cause i'm a fatty

Poor Vincent Van Gogh. They use his face as a marketing scheme for absolutely everything, whether it is vodka, cheese, absinthe, or paints. 

But…this aged gouda is terrific. It’s got a slight sharpness while the center is velvety and rich. 

Cashew Apple Bread with Gruyere

I love the versatility of cheese. It’s perfect with fruit, meats, wine, and on its own. Gruyere has a smoky quality to it that makes it more of a dynamic pairing with apples-weaving savory and sweet notes at the same time. Personally I think this is a perfectly balanced dessert.

Chilli sandwich with Jalapeno Cheddar Beer Bread 

I’ve been on a baking streak lately, and feel pretty empowered by making my own breads. While I haven’t delved into the world of yeast just yet, beer bread has been excitingly easy to make, and it makes a very comforting meal when paired with chili. 

For the chili I used about 2 lbs of lean ground beef, and sauteed it with 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and one small chopped onion, till the meat was cooked thoroughly. In the mean time, I used a generic chili mix (along with 1 tbs of paprika/cayenne pepper) from the market, which I added to 2 cups of chicken stock, letting it come to a boil, and then simmering it for 20 minutes. (1 hour would be ideal, this really lets the spices open up and get absorbed by the stock) I added 4 oz. of tomato paste and 1 heaping spoonful of brown sugar (brown sugar takes out any bitterness that is caused by the chili spice mix) to the chicken stock, let it simmer for 10 more minutes, and then added the beef. 

The finished chili was placed in between two generous slices of the Jalapeno Cheddar Beer Bread. It tasted like a spicy Sloppy Joe sandwich, but it hit the spot on a night you want to sit back with your legs up and watch a Law & Order: SVU marathon. 

Ingredients for the JCB Bread:

3 cups of flour
3 tsps of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
1/4 cup sugar
12 oz of beer
1/2 cup of melted butter
2-3 jalepenos, finely chopped, with seeds
1 cup of shredded chedder cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease your loaf pan and cover thinly with flour.
3. Mix all of your dry ingredients with the beer, folding in the cheese and jalepenos last.
4. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and pour the melted butter over it.
5. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until you can stick a knife in it and it comes out clean.