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Chocolate Chip, Stout & Beer Nut Cookies

 

If you live in the Los Angeles area, I’m going to need you to do me a favor. I’ve somehow been booked on CBS, Los Angeles mid-day news with a cooking segment this Friday, August 31st. They want me to do a quick Cooking With Beer segment on the news at noon. People will be hungry, naturally, it is lunch time, and my hope is that this will persuade them to ignore any brief moments of nervousness that I have.

But If you could tune in, and support me, that would be great. I’m not really nervous, I keep waiting for that to set in, but it hasn’t yet. When it does, I would love to know that people who have been visiting me here on this little blog for the past year are out there cheering me on.

That would be great.

In the meantime we’re going to make some cookies. These call for the classic Beer Nuts, which I found myself in possession of after a particularly round night of cards at my house. Several bags of Beer Nuts left by an anonymous donor.  And I can’t just leave them in my pantry, I need to find a use for them.

We are also going to revisit that crazy idea I have of making beer extract. Because vanilla is just too…well, vanilla.

 

Chocolate Chip, Stout & Beer Nut Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup stout beer
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 3/4 cup bread flour
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips 60%
  • 3 oz bag Beer Nuts

(Makes 10-12 cookies)

    Instructions
     

    • In a pot over medium high heat add the beer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 tbs.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and both types of sugar, beat until well creamed. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the 1 tbs of beer extract and beat until well combined, scraping the bottom to make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
    • In a sperate bowl, add both types of flour (these two types of flour are very important to the end result of your cookies, regular all purpose flour will not give you the same results), cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix on medium/low speed until just barely combined, don't over mix. Add the chocolate chips and Beer Nuts, and stir until incorporated.
    • Resting the dough is an important step in this recipe. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, scoop golfball sized scoops of dough, roll them into round balls and place on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours.
    • Preheat oven to 350.
    • Bake for 20-22 minutes or until light golden brown, don't over bake. (If you don't chill the dough, or if you make smaller sized cookies, the cooking time will be much shorter. Start to keep an eye on your cookies after about 14 minutes).

     

    IPA Ceviche

     

    As summer nears it’s inevitable end, it’s not the weather that I’ll miss the most. In fact the leather boots and chunky sweaters of colder days are starting to beckon. The produce, back yard grills, the smell of life and food floating on a late afternoon breeze will be lost in the dawning of fall.

    This isn’t a recipe about avoiding the oven, or  grumbles of triple digit heat, it’s about enjoying August produce, paired with those Summer release beers and spending as much time as you can in the open air before we’re all forced to head inside, cook with squash, and drink stouts. Which I am already looking forward to.

    IPA Ceviche

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon
    • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
    • 1 1/2 lb raw shrimp shell & tail removed, chopped
    • 1/2 cup IPA Beer
    • 1 yellow onion diced
    • 3 cups tomatoes diced
    • 1 large jalapeno diced, stem and seeds removed
    • 1/2 cup cilantro
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp red pepper sauce such as Sriracha

    Instructions
     

    • Add the lemon/lime juice and raw shrimp to a small bowl. (Shrimp will "cook" in the juice as it marinates.)
    • Mix beer, onion, tomato, and jalapeño in a large bowl, allow to marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.
    • Drain the vegetables and return to large bowl.
    • Once the shrimp have "cooked," drain and add them to the large bowl along with the salt and pepper sauce, toss to combine.
    • Serve cold with corn chips.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Beer Steamed Stuffed Artichokes & How to Stuff an Artichoke

     

    Here’s my artichoke. We’re going to gut him and stuff him with bacon.

    And then cook him in beer.

     

     

    The first step is to trim. Start with peeling off a few layers of the outside leaves They’re tough and not very good, don’t feel bad about getting rid of them.

    And if your artichoke has a long stem, trim it so that it can stand upright, with its leaves pointed at the sky. That will come in handy later.

    Then you are going to cut off the pointed tip of the artichoke.

     

    Then use a pair a kitchen sheers, (or, lets be honest regular scissors will be fine) to trim the pointed tips off of all of the leaves.

     

    Starting at the outside and working towards the inside, pull the leaves outward.

     

    Once you get to the inside leaves that are yellow and purple, you are going to want to remove these. There is a lot of waste with stuffed artichokes, just accept it and move on.

    This part isn’t easy. If you are having a hard time, that’s normal. The best way to do it is to dig at it with a melon baller. And swear at it a few times to put it in it’s place.

    Feel the inside to make sure it’s smooth and none of that hairy choke is left behind. If it still feels fuzzy, keep digging. And swearing, if it helps.

    Squeeze half a lemon into the cavity of the artichoke.

     Next you want to make the filling (recipe below).

    Stuff the filling inside the middle of the artichoke. Starting at the outside, spread the leaves out and press the filling inside the leaves, work your way in until all the leaves are full.

    Place in an oven safe pot, standing upright. Pour 1 1/2 cup citrusy wheat beer into the bottom of the pot.

    Cover with a lid or tin foil and bake at 375 for 40-60 minutes or until the outer leaves come away easily.

    Beer Steamed Stuffed Artichokes

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 large artichokes prepared as above
    • 1 large lemon
    • 4 strips of bacon
    • 1/3 cup chopped shallots
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 cup mushrooms chopped
    • 1 cups bread crumbs
    • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
    • 1/2 cup mozzarella
    • 2 tbs olive oil
    • 1 1/2 cups citrusy wheat beer

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375
    • Prepare artichokes as instructed above, squeeze 1/4 lemon into the cavity of each artichoke.
    • In a pan over medium high heat, cook the bacon until browned. Remove from pan, and chop. Drain off most of the bacon grease, leaving about 2 tbs in the pan. Add the shallots and cook until soft. Add the garlic and stir. Add the mushrooms and cook until dark brown. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients as well as the chopped bacon (other than the beer), stir until well combined.
    • Stuff the artichokes as instructed above.
    • Place artichokes upright in the pot, fill with 1 cup beer.
    • Cover and cook until outer leaves come away easily, about 40-60 minutes.


    Maple and Bourbon Beer Glazed Salmon

    Let’s talk.

    If you are new to the Beer Scene you might not know about bourbon barrel aged beer. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Beer that has been aged in bourbon barrels giving it flavors of that remnant bourbon that once took up residence in that same barrel. Because bourbon is aged for years, and sometimes several decades, the flavors soak into the wood leaving their distinct flavor signature behind. When you use that same barrel to age beer, those beautiful hand-me-down flavors give an incredible depth to it’s new alcoholic vessel.

    If you haven’t had a bourbon barrel aged beer, add it to your list of beers to try. You may love it. You may loath it. Either way, it’s an experience that needs to be added to your beer exploits.

    Bourbon barrel aged beers aren’t the type you reach for after a long hot day of yard work. These are beers for chilly nights and dark chocolate desserts. Fireside chats and long conversations.

    Among my favortites is the Barrel Aged Old Rasputin form North Coast. 

     

    For this recipe I used Angels Share by Lost Abby. An intense bourbon flavor that goes very well with this recipe.

     

     

    Maple & Bourbon Beer Glazed Salmon

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/4 cup ponzu sauce
    • 3/4 cup bourbon barrel aged beer
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 tbs brown sugar
    • 1 tbs maple syrup
    • 1 tsp sesame oil
    • 1/4 tsp chili powder
    • 1 tbs lime juice about 1 large lime, juiced
    • 4 salmon fillets about 4 to 6 oz each

    Instructions
     

    • In a bowl, add all ingredients (other than the salmon) stir until well combined. Add to a large zip top freezer bag. Add the salmon and remove as much air as possible before sealing. Place in the fridge, allowing to marinate for one to two hours, rotating at least once.
    • Preheat broiler.
    • Remove the salmon from the bag and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
    • Place the marinade in a pot over medium high heat. Boil until reduced and thickened, stirring frequently, about 8 to 10 minutes.
    • Brush the salmon with the marinade glaze.
    • Place under broiler and cook until salmon flakes easily, about 6 minutes. Brush salmon with glaze several times during cooking.
    • Serve over rice or pasta.

    Jalapeno IPA Hummus

     

    This recipe has been in my brain for a while.

    For weeks it’s been taunting me, begging to be flushed out, poured into my food processor and immortalized in internet print.

    And this weekend three failed attempts to make IPA lemon bars that never really gave me the results I was hoping for coupled with this tweet:

    gave this hummus it’s shot.

    And I’m so glad that the stars didn’t align and the beer cooking God’s didn’t smile upon the IPA lemon bars (which have become my culinary nemesis, mocking me with vague imperfections) because this hummus was exactly what I wanted on a hot day. It didn’t last long.

    For this recipe, I used one of my favorite IPA’s, Ballast Point’s Sculpin IPA. A beautiful example of an IPA, even if this one was sans Habaneros.

     

    Jalapeno IPA Hummus

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 fresh jalapenos stemmed, seeded and chopped (about 1/4 cup)
    • 3 tbs tahini
    • 1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans drained
    • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
    • 1 tbs olive oil
    • 1 lime juiced (about 1 tbs)
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/3 cup IPA Beer plus additional if needed

    Instructions
     

    • Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. Add additional IPA for a thinner dip. Serve with pita or chips.
    • *Note: most of the heat from Jalapenos are in the seeds. If you want a hotter hummus, you can leave the seeds in. If the finished dip is too mild, add 1/4 tsp chili powder for a spicier dip

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    Beer Braised Potatoes With Rosemary Beer Gravy

    ;

    A reader from Iceland emailed me last week to ask what I listen to when I’m cooking. "You seem like a music girl," she said.

    Music, food, beer, it all seems to be a different parts of the same creature and just like food can find a matched pair with beer or wine, music is the same way.

    Making these potatoes I was lured to music that was timeless, earthy and effortless. Here is a bit of that list:

    Something In The Way She Moves, James Taylor

    Tampa To Tulsa, The Jayhawks

    Torn In My Pride, The Black Crows

    Fortune Teller, Robert Plant

    Wicker Chair, Kings Of Leon (this was off a Demo they made before they were famous, handed to me late one night on Sunset by Nathan. I’m not sure if it is still available online, but I still listen to that Demo all the time)

    Red House, Shudder To Think

    Duncan, Delta Spirit

    ;

    Between prep, braise and eating, this is the music that joined me and the potatoes in the kitchen. A slow, lazy Sunday afternoon playlist that was a perfect compliment to a timeless potato dish.

    And the beer that came along for the ride was Damnation by Russian River. A Belgian style beer that gave the starch in the potatoes a beautiful push forward in taste. If you’re a craft beer fan, or just starting to grow in curiosity about the subject, Russian River should be counted among the Craft Beer Meccas of the world. Seek out the beers they make, and plan to stop by the brewery if you ever find yourself in Northern California, or the West Coast, for that matter.

    ;

    ;

    Beer Braised Potatoes With Rosemary Beer Gravy

    Ingredients
      

    For The Potatoes:

    • 2 tbs butter
    • 1 large shallot chopped (1/3 cup)
    • 1 lbs red potatoes chopped
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
    • 1 cup beer
    • 1 tsp black pepper

    For The Gravy:

    • 2 tbs flour
    • 1/3 cup chicken stock
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 325. In an oven safe Dutch Oven or pot with a lid (check that all knobs are oven safe) melt butter. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 2 minutes.
    • Add the potatoes and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
    • Remove from heat, pour beer over potatoes, add rosemary, pepper and salt. Cover with lid and place pot in the oven until potatoes are fork tender, about 18-20 minutes.
    • Remove from oven and return to stove. Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes and set aside.
    • Add the flour and stock, whisk over medium high heat until thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve potatoes with gravy.

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    Oven Roasted BBQ Ribs With Stout Barbecue Sauce

    I hate to break it to you but you have probably never barbecued in your life. How dare I say such blasphemous things, you toss burgers and steaks on the grill every weekend?!

    That’s not Barbecue, it’s grill. And I would never take away from the fantastic results we can get with a backyard grill, and the amazing flavors that can work their way into your food, but it’s not barbecue.

    Barbecue is long, slow and low and the temperature is usually between 240 and 270 degrees. Grill is short, fast and hot, a nice char with a juicy middle.

    I wanted to see if I could use my oven to get close the flavors of true barbecue, and while I was missing the smokey flavor, these were some of the best homemade ribs I have ever had. The trick is long, slow and low.

    Meat choice is important as well, I used Choice ribs. You know that cute little sticker that sits beside the label on your steak packages, baffling you to some degree with the designation of Prime, Choice or Select, as to why they can’t just be honest and say, "Great," or "Pretty Good," and, "Not that great, but it’s cheap!"

    Here are the Cliffs Notes:

    Prime: The best and most expensive

    Choice: Still great, not as good or as expensive as Prime

    Select: Not good, don’t bother

    Unlabeled: Bad, didn’t even earn the lowly title of Select.

    Inspected By The USDA: Don’t be fooled, all meat is inspected by the USDA. Some stores use this to distract you from the fact that it is an ungraded piece of meat, and therefore not any good. Prime is obviously the best, but also the most expensive. When I experiment with a recipe, I usually go with Choice because it is a good cut of meat, but if the recipe doesn’t turn out well I didn’t waste $50 on the venture.

    Oven Roasted BBQ Ribs With Stout Beer Barbecue Sauce

    4 lbs Bone In Baby Back Beef Ribs (Choice or Prime)

    1 tsp salt

    1 batch Stout & Sriracha BBQ Sauce

    Preheat oven to 250.

    Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place ribs on top. Sprinkle ribs with salt on all sides. Brush with BBQ sauce and roast in the oven at 250, turning ribs and brushing with BBQ sauce every 30-45 minutes until fork tender, about 4 hours.

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    Chocolate Porter Strawberry Shortcakes With Beer Whipped Cream

    (Chocolate Porter Strawberry Shortcakes With Beer Whipped Cream)

    I’m taking a huge risk here.

    You may have taken one look at this post and decided that I’ve lost my magic. Chocolate beer cake is as common as Nascar sweatpants in Walmart. But unlike motor sports fashion blunders in public, I loved this dessert.

    I’m combining a past evoking childhood treat with my beer loving present tense self, and topping it with beer whipped cream. Strawberry shortcakes were one of my favorite desserts as a kid, but growing up I never had them from scratch. I was raised in a very prepackaged, frozen food section, shelf-stable house, with a mom who was trying to feed all of her 8 daughters (yes, that isn’t a typo, I have 7 sisters) with no time for any culinary adventure beyond reheating and assembling. Completely understandable.

    Making my childhood memory of strawberry shortcakes those pre-packaged round sponge cakes, with Cool Whip and chopped strawberries.

    So this is the "I cook from scratch and add beer" version of that. Although not a traditional "shortcake," I hope once I top it with drunken whipped cream and fresh berries you’ll forgive the misstep in terminology.

    Chocolate Porter Strawberry Shortcakes With Beer Whipped Cream

    For the cake:

    3 cups cake flour

    2 tsp baking soda

    1 tsp baking powder

    3/4 cup cocoa powder

    1 tsp salt

    2 sticks butter (softened)

    2 cups sugar

    5 eggs

    1 tbs vegetable oil

    12 oz Porter beer

    For the strawberries:

    4 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped

    1/2 cup sugar

    For the whipped cream:

    2 cups heavy cream

    1/2 cup powdered sugar

    2 tbs porter beer

    (makes 10)

     Preheat oven to 350.

    In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.

    In the bowl of the stand mixer cream the butter and sugar. One at a time add the eggs, beating well and scraping the bowl between each addition, then add the oil. Alternating between the beer and the dry ingredients, add both a bit at a time, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, stir until just barely combined.

    Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

    Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

    Invert the cake pan onto a flat surface. Using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out 5 circles from each cake round (you can also use a large knife to cut them into squares).

    Place chopped strawberries in a bowl with sugar, stir to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature for ten minutes.

    In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream, powdered sugar and 2 tbs beer. Whip on high until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.

    Place one cake round on a plate, top with strawberries and then with whipped cream.

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    Stout & Sriracha Beer Barbecue Sauce

    Barbecue debates rage on all over the south, even as we virtually speak. The most sweltering of all topics is Sauce versus Rub. Rub people claiming that good meat doesn’t need to be drowned in sauce, and sauce people attesting to the holy balance of flavors between sauce and meat, and then there is the apathetic middle who just shrug and use both.

    And even when you eat your way across the Barbecue Belt, sampling the best of both slow cooked worlds, and finally take up residence in a meat preparation camp, the disputes don’t end. If you decide to consort with the rowdy sauce crowd, you have more decisions to make. Are you a vinegar based sauce person or tomato based? Molasses or brown sugar? Mustard sauce or chili sauce?

    I’ve decided I’m a sauce girl, but I will never turn away good Slow Cooked BBQ Rubbed Spare Ribs. And although I prefer a deep sweet tomato sauce with a kick of spice, I’ll eat every last bit of a Golden Mustard Pulled Pork Sandwich.

    Whether you decide on sauce, or just a great marinade, beer is an ideal addition. Beer is a natural meat tenderizer and a deeply flavored stout is a great way to go.

    I used Bear Republic, Big Bear Black Stout. A fantastic stout, and as Beer Store Beer Guy told me last week, "Bear Republic’s Stout is one of the most consistent beers I’ve ever had. It always tastes the same, no matter what batch it came from." Hard thing to accomplish.

    Stout & Sriracha BBQ Sauce

    Stout & Sriracha Beer Barbecue Sauce

    Servings 2 cups

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tbs olive oil
    • 4 cloves of garlic minced
    • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
    • 3/4 cup ketchup
    • 2 tbs worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tsp sriracha
    • 2 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1 cup Stout
    • 1/3 cup brown sugar
    • 1 tsp onion powder

    Instructions
     

    • In a pot over medium heat, add the oil and allow to get hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and stir until you can smell it, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Allow to cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
    • Store in an air tight container in the fridge.

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    Beer Tortillas

     

    Tortillas are one of those glorious foods that I have found myself continuing to make from scratch. It wasn’t an epiphany that wakened me from my supermarket tortilla grabbing slumber, it was a gradual process. Tortillas are easy, and you probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already. And the end product will finally convince you that you no longer need that plastic bag full or pre-made taco vessels.

    So why the beer? Beer is a leavening agent, mild in a way that is the perfect strength to lightly leaven a tortilla. And a beer with bread, wheat of notes of crackers will add a fuller flavor then the typical baking powder that is called for in most homemade tortilla recipes.

    You only need a few ingredients to make these, so you need to choose carefully. Most people use lard, and this tends to give the best results. After I cook bacon (a weekly occurrence) I pour the rendered fat into an air tight container and store it in the fridge. Once it cools and solidifies, I use this to make tortillas with. If you are vegetarian or vegan, vegetable shorting makes a great stand in.

    The beer you choose needs to be carefully considers as well. Because it has a slight cracker like taste, I use Hair Of The Dog’s Ruth. Choose a beer that has notes of yeast, bread or crackers. A wheat beer would also work well.

    Beer Tortillas

    Servings 6 to 8 tortillas

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 1/2 cups flour
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup fat lard, vegetable shortening, rendered and cooled bacon fat
    • 3/4 cup warm beer Plus 3 additional tbs

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the fat and rub it into the flour with your hands until it forms course crumbs and all the fat has been distributed.
    • Addr 3/4 of a cup warm beer into the flour mixture, mixing with a fork until all of the flour has been moistened (adding the additional 3 tbs if needed). Knead for about 3-5 minutes or until the dough becomes shiny and slightly stiff but not firm.
    • Pull off pieces of the dough just smaller than a golf ball. Roll into balls and place on a plate, continue for the remaining dough. Cover the plate with a towel and allow to rest for about 30 minutes.
    • Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
    • Roll the tortillas out until they are thin enough to see through. On a lightly floured surface, flatten a ball of dough with the rolling pin, then roll forward and back across it; rotate a sixth of a turn and roll forward and back again; continue rotating and rolling until you reach a very thin consistency. Alternately, you can use a tortilla press.
    • Throw onto the griddle and allow to cook until lightly brown, about 1 minute per side. Don't over cook or your tortillas will be crispy.

    Make a batch of Chipotle Stout Braised Beef and make Tacos.

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    Beer Soaked Chocolate Covered Cherries

    Last week I was able to sit down with a guy, who in just two years went from a home brewer who was opening the doors to his first bar, to owning three bars and the fastest growing craft brewery in California.

    If you live in Los Angeles, and you’re a craft beer fan, I’m certain you have heard of Tony Yanow of Golden Road. If you haven’t you are going to want to acquaint yourself with him and what he’s building. Here is my article for your craft beer research indulgence.

    He is also the man who helped create one of my favorite IPA’s. Golden Roads, Point The Way IPA.

    As I’ve hammered into you several times before, IPA’s make terrible cooking subject, which is why I rarely use them. This is a recipe that doesn’t require cooking, and the tart hoppiness of the IPA is a great compliment to the cherries.

    And, as a salute to my fellow beer lovers who happen to be vegan (more vegan beer fans exist than one would expect) this is an easy recipe to veganize.

    IPA Soaked Chocolate Covered Cherries (vegan option)

    2 cups fresh Bing cherries, pitted

    1 cup IPA

    8 oz Dark Chocolate (60%) (For vegan, use vegan chocolate. Most higher end brands are vegan at 60%, but make sure to check if you want to make sure)

    Pit the cherries and add them to a loaf pan in one tight layer. Pour the IPA over the cherries and allow to soak at room temperature for 2 hours and up to 6. Drain and allow to dry for about 20 minutes (they need to be dry before chocolate gets involved).

    To temper the chocolate: (*Note. Tempering chocolate makes it shiny and gives it a nice snap. If you don’t care so much about that, you can just add the chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted)

    In a double boiler melt the chocolate over medium heat. If you don’t have a double boiler, add a metal bowl over a pot of water, making sure the bottom of the metal bowl does not come in contact with the water in the pot.

    Chop the chocolate into chunks and add about half to the top of the double boiler. Heat the chocolate to 115 degrees (use a clip-on candy thermometer to do this). Add the rest of the chocolate and stir until all of the chocolate has melted and is now down to about 90 degrees.

    A few at a time, add the cherries to the chocolate with a fork, roll around until coated, remove with the fork and allow to drain a bit, then place on a piece of parchment paper to harden. Repeat for all cherries. Chill until ready to serve.

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    Homemade Beer Marinara From Scratch

     

    The first time I made marinara was a complete accident.

    Just a few months after I nearly accidentally graduated college, I got a job working with teenage gang members in South Central Los Angeles. You are free to laugh at the idea of a very white girl, who grew up on a farm in Eastern Washington, working in South Central. With gang kids.

    I sat on one side of a light oak dining table in a small Group Home, a transitional respite for kids who had been released from jail but who were still on probation, to talk with Dominick. He was from a rough area of Compton, and had found his way to the seat across from me via a GTA charge and a hot temper. But to me, he was a baby faced 14-year-old who secretly liked Whitney Houston. This was our first meeting, and part of my job was to compile a list of his "Triggers." Anything that made him angry enough to lash out, to do something that could land his ass back in jail. We both had the same goal: get him back home. Most kids, in my short 4 months of experience all had a very similar trigger. This usually centered around someone "talking shit" about them, their mom, or their crew. Maybe a handful of other miscellaneous and understandable offenses.

    When I asked Dominick what triggered him, what drove him to a rage that welled up in him a feeling of violence that once caused him to send a chair on a journey through a class room window, his face fell flat.

    "What?" I was so curious, "What makes you that mad?"

    He took a deep breath and lowered his voice, "When those mother fuckin' girls make human pyramids."

    I laughed so hard I felt bad about it. His young face broke open into a sweet smile, "Jackie, I’m not gonna lie.." He started to giggle, "Pisses me the fuck off, I have no idea why. I want to push those chicks right over."

    Fair enough. My job was to teach him how to deal with his anger, no matter what triggered it.

    He wanted to learn how to cook, and he wanted to make Spaghetti. He thought that cooking might help him channel his anger. We didn’t have any sauce, but his group home staff had just come into ownership of 10 pounds of tomatoes, so we made do.

    Because of Dominick, and his human pyramid hating ways, I will always love a good, homemade, can free, marinara.

    Homemade Beer Marinara From Scratch

    3 lbs tomatoes

    1 large head of garlic

    1 tbs olive oil, plus 2 additional tbs, divided

    1 large white onion, chopped

    1 large carrot, peeled and diced

    16 ounces wheat beer (Golden Road Hefeweizen is a great choice)

    1/3 cup chopped basil leaves

    1 tsp salt

    1 tsp pepper

    Preheat oven to 400.

    Rub the head of garlic until about half of the papery white skin comes off. Cut a small amount of the tip off the head of the garlic, just enough to expose all of the cloves. Place on a small piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with about 1 tbs of olive oil. Fold the foil tightly around the garlic, place on a baking sheet. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place them on the baking sheet along with the garlic packet.

    Roast the tomatoes and the garlic at 400 for 20-30 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and the skin starts to peel back from the flesh. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

    The skin of the tomatoes should be very easy to remove at this point, peel the skin off the tomatoes and discard. Place a fine mesh sieve or strainer over a bowl. Scoop the seeds into the strainer and place the remaining part of the peeled and seeded tomato into a bowl, repeat until all of the tomatoes have been seeded. Allow the seeds to continue to drain while you make the rest of the sauce.

    In a pot over medium high heat, add 2 tbs olive oil. Add the onions and carrots, sauté until carrots are soft and onions are translucent. Add the beer, seeded and peeled tomatoes and whatever juice has accumulated in the bowl beneath the tomato seeds. Discard the seeds. Remove the head of garlic from the foil packet and squeeze the soft head until the cloves comes out and into the sauce. Add the salt, pepper and basil.

    Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer, allow to cook and reduce until thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    If you want a smoother sauce, add to a food processor and process until smooth.

    Use this with my Homemade Beer Ricotta to make a beer infused Lasagna or stuffed Rigatoni.

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    Drunken Strawberry Tart with Beer Lemon Curd

    Being wrapped in a world filled with food people, the lovers, academics and fanatics, I’ve often lost my footing. Forgotten the simple pleasures of small, honest meals for the sake of a journey towards the creation of an epic recipe. While surrounding myself with people who strive to reinvent the world of food as we know,  I’ve been so entranced that I’ve stepped away from the core of who I am and the food I fell in love with.

    I am not a moderist cook.

    I am not a chef.

    I may never create an epic recipe.

    I am OK with that.

    It was through a process, not of self discovery but of self remembrance, that stumbled upon a memory that I had almost lost within my catalogue of food experiences. Under the thousand dollar dinners, PR events, celebrity chefs, and world renowned restaurants was a small Italian city, and a home cooked meal.

    Years ago, on what turned out to be a 16 hour layover, I was stuck in Pescara Italy. A girl about my age, just past 21, took pity on a broke and confused American in her tiny local airport and asked if she could show her town to me. It began with a home cooked meal, from her own mothers hands on a rickety folding table in her living room, the only place in the small apartment that would accommodate us all. Homemade bread, a small green salad, smashed peas and a roasted chicken.

    For dessert was a lemon tart. Simple, beautiful and tangy, made by the hands of a woman who didn’t speak a word of English, but who took time to cook for me even though we would never have the ability to have a conversation, and I could never properly thank her. This is the food that I fell in love with, and I am reminding myself to stay true to that.

    I’ve done my best to make the beer infused version of the tart that was made for me in Pescara, and chose a beer that is nearly as fascinating to me. Cooney Island Lager has flavors that remind me a great meal made in spring, orange, citrus, bread and apples.

    If you can’t find this beer, look for a low hop beer with notes of citrus, tropical fruits and bread.

    Drunken Strawberry Tart with Beer Lemon Curd

    Ingredients
      

    For the tart crust:

    • 1 1/4 cups of flour
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 stick of unsalted butter cut into small cubes
    • 3-5 tbs ice cold water

    For the curd:

    • 1 tbs lemon zest
    • 2 whole eggs plus six yolks
    • 1 1/4 cup white sugar
    • 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice about 6 large lemons
    • ½ cup beer
    • 2 tbs corn starch
    • 1 stick unsalted butter cut into cubes

    For the Strawberries

    • 3 cups strawberries
    • ½ cup beer
    • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

    For the Whipped Cream

    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 2 tbs beer
    • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    • In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the cubes of butter and process until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Your dough should resemble course meal.
    • Start with 3 tbs of water, pulse until combined. If the crust doesn’t hold together add more water, a bit at a time, until it does.
    • Dump the dough into a 4 inch deep, 9 inch wide tart pan with a remove-able bottom (you can also use a pie pan). Starting with the sides, form the crust inside the pan, trying your best to make it all as even as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a least 3 hours.
    • Preheat oven to 375.
    • Place a sheet of parchment paper inside your tart and fill with pie weights. If you don’t have any, dried beans work great.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until your tart is a light golden brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly. remove pie weights.
    • Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, beer, sugar, corn starch, whole eggs and yolks to a bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the lemon mixture to a pan over medium/low heat along with the butter. Whisk until thickened, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
    • Add the curd to the crust and chill until set, about 4 hours.
    • Just prior to serving add the berries to a shallow bowl of pie pan and cover with 1/2 cup beer. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Drain and return to bowl with the sugar, stir to combine.
    • Add all of the whipped cream ingredients to a stand mixer and mix on high until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.
    • Top tart with berries and whipped cream just prior to serving.

    IPA Marinated Citrus Pork Chops With Peach Poblano Salsa

    A really well crafted IPA is a beautiful thing,but this is the style that is most often poorly done. The art of balancing a  hop forward beer delicately with its subtle back notes is an art that only a few persistent pros seem to be able to manage. The well crafted, well balanced IPA is an incredible art, that takes the dedication of a thoughtful and persistent brewer to really ace.

     I present to you Stone Ruination. It is a Masters level education on how to do the IPA right. Seek it out if you adore the Indian Pale Ale, or even if you tend to avoid it. That’s how you make an IPA.

    IPA Marinated Citrus Pork Chops With Peach Poblano Salsa

    For the Pork Chops:

    1 cup IPA (Stone Ruination Preferred)

    1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

    1 tsp salt

    3 cloves garlic, minced

    1 tsp agave

    1/2 tsp Sriracha

    4 bone-in pork chops (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick)

    3 tbs olive oil (plus additional if needed)

    For the Salsa:

    1 cup chopped fresh yellow peaches (about 1 large peach)

    1 cup chopped red bell peppers, stem and seeds removed (about 1 medium sided pepper)

    2/3 cup chopped poblano pepper, stem and seeds removed (about 1 large pepper)

    2/3 cup chopped red onion (about 1/2 of 1 large onion)

    1/4 cup chopped green onion

    1/2 tsp salt

    2 tbs IPA

    1/4 tsp chili powder (add more for a spicier salsa)

     

    In a large bowl or baking dish, combine the IPA, lemon juice, salt, agave, garlic and srirach, stir to combine. Add the pork chops, turning to coat. Place the bowl (or baking dish) in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

    Add all of the salsa ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine.

    In a pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and allow to get hot but not smoking. Add the pork chops, cooking one or two at a time, don’t crowd the pan. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. You want them to still have a slight hint of pink still in the center, pork chops go from undercooked to overcooked really quickly, so keep a close eye on them.

    Plate, and top with salsa. You will have more than enough salsa for the chops, serve the excess in a bowl with chips.

    Homemade Beer Ricotta

    There are foods that I relent to making from scratch, taking hours to carve a meal out of whole ingredients. Hours spend on homemade pasta, breads, pie dough and sauces. The extra time is more than worth it for real food, feed to those I love from the earth, to my hands to the table.

    And then there are things that take so little time and effort, I am amazed that it took me so long to start making them from scratch.

    Like whipped cream, tortillas and ricotta.

    The active time on this recipe is so little, and the reward is so great, I will never buy it again. No special equipment or difficult to find ingredients. No extensive aging times or unusual techniques. Just a few simple ingredients and a stove.

    Spread it on bread and top with fresh vegetables.

    Make homemade ricotta ice cream.

    Stuffed cannellonis.

    Ricotta Cheesecake.

    You might need to make a double batch.

     This is  recipe that needs a wheat beer. The citrusy breadyness comes through in really great way. I used Colete By Great Divide. The flavors were perfect for this ricotta and lent themselves well to either sweet or savory recipes using the cheese.

    I was grateful that I bought a six pack, this is a beer that will make it’s way in my normal drinking and cooking rotation.


    Homemade Beer Ricotta

    3 cups whole milk (do not use Ultra-Pasterized, it won’t work)

    1 cup heavy cream

    1/2 tsp salt

    1/3 cup Saison beer, Plus 2 tbs divided

    3 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar (you can also use lemon juice, or a combination of the two)

    Makes about 1 1/4 cups

    In a pot over medium high heat (do not use an aluminum pan) add the milk, cream, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/3 cup beer.

    Clip a cooking thermometer onto the side of the pan.

    Bring the liquid to 190 degrees, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching. Keep a close eye on it, the liquid reaches and passes 190 very quickly and you don’t want it rising above 200.

    Remove from heat, add the 2 tbs beer and then the vinegar (or lemon juice) and stir gently once or twice. It should curdle immediately.  Allow to sit undisturbed for about 5 minutes.

    Line a large strainer with 1 or 2 layers of cheese cloth, place the strainer in the sink over a large bowl.

    Pour the ricotta into the strainer and allow to drain for 15 to 30 minutes and up to an hour.

    After 15 minutes you will have a smooth creamy spreadable cheese. As you continue to allow it to drain, it will become more and more firm. It will also continue to firm once it is chilled, remove it from the strainer before it reaches the firmness level you want as it will continue to firm up in the fridge.

    Place in an air tight container and store in the fridge.

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    Chocolate Stout Covered Beer Caramels

    You aren’t always aware of the nexus of a true obsession. It may only be in hind sight that the catalyst is revealed upon agonizing inspection of your past. For me, however, the spark was breathtaking, an obvious birth of a fixation that lead to this blog. That trigger was Bison Honey Basil Ale. A beer that begged to be turned into Beer Creme Brulee, my first post.

    If you enjoy this little blog that I have, and are as fascinated as I am with turning beer into chewable treats, you don’t have me to thank, you owe the lovely folks at Bison Brewery a debt of gratitude. As do I, or course.

    For this post, I used Bison Chocolate Stout, an excellent example of the genre.

    Chocolate Stout Covered Beer Caramels

    Ingredients
      

    For The Caramels:

    • 12 oz bottle low hop Pale or Amber ale divided
    • 2 cups white sugar
    • 1 cup light brown sugar
    • 1 cup butter
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 cup corn syrup

    For the Chocolate:

    • 1 1/2 cups 60% dark chocolate
    • 1/4 cup Chocolate Stout
    • 1 tsp flakey sea salt optional

    Instructions
     

    • In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, add 1 cup beer (reserve the remaining beer). Allow beer to boil and reduce until thick and syrupy and only about 1 tsp remains, about 20 minutes. Set aside. (Note: if you want a lower level of beer taste, skip this step and substitute the "extract" you have just made with 1 tsp of vanilla extract in the later step that calls for the beer extract)
    • Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, making sure the paper goes up and over the sides of the pan, set aside.
    • In a large sauce pan over high heat add both sugars, butter, cream, corn syrup and remaining 1/2 cup beer. Stir until butter has melted and then stop stirring while the candy boils (you can occasionally swirl the pan), clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, taking care that the tip doesn't touch the bottom. Allow to boil untouched until the liquid reaches 244 degrees. The caramel will reach 200 degrees rather quickly,but will take 15-20 minutes to reach 244. The last few degrees climb quickly so stay close to your pot.
    • Once the caramel has reached 244, remove from heat. Add the reduced beer "extract" that you have set aside and stir until the bubbling has subsided. Pour it into prepared loaf pan, allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Cut into squares.
    • In the top of a double boiler add the chocolate and the stout, stir over low heat until melted and creamy, about 5 minutes. Don't over heat or your chocolate will seize.
    • One at a time, place the squares into the chocolate with a fork. Roll around until covered, remove and add to a piece of wax paper, sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Once the squares been covered in chocolate transfer the to the refrigerator, repeat with remaining caramel. Chill until set, about 10 minutes.
    • Keep refrigerated.

     

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    Roasted Garlic Beer Butter Shrimp

    Remember the Beer Cooking Scale I told you about last month, the one I want to invent? The one that would let you know the approximate level of Beeryness the final product has? This recipe is at both ends of that yet-to-be-invented scale’s spectrum. The beer butter has a kick you in the mouth beer flavor that will be heartily enjoyed by beer enthusiast, and the shrimp has a subtle note of beer in it’s finish. If you are a Kick You In The Mouth kinda person, cooking for a Maybe Just A Touch kind of person, this will satisfy you both. You get a butter full of intense beer flavor to slather onto whatever you so choose, and your little friend gets a plate of shrimp with slight notes of beer. Harmony between the two of you once again.

    For this recipe I used a Saison brewed with sage, giving really great herb notes to the finished product. This is  a special release beer from Epic Brewing called  Utah Saison Sage #2.

    If you can’t find this beer, look for a Saison with herb or citrus notes.

    Roasted Garlic Beer Butter

    1 head of garlic

    1 tbs olive oil

    1/2 cup Saison beer

    1 stick of butter, softened

    Preheat oven to 425. Rub several layers of the white papery skin off the head of garlic, leaving a light layer still in tact to keep the bulb together. Cut off the top point of the head, exposing the cloves inside.

    Place on a sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil and fold the foil tightly around the garlic. Place in a baking dish and roast in a 425 degree oven until the cloves are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

    While the garlic is roasting, add the beer to a pot on the stove. Cook until reduced to 3 tbs, about 10 minutes. (To lower the level of beer flavor in the butter, reduce 1/4 cup of beer by half.)

    In a food processor, add the softened butter and the beer. Squeeze the head of garlic until the cloves push out, adding just the cloves to the food processor and discarding the papery skin.

    Process the butter until smooth. Add to an air tight container and store in the fridge.

    Roasted Garlic Beer Butter Shrimp, two methods

     3 tbs beer butter

    10 shrimp

    pinch of salt and pepper

    Metohd one: Grilling

    Preheat grill. Melt the beer butter in a microwave safe dish. Skewer the shrimp with a heat safe skewers(or water soaked wooden skewers). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, brush liberally with melted butter. Grill until pink and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Brush occasionally with butter while cooking.

    Method two: Stove Top

    In a pan over medium high heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper, add to the pan and saute until cooked through about 5 minutes.

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