Hank Watson, Author at Henriettibles

Does mayo give you the summer time ewwws? This Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat Potato Salad will chase the “ewwws” away! Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat is created with beautiful Michigan cherries and honey. When you taste this fruity wheat beer, you smell and taste the cherries immediately. It’s so refreshing, and well, YUMMY! So, I thought, “Why don’t you use this to make a light and refreshing potato salad?” Lucky for you fans of summer time, I did just that. It’s prefect for a party or a picnic, with no mayo. Your cross fit trainer will never know something so tasty crossed your lips – cause it won’t hit your hips! Check out www.henriettibles.com for more craft beer & summer time recipes (like a Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat ice cream).

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A “Sweet Shop”, full of delectable delights, in a barbecue joint, you say? Brisket, ribs and smoked turkey living in harmony with red velvet cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies the size of your head, you say? I say an exuberant, “OH MY!!!” 4 Rivers Smokehouse has expanded to the River City, and they’re making a statement.

As you enter 4 Rivers Smokehouse, you immediately notice the comfortable, clean, modern space in front of you. Your heart skips a beat as you realize this ain’t your daddy’s barbecue hangout. The mouth-watering aromas surround you, as the high top, community style tables beckon you enjoy the food that is patiently waiting to satiate your now rumbling belly.

4 Rivers is well known for their brisket; they expect to serve 1.2 million (yes, million) pounds of the melt in your mouth beef in 2013. The ribs are lovingly smoked until the tender meat falls right off the bone. The smoked turkey……. Oh, the beautifully rubbed, unbelievably moist, smoked turkey. I have found a new love!

After pondering the menu of carnivore-tastic meat, you now have the task of deciding of two sides. [Continued...]

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Cider, cider everywhere, but which one do we drink? Some ciders are really sweet and literally taste like you just bit into an apple. Some are mild, with just a hint of apple aroma. Some are not sweet at all, and quite bubbly. Yes, literally every hard cider is different (and they are all gluten free!). Like wine and beer, they have a very distinct personality. I created this recipe to complement Crispin Natural Hard Apple Cider, a beautiful, all natural artisanal cider that tastes like the aroma of apples being cut. You know when grandma is cutting apples to make her amazing apple pie? It has a little bit of tartness at the end, which is a fabtastic taste buddy to the maple in the glaze for the chicken. Create this little beauty of a meal, serve your cider in a stemmed glass, light a candle and a fire in the fireplace and savor the moment.

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Unlike the James Dean version of a rebel, the new Samuel Adams Rebel IPA does have a cause! And, that cause is to make your 4^th of July grilling fireworks worthy. We’ll step out of the box a bit; this IPA deserves better than the usual grilling marinade. Meet the Samuel Adams Rebel IPA Grilled Orange Rosemary Chicken. Upon opening a bottle of Samuel Adams Rebel IPA, you’ll be able to smell the piney-ness immediately, and we all know rosemary goes wonderful with chicken. There’s a hint of citrus that makes me think of summer. Lemon, you say? Nope. We’re gonna use roasted oranges, and create a silky rosemary orange cream sauce to top it off when we’re done. Who does that for 4^th of July? YOU do!

***Note – when cooking with citrus, always use a non-reactive pan/dish. Reactive pans are aluminum or copper – DO NOT use these with citrus.***

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I know, I know. You’re thinking, “Beer, grapefruit, brie and grandma’s apple crisp? What the what?” Welcome to the delicious world of craft beers! This Schofferhofer Grapefruit Brie Apple Crisp will conjure up some of those wonderful grandma’s cooking memories, but it will also bring you into the new (ish) & exciting world of craft beer, and all the fabtastic foods you can create. Alone, this Schofferhofer Grapefruit hefeweizen is refreshing to the taste buds and nose, worthy of any spring fling or summer pool party. With some fresh fruit and brie, it becomes Oscar worthy. Because of the brie, this dish can be used as either an appetizer or dessert. I personally tried some for breakfast, and it was incredible. Because I run on the hedonistic side, I also tried equal parts of Schofferhofer Grapefruit and champagne. Move over mimosa, there’s a new sheriff in town! YUM!!! I hope that you get as much enjoyment out of this recipe as I have!

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I was hungry. That’s how this happened. I was simply hungry. I looked in the fridge and noticed there was brie that was at the “need to be consumed or else” phase. I just happened to pick up pizza dough at the deli yesterday. I recalled there was prosciutto in the “spare” fridge on the back patio. The final piece was sweetness. How do I add sweetness without ruining the savory of the flatbread? Glancing around the kitchen and in the cupboards, I noticed red onions and balsamic vinegar. BOOM! The final piece fell into place.

I’ll warn you: this flatbread borders on insanely good. The brie isn’t overwhelming. The onions aren’t overwhelming. It is over the top with flavors that work together like a symphony. Ridiculous, I say! Shhhh, don’t tell anyone how simple it is. Be prepared. It’ll knock your socks off. Feed people a salad first so they don’t eat it all! 🙂

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Spring is finally in the air! When I think of spring, I think of wild flowers blooming. And that they need rain. When I hear rain, I want to dance naked in it. Then I look in the mirror. The effects of winter are apparent. The need to shed the hibernation hips takes over! “Must eat salad”, rambles around in my head. Enter Dogfish Head Theobroma (which translates to “Food of the Gods”) to the vinaigrette rescue. From the Dogfish Head website: “This Ancient Ale is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras that revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions.” How cool is THAT? Dogfish Head Theobroma is brewed with cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, honey AND ancho chilies. It’s got a velvety chocolate feel at the start, and a touch of spice at the finish. Which makes it a perfect beer to create a lovely vinaigrette to top off a healthy salad. Say hello to chocolate and goodbye to those hibernation hips!

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Mocha brownies. Chocolate. Bourbon. White Chocolate. Ganache.

It’s the stuff dreams and Valentine’s Day are made of. Since I’m on an anti-Valentine’s kick, I thought I’d make an effort to embrace it for the sake of others. This is my good deed for the day.

I mean, how hard can it be? Brownies. You just can’t be grumpy with brownies. Make them a little mocha-ie to change them up a bit. Cut them into hearts (I promise, I resisted the urge to make them broken hearts!). Bourbon. My mood is rapidly improving! White chocolate. I often say I’d eat a paper plate that has cheese melted on it. I feel the same way about white chocolate. Bourbon white chocolate ganache!!!!! Yes, coat the dreaded hearts in bourbon white chocolate ganache!!! If I wasn’t already me, I’d marry me for this idea. Hell, I think I’m going to task my personal mixologist, David Gano, with creating a drink that tastes like these. The man worked magic with my Almond Lemon Lavender Cookies; I think he can swing this one!

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Ahhh, February. Visions of hearts, Cupid, chocolate, champagne and beer dance before your eyes. Wait! Beer? No, you aren’t seeing things. I DID say beer. No matter if you love, or despise, Valentine’s Day (I personally host a “Cupid is Stupid” party each year!), this vision of New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Lobster Ravioli with a New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Browned Butter Cream Sauce will create a love affair with your taste buds that will last a lifetime. New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer has hints of coriander and grains of paradise (great name for a spice around Valentine’s Day! It’s actually a ground pepper.) that go fabtastic with the luxurious lobster without over-powering the delicate flavor. Impress your heart’s desire, or make yourself happy, this recipe is right on target for this Valentine’s Day!

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