Eat | Drink | Cheap Episode 43 – Aftershifter – A Couple Of Christmas Crackers

Put on your silly paper hats kids! Shawn and Simon sit around the holiday table and sift through the rubble of 2024 to find some recipes, food trends and media they loved and want to share.

Questions, comments or corrections? Hit us up at email@eatdrinkcheap.ca

eatdrinkcheap.ca

eadrinkbreathe.com/podcast

Music by John Palmer

Show notes and Shout Outs:

Too many to list… Just listen to the episode!

Eat | Drink | Cheap Episode 42 – Baking For The Holidays

Another holiday season is upon us, so everyone stay calm! Shawn and Simon are bringing the chill, mindful vibes this Christmas along with boxes of scones, macarons and fruitcake. 

Questions, comments or corrections? Hit us up at email@eatdrinkcheap.ca

eatdrinkcheap.ca

eadrinkbreathe.com/podcast

Music by John Palmer

Show notes and Shout Outs:

Ann Rice’s Interview With The Vampire on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/interview-with-the-vampire-netflix-date-cast-details

Strawberry Hotel by Underworld: https://underworld.bandcamp.com/album/strawberry-hotel

The Many Works of David Lebovitz: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/chocolatecherry/

Macarons by Pierre Herme: https://www.pierreherme.com/en/macarons.html

Savoury Scones

  • 2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons (5 grams) baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground paprika
  • 6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter, grated
  • 1/2 cup (40 grams) grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup (25 grams) cooked bacon, cut into bite sized pieces (about 4 slices)
  • 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped 
  • 3/4 – 1 cup (180 – 240 ml/grams) cold buttermilk

Pre-heat oven to 200C or 400 F. Mix it all together to a shaggy mess. Roll out into a block. Cut into shapes. Lacquer with one beaten egg and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and puffy.

Chocolate-Cherry Fruitcake

Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz

I’ve revised and updated this recipe over the years, adding a bit more flour (previous versions of the cake sometimes dipped in the middle when cool, which didn’t affect the flavor) and making other adjustments. In place of rum, you could use kirsch, whiskey, or amaretto. If you have an issue with the cake sinking in the middle, I posted a

to show how I followed the recipe and how the cake was prepared. To make it easier to slice, I like to chop the cherries a bit before adding them to the rum.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (180-200g) dried cherries, sweet or sour, chopped
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) plus 2/3 cup (160ml) rum
  • 1 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process or natural
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups (400g) sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup (180g) buttermilk or plain yogurt
  • 1 cup (135g) walnuts, pecans, or almonds, toasted and finely-chopped
  • 3/4 cup (120g) chocolate chips

Method

A day or two before you make the cake, toss the cherries in ¼ cup of rum. Cover and let macerate, stirring a few times.

  1. To bake the cakes, butter two 9-inch (23cm) loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
  2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or by hand in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir together the eggs and yolk with the vanilla in a small bowl, then dribble them in while beating at medium speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure they’re getting completely incorporated.
  4. Mix in one-third of the flour and cocoa mixture, then half of the yogurt or buttermilk. Then mix in another third of the dry ingredients, then the rest of the yogurt. Finally add the remaining dry ingredients, and gently stir in the nuts, chocolate chips and cherries. (Which should have absorbed all the liquid. If not, add that as well.)
  5. Divide and smooth the batter into the two prepared loaf pans and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center just about comes out clean, but avoid overbaking it.
  6. With a toothpick skewer, poke 50 holes in the cake and spoon 1/3 cup (80ml) of liquor over each cake. Let the cakes cool completely.

Eat | Drink | Cheap Episode 35 – Cookbooks For Christmas

Shawn and Simon have already given their ideas for cheap holiday gifts… Now that we are all on the home stretch, maybe it’s time to find that tome for a loved one who loves to cook! Lots of recomendations for beginners, intermediates and people who have lost their minds and want to bake. Happy Holidays everyone!!!

Questions, comments or corrections? Hit us up at email@eatdrinkcheap.ca

eatdrinkcheap.ca

eadrinkbreathe.com/podcast

Music by John Palmer

Show notes and Shout Outs:

  • Jamie’s Dinners by Jamie Oliver (For the beginner!)
  • The three-book series by Jeffery Alford and Naimoi Duguid (For the Coffee Table!)
  • Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli (For the Intermediate with passion!)
  • The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown (for the aspiring baker!)
  • RIPE Cookbook by Ann Kask which proceeds go to Diabetes Canada (featuring yours truly!)
  • Rebar, Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Alsterberg and Wanda Urbanowicz
  • Tartine by Chad Robertson
  • Ready for Dessert by David Leibovitz
  • Baked, New Frontiers in Baking By Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
  • My Pokemon Cookbook By Victoria Rosenthal
  • And the necronom nom nom
  • Bonus Mentions: Flavour Bible By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg and Anything by Hank Shaw

More Cookbooks!!!!

Eat | Drink | Cheap Episode 34 – Prepping For The Holidays

As we careen into the most wonderful, often times stressful and most financially difficult time of the year Simon and Shawn share some ideas for cheap gifts and activities in the kitchen that will really bring your loved ones together.

Questions, comments or corrections? Hit us up at email@eatdrinkcheap.ca

eatdrinkcheap.ca

eadrinkbreathe.com/podcast

Music by John Palmer

Show notes and Shout Outs:

Deadfall Brewing: https://www.deadfallbrewing.com/

Tasting HIstory with Max Miller: https://www.youtube.com/c/tastinghistory

What the hell is a Woodchuck? https://a-z-animals.com/animals/groundhog-woodchuck/pictures/

Broken Record Podcast: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/broken-record

Hermanos Guiterrez: https://www.hermanosgutierrez.ch/

Eat | Drink | Cheap Episode 19 – 2022 Holiday Special

Happy Holidays Everyone!!! Shawn and Simon spend some much needed time off to discuss their favourite Christmas movies, music, cheese boards, drinks and memories.

Questions, comments or corrections? Hit us up at email@eatdrinkcheap.ca

eatdrinkcheap.ca

eadrinkbreathe.com/podcast

Music by John Palmer

Show notes and Shout Outs:

The Muppets Christmas Carol: https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/the-muppet-christmas-carol/6BumPfZlq5OH

Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory: https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/willy-wonka-chocolate-factory

Love Actually: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Actually-Bill-Nighy/dp/B001JIES4Q

Pork and Chicken Liver Pate: https://www.eatdrinkbreathe.com/pork-and-chicken-liver-pate/

An Urban Modernist Christmas: https://www.mixcloud.com/greg-vickers/urban-modernists-christmas/

Pentatonix Christmas: https://www.ptxofficial.com/

Charlie Brown Christmas: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/a-charlie-brown-christmas/umc.cmc.mbxalimrwrtq72wj4h601pyf

Alton Brown’s Aged Eggnog: https://altonbrown.com/recipes/aged-eggnog/

Five Minute Candied Walnuts: https://natashaskitchen.com/5-minute-candied-walnuts/

Mulled Wine

  • 1 Bottle Red wine (Malbec or Merlot) 
  • 100g White Sugar
  • 25 Ish Cardamom Pods
  • 2 Cinnamon Sticks
  • Sprig of Rosemary
  • 1 Fresh Ground Nutmeg
  • A Couple of Cracks of Black Pepper

Grandmother’s Macaroons

  • 2 Egg Whites
  • 100g Sugar

Whip to stiff peaks then gently fold in:

  • 75g Unsweetened coconut

Spoon on to a baking sheet and Bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees.