When All Romance E-books put out a submission call for recipes to include in their Passionate Cooks cookbook, I knew I had to submit my Aphrodisian Chargrilled Oyster recipe. I had played around with the standard sauce for chargrilled oysters until I found a mixture that made me happy. Not that the others didn’t make me happy, but when I found the combination of butter, herbs, and alcohol that made me grin I actually wrote down the recipe. That is saying something, because I sometimes don’t use a recipe.

But, this isn’t what these posts are going to be about. I downloaded the free cookbook. Now, I am going to cook from it.

Flour, butter, and veggies for the beginning of the soup done Creole style instead of how the recipe called for the addition of these ingredients.

Last night, in honor of Monday Night Football, I made Football Season Soup by Christine Columbus. First, I sort of goofed as I made it, but once I explain, I think you will understand. I live in the land of roux, that mixture of fat and flour that we brown to make a delicious base for gumbo. The first part of the Football Season Soup recipe started out like a roux, but I was supposed to add the liquid in the next step. However, I added my vegetables to the flour and butter mixture like any good Creole cook would do (not that I am Creole, but it rubs off on you down here in New Orleans). Whoops! I don’t think that made much of a difference.

But, the beer I had certainly made the soup very different. My choice was what I had in the fridge, which was an IPA, or a very hoppy brew. Not a good idea. I loved the creaminess of the cheese in the soup, but the bitter that came through from the IPA that I used ruined the flavor for my kids. I finished a whole bowl with my side of cornbread, but they only ate the cornbread.

My note to you when you make this recipe–choose a mild beer, like a pilsner. Don’t go the darker beer route. Overall, great flavors, easy to make, and perfect for a night watching football.