New Year, New Beer and a fab winter recipe!

Let's start the New Year off right- by trying new beers!  This weekend I had the opportunity to try one I've had my eye on for a while, and it did not disappoint.  Stone Brewing is known for its bold and unique brews, and the Stone Smoked Porter was no exception.  This beer poured almost black, with a distinct "campfire" aroma that was quite pleasing.  The taste was surprisingly smooth, with a subtle balance of burnt chocolate and coffee notes and slightly smoky finish.  As the beer warmed from the fridge, the smoky aroma became more dominant.  I was very surprised to find myself thinking that this would be a great summer beer for barbecuing- it was very refreshing for a porter.  I really wanted a big burger or some BBQ ribs to go with this one.  It was so drinkable, in fact, that it did not last to be enjoyed with the lobster chowder I was making- the whole bottle was consumed during preparation (and I was left wishing I had another).  A great offering for someone who loves dark beers, and much more "beginner" friendly than I expected.  Give this one a try!

As the deep South was encased in deep snow this week, it was time to try out a recipe I've had in mind for a while.  I got into soup making a couple of years ago, and was happy to discover it is much easier than I had expected!  I love hearty soups in the winter, and I love seafood, so lobster chowder sounded like a great idea on a cold winter weekend.  It turned out to be both simple and delicious!  A word of caution, I love cooking with sherry, and this soup has more than a "hint"- decrease if you're not a sherry fan. Serve with some fresh baked bread and you'll be in heaven!

Lobster Chowder  (Makes 2-3 quarts)
3/4 cup diced fresh carrots
2 celery ribs, diced
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
1 1/2 lbs cooked lobster meat or langostinos, chopped (Trader Joe's has frozen langostinos in 12 oz. packages, I used 2 of those- thaw and rinse thoroughly, then chop them up a little)
2 12 ounce cans condensed Cream of Potato soup
1 15 oz can Bar Harbor lobster stock
1/2 cup sherry
4 tablespoons corn starch
1 quart half and half (you can't tell the difference if you use fat free!)

Saute carrots, celery, and onion in butter on low/medium heat until well done.  Add lobster meat/langostinos, potato soup, lobster stock, and sherry and stir well.  Combine corn starch with a small amount of the half and half (1/2 cup or so should work) and whisk until smooth.  Add to soup and stir thoroughly.  Slowly add the remainder of the half and half, stirring with each addition.  Bring soup to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer 2+ minutes/ until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Enjoy!!!

Cooking the Holy Grail

I believe that every aspiring chef, professional or amateur, has that one dish or recipe that is their personal "Holy Grail".  They may spend their life trying to tweak and perfect it, but are rarely satisfied with the results.  Though others may be thoroughly impressed with the outcome, the chef is convinced that his or her "grail dish" falls just shy of ever elusive perfection.  After many years of trials, ranging from reasonably tasty to downright vile, I believe my search had come to an end....

In my personal opinion, Ranch Dressing is the greatest condiment ever invented.  It's versatility surpasses even ketchup (sorry Pittsburghers), and anything that can make celery palatable can't possibly be bad.  Unfortunately, Ranch is not so kind to my midsection, especially as I get older, and let's face it, low fat and non-fat Ranch sucks.  There's just no nice way to put it.  I'm pretty sure I've tried almost every kind under the sun, and nothing even compares to that Ranch-y goodness you get at your favorite wing joint.  Home versions also failed miserably, until last week.  At first I didn't believe it.  Texture was good, consistency was good, it even looked and smelled like Ranch.  I somewhat dubiously reached for the celery, mostly expecting another epic fail.... 

And it was awesome.  In fact, I found myself going to the fridge to find out what else I could put this stuff on.  The second batch turned out even better (my guinea pig stated that the first attempt was tasty, but a little thin- oddly, I used the exact same recipe for the second batch but a different brand of base ingredient and it turned out thicker)  Low-fat and wing worthy, a feat never before accomplished in all my years as a Ranch aficionado.  You may disagree, but that's the great thing about this dish- whatever it is for you, ultimately, you are the only one who has to be satisfied with it.  Without further ado, I give you:

Holy Grail Ranch Dressing
1/3 cup mayonnaise (use the real stuff, not Miracle Whip or Light Mayo- I think this was the cause of failure for many previous versions)
1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream (stay away from the fat-free, see above)
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (this is what was changed in between batches- Fage resulted in a thinner dressing, and Dannon created a slightly thicker version)
1 cup fat-free half and half
1 1/2 packets Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (regular, not buttermilk)
1/2 teaspoon each:  fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, parsley
1/4 teaspoon dill weed

Whisk together first four ingredients until well blended.  Whisk in Ranch Dressing mix.  Whisk in remaining ingredients until thoroughly blended.  For best results, refrigerate overnight before serving.  Should last up to two weeks refrigerated- I'll let you know if any ever lasts that long in my household!

Makes two cups.  Serving size= 2 tablespoons, 55 calories, 4 g fat, 1g sat. fat.
You have chosen... wisely.  Enjoy!

Stay tuned for a New Year's beer review (heading out to select my midnight beer now!) and something to go with that Ranch- my new project, Cajun Injected Wings!

Happy New Year!

Being Clark Kent

A good bartender is more than just a purveyor of fine spirits.  In my time behind the bar, I have also been a confidant, counselor, sports analyst, financial advisor (yikes!), and even a philosopher.  In that vein, I climb up on my soapbox today and comment about something I see far too often.  Like today's title character, too many of us go through each day quietly blending in with the scenery.  We go to work, do our job, and go home, but how many of us can actually say we feel more fulfilled by how we have spent our day?  I know, it's called "work" for a reason, but it doesn't have to be this way. 

Lately, I have seen this problem in my own life.  Don't get me wrong- most of the time, my job isn't so bad.  I like my co-workers, and I enjoy working cases.  The problem is that I feel like I'm just going through the motions.  Put me behind the bar or in the kitchen, however, and it's like stepping out of the phone booth.  All of a sudden, I can do anything.  I remember one restaurant job where I was the bartender, server, manager, and cook all at one time.  I thrived on the pressure and loved every minute of it.  It makes me ask myself- do I want to keep being Clark Kent, which may not be very exciting, but is familiar and comfortable, or do I want to take a shot at being Superman, even though the risk may be great?

It's a little easier for me, since I've already figured out HOW to be Superman, I just need to have the courage to jump off the ledge and go do it.  I think all of us have that potential though, and I challenge everyone to go find whatever makes you Superman.  If you already know what that is, embrace it instead of ignoring it.  If you already did THAT, please let me know your secret!

Hope you all enjoyed today's food for thought- with a good beer in hand of course!

Cooking with beer... and cooking with BEER!

Been away for a while, thanks to a crazy work schedule that severely limited my time for both drinking and cooking.  Got to enjoy both yesterday though, so here goes!  I'm probably the only person I know who has more booze in the pantry than in the liquor cabinet, but both liquor and beer can make great additions to recipes.  One of my go to "easy" dinners is penne alla vodka, and believe me it is delicious, looks fancy, and a ten year old could probably make it.  Bourbon and rum can make great additions to grilling sauces, and I've even used Jagermeister when a recipe called for anise extract!

Beer, however, comes in so many varieties that the right beer can spice up almost any dish.  For hot chili, I like to use a hoppy beer like Sweetwater 420 or an IPA, which enhances the spiciness.  For a sweeter, milder chili though, I use Guinness or some kind of porter, which tends to mellow out the spices.  The chocolate and coffee malts add a touch of sweetness too.  Try Guiness or a similar beer in beef stew- you won't be disappointed!  Next time you make burgers, mix in a healthy dose of you favorite beer- adds a good flavor, and helps keep the patties from falling apart on the grill.  One caveat- DO NOT use, for lack of a better word, "skunky" beers like Heineken for cooking.  This seems like kind of a no-brainer to me, but don't say I didn't warn you.

So yesterday I planned to work on sauces and seasonings for the Pourhouse menu, but then also volunteered to cook dinner for some friends as well.  Thank god I had a bottle of Rogue John John Ale in the fridge, just waiting for such a kitchen adventure.  I love to cook, especially when I get to cook for others, and one of my favorite times to enjoy a good beer is while preparing a good meal! For those who don't know, the John John Ale is a batch of the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar (one of my all-time favorite beers!) that they age in rum casks.  This was my first time trying it, and overall, it was good but not spectacular.  Poured nice, but could have been a little more full-bodied.  Not vastly different from the regular HBN, just a bit spicier finish, which I suppose is imparted from the rum casks.  Still, an enjoyable beer.

On the Pourhouse menu yesterday was Bourbon BBQ sauce, Cajun and blackening dry rubs, and a lemon pepper dry rub.  For the dinner, I was making mushroom soup and French Dip stromboli with garlic aioli (hey, that rhymes!) and red wine Au Jus.  I surprised myself by being able to cook all of these things at the same time and not burn anything or injure myself!  The BBQ sauce turned out great- sweet, smoky, just a little spicy.  Today I plan to find something to put it on, but considering that I couldn't stop "tasting" it while it was simmering, I'm pretty pleased with my first effort.  Ditto for the dry rubs- they smell good, but are yet untested.  My friends really enjoyed the mushroom soup (thanks Mom and Dad for that recipe!), and the stromboli turned out well too.  All in all, a fun experiment!

I'll part with one of my favorite recipes- even though it doesn't use beer!

Penne alla Vodka
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/4 pound pancetta
2T butter
1/3 cup vodka (use a mid-shelf brand like Smirnoff- the stuff in the plastic bottle with the Russian on the front will make your sauce bitter!)
1/2 cup heavy cream (I use fat-free half and half instead and can't tell the difference)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I use Emeril's Homestyle Marinara)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Grated parmesean cheese

Prepare the penne according to box directions.  While it's cookng, make the sauce:
Saute the pancetta in butter until crispy.  Do not drain!  Add the vodka and simmer about 3 minutes.  Stir in the cream and then the marinara.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Toss with cooked pasta and top with grated parm.  YUM!!
* For a variation, I like to use italian sausage (just make sure you get the kind that's already fully cooked!)and spinach or chicken and asparagus instead of the pancetta.  The directions don't change- just make sure that if you're using chicken it's cooked through before you add the vodka.  Enjoy!

Beer review: Yuengling Porter

A recent trip to Florida brought me back in touch with one of my favorite beers- Yuengling Porter.  This beer will always have a special place in my heart- after all, it was the first beer I ever purchased legally!  Pours nicely, with a medium tan head which leaves nice lacing on the glass, although it doesn't stick around long.  The deep coffee aroma and black color almost make you believe you're drinking a cold cup of joe.  A roasted coffee flavor dominates, with hints of chocolate and a nice malty undertone.  My one complaint is that is is a little thin and slightly over-carbonated for a porter.  This does add to its drinkability though- definitely not one of those beers that you drink and feel like you've consumed a four course meal.  Dry finish with a slightly sweet aftertaste.  For best results, serve slightly warm- 50-60 degrees is perfect.  Unfortunately, this little gem is not available in Georgia (for shame!!)  If you happen to be somewhere that serves this up, pair it with some comfort food like a good burger- you won't be disappointed!

I fear no beer!

They say that a journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step.  Ultimately, I hope that mine ends with me standing behind three feet of mahogany serving up gourmet burgers and sandwiches paired with unique American microbrews.  It's unfortunate that the phrase "American beer" so often conjures up thoughts of Budweiser and Miller Lite.  Make no mistake, America has some of the most complex, creative, and most importantly, delicious beers in the world.  As I try to make my dream of owning "the pourhouse" a reality, I will be tasting new beers and experimenting with new recipes.  Check back often for beer reviews, food pairing suggestions, recipes, and other updates on the journey.  And please remember to fear no beer!