The Lush Chef

Libations used: one bottle of beer...
Libations left over: well, hopefully you bought a whole pack, so pop open another bottle while you're stirring that risotto...
Ah, risotto.  The downfall of nearly every contestant on Top Chef.  It's a process that shouldn't be rushed, which is inevitably while these folks fail because they're trying to make it with such a short amount of time.  But don't be scared off by it.  It's really quite easy, and the key is to have a warm stock, room temperature beer or wine, patience, and a strong stirring arm.  Making risotto is a great way to tone your arms!  This version from Cherry on My Sundae's blog is what I would consider a guy's risotto.  It's got beer, spicy sausage, and plenty of cheese.  What's not to love?  Use a dark beer, like a brown ale and make sure it's at room temperature.  I grabbed a pack of spicy Italian chicken sausages from Trader Joe's and a nice, smoky gouda.  So pop or crack open a cold one, and get to stirring.

Beer Risotto with Sausage and Gouda - serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 8 oz spicy sausage, sliced
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 12 oz dark beer at room temperature (I used Mission St. Brown Ale)
• 3 cups chicken stock, warmed in a small sauce pot on the stove
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1/2 cup grated gouda
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 Tbs parsley, chopped

- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil.
- Add the sliced sausages and sauté until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the sausages with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, until they're translucent.
- Add the rice and stir, cooking for about 1-2 minutes so you get a nice, nutty aroma.
- Add half of the beer and stir until the liquid is fully absorbed.
- Add the remaining beer and stir until that's fully absorbed.
- Add a ladle of warm chicken stock and keep stirring away until it's absorbed. Take a swig of beer - this is hard work!
- Keeping adding the stock in increments, stirring until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Cook until the rice appears creamy and is al dente, about 20-30 minutes after all is said and done.
- Stir in the butter and grated cheese.
- Add the sausages back in and season with salt and pepper.
- Divide evenly, and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Libations used: 1 bottle of pumpkin ale...
Libations left over: None, unless ya bought a six-pack...
I had one lonely bottle of KBC Pumpkin Ale kicking around in the fridge and it was just begging me to cook or bake something with it.  I was craving soup and this Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup from Spoon Fork Bacon with some garlicky sourdough croutons looked like the ultimate comfort dinner on a chilly fall night.  It's a fairly quick soup to make, so great for those lazy Sunday nights or week day.  I'm sure you could use any light beer you wanted, but the pumpkin flavor is so much fun and lends it a little seasonal spice.

Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup - serves 4
Ingredients for the soup:

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 large leek, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 rib of celery, thinly sliced
• 2 1/2 Tbs minced thyme
• One 12 oz bottle of pumpkin ale (I used KBC)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup pumpkin purée
• 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the croutons:

• 1 1/2-2 cups diced sourdough bread
• 3 1/2 Tbs melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

To make the soup:
- Pour the olive oil into a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and leek and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until they become translucent.
- Add the garlic, carrots and celery and season with salt and pepper.
- Sauté for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the thyme.
- Add the beer and chicken broth and let the mixture simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the veggies are fork tender.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- In another medium pot, melt the butter.
- Whisk in the flour to create a roux and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk in the milk, until no lumps remain and the mixture thickens.
- Stir in the pumpkin purée until smooth.
- In a large bowl, toss the cheddar cheese with the lemon juice.
- Add the cheese to the roux and stir until smooth.
- Stir in the mustard, paprika and nutmeg.
- Pour the cheese and broth mixture into a blender and purée until smooth.
- Pour the soup back into one of the pots or Dutch oven and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until it thickens slightly.

To make the croutons:
- While the soup is cooking, place all crouton ingredients into a medium bowl and toss together until evenly coated.
- Pour croutons into a large skilled over medium heat.
- Toast them for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently so they're evenly browned.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool and crisp up.
- Top each bowl of soup with croutons.

Libations used: 3/4 cup sour beer
Libations left over: more than half the bottle, so pour a glass for yourself and a friend and wait for that sorbet to freeze.
I haven't made ice cream or sorbet in a really long time, but now that we're getting into the heat of summer, that's going to change.  My favorite recipe book for frozen treats, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, has a recipe for fruit lambic sorbets.  Lambic is a sour beer that's traditionally made in the Pajottenland region just south of Brussels, Belgium.  They're sour, fruity and delicious! I picked up a bottle of Lindeman's Peche Lambic at Whole Foods, and a pound of fresh yellow peaches from the Sunday Farmers' Market to make this four ingredient sorbet.  This recipe is the perfect way to highlight your favorite stone fruits — try cherries, plums, nectarines, (or white peaches for a lighter flavor).  The sorbet is incredibly smooth and rich and truly captures the flavors of the season.  I plan on making batches of this all summer long.

Peach Lambic Sorbet - makes more than 1 quart
Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh peaches (about 3 big peaches)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup chilled lambic beer (I used Lindeman's Peach Lambic)

- Peel the skin off the peaches and remove pits.
- Add to a food processor and purée.
- In a medium sauce pan, add the purée, sugar and corn syrup.
- Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Remove immediately from the heat and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Add the beer and put into your ice cream machine.
- Churn until the consistency is like soft whipped cream.
- Pack the sorbet mixture into a storage container and place some parchment paper directly against the surface.
- Cover and place in the coldest part of your freezer.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until the sorbet is firm - I always need twice as long with my freezer.

Gee, 4th of July must have sucked in 1919, with Prohibition going into effect on July 1.  That's a great way to put a damper on one's Yankee spirit.  Luckily, all of you lushes no longer have to worry about that, and I'm sure all of you will be out and about during this long weekend, celebrating our country's independence (from the British and the Volstead Act) with plenty of delicious eats and libations.  Whether it's a BBQ, cocktail party or beach blanket bingo, I've got you covered.
There's nothing like pairing bourbon with grilled meats, and I now have two standbys for marinades.  Joy the Baker's Bourbon Orange Coriander BBQ Sauce may have a ton of ingredients, but it's simple to make and well worth the time.  Last summer, we lathered this sauce on grilled chicken, burgers, brats — basically any meat we had on the grill got a generous dollop of this sauce.  People were eating it out of the container...My other favorite marinade is this Sugar Steak with Bourbon.  With just three ingredients (brown sugar, red pepper flakes and bourbon), you can whip this up in no time and it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Speaking of brown sugar and bourbon...these Bourbon Glazed Peaches on the Grill elicited marriage proposals...from men and women.  My friends couldn't even wait for these to cool down before stuffing these in their faces, and they taste like peach cobbler.  If you want to actually make a peach cobbler, then this recipe for Tyler Florence's Bourbon Peach Cobbler has become my go-to.  Sticking with stone fruits and moving away from bourbon, these Nectarine Crostata use a little bit of vodka in the dough.  It's a great recipe to have in one's arsenal for the year, and the fruit can be changed with the seasons.  This would be killer with berries or any other kind of stone fruit, and the small size of the pastries makes them perfect for transporting to picnics.
Watermelon, that ubiquitous, big crowd-feeding fruit pairs so well with alcohol.  A Mojito Watermelon Salad with rum, mint, lime juice and pinches of cayenne and salt takes on the drink in salad form and is perfect for big family reunions where you need to take the edge off.  Pretty much those same ingredients can be transferred into popsicle form to make some Watermelon & Vodka Popsicles.  You might as well keep the party going by making this Bourbon & Watermelon Cocktail in large batches, preferably in a lined trash can.  People love trash can punches!  
Yes, margaritas are pretty much drunk all year-round in Southern California, but they still smack of summer to me.  These Margarita Cupcakes have tequila in the batter and the frosting.  The lime and touch of salt in the frosting really makes these taste like the real deal.  One of my other favorite desserts to make during the summer, and one that should only be served amongst adults, is this Tres Leches Cake.  I have very fond memories from the first time I served this cake at a dinner party in Topanga Canyon.  Everyone was already a little tipsy from all the wine, and this basically put everyone into happy, drunk mode.  Yes, you can get drunk off of cake...

If you're throwing a big party, you have to have some kind of sangria.  Take advantage of stone fruit season with this White Sangria with Peaches.  I like to add a little bit of basil to mine to give it a slightly herbal flavor.  It also reminds me of one of my favorite summer appetizers with peaches, basil and burrata.  I also toss basil in Spicy Strawberry Margaritas.  It balances really nicely with the strawberries and jalapeño-infused tequila.  And because I apparently crave Mexican-cocktails during the summer, the Paloma is a slight variation on a margarita with grapefruit juice and soda or grapefruit soda, and a Michelada is like if a Bloody Mary and Mexican beer had a baby.
Whether you're looking to batch these cocktails or make them individually, these next few truly take advantage of summer flavors and fruits.  I love libations that have the word "smash" in them.  They're fun to make and if you're not careful, you can get smashed.  This Plum Tarragon Smash contains whiskey, plums, tarragon, lime juice and club soda, and if you're not careful, can go down real fast.  And a Blueberry Smash takes on a patriotic color after you've smashed in blueberries, mint, lemon and lime juice with vodka and St. Germain.  Why make a regular mojito when you can muddle strawberries in them?  Finally, for a twist on a Vodka Lemonade, try using lemon verbena-infused simple syrup.

Libations used: 1 bottle of beer...
Libations left over: Crack open another bottle while the bread bakes...
I went wine tasting this past weekend with friends, and where there's tons of wine flowing, there's a need for plenty of carbs to soak up all that alcohol.  I absolutely love making beer bread because it's one of the cheapest, quickest and most flavorful breads you can make.  In the past, I've made this heavenly buttery and cheesy Cheddar Beer Bread, but I wanted to include some slightly healthier ingredients this time.  I also knew we'd be eating plenty of cheese and crackers, so there was no need for extra dairy.  This recipe for Beer Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olives from Epicurious was equally fast and uses a little oil from jarred, sun-dried tomatoes to add extra flavor.  I went heavy on the tomatoes and olives, and be sure to use a light beer or pale ale when making this — I used Blue Moon Hefeweizen.  I ended up sharing this bread at a couple of wineries with our lovely tasting room pourers and fellow visitors.  It's a great way to get hefty pours or special tastings...needless to say, we made lots of friends.

Beer Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Olives: makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• One 12 oz bottle of light beer (I used Blue Moon)
• Scant 3/4 cup of chopped, drained sun-dried tomatoes 
• 1 Tbs of sun-dried tomato oil
• Scant 1/2 cup of chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

- Preheat oven to 350.
- Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
- Add the egg, beer, tomatoes, reserved oil and olives and stir until the batter is just combined.
- Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until it's baked through (mine took about 50 minutes).
- Turn the bread out onto a rack and let cool before slicing.

Libations used: 1 cup beer...
Libation left over: About 1/3 of the bottle, so polish that beer off while the ice cream is mixing...
St. Patrick's Day may have just ended, but I'm still in a beer mood and had some stout left over.  I hadn't made ice cream in a while and found this recipe from the Los Angeles Times for beer ice cream. It didn't specify what kind of beer, but I felt like a stout with those chocolate and coffee flavor notes, would be the best.  With only four ingredients, this ice cream is super easy to make.

Stout Ice Cream - serves 4
Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup stout (I used Stockyard Oatmeal Stout)
• 1 cup heavy cream

- In a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar and whisk until they're pale and lemon-colored.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the stout and cream and bring to a simmer.
- Slowly pour it over the sugar mixture and whisk throughly.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking frequently until it thickens.
- Pour the mixture through a strainer over a medium bowl.
- Set the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow those directions.
- Let it freeze for a few hours or more until it's hardened.

Well, that seems redundant, doesn't it?  Of course, it's going to be a lush day!  And in preparation for this day when non-Irish folk celebrate an Irish holiday by imbibing, here's a round-up of some of my favorite St. Patrick's Day-inspired recipes.  Just remember, lushes - pace yourselves.
























The best way to truly enjoy a cupcake on St. Patty's Day is to pair it with the libation you're drinking.  Luckily, you have three options from me.  For Bailey's lovers, these Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes with a vanilla cake base and Irish Cream frosting perfectly embody the liqueur.

For those who prefer a rich chocolate dessert, my Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes contain the booze in the cake and frosting, and I filled them with a cinnamon, vanilla whipped cream for good measure.  It's like an Irish version of a Hostess Cupcake!

If you're going to be a little alternative and drink a non-Irish libation, then these Blue Moon Cupcakes with an orange and Hefeweizen-inflected cake and vanilla cream cheese frosting will do the trick.


You'll need some snacks to fill your belly and sustain you on this lush adventure, so whip up some Guinness and White Cheddar Spread the night before.  It'll be perfect by the next day, and your friends will thank you as they lap up this addictive dip with pretzels or crackers.

You can't go wrong with putting an egg on it.  This Beer-Braised Spring Onion, Asparagus & Goat Cheese Pizza has seasonally appropriate veggies and runny eggs to serve as the perfect sober-up or hang-over food.  Just remember to share a slice with your friends!

Need an easy snack to stash in your pockets or purse?  This Cheddar Beer Bread is not only one of the simplest breads out there to make, but it's perfect for transporting on your bar hops.

For a dinner party, these Guinness-Braised Short Ribs are decadent.  They'll take about two hours to braise, so start preparing it before the drinks flow.  They'll be ready just when you need them to be!

Jamie Oliver's recipe for Beef & Ale Stew, which I like to make with stout, is perfect for a large group.  The ingredients are very cheap and a hearty stew does wonders for those who have been drinking all day.

If you're a vegetarian, then this Vegetarian Stout Stew has plenty of potatoes and mushrooms to give it texture and make up for the lack of meat.  Your carnivorous friends will probably want a bite.
Cheddar Ale Soup is one of my favorite kinds of soups and an amazing way to cook with beer.  This version is super cheesy and is topped with diced pancetta and honey-mustard pretzel pieces.

Speaking of cheese, this Beer-Baked Mac 'n Cheese contains five kinds - Cream Cheese, Cheddar, Parmesan, Brie and Gorgonzola.  It's insanely rich and delicious.  The perfect stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal for this day.


If you're actually hosting a St. Patrick's Day party and need to make the drinks, this Jameson & Ginger Beer cocktail is incredibly simple and refreshing.  I like to use Reed's Extra-Ginger Ginger Beer to give it an extra kick.

If you're drinking a lot of beer and would like to mix things up, this Sidewalker cocktail, which contains beer, Applejack, maple syrup, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar is reminiscent of a sour beer.

Libations used: About 12 oz of beer...

I won't be throwing a Super Bowl party this year because I'll actually be in New Orleans working at some parties, but that doesn't mean all of you can't get a Lush Chef treat on game day.  Here are some my favorite snacks and desserts to make, and they're Super Bowl party-approved.

This Bacon Bourbon Caramel Popcorn recipe comes from Villain's Tavern in downtown LA, and is sure to impress your guests.  I highly recommend making two batches because they will devour this fast.  I mean, who doesn't love bourbon and bacon?
Guinness & White Cheddar Spread - When I made this cheese spread last year, my friends couldn't get enough of it.  It's simply addictive and tastes amazing with pretzels or mini rye crackers.  There may be quite a few ingredients in it, but just toss everything in a food processor and you're good to go.  If you're planning a party, it's the perfect thing to make the night before and have ready on the big day.
For more cheddar goodness, this Cheddar Beer Bread is insanely easy to make, uses very few ingredients and bakes fast.  I would recommend making this right before your guests come, so you can serve it warm.  I really love cutting it up into small squares and serving with a spinach artichoke dip.

You can't watch a football game without having some nuts to munch on.  One of my favorite ways to prepare them is using this Spiced Bitter Bar Nuts recipe, which includes cayenne, cinnamon, honey, brown sugar, bitters and fresh rosemary.  I use a combination of walnuts, almonds, cashews and pecans.  Use a nice flakey or coarse salt to finish these off.


























To throw in something healthy, make this Hefeweizen Hummus and serve with raw veggies or pita chips.  I love the fresh lemon juice and zest in this recipe, because it just brightens up the flavor and makes it look more festive.

While everyone is downing those beers, serve this Honey Spice Beer Cake topped with mixed nuts for dessert.  The saltiness, sweetness and spice hit all the fun flavor notes you want while watching football.  SInce it's a sheet cake, it's also easy to transport if you're looking to bring something to a friend's house.
Speaking of easy desserts to transport, here's another tried-and-true favorite amongst the Lush Chef's friends.  These Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies with a marshmallow and spiced chocolate frosting are rich, ooey-gooey and pack some heat.  If you can't handle spicy desserts, then just cut the amount of chili powder and cayenne in half.  Be sure to give these brownies time to cool, or else they'll be pretty messy getting out of the pan.

Libations used: 2 cups of ale
Libations left over: None, but you can always crack open another bottle of beer while the stew is on the stove...
Last week I was battling a little bit of a sore throat and stuffy nose, so even though it was hot outside, all I wanted was some soup...and an easy soup at that.  Jamie Oliver's recipe for Beef and Ale Stew uses ingredients that you typically have in the pantry.  I used Murphy's Irish Stout because it's what I happend to have in the fridge, but use Guinness or whatever brown ale or stout you have on hand.  All I had to do was run out and get some stewing beef.  There's also very minimal work involved — just cut up some veggies, throw everything in the pot, and let it go!  Even though the ingredients are simple, this stew packs a ton of flavor.  I mean, you can't beat meat stewing in some ale, right?  I'll definitely be making this again very, very soon.

Beef & Ale Stew - serves 4
Ingredients:

• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, halved lengthwise & chopped
• 3 fresh or dried bay leaves
• Olive oil
• 1 lb stewing beef, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 1 heaping Tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 cups brown ale, Guinness or stout
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

- In a dutch oven over medium heat, add the celery, onion, carrots, bay leaves and a couple glugs of olive oil.
- Cook the veggies for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the meat, flour, beer and tomatoes.
- Stir and add in a tsp of salt and a couple grinds of pepper.
- Bring the stew to a boil.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 3 hours.
- Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Feel free to add water or some beef broth if the stew is looking dry.
- Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Libations used: 1 bottle of beer
Libations left: None, but crack open another bottle of beer while the sauce simmers.
It may have been Memorial Day weekend, but I wasn't doing any BBQ'ing myself.  I was totally craving pasta after a week of eating tons of kale and salads—I needed the carbs.  Plus, a bunch of my neighbors were around and were HUNGRY, so I needed something easy to make and serve.  Whenever the Lush Chef starts cooking in her building, everyone comes out into the courtyard and starts sniffing around.  What can I say?

I had pinned this recipe for Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Beer Sauce from Saveur a while back, and I happened to have one lonely bottle of Bock beer in the fridge.  It was like kismet.  It's a puttanesca style pasta, and I loved how it included all sorts of yummy things like pickles, capers, anchovies and sun-dried tomatoes. I held back on the spice because not everyone can handle the heat.  For some reason I couldn't track down any red Fresno chiles, so I used an orange Fresno pepper—hey, they both have Fresno in their name.  Yes, the sauce takes almost 2 hours to make, but it's worth it.  The smells are amazing and once you make homemade sauce, there's just no going back to the canned stuff.



Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Beer Sauce - serves 4-6
Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed
• 8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 6 oil-packed anchovy filets, chopped
• 4 red Fresno chiles, seeded and chopped (I used 1 Fresno pepper)
• 4 gherkins, chopped
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
• 12 oz Bock beer (German, Italian, use whatever you find)
• 3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 lb linguini or scialatielli pasta
• 8 caper berries for garnish
• 2 Tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

- Heat oil in a 4 quart saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add capers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, chiles, gherkins and onions.
- Stir occasionally, until ingredients are browned, for about 20 minutes.
- Add canned tomatoes and beer and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, for about 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente.
- Purée sauce in a blender and then return sauce to the pan over low heat.
- Stir in olives and season with salt and pepper.
- Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water (to loosen the sauce, if needed).
- Transfer the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine.
- Serve pasta garnished with caper berries and parsley.

Libations used: 1/2 cup of beer
Libations left over: 1/2 bottle of beer, so polish it off while the onions are braising...
Last month's issue of Bon Appetit was all about a pizza, and it was perfectly timed to Jim Leahy's new book My Pizza: The Easy No-Knead Way to Make Spectacular Pizza at Home.  While I don't have the book, I do have his no-knead dough recipe, which is incredibly easy to make and calls for ingredients that one almost always has on hand (I bake a lot, so I always have yeast).  I had this recipe for Beer-Braised Spring Onion & Herbed Goat Cheese Focaccia Pizza on file for a while, so I decided to take a few ideas and make my own spring pizza using Jim's dough.  I added asparagus because it's in season and I need my veggies, and I also put a few birds...err, eggs on it!  I don't have a pizza stone, so I just put some parchment paper onto a baking sheet.

While I made this pizza allll for myself, I'll definitely bust this out for a Lush Chef brunch or easy-going dinner party.  The great thing about Jim's dough recipe is that it makes enough for 4 pizzas, so you can roll the leftover dough into balls, wrap in saran wrap and foil and store in the freezer.

Beer-Braised Spring Onion, Asparagus & Herbed Goat Cheese Pizza - serves 2-3

Ingredients for the dough:

• 3 3/4 cups flour, plus a little extra for shaping
• 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• Cornmeal, for dusting

Ingredients for the pizza toppings:

• 3-4 large spring onions, skins removed, cut in half and sliced thinly
• 2 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup lager beer (I used Stella Artois)
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• 6 oz plain goat cheese
• 2 Tbs fresh herbs (I used thyme, but you can use rosemary, basil or a combination)

To make the dough:
- Combine the flour, yeast and sea salt in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Pour the water over the mixture and combine thoroughly, using your hands to shape the dough into a ball.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for at least 18 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

To make the pizza:
- In a large pan, melt the butter and oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions and stir to coat, then turn heat down to low.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour, stirring halfway through.
- While the onions are cooking, finely chop the herbs.
- Crumble up the goat cheese and add to a bowl with the herbs, mashing with the bottom of a fork until well-combined.
- After 1 hour, remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium to cook off all the liquid.
- Once the liquid is gone and the onions start to get a caramel color, add the beer.
- Stir until the beer is gone, making sure you get all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Divide the dough into quarters.
- With one of the quarters, on a heavily-floured work surface, fold the right side toward the center, then the left, top and bottom.
- Turn the ball seam-side down on the work surface.
- Cup your hands around the sides of the dough and press it down towards the work surface and in a circular motion to shape it into a mound.
- Press down on the dough and gently stretch it to a 6-8 inch wide disk (I actually made mine a rectangle).  Continue to massage and stretch it out to 10-12 inches (don't smooth out the bubbles or blisters).
- Transfer your dough onto a pizza peel or if you don't have one, I just moved directly onto my baking sheet, lined with cornmeal-dusted parchment paper.
- Crumble the goat cheese on the dough and add the asparagus spears.
- Pop in the oven for 2 1/2 minutes (I actually needed to cook mine longer).
- Remove from oven and spread the onions on.
- Gently crack 3 eggs onto the pizza.
- Place in the oven for a minute or two, or until the eggs are cooked.
- Season with some salt and pepper.
- Slice it up and make sure you cut through the eggs when serving so everyone gets some of that delicious, runny yolk.

Libations used: 1 cup beer
Libations left over: 1/3 bottle of beer, so polish that baby off
While other parts of the country have been experiencing sunny days and warm weather, it's been cold and rainy in Los Angeles.  I felt like I had been running and running for the past couple of weeks—a visit to Austin for SXSW, birthdays, friends visiting from out of town and a bunch of dinners with local friends I hadn't seen in a while.  I finally spent a peaceful day at home, listening to the rain fall and catching up on some reading.  This Cheddar Ale Soup from Williams & Sonoma was the perfect, comforting dish to whip up on a lazy Sunday evening.  The original recipe calls for bacon, but I used up some leftover pancetta and instead of croutons, I sprinkled some honey mustard pretzel pieces on top—that's how they serve beer-laced cheddar soup back in my home state.

Cheddar Ale Soup - serves 4
Ingredients:

• 4 thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 3 inch strips or 1 cup diced pancetta
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled & diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup pale ale (I used Blue Moon Hefeweizen)
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Toasted croutons or honey mustard pretzel pieces for garnish
• Olio novello for drizzling

- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon or pancetta until crisp (about 8 minutes for the bacon & 4-5 minutes for the pancetta).
-Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Discard all but 2 Tbs of the fat in the pot (I only ended up getting just under a Tbs).
- Reduce heat to medium and melt the butter.
- Add the onion, carrots & celery.
- Cover and cook until the vegetables are softened (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the flour and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the beer and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the Worcestershire, milk and chicken stock.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor or blender.
- Set the pot over medium-low heat and add the cheese by the handful, stirring constantly.  Do not allow the soup to boil!
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with croutons or pretzel pieces and drizzle with the olio novello.

Libations used: 2/3 cup beer
Libations left over: more than half a bottle of beer, so polish it off while those cupcakes are baking...
This past weekend was an epic celebration—a friend in from Hong Kong, St. Patrick's Day and Blue Moon's 30th birthday.  Instead of whipping up some Irish-inspired cupcakes, I decided to make Blue Moon cupcakes to honor the birthday boy.  I had seen a couple of recipes floating around the food blogs, and ultimately opted for Spoon Fork Bacon's version.  The cake has a light orange, vanilla and light beer flavor, while the orange cream cheese frosting adds some decadence.  We busted these out for breakfast before our pub crawl on St. Patrick's Day, and they pair excellently with Blue Moon or any light beer.

Blue Moon Cupcakes - makes 16 cupcakes and over 24 minis
Ingredients for the cake:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest from 1 orange (save that orange to make juice for the frosting)
• 2/3 cup Blue Moon beer
• 2 Tbs whole milk

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 Tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
• Orange zest for garnish

To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 375 and line your muffin tins.
- In a mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for about 1 minute.
- Add the sugar, and cream with the butter for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time and scrape the batter down the sides of the bowl after each.
- Add the vanilla and orange zest and mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the beer and milk together.
- Add 1/3 of the beer mixture, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, alternating until done and everything's full incorporated.
- Fill muffin liners 2/3 full with the batter.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes and allow to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:
- Cream the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer.
- Add the confectioners sugar 1/2 cup at a time and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the orange juice and mix until everything's fully incorporated.
- Pipe frosting onto cupcakes and garnish with orange zest or peel.

St. Patrick has blessed us this year by having his namesake holiday fall on a Saturday, so of course I'll be out celebrating.  I'm a wee bit Irish, live within walking distance to a slew of Irish pubs and call myself the Lush Chef.  How could I not?  It's also Blue Moon's birthday, so I'll be bringing some form of baked goods to the bar (it's also a quick way to make friends with bartenders and get a good seat!).  If you're looking to do the same, the Lush Chef has some yummy ideas for you to honor St. Patrick's Day.  But before we get started, let's get a little libation education out of the way so you're fully prepared for the big day.

Bailey's Irish Cream: It's creamy, it's delicious in hot and cold drinks and has a suspiciously long shelf life.

Ale vs Stout: Equally tasty, but not the same and will make a world of difference if you mix up the two in recipes.

Irish Whiskey vs American Whiskey:  Let's honor St. Patty by sticking with Irish Whiskey on this day.

Now that we got the lessons out of the way, on to the food...

Cheddar Beer Bread: Start off your morning the right way with this quick and easy beer bread.  I recommend baking with a light beer or pale ale, and use an Irish cheddar to show your proper respects.

Guinness & White Cheddar Spread: Yes, I'm keeping up with the beer and cheddar theme, because they just go so well together.  There's only a little bit of beer in this spread, so you won't get tipsy—it will probably end up helping you soak up all that alcohol you've been imbibing.  It's also ridiculously addictive, so bring a secret stash to the pub...

Beef & Guinness Short Ribs: If you're hosting a dinner party and have time to cook something low and slow, then I highly recommend making these short ribs. You can even fork off all the meat and serve them as sliders.

























Chocolate & Pretzel-Covered Beer Marshmallows: You now have all this stout in your house, so what's a Lush Chef to do besides drink it?  These stout-laced marshmallows are kicked up another notch by being doused in milk chocolate and pretzel pieces.


Cupcake time!  The Lush Chef will be rolling into a pub with a box of these to pass out amongst friends and bring a little St. Patrick's Day cheer.

Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes: These fluffy vanilla cupcakes have a Bailey's Irish Cream buttercream frosting and pack a boozy punch.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes: The recipe for these chocolate cupcakes calls for stout in both the cake and the frosting.  I also got a little creative last year and shot some vanilla and cinnamon whipped cream through the middle.  It's like the Irish version of a hostess cupcake.

Winter is almost over and that means that blood oranges will soon be out of season.  While that makes me incredibly sad, I have to remind myself that each season brings something yummy and new.  I wasn't having any kind of party at the Lush Chef Chateau this week, but it was Monday night and sometimes a girl just has to make herself a fancy cocktail.  This Blood Orange, Ginger Beer & Tequila Cocktail from Food Porn Daily was just calling to me, with the wintery combination of blood orange and ginger (I actually used a non-alcoholic ginger beer, but feel free to amp it up).  And let's face it, throwing in tequila almost always makes it a fun time.

Blood Orange, Ginger Beer & Tequila Cocktail 
Garnish Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup blood orange juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Zest from 1 blood orange
• Blood orange slices

Drink Ingredients:

• 2 oz blood orange juice
• 3 oz ginger beer 
• 1 1/2 oz tequila
• Juice from 1 lime wedge
• Ice

To prepare the glass:
- Put the 1/4 cup blood orange juice in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the zest and sugar.
- Dip the rim of a highball glass into the orange juice and then into the zest & sugar mixture (coat it nice and even!).

To make the drink:
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, blood orange juice, tequila and lime juice and shake.
- Pour into your pretty, garnished glass and top with ginger beer.
- Stir lightly and garnish with a blood orange slice.

Libations used: 1/3 cup Guinness 
Libations left over: 3/4 of the bottle, so polish that off while you're making the dip
In addition to my Bacon Bourbon Caramel Popcorn, I also brought this Guinness & White Cheddar Spread to a Super Bowl party over a week ago.  I had run across this recipe on The Galley Gourmet a long time ago and was waiting for the right time to make it.  Of course you have to have beer when watching football, so it seemed fitting that I finally whipped it up.  Don't be scared off by all the ingredients.  You just throw everything into a food processor and it's done.  It can also be made a few days in advance—just make sure you bring it to room temperature before serving. The original recipe recommends serving it with rye toasts, but I thought pretzels would be more fun—they're easier to dip and they go so well with beer and cheese!  There were a few of us at the party (me included) who huddled together and wouldn't let anyone move this spread away from us.  It was so freakin' addictive that I very well could have tackled someone if they took it away from me.

Guinness & White Cheddar Spread - makes 2 cups
Ingredients:

• 10 oz sharp white cheddar cheese (I used the Dubliner brand - looove that stuff), grated
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbs cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup Guinness Stout
• 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• Cayenne pepper, to taste (I used a couple pinches)

- In a food processor, combine the cheddar, cream cheese, butter, Guinness and mustards and purée until smooth.
- Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then add the onion, Worcestershire, black pepper, parsley and cayenne and pulse until nice and smooth.

Now that the sun is setting earlier and the weather is getting chillier, sometimes all I want to do on a Friday night is stay in, watch a movie and have a cocktail.  When I saw this cocktail recipe come through my inbox via Gilt Taste, I couldn't wait to make it.  This Sidewalker, made by Damon Boelte from Brooklyn's Prime Meats, has so many elements of fall—apple brandy, maple syrup, beer (good anytime of year).  I wasn't sure how all the ingredients were going to come together, but I'm always willing to experiment.  There's been a resurgence of including vinegar or "shrubs" (a combination of vinegar, fruit and sugar) in cocktails as mixologists hit the history books for inspiration.  The flavor reminded me of a sour beer, and American Trilogy and I slurped this down with sushi while we caught the first couple of hours of Ken Burns' "Prohibition."

The Sidewalker - serves 1

• 1 oz Applejack
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz maple syrup
• 1/4 oz apple cider vinegar
• 1 bottle cold wheat beer (I used Blue Moon Hefeweizen)
• Lemon wedge, to garnish

- Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass with ice and pour the brandy, lemon juice, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar in and shake.
- Strain the mixture into a chilled, tall glass.
- Top with the beer and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Libations used: 1 bottle plus 1-2 Tbs of beer
Libations left over: 3/4 bottle of beer
It may not be fall yet, but this Honey Spice Beer Cake from the ladies at Booze Cakes has been on my "to bake" list for a long time.  Some friends of mine were doing a housewarming party and weren't planning on making dessert, so The Lush Chef to the rescue!  This particular cake is super rich, moist and decadent—as much as I would like to think I could eat a gigantic piece, I could only eat a small one.  But oh, what a delicious piece of cake it was!  The slightly salty mixed nuts were a nice way to offset the sweetness.  

The recipe calls for honey beer, but any kind of dark, spicy beer is fine.  I had an oatmeal stout on hand and it worked beautifully with this recipe—the flavor was a nice compliment to the lovely mixture of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.  I bet this cake would also taste amazing with some pumpkin ale or Guinness, so feel free to get adventurous.

Honey Spice Beer Cake - serves 20-24
Cake Ingredients:

• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup honey
• Juice and zest from 1 lemon
• 1 12 oz bottle of beer 

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1-2 Tbs beer (start with 1 Tbs and if you need more liquid, carefully add more beer until desired consistency)
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 cups lightly salted mixed nuts

To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325.  Grease and flour a 9x13 inch sheet cake pan.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars for a few minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Mix in honey, lemon juice and zest.
- Mix in flour mixture and beer in 3 alternating additions.
- Bake 40-45 minutes.  I actually had to bake mine for about an hour because the cake rose like crazy (all that beer!) and took a while to completely bake through.

To make the frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter with about 1/3 of the confectioners sugar.
- Mix in 1 Tbs beer and the rest of the confectioners sugar in alternating additions.  If the frosting is looking too thick, keep adding in a little bit more beer.
- Stir in the honey.
- Once the cake has cooled, frost and garnish with the mixed nuts.

This summer I've been doing a lot of beer cocktails at BBQs and pool parties.  Malbec has been having us over almost every Sunday for some grilling action and lazing in the pool, and while I love my Lush Chef Taste Testers, I can't be busting out the expensive stuff all the time.  Beer cocktails can go a long way and won't break the bank, so they're perfect for large, casual gatherings.  Last BBQ we went spicy and had Micheladas, but this time I was craving something fruity.  I bought a huge box of raspberries at the farmers market and went home to get a little blender happy.

Raspberry Beer Cocktails - serves 6
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups raspberries
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 3 bottles light beer (I used Stella Artois)

- Add 1 cup raspberries, lemon juice and vodka in blender and purée.
- Transfer to a pitcher, add the beer and stir.
- Serve each cocktail with some raspberries for garnish.