Hank Watson, Author at Henriettibles

Fall. I love fall. Pumpkin everything. My version of Thanksgiving comes around – “Hanksgiving”. And, Terrapin Pumpkinfest. This beer looks and smells like pumpkin. As it should, since it’s made with real pumpkin! You can smell the spices of fall; nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger, as well as hints of caramel and graham crackers. It’s truly a beer that makes you visualize everything great about the fall. Once you taste Terrapin Pumpkinfest Spicy Crab Bisque, you’ll feel the same. I’ve incorporated all those beautiful fall flavors in this off the charts bisque. Paired with the Terrapin Pumpkinfest Salted Caramel Crusted Beer Bread, your tummy will be very happy. In fact, I’d say you’ll “fall” for it!

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I grew up loving root beer. What kid didn’t? While I rarely drink it these days, every once in a while, it’s a little piece of nostalgia that I greatly enjoy. And, well, a little piece of nostalgia is exactly what Small Town Brewery excels at creating. Small Town Brewery Not Your Father’s Root Beer tastes just like root beer, all while boasting a 5.9% ABV (trust me, you’ll want a case of this!). I thought about my favorite treat as a child; a root beer float. How do I make magic happen with the two? Small Town Brewery Not Your Father’s Root Beer Float Cake, of course! The cake, like Small Town Brewery Not Your Father’s Root Beer, gives the touch of nostalgia, without all the sugary sweetness (there’s some, don’t get me wrong!). The cake is light and tasty, not too sweet, and the perfect complement to this flavorsome ale.

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Irish or not, you had the grand idea of making Irish Soda Bread for your St. Paddy’s celebration. Then you started looking up recipes. By the time you figure out what’s what, it’s already next week!

You say you see recipes with Raisins or Currents? Butter? Sugar? Nope. Nope. AND NOPE!

That changes it to “Spotted Dog”, “Railway Cake”, or just a “Tea Cake”. It’s no longer Irish Soda Bread.

Okay, now that we cleared that up…. Would you believe there’s a secret Irish Soda Bread society? “The Society for the Preservation of Soda Bread” actually exists! Okay, so maybe it’s not a secret society.

Back in the day, famine and poverty in Ireland was a real problem. Most of those in dire circumstances had no oven. Soft wheat (less gluten than our heard wheat) was cheap, and a basic bread baked in covered iron pots (bastibles) was born.

I baked mine in a cake pan, but it can be baked on a cookie sheet. The X cut into the bread may seem like a way to be sure it’s baked, it was originally thought to release fairies that can curse the bread (ward off evil). [Continued...]

I’m one of those people who starts searching for something on line, and I end up miles away; no where near my original intent. Maybe it’s because my mom bought Encyclopedia Brittanica for us as kids. My brother, Bill, and I would just pick a volume and start reading. Yes, Virginia, this was well before the internet. So, this morning, I started looking for St. Patrick’s Day cover photos for my Facebook page, and somehow I ended up reading up on the history of one of my favorite holidaze.

Did you know……

St. Patrick wasn’t Irish.
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.
There are seven places in the United States named after the shamrock, the floral emblem of Ireland including Mount Gay-Shamrock, WV; Shamrock, TX; Shamrock Lakes, IN; and Shamrock, OK.
Irish is the US’s second most frequently reported ancestry, ranking behind German.
Irish ranks among the top five ancestries in every state in the US except Hawaii and New Mexico.

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Who doesn’t love chocolate? Coffee? If you’re a fan of both, you’ll love Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout Mocha Flourless Torte. Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout is smooth and creamy – the way I like my chocolate AND my coffee! Go ahead; take a sniff. You’ll smell espresso and chocolate. Go ahead; taste it. You’ll taste a creamy mixture of espresso, chocolate and a little bit of smokiness. How perfect is that for a cold winter’s night in front of the fire? This mocha torte takes full advantage of the beautiful, rich flavors of this hearty stout. The prefect fire cuddle combination.

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It’s beginning to look at lot like….. Whoops. Getting a little ahead of myself. It’s TURKEY TIME! One of the things I strive to do is take the mystery out of cooking. Well, and have a few cocktails. Folks have mentioned to me that turkey brining seems so complicated. Or so many cooking shows have led them to believe. Yes. turkey brine. I’m here to tell you, brining is EASY! Brine is simply a mixture of salt and water. Then add what floats your boat. I love my sweet and spicy bring the best, but they are all wonderful. Or make your own. Just remember, keep that turkey cold!

Here are a few recipes of mine. Kinda fun to look back at my first video and see how awkward it was. 🙂 Check out the Sweet & Spicy Brine video here!

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I’m one of those people that would probably eat a paper plate if it had chocolate & peanut butter on it. Really. Imagine my “bliss” when given the task of creating a recipe using Terrapin Beer Co Liquid Bliss. The angels sang! Really! Terrapin Beer Co Liquid Bliss is a chocolate, peanut butter porter. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. They really did it. To me, the nose was all cocoa. God bless whoever discovered cocoa nibs. As it rolls over your tongue, you get the hint of peanut butter & a slight saltiness from actual peanuts. The porter itself is beautiful & dark, hinting at the “bliss” inside. The sensuousness of the beer made me immediately think of something smooth & silky. And, the rich, smooth, silky Terrapin Beer Co Liquid Bliss Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Sauce hits the nail on the head. I made the empanadas with it, but it’s truly a sauce for all occasions. Put it on ice cream, pancakes, waffles, bread pudding or just a spoon. My friends who taste tested it would have gladly just eaten the sauce. [Continued...]

Yes, I did. I put Full Throttle S’loonshine Moonshine into a traditional, all American dish, and turned Apple Brown Betty right on her head. Why? ‘Cause I can, and that’s what I do! Purists – you have NO idea what you’re missing. The rest of you fun folks will love it. I had it for breakfast. And, I’ll probably have it tonight for a night time snack. I could, honestly, eat it for every meal.

I know you’re wondering, Betty? Who the bleep is Betty? According to The Oxford Companion to Food, there really was a “Betty”, and hence, the name of the dish. It’s been told that the “brown” was due to Betty’s last name (the naming of recipes after the human that created them was common during Colonial times) and not anything to do with the recipe itself. Some theorize that Betty was a slave (reminiscent of the “hush puppy” story), but it’s not known for sure (at least , not that I could find). What I found really interesting was the recipe was first published in the Yale Literary Magazine as “Brown Betty” in 1864. [Continued...]

Hazelnuts roasting on an open fire….. Wait. That’s not how the song goes. But since were turning things upside down with the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale, why not? This tasty delight has hints of brown sugar with the hazelnut, and VERY easy to drink. With the beautiful taste of this beer, I didn’t want to do the usual chocolate hazelnut recipe, so we went white chocolate and flourless! And, oh, the caramel sauce! To die for! My first beer caramel sauce – shazam!!! Which is what you’ll be saying after you make this recipe.

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If you’re like me, and love most everything about rice pudding, but always think, “Why???? Why must they ruin this beautiful rice pudding by putting raisins in it?” Blech! I found a way to turn that frown upside down! Beer! See? It worked already! Dogfish Head Festina Pêche is a refreshing neo-Berliner Weisse, with the natural peach flavors woven into the yeast. which makes it, well, just peachy! It’s dry, with a slight sweetness that is fabulous for the summer months, as well as the hot Florida days in fall. This Dogfish Head Festina Pêche Rice Pudding, however, is so good, it’ll be something you’ll want all year long!

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