I kinda think the Night Elves might, as well. They’d both grow their own peaches, of course, and since they have druids among their ranks I expect those peaches grow very well. The Humans probably grow them also, but can their farmers compete with the Druids? Maybe not.

In any case, here’s a yummy looking peach cobbler recipe, from College Candy:

Is there anything that can compare to a fresh peach on a summer afternoon? (Well, besides some delicious blueberries, of course.) The time span of the vernal fruit’s ripeness is quite narrow (compared to more resilient bananas or apples), but right now is peak season for the treat. And it’s more than just a delicious, furry fruit. The peach is a natural, supremely juicy source of fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium, and niacin, a B vitamin that aids digestion, amps HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and helps radiant skin shine through. So that “peachy glow” isn’t just a figure of speech!

And here’s the rest, with the recipe: Intro to Cooking: Peach Cobbler

Looks pretty yummy.

Nice to see you again!

When do you fire up the BBQ? Whenever you can! Have four feet of snow on your patio (like we did last year ? Shovel it off, put up an awning or some form of cover, if you need to, and get cooking! Nothing like grilled steaks when it’s below freezing, right? If you live on the surface of the sun (e.g: Arizona) and never have the snow you’ll never have any excuses not to fire that BBQ up at any time of year.

Now, there’s the slow cooking barbecue and there’s the much faster grilling. Barbecue uses indirect heat, much like your oven on a low setting, while grilling uses more charcoal and whatever you’re cooking is placed right above them. Like a broiler. The BBQ might take 3 or four hours to finish, while you can grill steaks in 10-15 minutes.

Mostly you’ll be barbecuing the tougher cuts, ribs, or meats that may have some gristle or connective tissue. The slow, long heat will break that down and the meat will be totally delectable. Do that with a fish or a good steak, and, well, it won’t be pretty. So grill your steaks & fish and barbecue your baby back ribs.

Speaking of steaks, here’s what you’ll need for a good rib eye steak “barbecue,” (and here’s the video of this rib eye steak recipe

1. 2 1 to 1.5 lb ribeye steaks
2. 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
3. some diced celery and scallions
4. garlic clove
5. butter
6. charcoal and your grill/weber
7. cast iron skillet

Make a pile of coals on one side of the lower grill and fire them up. Since you’ll be grilling these cuts   you’ll want a lot of heat, so make a largish pile, but you won’t cover the lower grill with them, keep them to one side. Put the steaks on the grill when the coals are hot enough. The heat should be enough that you can hear those steaks sizzle. After a minute or so flip the steaks. There should be some nice grill lines on the meat. (You’ll be searing in the flavor and juices by doing this.)

Once seared, move the steaks to the part of the grill without the coals. They’ll stay hot there while you put the skillet over the charcoal and toss in the sliced onions and some butter. Saute the onions until browned and then set them aside. Keep the steaks on the “cool” side of the grill and close up the grill. Open it up and turn the steaks over every couple of minutes until nearly done (and done is the way you like it.)

When the steaks are almost ready put the skillet back on and add the celery, the scallions, and some butter. While that mix sizzles take the clove of garlic, mash it up, and add it to the mix. Move the mix out of the way and put the steaks in the skillet and put the mix on top of the steaks. Add the onions, too. Cook them just long enough to warm the onions and then serve.

Barbecuing is handled differently and this St. Louis Spare Ribs video will show you how to make perfect BBQ ribs. Now, the real question is this: can you wait three to four hours to eat the ribs while that wonderful barbecue scent drifts through the air? It’s tough, but be strong. The end result is worth it.

It’s my opinion that prime rib is one of the easiest meats to prepare. And it is also appropriate for the best of special events, and is regarded as one of the most stylish main courses of all.  If you are aiming to produce a dinner for the ages, you cannot do better than prime rib!

To help you in your quest to cook the perfect dinner, I have detailed four important strategies:

Cooking prime rib strategy #1:  Select the finest cut of meat.
If you really want to impress your dinner guests, ask your butcher for USDA Prime. It is the positively superior grade of meat that is generally earmarked for trendy restaurants. In fact, just 2% of all beef is rated by the USDA as Prime. If Prime is within your budget, do it. The difference in tenderness and taste is very distinguishable.  Nonetheless, if the meal budget can not allow for a prime cut, then go ahead and purchase choice.  It’ll still taste good enough to win over your guests.

Cooking prime rib strategy #2:  Precooking methods are essential.
Have your butcher trim some of the excessive fat off your choice of cut, leaving behind a coating of fat to protect and baste your roast as it cooks.  You ought to pick at least a 3 rib bone portion, because something smaller sized is less forgiving to cook.  Before you start the food preparation process, it is essential that you permit the roast to assume room temperature.  This implies leaving it out for up to 2 total hours right before roasting.

Cooking prime rib strategy #3:  Choose your technique of food preparation.
You will find 2 primary methods to use when preparing a prime rib roast: medium heat and searing. Both use an oven temp of 325 degrees F. The only difference between them is that using the searing technique, you’ll first sear the meat in a range at 450 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes before turning the oven down to 325 degrees F for the remainder of the food preparation time.
Here’s a more comprehensive explanation of each of the 2 methods:

 Medium Heat Method.

Place rib roast in roasting pan, fat side up. Add salt and pepper if preferred. Usually a coarser salt is used for prime rib, for example rock salt or possibly coarse sea salt. Sometimes kosher salt is used. If you’re including an herb rub, add the rub after the salt.
Cook roast for specified amount of time at 325 degrees F.
    

Searing Technique.

Place rib roast in roasting pan, fat side up. Add salt and pepper if desirable. Generally a coarser salt is used for prime rib, for example rock salt or maybe coarse sea salt. Occasionally kosher salt is used. If you are adding an herb rub, add the rub after the salt.
Sear roast for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Bake roast for specified quantity of time at 325 degrees F.

Cooking prime rib strategy #4:  Food preparation methods.
Irrespective of whatever cooking technique you decide to use, the following guidelines will prove to be useful: Every half hour or so, baste the edges of the roast with the drippings. When the internal temperature gets to 120′, take your masterpiece out of the oven and protect it with foil. Let the roast to sit for twenty to 30 minutes. It will still cook throughout this time, achieving a temperature of about 125′ to 130′. This resting period enables the juices and flavors to permeate the beef.

Conclusion:  
When arranging a triumphant meal it is a great idea to know your guests inclinations.  Although prime rib is generally best served rare to medium, you will find a number of individuals who would like it well done.   And you may want to overlook dry rubs or basting the meat as this might cause the meat to become too spicy for some people.  Serving your prime rib with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob ought to make even the most discerning eater crave for a 2nd helping.  

Want to learn more valuable cooking tips?  Click Here:  The Cooking Network

Your friends all know that you’re a bit odd, with your nocturnal habits and unusual food tastes. That’s why you should whip up one of Chef Andy’s Meatheads for your next gathering.

Chef Andy has served a Meathead at his Halloween parties for at least the last five years…It never fails
to impress (and distress!) the guests! Start with a plastic skull. Wash it well, and make sure that it’s clean enough to eat off of. Because that’s what you’re about to do!

Here’s the whole recipe: Chef Any Presents: Meathead!

Keep in mind that in Lordaeron the ingredients used in these recipes are a bit more… interesting, and the skulls would be real.

This next one can be whipped out on Valentine’s Day or any romantic time…

From Penn and Teller’s “How To Play With Your Food”, here’s the perfect recipe for someone who’s cynical about Valentine’s day. “As your guests sip their coffee, you unveil a glistening pink gelatin heart on a pedestal cake stand. Then you whip out a carving knife and stab it.”

Here ya go: Bleeding Heart Gelatin Dessert

A braising pan is specifically designed for braising, a two-step process that involves searing followed by prolonged, slow cooking. An assortment of  braising pans can normally be found at your local kitchen supply store. Braising pans are generally designed to go in the oven as well as for use on the stove top.

If possible, handle the braising pan before you purchase it to make sure you are comfortable with the weight and are getting a high quality that will last. If this is not possible, order through a reputable company that will allow you to return it if not satisfied.

Braising is a process that produces extremely tender, flavorful food. It is ideal for tough meats, since the slow cooking process gently breaks down the meat, making it more tender and allowing it to absorb the flavor of the dish. Braising is not normally suitable for meats that are already tender and when used with vegetables which tend to fall apart. (Sauteing is often a better solution when vegetables are involved.)

Several things distinguish a braising pan from other cookware. First is its solid, sturdy construction which allows the braising pan to withstand prolonged heating. Typically, the handles are made from an oven-proof material so that the pan can withstand oven use. A braising pan also has a snug fitting lid that may be made from glass to allow convenient monitoring without disturbing the contents of the pan.

Cast iron is an excellent material for braising pans since it is designed to withstand prolonged heating,. Dutch ovens – including enamelware – make generally excellent braising pans. Nonstick cookware may be acceptable in some cases, but it may not be oven safe and will require the use of non-metal utensils. Since most braising recipes include oven use, insure the braising pan does not contain plastic components, although silicone cool grip handles are quite useful and oven safe.

If tender, flavorful meat dishes are your thing, try braising. But remember, not all braising pans are created equal.

There is a wonderful food and wine event out there called the Great Taste Challenge that you have to discover.

It’s all about people from all over the US getting their favorite recipes and pairing them up with their favorite wines.

From start to finish the entire thing is done on video. The ingredients used, how they’re prepared, how the stove is set and then how the meal is actually created. All done for everyone to see and it is an absolute blast!

And the response as far as entries has never been more vibrant.

And the biggest idea here is that there are no longer rules as to what wines have to be paired with what types of dishes.

A red wine does not necessarily have to go with a beef dish.

And it is not mandatory for a chicken or a fish dinner to be paired with a white wine.

In fact The Great Taste Challenge is all about expressionism and individuality. What do YOU believe is the best wine to pair with your best recipe? That’s really what’s brought to the surface here…what do you think is best? This is a food and wine event that changes everything!

Some of the entries into the Challenge were absolutely gorgeous and delicious.

And now comes the really exciting part.

Now you get to go and watch those videos and vote on the one or ones that you love the most!

This is the real social part of the contest. This is where everyone else gets to sift through the semi finalists and decide who should move on to possibly win the grand prize! How American Idol cool is that?

What a tremendous food and wine event. And also one that you can vote on this year and participate in next year!

Make sure you look out for more info about The Great Taste Challenge and never lose your passion for those recipes and those wine pairings!!!

We’ve been eating a lot of warming cold weather foods during this cold winter, and I’ve been experimenting with my recently purchased crock pot. Combine the tastiness of BBQ pork ribs with the ease of crock pot cooking and you’ve got a winner.

I keep meaning to take a picture to post with this recipe, but I have to admit that the aroma of those ribs just makes me forget about the photo op.

I love the fact that I can put it all together and then go do other things.  The delicious aroma of BBQ pork ribs filling the house lets me know that dinner will be ready soon. Using my son’s new rice cooker and cooking the green beans in the microwave, I can really make this a no fuss dinner.

I like to serve these pork ribs with rice and fresh, boiled or micro-cooked green beans. It just seems to make a good flavor combination. This cooks up enough deliciously flavored juice to pour on top of the rice, too.

We buy a 3-4 lb. package of ribs and only cook half at a time for two to three hungry people. I sometimes mix up twice the amount of the dry rub and increase the marinade amount (increased amounts follow recipe.) I use half and keep the rest for the second half of the package of ribs. (Refrigerate the marinade, but not the dry rub.)

If you are making ribs for four or more people, double the recipe of dry rub, increase the marinade amounts as below, and cook the whole package of ribs, as long as your crock pot is large enough to accommodate that amount.

Try these ribs and let me know what you think.

Crock Pot BBQ Pork Ribs

To make this recipe you will need 1-1/2 to 2 lbs of pork short ribs or back ribs. This is about half of one of those long packages of ribs you find in the store.

Thickly slice 2 large sweet onions and place them in the bottom of the crock pot.

Cut the ribs apart and place them in the crock pot on top of the onions.

Mix together the following ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Apply the above mixture to the ribs, turning them to apply on all sides. This can get rather messy if you are doing it with your hands. I like to place the mixture in a small shaker jar (one of those little glass containers with holes in the lid) to apply to the ribs. It is much easier and neater this way.

In a separate bowl or container mix the following ingredients. (I put them in a small jar, close the lid, and then shake until blended.)

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Pour this over the ribs in the crock pot and put on the lid.
cook on High 4 to 6 hours or Low 10 hours.

Enjoy.

Marinade for double recipe:

• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp dry mustard
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

GamesRadar.com, one of the top game sites on the web, has done a write up of our cookbook and even included some recipes. A clip:

Food: In World of Warcraft, it’s good for the health and it’s good for the mana. But why should your avatar be the only one who gets to sample Azeroth’s most savory dishes? Meet Irillys, a Tauren Shaman on the Bloodscalp realm (in real life, Guinevere Mee); she’s on a culinary quest to make World of Warcraft’s in-game fantasy food a reality. Her first project, The Tauren Chef Cookbook, offers easy to follow recipes based on and inspired by food items found in the game.

Here’s the rest: How to create a World of Warcraft Feast

He missed on a point or two, but it’s 99% good. Irillys isn’t really the Tauren Chef (being a Blood Elf,) but she does have a maxed cooking skill. We’re quite pleased with the write up.

Thanks GamesRader!

Well, I’ve been hard at work getting the latest cookbook – Wrath of the Kitchen King – ready for release. I thought I would give you an idea of the contents so far, starting with everybody’s favorite course – desserts. (Well, it’s my husband’s favorite.) I have already perfected recipes for the following desserts:

• Chocolate Square
• Dalaran Brownie
• Dalaran Doughnut
• Delicious Chocolate Cake
• Galgar’s Cactus Apple Surprise
• Ironforge Bread Pudding
• Murloc Eye Pie
• Tigule & Foror’s Strawberry Ice Cream

Murloc Eye Pie and Ironforge Bread Pudding are two exclusive Tauren Chef recipes and are already available for free! Yipee! You can find Ironforge Bread Pudding right here on this site.   Murloc Eye Pie is available in the free pdf that will give you a taste of the cookbook to come.

Chocolate Square is smooth, chocolately, and very easy to make as I’m sure you will be glad to know. This is an Apprentice level dessert that beginners can make with no problems.

Dalaran Brownie is also very easy to make, sort of Journeyman level dessert. You probably won’t even make a great mess of the kitchen, which your housemates will be happy about. You will fill the house with the delicious scents of baking chocolate stuff, and your housemates will probably forgive any mess because of this. Oh, and you will have to share the brownies.

The Dalaran Doughnut is a Master level recipe as it combines aspects of bread making with deep frying. It is quite delicious and allows you to try a variety of flavored glazes and sprinkles. Yumm! Homemade doughnuts!

Delicious Chocolate Cake is just like the name says: delicious and chocolate. This recipe makes a rich, very moist cake with all the right WoW ingredients. It is an Artisan level recipe, but well worth making from scratch. You won’t get this cake from a box mix!

I’ll bet you didn’t know that Galgar’s Cactus Apple Surprise is a dessert. Well, it is, and a very cool and refreshing one at that.I would classify this as a Journeyman recipe, possibly bordering on Expert.

Ironforge Bread Pudding is great on a cold winter night (and it’s also good first thing in the morning!) Journeyman level.

Murloc Eye Pie is a very different kind of pie. Think of a pie . . . filled with murloc eyes . . . sound good? Well, it really is. You just have to use really sweet, fresh murloc eyes. Make one and dare your friends to try it! This is classified as an Artisan level recipe due to the pie crust. But it could be Journeyman level if you buy a ready made crust. The filling is fairly simple to put together.

Tigule & Foror’s Strawberry Ice Cream is rich, creamy, and very strawberry. Yum! I love homemade ice cream. This is a Journeyman, bordering on Expert level recipe. Here’s a picture:

Tigule & Foror's Strawberry Ice Cream

I’m still trying to decide on whether the Burning Soufflé will be a dessert (Chocolate Soufflé or Grand Marnier Soufflé) or a main course soufflé (cheese soufflé, vegetable or seafood soufflé.) Any requests?

If you would like to see some very good, quick videos demonstrating how to make the perfect latte and how to do that exciting and beautiful latte art visit this link to see professional barista Jessica Kelly making lattes look just lovely.  Just watching the videos makes me want a latte now!

The videos are courtesy of Breville, a company that makes espresso machines, among other culinary products. I happen to have one of Breville’s espresso machines, (though not the top of the line,) and I am very happy with it.

The five hearts latte art looks fairly easy to do. I’ll let you know after I try it.

Five Hearts Latte Art