Duplin Winery

Beef "N" Beer

This is the first recipe in the book, The Cast Iron Way to Cook by Sue Cutts. I enjoyed preparing this recipe. I did not have any difficulties.

After preparing the recipe and putting it in the oven, I was finished. It cooked all afternoon. I picked up my daughter from school on a rainy afternoon. I stopped by the bakery and picked up some crusty bread and we enjoyed our dinner.

The only thing I would change next time, and this is only because of our personal taste, is not adding so many carrots. We are not carrot people.

What I did find amazing was how tender the meat was. I told my friends about this recipe and how tender the meat was. My friends have been cooking with beer for a while and agreed that beef cooked in beer made it very tender.

All in all it was a fabulous experience. I don't have pictures of the final dish. Next time I prepare this meal I will take a picture with the food plated and the crusty bread on the side.

Cast Iron Cook,

Viv

The Cast Iron way to Cook

Yesterday I went to my favorite store. I went to the Le Creuset store where they sell everything Le Creuset. I had the best time. I purchased the above book, The Cast Iron way to Cook. I flipped through it and I can't wait to get started. Next, I came up with a less than original idea.

Julie and Julia, the movie, was a wonderful story of how the passion for food and cooking affected two women of two different generations. I enjoyed the passion these two women had for food and cooking. I really thought it was a wonderful tribute as well as memorial to Julia. It was also a fabulous inspiration to me. This is where my idea comes in.

I thought, I could not only write about my experience cooking, I could actually show you, via video how I cook the recipes from my new cookbook. It ties in very well with my Cooking with Cast Iron show as well. Now, I won't cook every night from the book as I have not only a full time job and husband, I also have full time dependents to care for as well. My thought is to present my cooking show on the weekends. It all sounds so exciting to me. I can't wait to get started! Join me if you like and write me to tell me about your experiences too.

I will follow the recipes as written and in order presented in the book. In my book, the first recipe is Beef 'N' Beer on page 14. So get your french oven out and let's do this!

Hush Puppy!

I had fun making hush puppies today. I looked up the history of the hush puppy and I came up with all sorts or theories. One theory that I like was the one involving puppies.

According to several websites, cooks of old would cook fish and the puppies and dogs would go wild with desire for the fried fish. To hush the pups the cooks would make a simple fried mixture of cornmeal and water. They would then throw the ball of fried corn meal to the puppies and say, "Hush puppy".

I guess "hush doggies" doesn't have the same kind of ring.

What's For Breakfast?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I know that but I don't always live like it is. On the weekend I have more time to slow down and make a wonderful breakfast for my family. Unfortunately, sleeping in, just sounds like a better idea.

When I surface from my slumber, I do enjoy making a lovely pancake breakfast. My daughter could eat pancakes for breakfast and lunch everyday if I let her. I enjoy great pancakes too and I have since I was a little girl.

I don't have any reason to reinvent the wheel. There are so many pancake mixes out there on the grocery store shelves. Hungry Jack is a favorite of mine when I can get it. Today, I had some and was delighted to make some for my hungry family.

Let's go have our morning coffee and then cook some pancakes. It'll be fun!