How to Cook: Strawberry Syrup

It's Strawberry season!

The amazing Strawberry is one of my favorite fruits! (I like pretty much anything with "berry" in the name) They are usually expensive, for a poor person like myself, so when they are in season, and on sale, I get very excited! So, I will be doing Strawberry inspired recipes for the next while, if you are allergic...I am sorry...that sucks for you.


This first one is very easy and diverse in the ways you can use it! It's a basic syrup that you can either make thick for a topping, or thinner to use for flavoring things! The recipe is pretty similar to the Latte one I posted before.

So lets get started, make like a battery and charge!


What you will need:

- 1 Small Saucepan
- 1 Sharp Knife and Cutting Board
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Whisk
- Potato Masher or Large Fork (for smashing)
- 1 Small Bowl (Not Metal)

Ingredients

- 1-2 Cups Chopped Strawberries (depending on your personal taste)
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/3 Cup White Sugar
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg (about a pinch or shake)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 Cup -1 Cup Warm Water



First, you want to cut up your Strawberries into small pieces. If you want a chunky syrup, for pancake type foods, quarter them. If you want a more smooth, like Michael Jackson (I kid, it's impossible to be that smooth), cut them into eighths instead. I made mine more chunky.

Once you have them all chopped up, add them into the pan with the amount of water you want. Like I said before, you can make this thiner or thicker. The way I made it in the pictures was a thinner version. It will reduce down and thicken, so add more than you think you need. (I would suggest about 1/2 Cup if you are not sure how thick or thin.) 

Heat to Medium and add the other ingredients. Let the butter melt and the sugar dissolve into the water base and bring it all to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Make sure to leave it uncovered so that it can reduce. 

Let it simmer for 10-20 Minutes, depending on the thickness you want, so that the Strawberries are fully cooked. 

Take your masher of choice and smoosh all of the Strawberries in the liquid. You can do this as many times as you want, once again depending on how you want the syrup. (If you are very fancy you can blend it all together.) Turn off the heat and let it simmer until it stops. 

Transfer into a bowl and let it cool and thicken. 

You can leave it in the bowl, or transfer it into a jar or sealed container! 

How can you use this, you ask?

Uses:

- Add to plain soda to make Italian Flavored Sodas!

- Use on French toast, Waffles, Pancakes, etc! 

- Use as an Ice Cream topping! 

- Use syrup in coffees for a Latte option! 

- Add to any dessert! Cakes, Jellos, Puddings! 

- Mix other fruit in for a fruit salad!

- The possibilities are Endless! 

(In my next dessert recipe you can use this as well!) 

You can also use this with any fruit you like. But remember that a soft fruit will work better! 

Enjoying the noms of their labor, 

-C.A.M.

How to Cook: Pancakes

Pancakes are something that we usually eat all the time. We buy our mixes, add water, and cook them up. The thing is that they are ridiculously easy to make, yet we never seem to make them from scratch! I did not mainly because making or buying "Buttermilk" was a about as much as a hassle as killing every stupid Poe for a bottle on Zelda! Why should I do that unless I want absolute perfection? (I did it anyways, but I digress)

In Zelda, that last bottle is not "necessary", you can still win the game without it, but we prefer to unlock every possible thing to "master" the game. While you can make all the Buttermilk Pancakes you wish from scratch, why not simply make some simpler ones? There pancakes are as easy as buying a Bottle of Lon Lon Milk to get a free bottle! Especially compared to dealing with the other things to do for the "better" ones. (I wonder if anyone understood that rant/analogy...)

If you live on Grandmas ranch you may have three sticks of butter and two cups of Buttermilk on hand, but most people don't, sorry Food Network!
These pancakes take no buttermilk, they do not require a stick of butter, and they hardly require anything more than your pantry basics! Easy! And, you can make as many variations of pancakes as you want from this simple batter! I will go over three ways to make these. (Oh my goodness, just like the first three bottles in Zelda!...Okay, I'll stop...)


What you will need:

- Frying Pan
- Oil or Butter, to coat the pan
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Medium Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Measuring cup or ladle to pour

Ingredients:

Basic Batter

- 1 Cup Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 Cup Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Oil (Olive or Vegetable)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Pinch of Nutmeg and Cinnamon

Add these additional ingredients to make the varieties!

Stuffed Pancakes

Filling
- 1/2 Cup Ricotta
- 1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt (I used Greek)
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
Pancake
- Mixed Berries, to taste

(You will also need 2 more small bowls and a spoon)

Chocolate Pancakes


- 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
- 1 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- Chocolate Chips (Optional)

Blueberry Pancakes


- Blueberries, to taste (duh...)
- A pinch more of Cinnamon and Nutmeg



Mix the dry ingredients together in the bowl until fully integrated and it looks smooth, basically mix out any clumps.

Beating the egg in a separate, small owl is a good idea. This way if the egg is rotten it will not ruin the batter, most chefs do this. If you're lazy, just crack it into the bowl and pray for freshness!

Add the egg and the other wet ingredients to the dry mix, and mix together. 

Add the scoop and get ready to cook!

Now, when you buy the mix they just have all the berries or chips or whatever in the batter mix. The best thing is to add these to the individual pancakes and not into the batter. 

Heat the pan to Medium-Low, and coat the pan with lubricant of choice. The batter will spread out as it cooks, so you don't need to pour nearly as much as you first think. 

Stuffed Pancakes

Mix all the ingredients for the filling into a bowl, so the sugar is thoroughly mixed in. 

Cut all the berries into small pieces and microwave for about 1 minute to soften them up. 

Pour the batter and allow it to cook for a minute or two, when the bubbles are forming and it is almost ready to flip. 

Add the creamy filling to the center, and top that with the berries. You want about one regular sized spoon scoop each. 

Cover the top with a bit more batter, just to cover the fillings. 

Carefully and quickly flip the pancake over and allow that side to cook for a couple minutes. Flip and let each side cook for another minute. 

If there are berries left after you cook them, add those to the top along with the berry juice from cooking in the bowl. Serve how you like them! I like Syrup and powdered sugar myself!

Chocolate Pancakes

Add the cocoa powder and extra sugar to the mix and stir. 

Pour the batter into the pan, it will probably be a bit thicker than the others. Top with chocolate chips, or any other chip or fruit you like! Flip and cook the other side. Cook each side, after flipping, about another minute each! 

Since Valentines day is coming up, you can add red coloring to them to make "Red Velvet", or even add white chocolate chips! If you are super mushy, you can shape them like a heart (awwwww), because nothing says "I Love You" like heart shaped breakfast food! 

Use a smaller spoon or a cookie cutter to shape these. You can cut the sides to help the shape alone after cooking as well. 

Blueberry Pancakes

For these, just add blueberries to the pancakes as they are cooking, as well as the extra Nutmeg and Cinnamon to the batter. 

Blueberry Pancakes are so happy! 

You can also add the batter to a Zip Bag, cut the tip, and shape them any way you want that way! 

Pancake basics are very simple. 

Don't make the batter too thick or thin! It should spread out evenly and not be too runny, sliding all over the pan, or too thick, which makes them...gross. You should be able to pour them slowly and evenly. Add milk or flour if the consistency is off. 

Quickly flip! Doing it too slowly makes it harder, believe it or not. You need a well coated pan so they do not stick at all. The sides should firm up and there should be bubbles atop the whole cake when they are ready. 

Lower and Slower! Don't put them on high, or you will have a burnt and runny pancake, yuck! So on a scale of 1-10, cook them at about 5. 

Scoop small! Like I said, they spread out. Don't pour them as big as you want them, but less than half of the size you want. Using a scoop is smart, it makes things easier! 

These ones are crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, I know that there is a lot of Baking Powder, but that makes them fluffy! 

This is a simple, easy recipe, nothing fancy. I am not claiming that they are "the best", but for how quick and simple they are, they are pretty dang good! So I hope you enjoy these! 

Enjoying the noms of their labor, 

-C.A.M.

How to Cook: Ramen

When it comes to Ramen people think there is two kinds; The cook Ramen Shop kind, and the gross (in comparison) one you make as home in the microwave when there is nothing else to eat.

But, I say that there is a third! It is the in-between Ramen. You make it at home in a short amount of time, and it tastes very good as well. I have pretty much always been a particular eater when it comes to ramen. I like it to be flavorful, the noodles to not be mushy, and the broth to not taste...starchy. So I came up with a method to make tasty, quick ramen for all of my MSG cravings!



You will need:

- A Pot with a Lid
- A Frying Pan
- A Fork and Chopsticks
- A Bowl for your Ramen


Ingredients:

- Ramen packs (depending on amount of people)
- Olive Oil
- 1 Egg (per person)
- Vegetable of Choice (Squash, Pumpkin, Soy Beans, Greens, mixed veggies, etc. Whatever you like best and have available. )
- Soy Sauce, Meme Sauce (optional), Seasoned Salt (or salt and pepper)
- Meat of choice - Shrimp, beef, chicken, etc. (optional)
- Kimchi or Hot Sauce (optional, for wimps)
- Seasoned Nori Strips (optional)

When it comes to cooking your ramen "fillings" there are many options. I like to have squash, soy beans, or some frozen mixed vegetables in mine. I will use left over meat bits, or thaw some shrimp at times as well. I always try to have egg with it, and I love to put Kimchi and the spicy liquid from Kimchi in mine.


First, fill the pot with water, about an inch from the top, cover it and place on a burner on Med-High.

The way that you make this quickly is that while the water is boiling you cook everything else needed, this also helps for people who have patience issues, when it comes to food, and stare at the pan the whole time (like myself). 

Get out the ramen packs you want to make and take out the solid squares and the packets, leaving the little scrap noodles in the wrappers. Then, set the noodles on top of the package, to keep it clean.

Like so.


(I am cooking for 3 people, with all these fillings you only really need one pack per person.)













Next, take the vegetables you want to put in the ramen and get them chopped or thawed. Take your frying pan and add about a Tablespoon each of Oil, Soy Sauce, and Meme (if you have it), and add about 1/2 Teaspoon Season Salt (or salt and pepper), and if applicable other seasonings you like.

 These are my favorite flavorings, they go well with the ramen so that the taste will "blend" when they are added together. 

(Yin-Yang?)

Coat the vegetables evenly with the liquid and cook them until tender. (I was making ramen for 3, once again, so there is a lot in my pan.)


Once the vegetables are finished, add the meat to the pan (add more of the sauce mixture if needed) and cook until hot, for leftovers, or...cooked, for raw.

Meanwhile, be keeping an eye on the water. Once it is at a rolling, rapid boil, add the noodles and be stirring apart with a fork (or chopsticks).


Keep the lid off, you are about to use it.












Stir them apart and keep the water on high, the water can stir them itself sometimes if the boil is right.

Add oil to the frying pan and crack your egg(or eggs) into it. Take the lid and "dome" the egg, this cooks it faster and gives an almost poached taste to the top of the fried egg (I called it "Froa-ched").

Once it has cooked a bit add some salt and Soy Sauce to the top, and cover again. Once it is cooked how you like it your noodles should be done!!

As for the noodles, they should be slightly undercooked. You want some chew to them still. Once they are a slight translucent color dump the water, and leave a little so they do not stick.










Now to construct the ramen!

Take out the amount of bowls as needed and empty one sauce packet into each. Add a sprinkle of Soy and Salt to each.

 (If you do not like the sauce packets, use 1/2 Teaspoon Bouillon instead.)

Add desired amount of Hot Water to the bowl. You can microwave it or heat it with a kettle, but I just go for the hottest degree of tap water (it's clean, I live in Colorado). The noodles will also heat the soup.

Stir it up!






Take the Nori, cut it into thin strips, and mix in the soup.

Take your Kinchi (or desired spicy sauce), for those of us who can handle the heat! Add that to the soup.


Do not add it if you are a wimp, and will breath fire like bowser if you add spice to it!

Add the Vegetables and stir.

Add the noodles and flip it all together. If you would like to add anything else, do that now.

Last, and certainly not least, add the egg to the top of the ramen, like a tasty crown!

And, Presto! Delicious ramen! 

Now, sit back, and enjoy your ramen! It is so much fun to tell people you are "just making ramen", and then put this in front of them! You will look pretty fancy! 

Enjoying the Noms of their labor, 

-C.A.M.

How to Cook: French Toast

French toast, which never really was French, is one of the simplest Breakfast meals to make. Because it is simple ingredients, it is pretty easy to mess it up.

So today we will be going over the basics for this, like beginner mode on a game, so that people who are new to cooking can be able to make it.

Rule number 1!

When cooking eggs use WATER and not MILK!

When you cook eggs with milk then they have a tendency to burn, you only want to use milk in the eggs for certain recipes, like custards.

This may be French Toast, but the main ingredients are eggs and bread, so you need the eggs to be right.

This Recipe is for 4 slices of French Toast.

You will need:

The Bath

- Medium bowl

- Whisk or fork

- Tupperware or large bowl to soak bread in

- 4 Eggs

- 4 Slices of bread

- 1/2 Cup Water

- 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg

- 1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon

- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

- 1 Tablespoon White Sugar

For Cooking

- Frying Pan

- Butter to coat it

- Cinnamon sugar (optional, but recommended)

The Extras

- 1 Banana (optional)

- Cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, and syrup to taste.

Rule number 2!

When you are using the bread you will either need stale bread or toasted bread!

One of the main reasons people make French Toast when having company over is because the best bread is the stale, old, bread you buy from the store which is usually on sale.

If you cannot buy that type of bread you will need to toast it. If you do not the bread will be mushy and fall apart and be nasty! Having your breakfast resemble the Phlegmoids from the old Chex Mix game is never appealing...

So get it nice and brown and crunchy before dipping.

Next you need to heat up a pan with butter in it and put that on Medium-High.

Now you will be getting your egg bath ready for the crunchy bread.

Crack the eggs into the bowl and mix them. The best way is to poke the yolks and then stir vigorously, like a Wii game, until they are fluffy. Next, add the cold water (about 2 Tablespoons per. egg, also it's 1 egg per slice).

Mix that in well and add the sugars and spices.

Soak the bread in the bath for 1-2 minutes.

Once the bread is filled with the liquid drop the slices into the pan.

Cook for about one minute and flip.

Add Cinnamon Sugar to the side and, after a minute, flip again. Continue this process until the egg looks completely cooked (About 3-4 times).

If you do not know what "Cinnamon Sugar" is, it is pretty self explanatory and obvious really... They sell this pre-made, but I have it made at home and put in a shaker.

(1 part cinnamon and 2 parts white sugar and mix.)

Remove from the pan and serve however you would like!

I like a bit of powdered sugar, sliced banana, and syrup on mine!

With that you should be able to enjoy a nice, fast, and enjoyable breakfast! It has eggs, fruit, and bread, what more do you need?

You have now passed beginner mode, aka "I am only interested in the story and not the challenge and bonus ending" mode. Master that, and more fun things are possible!

Enjoying the noms of their labor,

-C.A.M.