The Web Chef Cookbook
- 2. Who are the Web chefs?
Four Kitchens is a full-service Drupal consulting firm and community
leader that builds some of the world's largest websites. Design, usability,
development, systems architecture, and project management are all Table of conTenTs
handled in-house by our elite team of web chefs. As leading authorities on
Drupal scalability, performance, and theming, the web chefs have presented
at numerous DrupalCons and DrupalCamps around the world. Each fall, Drinks
we co-organize DrupalCamp Austin, which draws more than 300 attendees Texas orange margarita 3
from across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Malaysian screwdriver 5
Chocolatini 2-die-4 7
Our clients include The Economist, Yale University, Stanford University,
Al Jazeera, Royal Mail, Capgemini, Expeditionary Learning, Revolution
Agave sazerac 7
Analytics, SXSW, Time Out New York, Major League Soccer, Lifetime TV,
FastCompany.com, Causecast, the Wikimedia Foundation, and the Internet
hoW to infuse VoDka 8
Archive.
our free-culture philosophy appetizers anD entrèes
We firmly believe in the power of open source, collaboration, and Hot and crunchy chicken 12
communities. All of our work is licensed under a GPL, AGPL, or Creative
Easy-bake ribs 13
Commons license. Our clients share this belief, and it's resulted in reams
Guacamole 15
of code, knowledge, and documentation contributed back to open-source
projects — not to mention millions of dollars saved in closed-source Omelette 17
licensing fees, service contracts, and reinventing the wheel. Asian-inspired breakfast noodles 18
so... Why "kitchens"?
Building a website is like preparing a feast: It requires a team of people
hoW to smoke a turkey 19
with specialized and complementary skills working
in parallel to create something that lots of people breaDs anD Desserts
will enjoy. It's part art, part science, and all
Sweet and spicy coconut curry bread 23
about preparation.
Gluten-free apple crisp 25
Also, we like to cook. Please enjoy! Pumpkin bread pudding 26
austin fooD trailer guiDe 27
Right: Druplicon-style sugar skull for Dia
de los Muertos.
- 3. texas orange margarita
Elliott Foster
ingreDients
• 1 12-oz. can frozen limeade
• 18 oz. water
• 6 oz. orange juice
• 8 oz. tequila
• 2 oz. Paula’s Texas Orange liqueur
• 2 oz. Grand Marnier
instructions
• Mix the ingredients together in a pitcher.
• Serve over ice.
Drinks
Robert Ristroph enjoys a single-malt scotch with an icicle
during a company retreat in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Drinks Page 2 Drinks Page 3
- 4. malaysian screWDriVer
Todd Ross Nienkerk
ingreDients
• 3 oz. mangosteen juice
• 3 oz. orange juice
• 2 oz. vanilla-infused vodka (see “How to infuse vodka” on page 8)
instructions
• Mix ingredients in a tall glass.
• Serve chilled but without ice.
What’s a mangosteen?
The mangosteen is an ultratropical evergreen tree believed to have
originated in Malaysia and Indonesia. Its fragrant, edible flesh can be
described as sweet, tangy, and citrusy, with a flavor and texture similar to a
peach.
Mangosteens are not readily available in certain countries and are rare in
the produce sections of grocery stores in North America and Europe. Due to
concerns that it might harbor the Asian fruit fly, the United States banned
its import until 2007.
Excerpted from Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_mangosteen).
Drinks Page 4 Drinks Page 5
- 5. chocolatini 2-Die-4
Diana Dupuis
ingreDients
• 2 oz. Godiva chocolate liqueur
• 2 oz. Bailey’s Irish cream
• 1 1/2 oz. vanilla-infused vodka (see “How to infuse vodka” on page 8)
• 4 oz. half-and-half or soy creamer
instructions
• Shake over ice and pour.
agaVe sazerac
Shannon Hinshaw
ingreDients
• 2 oz. rye whiskey
• 1 tsp. agave nectar
• 5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
• Splash of absinthe or herbsaint
• Lemon peel
instructions
• Pack an glass with ice to chill it.
• In a second glass, mix the rye, agave nectar, and bitters.
• Empty the ice from the first glass. Add the splash of absinthe or
herbsaint to the glass, swirl to coat the sides, and pour out any
remaining liquid. (This is called an “absinthe rinse.”)
• Pour the rye, agave, and bitters mixture into the coated glass.
• Rub the rim of the glass with the lemon peel. The peel can be
discarded or placed into the cocktail as garnish.
• Serve “neat,” undiluted and without ice.
Drinks Page 6 Drinks Page 7
- 6. VoDka infusions
Todd Ross Nienkerk
All vodka infusions involve three main steps:
1. preparing the ingreDients
Most ingredients need to be sliced or cracked open to release their full
flavor. When dealing with fruits and other wet ingredients, it’s important
not to “ juice” them by pressing or squeezing them into the vodka. Doing
so will result in a mixed drink — not an infusion. A successful infusion
will isolate the oils and other
alcohol-soluble compounds of its
ingredients and will contain very
little of the ingredients’ juices.
2. steeping
Use a large, airtight, glass
container. (The bottle the vodka
came in will work.) Store your
infusions in a dark, cool place
and swirl it once per day.
3. straining
How to
Pour the mixture through a
strainer lined with cheesecloth.
The cheesecloth should be
folder over three times to trap
infuse
smaller particles. Using a spice
bag is sometimes preferred, as it
produces a finer strain and can be conveniently inserted over the nozzle of
vodka
the bottle as it’s poured. When straining fruit infusions, it’s best to filter out
the largest pieces first, then let the mixture sit for a day or two to allow the
finer particles to settle. You can then carefully pour the clarified vodka into
another container and use a coffee filter to remove the remaining sediment
at the bottom of the bottle.
Fresh batch of tomato vodka
Drinks Page 8 How to infuse vodka Page 9
- 7. Vanilla VoDka
• Ratio: Four beans per handle (1.75L) of vodka.
• Slice vanilla beans lengthwise into quarters.
• Steep in vodka for 30 days, swirling mixture once per day. Strain.
habanero VoDka
• Ratio: Three peppers per handle (1.75L) of vodka
• Remove stems and seeds from the peppers. WARNING: Wear gloves
while handling the peppers, and don’t touch your eyes!
• Slice habaneros lengthwise into eighths (quarter, then halve the
quarters).
• Steep in vodka for 7 days, swirling mixture once per day. Strain.
peppercorn VoDka
• Ratio: Half a cup of pink and black peppercorns per handle (1.75L) of
vodka.
Appetizers
• Using a mortar and pestle (or the back of a spoon in a bowl), hand-
crack the peppercorns, taking care not to grind them too finely.
• Steep for one day. Strain.
tomato VoDka
and
entrèes
• Ratio: Two large heirloom tomatoes per handle (1.75L) of vodka.
• Cut tomatoes into eighths, being careful not to release too much juice.
• Steep in a large container for 7-10 days, swirling the mixture once per
day. Strain.
Left: We suggest using Tito’s
Handmade Vodka, which
is produced in Austin at
Texas’ first and oldest legal
distillery.
How to infuse vodka Page 10 Appetizers and entrèes Page 11
- 8. hot anD crunchy chicken With
mango chutney sauce easy-bake ribs
Jenny Crandell Zach Meyer
ingreDients This recipe is good for parties or days when you can’t get the grill up and
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts running.
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups crushed cornflakes The only real rule here is that your time for cooking will change as the
• 2 tbsp. margarine or butter weight of meat you are preparing increases. I like to do two sets so that you
• 4 tbsp. sliced almonds can serve both regular and spicy ribs.
• 1 tbsp. grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red chili flakes ingreDients
• 3 tbsp. chopped cilantro • 2 racks of pork ribs (any variety will do)
• 3 tbsp. sesame seeds • 2 bottles of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1 cup mayonnaise • 1 bottle of lager beer (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. sambal sauce • Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice • 2 disposable trays for cooking the meat
• 1/3 cup Major Grey’s mango chutney • Heavy duty aluminum foil
instructions instructions
• To create the mango chutney sauce, combine mayonnaise, sambal • Preheat the oven to 250°F.
sauce, fresh lemon juice, and mango chutney in mixing bowl and stir • Lay each rack of ribs in its own pan and give each side a dusting of
to blend. Refrigerate. freshly cracked pepper and salt. Lightly rub or press each application
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. of seasoning so that it sticks to the meat. Pour in the bottles of BBQ
• Beat eggs in shallow bowl. Dip chicken breasts in egg before dredging sauce and coat each side of the ribs thoroughly.
in crushed cornflakes. • Turn the ribs fat-side-up and make sure they are swimming in sauce.
• Place margarine in skillet over medium heat. Add almonds, ginger, red Optionally add the beer in at this step. (It adds more flavors and steam
chili flakes, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Cook until ingredients began the the cooking process but isn’t a necessary component.)
to sizzle. • Cover the top of the cooking trays with the heavy foil. Don’t let the
• Reduce heat to low and place chicken breasts in pan on top of the ribs touch the foil.
almond mixture. Cook 2 minutes. • Place trays in the center of the oven. Bake for 1.5-2 hours.
• Slip spatula under breasts and almond mixture. Remove breasts from • Remove the trays from the oven and discard the foil lids. Increase
pan, turning them over so crunchy mixture is on top. oven temperature to 325°F. Put ribs back in the oven and bake 20-30
• Place breasts in a baking dish and finish cooking in 425 degree oven minutes.
for 25 minutes or until done. • Flip the ribs over and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Serve.
• Place chicken breasts on cold sauce.
Appetizers and entrèes Page 12 Appetizers and entrèes Page 13
- 9. guacamole
Aaron Stanush
ingreDients
• 4 avocados, pitted and peeled
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
instructions
• Put everything in a bowl and mix until you get a guacamole-type
consistency. Serve with tortilla chips.
• Prepare to be everyone’s best friend.
• The lime juice is what really makes this recipe stand out, so make sure
not to skimp!
Appetizers and entrèes Page 14 Appetizers and entrèes Page 15
- 10. omelette
Chris Ruppel
ingreDients
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp. milk
• 2 tbsp. butter/oil
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 sun dried tomatoes, sliced
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 oz. goat cheese
• Salt and pepper
instructions
• Beat eggs and milk in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat up a pan, coat with 1 tbsp. butter or oil. Add mushrooms and
garlic, stirring occasionally to sauté.
• Add spinach in later to preserve some crispness, or sooner to cook
it completely. Add sun-dried tomatoes with spinach. Add a pinch of
pepper as you stir.
• Remove sauté from pan and set aside. Reduce heat.
• Coat pan again using 1 tbsp. butter or oil. Add eggs and sift slowly,
allowing it to set halfway. Add sauté on top of the eggs, trying to keep
it in one half of the pan. Crumble goat cheese and add on top of sauté.
• Fold eggs over and allow them to set. No need to flip.
• If you want to change it up, substitute red peppers or pitted Kalamata
olives for sun-dried tomatoes.
Appetizers and entrèes Page 16 Appetizers and entrèes Page 17
- 11. asian-inspireD breakfast nooDles
Dave Hall
ingreDients
• 3.5 oz. of somen noodles (can substitute vermicelli, ramen, udon, or
hokkien)
• 34 oz. water
• 2 tsp. of Japanese dashi
• 2 tbsp. wakame flakes
• Dried, crushed chilies to taste
instructions
• Place dashi and wakame flakes in large soup bowl.
• Place chili flakes into a pot of water and bring to boil.
• Add noodles to water. Start checking email or RSS feeds.
• When noodles are tender pour water and noodles into bowl and serve.
bonus points
• Soak 2 shiitake mushrooms overnight. Slice and add to water once
boiling.
• Add 5 thin slices of smoked organic tofu to water.
• Add 3-5 frozen wontons or mini dim sims to water. If thawed, add
when water is boiling.
How to
• Add chopped freshly greens to water once boiling.
smoke
a turkey
Appetizers and entrèes Page 18
- 12. hoW to smoke a turkey
Robert Ristroph
selecting a smoker • Completely cover the bird with a rub until you can barely see the skin.
• I recommend a bullet-style electric smoker. It’s essentially a metal can Basic rubs are simply black pepper and seasoned salt. If you’re the
with a heating element, racks to hold the meat, and a bowl near the practical sort, just grab anything from your spice cabinet, focusing
bottom for water. Expensive smokers have a knob to adjust the power; on the stuff that no one ever uses. It’s impossible to over-spice the bird.
cheaper ones have no adjustment, and temperature is controlled using Most people won’t eat the skin, and the long smoking process mellows
vents. out the spices.
• Smoke is produced by placing a metal box filled with hardwood chips • Don’t bother stuffing the turkey — it makes the bird take longer to
on the heating element. Any hardwood — deciduous trees, which lose cook. Stuffing is just a way to trick you into eating not-meat.
their leaves in the fall, or live oak — will work. Non-hardwood, such as
pine or cedar, generally leave an undesirable taste. smoking the turkey (anD other stuff, too)
• The heating elements on these types of smokers often burn out, but • Fill the pan of water. The water is key: It keeps the air moist and
they can be replaced for free by searching Craigslist or driving around regulates the temperature.
your neighborhood on large-item garbage days, which I frequently do. • Place the metal box of hardwood chips on the heating element and
(If you want to take the easy way out, you can just buy a replacement.) turn it on.
• If you don’t feel like finding (or buying) a new heating element, you • Place the turkey on the rack. Smoke for 8-16 hours — usually
can convert your smoker to charcoal by removing the element and overnight — and keep the temperature between 140-180°F.
lining the bottom with rocks. • If you’re using charcoal, you may have to add a handful of briquettes
• If you’re using a charcoal smoker, you may need to open the vents or every two hours or so.
prop open the top to let air circulate. If you have whole sticks of wood, • Add more stuff! There is no reason to waste all that heat and smoke if
lay them close to but not on the charcoal so that they will smoke and you have room in your smoker. You can add brisket, pork shoulder, or
smolder instead of burning quickly. any other large cut of meat. Rub those with spices, too.
• Add not-meat if desired. After about 6-14 hours, or about 2 hours before
selecting anD preparing the turkey you eat, add portobello mushrooms, sliced eggplant, squash, zucchini
• Get a turkey that is small enough to fit into your smoker. — any kind of wet vegetable that won’t burn up. Make the slices about
• Take the bird out of the plastic wrapper. If it’s frozen, thaw it enough as wide as your thumb. They’re done when they feel slightly soft.
so that you can remove the clip holding the legs together and pull out Vegetables smoked in this way are really good on their own account —
the neck and bags of guts. (Remember: There are two bags of innards, not just as a token garnish to the main meal.
one stuck in each end of the bird.) The neck may be smoked with the • When it’s done, eat it. Then bring the leftovers to the office — it’s too
bird, but the liver, gizzard, etc. are generally better pan-cooked. much food to eat yourself.
• Wash the bird in cold water, running it through the cavity.
How to smoke a turkey Page 20 How to smoke a turkey Page 21
- 13. sWeet anD spicy
coconut curry breaD
Shannon Lucas
Madras, African, and Jamaican curry powders will work best with this
recipe. Choose a curry powder with the level of heat you prefer.
ingreDients
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 cups white bread flour
• 1 tbsp. dry milk
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. yeast (fast rise) or 2 tsp. yeast (active dry)
instructions
• Add ingredients to bread machine in order listed. Bake using white
bread setting. Use regular, rapid, or delayed bake cycle according to
the type of yeast used.
• What — you thought you’d be kneading this by hand? Do I look like a
pastry chef to you? Get real. I’ve got websites to build.
Breads
and
desserts
Appetizers and entrèes Page 22 Breads and desserts Page 23
- 14. gluten-free apple crisp
Diana Dupuis
ingreDients
• 8 apples (preferably Honeycrisp)
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. gluten-free flour blend
• 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats (must say gluten-free on the package)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
instructions
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cover the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish with water (just enough to
cover).
• Cut apples into bite-size pieces.
• Mix apples with lemon juice, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 tbsp. gluten-free
flour. Add to dish.
• Mix remaining ingredients and spread on top of the apples.
• Bake for 23-30 minutes (until apples are soft).
Appetizers and entrèes Page 24 Breads and desserts Page 25
- 15. pumpkin breaD puDDing
Aaron Stanush
ingreDients
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 5 cups day-old baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
Tip: You can make your baguette stale by cubing it and baking at 350°F for
30 minutes.
instructions
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk cream, pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, and spices in a
large bowl.
Austin
• Toss the bread cubes with butter in a separate bowl.
• Combine the bread cubes and pumpkin mixture. Pour everything into
an ungreased, 8-inch square baking dish
food trailer
• Bake on the center rack until set (approximately 25-30 minutes).
guide
Breads and desserts Page 26
- 16. austin fooD trailer guiDe
Aaron Forsander
oDD Duck oddduckfarmtotrailer.com chi’lantro chilantrobbq.com
A daily menu prepared by a Four words: Korean, Mexican, fusion, barbecue. It’s great food with Seoul
professional chef? Who cuts his own (or so says their website). Served out of two roaming trailers, this delicious
meats? And grills them on a wood mobile eatery can often be hard to track down. More often than not, I’ve
stove? Supporting local farms has found myself partaking in their delicious burritos and kimchi fries entirely
never been so delicious. If you’re by accident after stumbling across one of their trailers downtown. Next
hesitant about giving trailer food a time you’re in Austin, round our your late night with a delicious bulgogi
chance, Odd Duck will change your burger. Or burrito. Actually — just order everything.
mind. Get there early, though: Their
fresh meats and veggies sell out early gourDough’s gourdoughs.com
most nights. I think William Carlos Williams said it best in his masterwork “The Red
Wheelbarrow”:
g’raj mahal grajmahalaustin.com
Standing in the middle of Rainey Street, you would never know you’re mere so much depends
blocks from downtown Austin. The houses in this tree-lined neighborhood upon
have slowly turned into bars, and a small, wooden shack has become one
the best Indian eateries in town. a bacon-wrapped
donut
In addition to standard Indian fare,
the G’Raj — get it? — offers several glazed with maple
vegan and vegetarian options. And syrup
like most trailers in Austin, it’s BYOB,
so bring a love interest and a bottle beside the white
of wine. Or some bros and a six-pack. chickens.
Or your parents and several boxes of
Franzia. (That’s what my parents are Mr. Williams was indeed ahead of his time: The bacon-wrapped, maple-
into, anyways.) glazed donut wouldn’t be invented for another 85 years — and in an
Airstream trailer, no less. Gourdough’s calls it the “Flying Pig,” and it’s just
franklin bbQ franklinbarbecue.com one of their many artery-restricting delights. Grab one after visiting the
Barbecue was meant to be sloppy, so why not eat it behind an old, turquoise Odd Duck next door.
trailer while smothering it in sauce from a repurposed bottle of Cholula?
I highly recommend the impossibly tasty brisket, which you are morally
obligated to drench in their signature espresso sauce.
Austin food trailer guide Page 28 Austin food trailer guide Page 29
- 17. creDits
The Web Chef Cookbook is Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike licensed, so feel free to share and remix its
contents. For more information, visit creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-sa/3.0.
Design and layout by Zach Meyer, Todd Ross Nienkerk, and Aaron Stanush.
All content, except where noted otherwise, is copyright 2011 Four Kitchens,
LLC. Four Kitchens, the Four Kitchens wordmark, the knife-and-curly-
bracket logo, and all combinations of the Four Kitchens wordmark and logo
are trademarks of Four Kitchens, LLC. “We make big websites” is a service
mark of Four Kitchens, LLC.
photo creDits
• All photos, except those listed below, by Todd Ross Nienkerk (Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licensed).
• Icicle scotch photo (page 2) by Aaron Stanush: flickr.com/photos/
fourkitchens/5405853107 (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
licensed).
• Tito’s vodka guava infusion photo (page 10) by Mike McCune: flickr.
com/photos/mccun934/5143880876 (Creative Commons Attribution
licensed).
• Eggplant photo (page 11) by Daniel Kulinski: flickr.com/photos/
didmyself/4932377377 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
licensed).
• Smoked turkey photo (page 19) by Luis Ramirez: flickr.com/photos/
bbqjunkie/2057246173 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
licensed).
• French bread photo (page 22) by Benedictv: flickr.com/photos/
benediktv/3777221861 (Creative Commons Attribution licensed).
• Austin skyline photo (page 27) by The Guvnah: flickr.com/photos/
guvnah/4900372260 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
ShareAlike licensed).
• Food trailer photos (pages 28-29) by Aaron Forsander (Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licensed).