However, I didn't work today, so I decided to imbibe a little last night, saving only what I needed for the recipe. I don't drink a whole lot, but once in a while it's fun to get a little drunk and mess about online. It sounds like some lonely nerd thing to do, but it really isn't. I might just be online but it's still a social thing. It's cheaper than going out, and safer, since nobody has to worry about driving, or any of that.
Anyway, you came here to read about a recipe. Specifically, a beer bread recipe.
So, I did lie a little in that post about the cake. I said I would try to challenge myself. This wasn't really a challenge. I've made bread before (soda bread, banana bread, and cornbread) but not specifically beer bread, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Here's the recipe. It's not the clearest photo but I believe you can make everything out.
First, the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and the dill.
In which I try to take a halfway decent photo of a bowl of flour.
Completely unnecessary picture of the baking powder.
Now, we don't have whole wheat flour as the recipe called for, so I went ahead and used the regular all purpose flour we've got. Also, I'm not terribly fond of dill, so I decided to use some Italian seasoning.
Can you tell I'm a fan of macro shots?
Now, for the cheese.
We didn't quite have the amount the recipe called for, but close enough.
Then, the beer.
It was on sale. I didn't want to go with "OMG SUPER EXPENSIVE BEER" but I also didn't want to go with the bottom of the barrel cheapass beer, so I decided on this stuff. It's not my first choice but it's all right, considering I'm not much of a beer drinker.
Cue pouring the batter into the pan. I had the recipe book set on a folding chair (Didn't want it on the dirty counter, seeing as it's still a pretty pristine library book), and in the recipe directions, I misread "batter" as "butter" and spent a good minute or two staring blankly at the page before I went "DUH, I CAN'T READ, THAT SAYS BATTER. LOL. "
I rummaged around in our pantry but we didn't have sunflower seeds, or a viable replacement, so I skipped that bit.
I put it in the oven, set the timer, and then ran off to Netflix to watch another couple episodes of Chobits (which I recently began watching in a fit of really terrible boredom whilst browsing my instant queue).
About 50 odd minutes later, this was the result.
Cue unnecessary mention of the cute teapot in the background. Got it at the same second hand store where I purchased these lovely, lovely teacups
Japanese ceramicware hand painted in Hong Kong. I paid 20 bucks for the set of 4.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Here's another shot of the bread.
Look at that cheese. NOM NOM NOM
Once it had cooled a bit, I cut myself a piece. I took one bite and just stood there with the bread in my hand, saying "Holy shit. Alton you fantastic bastard, this bread is amazing."
To be honest, it was Alton Brown that made me want to start getting into cooking. A few years ago, when I was in college, I wasn't really a foodie at all. In fact I preferred to avoid cooking because I was too scared I'd burn/cut/etc myself.
I did enjoy watching the odd cooking show, and (pun intended) if any cooking show fits that criteria it's Good Eats. At first I just watched it because Alton Brown is completely ridiculous/a really huge goofball, and because I had a crush on him (still do, in fact). It was one particular instance when I excitedly baked some pumpkin bars and took them to my friends at college that I realized "Hey, I really like cooking stuff and then having people enjoy what I've made".
It sounds like a silly fangirly thing to say, but it really was Good Eats that made me want to get into cooking.
Anyway. For the next recipe I make, I will actually challenge myself and select a recipe I've never made before.
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