Finally decided to make this thing a reality. That's the only thing I've decided. Need to figure out what to call it, how to structure it, how long to make it, and if it is going to have any sort of overriding theme. Any suggestions/feedback on any of these front would be appreciated.

Been so many great recipes posted in here over the last 4 years. I've got a three ring binder I've had for 10 years now that has all kinds of stuff in there ... recipes I've created, copied from the slew of cookbooks I have at home.

Time to put order to it all and create a kick ass little cookbook. Early research seems to indicate that it's not gonna cost too much to get em printed, and we can sell these things for pretty damn cheap.

Going to mine through this forum for recipes, prolly cut and paste em in this thread. Also, would encourage people to post their best recipes in here. Your creme de la creme.

Gotta tie in Cleveland starving for a title with the name of this thing.

Gotta be originals or can we go Cindy McCain ?

Cindy McCain style is cool. Just looking to put together a collection of great recipes. A cookbook people will actually use and reference.

If You Can't Beat Them...

Eat This

This is from the TV Show America's test kitchen. I usally substitute chicken for fish but It'll woerk on anything.

This is the best batter I have ever had, anytime, anyplace, anwhere.

I also often kick it up a notch with hot sauce. Obviouly, you can use a deep fryer of choice. The magic is the batter.

Fish and Chips

5/2006

Ask your fishmonger to remove the thin tail portions of the fish. For
safety, use a Dutch oven with at least a 7-quart capacity. Any beer
will work in this recipe, even nonalcoholic beer, with the exception
of dark stouts and ales. Serve with traditional malt vinegar or with
tartar sauce.

Serves 4
3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 large potatoes), peeled, ends
and sides squared off, and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch by 1/2-inch
fries (see illustrations below)
3 quarts peanut oil (or canola oil), plus 1/4 additional cup
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 pounds 1-inch-thick cod fillet (or other thick white fish,
such as hake or haddock) cut into eight 3-ounce pieces
1 1/2 cups beer (12 ounces), cold


1. Place cut fries in large microwaveable bowl, toss with 1/4 cup oil,
and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power until potatoes
are partially translucent and pliable but still offer some resistance
when pierced with tip of paring knife, 6 to 8 minutes, tossing them
with rubber spatula halfway through cooking time. Carefully pull back
plastic wrap from side farthest from you and drain potatoes into large
mesh strainer set over sink. Rinse well under cold running water.
Spread potatoes onto kitchen towels and pat dry. Let rest until room
temperature, at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

2. While fries cool, whisk flour, cornstarch, cayenne, paprika,
pepper, and 2 teaspoons salt in large mixing bowl; transfer 3/4 cup of
mixture to rimmed baking sheet. Add baking powder to bowl and whisk to
combine.

3. In heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 2 quarts oil over medium heat to
350 degrees. Add fries to hot oil and increase heat to high. Fry,
stirring with mesh spider or slotted metal spoon, until potatoes turn
light golden and just begin to brown at corners, 6 to 8 minutes.
Transfer fries to thick paper bag or paper towels to drain.

4. Reduce heat to medium-high, add remaining quart of oil, and heat
oil to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, thoroughly dry fish with paper towels
and dredge each piece in flour mixture on baking sheet; transfer
pieces to wire rack, shaking off excess flour. Add 1 1/4 cups beer to
flour mixture in mixing bowl and stir until mixture is just combined
(batter will be lumpy). Add remaining beer as needed, 1 tablespoon at
a time, whisking after each addition, until batter falls from whisk in
thin, steady stream and leaves faint trail across surface of batter.
Using tongs, dip 1 piece fish in batter and let excess run off,
shaking gently. Place battered fish back onto baking sheet with flour
mixture and turn to coat both sides. Repeat with remaining fish,
keeping pieces in single layer on baking sheet.

5. When oil reaches 375 degrees, increase heat to high and add
battered fish to oil with tongs, gently shaking off excess flour. Fry,
stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer
fish to thick paper bag or paper towels to drain. Allow oil to return
to 375 degrees.

6. Add all fries back to oil and fry until golden brown and crisp, 3
to 5 minutes. Transfer to fresh paper bag or paper towels to drain.
Season fries with salt to taste and serve immediately with fish.

Are we talking desserts as well? If so, I got a mini-cheesecake recipe that's just cream cheese, chocolate chips, and nilla wafers (for the most part). Love it. Can't eat just one.

Here's a nice winter comfort dish

Baked mac and cheese
Ingredients
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

I'll switch up the cheeses everytime. Once used a mozzarella w/ sundried tomatoes, the next year I used a Chipotle Cheddar along with the sharp cheddar for a little extra flavor. I'll add bacon or chicken chunks as well.

Anything. Still gotta figure out the theme/format ... but appreciate all recipe submissions while I'm figuring it out.

TCF's Kick Ass Little Cookbook???

Great idea. happy to help/contribute anyway I can.

I think you need to incude a DGES grilled steak receipe. Instant classic.

Taste of the Cleveland Experience: Foods To Comfort You While Your Home Teams Don't

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 10 oz cans chicken breast
2 8oz packages cream cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce (depending on spiciness desired)
4 cup bag of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup ranch dressing

Bring chicken and hot sauce to simmer in skillet.
Add and melt cream cheese.
Add in half of shredded cheddar and the 1/2 cup of ranch dressing.

Cook until melted while stirring occasionally.

Transfer to slow cooker.
Top with remaining shredded cheddar
Cook on medium heat for 20-30 minutes

Serve with tortilla chips, baguette or snack crackers.

You can also bake instead of slow cook. Preheat oven to 375. Transfer skillet contents to casserole dish or bake ware, top with remaining shredded cheese and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

'Starving for a Winner' sounds good to me.

I like it. Leader in the clubhouse. And thank you guys for the recipe submissions.

As far as the theme of the book, my early thoughts are that I pick 32 staple dishes (think homemade sauce and meatballs, lasagna, corned beef and cabbage ... main dish items) and 32 kind of ancillary complimentary or side items (think salsa, buffalo dip, mac and cheese) ... and supply one great recipe for each with a brief history behind the dish. Who's recipe it is, their relation to the site (owner, writer, reader submission) 64 recipes to salute the '64 Browns, the last Cleveland champion.

Nothing too goofy or off the wall. 64 things most people have made, would like to make. 64 great recipes. A handy and affordable kitchen reference for people that like to cook and eat. I want it to be recipes people will actually make. I have so many GD cookbooks, and most of em are 90% stuff I would never make. Want to make this practical and something people will actually use.

Early thoughts. Very early ... but thats the way Im thinking right now.

I would like to take this opportunity to virtually urinate and thus mark my territory for some type of chilli/beef stew/gulash/parikash/gumbo receipe. Let me know which one you would like to see.

Matt, of chili/beef stew/gumbo ... come with your couple strongest. You'll definitely be represented in the book bud.

Much obliged. I will leave the gumbo for Bayou. If does not represent I can fill in. Otherwise, over the next couple of days I'll type up a chili and a beef stew and let you pick. Cheers.

Send them both to me too please ([email protected])? Not sure which of yours will be in the book but I'll use them both personally.

I'll be using venison for the chili so hopefully it still works.

Thank you sir.

I have a good mountain oyster recipe

Name it....


The TCF Cookbook
If you can eat this shit, you can eat anything



For real though, good idea. I'll stay away from the gumbo recipe, cause it's detailed and relies on alot on local recipes, etc. Not sure how good it would do someone that couldn't find half of the ingredients locally. I'll probably come through with some sort of shrimp recipe. Either a stew or etouffee.

How bout Shrimp Creole? Was going to add my Creole recipe ... would prefer yours.

How about Oil Can Boyd's Oceanside Lake Perch? Or Joba Chamberlain's Shoo-fly pie?

Very simple recipe- but one that is guaranteed to have people asking you the recipe. Is a natural with beer, but is a workplace hit as well.
Experiment with amounts of ingredients used (to taste). Even if you don't have the lemon pepper or the garlic powder, it's worth it to whip up a batch with the remaining ingredients.

Spicy Hot Pretzels

2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 cup of vegetable oil
1lb bag of mini pretzels

Combine the cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, garlic powder and ranch dressing mix with the vegetable oil.
On a cookie sheet, spread out the pretzels. Cover them with oil mix. Bake at 200 degrees.
Every 15 minutes, stir the pretzels around and coat with more oil mix. Do this for 1 - 1 1/2 hours- until the oil mix is gone.

(edit on the amt of dry ingredients)

I know many of you guys are serious tailgaters. Would you have a tailgater section for recipes? Or are the Browns so bad that the idea is to get so drunk you can't taste the food??

OD ... it's all about remembering as little as possible. Think Drunk Guy Eating Steak (tm).

I actually watched that footage. I then had my son come over and watch it with me. Nothin' goin' on but a drunk dude eating steak. How can that be funny??? Gotta see it to believe it.

I don't drink and that footage is another reason why!!!

Beef Goulash/Stew
Adapted from a recipe by Wolfgang Puck

I make this on a regular basis – a nice one pot meal that doesn’t take a long time to put together and tastes great. Many options here so don’t feel the need to follow exactly.

Olive oil (or anything thing to sauté the onions and brown the meat – but use olive if you have it)
2 onions chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced (no substitutions here – just buy the head, separate 3 cloves, peel them, smash tem with the flat side of your knife and mince them up. Or put them through a garlic press if you have one)
1 tablespoon caraway seeds toasted and ground (no need to panic. To toast just heat a small fry pan over medium heat. No oil, just the seeds and the pan. Pour in the seeds and shake the pan back and forth until you can smell the aroma – maybe about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour seeds in a Ziploc or small sandwich bag and crush with a heavy object.)
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram leaves (can use dry if desired)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (can use dry if desired)
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar – if you have neither omit the sugar)
4 cups beef stock. I use store bought stock. Or, you can just use water.
1 pound beef neck bones or beef shank (usually inexpensive and adds good flavor)
2 pounds beef stew meat (for this you can use anything cut into cubes. Size is up to you. Most stores have pre packaged stew meat. Many times I’ll buy a top round or chuck roast and cut it myself – it’s cheaper. Venison works well, also.)
Salt and pepper to taste

Note – if you are looking for a thicker stew, coat the bones and meat cubes in flour before browning

Directions
Get a decent sized pot or dutch oven (with a lid) and heat it over medium high heat. Depends on your stove – on mine it’s 6 out of 10. What you’re looking for here is not to just brown (grey) the meat, but to actually put a sear on the pieces, much the same way a good steak has a crust on the outside. To do this, you will want the oil hot and you will need to avoid crowding the pot – so brown the meat in batches. This adds a lot of flavor. Using shank or neck bones in addition to the cubes is even better. Add the oil and when it’s hot add the first batch of meat. Wait for a couple of minutes, then when the meat release without effort from the bottom of the pan use tongs to turn the cubes (if large enough) or a wooden spoon to mix the meat around until nicely browned on all sides. Remove from the pot and place in a bowl while you brown the remaining meat. Salt the meat after you remove it from the heat.

Be careful now as if you have seared the meat well in 2 or 3 small batches you will have a lot of brown crud on the bottom of the pan. This is great flavor and do not let it burn. Quickly add a little more oil and the onions, along with a good 3 finger pinch of salt. Add the sugar (to enhance the browning and sweetness) and sauté the onions and sugar until brown (caramelized). Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and caraway seed. Cook for 1 minute. Add paprika, marjoram, thyme, and bay leaf. Sauté another minute. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat all of the vegetables. Add the vinegar and the stock and scrape up any remaining bits from the bottom, then add the pieces of meat and any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. . Bring to a boil, then lower to a very gentle simmer (an occasional bubble or two every 5 seconds) and cook until the meat is very tender, about 90 minutes to 2 hours.

In the meantime, cut some potatoes and carrots and whatever else you want (parsnips work well) into decent size pieces. Put the potatoes in a bowl and cover with cold water so they don’t turn brown. The carrots will take about 45 minutes or so to cook, the potatoes about 20 minutes so add the carrots first, then potatoes. When the carrots and potatoes are fork tender you are ready to ladle into bowls and enjoy.

Thanks Matt

1. Heat oil in turkey fryer.

2. Fry everthing possible.

3, Eat between shots and beer.