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Asparagus Pale Ale Soup

Asparagus Pale Ale soup2

Lately, I’ve been struggling with a creative plateau I can’t seem to push myself past. A dissatisfaction with everything I make. The recipes that just don’t seem creative enough, the photos that I can only see as average, and the sub-par writing. I’ve been trudging through this phase, trying to push myself, and the things I create, closer the level I want to be on.

A few days ago I came across this quote from Ira Glass that reminded me that although I’m not where I want to be, I just might be on the right path.

Ira-Glass

 

Because maybe discontentment is the only common thread of successful people. Maybe it’s dissatisfaction that pushes anyone towards the best self they can ever achieve, and maybe complacency is an anchor into mediocrity.

Maybe.

I don’t know if I have more talent to unearth in myself, or if I’ve squeeze every bit out of an average ability, but Ira Glass did give me hope that the struggle is part of the journey. And it’s a normal part.

I see this struggle in brewers, too. The ones that make the jump from homebrewer to successful brewery owner share that same dissatisfaction, the push to be better, learn more, create great beer, and master the simplicity of classic styles. The biggest leaps in potential comes from feeling self-dissapointment in the middle of your own celebrations. When everyone else is cheering your accomplishments, you are taking inventory of your short falls.

Seasonal and special release beers are brewers pushing the levels of their own creativity. A way for the rest of us to thoroughly enjoy the fight these talented, creative, souls are engaged in to push themselves higher in their own climb.

Bison Brewing Hop Cuvee The Beeroness

Hop Cuvee is a newly released pale ale from Bison Brewing. It’s a beer that has an accessible, balanced, hoppiness that uses three different types of hop as a celebration of the best hop crops of the years. It’s crisp and citrusy with notes of pine, it’s a great choice for summer. Dan Del Grande, Bison’s fearless leader says, “My hop blend in Hop Cuvée will change every year, like a vintage, to reflect the best crops that our organic hop farmers have to offer.” Bison is a great brewery to get to know, they have a love of great beer, and have figured out how to give it to us in a way that’s organic, eco-friendly, and aims for a lower carbon footprint every year.

Bison Brewing Hop-Cuvee The BeeronessThis is a beer that celebrates seasonal crops, making it perfect for the asparagus that just came into season. It finishes the soup to give it a bit of an earthier taste. I prefer this soup warm, but it can also be served as a chilled soup when the weather jumps into the triple digits.

Asparagus Pale Ale Soup

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 large sweet white onion chopped
  • 2 pounds asparagus trimmed
  • 5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup pale ale

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until slightly darkened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the broth and cook until asparagus has softened, about 10 minutes, remove from heat.
  • Using a blender, food processor or immersion blender, puree until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cream and return to heat, brining to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, stir in beer.

Asparagus Pale Ale Soup_

Homemade Garlic Beer Pita Bread

 Homemade Garlic Beer Pita Bread4

Do you remember when I told you that once I discovered that homemade corn tortillas where so good it made me realize that I didn’t actually hate corn tortillas, I just hated those sad cardboard disks they sell at the store?

Homemade Garlic Beer Pita Bread2

Pita bread is an even bigger revelation. It’s not as quick as those 10-minute homemade tortillas, but it’s so soft and addictingly amazing, it’s worth the time. It’s about 15 minutes of active time and another 45 to 60 minutes of rising time.  About an hour all in.  An hour well spent. Pita bread was the first yeast bread I ever made which helped me to conquer my fear of yeast and made me wonder what I was so scared of.

Homemade Garlic Beer Pita Bread

For this, and for most bread recipes, I like a wheat beer, especially an unfiltered wheat beer. The bready notes and the yeast in the beer give a great texture with a hint of beer on the back end.

So, what do you do with this beautiful bread once you’ve decided to make it? If you can resist eating it right out of the pan, it makes amazing wraps and sandwiches, but don’t be afraid to make mini pizzas or even large chicken tacos with this too. Or just eat it right out of the pan with some melted butter. And a cold beer.

Homemade Garlic Beer Pita Bread3

Homemade Garlic Beer Pita Bread

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 envelope rapid rise yeast
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup beer
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, yeast and garlic powder. Mix until combined.
  • In a microwave safe bowl add the beer. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, test temperature with a cooking thermometer and repeat until temperature reaches between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Add the beer to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed. Once most of the dough has been moistened, sprinkle with the salt while the mixer is still running.
  • Turn speed to high and beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
  • Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm room until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Remove from bowl and add to a lightly floured surface. Knead several times, cut into 8 equal sized pieces.
  • One at a time roll the dough into 6 inch circles.
  • Lightly oil a cast iron skillet and heat over high heat until very hot. Add one dough circle to the pan, cook until the underside has browned and the top starts to bubble, about 2 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the pita bread is cooked through. Adjust the heat if the pan becomes too hot and the bread burns too quickly.

 

Beerscotti: Chocolate Beer Biscotti, Made with Beer for Beer

Beerscotti: Chocolate Beer Biscotti, Made with Beer for Beer

 Something about this just isn’t right, it’s a cookie made to dunk in your beer. Who does that? Maybe I’m trying to start a beer cookie revolution that ends with crumbs at the bottom of your pint glass. Maybe I just liked the alliteration, or maybe this just ends up working. You’ll have to judge for yourself.

Beerscotti: Chocolate Beer Biscotti, Made with Beer for Beer

For this I wanted a big beer, with lots of roasted chocolate malt. Drakes Drakonic Imperial Stout works great, it’s a malty beast, as they say, and has those dry cocoa notes that work with the cocoa nibs and hazelnuts in the Beerscotti. It’s a sippin' stout, made for lingering and conversation, it’s not a beer that wants to be ignored.

But who can ignore the guy dunking a cookie in his beer? Not me.

Beerscotti: Chocolate Beer Biscotti, Made with Beer for Beer

Chocolate Beer Biscotti

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 4 tbs butter
  • 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
  • ¼ cup stout beer
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp almond extract
  • 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp espresso powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup hazelnuts
  • 1/3 cup coca nibs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar and butter. Beat on medium high speed until well creamed.
  • Add the eggs and yolk, mix until mixture is pale and fluffy.
  • Add the stout, vanilla and almond, mix until well combined.
  • In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, corn starch, espresso powder and salt.
  • Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the butter mixture, mix on low until just incorporated. Stir in the hazelnuts and cocoa nibs.
  • Scoop half of the dough onto a baking sheet that has been covered with a Silpat or parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
  • Shape into a log that is about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
  • Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool for about 5 minutes. Cut diagonally into ¾ inch slices. Return to the baking sheet, cut side up.
  • Bake until slightly crispy, about ten minutes.
  • Cool on a wire rack.
  • Biscotti can be made up to three days ahead of time and taste the best 24 hours after baking. Store in an air tight container.

Beerscotti: Chocolate Beer Biscotti, Made with Beer for Beer

Hawaiian IPA Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders

 Hawaiian IPA Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders, made in a slow cooker

 I finally made friends with my slow cooker again. It took awhile, we haven’t been on speaking terms since that guy ruined several attempts at vegetarian chili earlier in the year. But he likes meat, that slow cooker, and so do I. I think this is the common ground that we’ll share. Slow and low is the best way to cook pork shoulder, making it a perfect slow cooker job. Although I loved the way this turned out, I do still vastly prefer my Le Creuset Dutch Oven, although that guy is much higher maintenance, he can’t be left alone like Slow Cooker can.

Speaking of IPA’s, I’ve been on the hunt for Schlafly’s American IPA, out of Missouri. I’m incredibly fortunate to live on the West Coat of these United States, a hot bed of fantastic IPA’s. I really don’t ever need to wander far to find incredible beer, but sometimes I just want to see what the rest of the USA has to offer. I’ve heard great things about this special release IPA and I want to get one in my pint glasses. If you can sneak me one, let me know, I’ll be forever grateful.

Hawaiian IPA Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders, made in a slow cooker

Hawaiian IPA Pulled Pork Sliders

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cloves of garlic rough chopped
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tsp sriracha
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • 2 cup chopped pineapple
  • 3.5 lb pork shoulder
  • salt and pepper
  • 12 ounces IPA
  • 24 Hawaiian rolls split

Yield: 24 sliders

    Instructions
     

    • In a food processor or blender add the garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sriracha, brown sugar and pineapple. Process until well combined.
    • Place the pork shoulder inside a slow cooker, salt and pepper all sides liberally.
    • Pour the pineapple mixture and the IPA beer over the pork.
    • Cook on low for 8 hours.
    • Using two forks, shred while still in the slow cooker, discarding any large pieces of fat.
    • Allow to marinate in the juices for about ten minutes, drain well. Serve inside split Hawaiian rolls.

    Hawaiian IPA Pineapple Pulled Pork Sliders, made in a slow cooker

    Beer Candied Pecans

    last September I was able to visit Bear Republic. I was able to jump behind the bar, chat with brewers and sample everything from the Peter Brown Tribute to the Grand Am, right from the source.  Solid beers that are becoming easier to find across the US as their distribution expands.

    Bear Republic2

    Maybe it was the gorgeous Northern California setting, or the charming bar managers, or the fantastically solid beer, but I became a fan of what this growing team is doing up North. And then they go and make a Black IPA, one of my favorite new styles.

    Black IPA’s are becoming more common, a great trend that craft breweries are embracing all over the US. Maybe as a way to satisfy people like me, stout lovers who also adore an IPA. A hoppy beer, with a roasted malt that adds a smooth, balanced, nearly stout like flavor. The Black Racer IPA is a great example of this growing beer phenomenon.

    Black Racer IPA

    Black Racer is just as hoppy as you want an IPA to be, but with a smoother, rounded malty finish. It has a leaning towards a traditional IPA, with high notes like citrus and pine as well as a fairly high carbonation, but with some dark beer flavors of malt and coffee.

    Black IPA’s are both a great example of how the creativity of brewers are blurring the lines of beer styles, as well as another great, endless craft beer debate we all love to partake in from time to time. How do you differentiate between a hoppy stout and a dark IPA? Brewers discretion?

    When it’s this good, they can call it what they want and the brewers will always have my full support.

    Beer Candied Pecans3

    Beer Candied Pecans

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/2 cup black IPA
    • 1 cup golden brown sugar packed
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 1 tbs butter
    • 2 cups pecan halves

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 250.
    • In a pot over high heat add the beer and brown sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
    • Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Bring liquid to 235 degrees, remove from heat.
    • Add the butter, stir until combined.
    • Add salt and pecans; stir until the pecans have all been coated.
    • 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).
    • Spread pecans evenly over the sheet.
    • Bake at 250 for 15 minutes, stir and bake for an additional 15 minutes (if the pecans look foamy, stir until the bubbles have dissolved).
    • Allow to cool to room temperature, break apart.

    Notes

    To increase the beer flavor, reduce 1 cup of beer down to 1/2 cup needed for this recipe.

    Beer Candied Pecans4

     

    Chocolate Stout Muffin Bread

     

    Chocolate Stout Muffin Bread7

    Let’s talk about chocolate stouts for a minute.

    If you aren’t aquatinted with these Dark Knights, you might be under the impression that your beer will be like a tall glass of malty chocolate milk. For the most part, that isn’t the case. While I was at Hanger 24, those awesome guys let me taste some of the grains they use in their Chocolate Porter.

     

    Hanger 24-2

    (By the way, neither of those hands are mine, I’m taking the photo)

    It tastes, even pre-brew, more along the lines of unadulterated raw cocoa rather than a giant slice of cake. For me, this is great news. The flavors of cocoa (before the butter, cream and sugar are added) are dry and even bitter, making a great addition to the flavors of a stout. If you’re afraid of a beer flavored Yoo-Hoo, you’re in luck. For the most part, chocolate stouts grab those great dry flavors of that cocoa bean without that cloying sweetness of a dessert that you don’t really need in your pint glass.

    Here are some of my favorite chocolate stouts and porters, please let me know if you have a favorite of your one:

    Bison Chocolate Stout

    Rogue Chocolate Stout

    Hanger 24 Chocolate Porter

    Ken Schmidt / Iron Fist / Stone Chocolate Mint Stout

    Souther Tier Choklat (I have yet to get my hands on this on the West Coast, but it’s on my Must Drink list)

    Chocolate Stout Muffin Bread

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2/3 cup coca powder
    • 1 cup white sugar
    • 1 tbs baking powder
    • 1 tbs cornstarch
    • 2/3 cup chocolate chips
    • 10 ounces stout
    • 2 tbs vegetable oil
    • ¼ cup melted butter divided in half

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350.
    • Add the flour, salt, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, cornstarch, and chocolate chips stir to combine.
    • Pour in the stout, oil and 2 tbs of the melted butter, stir until just combined, some lumps are expected.
    • Pour into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the remaining butter over the top.
    • Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Allow to cool before slicing.

    Chocolate Stout Muffin Bread8

     

    IPA Lemon Bars

    Before I get to the lemon bars that were more than a year in the making, I need to talk about these beer glasses.

    These glasses are more than just vessels of craft beer glory, they are a indicator of the thread of craft beer weaving itself through the mainstream.

    Crate and Barrel, a mecca for the upwardly mobile, midwestern tract homeowners, and suburban housewives is carrying an entire line of glassware devoted to the service of well-made beer. (I need to stop to note that none of the previous descriptors were meant to be derogatory, merely  an illustration of the mainstreamness of the giant housewares retail store.)

    This is proof that craft beer is moving forward, growing in respect and popularity in the minds of Americans and capitalist marketers. I couldn’t be happier. I pillaged the entire line, necessitating a new shelf just for beer glasses.

     Eagle Rock Populist with Beer Mug

    The lemon bars I made for you have been in the works for over a year. There have been other recipes in the past that haven’t lives up to my expectations. The filling wasn’t creamy enough, or the crust and filling weren’t distinct layers, or other assorted issues. This recipe finally gave me the results I wanted.

    IPA Lemon Bars

    A great crust with a slight flakey crispness, not too sweet, and lemony with the right touch of beer flavor.

    The beer I used is from Eagle Rock Brewery, a brewery that is just down the road from me, a little over a mile in fact. It would be walking distance if it wasn’t for the hill I live on and the nasty walk home that would create.

    IPA Lemon Bars3 Eagle Rock Populist Bottle_

    Populist is what I think of as a gateway IPA. It’s an accessible beer with more malt that an IPA usually gives you, and a balanced hop flavor. This isn’t the palate wrecking, massively hopped flavor that most American IPA’s give you, it’s more subtle.

    I love a high hoped beer, and I also love a malty balanced pale ale, the amazing thing about this mainstream-craft-beer-glass-world we live in is that there is room for both types of IPA’s. If you aren’t an IPA fan, this might convert you, it shows you hops without punching you in the mouth with them. It might even lead you to further IPA exploration.

    Or maybe just some lemon flavored baked goods.

    IPA Lemon Bars2

    IPA Lemon Bars

    Ingredients
      

    Crust:

    • 1 cup flour
    • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
    • 6 tbs unsalted butter
    • pinch salt

    Filling:

    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 ½ cups sugar
    • ¼ cup flour
    • 2 tbs corn starch
    • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • ¼ cup IPA beer
    • Powdered sugar for dusting
    • Yield: 10 to 12 cookies

    Instructions
     

    • In a food processor add the flour, powdered sugar, butter and salt. Process until well combined.
    • Press into the bottom of a greased 8X8 pan (for a 9x13 pan, double the entire recipe).Chill for 15 minutes.
    • Preheat oven to 350.
    • Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool to about room temperature, about 15 minutes (this will help the crust and the filling to stay in two distinct layers.)
    • In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour and corn starch. Add in the lemon juice and beer, stir until combined. Pour the filling over the cooled crust. Bake until the center has set, about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before refrigerating. Chill for 2 to 3 hours before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

    Crust adapted from Shockingly Delicious

    Smoky Chocolate Porter Ice Cream with Beer Candied Bacon

    Smoky Porter Ice Cream with Beer Candied Bacon4

    Yesterday I was a guest on KCRW’s St. Patricks day episode of Good Food. The host was Evan Kleiman, a chef, author and Los Angeles food scene legend. She called my recipes, "smart," which if you are a home cook, sitting in front of an accomplished chef, is the best word you can hear.

    Smoky Porter Ice Cream with Beer Candied Bacon3

    We chatted about stouts, one of my favorite beer topics. Forget about pale lagers and green food dye, stouts are the life blood of St. Patrick’s day. In preparation for our stout conversation, I asked my Facebook readers what their favorite stouts are, and the response was amazing. My non-scientific poll concluded the most popular stouts among those who have clicked "like" on The Beeroness Facebook page are: Old Rasputin, Souther Tier Choklat, Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout and Founders Breakfast Stout. All of which would be amazing in this recipes, but I used Alaskan Brewing Smoked Porter. Just goes to show how many amazing dark craft beers there are in this nation. If you have a stout or porter that you love, let me know about it. I’m always up for a tall glass of dark beer.

    Whatever you use, don’t forget to make it a chocolate bacon beer float.

    Smoky Porter Ice Cream with Beer Candied Bacon5

    Beer Candied Bacon

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup brown sugar packed
    • 3 tbs stout
    • pinch cayenne
    • 12 thick cut strips of bacon

    Instructions
     

    • Combine the brown sugar, stout and cayenne until thick and syrupy.
    • Lay bacon on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
    • Brush bacon with beer syrup on both sides.
    • Cook at 350 for ten minutes, flip and re-brush with beer syrup.
    • Cook for 8 to 10 more minutes or until the bacon is an amber color.
    • Remove from oven and allow to cool. Bacon will harden as it cools.

    Beer Candied Bacon

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup brown sugar packed
    • 3 tbs stout
    • pinch cayenne
    • 12 thick cut strips of bacon

    Instructions
     

    • Combine the brown sugar, stout and cayenne until thick and syrupy.
    • Lay bacon on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
    • Brush bacon with beer syrup on both sides.
    • Cook at 350 for ten minutes, flip and re-brush with beer syrup.
    • Cook for 8 to 10 more minutes or until the bacon is an amber color.
    • Remove from oven and allow to cool. Bacon will harden as it cools.

    Beer Candied Bacon Adapted from Oskar Blues via Tide and Thyme.

     Smoky Porter Ice Cream with Beer Candied Bacon2

    Beer Brined Corned Beef Sliders with Pickled Cabbage Slaw

     Beer Brined Corned Beer Sliders with Pickled Cabbage Slaw 

    Conred Beef Sliders with Pickled Cabbage Slaw3

    I just turned my completed book into my publisher.

    One hundred recipes, along with sixty-five photos, are now out of my hands. You’d think I’d be relieved, so did I, but I’m worried. I just let go of the summation of 90 percent of my waking hours from the past 4 months. It’s in someone else’s care, and that scares the crap out of me.

    I have these momentary panics:

    Did I make the pavlovas enough, do the directions make sense?

    I say jackass in the book, will people hate that?! 

    Was I clear about how grateful I am for this, or will I come off as smug?!

    I even worry about whether or not you’ll like it, as if I’m just an insecure school girl. I thought I would be relieved and elated, but I’m more anxious than I’ve been during this entire process. I want people to love it, to leave me glowing reviews on Amazon and tell their friends about how much they love it. I hope that happens, but for now, I’m still losing sleep.

    For the time being, I have a St. Patricks Day recipe for you. I posted my veggie lovers St Patricks Day offering last week, but this one is about that corned beef we all associate with that Irish Holiday.

    So if you will, drink a pint and say an Irish prayer for me and my forthcoming book.

    Conred Beef Sliders with Pickled Cabbage Slaw

    Beer Brined Corned Beef Sliders with Pickled Cabbage Slaw

    Ingredients
      

    Corned Beef

    • 3.5 lb beef brisket
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 1 cup kosher salt
    • 3 tablespoons curing salt this will make the meat pink
    • 3 tbs whole allspice berries
    • 1 tbs whole cloves
    • 1 tbs ground ginger
    • 2 tbs mustard seeds
    • 2 tbs whole peppercorns
    • 1 yellow onion quartered
    • 2 cups water
    • 3 12 ounces bottles of stout
    • 8 cups ice

    Pickled slaw:

    • 2 cup red cabbage shredded
    • 2 cup savoy cabbage shredded
    • ½ red onion thinly sliced
    • 1/3 cup lemon juice
    • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tbs kosher salt
    • 3 tbsp sugar
    • ¼ tsp groung ginger
    • 2 tbs whole dried allspice berries
    • 2 tsp whole cloves
    • 2 tsp black peppercorns
    • _
    • 12 soft potato dinner rolls split to resemble hamburger buns

    Instructions
     

    • In a large pot or Dutch oven, add brown sugar, 3 tbs curing salt, 1 cup kosher salt, 3 tbs allspice berries, 1 tbs cloves, ginger, mustard seeds, 2 tbs peppercorns, along with 2 cups of water.
    • Cook on high just until the salt and sugar dissolve, remove from heat. Add 2 bottles of stout (reserve the last bottle for cooking) and 8 cups of ice, stir until ice has melted and brine is cool.
    • Add the brisket, cover with lid and refrigerate for 3 days and up to 10.
    • Remove from brine and rinse well. Discard the brine and clean the Dutch oven well.
    • Place the brisket back in the cleaned pot, along with the onion, pour the remaining bottle of stout and then cover with cold water until the brisket is fully cover with one to two inches of water above the beef.
    • Bring to a low boil, cover and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 3 hours or until the meat if fork tender. Move to a carving board, thinly slice against the grain.
    • While the brisket cooks, make the pickled slaw. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, sugar, ginger, allspice, cloves and peppercorns in a pot. Bring to simmer just until the salt and sugar dissolve, remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, add the cabbage and onion. Pour the cooled pickling liquid over the cabbage and onion, refrigerate for one hour.
    • Slightly warm the buns, fill with corned beef and slaw before serving.

    Chocolate Stout Waffle Sundae with Chocolate Stout Fudge Sauce

    Chocolate Stout Waffle Sundae with Chocolate Stout Fudge Sauce5

    In my world, this is dessert.

    But that being said, I ate it at 3 in the afternoon (mostly because I wanted to make it for you, and I refuse to photograph using artificial light, necessitating a mid-day desert for picture taking purposes).

    Breakfast in my land, is savory. Although I occasionally indulge in sugar loaded calorie bomb in the morning hours only because for some reason it’s socially acceptable, but if we step back and look at it objectively, this is dessert.

    Since I put beer in your breakfast on multiple occasions (Like this, and this and don’t forget about this), I would never judge you for eating this pre-noon. BUT, it’s dessert. And it needs to be served with a stout that’s almost warm. Maybe a sipin' stout that’s been aged in a bourbon barrel, or a smokey porter.

    But it’s definitely dessert. Even if you eat it in the middle of the day.

    Chocolate Stout Waffle Sundae with Chocolate Stout Fudge Sauce2

    Chocolate Stout Waffle Sundae with Chocolate Stout Fudge Sauce

    Ingredients
      

    For The Sauce

    • 3 tbs butter
    • ½ cup stout
    • 2 tbs corn syrup
    • 1 cup dark chocolate chips

    For the Waffles

    • 1 cup flour
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
    • 1/3 cup milk
    • 2/3 cup stout
    • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 eggs divided
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • Ice Cream for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Add the butter, 1/2 cup stout and corn syrup to a sauce pan. Cook over medium high heat until butter has melted and the mixture has just started to boil.
    • Turn off heat and stir in 1 cup chocolate chips until completely melted. Allow to cool slightly before using.
    • Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturers specifications.
    • In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt, stir.
    • In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and milk. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Stir in the beer, vegetable oil, vanilla and only the yolks of the two eggs.
    • Add the whites to separate bowl, along with the sugar. Whip with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
    • Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the chocolate milk mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold into the egg whites until just incorporated.
    • Cook in waffle iron according to manufacturers specifications, using butter flavored cooking spray if indicated.
    • Plate waffles, top with desired amount of ice cream, drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve with a malty stout.

    Chocolate Stout Waffle Sundae with Chocolate Stout Fudge Sauce3

    Stout French Dip

    Stout French Dip

    When you write, reading isn’t important, it’s essential. Unfortunately, my days are packed too full and reading has become a rare luxury. All due in no small part to the fact that I’m not only writing a cookbook (due to my publisher at the beginning of next month) I’ve also started writing for a print magazine as well as two other websites. Once I can, at least, check "cookbook" off my to-do list, I can get back to being a normal human and indulging in reading, and sleep, and all those sorts of activities that I’m currently ignoring.

    I’m making a list, I thought I’d share. About a month ago, I posted on The Beeroness Facebook page asking for suggestions for beer books. Since you all are so amazing, the list has been growing.

    Beer & Food:

    1. The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food, Garrett Oliver
    2. Beer, Food, and Flavor: A Guide to Tasting, Pairing, and the Culture of Craft Beer, Schuyler Schultz
    3. The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance, Randy Clemens & Steve Wagner & Greg Koch
    4. The Oxford Companion to Beer, Garrett Oliver

    Beer Non-fiction:

    1. America Walks into a Bar: A Spirited History of Taverns and Saloons, Speakeasies, Christine Sismondo
    2. Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, Judith M. Bennett
    3. Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits, Jason Wilson (beer & liquor)
    4. The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World, Stephen Mansfield
    5. Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America’s Kings of Beer,  William Knoedelseder

    For The Homebrewer:

    1. The Naked Brewer: Fearless Homebrewing Tips, Tricks & Rule-breaking Recipes, Christina Perozzi & Hallie Beaune
    2. For The Love of Hops: The Practical Guide to Aroma, Bitterness and the Culture of Hops, Stan Hieronymus
    3. Brew Like a Monk: Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales, Stan Hieronymus
    4. IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale, Mitch Steele

    Stout French Dip3

    Stout French Dip

    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tbs brown sugar
    • 1 tsp black pepper
    • 1 tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp cayenne
    • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
    • 3 lb chuck roast
    • 2 tbs olive oil
    • 12 ounces porter or stout
    • 3 cups beef stock
    • 4 French sandwich rolls

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 325.
    • In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, black pepper, salt, cayenne, and smoked paprika.
    • Pat the roast dry. Rub with spice mixture.
    • Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven, or other large oven safe pot, until hot but not smoking. Add the roast, sear on all sides. Pour beer and broth over the meat. Cover and roast in oven at 325 for 3 hours or until very tender. Move meat to a cutting board.
    • Place Dutch oven back on the stove. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
    • Shred meat using two forks. Split rolls, fill with meat. Spoon a bit of sauce over the meat. Serve remaining broth in bowls with sandwiches for dipping.

    Stout French Dip5

    Beer and Butter Poached Lobster with Saison Risotto

    Lets Get romantic, shall we?

    Last year, my Valentines day post earned my quite a bit of hate mail. But, I suppose when you label your post "How Blow Jobs and Shoe Shopping Are Alike," That’s bound to happen.

    But the post wasn’t about blow jobs, or shoe shopping, and the hate mail was largely from single women who had never been in a successful long term relationships, and exclusively from people who didn’t read the entire thing.

    The post is about figuring out what your partner needs to feel important and giving it to them gladly and frequently. Because although the "Golden Rule" is Treat Others How You Would Like To Be Treated, I think that might be what’s wrong with most relationships.

    Because, really, treating someone how YOU would like to be treated is pretty self-involved and arrogant. How about Treat Others How THEY Would Like To Be Treated and maybe we would have a higher marriage success rate as a nation. Because although you might think you’ve done everything you can for your partner, maybe the problem is that you’re asking, "What else can I do?" rather than, "What do they need?"

    Can you tell I have a Masters in Psychology? I would have made a terrible therapist, but I make a killer risotto.

    So here it is, with some beer and butter poached lobster.

    Beer and Butter Poached Lobster with Saison Risotto

    For this recipe I used Saison Rue from The Bruery.

    Beer and Butter Poached Lobster with Saison Risotto

    Servings 2 servings

    Ingredients
      

    For the Risotto

    • 2 ½ cups chicken broth
    • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
    • 1 tbs chopped shallots
    • 2 cloves of garlic minced
    • ¾ cups arborio rice
    • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
    • ½ cup Saison Beer plus 2 tbs, divided
    • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 2 tbs heavy cream
    • ½ tsp black pepper
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 2 tbs chopped chives

    For The Lobster:

    • 2 ½ cups unsalted butter
    • 12 ounces 1 1/2 cups Saison beer
    • 2 fresh lobster tails

    Instructions
     

    • Place the chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a mild simmer, keeping to warm, but not boiling.
    • In a separate pot, add the butter and allow to melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, but don’t allow to brown. Add the garlic and cook until you can smell them, about 20 seconds
    • Stir in the rice, (if pan is dry, add the oil) cooking until the rice is completely coated with butter and it smells slightly nutty, don’t allow to brown. About 2 minutes.
    • Add ½ cup of the beer and cook until the pan begins to dry, stirring frequently. About 6 minutes.
    • Add about ½ cup of broth into the rice. Stir frequently until the rice is almost dry, and then add another ½ cup and repeat. This process should take about 20 minutes. Don’t leave the risotto while it’s cooking, the rice on the bottom of the pan burns easily. (if you run out of broth, just use hot water the same way you would broth)
    • Once your risotto is cooked through (taste it to verify that the rice is cooked and not crunchy), turn heat to low and add the cheese, cream, remaining 2 tbs beer and salt and pepper to taste. Risotto should be soft and wet, not dry like typical rice. It should be firm enough to be served as a side on a plate, but soft enough to jiggle when the plate is shaken.
    • While the risotto is cooking, start working on the lobster. Using a sharp pair of kitchen sheers, cut a straight line down the tail shell, carefully remove the tail meat in one piece.
    • In a small sauce pan (if the pan is too big, the lobster will not be covered by the butter and beer), melt the butter. Don’t allow to brown or simmer.
    • Add the beer and clip a cooking thermometer on the side of pan, making sure to maintain a temperature between 160 and 180 degrees. Do not boil or even simmer the poaching liquid.
    • Once the poaching liquid has reached the proper temperature, add the tails. Cook until the tails have turned red and the meat is just opaque, about 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t overcook or tails will be rubbery.
    • Divide the risotto between two plates, sprinkle with chives.
    • Top with lobster tails, serve immediately.

    Beer and Buttermilk Fried Chicken

     

    Beer and Buttermilk Fried ChickenP

     I’ve been wanting to make you some beer fried chicken for a while now, but it’s a bit intimidating.

    The best fried chicken comes from the south, it’s a fact of sorts. As is the fact that, other than a few weeks in Atlanta, I haven’t spent much time in the Southern states. And, let’s be honest, a white girl from Washington State isn’t exactly your go-to when you want the worlds best fried chicken.

    But I have some confidence in this recipes because it isn’t really mine. I’ve added a few things, but the heart and soul of it belongs to a woman who’s chicken was so incredible, Ruth Reichl spent weeks, and copious amounts of beer, extracting the recipe from her. Even 40 years after plying Claritha with enough beer to obtain said recpe, Ruth not only remembers it, she writes about it in Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table.

    Like any great recipe, it travels. How I hope my recipes become your recipes. My Chocolate Stout Cake becomes your Chocolate Stout Cake, the one your boyfriend begs you to make him for his birthday and tells his friends, "My girl makes the best cake." Because once your hands have cut the butter, stirred the batter and frosted the cake, it’s not my recipe any more, it’s yours. As it should be.

    So, from Claritha, to Ruth to Random House to me and finally to you, is the best fried chicken I’ve ever made. I hope it becomes your fried chicken too.

    Beer and Buttermilk Fried Chicken2

    Beer and Buttermilk Fried Chicken

    Adapted from Claritha's Fried Chicken, Ruth Reichl, Tender at the Bone

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 lbs chicken drumsticks
    • 1 to 2 cups kosher salt
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 2 cups blonde ale
    • 1 onion sliced
    • 1 cup flour
    • 2 tsp kosher salt
    • 1/2 tsp cayenne
    • 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
    • 2 tsp packed dark brown sugar
    • 1 cup vegetable shortening
    • 1/4 cup butter

    Yield: 4servings

      Instructions
       

      • Place chicken in a wide bowl. Cover with salt, place uncovered in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove chicken from the bowl.
      • Rinse the chicken well and clean the bowl to remove all the salt. Add buttermilk, beer and onion slices to the bowl, stir to combine. Add the chicken back in the bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight, 8 to 20 hours.
      • Add the flour, salt, cayenne, brown sugar, and pepper to a bag, shake to combine. Drain the chicken. add chicken to the bag, shake until the chicken is well coated. Place chicken on wax paper or parchment paper. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour.
      • In a large skillet melt the vegetable shortening and butter over high heat. Add chicken (working in batches if necessary), cover and lower heat to just above medium. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, turn and cook on the opposite side for about 8 additional minutes or until cooked through.

      Beer and Buttermilk Fried Chicken3

       

      Stout Soaked Cherry Cheesecake with Pretzel Crust

      Stout Soaked Cherry Cheesecake Bars with Pretzel Crust P

      I need your help.

      I’m somewhere around halfway done with this cookbook, and I need some feedback. I have about 50 recipes ready to go, but they have never been cooked outside of my kitchen.

      I want to know if they work for you, if you like them (or didn’t), if the directions make sense. This part is important to me, it increases the chances that we can catch some of the flaws, some of the directions that may be misleading, or some factor I might have overlooked.

      This book means so much to me, and the recipes working for as many people as possible is a high priority.

      And I can’t do this on my own. If you are willing to make one (or more) of the Top Secret recipes I have in the works, keep it secret until the book goes to print, and give me your honest opinion, I need that.

      If you’re at all interested, Please, check out my Book Page for more info. Please.

       

      Stout Soaked Cherry Cheesecake with Pretzel Crust

      Ingredients
        

      • 8 oz sweetened dried cherries about 1 ½ cups
      • 2 cups stout
      • 3 cups mini pretzels twists lightly crushed (about 1 ½ cups once processed)
      • 2 tbs brown sugar
      • ½ cup melted butter
      • 24 ounces cream cheese
      • ½ cup sour cream
      • pinch salt
      • 2 tbs flour
      • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
      • 2 eggs
      • ½ tsp vanilla

      Instructions
       

      • Place dried cherries in a bowl or tall glass. Pour stout over cherries until fully submerged. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the soaking liquid.
      • Preheat oven to 400.
      • In a food processor, add the pretzels and brown sugar, process until only crumbs remain, about 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly add the melted butter while the processor is running. Pour into the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Use the flat bottom of a heavy glass, measuring cup or mug to press the crust really well into a flat even layer.
      • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese, beat on high until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sour cream and beat until well combined. Add the salt, flour and sugar, mix until well incorporated. Add the eggs and vanilla, one at a time, mixing well between additions. Add ¼ of the stout used to soak the cherries, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in the cherries.
      • Pour cream cheese mixture over the crust, smooth out into an even layer.
      • Place in the oven and reduce oven temp to 350. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes or until the cheesecake has puffed slightly and center no longer jiggles when you shake the rack it sits on. Don’t over bake, it will firm up once it chills. Remove from oven (allow to stand at room temp until slightly cooled, about 10 minutes) refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 4 hours and up to 24. Cut into squares for serving

       

       Stout Soaked Cherry Cheesecake Bars with Pretzel Crust2

       

       

       

      Chipotle Stout and Chorizo Chili Topped with Pork Rinds

       

      I’m so glad I can share this recipe with you. I’ve been working like a crazy person to develop and test recipes that I fall in love with but I can’t share them with you because I need to save them for the cookbook.

      And, of course, I’m putting a tremendous amount of pressure on myself to make each recipe a home run.

      Because once you buy the book, and actually pay for the recipes, I want them all to be amazing. This, my friend, is a huge amount of pressure on me and the limits of my culinary creativity.


      But then I get these crazy ideas, like putting crushed Chicharrones on top of chili and I can’t even wait to share it. I have to post it as soon as possible, even pushing back a more "seasonally appropriate" post because I want to show you this.

      And Chorizo, with its spice and fatty goodness, is perfect in chili. In fact, I pretty much raided the "C" section of my local Mexican food market (there isn’t a "C" section, by the way, but there should be) to bring you a dish with chipotle, chorizo, chicharrones, cilantro, cheddar and cumin.

       And then I ate three bowls before I could even share it with anyone.

      If I was planning on tailgating anytime soon, I would make this in huge vats.

      And if you are a "beans in your chili" kind of guy, go ahead and throw some in, I won’t mind.

      Or add some sour cream, if that’s your thing.

      Chipotle Stout and Chorizo Chili Topped with Pork Rinds

      Ingredients
        

      • 2 tbs olive oil
      • ½ white onion chopped (about 1 cup)
      • 1 red bell pepper chopped, stem and seeds removed
      • 6 oz chorizo raw, removed from casing
      • 1 lb ground beef chuck 80/20 lean to fat
      • 4 cloves garlic minced
      • 1 cup Chipotle Stout
      • 14 oz stewed diced tomatoes canned is fine
      • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo from can, minced plus more if desired
      • 1 tsp adobo sauce
      • ½ tsp smoked paprika
      • 1 tsp black pepper
      • 1 tsp cumin
      • 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

      Toppings:

      • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
      • ½ cup cilantro chopped
      • 2 cups Chicharrones pork rinds, lightly crushed
      • Makes 4-6 servings

      Instructions
       

      • In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until onion softens but isn’t browned, about 5 minutes.
      • Add the chorizo and beef, cook until meat starts to brown. Add the garlic and stir.
      • Add the beer, diced tomatoes, one chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, smoked paprika, pepper, cumin and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, until thickened. Add additional chipotle peppers as desired to raise heat level.
      • Pour into bowls, top with cilantro, cheddar and Chicharrones.

       

       

       

      Deep Dish Porter Pecan Pie

      The best thing happened on Thanksgiving.

      Just about 18 hours prior to Turkey Tip-Off, my small gathering of 4 people more than tripled into a 14 person party that ended in cocktails, poker, and eating pie right out of the pan. How great is that?

      I was happy with the idea of a small gathering, sometimes those can be the best nights. But the fact that I have such an over abundance of food in my kitchen right now and dozens of recipes to be cooked and tested, I could not have been happier about the influx of last minute hungry visitors.

      And a Thanksgiving that morphed into a Poker Night, complete with impromptu costuming and teaching my friends 8-year-old how to bluff, was one of the best Thanksgivings I have ever had. Although I was seriously caffeine deficient the next day, and zero percent productive.

      I may, or may not, have consume an entire bottle of wine by myself.

       I used a chocolate porter for this recipe, and of course, a stout would work well also. BUT now that I sit here staring at these photos, I wish I’d have used something that had been aged in bourbon barrels. How great would that be?

       

      Deep Dish Porter Pecan Pie

      Ingredients
        

      For the Crust:

      • 1 ½ cups flour
      • ½ tsp salt
      • 1 tbs sugar
      • 6 tbs of butter cold, cut into cubes
      • 2 tbs shortening
      • 2 tbs ice cold beer high ABV works best

      For the filling:

      • 1 cup porter beer can sub stout
      • 2 cups brown sugar
      • 2/3 cup light corn syrup
      • 2 tbs flour
      • 3 cups chopped pecans
      • ½ cup heavy cream
      • 1 stick butter cold, cut into cubes
      • 4 eggs

      Instructions
       

      • In a food processor, add 1 cup of flour (reserving the other ½ cup) salt, sugar and pulse to combine. Add the butter cubes and the shortening, process until combined. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour, process until well incorporated.
      • Transfer to a bowl, add the beer and mix until combined. Dough will be very soft. Form into a wide flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
      • Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, transfer to a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, press into shape. Remove the excess. Freeze crust for 20 minutes.
      • Preheat oven to 350.
      • In a pot over medium high heat, add the beer, brown sugar and corn syrup. Allow to simmer until combined and the sugar has melted. Sprinkle with flour, whisk until well combined. Remove from heat, add pecans, heavy cream and butter. Stir until well combined and the butter has melted. Allow to cool to room temperature before adding the eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs. Slowly add the pecan mixture to the eggs, whisking the eggs the entire time.
      • Pour filling into crust, bake at 350 for 50 minute to an hour or until the filling no longer jiggles when you shake the rack it sits on. Chill until the filling has set, about 2 hours.
      • *Note: This recipe is for a deep-dish pie pan. The filling is too much for a regular pie pan.

      Beer Cheese Wontons

       

      This recipe has nothing to do with Thanksgiving.

      I love Thanksgiving, really. It’s my favorite holiday, due in no small part to the fact that it is a day devoted to a gluttonous love of food. And no presents are exchanged. I’m not sure what it is about those present exchanging holidays that makes me nervous. I’ve never been a girl who is comfortable with receiving gifts. I love to give them, completely love it. But having someone watch me open a gift, I can’t help but feel completely self conscious about my reaction which I assume to be sub-par.

      I know. If you haven’t noticed, I tend to over think things.

      Which makes my love for Thanksgiving FAR exceed any feelings I have for Christmas. I get to make significantly more food than will ever be consumed, and no one will be attempting to decipher my reaction as I peel away the wrapping of a hand selected present.

      Starting sometime in the next 36 hours, I will start preparations for the following dishes: This turkey, These rolls, this Mac n Cheese, something similar to this pie, and this pie too. As well as about 6 other dishes that will create a disgusting surplus of food.

       

      And then, we will all be back to making football food, like portable beer cheese dip.

       

       

      Beer Cheese Wontons

      Ingredients
        

      • 4 oz cream cheese
      • 1/4 cup sour cream
      • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
      • 1 tbs corn starch
      • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
      • 1/4 cup beer
      • 1/2 tsp sriracha
      • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
      • 1/2 tsp salt
      • 24 wonton wrappers
      • 2 tbs green onions chopped
      • 1/4 cup canola oil

      Instructions
       

      • In a food processor combine the first 9 ingredients (everything except the wonton wrappers, green onions and the oil), process until well combined.
      • One at a time, place the wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, wet the edges or the wrappers with water.
      • Place about 1 tbs of filling in the center of the wrapper. Sprinkle green onions on top (about 1/4 tsp).
      • Fold wrapper over to create a triangle, press the edges together until very well sealed. Brush the bottom of the triangle with water and fold the corners into the center and press into shape.
      • Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Adjust heat to make sure it does not get to the smoking point, or the wontons will burn.
      • Carefully add wontons to the hot oil, cooking until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
      • Serve immediately, wontons will get soggy if they sit.