Beer Styles

Moroccan Beer Chicken with Herb Yogurt Sauce & How to Stock A Summer Beer Tub

15.04.2015 No Comments

Moroccan Beer Chicken with Herb Yogurt Sauce

A summer evening dinner party on the patio, the perfect guest list, beautiful food, the right playlist, and of course, the right offerings in the beer tub. Stocking a beer tub for a party is as important as planning the food. It’s as much about offering your friends their favorites as it is about introducing them to new ones.

When planning the brew menu keep in mind the types of drinkers you’ve invited as well as how far you want to push their palates. Use it as an opportunity to show your friends how great beer is, not to use your preference for craft beer to alienate people and act like an asshole. It can be a fine line, but remember, if someone shows up at your door with a case of Stella, just smile and thank them and remember that you are socially obligated to add it to the beer tub. If you feel the urge to launch into a diatribe about green bottles, imported mass produced lagers or the importance of supporting local beer, just stop talking. Don’t be that guy.

Wheat beer.: Recommended: Hangar 24 // Orange Wheat, Allagash // White, Bell’s // Oberon Ale, Dogfish head // Namaste

Pilsners: Recommended: North Coast // Scrimshaw, Oskar Blues // Mama’s Little Yella Pils, Victory // Prima Pils

Session IPA’s: Recommended: Founders // All Day IPA, Firestone Walker // Easy Jack IPA, Lagunitas // DayTime,

Classic Pale Ales: Recommended: Sierra Nevada // Pale Ale, Stone // Pale Ale, Oskar Blues // Dales Pale Ale

A Little Something Different. For the guy who only drinks Newcastle, grab a Big Sky // Moose Drool. For your friend that only drinks sweet white wines, grab a Dogfish Head // Festina Peche. For your friend who refuses beer in all forms, try a Finn River // Black Current Cider. For your friend who always wants something new and is up for trying anything, Victory // Kirsch Gose

When filling the beer tub you want to offer beer that’s accessible to your guest but with a slight push to try something new. My last party had the following: Allagash white, Moose Drool, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Scrimshaw and a bomber of Rogue Sriracha Stout for the brave souls.

I served it with this homemade beer flatbread. SO good.

Moroccan Beer Chicken with Herb Yogurt Sauce

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Chicken:

½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp paprika
1 cup pale ale
2 tbs olive oil divided
1 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless, chopped into bite sized cubes

Yogurt sauce & Tomatoes:

1 cup grape tomatoes
½ red onion chopped
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
½ tsp garlic powder
Rice for serving

Instructions

In a large bowl stir together the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika, 1 tablespoon olive oil and beer. Add the chicken cubes. Cover and allow to marinate for 2 hours and up to 12.
Preheat the oven to 400.
Add the grape tomatoes and onions to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Roast for 10-12 minutes or until blistered.
Remove chicken from the marinade, pat dry.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to a cast iron skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.
Add the chicken, cooking on all sides until cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, top with tomatoes and onions.
In a small bowl stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, cilantro, mint, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Serve yogurt sauce along side chicken and tomatoes.

Beer Brined Pork and Pineapple Skewers with Apricot Chili Glaze

10.04.2015 16 Comments

Beer Brined Pork and Pineapple Skewers with Apricot Chili Glaze

The start of grillin' season also ushers in the start of session beer season. A session beer, for those new to the brew, is a beer with lower alcohol content. Most session beers range between 3% and 5% ABV, making them easy to consume over a long drinking session, hence the name.

Session beers, especially session IPA’s are exactly what you want to fill that beer tub with this summer. Don’t try to assert your manhood with a galvanized bucket full of 11% monsters, it doesn’t impress anyone. A beautifully balanced, crispy and well-hopped session IPA is exactly what you need to devote most of that beer tub space too. You want your guests, as well as your grill-tending self, to be able to enjoy beer all afternoon without becoming a cautionary tale. Session beers let you drink more and still have full control of exactly how obnoxious you truly want to be.

I recently got my hands on a 21st Amendment Down to Earth session IPA. It’s citrusy, tropical, crispy, refreshing, and the perfect level of hops for a session beer. Not a giant hop bomb, but beautiful and bold hop flavors. It’s insanely drinkable and will make a regular rotation in my beer tub this summer.

Have a favorite summer beer? Let me know about it, I’m always on the prowl for a new summer beer.

Beer Brined Pork and Pineapple Skewers with Apricot Chili Glaze

Print Recipe

Servings 10 to 12 skewers

Ingredients

1 ½ cups hot water
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbs brown sugar
12 ounces chilled pale ale
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
1.5 lbs boneless country style pork ribs* cut into bite sized cubes
2 cups pineapple cubed
1 cup 11 wt oz apricot preserves
1 tbs Sriracha chili sauce
¼ cup pale ale or IPA beer

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the hot water, salt and sugar, stir until dissolved. Add the beer and soy sauce, stir to combine, allow to cool to room temperate.
Skewer the pork and the pineapple, alternating between the two. Add to a baking pan, pour the brine over the skewers, cover and chill for 1 to 6 hours.
In a small bowl combine the apricot, chili sauce, and ¼ cup beer, stir until well combined.
Preheat the grill to medium high.
Remove the skewers from brine, pat dry. Brush with glaze.
Add skewers to the grill, turn and brush with glaze every one to two minutes. Grill until pork is cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Notes

*If you can’t find country style pork ribs, lean towards a fattier cut of pork. Leaner cuts, like the loin and the chops, are much more likely to be dry and flavorless.

Blackberry Stout Mini Pies with Beer Whipped Cream

08.04.2015 9 Comments

Blackberry Stout Mini Pies with Beer Whipped Cream

You fall in love with beer the way you fall in love with music. Good music, the kind that gets into your bones and moves your soul, the kind you can’t explain to someone who frowns when they hear the same opening chord that makes you giddy.

You can dissect music, break down the lyrics, examine every note. You can categorize it, but you can’t really explain why it moves you, why a live recording with errors and missed keys has a vibe that’s better than the perfect Pro Tools-ed edition.

Beer isn’t different. You can break down the ingredients, explain the process, decide why one beer is better balanced than others in that style, but you can’t convey why you really love it. You can take the Jack and Coke out of your friend’s hand, replace it with Left Hand Milk Stout and explain why it tastes like love and James Brown music. But you can’t replace the confusion when he doesn’t get it.

You just have to accept that some people just won’t fall in the same love that you do. Just like if John Bonham rose from the grave, reunited with the rest of Led Zeppelin, there are some people who would go to the show, nod, smile and check the clock, hoping it would be over soon.

Some times I like to introduce Jack and Coke guy to a new beer, even if he doesn’t get it. And sometimes I just want to go the show with someone who wants to try to get as close to the stage as possible, begging for one more encore. Sometimes I just need to drink beer with a beer person.

I used this Pale Ale Pie Dough recipe.

Blackberry Stout Mini Pies with Beer Whipped Cream

Print Recipe

Servings 12 mini pies

Ingredients

For the pies:

Pie dough enough for one crust
1 lbs blackberries fresh or frozen
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup stout
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the whipped cream:

1 cup heavy cream chilled
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs stout

Instructions

Roll the pie dough out on a lightly floured surface. Using a 3 to 4 inch circle cutter, cut out 12 circles (if you don’t have a cutter this size, a wine or margarita glass works well).
Press into the wells of a muffin tin, poke holes in the bottom of each crust.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown, allow to cool.
In a pot over medium-high heat, stir together the blackberries, sugar, beer, salt and cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and stir until very thick, about 10 minutes (frozen berries will take longer).
Spoon filling into the crusts.
Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer, beat on high until soft peaks form. Slowly add the beer, mixing until peaks return.
Spoon the whipped cream on the pies. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Awesome Vegan Whole Wheat Stout Loaf

03.04.2015 6 Comments

Awesome Vegan Whole Wheat Stout Loaf

This started three years ago as a personal challenge. I’d been looking up a recipe for 100% whole wheat bread and was told that it was really difficult to make really great tasting bread without at least some white flour, or copious amounts of butter.

Challenge excepted.

It took several tries, dozens of recipes, different flours and experimenting with plant fats but I did it. I’ll save you several thousand hours of research and give you the quick and dirty rules that I’ve learned on my endeavor. First, flour matters. A lot. I tried several brands and so far King Arthur Premium Whole Wheat Flour was vastly superior to others I tried. Soft, flavorful, not at all grainy or dry. Second was the issue of fat. Bread needs fat. I love making brioche, the yolks and butter and incredible in the final results, but I wanted to make it all plant based, mostly because I love to torture myself with endless kitchen trials and internet research. I tried different oils, but in the end, the fat from coconut milk was incredible. It gave the bread a dairy like texture and flavor, and a softness that I couldn’t get with anything else.

And then there was the beer! We’ve already talked about how sometimes beer isn’t vegan, or ever vegetarian for that matter, but pick the right beer and the results are perfect. My first choice for a bread baking liquid is usually a bottle conditioned wheat beer, the active yeast is fabulous. I tried that, a pale ale, and even a saison. In the end, the roasty flavors of a stout complimented the whole wheat perfectly.

So there you have it. A loaf of 100% whole wheat bread, made with just plants and beer. And it’s amazing.

Awesome Vegan Whole Wheat Stout Loaf

Print Recipe

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar for vegan see note
1 packet rapid rise yeast
1 can full fat coconut milk unshaken
1 cup stout beer
2 tbs olive oil
½ tsp almond extract

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook add the flour, brown sugar, and yeast, mix to combine.
Open the can of coconut milk, scrap out ½ cup of the coconut fat layer from the top, save the rest for an alternate use.
In a microwave safe bowl add the beer and coconut fat. Heat to between 120F and 130F degrees.
Add the beer mixture, oil and almond extract to the flour, beat on high until dough gathers around the hook and is no longer sticky, about 6 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 3 minutes.
Form into a ball, place on a baking sheet.
Allow to rise for about 20 minutes.
Bake until dark brown, about 22-26 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.

*Beer and sugar are both inherently vegan. However, processing can often use animal products. If you are worried about it, read Is Beer Vegan?, and Vegan Sugar Brands.

Peach Ale Crème Brulee Tart & Let’s Talk about Peach Beer

01.04.2015 4 Comments

Peach Ale Crème Brulee Tart & Let’s Talk about Peach Beer

A craft brewers excitement for the changing of the seasons and the new crop of fresh produce to play with rivals even the most innovative chefs. Mention fruit beers just a few years ago and the collective groan from most beer lovers was audible across the country.

Thanks in part to the overwhelming excitement that accompanies Pumpkin Beer Season, the inclusion of produce in the brewing process is just as exciting as it should be. We are starting to recognize that there is life beyond the orange squash.

Peach beer season ushers in spring and a gorgeous crop of beers that run the spectrum from sour brett beers to dark roasty porters. As fun as it is to play with the pumpkin beers, I’ve been rather seduced by the variety of beer peach season has to offer. And yes, Budweiser, we will keep our Pumpkin Peach Ale, you can keep your Beer Pong Lubricant.

Odell sent my their new Tree Shaker Peach IPA for a test drive. I love it. It’s beautiful, hoppy, and with just a hint of peach. Insanely drinkable and perfect for the summer that should already be here. Here are a few other beers to sample, some are huge peach monsters, and some lend a subtle hand. Sample a few, see what you like, and don’t forget to share. Long live innovative brewers and fresh produce.

(In no particular order)

Odell // Tree Shaker IPA: nice carbonation, tropical citrus notes, big hop flavors and a very subtle hint of peach.

Terrapin// Maggie’s Farmhouse: Beautiful farmhouse ale, earthy, grassy and a nice peach flavor that’s very present but not overpowering. It’s malty but not overly sweet.

Dogfish Head // Festina Peche: It’s not possible to talk about peach beer with out this one being mentioned. It’s the Pumpking of peach beers. Many-a craft beer lover celebrate the day it hits store shelves. Year to year the peach profile changes, from big-in-your-face to subtle and understated. It’s a tart but low hop Berliner Weissbier that should absolutely be in your beer cart this spring.

Cisco Brewing // Pechish Woods: A sour that’s rounded out with some aging in a nice oak barrel. The peach is nice, present, but not overwhelming and beautifully balanced.

Logsdon Farms // Peche n' Brett: Possibly the highest rated peach beer as of yet. A saison aged in oak barrels with a complex flavor that demands appreciation. If you can find one, grab it.

Great Divide // Peach Grand Cru: A beautiful malty Belgian ale that gives you a nice kick of sweet peach flavors. A perfect addition to an evening dinner party on the patio.

Peach Ale Crème Brulee Tart

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Tart Crust:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 egg yolk
3 tbs ice cold beer

Filling:

1 cup of heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
5 egg yolks
2/3 cup of sugar
½ cup peach ale
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar for brulee crust topping

Instructions

Add ¾ cups of flour, salt and sugar to a food processor, pulse to combine. Add the butter and egg yolk, process until well combined and dough gathers around the blade.
Add the remaining flour and pulse 6-8 times or until all the flour has been coated.
Transfer to a bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the beer until completely incorporated into the dough. Dough will be very soft.
Lay a long sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface.
Place the dough onto the plastic wrap, form into flat disk.
Wrap disk tightly in plastic wrap, chill for 1 hour and up to 3 days.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Roll the tart dough into an even circle on a lightly floured surface. Line a tart pan with the crust. Prick bottom of the tart with a fork several times, adding pie weights if desired.
Bake at 350 until lightly golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool.
Lower oven to 300.
Heat the cream and vanilla in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook just until its bubbly around the edges but not boiling. Remove from heat, allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, and 2/3 cup of sugar. Whisk until frothy, about 3 minutes.
While continuing to whisk, slowly add the cooled cream mixture until well combined. Whisk in the beer until well combined.
Pour into tart shell. Transfer to the oven, bake at 300 for 40-45 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle is still slightly wobbly.
Remove from oven and allow to cool, at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator until chilled, about 4 hours. Right before serving, cover the top of your set custard with an even, thin layer of sugar (about 2 tablespoons). Slowly run a culinary torch over your sugar until it melts and turns an amber color.

Notes

Don’t brulee the sugar until you are ready to serve. After about an hour of sitting, the sugar will start to liquefy.

Stout BBQ Meat Ball Sliders

27.03.2015 5 Comments

Stout BBQ Meat Ball Sliders

"Do pigs…smell like bacon?'

I’m talking to a Hat Grabber at a party in Vegas. Hat Grabber is shorthand for a very young, very pretty, fairly vacant, girl who does things only she can do without getting punched in the face. This includes things like grabbing the hats of the heads of men she’s just met, putting it on her head, and forcing everyone to answer the question, "OH MY GOD, HOW CUTE DO I LOOK?" Hat grabbers.

I’m talking to a Hat Grabber about growing up on a farm, and she asks me if pigs smell like bacon.

"Live pigs? Do live pigs smell like bacon?" I’m a little confused and wonder if I actually heard her correctly.

"….yeah. I mean, I’ve always wondered that."

I’m mostly thinking about how quickly I can exit the conversation without hurting her feelings. "No," I answer, "They don’t smell that good. Also, cows don’t smell like hamburgers."

She laughs. She thinks I’m hilarious. I point to the waiter circulating the party with a silver tray of mini burgers. "How cute are those?! You should eat one!" She grabs her Hat Grabbing accomplice that has just returned from the bar and heads right for the cute food.

I’m relieved, I feel like I’ve been rescued. I owe the remainder of that evening to cute mini burgers. Burgers that actually do smell much more like bacon than live pigs do.

Stout & Sriracha Beer Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Stout BBQ Meat Ball Sliders

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb ground chuck
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt
1 egg
¼ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup stout beer
2 tbs olive oil
1 batch 2 cups Stout & Sriracha BBQ Sauce (link above)
12 slider buns

Instructions

In a large bowl add the meat, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, egg, bread crums, and beer. stir until just combined (about two of three turns with your hands). Over handling the meat will make it tough and mealy.
Place bowl in the fridge for 1 hour and up to 1 day (this will help keep it’s shape during cooking.
Using a cookie scoop, make balls just smaller than a golf ball with the chilled meat.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until very hot. Add the meat balls, pull the skillet back and forth over the burner to roll the meat balls around in the pan. Cook until meatballs are just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and add the barbeque sauce, cover with a lid, cooking at a simmer until meatballs are glazed and sauce is very thick.
Place one to two meatballs inside slider buns. Serve warm.

Cream Cheese Beer Pancakes with Strawberry Saison Syrup

25.03.2015 10 Comments

Cream Cheese Beer Pancakes with Strawberry Saison Syrup

I’m standing in the middle of a craft store talking quietly on my phone to an 87-year-old woman who wants to ship me weed.

I’m acutely aware of the fact that I’m actually embarrassed to tell her that I’ve never really been into weed. Not ever. Not even in high school, or when I ran around Hollywood with rock stars, it was just never my thing. I’ll just have a beer, thanks.

I don’t want to seem prude to a woman in her 80’s. I also don’t want to hurt her feelings, she’s sweet enough to offer me some of the stash she grows for her legal medicinal marijuana business.

I’d met her a few weeks prior at a beer conference. She’s smart and sweet and genuinely interesting and I gave her my card, telling her to stay in touch. She calls me to offer to ship me some weed and instead of being up front with her, I’m evasive.

I don’t want her to go to all that trouble for someone who doesn’t smoke. It’s like shipping Pliny to someone who only drinks Captain and Cokes. I’m trying to find a way to say no. I’m also starting to become aware of the side-eye I’m getting from the girl in the aisle next to me, not sure if she’s judging me for talking on a phone in a quiet store, or if it’s about the weed. I decided that since it’s Seattle, she really can’t be that uptight about a conversation about pot.

I finally come out with it, "I’m sorry, I just don’t smoke. It’s so nice of you to offer, it’s just not for me."

There is a long pause and I’m sure that I’ve offended her. "but…." she sounds confused, "You always make pot smoker food on your blog. I just figured….never mind."

She has a point. I mean, who eats beer pancakes in the middle of the day? It’s a logical assumption.

Cream Cheese Beer Pancakes with Strawberry Saison Syrup

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the pancakes

1/3 cup sugar
4 oz cream cheese
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups wheat beer
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups All purpose flour

For the syrup

8 wt oz about 2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup saison or hefeweizen beer

Instructions

In a blender add the sugar, cream cheese, baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs, beer and vanilla extract. Blend until just smooth. Add the flour, pulse until just combined (batter can be made up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerate until ready to use.)
Heat a griddle to 350°F or a skillet over medium high heat, spray with cooking spray or grease with melted butter.
Pour 3 inch circles onto hot surface. Once bubbles appear in the center and the edges look dry, flip pancakes. Cook until underside is golden brown.
Add all the syrup ingredients to a pot over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by about 1/3. Remove from heat, allow to cool before using.

Honey Porter Glazed Cod Fillets

20.03.2015 10 Comments

Honey Porter Glazed Cod Fillets Last year I sat on a table in a tattoo parlor in Silverlake. Gritting my teeth and trying to ignore the ink being forced into my skin by a sharp needle to cover up a teenage bad decision. Another artist, waiting for his next client, sat down next to me to try to distract me from the pain. The conversation wanders to beer, as it often does with me.

He’d just brewed his first batch of beer with a homebrew kit that he’d been given for his 30th birthday

"It sucked didnt' it?" I say matter of factly. He looked hurt. "It’s supposed to suck, you’re first batch isn’t about drinking, it’s about learning."

He smiled, "It was so bad we drain poured the entire batch. It sucked. Hard."

"Good! That means you have a good palate, if you thought it was good and forced it on your friends, that would be bad. You’re actually off to a good start."

He side-eyed me, "Really? because I’m pretty discouraged. I don’t even want to try again"

"Because your first tattoo was so awesome that you never put down your gun?"

He laughed, and so did the guy torturing me with his gun, which wasn’t my intention.

"It was so terrible! I feel SO bad for that guy, even still!" He laughs and I see him make the connection, I can see him link the beginning of one obsession with that start of the other.

"Did you learn more than one thing? Because that’s the point. Beer is hard, you can’t expect to get it right the first time. You just learn a few things each time. It gets good, then it sucks again, then it gets better."

He smiled, "Is it weird that I kind of needed to hear that? I’ve felt like a HUGE failure all week. It was really getting to me. Thank you."

The tattoo was done, my foot wrapped up like a brisket and I hobbled to my car. I wondered why failure is so bad. Why it can ruin us for weeks. It’s not bad, it’s necessary. It’s valuable. It should make us proud. We did something. We learned something. And we are ready for more.

Go out there, fail big, learn big, move forward.

Honey Porter Glazed Cod Fillets

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2/3 cup porter
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup honey
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp chili powder
½ tsp pepper
4 6 ounce cod fillets

Instructions

In a medium bowl stir together the porter, soy sauce, honey, garlic powder, ginger, chili powder and pepper. Add the cod, toss to coat.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
Preheat the broiler.
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Remove the cod from the marinade, add to the prepared sheet.
Add the marinade to a pot over high heat. Boil, stirring frequently until thickened, about 8 minutes.
Brush the fish with the glaze, place under the broiler. Broil for two minutes, re-brush with glaze, broil for two more minutes and repeat until fish is cooked through.

Crispiest Beer Brined Chicken Thighs with Brown Ale and Sweet Pea Puree

18.03.2015 11 Comments

Crispiest Beer Brined Chicken Thighs with Brown Ale Bean and Sweet Pea Puree

Crispiest Beer Brined Chicken Thighs with Brown Ale and Sweet Pea Puree

I’m going to give you one of my secrets. I have a lot. This one is about food, and it’s a new secret.

I’ve been told for years to sear my chicken in a hot pan. I did it, dutifully, obediently, and I was given beautiful chicken. But here’s the secret: there’s a better way. I obsessively read about food (not a secret). About the history behind it, about the experiments to improve recipes, about what the difference between baking soda and baking powder is, about marinate vs marinade vs brine, it’s all very boring. Unless you’re me, and in that case, it’s fascinating.

I’ll save you the thousands of words that brought me to the door of this secret, I’ll give you the Cliff’s notes. In a smoking hot pan you just have a few minutes to sear the skin of a chicken before it burns. This will render some of the fat and give you a fairly crispy skin. BUT if you start in a cold pan the fat has more time to render as the pan heats giving you an even crispier skin. I told you. Very boring unless you’re me.

Try it. Try out this little secret, cold pan, no oil, crispiest skin ever.

Kept the secret, share the chicken. Or share both, it’s up to you, but you should always share the beer.

Crispiest Beer Brined Chicken Thighs with Brown Ale and Sweet Pea Puree

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
salt and pepper
12 ounces brown ale

For the Peas:

12 wt oz about 2 ¼ cups green peas (thawed if frozen)
1 cloves garlic smashed
¼ cup sour cream
3 tbs brown ale
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs olive oil
¼ cup green onions

Instructions

Sprinkle the chicken thighs on all sides with salt and pepper. Place in a large bowl or baking dish, pour beer over chicken. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
In a high powdered blender or food processer add the peas, garlic, sour cream, brown ale, salt, pepper, parmesan and olive oil, process until smooth.
Add the peas to a pot over medium low heat, simmer until warmed through, remove from heat.
Remove chicken from the brine, pat dry.
Place the chicken skin side down in a cold cast iron skillet, add the pan to medium high heat. As the pan heats, fat will render making the skin crispy. Once the skin is golden brown, turn the chicken thighs and cook until internal temperature reaches 165.
Plate the peas puree, add the chicken, sprinkle with green onions.

Chili Con Queso Cerveza Crostini + Huge Cookbook Giveaway

16.03.2015 88 Comments

On a tall shelf in my kitchen sits my grandmothers copy of The Joy of Cooking. A thick, vintage, hard backed book with a faded red ribbon that marks the Candied Sweet Potatoes recipe on page 325 that she made every Thanksgiving. Flipping through the yellowed pages, reading her notes scrawled in the margin, I get to connect with her years after she’s left us. I get to cook with her in a way I never did when she was alive. Her note about adding sage to the stuffing, or freezing her pie crust for ten minutes before baking it, are conversations we were never able to have. If there is one type of book that I will always want in the print version, it’s a cookbook. I want to feel the pages, make my own notes, and someday pass it down to my future grandchildren. It becomes a conversation between decades, an engagement among generations, that connects people in a way that nothing other than food has the ability to do.

I’ve joined a group of fantastic bloggers to giveaway a dozen beautiful cookbooks. I own about half of these, some of my favorite cookbooks ever written. How to Cook Everything is essential, Bouchon Bakery is so beautiful it can double as a coffee table book, and the Cooks Illustrated Cookbook is a must own. One winner will win all twelve, a full cookbook library that will bring years of fantastic meals and unforgettable memories. Make the recipes, make your own notes, and keep them for generations.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Open to USA and Canada only)

Chili Con Queso Cerveza Crostini

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 tbs butter
1 jalapeno stemmed seeded and chopped
1 poblano stemmed seeded and chopped
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded jack cheese
2/3 cup IPA
8 ounces cream cheese
3 tbs corn starch
2 french baugettes sliced into ½ inch slices
1/3 cup cilantro minced
2 large avocados sliced
1 large tomato diced

Instructions

Preheat broiler.
In a pan over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add both types of chopped
peppers cook until softened, stirring occasionally.
In a food processor add the cheddar, jack cheese, beer, cream cheese and
cornstarch. Puree until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add to the pot with the peppers,
stirring constantly until thickened, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet. Place under broiler until lightly
browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip each slice and brown on the opposite side under
broiler, about an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Spread each toasted baguette slice with a generous amount of chili queso dip.
Sprinkle with cilantro, top with tomato and avocado, Serve immediately.

Visit the other blogs that are participating:

savorysimple.net
bakeaholicmama.com
foodnessgracious.com
tasteloveandnourish.com
alldayidreamaboutfood.com
lifesambrosia.com
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Irish Apple Beer Cake & Craft Beers For St Patrick’s Day

13.03.2015 13 Comments

Irish Apple Beer Cake with boozy whipped cream

Irish Apple Beer Cake & Craft Beers For St Patrick’s Day

Years ago I spent Saint Patrick’s day in Ireland. Stumbling around the city with rowdy locals, watching fireworks burst over the River Liffey. Since that night I’ve fostered a love for Ireland, her people, and her beer. There isn’t a celebration that can compare to it anywhere in the world. At its core, it’s about patriotic pride and the joy of living in a great country.

In America, we do things a bit different. The 17th of March is more about green clothing, false proclamations of Irish heritage, food dye in pale lagers, and over-consumption of both Guinness and McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes. We can do better. Just like the tradition of Corned Beef and Cabbage is more of an homage to the American-Irish than the Ireland-Irish (they never ate that), craft beer has been honoring our beer loving Irish friends for years. This year, support local craft beer, honor Ireland, and for the love of God, put down the green food dye.

Irish Inspired Craft Beers for Saint Patrick’s Day

Michael Faricy’s Irish Stout // Arbor Brewing (Michigan)
Irish Ale // Boulevard (Missouri)
Irish Red // Moylan’s Brewery (California)
Irish Death // Iron Horse Brewery (Washington)
Irish Lager // Rogue Ales (Oregon)
Celtic Red // Harpoon Brewery (Massachusetts)
Irish-Style Extra Stout // Schlafly (Missouri)
Lucky SOB Irish Red // Flying Dog (Maryland)
The Chesty Irish Red // Legacy Brewing (California)
Dry Irish Stout // Brooklyn Brewing (New York)

Irish Apple Beer Cake & Craft Beers For St Patrick’s Day

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the cake:

3 cups flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
3 large Fuji apples peeled and chopped
6 tbs melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup beer red ale, wheat beer, pilsner, or golden lager
2 eggs

For the Whipped Cream:

2 cups heavy cream
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of Whiskey or 2 tablespoons beer

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl stir together the flour, both kinds of sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt cinnamon and nutmeg.
Stir in the apples, then make a well in the center.
Add in the butter, vanilla, beer and eggs, stirring until just combined.
Pour into a 9 inch spring form pan that has been greased.
Bake at 350 until the center has set, 40-45 minutes.
Allow to cool completely.
Just prior to serving add the cream, powdered sugar and beer (or whiskey) to a stand mixer. Mix on high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
Serve cake topped with whipped cream.

Grilled Parmesan Beer Chicken Calzones

11.03.2015 5 Comments

Grilled Parmesan Beer Chicken Calzones. Your new favorite grill recipe.

Sure, you can grill meat. You can throw hot dogs on the grill, and a couple burgers. You can have yourself a hot meat party and invite your friends over.

Meat just scratches the grilled-food surface. It’s the obvious choice, the blended margarita on taco Tuesday, the teddy bear holding a heart on Valentines day. Other foods needs a sharp heat and a quick char. Have you grilled fruit yet? Or salad? Ice cream?! Maybe that’s too far. Let’s start with pizza, and pizza like hand held beer and cheese filled pies. Grilled pizza, as well as adjacent pizza like items, are my favorite ways to indulge in fire seared foods.

Plus, beer is essential when you stand near an open flame and cook your dinner. It’s not even up for negotiations.

Grilled Parmesan Beer Chicken Calzones

Print Recipe

Servings 12 calzones

Ingredients

1 can 14.5 wt oz diced tomatoes
6 wt oz tomato paste
1/3 cup wheat beer
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried basil
2 lbs raw pizza dough enough for two large pizzas
8 wt oz chicken cooked and chopped
4 wt oz parmesan cheese fresh grated
4 wt ounces mozzarella grated
oil for grill

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium high.
In a blender add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beer, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and basil. Blend until smooth.
Cut the dough into 12 equal sized pieces.
One at a time doll the dough balls into flat 6 inch circles.
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons sauce in the center, top with chicken, about 1 tablespoon each of mozzarella and parmesan.
Fold the dough over into a crescent shape, rolling and pinching the edges to seal.
Brush each side with olive oil.
Place the calzones on the hot grill, close lid. Grill on each side until strong grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. ‘

My favorite pizza dough recipe: Beer Pizza Dough

My favorite quick dough recipe: One Hour Rosemary Beer Pizza Dough

Beer Brat Cheese Dip

09.03.2015 5 Comments

Beer Brat Cheese Dip

A few years ago I is was at dive bar in Germany, perched at a pub table in the center of the room with two other people. We’d ordered beers, nameless, faceless pale lagers brewed close by. Through a thick accent the bartender suggested the sausage plate to go along with the beer. I’m never one to argue with those who serves my food, I instantly agreed.

A few minutes later he sets down a metal plate in the middle of the table. Coiled up in the center is a long snake of meat, one fork and a knife. We took turns slicing off a ring of hot juicy sausage, taking a bite, sipping our beer, and passing the utensils. Knife, fork, slice, bite, sip. Like teenagers huddled around a joint someone stole from their older brother, we waited anxiously for our next hit, playing it cool until it was our turn.

It didn’t take long for us to take down a two pound sausage. It went perfectly with the beer. Even as the cold beer and the warm sausage started slowly making their way to the same tepid temperature, it was still insanely satisfying.

Beer and sausage, not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Beer Brat Cheese Dip

Print Recipe

Ingredients

¾ lbs 11 wt oz raw bratwurst, removed from casing
12 ounces IPA or pale ale
8 wt oz cream cheese
½ lbs cheddar cheese shredded (about 4 cups)
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs cornstarch
¼ cup green onions chopped

Instructions

Cook the bratwurst in a pan oven medium high heat until well browned, breaking up as it cooks. Add ¾ cup beer, allow to simmer as you prepare the cheese sauce.
Add the remaining ¾ cup beer, cream cheese, cheddar (reserve 1 cup for the top), smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and cornstarch to a blender, blend until smooth.
Add cheese sauce to the pan, stirring until well combined.
Pour into an 8x8 baking dish, top with remaining cheddar.
Bake at 350 until cheese is bubbly. Garnish with green onions prior to serving.

Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Pomegranate Guacamole

06.03.2015 2 Comments

Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Pomegranate Guacamole

The first time I had fish tacos I was somewhere off the coast of Mexico. I was 17, sunburned and a little confused. After a few crumbled pesos changed hands I was hastily pushed onto a boat, clung to an orange vest for about twenty minutes and gratefully exited the floating death trap onto the beach of what looked like an uninhabited country.

A small woman with sun-leathered featured stood watch near a metal grate set over a hole in the ground. From the beach I could see the flames jumping up to lick the shrimp she was tending. I didn’t say a word, hunger pushing towards the wooden bench in the designated eating area. The other castaways that had ended up on the boat with me followed suit.

The "tour" guide shoved a Corona into one of my hands, not bothering to inquire if I wanted it, and motioned to a bowl of pickled radishes and carrots on the table. A few minutes later a wooden plated piled high with grilled shrimp was set in the middle of the rickety plastic table, along with a stack of homemade corn tortillas, a bowl of diced onions, a bit of cilantro and modified ketchup bottled that had been reused as a homemade hot sauce dispenser.

I didn’t care that the health department in the US would have had a heart attack looking at this place, I didn’t care that there was clearly no running water, gloves or hand washing options. I didn’t care that I had no idea where the shrimp came from. I was starving.

I chugged my sub-par beer, and ate my weight in beer battered fish tacos.. They were amazing. The hot sauce was the best I’ve ever had, and the tortillas were perfect. Since then, I want my tacos simple. Homemade tortillas, some diced onions, maybe some hot sauce or guacamole. No lettuce. No cheese. No sour cream. No ground beef.

But I’ll put pomegranate on anything and beer, beer is always a must.

Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Pomegranate Guacamole

Print Recipe

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

For the tortillas:

2 cup masa harina corn flour
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup room temperature beer

For the Guacamole:

2 large avocados
juice from one lime
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup cilantro chopped (plus additional for tacos)
¼ cup red onion chopped (plus additional for tacos)

For the fish:

1 cup flour
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg
1 cup pale ale
Oil for frying
1 pound cod cut into 3 inch strips

Instructions

Make the tortillas:

In a large bowl, add the masa and the salt, stir to combine.
Add the beer and oil, stir to combine. If the dough is too dry to hold together, add additional beer or water. If it is too wet, add more Masa. (It should be the consistency of soft Play-Doh)
Form into balls a bit larger than golf balls.
Prepare a tortillas press by wrapping in plastic wrap or covering with parchment paper (you can place tortilla ball between two sheets of parchment and use a rolling pin). Place one ball in the center.
Press, rotate and press again until thin.
Heat a griddle (or cast iron skillet) to a medium high heat (about 350 for electric griddles).
Cook until slightly brown on the bottom (about 30 seconds to a minute) flip and cook on the other side. Don’t overcook.

Make the guacamole:

Add the flesh of the avocado, lime juice, garlic powder, chili powder and salt to a bowl, smash until well combined. Stir in the pomegranate seeds, cilantro and red onions.

Make the fish:

In a medium bowl add the flour and salt. Make a well in the center, add the egg and beer. Stir with a fork until just combined.
Heat about 2 to 3inches of oil in a pot over medium high heat. Bring to 350 degrees using a deep fry thermometer, adjust heat to maintain that temperature.
One at a time dip the fish strips into the batter until well coated. Add to the oil, fry until golden brown on all sides.
Fill the tortillas with fish, guacamole and sprinkle with onions and cilantro.

Maple Bacon Beer Waffles

04.03.2015 11 Comments

Maple Bacon Beer Waffles. Win at breakfast.

Every day you have a flight. A flight of meals that starts with breakfast. Maybe it’s a hastily consumed piece of toast as your rush out the door, or a Grande cup of caffeine, or maybe you miss out in favor of a few extra minutes of sleep.

Then there are those days when you invite over those few special people you know that are worthy of a meal eaten around your table just past dawn. Maybe it’s overnight guests, maybe it’s out of towners, maybe it’s brunch for people that you don’t see nearly enough. Breakfast people, these are the special ones.

Let’s say we started to categorize meals according to how much we like people we are willing to share them with. At the bottom of the pyramid would be the mid-day coffee meet up, then slightly more important people get a lunch date, we are more inclined to share evening drinks with people we like a bit more than the lunch set, then we have those that earn the time we can linger over dinner, but it’s the ones we share breakfast with that are the most important. Because I’ll pretty much have coffee or a beer with anyone, but if you can get me out of bed in the morning to make you breakfast, then you’re really important. But you better buy me a beer later for my trouble.

Maple Bacon Beer Waffles

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Ingredients

3 eggs separated
150 ml 5 oz pilsner beer (can sub sparkling water)
360 ml 12 0z milk
½ cup 114g butter, melted
2 tablespoons 28g real maple syrup
2 teaspoon 4g vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups 400g all-purpose flour
3 tablespoon 27g cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoon 5g baking powder
1 teaspoon 5g baking soda
1 teaspoon 6g salt
1/4 cup 50g sugar, plus 2 tablespoon for egg whites
4 strips bacon cooked and chopped

Instructions

Set out three medium mixing bowls.
Add the egg whites to one bowl, yolks to another.
Add the beer, milk, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla to the yolks, beat until well combined, light and fluffy.
In the third bowl (make sure this is the largest bowl, all ingredients will end up in this bowl) stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, bacon, and ¼ cup sugar.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the yolk mixture, stir until well combined.
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).

IPA Pickles and Pickled Sweet Peppers

02.03.2015 13 Comments

When I was hardly out of my teens I sat down at a white formica table in a prominent Jewish deli in New York. Just after I placed my order, pastrami on rye, obviously, the waitress set down a plate of pickles. I hesitated, I hated pickled. The only run ins I’d had with those vinegared beasts was soggy, cooked tasting, nonsense that came via grocery store glass jars.

The waitress, an older woman with a thick brooklyn accent and bleach fried blonde hair was having none of my resistance, "These are the best in the city, eat up,"

So I did, I’m a people pleaser and I didn’t want her to be mad at me. I was amazed. Nothing at all like I’d ever had. Crisp, slightly sweet, a little herbal, and so delicious that I ate the entire plate. It was a revelation. Like finding out I don’t hate Chinese food, I just hate La Choy in a can, or that I actually like coconut I just hate Almond Joy bars.

It changed my world. I started pickling all kinds of things, like jalapenos, and coleslaw (minus the mayo) for pulled pork sliders, and I even once pickled under ripe strawberries just to see what would happen.

But the real moral of the story is that if a waitress twice your age tells you to eat something, you should do it. It’ll change your life.

IPA Pickles and Pickled Sweet Peppers

Print Recipe

Ingredients

12 oz of IPA beer
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs salt
1 Tbs black peppercorns
5 to 10 sprigs fresh dill
½ cup crushed ice
1 lbs pickling cucumbers Kirby or Persian, sliced
1 lbs small sweet rainbow peppers

Instructions

In a pot over medium high heat add the beer, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper corns. Bring to a simmer, stirring just until the sugar and salt dissolve, remove from heat.
Stir in the ice. Allow the brine to sit until room temperature.
Add the cucumbers to an air tight container, add a few sprigs of dill.
Add the rainbow peppers to a separate container, add a few sprigs of dill.
Pour the cooled brine over the cucumbers and the peppers, making sure all vegetables are submerged.
Chill for at least 24 hours prior to serving. Keep chilled or can properly for shelf storage.

Rosemary Beer Chicken and Skillet Potatoes

27.02.2015 6 Comments

Rosemary Beer Chicken and Skillet Potatoes. Just one pot and dinner is done.

I once tried to help a homeless woman get an apartment.

She’d wondered into the lobby of the building I was working at in Beverly Hills. She was sweet, well over 70-years-old, and seemed quite healthy for the life she was living. I was given the task of "dealing" with her and decided that she was far more fascinating that paperwork that I’d previously been laboring through.

She handed me a stained envelope of papers, ID cards, receipts and bus passes, "I’m too old for this," She collapses in a leather chair near the window, "I think it’s time for me to have a place to live."

I got her a cup of coffee and asked her questions, most of which were purely to satisfy my own curiosity. She’d been homeless for 30 years, since her mid 40’s, she was once a waitress, then a secretary. She has a daughter who now lives in Chicago, they don’t talk. I didn’t pull at that thread. She spent most of her days in the Library, reading mystery novels, or at the park watching the people. She made homelessness seem almost charming.

I made some calls. Local shelters, community centers, soup kitchens. I googled searched the city looking for housing. After an hour, I struck gold. I found a HUD funded apartment complex that had a vacant unit that was designated for a formerly homeless senior citizen. I ran to the lobby to tell her the news.

"An open apartment? Where is it?' She was much less thrilled than I was.

"It’s on Adams and La Brea."

"Mmmm, child…. Honey…. I’d rather be homeless than live east of the 405." She slowly eased herself out of the chair and walked right out the door. Not even a goodbye.

You’d think I’d be irritated, or frustrated, but I found it so entreatingly hilarious that I called everyone I knew who lived in Santa Monica. To this day I’m asked to tell the story any time I’m at a party in the home of anyone who lives WEST of the 405.

Rosemary Beer Chicken and Skillet Potatoes

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 tbs fresh rosemary chopped
3 tbs olive oil divided
1 tbs stone ground mustard
1 tbs honey
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 cup beer pale ale, brown ale, hefeweizen
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1.5 lbs small red potatoes quartered

Instructions

Add the rosemary, 2 tablespoons olive oil, mustard, honey, salt, pepper and beer to a large bowl or baking dish. Add the chicken, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 375.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron skillet until hot but not smoking. Add the potatoes, cook until browned on cut sides, but not cooked through, about 5 minutes, remove from heat.
Place the chicken on top of the potatoes, pour ½ cup of the chicken marinate over the chicken.
Bake at 375 until chicken and potatoes are cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Sriracha Lime Beer Corn Fritters

25.02.2015 11 Comments

Sriracha Lime Beer Corn Fritters. Perfect appetizer in just 15 minutes.

It’s been a year.

One year since I packed a moving truck full of my Los Angeles life, threw my bulldog in my car, and headed north. 12 months since I drove the length of Highway 1 through Big Sur, up into Oregon and onto a new life in Seattle. Four seasons, a comprehensive life change, a second book, several personal tragedies, two magazine award nominations, and one hop harvest season.

Hand over my heart, I can swear to you that I love it. I love Seattle more than I expected, more than I even wanted to. The SoCal girl in me was terrified of the winter, which made it even more shocking that I found it gorgeous and mild. I don’t mind the rain, and it comes much less often than I’d prepared myself for. The beer is fantastic. The produce is world class.

The people are fascinating. They’re recyclers, runners, coffee drinkers, friendly but reluctant to make friends, well traveled homebodies, locavores and craft-everything lovers. It’s a culture I feel comfortable in.

And the beer is even better than I’d hoped and the scene is expanding in a way that I can’t even keep up with. I’ll never be bored here, I’ll never run out of new breweries to visit or beers to sample. There will always be people to meet, beer to drink, dishes to cook. I’ve made my home here, I’ve found a space, and I can’t wait for more of all of it.

Sriracha Lime Beer Corn Fritters

Print Recipe

Servings 24 fritters

Ingredients

¾ cup flour
¼ cup corn meal
½ tsp baking powder
2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup corn kernels thawed if frozen
¼ cup sour cream
1 tbs sriracha
1/3 cup pale ale
1 tbs lime juice about 1 large lime
2 tbs chopped cilantro
Canola oil for frying

Instructions

In a large bowl add the flour, corn meal, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, and corn kernels, stir until well combined.
Make a well in the center, add the sour cream, sriracha, pale ale, lime juice, and cilantro, stir until well combined.
Heat about 1 inch of oil in a pan over medium high heat.
Add about ½ tablespoon of batter to the oil (a small mellon baller works well), adding 6 to 8 small scoops of batter at a time. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes.

Notes

If fritters cook too quickly on the outside and the inside is still raw, either the oil is too hot or the fritters are too large. Try to first reduce the heat of the oil, then reduce the size of the fritters to fix the problem.