken is done when the meat is white and juices run clear when you cut the meat open.

Tip* If you prefer to use all white meat, substitute chicken thighs with 2 more chicken breasts for a total of three chicken breasts.

Remove the cooked chicken from the water and set aside to cool. Discard or compost the cooked veggies.

Cook your rice! Try to skim as much of the stuff out of the chicken broth as possible. If you have a fine sieve, run the broth thru. If not, don't stress, just fish out the big chunks and call it good.

Measure out three cups of chicken broth and transfer to a clean pot. Put the pot on the stove and turn to medium-high heat. Bring the broth to a boil and add 1 1/2 cups dry rice. Cover and lower the heat. Cook for about 15-17 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Be sure you pay attention to the directions on your package of rice. Different types of rice will have different cook times. I used basic white rice for this recipe.

Cooking rice with broth adds a whole new dimension to the flavor. Use chicken, beef or vegetable broth and it will change your life forever....with rice.

Immediately transfer rice to a clean bowl and refrigerate. You need to transfer the rice to a bowl to stop the cooking process. Like pasta, if you leave rice in a hot pot, the heat will continue to break it down and the rice will become soft and mushy. And fried rice works better with cold, firm rice. It's even better if the rice was cooked the day before. Leave it in the refrigerator for about two hours before you start the next stage.

Shred your chicken! Once cooled (safety first!) hold your chicken with one hand and shred the meat with a fork. I will usually use the fork to shred the chicken breasts and my fingers to pull the meat from the thighs. With the thighs, it helps to be able to feel the meat because of all the gristle and fat. I like to separate out the fat and gristle because I am huge on texture and that stuff just grosses me out. Put the shredded meat in a bowl and set aside.

Peel and dice the remaining carrots and onion. Remember to use a clean cutting board and a sharp, clean knife.

In a wok or large skillet, pre-heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add carrots and onion and cook until onion is translucent and carrots are fork-tender, stirring frequently. While onion and carrots are cooking, start the next step.

Beat together the two eggs and pour into a skillet. Put on the stove and heat on medium until eggs are done. Do not stir. Just let the eggs cook and solidify. Once cooked, slice the egg and set aside.

Add the chicken to carrot and onion mixture, stir and sauté until hot. Sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper (if desired...just remember, we're adding soy sauce later and that is super-salty) Add rice and stir. Sauté until mixture is hot.

Add 1 cup frozen peas and shredded egg. Stir and sauté until hot and peas are cooked (about 5-7 minutes). Drizzle with soy sauce and stir. I usually add enough soy sauce to darken the mixture just a little bit...about 1 tablespoon does the trick for me. But soy sauce is very much about personal taste. So add a little, taste the rice and go from there.

Plate and enjoy! ...or just grab a fork and eat it straight from the skillet! This is a safe space and we don't judge!

I hope you guys love this recipe as much as I do! Questions or comments? Post them in the comments section! Try the recipe? Post some pictures! I would love to see!

In the coming weeks and months, we'll be tackling some more special menus as we pay tribute to Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary with some special dishes honoring Doctors past and present! We'll also be cookin' it up Cajun style with a full menu for the season 6 premiere of True Blood! So stay tuned!

Points:

+5 Boiling
+5 Dicing
+10 Sautéing

Game of Thrones: A Meal For Kings

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:17:00 +0000

Welcome back, Apprentices! Today we're cooking up the perfect meal for that Game of Thrones premiere. If you're just watching it alone or hanging out with some friends, this meal takes you back to basics with a delicious honey-roasted chicken, roasted veggies, Easy Dragon Tail Bread & a rustic apple tart! Serve it all up with a cold glass of mead and you'll feel like it came from the kitchens of Winterfell! So, fire up that oven and get ready to make a meal fit for Kings! ...unless you're that little twerp, Joffrey, and then you should only get a nice serving of punch-to-the-balls!

This meal may sound like a lot of work but if you plan everything out just right, it's actually quite easy. I recommend preparing the apple tart the day before and storing it in the refrigerator unbaked. It spreads out the workload and allows you to still have a delicious fresh-baked tart on the day without doing all the work that day.

I also included two ways to make Dragon Tail Bread. One easy way with pre-made dough. And the from-scratch way for you over-achievers out there!

So, let's get started!

Let's begin with the apple tart. This way, you can put it together and stick it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it.

Rustic Apple Tart

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 cups of your favorite type apple slices (peeling optional)
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pre-made refrigerated pie crust
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
1 teaspoon water

In a large skillet, melt together the butter, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Using a fork or a small whisk, stir until the sugars dissolve.

Stir in apples, lemon juice, cinnamon & nutmeg. Using a wooden spoon or heat-resistent, silicone spatula, stir the apples until well coated in butter-sugar mixture. Reduce heat and cover. Let it simmer for about 25 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until the apples are tender.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray (Pam). Roll out the pre-made pie crust and arrange cooled apple slices in the center, leaving a 2" border around the edge. Fold the edges up and pinch together at regular intervals until the dough forms a sort of bowl.

In a small bowl, mix apricot preserves and 1 tsp of water. Microwave (yes, they had microwaves at Winterfell) for one minute until hot and bubbly. Brush the pie crust with apricot mixture and drizzle the remainder on the top of the apples. At this point, if you're going to bake the tart later, cover it completely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 400º and bake 45 mins or until the crust is golden brown.

Honey Roasted Chicken

1 Whole uncooked chicken

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 Tsp cinnamon

1/2 Tsp Paprika

1/2 Tsp Smoked Salt (Kosher Salt if smoked is unavailable) & Ground Pepper

1/2 Med onion thickly sliced

3 Springs Fresh Rosemary

1 Lime

* Allow up to 3 hours of total time depending on the size of your chicken.

Prep your chicken! Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken. This is the grossest part. If you have never done this, you'll need to shove your hand into the belly of the chicken and pull out the liver, heart, gizzard & neck. If you're extremely lucky, the butcher would have placed everything in a sealed bag. I was not that lucky. Once removed, rinse your chicken inside and out. Place the chicken in a roasting pan with a rack in the bottom.

Season the inner cavity of the chicken with smoked salt and pepper. Slice lime and onion into wedges and place them into the cavity with the sprigs of rosemary.

Mix together honey, olive oil, cinnamon, paprika, salt & pepper. Brush the chicken with 1/2 the honey mixture.

TIP* Use butcher's twine to truss up your chicken legs. It keeps the legs close to the bird and helps it cook more evenly. I ran out of butcher's twine for this project so I didn't use it. It's not 100% necessary, but it's helpful.

Pre-heat oven to 350º and place a rack in the center of the oven. Roast chicken for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and brush with the remaining honey mixture. Return the chicken to the oven and roast for another hour. Larger chickens take longer so test the chicken with a meat thermometer and look for internal temperatures around 165-170°F for the breast and 180-185°F for the thigh. Chicken is done when the juices run clear, not pink. The skin should be dark and crisp.

My bird had a bum leg when he got out of the oven but he still tasted delicious!

Roasted Vegetables

6 small red potatoes (cubed)

4 carrots (peeled and sliced)

2 Zucchini (sliced)

1 1/2 cups cauliflower

1 medium onion

Fresh thyme

Vegetable Oil

salt & pepper

This was the mix I chose. The beauty of roasting vegetables is the fact that you can choose your mix according to what you like. You can use peppers, squash, tomatoes, broccoli...whatever you like!

Wash & chop your vegetables! Be sure to slice your carrots a little thinner and cube the red potatoes smaller. Carrots and potatoes take longer to roast where the zucchini doesn't take as long. The smaller you chop your veggies, the faster they'll roast. Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with vegetable oil. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.

Pre-heat oven to 350º and roast for 45 minutes to an hour or until vegetables are fork-tender (remove once during cooking and stir vegetables so they will cook evenly).

Easy Dragon Tail Bread

1 can pre-made crusty french bread dough (Pillsbury)

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Non-stick cooking spray (PAM)

Water

Pre-Heat Oven to 350º & spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully open the can (yes, there is a safety warning on the side of the can) and put the dough on the greased baking sheet, seam-side down.

Using a clean pair of scissors, make a diagonal cut at one end of the loaf, on the top side, creating a sort of flap. You want a fairly deep cut until it looks like this:

Now, pull the flap with the point you created up, stretching it out and then fold it back and over until it looks like this:

Repeat the motion until you have created "scales" all along the length of your "dragon tail" until it looks like this:

Beat your egg white with a fork until it loosens up. With a pastry brush, paint the raw dough with a thin glaze of the egg white. You will not use the entire amount on one loaf. You only want a light coating to guarantee a nice, golden brown finish to your bread.

Place on the center rack and bake 3 minutes. After the first three minutes in the oven, open the door and sprinkle the dough with water. If you have a spray bottle to use, that's awesome. But simply dipping your CLEAN fingers in the water and flicking the water on the loaf works fine. Why do this? Well, that little bit of water during baking gives your crust that wonderful crispness found in all flakey breads. Close the oven and bake for another three minutes. After three minutes, sprinkle with a little more water.

Now, close the oven and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.

If you want to be hardcore you can make your bread from scratch. My Italian Bread recipe works perfectly for this style of bread.

Dragon Tail Bread (From Scratch)

2 cups water, lukewarm
2 Envelopes Active Dry Yeast
5 3/4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, add brown sugar to warm water and stir until dissolved. Sprinkle all of the yeast onto the surface of the water and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes or until activated (foamy).

In a separate bowl, mix together flour and salt. I do it this way just to keep myself from getting confused while I'm mixing all the ingredients together. It's easy to lose count if you're just adding the flour from the bag to the mixer.

Once the yeast has foamed up, gradually add flour/salt mixture and blend together on a medium setting, using a dough hook attachment. Once you have combined all your flour into the mixer, drizzle with olive oil and mix until it forms a soft, elastic dough (about 5-10 minutes).

Lightly drizzle a larger bowl with olive oil and remove the dough from the mixing bowl and transfer to the larger bowl. Turn the dough over in the bowl, allowing it to be lightly coated in olive oil and cover with plastic wrap.

Let the dough sit in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size (roughly an hour). Once the dough has risen, deflate the dough using your hands. Separate the dough into two balls.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form the balls of dough into cylinders (loaves). Create your dragon tails as illustrated above (or simply create three diagonal cuts at approximately 45º, across the tops of the loaves for traditional Italian bread). Brush with beaten egg white.

Pre-heat the oven to 425º

Place on the center rack and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and sprinkle/spray the dough evenly with water. Close the door and bake for another 3 minutes. Open the door again and sprinkle/spray evenly with more water. Now, close the door and let bread bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and whack the bread with a wooden spoon. If it sounds hollow, it's done.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this special edition of 8-Bit Cook! I hope it inspired you to try some new things for that season premiere! Remember to join the community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter for all the latest 8-Bit Cook news!