In Which Monday Menu Mayhem Enjoys Cooking with Beer.

Unspeakable tragedy this week: Both the laptop and the book (THE BOOK. THE ZOE ARCHER BOOK I JUST STARTED READING) have been left at Scout Camp.  While I try to wrap my mind around that (I have to travel to Florida tomorrow. Without a book.  WTF, and also FML) and resign myself to the fact that I will have to try the new Kindle borrowing system (Yes, kids.  Wendy Pan is reading paranormal romance novels.  Sign of impending doom?  Perhaps...) to finish the book on my iPhone (sigh), I can at least reflect on a weekend of successful cooking.

Like that's really going to help.

Have you ever heard of golden syrup before?  No?  Neither had I, until I saw it listed in several Nigella recipes.  And if you're like me, you go to the store and buy what you buy without exploring further, and when things like golden syrup are listed in recipes, you think "Pshaw.  I shall never be able to make this recipe because that ingredient is clearly only available in one specialty food shop in San Francisco, and clearly costs $22 per half-ounce."

When Boy Scout and I were in Stop and Shop a couple of weeks ago, I saw golden syrup.  Like, for reals.  And then I got really excited and bought some and hid it in the cupboard for a rainy day.  Or a sunny one, like this past Saturday, when I used it to make Guinness Gingerbread.

The thing that really excites me about golden syrup is that it pretty much is corn syrup, only it tastes like liquid toffee.  Because that's essentially what it is: cane sugar syrup.

And with it, I produced some of the best gingerbread I have ever tasted.  I mean, seriously.  I like gingerbread, but usually find it fairly bland.  It's one of those things that has a time and a place, but promotes nothing by way of craving or necessity.  This stuff is dynamite.  The Guinness and the syrup add a depth of flavor that is pretty rockin', and over all the recipe is low-maintenance and easy to make.

I also made (confession: for the second time) Irish Oaten Rolls, which contain Guinness as well.  They're pretty bland, but in a roll-like, comforting way.  You know when you're eating it that if it's going to hold you over pretty well if need be, and you can take comfort from it's relative healthiness- whole wheat flour, oats, and honey.

And with that, I leave you to enjoy your Valentine's Day.  In honor of the holiday, I give you some horrifying 80's dating videos.  Ohmyholyhell.




Side note: Is it bad that I'm seriously considering that Amazon six-pack? Hmm...