These are NOT my brother's lamb chops!

My brother, Dale, was a wonderful cook and I dare say he enjoyed it more than the rest of us, if that's possible.  Actually, he enjoyed EVERYTHING.  He never met a stranger and rarely had a conversation without laughter.  He was a very handsome, loving father and a talented carpenter. 

He had hemophilia and that's the last thing he wanted to be known for, but I mention it because it kept him in the kitchen. He couldn't go out and play like most boys, so he spent many days inside with mom.  He learned to cook, developed a passion for food and gleaned more knowledge from mom than the rest of us put together. 

Dale passed away in 5/08 from an aneurysm at the age of 58.  I haven't forgotten anything I learned from him, from riding a bike without training wheels, water skiing and playing pool to living life to the fullest. We like to think he is at mom's side again, in a kitchen, feeding people whether they are hungry or not and entertaining them with his stories. :)

I can't eat lamb chops..okay..hear the word lamb chops, without thinking about Dale at the grill, smiling, and serving them with mint jelly and a corny joke on the side.  My husband still talks about how good they were but I don't have his recipe and honestly, I don't want to attempt to duplicate it.  I did find a great recipe of Bobby Flay's, with some of our favorite ingredients.  Honey, Dijon, horseradish and of course, mint.  The glaze is delicious and it's not supposed to taste like Dale's.  Bobby may be famous for his grilling, but when it comes to a bigger-than-life personality, my brother would have won that throwdown EASILY! 

Ingredients

12 baby lamb chops

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Glaze, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat grill to high. Brush chops on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on both sides for medium-rare doneness. Remove from grill and brush with the glaze.



Honey, Horseradish, Mustard, Mint Glaze:

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Salt and pepper

Whisk ingredients together in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.



Yield: 1/2 cup


Savor every bite and remember to savor LIFE!







 

Rootbeer Float Cake and Honey Beer Bread

What kind of bday cake do you make for the kid who wants to drink 8 IBC rootbeers in one sitting?  A rootbeer float cake, courtesy of Joy the Baker.

2 cups root beer (don’t use diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs



Preheat even to 325 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, or butter generously and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.



In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy. You can give it a quick whisk if you like, but don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough. Don’t worry, the batter is very loose.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.



Chocolate Root Beer Frosting

2 ounces 60% cocoa, melted
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt (you may want to use less… maybe just 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar


In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar and root beer. Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cake. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.



note: the root beer flavor is subtle and more pronounced after the cake sits for a day..I read some comments where people suggested rootbeer schnapps instead or to add rootbeer extract..a teaspoon or two...it is a good, moist cake though!


Honey Beer Bread Recipe
from GimmeSomeOven


(Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake)



Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer

4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted (**You can double this if you’d like**)

Method:



(Makes 1 loaf)



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ inch loaf pan.



In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. (I recommend popping your honey in the microwave for a few seconds beforehand to make it easier to stir in!)



Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. (Use a pastry brush to spread it around if you’d like.)



Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve immediately.