crostini

Porter Date Jam Crostini with Prosciutto, Arugula and Goat Cheese

 

Porter Date Jam Crostini with Prosciutto, Arugula and Goat Cheese 2

If there was any doubt about how much I like self-torture, you can defer to this: I’m writing another cookbook.

My first cookbook, The Craft Beer Cookbook took four months and most of my sanity to write. And here I am, doing it again. Maybe it’s the post publisher amnesia, maybe it’s that I had such a great time on the book tour, or maybe it’s that I like self inflicted torment.

Either way I’m nearing the half way point of writing my second cookbook. The topic this time is appetizers and party food. Craft beer lends itself to party food. The community of people that beer draws, and the flavors of the great beer that those craft beer people create just have to be shared. A book about food that’s at the center of a gathering of good beer and great people is therapeutic for me right now. It’s a reminder of the good parts of these lives we live, that the Quality of Life that we all strive for has more to do with who we share it with any other peripheral accessories that the world can offer.

A book about food that’s meant to be shared with people we love, I can’t think of anything I’d rather spend my time creating.

Porter Date Jam Crostini with Prosciutto, Arugula and Goat Cheese 3

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Porter Date Jam Crostini with Prosciutto, Arugula and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • ½ cup white onions
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup smoked porter
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbs molasses (not black strap)
  • 15 madjool dates (about 8 wt oz), pitted and chopped
  • 1 long french baguette
  • 4 wt oz goat cheese, crumbled
  • 4 wt oz prosciutto, sliced
  • 1/3 cup baby arugula leaves

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft. Stir in the garlic, then the porter, vinegar, molasses and dates.
  2. Simmer until the dates have softened and broken down and the beer has reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about ten minutes.
  3. Add to a food processor and process until mostly smooth.
  4. Preheat broiler. Cut the baguette into 24, 1-inch slices. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler until golden brown. Flip the slices over and place back under the broiler until golden brown on the other side.
  5. Spread each slice with porter date jam, top with crumbled goat cheese, prosciutto and arugula.
http://thebeeroness.com/2014/06/09/porter-date-jam-crostini-prosciutto-arugula-goat-cheese/

Porter Date Jam Crostini with Prosciutto, Arugula and Goat Cheese_

Stout Soaked Mushrooms and Herbed Goat Cheese Crostinis

LA to SEA

Photos from my Instagram account 

I made it.

From LA to Seattle, up Highway 1. Past fat lazy seals, miles of winding coastlines, epic Redwoods, and into an unusually sunny Seattle. Although the sun has now given way to the typical rain, it’s somehow comforting.

Although figuring out how to wield a camera in low light has been a bit challenging.

Stout Soaked Mushroom & Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini

But the food isn’t. This part of the word has gorgeous produce, fantastic seafood, incredible beer. I’m starting to get familiar with the Northwest breweries and the beautiful beer that I’m now so close to. If you know of a local brewery I should go to, please, I’m all ears.

Stout Soaked Mushroom & Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini4

As I unpack the boxes, rely heavily on my navigation to get around, figure out what local stations to set my car radio to,  and try to amend my ill-equipped wardrobe (warm socks?? I need new socks?), I’m excited to be here. My Gypsy Soul gets to wander a new city.

Stout Soaked Mushroom & Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini3

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Stout Soaked Mushrooms and Herbed Goat Cheese Crostinis

Ingredients

  • 1 wt oz (1 ½ cups) assorted dried mushrooms (I used Porcini, Shiitake & Chanterelle)
  • 12 ounces stout beer
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup chopped shallots
  • ½ tsp kosher or sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 baguette (sourdough or French)
  • 4 ounces chevre goat cheese, softened
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

  1. Put the mushrooms in a small bowl or jar. Cover with the stout beer. Leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours or until the mushrooms are soft and have reconstituted.
  2. Drain the mushrooms and rinse well to remove any residual grit.
  3. Slice the mushrooms into thin slices (unless mushrooms were pre sliced).
  4. In a pan over medium high heat melt the butter with the olive oil.
  5. Add the shallots and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
  6. Add the mushrooms to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cook until most of the oil and butter has been absorbed, about 5 minutes.
  7. Preheat the boiler on the oven.
  8. Slice the baguette into 18-24 slices.
  9. Place the slices on a baking sheet. Place until the broiler until golden brown, about 2 minutes, flip over and place under the broiler until golden brown the opposite side.
  10. In a small bowl stir together the goat cheese, thyme, sage and rosemary.
  11. Spread each slice with goat cheese, top with mushrooms.
  12. Serve immediately.
http://thebeeroness.com/2014/03/03/stout-soaked-mushrooms-herbed-goat-cheese-crostinis/

Stout Soaked Mushroom & Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini5