Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Not I'm not insinuating that my friends are a bunch of delinquents, rouges, and villains, but every time we go to Red Lobster the basket of biscuits would mysteriously disappear into purses and bags. Our waiter probably thought we all were binge eaters the 6th time he brought us a new basket. Now I don't quite share their addiction but they are very tasty. They are usually soggy and stale when you dig them out of the bags at home.

Well I decided to take on the Franchise Restaurant and make my own. No longer do I have to eat these tasty biscuits in an annoyingly Cape Code themed decor. Its actually very surprising how easy they are to make.

Step 1: Stuff ya need
-2 cups Bisquick
-half a cup milk
-half a cup shredded cheddar cheese
-quarter teaspoon of garlic powder
-quarter teaspoon of dried parsley flakes
-a couple tablespoons of melted butter

Step2: Get the oven hot
About 400 degree F, or 477 degrees Kelvin if your scientifically inclined, will do.

Step 3: Making Dough
Mix the Bisquick, milk, and cheddar to combine. Don't worry about all the lumps, diffusion will take care of the final mixing in the oven. Drop the dough on a cookie sheet in about tablespoon sized lumps (extra points for cool shapes).

Step 4: Into the Inferno
Bake the biscuits for 8-12 minutes in the oven. Take them out when the rough edges of the biscuits begin to brown.

Step 4.5: Butter...YAY
While the biscuits are baking, mix the butter, garlic powder, and parsley flake in a pot on the stove and mix until the butter is melted.

Step 5: The Powers Combined
Right after you take the biscuits out of the oven brush the melted butter combo over the piping hot biscuits.

Step 6: The Kill
Ravenously devour about one and a half batches until you don't feeling like moving any more. Well, I guess this parts optional, but I highly endorse it.

Happy Cooking,
-Travis Cochran

Mom's Potato Soup

There's nothing quite like a cold winter day to send me scurrying inside in search of comfort food. I like to make a lot of hearty stews and soups this time of year to warm my belly and heart. The following recipe is something my mom used to make for us growing up. It's a perfect quick-fix meal for any day of the week. As my mom would say, it "sticks to your ribs."


Potato Soup

Baking potatoes, peeled (I used about 4)
Onion
Summer Sausage ("Johnsonville" original recipe preferred)
Cheddar Cheese (the sharper the better as far as I'm concerned)
Butter
Thyme
Salt
Pepper

Dice potatoes and onion. Cook in just enough water to cover. When very tender, remove from heat and mash potatoes in the cooking water. Add finely diced summer sausage, about half of a small block of cheddar cheese (diced so it melts better) and 2 tablespoons butter. Season to taste with salt, pepper (lots), and thyme. Be careful too lower heat and stir often once potatoes are mashed so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

I think it might be tasty to replace some of the cooking liquid with a bottle of good German beer.

Happy cooking!

Bonne Année!

Travis and I stopped by Café Du Monde while in New Orleans on New Year's Eve. Although the original café is a well-known tourist attraction off of Jackson Square, the beignets and café au lait were definitely worth fighting the crowd. A beignet is essentially a holeless French doughnut, but the taste and texture is more eggy than an American yeast doughnut. The combination of hot beignet and powdered sugar is truly addictive.


As you can see, the tasty little beignets are smothered in powdered sugar, which gets EVERYWHERE (on your fingers, your face, your clothes). The trick is not to inhale....


Check it out: http://www.cafedumonde.com/