Beer Styles

Beer Ricotta Raviolo with Egg and Herb Butter Sauce

Beer Ricotta Raviolo with Egg and Herb Butter Sauce, time to get fancy!

Plus a book giveaway! 

It’s somewhere North of 3 am and we’re walking the winding back country roads of Big Bear, California. Thin dresses swishing in the cool August air as we try to walk back into town from the wedding Linda and I are in the mountains for.

Giggly and drunk on wine and still love-high from the touching vows we’d witnesses, we realize that we’re only “sort of” lost as we try to navigate the dusty walk back, void of any sidewalks or street lamps. Our ride had left hours before we did, and since this isn’t the sort of place that Uber inhabits, we decide that walking back down the mountain is our only option.

Grateful that one of the grooms insisted we wear flats—the more appropriate footwear choice for a mountain wedding over the heels we both reluctantly left in the hotel—we realize that running may be necessary when the only vehicle we’ve seen so far suddenly takes notice of us.

As the semi-truck pulls to a stop near us the driver climbs out of his cab to make his way towards us,  and we bolt. In unison, we run towards town and around the bend in the road. Like a desert oasis, we see the hotel. Sprinting towards the doors, we finally stop to catch our breath once inside. We look at each other and burst out laughing. Not sure if we were in any real danger, or if the wine had turned a guy just checking on a flat tire into a sure-threat, we don’t care. We’re safe, slightly drunk, and happy.

Since that day Linda has steadily become one of the most important people in my life. Helping me in ways she can’t even understand through two of the most difficult points in my adult life. From frantic texts at midnight to long talks over bottles of wine, she’s the sort you always want to find solace in when the storm hits, or celebrate alongside when the moments are perfect. Although meeting her, years before the Big Bear wedding, I was immediately intimidated.

At a food conference in Los Angeles, she seemed to just appear in front of me. Tall, beautiful, wickedly smart, and incomprehensibly talented, she’s the sort you should be intimidated of. With a rapidly growing following and several TV shows and appearances under her belt, she’s the type that can pull of being pretentious and snobby. She could even get away with it, if she wanted. But the thing about her, possibly the most endearing part, is that there isn’t a trace of that in her, not one bit. She has a heart of gold, a passion for social justice, and she connects with damn near everyone. She won’t just remember you, she’ll remember the story you told her three years ago about your mom being in the hospital and she’ll ask you about it. She is just so likable. She’s also charmingly inappropriate, and wildly unpredictable. Which just makes you like her more.

She’s spent the better part of the past two years pouring herself and her immense knowledge of pasta into her new book, Pasta, Pretty Please, and it’s beautiful. If you don’t follow her on Instagram, you’re missing out, it’s the most impressive feed you’ll see.

I’m giving away a signed copy of the books that won’t just teach you how to make pasta, it will make you fall in love with it. You can enter on Instagram. Don’t have an Instagram? Share this post on Facebook (make sure it’s public so that I can see!) and post a link to your Facebook post in the comments below.

Linda has offered to sign the book for you, or Linda has also offered the option for her to sign your boobs, or both if you’re up for it.

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Beer Ricotta Raviolo with Egg and Herb Butter Sauce

Yield: 6 servings

Adapted from Pasta, Pretty Please by Linda Miller Nicholson

Ingredients

    For the Green Dough*:
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 punch flat leaf parsley
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ¼ cups “00” pasta flour
    • For the Red-Orange Dough:
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ¼ cups “00” pasta flour
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • For the Ricotta:
  • 3 cups whole milk (do not use Ultra-Pasterized, it won’t work)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup Saison beer, Plus 2 tablespoons divided
  • 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (you can also use lemon juice, or a combination of the two)
    • For the Filling:
  • 6 large egg yolks
    • For the Sauce:
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large leaves sage, minced
  • Leaves from 1 sprig rosemary, chopped
  • ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • Salt to taste (the amount of salt you need will be dependent on the broth you use)
  • ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan

Instructions

    Make the ricotta:
  1. In a pot over medium high heat (do not use an aluminum pan) add the milk, cream, salt and 1/3 cup beer.
  2. Clip a cooking thermometer onto the side of the pan.
  3. Bring the liquid to 190°F degrees, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching. Keep a close eye on it, the liquid reaches and passes 190 very quickly and you don’t want it rising above 200.
  4. Remove from heat, add the 2 tablespoons beer and then the vinegar (or lemon juice) and stir gently once or twice. It should curdle immediately. Allow to sit undisturbed for about 5 minutes.
  5. Line a large strainer with 1 or 2 layers of cheesecloth; place the strainer in the sink over a large bowl.
  6. Pour the ricotta into the strainer and allow to drain for 15 to 30 minutes and up to an hour (the longer it drains, the firmer the consistency)
  7. Place in an air-tight container and store in the fridge, can be made up to 3 days in advance.
    8. Make the green dough (skip if you aren't making the decorations):
  8. In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the salt, baking soda and 8 cups water to a boil. Add the parsley and boil it for 15 seconds, remove it and place in a strainer, run under cold water to blanche. Drain and press out the water.
  9. Add the parsley to a blender along with the eggs, blend first on low speed, then increase the speed and green liquid until smooth.
  10. Strain the puree with a fine mesh strainer, reserving the green liquid and discarding the pulp.
  11. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour and puree. Mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms. Raise the speed to medium and continue to knead for 3 minutes (or by hand for 6-8 minutes) until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the ball of dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (you can also refrigerate the well-wrapped dough for up to three days).
    12. Make the red-orange dough:
  12. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, eggs and tomato paste. Mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms. Raise the speed to medium and continue to knead for 3 minutes (or by hand for 6-8 minutes) until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the ball of dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (you can also refrigerate the well-wrapped dough for up to three days).
  13. *(skip to step 17 if you aren’t making a decoration) Cut the green dough into four equal sized pieces. Roll one piece out several times to make it thin enough to pass through your dough roller (wrap up the remaining pieces so they don’t dry out).
  14. Pass through your dough roller on the widest setting, then again. Close the dough roller one more stop to make it thinner (one away from the widest setting), pass the dough through twice. Fold into thirds, like a letter going into an envelope. Pass through your dough roller again with the folded ends on the sides (this will make the sides of the dough sheet straight rather than jagged).
  15. Continue to pass through the dough roller stopping down to a thinner setting every two passes until you reach halfway between the thinnest and thickest setting.
  16. Using a cookie cutter, cut out 6 of your desired decoration shapes, set aside while you work on the rest of the Raviolo.
  17. Cut the red-orange dough into four equal sized pieces. Roll one piece out several times to make it thin enough to pass through your dough roller (wrap up the remaining pieces so they don’t dry out).
  18. Pass through your dough roller on the widest setting, then again. Close the dough roller one more stop to make it thinner (one away from the widest setting), pass the dough through twice. Fold into thirds, like a letter going into an envelope. Pass through your dough roller again with the folded ends on the sides (this will make the sides of the dough sheet straight rather than jagged).
  19. Continue to pass through the dough roller stopping down to a thinner setting every two passes until you reach two stops away from the thinnest setting.
  20. Repeat for one more piece of red-orange dough.
    21. Make the Raviolo:
  21. Lay the pasta sheets on a flat surface lightly dusted with flour.
  22. If using a decoration, brush the top of one sheet of pasta with water. Brush the bottom side of the green pasta decoration with water. Place the decorations evenly spaced every 6-8 inches on the sheet of dough. Gently roll with a rolling pin to press together and adhere.
  23. Add the ricotta to a piping bag or a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off.
  24. Make circles of ricotta (a ricotta “nest”) on the blank pasta sheet evenly spaced every 6-8 inches. Nests should be about 3 inches across with a well big enough to just nestle an egg yolk into.
  25. Place one unbroken yolk into each nest. Brush the pasta with water around each nest.
  26. Carefully move the sheet of pasta with the green decorations on top of the sheet with the ricotta nests. Line the sheet up so that the green decorations are directly above the egg yolks.
  27. Press firmly to adhere the top sheet of pasta to the bottom, taking care to remove all the air and seal the dough together.
  28. Cut each Raviolo between each nest making 6 individual Raviolo. Allow to dry for about 15 minutes, flip over and allow the bottom to dry for about another 10 minutes.
  29. Prepare a large pot of salted boiling water.
  30. In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, sage and rosemary, cook for about 5 minutes.
  31. Stir in the broth, cooking until warmed, salt to taste. Allow the sauce to simmer gently but not boil.
  32. One at a time gently add the Raviolo to the boiling water, boil for 2 minutes. Using a large slotted spoon or a Spider, gently remove and allow all the water to drain off. Add to the sauce, cooking for an additional 3 minutes in the sauce while gently spooning the hot butter on top of the Raviolo.
  33. Add to a plate with a spoonful of sauce, top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, serve immediately.

Notes

The green pasta decoration is optional. I used a hop flower cookie cutter, but any cookie cutter will do. Feel free to skip this step, it's mostly asthetic and skipping it will not diminish the overall flavor of the dish.

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Beer Eggnog Ice Cream

Beer Eggnog Ice Cream

I’m here to change your mind, to flip your vote. I know, I know, eggnog is gross, right? Yeah, I thought so too. Then I realized that it’s not. It’s actually quite amazing, it’s basically boozy, drinkable ice cream. IF you make it right.

Most importantly: back off the nutmeg. Because the difference between a teaspoon of “fresh grated nutmeg,” with its big, fluffy, air-filled piles, it’s about one quarter the amount you’d use if you just scoop it out of the McCormick bottle (jar? tin? container? What the heck do you call those things, anyway?)

Tl;DR: if a recipe calls for “fresh grated nutmeg” and you pssshhh all over that because you just want to scoop it out of the pre-ground tub (is that the word?), use 1/4 of what it calls for or you’ll wreck your dish.

Now that we’ve discovered why you didn’t like that one batch of nutmeg juice your aunt used to make, we can all agree that eggnog is amazing. Oh, and so is ice cream, and beer, obviously.

What beer should you use? Great question! I’m so glad you asked, let’s talk about that. Malty. Always a malty beer (back away from the IPA’s). I’ve done this a few times, this beer-ed up nog situation (I know, you’re shocked by this news, I’ll give you a second to recover).

Here are the undisputed reigning champs of beer-nog: Winter Ales (as long as it isn’t one of those winter IPAs), and Barleywines. Both are heavy on the malt, and full of those clove, cinnamon, spice notes that go so well in our boozy ice cream.

Sure, you can use a pre-made version. Or a leftover eggnog from your last nog endeavor. For an ice cream base, it’s completely fine.  Want my scratch beer-nog recipe? Here it is: Pub Nog. 

Just use a beer you love, a beer with high ABV and tons of malt. You’ll love it.

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Beer Eggnog Ice Cream

Serving Size: 2 quarts

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (730g) prepared eggnog (homemade or store bought)
  • 1 cup (240g) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (6oz) winter ale beer or Barleywine

Instructions

  1. Stir together all ingredients.
  2. Churn in ice cream maker according to manufactures specifications until it reaches a soft serve consistency. This can take up to 20 minutes; the ice cream base should more than double in size (of all the ice cream recipes I make, this one takes the longest to reach this stage. Just keep allowing the ice cream to churn until it’s more than doubled in size).
  3. Place in an airtight container, freeze until set, about 3 hours.
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Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker Pressure Cooked Beer Chicken Jambalaya


Pressure Cooker Beer Chicken Jambalaya

This post was sponsored by the Crock-Pot brand. Partnerships with The Beeroness and outside companies only occur when the company’s products are ones I use and enjoy myself. All ideas and opinions are my  own.

The reason I made this two days in a row is the same reason I love this little machine so much. I had every intention of this being a slow-cooker recipe, and that’s what I did. I slow cooked a jambalaya with all the meat, spices and rice that I wanted to cram into one bowl.

I liked it, I did. It was a super easy and satisfying way to eat a big ‘ol bowl of comfort food. But I couldn’t stop wondering how it would taste pressure cooked, and since the Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker can do both, that’s just what I did. It was perfect, even better than the slow cooked version. Since the rice setting was built into the pressure cook mode (one of the hardest things to slow cook and get right is rice), it was simple.

The rice was perfectly cooked, the chicken was fall-apart-tender and the flavor tasted like it had slow cooked all day. THIS is how I’ll make jambalaya going forward, it was much better than I even hoped. I hope you like it as much as I do, this may be a staple in my house from now on.

The new Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cookeris a game changer. It has eight different functions that encompass all the functions you would achieve from using multiple different kitchen appliances from slow cooking to pressure cooking and sautéing to searing. The Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker is also available in NEW 4-Quart and 8-Quart Models.

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Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker Pressure Cooked Beer Chicken Jambalaya

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 bell peppers, diced
  • 1 sweet white onion, diced
  • 1 rib celery, diced
  • 1 lbs Andouille sausage, sliced
  • 1 lbs chicken thighs, cut into cubes
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 12 ounces beer (pale ale, pilsner, pale lager, or wheat beer)
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoons Cajun seasoning blend
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more for spicier)
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt (a full teaspoon if your Cajun spice mix is low or sodium free)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups uncooked long grain white rice
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Set the Express Crock to sauté on high. Add the oil, allowing to get hot before adding the bell peppers, onions, and celery. Cook until the vegetables have softened.
  2. Stir in the sausage and chicken, cooking until the chicken has turned white on the outside. Stir in the remaining ingredients (reserving the parsley for garnish).
  3. Add the lid, turning to the locked position. Make sure the steam release value is set to sealed.
  4. Turn the rice/risotto setting to high for 8 minutes. The Express Crock will take about 10 minutes to heat up and build pressure, during this time the display will say “HEAt” (yes, with a lowercase “t”). Once the 8 minutes have finished, turn the steam release valve to open (careful, the steam is hot!). Allow the steam to release before opening the Express Crock.
  5. Ladle into bowls, top with parsley.
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Pale Ale Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Pale Ale Thai Chicken Noodle Soup, 20-minutes to a deliciously satisfying soup!

We need to brace ourselves. The fall is spilling into winter and you can feel the frost and fire in everyone, online and in person. It makes me retreat, slowly back out the door and avoid other people in order to still like humans in general.

I imagine that we all, just for a moment, agreed on things. A literal moment, 90 seconds or so, all focus on what we can all get behind, even if it’s small. Small things that help us all feel like we get each other: how wrapping our hands around a warm drink on a cold day softens every stress, how squirrels are cute but also little assholes, and how we all dislike Gwyneth Paltrow (but we do, right?).

Maybe it won’t help, but these are the soup-making-days, the days I try to treat collective soul wounds with food. Sure, I know it doesn’t really help. I know I can’t make soup for all of you invisible internet people across the world. But I also know that you probably feel the same, in one way or another. At least this is what I try to believe in order to stay sane in the rapidly dissolving humanity of the world we live in.

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Pale Ale Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup white onion, chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, julienne
  • 1 small Thai chilies, sliced
  • ½ cup pale ale
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can full fat coconut milk
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 3 large chicken thighs, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoon Red curry paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 5 large basil leaves, sliced
  • 4 servings rice noodles
  • Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven, add the onions, bell pepper and chili. Cook until the vegetables have started to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beer.
  2. Add the coconut milk, broth, chicken, fish sauce, salt, garlic powder and curry paste.
  3. Simmer until chicken has cooked through, about 6 minutes.
  4. Stir in the basil and rice noodles, simmer until noodles are cooked, about 5 minutes.
  5. Adjust seasonings to taste (the amount of salt you need is directly dependent on the broth you use).
  6. Ladle into bowls, garnish with cilantro.
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Beer Cornbread Biscuits

 

Beer Cornbread Biscuits

This was really born out of necessity, at least the first time I made it. I’m not very organized, open any of my cabinets and you’ll see it (you’ll be horrified). My house is more or less clean but my life is messy. Anything that I can put in a closet, out of site, gets the shove allowing me to continue to pretend like my house is clean.

This quality extends far past my pantry and into all parts of my grown-up life where it becomes startlingly apparent that I’m not very good at adulting. And even though I go to the grocery store nearly every day, I still found myself without eggs, bread, and any other breakfast-related items early one morning. I need breakfast, this isn’t negotiable.

Instead of just going to the store I decided to make biscuits. It was just easier to write a recipe than it was to get out of my pajamas and head to the store. I’m not a “pajamas at the store” kind of girl, I can’t look as messy as I feel. I like to put on a good show, and trick people into believing that I’ve got my shit together. Spoiler alert: I don’t.

This hatched my Beer Cornbread Biscuits recipe, so tender and melt-in-your-mouth I obviously had to make them again, and then share it with you.

I also think I need to make them one more time, but add some cheddar cheese. And maybe some bacon.

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Beer Cornbread Biscuits

Yield: 6-8 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ (300g) cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ cup (96g) brown sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (240g) cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 10 tablespoons (142g) cup butter cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2/3 cup (160) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (116g) beer (pale ale, pilsner, wheat beer)
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) melted butter
  • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Add the flour, cornstarch, brown sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large bowl, stir to combine.
  3. Add about half of the mixture to a food processor along with the butter, process until the butter is well combined with the dry mixture. Return the mixture to the mixing bowl, stir into the remaining dry ingredients.
  4. Add the heavy cream and beer, mix with a fork until just combined.
  5. Add to a lightly floured surface, press into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
  6. Cut into 6-8 circles with a biscuit cutter.
  7. Add to a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
  8. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with sea salt.
  9. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 18-20 minutes.
  10. Allow to cool before removing from the baking dish.
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Ridiculously Good Stout Vegan Brownies (with no weird ingredients)

 

Ridiculously Good Stout Vegan Brownies (with no weird ingredients), just some things you probably already have in your pantry. And these brownies are legit!

It’s not so much that flax-eggs are wierd. Or guar gum. Or agar agar. It’s not the “weirdness” of the ingredients I kept seeing in vegan brownie recipes, but rather the fact that I don’t own them. And outside of an online shopping trip, I have no idea where to procure such things in my neighborhood. I’m more of a vegan food enthusiast rather than an actual vegan.

What I really needed was a brownie recipe using just what I had in my pantry, because there is a good chance you’ll also have the same things in your pantry. They also needed to be actual brownies, not shiny-top cake squares (an issue with some recipes that don’t include eggs and butter).

I have a few rules and requirements when it comes to brownies: the absolute necessity of the crunchy top, they need to be chewy, and only psychopaths put nuts in a brownie. I like a fudgy, dense, chocolatey, chewy, crispy top brownie.

I tested the recipe over and over, making minor tweaks to fix the things I didn’t love, until it came out exactly the way I like my vegan food: shockingly vegan. As in, “serve it to meat eaters and astound them”. Or “Bring them to a dinner party and people ask for the recipe because they have no idea what it does not contain.”

It’s also a great recipe for those of us who always want to bake right before we realize that we are out of everything and don’t want to go to the store.

Want to check and see if your beer is vegan? Branivore can help.

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Ridiculously Good Stout Vegan Brownies (with no weird ingredients)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (200g) sugar
  • ¼ cup (56g) coconut oil (not melted)
  • 2 tablespoons (30mL) vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup (74g) stout beer
  • ½ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ¼ cup (150g) bread flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Add the sugar and coconut oil to a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium until well combined. Slowly add the oil and vanilla, beating on high until the mixture resembles frosting.
  3. Add the baking soda and vinegar, beat again until well combined.
  4. Stir in the beer.
  5. In a mixing bowl stir together the cocoa powder, flour, cornstarch, salt, and espresso powder.
  6. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, mixture will be thick.
  7. Add in an even layer to a greased 8x8 pan, press flat.
  8. Bake for 22 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.
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Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker Carnitas Sliders with Chipotle Sour Cream

 

This post was sponsored by Crock-Pot. Partnerships with The Beeroness and outside companies are rare and only occur when the company’s products are ones I use and enjoy myself. All ideas and opinions are my  own.

I’m still sort of in shock. If you’re a long time carnitas lover, you’ll know what I’m talking about. The best part of this delicious slow-cooked meat dish is the lovely caramelization you get on some of the end bits. It’s really not the same without that.

What shocks me is that I was able to get the perfect seared caramelization in a Crock-Pot! If you’d have told me that was possible, I might have fought you, bet you several pitchers of good beer that it wasn’t possible. And now here I am. I’d owe you quite a few beers, and I’d have gladly paid up, these carnitas were the best I’ve made and that sear is perfect! (Yes, it’s SUPER nerdy that I’m THIS excited about it. But I can’t even try to care, I’m so excited!)

 

The new Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker is a game changer. It has eight different functions that encompass all the functions you would achieve from using multiple different kitchen appliances from slow cooking to pressure cooking and sautéing to searing. The Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker is also available in NEW 4-Quart and 8-Quart Models.

I was a bit skeptical that the brown/sauté setting would work as well as a stovetop pot. It’s a good thing I didn’t have a bet going, it was perfect. Also, SO much easier. I didn’t have to use anything but the Multi-Cooker. I’m usually someone who digs the traditional Dutch ovens for such endeavors, but these carnitas came out so well, I’ll never go back.

So, if you want to win yourself a couple beers, just bet someone that you can’t make a Crock-Pot sear. Or pressure cook. You’ll never have to buy beer again.

 

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Crock-PotExpress Crock Carnitas Sliders with Chipotle Sour Cream

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4.5 lbs pork shoulder, cut into cubes
  • 1 tablespoon salt, plus ½ teaspoon divided
  • 12 ounces stout beer
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • Juice from 1 large lime
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 24 slider buns
  • chopped cilantro
  • Sprinkle the pork on all sides with 1 tablespoon salt.

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl stir together the beer, tomato paste, lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne, and smoked paprika.
  2. Add the pork and the sauce to a Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker, add the lid (make sure the lid to the Multi-Cooker is locked but the steam value is open to “release” mode). Cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 8 hours.
  3. Remove the inner bowl of the Crock-Pot, pouring off the liquid (leave a small amount, about 2 tablespoons, the amount doesn’t need to be exact), place the bowl back in the Crockpot.
  4. Turn the multi-cooker to the “brown/sauté” setting on high. Shred the pork, in the cooker with two forks while the pot heats up in sauté mode. Press meat firmly down with a wooden spoon into a firm even layer.
  5. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stir and press again into a firm even layer.
  6. Once the remaining liquid is gone and there are pieces of meat that have been nicely caramelized, remove from the pot and add to a serving bowl, toss with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
  7. Stir together the sour cream and chipotle peppers.
  8. Add the carnitas to the slider buns, top with sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro.

Notes

*If you plan to make the meat in advance, save about ½ cup of the cooking liquid and add the storage container. It will help to keep the meat moist once you reheat.

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Oven Baked Orange Pepper Beer Chicken

Oven Baked Orange Pepper Beer Chicken, delicious one-pot, super quick and easy meal!

There’s a thing about chicken that always seems to be true no matter how I make it: it’s just as much at home on a white tablecloth in a dimly lit sommelier infested fine dining space as it is on the rickety picnic table of a small backyard gathering.

I like this about chicken, it can go all places. This, in one way or another, is how I try to live my life. I want to be able to feel at home at the opera, or on the farm, or in the inner city. I say I TRY, not that I succeed. I try to be chicken, with its delicious versatility. I try to please everyone from nugget-loving-kids, to batter-dipped-and-fried-devotees to people who confit things.

I don’t, however, think it works all the time. I swear too much, making suburban moms nervous to have me at football parties. When I drink I get loud and start to draw too much attention. And I will probably knock down a toddler to pet a strangers dog. These are not very chicken-like things. Chicken makes people happy, chicken blends in but leaves a good impression. Chicken is a crowd pleaser.

I’m more like beer. You either love me or you don’t. But I do my best to make everyone happy. And maybe there is enough chicken in the world. But a girl can dream.

 

 

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Oven Baked Orange Pepper Beer Chicken

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 large orange)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 lbs chicken legs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup (4oz) pale ale (or pilsner, wheat beer)
  • ¼ cup (2oz) orange juice (about ½ one large orange)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a small bowl combine the zest, pepper, salt, garlic powder and cornstarch.
  3. Rub the spice mixture into the legs on all sides.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet until hot but not smoking.
  5. Add the chicken, searing on all sides until browned. Pour the orange juice and beer over the chicken.
  6. Transfer pan to the oven, cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
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Sweet Potato Stout Shepard’s Pie (Meatless)

Sweet Potato Stout Shepard’s Pie (Meatless). Vegan, full of warm deliciousness, and freezer friendly. 

Some days just making it to dinner feels like an accomplishment. After rage-cleaning your house because you spent too much time reading the news. After seriously considering faking an illness to stay in bed. After realizing that the hint of gray that’s peeking through the windows at noon is all the sun you’re gonna get today, and maybe for quite a while longer.

Baking helps, I promise. You get to feel like you did something, made something, provided something. You get to lose yourself in the task of it and force those other rage-inducing thoughts to the back of the shelf for a bit.

You also get to eat, and that’s always a win.

Today I decided to beer-ify a childhood favorite, that just seemed to be appropriate. I decided to make it vegan, because if I have beer, sweet potatoes, and caramelized leeks I don’t need much else. Also, it makes me feel healthy and that makes me less likely to want to stay in bed all day tomorrow.

This also freezes well, so that you can make a double batch and maybe bring it to someone who may need a little warm, beerified comfort. Because we’re all in this together.

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Sweet Potato Stout Shepard’s Pie (Meatless)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

    For the topping:
  • 3 lbs sweet potatoes
  • ¼ cup almond milk (or sour cream of choice)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • For the filling:
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 1 rib celery, diced
  • 1 lbs (16 oz) sliced mushrooms
  • 2 teaspoons sage leaf, minced
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • ½ cup stout beer
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 cup vegetable broth

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks, add to a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook until fork tender, drain and return to pot.
  3. Add the almond milk, salt, and garlic powder. Mash until well combined.
  4. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the leeks, carrots and celery, cooking until softened.
  5. Add the mushrooms, cook until darkened and softened.
  6. Stir in the sage, rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Sprinkle with flour, stir until the flour has been moistened. Pour in the beer, scraping to deglaze the pan.
  7. Stir in the corn and vegetable broth. Simmer until thickened.
  8. Pour into am 8x8 pan. Spread the sweet potatoes over the top of the pan.
  9. Bake until filling is bubbly, about 15 minutes.
  10. Serve warm.
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Chocolate Stout Brownie Waffles

Chocolate Stout Brownie Waffles, beer for breakfast! 

This is a PSA. In the light of everything else that will fly at you from your computer this week, all the sad-terrible-no-good-very-bad-news that will be inflicted on you, I’ve got some good news. Waffles aren’t just for breakfast. Breakfast has just been hoarding them.

Breakfast can be a selfish jerk sometimes, claiming coffee, doughnuts, pancakes and pajamas as it’s own. That’s not true, don’t listen. Of course, we love breakfast, it’s our adorable little brother of meals. But it’s about time we stand up for dinner and put on some pajamas at 6 pm and make some waffles.

You can also drink a coffee stout instead of just regular coffee with those Brownie Waffles and taunt breakfast with it. You and dinner will be very happy this weekend.

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Chocolate Stout Brownie Waffles

Yield: 8 waffles

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 150ml (5 oz) stout beer
  • 360ml (12 0z) milk
  • ½ cup (114g) butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (40g) cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoon (27g) cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar, plus 2 tablespoon for egg whites

Instructions

  1. Set out three mixing bowls.
  2. Add the egg whites to one bowl, yolks to another.
  3. Add the beer, milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the yolks, beat until well combined, light and fluffy.
  4. In the third bowl (make sure this is the largest bowl, all ingredients will end up in this bowl) stir together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 cup sugar.
  5. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
  6. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the yolk mixture, stir until well combined.
  7. Gently fold in the egg whites. Cook in your waffle iron according to manufactures specifications (make sure to use cooking spray or melted butter if indicated).
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Lazy Chicken: Dump, Bake, Done

Lazy Chicken: Dump, Bake, Done. Super delicious meal with just 5 minutes active time.

We all need this right now, don’t we? Something easy and uncomplicated to pair with the rest of our messy complicated lives. I’ve been making some version of this for a while, some version of baked-chicken-with-stuff-on-it when the weather shifts and the darkness of the day makes it harder for me to dig creativity out of my brain.

I don’t do much measuring when I’m just making it for my own consumption (for you, I meticulously weight and measure to make sure I give it to you the way it’s intended). Sometimes I just add what I have, sometimes I throw some rice or farro in the bottom and hope it cooks enough to eat.

This one I like. I like the sauce, I like the garlicy pesto, I like the way the broiler browns the cheese just a little bit. I hope you like it too and I hope it makes things just a little less complicated for you this week.

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Lazy Chicken: Dump, Bake, Done

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (85g) baby spinach, packed
  • 1 lbs chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (4oz) beer (wheat beer, pale lager, pilsner)
  • ½ cup (4oz) chicken broth
  • ¼ cup(62g) pesto sauce
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 10 sun dried tomatoes
  • ½ cup (40g) shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Add spinach in an even layer to a 9x13 baking dish, add the chicken thighs on top, sprinkling with salt.
  3. Add the beer, broth, pesto, pepper, and sun dried tomatoes to a bowl, stir to combine.
  4. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.
  5. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Turn the broiler to high, place under the broiler until the cheese starts to brown, about 4 minutes.
  6. Serve over rice, quinoa, or farro.
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Salted Caramel Stout Apple Bars

Salted Caramel Stout Apple Bars

I’ve been chasing the light around my new house for the past three months. I haven’t found it, not in any real way. It’s an occupational hazard, really.

Every time I move, I have to find it. I have to find that place in my house where I can set up shop and shoot what I need to photograph. I’m not an artificial light girl, possibly because I can’t really wrap my brain around the nuances of that medium. So I chase the sunlight, hoping each new spot, new time of day, new month of the year, will be when I find it.

I’ve lived in 5 houses since I started this journey with the very strange objective of getting paid for cooking with beer and taking pictures of it. I’ve always found the spot—where the light is just right—in every house that has served as my work-from-home office. The kitchen, the garage, behind the couch in my living room, the bedroom. You never really know where it’ll be.

Every house I move into, I have an idea of where I WANT to shoot, where I want to set up and settle in and start photographing. But the light, just like the rest of this world, doesn’t really bend to your whims the way you want it to.

Today, on round three of testing this recipe, I settled into a new location. Maybe because I shot this photograph there and decided I loved it. Maybe because it was easier to sit down in this spot and polish off a few of these before I cleaned up. Either way, I might just stay a while and see if the light will cooperate if I keep baking things covered in salted caramel frosting.

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Salted Caramel Stout Apple Bars

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

    For the cake:
  • ½ cup (114g) butter, softened
  • 1 cup (220g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup stout beer
  • 1 ½ (180g) cups AP flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 medium tart apple (i.e. Granny Smith), peeled and small diced (about 1 cup)
    • For the frosting:
  • ¼ cup (57g) softened butter
  • 1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (60mL) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups (180g) confectioner's sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus ¼ teaspoon, divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high until light and fluffy. Add the egg, oil and vanilla extract, beating until it resembles frosting.
  3. Stir in the beer (it will curdle).
  4. Sprinkle with flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples. Stir until just combined. Pour into an 8x8 baking dish that has been greased and floured.
  5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top has puffed and springs back when lightly touched.
  6. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl, and use an electric hand mixer).
  7. Melt the butter in a pot over high heat. Add the brown sugar, cream and vanilla, stir until just combined. Boil over high heat for two minutes.
  8. Pour the caramel over the powdered sugar, beat until well combined. Pour the frosting over the apple bars in an even layer, sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, allow to cool. Cut into squares.
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Jalapeño Popper Beer Cheese Dip + Hop Shopping, What It’s Really Like

Jalapeño Popper Beer Cheese Dip, super quick blend and bake dip that’s highly addictive and delicious! 

Jalapeno Popper Beer Cheese Dip

You think, naively, that buying hops is like buying anything else.  You decide that mosaic hops are your jam, you figure out how many pounds you need to make the beer you want to brew, you pay your tab and go on to your next task. It’s not until you watch the pros hop shop that you realize how wrong you are.

Deep in a hop field in Yakima, we walk towards a converted house that now functions as an office. Rowdy brewers and hop growers, loudly chatting just minutes ago, are suddenly silent with reverence and respect as we all walk inside. A conference room, lit by overhead fluorescent lights, holds a table front and center. Hops sit in small cylindrical containers as if on a stage waiting for their moment of judgment. If they were capable of emotion, they’d be nervous.

Only the brewers sit, the room is as silent as Pebble Beach when Tiger steps up to the tee. They assess the piles, all different lots of the same hops. The brewers are here to choose— not the type of hops, that’s already been decided—but WHICH hops. They’re all centennial hops, all meticulously grown in different parts of the Pacific Northwest. The brewers are here to decide which centennial hops to choose. Like deciding which Granny Smith apple you want to bake with, the ones grown in Yakima, Hermiston, or Idaho. To the average beer drinker the difference between each pile isn’t even perceivable, but to these experts the difference can make or break next years beer. The decision is crucial.

 

We wait, watching the churning of thoughts, senses, and indefinable gut feelings, it’s all palpable as the men rub the hops into oblivion between their hands, press their faces into their palms and inhale deeply. Repeating for each pile. Notes are written, the room remains silent—you don’t talk in a man’s backswing.

When it’s over, you can feel it. They come back into the present and make eye contact, ready to compare notes. Beards and bodies flaked with hop leaves, palms yellowed by lupulin oils. The air in the room is lighter, reverence replaced by anticipation. Smiles return to their faces and for a second you can see a flicker of doubt that the right decision was made. When the conclusion is confirmed across the board by the other men that doubt is replaced by satisfaction.

“This batch is the most floral, lots of citrus, nothing off. This one, I get a hint of dill on the end that I don’t like.” Extraordinary to anyone outside of the nuances of this science, all decision-makers came to the same conclusion. It’s remarkable, like a concert conductor hearing one slightly out of tune flute in a symphony of hundreds of instruments. Once the decision is made, beer is poured, a small celebration that opens the room.

I spent the week in Yakima, following the Founders Brewing team from hop field, to supplier, to innovation growers, like a lost puppy. They generously invited me to tag along and watch a process so fascinating it left an indelible mark on how I perceive hops.

I came back and scoured my local bottle shops for Founders beer, luckily it’s much easier to find in Washington state these days. I, of course, needed to make something where the bold hop flavors show through. Aggressively addictive beer cheese dip it is, bring on the fall.

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Jalapeno Popper Beer Cheese Dip

Ingredients

  • 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese
  • ¾ cup IPA beer
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • chopped chives for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Add the cream cheese, beer, cornstarch, mozzarella, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and chili powder to a blender or food processor, blend until smooth.
  3. Add the chopped bacon and jalapeno, pulse a few times to combine.
  4. Add to an oven safe serving bowl. Toss the panko in melted butter.
  5. Spread the panko evenly over the top of the dip. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the panko has browned.
  6. Serve warm with chips or crackers.
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I was invited to Yakima to join the Founders Brewing team, I was provided with a hotel room without expectation or obligation. I was not asked to write about my experiences. All opinions, ideas, and photos are my own. 

IPA Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Beer Candied Pecans

 IPA Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Beer Candied Pecans

I know, I get it. You’re already sick of pumpkin things and the season hardly started. I hear you, for me fall is all about hops. Spending last week running around the hop fields of Yakima, my love for hops has never been stronger (I’ll tell you all about that trip soon).

But it occurred to me, as I’m pints deep in hops, that although pumpkin isn’t the reason for the season when it comes to a true craft beer devotee, it’s a flavor that goes remarkably well with hops.

I’ve spent years meh-ing pumpkin beers when really I’m just averse to a boring, overly malted pumpkin ale. Once you brighten it up with hops, clean malts, bright flavors and minus the hell out of the overly cinnamon spice mixtures, you can get yourself a really lovely beer.

I understand if you want to walk out the fall squash door and never look back, but maybe you just want a brighter, cleaner beer. Pumpkin or not, this IPA Pumpkin Cheesecake Bar recipe is great to try your hand at baking with an IPA, a feat much more difficult than it appears. Hops are fussy and aggressive and can be a bit too much at times. But the sugar and dairy give them a nice balance, this is a recipe that can take a punch.

I used Stone Vengeful Spirit, if you want to look for some yourself they have a handy Stone beer locator on their site.

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IPA Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Beer Candied Pecans

Yield: 24 squares

Ingredients

    For the beer candied pecans:
  • 1/2 cup Stone Vengeful Spirit IPA
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups pecan pieces
    • For the cheesecake:
  • 9 standard sized graham crackers
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoon melted butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 16 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup Stone Vengeful Spirit IPA
  • 1/4 cup flour

Instructions

    Make the pecans:
  1. Preheat oven to 250F.
  2. In a large pot (it will bubble up furiously) over high heat add the beer and brown sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
  3. Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Bring liquid to 235F degrees, remove from heat.
  4. Add the butter, stir until combined.
  5. Add ½ teaspoon salt and pecans; stir until the pecans have all been coated.
  6. Pour pecans on to a baking sheet that has been covered with a silicon baking mat (or parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray).
  7. Spread pecans evenly over the sheet.
  8. Bake at 250F for 15 minutes, stir and bake for an additional 15 minutes (if the pecans look foamy, stir until the bubbles have dissolved) remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining salt.
  9. Allow to cool to room temperature, break apart. (Can be made up to 4 days in advance, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place).
    10. Make the cheesecake:
  10. Lower the oven temp to 300F
  11. In a food processor add the graham crackers and brown sugar, process until only crumbs are left. While the food processor is still running, add the melted butter and process until it resembles wet sand.
  12. Line a 9X13 pan with parchment paper making sure the parchment comes up and over the sides of the pan. Press crust into the bottom until well compacted.
  13. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the brown sugar, white sugar and cream cheese. Mix until well combined. One at a time, add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until well combined, scraping the bottom, before adding more.
  14. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon nutmeg and salt, mix until very well combined.
  15. Add the beer and stir until combined.
  16. Sprinkle the flour over the bowl, stir on medium speed until just combined.
  17. Pour over the crust.
  18. Bake at 300F for about one hour or until the center no longer sloshes when gently shaken but just slightly jiggles (The secret to a great cheesecake is not to over bake it, it's better to slightly under bake it for a smooth mousse like texture).
  19. Chill until set, about 3 hours.
  20. Remove from pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares, top with pecans.
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One Bowl Chocolate Chip Beer Bread

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Beer Bread, in your oven in five minutes, in your face in one hour!

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Beer Bread

Fall baking isn’t as much about the food as it is about the fact that we can turn the oven on again. Just days ago, it seems, we were all googling “no-cook dinners” and hoping the triple-digit heat would pass soon.

Then, as if overnight, the weather calmed, we awoke to rain on a garden that still held the last gasps of summer produce, and we’re again free to wear sweaters and pull on the wellies.

Let us bake again, slow down for a second as out lives orient to the pulse of this part of the year. Just slow down, take a day away from the obligation we force on ourselves and just be.

Just a reminder that the world will still be there when you rejoin, that it’ll be fine without you for a bit, and making something just because you want to has a way of healing the chips that the daily grind works into your soul.

A day in the kitchen, an audiobook and the smell of things baking in the oven has a way of calming a storm inside us, bringing calmer waters and even has the added bonus of warm baked goods to give as a peace offering to those in our lives that love us even when we’re difficult.

 


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One Bowl Chocolate Chip Beer Bread

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ (420g) cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup (240g) full-fat sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup (6oz) beer (wheat beer, brown ale, nothing hoppy)
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.
  3. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, oil, and beer. Stir to combine.
  4. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Pour into a large (10x5) loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray or greased with butter.
  6. Bake until the top has puffed and turned golden brown, about 55 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool, remove from pan, slice and serve.
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Salmon in Italian Beer Cream Sauce

Salmon in Italian Beer Cream Sauce is a simple, one pot, crazy delicious way to make dinner in under 20 minutes. 

It’s fitting, don’t you think? A dish that’s both easy and transitional, an echo of the month in a way. September is the most transitional of all months, far more than January and closely followed by June. It’s changing of the weather, a realization that not only is the year mostly over but we’re nearing the holidays, it’s back to school, back from vacation, back into sweaters.
I wanted to make a dish using those last gasps of summer produce, but nodded at the chill filling the air. Something quick (because we have enough to so this month amiright?), but something you could serve to guests. Or just something that felt special even for an average Tuesday.

So I did this, and I hope you like it. I LOVED it, and I’ll make it again soon. If you make it, let me know. Getting Instagram notifications that you’ve made, loved and posted one of my recipes makes my day. For real.

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Salmon in Italian Beer Cream Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs salmon, cut into fillets
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 2 teaspoon pepper, divided
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup (150g) diced onions
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ¾ cup (6oz) brown ale or Belgian ale (look for a malty beer with a low hop profile)
  • 1 cup (240mL) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (55g) fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 cups (70g) baby spinach leaves
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper on the salmon.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the salmon, skin side down, cooking until the skin is crispy, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until fish is cooked to desired doneness. Remove from pan, set aside.
  3. Melt the butter in the pan, scraping the brown bits from the bottom.
  4. Stir in the onions, cooking until starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cooking for about 30 seconds.
  5. Sprinkle with cornstarch, stir to combine.
  6. Pour in the beer, scraping to deglaze the pan. Allow to simmer until reduced by about half.
  7. Stir in the cream.
  8. A handful at a time, stir in the cheese. Stir until completely melted before adding more cheese.
  9. Stir in the garlic powder and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
  10. Stir in the spinach, cooking until wilted. Remove from heat, stir in the tomatoes and basil.
  11. Return the salmon to the pan, serve warm.
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How to Throw a Beer Tasting Party + Soft Pretzel Rods with Beer Mustard Recipe

 

I’ve teamed up with World Market to bring you an easy guide to throwing your own craft beer tasting party. Complete with recipes, printable beer tasting sheets, and beer recommendations. I was able to get everything I needed, from the table side cooler, to the glassware, to the meats and cheeses at my local World Market in Woodinville, Washington.

This is a sponsored post, all ideas, words, and opinions are my own.

How to Throw a Beer Tasting Party

  1. Invitations: Choose a diverse mix of people, but keep it on the small side, too many guests and the party isn’t manageable. Eight to ten people seem to work best. Don’t let the “doesn’t drink beer” designation deter you from inviting anyone. Tell all guests to keep an open mind, sample everything that’s poured and reserve judgments for after sampling, not before. Most likely, your guests will like something, and it will surprise them.

Teardrop tasting glasses, Wood Charcuterie Board

  1. Beer selection. Choose a theme, pick beers that correspond. There are more beer styles in the world (over 100) than are manageable in one tasting, having a variety is important but don’t try to offer every style in existence. For instance, if you have an Oktoberfest theme, choose beers that are brewed in Germany, or in a German style and try to be diverse in what you choose to serve. Try to grab at least one beer in each of these categories that fit your theme: malty, hoppy, wild fermented, barrel aged, clean (pale lagers, pilsners, cream ale, Kolsch).

Teardrop tasting glasses

  1. Glassware. A small but massively important detail that shouldn’t be overlooked, glassware can make a monumental difference when serving beer. Choose small glasses that offer just enough beer for each guest to sample the beer. Your goal is for each beer to be sipped, savored and considered, not chugged. I use these Teardrop tasting glasses from World Market, the shape is perfect for beer and the size works well for sampling.

Assorted Crackers, Cheddar Wheel , Brie Wheel, Smoked Gouda, Charcuterie Sampler,  Cheese Knives, Wood Charcuterie Board,  Blue Villa Table runner,  Appetizer Plates

  1. Food. It’s incredibly important to any party, but essential with a beer tasting. It’s a way to balance the flavors and explore pairings. More importantly, eating is essential when drinking as a way to stay in control. You want to serve a few things that pair well with a variety of beers and that can sit at room temperate for a while. Cheese, crackers, charcuterie, and pretzels are simple staples to add to your table. Instead of trying to make everything yourself, strive to just make one or two dips or dishes to serve and plan to buy everything else. It’ll ease the stress of the party considerably.

Retro Cooler, Blue Villa Table runner

  1. Serve. Give each guest a glass, a notes sheet, and pour the beers one at a time. Allow the guest to sip, record notes (like with this PRINTABLE SHEET!), nibble on food and enjoy before moving on to the next beer. Have each guest pour any unfinished beer and rinse the glasses (a large bottle of water and an ice bucket will do the trick) before moving on to the next beer.

Dimpled Steins

  1. Pints. Once all the beers have been samples, pass out larger pint glasses for your guest to pour a larger amount of their favorite brew. Compare notes, linger over food, and enjoy the rest of the evening. Soft Pretzel Rods with Beer Mustard Recipe. Perfect recipe for Oktoberfest!

Weck Jar,  Charcuterie Board,  Leaf Napkin

Throwing an Oktoberfest party? Check out my Oktoberfest Party Post on the World Market blog!

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Beer Soft Pretzels Rods

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons) rapid rise yeast
  • 1 cup beer
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 10 cups water
  • ¼ cup baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

  1. Add the flour, sugar and yeast to a stand mixer. Mix until just combined. Heat the beer to 120°F (always defer to the liquid temperature listed on the package of yeast, regardless of what the recipe says. Your yeast package says 105°F? Heat the liquid to that temperature) add the beer to the stand mixer, mixing until all the flour has been moistened.
  2. Add the salt and oil, beat until the dough comes together and gathers around the blade. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in size.
  3. Add the dough to a lightly floured surface, cut into 12 equal sized portions.
  4. Roll each portion into an 8-inch log, add the pretzel rods to a large baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.
  5. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  6. Add the water to a large pot, bring to a boil. Stir in the baking soda.
  7. A few at a time carefully add the pretzels to the boiling water for 30 seconds, place back onto the baking sheet.
  8. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt.
  9. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until dark golden brown.
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I used: World Market Brown Mustard Seeds, World Market Ground Mustard, De Nigris Organic Apple Cider Vinegar With Honey, Coarse Sea Salt, WeihenstephanBeer

Weck Jar,  Charcuterie Board,  Leaf Napkin

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Beer Mustard Recipe

Ingredients

  • ½ cup brown mustard seeds
  • ¼ cup yellow mustard seeds
  • ¼ cup yellow mustard powder
  • ½ cups apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cups malty, low hop beer such as a Belgian ale or brown ale
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Directions

  1. In a small bowl stir together both types of mustard seeds, mustard powder, vinegar, and beer. Cover and set in a cool, dry place for 12 to 24 hours or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
  2. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Add to a blender, pulse until blended but some whole grains are still intact.
  3. Transfer to an airtight container, refrigerate until ready to use.
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Green Tomato Recipe: Beer Chicken Posole Verde

Green Tomato Recipe: Beer Chicken Posole Verde

Green Tomato Recipe: Beer Chicken Posole Verde

It’s really time for me to stop pretending as if my tomatoes will redden before the first frost. Every morning, trudging out my back door in flip flops with a still sleep-fogged brain, I hope to find one or two showing a shade of ripening, and it’s just not happening.

There are tricks, I know. I’ve read about bringing them inside, or wrapping them in newsprint, or boxing them up with (gag) ripe bananas. But I can’t wait. I want to use them now.

I’m impatient like a child sometimes, and the tomatoes are gorgeous even in their grassy hue, and I want to pick them. I wanted to give you a green tomato recipe. So I did. Sure, I thought about fried green tomatoes, but I know you won’t actually make those right now. It’s September, you’re busy, you have so much going on right now, you really don’t want to babysit a slab of battered tomato as it splatters hot oil on your arms. Me either. Not this month.

But soup, soup I’ll make. I think you will too. It’s the perfect month for Posole. All of the garden ingredients that you need for this spicy pot of goodness are still in season, but the weather isn’t nearly as hot as it was a few weeks ago. It still tastes like summer but it feels like fall.

Really, it’s my way to give those green tomatoes a purpose before the fall claims them and I miss out.

Usually, I tell you about the beer I used IN the recipe, this time I’m telling about the I had WITH the recipe. This gorgeous Green Coyote Tomatillo Sour from Odell Brewing was perfect. It uses tomatillos usually seen in Posole Verde, but in a deliciously tart beer that pairs beautifully with a slightly spicy soup.

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Green Tomato Recipe: Beer Chicken Posole Verde

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon (15mL) olive oil
  • 1 cup (155g) diced onions
  • 1 poblano chili, cored, seeded and chopped
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and quartered
  • 4 large garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 cup (8oz) pilsner or wheat beer
  • 7 cups (56 oz) chicken broth
  • 1 pound green tomatoes*, quartered
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 (25 oz) cans of hominy, drained
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
    • Garnishes:
  • Finely shredded green cabbage
  • sliced radishes
  • diced avocado
  • Mexican crema
  • tortilla chips
  • chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers, cooking until softened, about 8 minutes.
  2. Stir in the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds. Pour in the beer, scraping to deglaze the pan. Add about half the broth (it does not need to be exact), tomatoes, lime juice and about half the hominy. Simmer until the tomatoes have softened.
  3. Transfer to a blender, blend until smooth, return to pot.
  4. Add the remaining broth, remaining hominy, the spices and the raw chicken.
  5. Simmer until the chicken has cooked through.
  6. Remove chicken from the pot, shred using two forks, return to pot. Adjust spices to taste.
  7. Serve warm, allowing guest to garnish as they choose.

Notes

*if you don't have green tomatoes: remove the green tomatoes and the lime juice from the recipe, replace with 1 lbs tomatillos, husked and quartered.

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