Hank Watson, Author at Henriettibles

After ringing in the New Year, all that debauching from the Holidaze has given you “buyers remorse”. Packed on a few pounds, eh? I know I did my fare share debauching pound packing! So, we’ve all decided we’re going to exercise every day, eat right, drink less. Torture is what I call it!

Believe it or not, you can actually come up with some pretty tasty recipes that won’t pack on the pounds, but they will give you plenty of taste. One such creation is the Lagunitas Brown Shugga’ Turkey Roulade. The flavors in Lagunitas Brown Shugga’ will remind of currants and plums. Think how well those flavors go with turkey. Once you’ve prepared this delightful treat, pair it with Lagunitas Brown Shugga’ (should be served in a brandy snifter at 55 degrees); you’ll immediately get a hint of peach aroma that works magic with the turkey roulade – but be careful, this Sweet Release packs 10% alcohol! Let the good times roulade!

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Turkey brine. It strikes fear in the hearts of many. B-R-I-N-E. Say it. Love it. Embrace it. It’ll change your turkey day! Brining turkey, chicken or pork creates a succulent and ahhhmaaazing beast. Be creative. Use your imagination. Just follow the basics of brining, and you can create magic. Add whatever flavors you love. I like to throw a little Hanky Panky in there. 🙂 Grab a glass of wine and follow along!

Chow yumly!

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Christmas carols are ringing in your ears. The scent of pine trees, baked holiday treats and burning wood fill the air. And, finally, a little chill in the air! Which brings me to chili; the wondrous food tailor made for cold weather. Why not literally spice it up with an deliciously spicy beer? Take a sip of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. There’s a reason is comes out during the holiday season! It boldly tickles your taste buds with pine (yes, pine!) and citrus flavors, which are perfect for jazzing up any chili. Try this easy and delightful taste bud treat this season to add some spice to your holiday season!

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Bologna Cake. I know; it sounds strange. Given that October 24th was National Bologna Day, I thought it was worth delving into. The first time you heard of it was probably while watching the flick, “Sweet Home Alabama”, and you thought to yourself, “They just made that up for the movie!” I assure you; like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, Bologna Cake does exist! It’s not the sweet treat that you think of when you hear “cake”. It’s a savory concoction, fabtastic on crusty bread or a cracker. I had seen images of the cake before, and set about creating my own version. You can see WHY it’s called “cake”. It resembles a torte. I have to admit, I’ve enjoyed forcing friends to try it. Their faces are priceless as they delightfully realize this stuff is yum! It really does taste wonderful, particularly if you use a good quality bologna. It’s a great conversation piece for any party, and easy enough to make and take to a party. I hope you enjoy and would love to hear your feedback!

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This pomegranate granola recipe came about because I was out of granola to put in my morning yogurt. I poked around my cabinets a little while and, voilà, awesome on a stick happened the first try. My good friend, Deb Carpenter, tried it and proclaimed, “This is the best granola I’ve EVER had. And I mean friggin EVER!” And she was eating it while drinking wine! Of course, the wine may have contributed to her enthusiasm….

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It’s October. It’s not the ghosts and goblins that remind us, it’s the pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin coffees that remind our taste buds that it’s October. This is a recipe that I started making about 15 years ago. I’ve altered it over the years, a beautiful and decided to make a tasty addition of Post Road Pumpkin Ale to make a grown up and more sophisticated version. If you’ve got mini loaf pans, that would be a great way to make some fabtastic gifts for the holidaze. Just fill the pans at half you would for bread. I promise you, not only will your kitchen smell heavenly, these mouth watering pumpkin bars will be all treat, no tricks!

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I love the Kentucky and all the pageantry. I love roses. I love turkey. I love Hot Browns. Heck, I love brie (or any cheese!). Taking all this into account, this is the Henriettibles take on the Kentucky Derby tradition of Hot Browns. Rather than the traditional toasted white bread, opened faced sandwich with a cheddar cheese sauce, I’ve made it with toasted sourdough rounds with a brie sauce. Fabulous appetizer for any Derby party, or any party! Horseshoes and roses not included.

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This is a feta pasta recipe that I’ve made for so many years, always with enthusiastic results. I’ve refined it many times, trying to keep it as fresh and lively as possible. From the “You may not know this” file: I’m part Greek. My grandfather was born on the beautiful island of Crete. And, I love feta cheese. Okay, I just love cheese. This dish is a very simple way to bring have some great Greek flavors. This recipe will make your senses and taste buds sing. The smell of it cooking it such a treat, your family and guests will be enthusiastic participants. Be prepared to say “Oopah!!!!” Throwing your dishes onto the floor or into the fireplace is optional.

As with most things, I like to use as many fresh ingredients as possible when making this; it’s just so easy to cut up fresh tomatoes and chop fresh herbs! Watch for pasta making video to come. Fresh pasta makes this even more incredible! If your short on time, you can substitute canned diced tomatoes with herbs in it, I won’t guarantee the same fresh flavor. [Continued...]

Try as I might, I just can’t seem to enjoy eating broccoli or fresh spinach (although they are my favorite vegetables!) as much as I enjoy eating a fresh, hot cinnamon bun. And they sure as hell don’t smell as good as a cinnamon bun!

I also love to entertain. Brunch is one of my favorite events to host. HOWEVER, that does limit your available time to prepare the day of the event; pre-prep is essential! This is a wonderful recipe to have the delicious taste and smell of cinnamon buns without the hassle of making buns from scratch.You can prep the coffee cake the night before, refrigerate overnight and, Voilà, you have amazing in the morning. Yes, this will probably add a little junk in your trunk (or buns) if you eat it every day, but it’s a fabalicious treat.

How easy was that???? Enjoy!

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For some reason, many folks find the prospect of making a pie crust from scratch to be very daunting.

Baking is a science; if you don’t use precise measurements, you’ll end with a science project gone wrong. You know that commercial that the volcano science project explodes all over the kitchen ceiling? Often times, people who aren’t afraid to make pie crust, really shouldn’t be doing it. The first secret for a great pie crust recipe is FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS PRECISELY!

Okay, it probably won’t explode all over the kitchen ceiling if you aren’t precise, but you get the gist. Purchasing a bra requires knowing the precise size; would you purchase a bra without knowing measurements or what size to purchase? Or shoes? And so it goes, you shouldn’t bake without precise measurements. And don’t substitute! People tell me all the time that they can’t bake; as the conversation progresses, I find out not only did they not follow the directions precisely, they also made non compatible substitutions. Okay, enough of the lecture!

If you want to use this crust for something savory, add some fresh herbs when you add the butter, just not a lot of it. [Continued...]