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Szechuan Beer Shrimp

26.01.2021 No Comments

Szechuan Beer Shrimp

I have to warn you about something. It’s Szechuan peppercorns. Maybe you’re well versed in these little buggers, but maybe you aren’t, and it saves me from worrying about you if you don’t already know that they numb your mouth. Did you know this? Is this common knowledge and I just assume it isn’t, like how I assume everyone just realized that caribou and reindeer are the same thing and I only imagined this to be more privileged knowledge? This is my long-winded way to tell you that Szechuan peppercorn gives you a little tingly numbness when you eat them, as revenge for being eaten. That last part I made up, but I think it’s accurate. 

They aren’t hot, per se, but they do abuse your mouth the way capsaicin and hoppy beers do. And if you’re a person who likes food that fights back (I’m looking at you, triple IPA drinkers), I think you’ll like this as well. 

Are you afraid of this? It’s ok, I will only judge you a little for being scared of mouth-numbing foods. You can substitute it with 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, but you’ll be missing out on all the fun. 

Szechuan Beer Shrimp

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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns*
  • 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus ½ teaspoon divided
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
  • 2 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil divided
  • 4 green onions
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ginger grated with a Microplane
  • 6 long dried red chilies chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup beer pale lager, pilsner, wheat beer
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Sriracha to taste this will depend on how spicy your red chilies are
  • ¼ cup chopped peanuts

Instructions
 

  • Add the peppercorns to a dry pan, toss over high heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  • Using a mortar and pestle, crush to powder (you can also add to a Ziploc bag and crush with a heavy pan or rolling pin), add to a mixing bowl.
  • Place the shrimp on a stack of paper towels to dry well.
  • Add to a bowl with 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cornstarch, toss until well coated.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil to a pan until hot, add the shrimp, toss until the shrimp is curled, pink, and cooked through, remove from pan, add to a large bowl.
  • Chop the green onions, separating the green from the white and light green sections.
  • Heat the remaining oil to the pan, add the chopped white and very light green parts of the green onions (reserve the dark green for later), and the chopped red pepper, sauté until starting to soften.
  • In the peppercorn bowl, add the garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, chopped garlic, grated ginger, dried chilies, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, beer, and honey, stir to combine.
  • Add the mixture to the pan over the bell peppers, simmer until thickened.
  • Pour the mixture over the shrimp, toss to coat. Add sriracha to taste.
  • Add to a serving bowl, sprinkle with chopped green onions, peanuts. Serve warm.

Notes

You can substitute the Szechuan peppercorns with 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, skip steps 1 and 2. 

Southern Style Barbecue Beer Shrimp and Grits

23.09.2020 3 Comments

Southern Style Barbecue Beer Shrimp and Grits

I’m gonna let you in on something. People send me recipes all the time, and I ignore them. Beer bread! Yes, I’m well aware. Beer can chicken! Done it. Rissotto but with beer! Mucho familiar. This goes on and on until the end of time. 

When you spend more hours than your basic levels of sanity will allow creating compelling recipes that include beer, you’ve explored all the far reaches of cooking with your favorite fermented beverages. But every once in awhile, someone will send me something that I feel an overwhelming need to make.

A good friend sent me a link to this recipe from Seattle chef Matt Lewis with the message, "This was the best thing I ate in college." And obviously this is a glowing review, but what makes it even more so is that she’s Southern. When a Southerner sends you another Southerns recipe for shrimp and grits, YOU MAKE IT. 

And it was fantastic. So obviously, now it’s your turn to make it. 

Southern Style Barbecue Beer Shrimp and Grits

Adapted from Chef Matt Lewis' Shrimp and Grits whereyaatmatt.com
5 from 1 vote
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Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the grits:

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (25g) diced white onion
  • 2 cups (312g) dry corn grits
  • 6 cups (48oz) chicken broth or stock
  • 1 ½ cups (342g) half-and-half
  • 1 cup (130g) shredded cheddar
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus additional to taste this will depend on how salty your broth is

For the shrimp:

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) butter
  • 1 lbs raw shrimp peeled and deveined (strongly recommend red shrimp*)
  • 1 shallot blub minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup (65g) beer (light lager, wheat beer, pilsner)
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large sauce pan melt the butter. Add the onions, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the grits, cooking until coated in butter and starting to smell slightly like popcorn.
  • Stir in the broth, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stir in the cream and continue to cook until grits have softened, about an additional 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the cheese, hot sauce and salt.
  • In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and spices (first 10 ingredients in the shrimp list), set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Add the shallots, cook until starting to soften, add the shrimp, toss until starting to cook. Stir in the garlic. Sprinkle with the spice mixture, stir to combine. Add the beer, hot sauce, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce, simmer until thickened.
  • Ladle the grits into 4 bowls, top with shrimp and sauce, sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

*Red shrimp, or Argentine red shrimp, is sweeter, milder and have a taste closer to lobster. They don’t turn rubbery when fully cooked, they stay soft and tender. The flavor and texture are far superior to other varieties and makes it well worth the time it takes to seek them out. Because they often come from South America, they are often found in the frozen section. 

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits

03.03.2016 2 Comments

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits2

 Every few months I find myself here.

In a brewery, doing my best to learn how to turn what some see as an ugly industrial space with bad lighting into beautiful photos. Mostly, I’m a self-taught photographer. I took classes, read books, watched a decades worth of YouTube videos, sat in online workshops, and even joined an online photo mentorship group. But I always feel behind, always feel like I’m not quite there.

Hellbent100

I’ve often wondered if I’ll ever be where I want, if "arriving" in a creative sense even exists. I’ve worried that I’ll never be able to give people the images I want to shoot. But I’ve never once thought about giving up. Not once.

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits4

It’s easy to get pulled into the undertow of comparison. It’s easy to see more clearly how far we have to go rather than the long road we’ve already traveled. In those moments I tell myself, "Keep your head down and keep going." It works. It moves me forward. I get closer all the time to the place I want to be.

Desktop1

At the end of the day, that’s all we have. We have the ability to move forward, to drive closer to the life we want and the people we want to be. Perfection is a dangerous myth that robs us of contentment. Let’s just be able to sit here, in the gratitude that we are moving forward.

Let’s take a few minutes each week, grab a beer, grab some food, and just be content. Harder than it sounds, but we can do. Even if we need a few beers first.

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits3

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits

Print Recipe
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the grits:

  • 12 ounces wheat beer
  • 2 cups water plus additional
  • 1 cup yellow grits not instant
  • 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

For the shrimp:

  • 4 strips thick cut bacon chopped
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 lbs raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ cup wheat beer
  • 2 tbs chopped chives

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium heat add the beer and 2 cups of warm water. Bring to a simmer and slowly add the grits. Cook over a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and tender. Add water ¼ cup at a time when the grits begin to dry out.
  • Once the grits are cooked stir in the cheddar, butter, cream, salt and pepper.
  • Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat (don’t turn the heat too high, medium heat will render more fat than high heat) until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon, set aside. Pour off all the bacon fat except about 1 tablespoon. Return pan to heat, melt the butter in the skillet.
  • Add the shrimp and spices, toss to coat. Pour in the beer, cooking until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the grits to serving bowls, top with shrimp, bacon and chives.

Grilled Chili Lime Beer Shrimp

22.07.2015 4 Comments

Chili Lime Beer Shrimp -1

I was at a brewery in Southern California early last year and a brewer handed me a small cup of warm wort to sample from a batch he was in the middle of brewing. "What is it?" I asked. He shrugged.

"It was a bunch of leftover bits from bags and batches. I just decided to brew something with it. Maybe a Hoppy Brown Porter? or…an India Chocolate Ale..with… Never mind. I have no idea."

Unlike wine, which is often labeled for the grapes that produced it, beer is hard to name. Sure, there are certain designations that make it easy to classify some brews, but there is plenty of beer that doesn’t fit any category. This isn’t a problem as much as it’s an opportunity. It’s evidence that beer is evolving at a pace so rapid, categories have a hard time keeping up.

Chili Lime Beer Shrimp -4

In 1987 the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) had just 12 categories in which to award medals. In 2015, there was 92, many with subcategories. It’s a spectacular example of the evolution of beer.

For this recipe, I used a beer with a designation that’s only been recognized for the past handful of years: the Black IPA. Also called a Cascading Dark Ale or American Black Ale, it’s a hybrid of different styles. It has the looks of a porter with the spirit of an IPA. It has a bit of the roasty characters of a darker beer, but tastes light and hoppy like an IPA. Should you try it? Absolutely. Will you love it? Who knows, but at least you’ll have tried it. That’s part of the adventure of beer.

A few to try:

Bear Republic // Black Racer

Deschutes // Hop in the Dark

21st Amendment // Back in Black 

Southern Tier // Iniquity

Founders Inspired  // Artist Black IPA

Chili Lime Beer Shrimp -3

 

 

Grilled Chili Lime Beer Shrimp

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp honey
  • ½ tsp fresh garlic grated with a microplane
  • 2 tbs fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup beer black IPA, or hoppy red ale will work great
  • 1 lbs raw shrimp
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions
 

  • In small bowl add the cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, chili, garlic powder, honey, garlic, lime juice and beer.
  • Add the shrimp to a large re-sealable plastic bag, pour the marinade over the shrimp. Chill and allow to marinate for 1 hour and up to 24.
  • Preheat the grill to medium high.
  • Skewer the shrimp on metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers.
  • Grill until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side, don’t over cook.
  • Sprinkle with cilantro.

 

 

Spicy Beer Shrimp with Smokey Creamy Saison Polenta and Lime Crema

04.04.2014 14 Comments

Spicy Beer Shrimp with Smokey Creamy Saison Polenta and Lime Crema3I’m still in shock.

A few days ago I was given word that I’m a finalist for a Saveur award for BEST Original Recipes. Best on the entire internet and in the entire world. Out of the millions of food blogs out there and out of the 30,000 they considered, they chose The Beeroness as one of the six best.

SAV_Best Food Blog Award_FINALIST_2014

 I’d love to tell you that I feel justified, or vindicated. But really, I feel humbled. I feel honored. I even feel a little overwhelmed.

I want you to like what I’m doing. I want you to make my recipes for your family, I want them to become your recipes, for these recipes to be a great excuse to explore craft beer. But I never really needed it to be more than that, more than just me and you making some beer food and sharing it over a few pints.

Spicy Beer Shrimp with Smokey Creamy Saison Polenta and Lime Crema2

 

And the Saveur goes and makes me want this too. I want to win it, for us, for the love of beer food.

So take a second and vote for The Beeroness for the Best Original Recipes. 

Because beer food really is the best.

Spicy Beer Shrimp with Smokey Creamy Saison Polenta and Lime Crema

 

Spicy Beer Shrimp with Smokey Creamy Saison Polenta and Lime Crema

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

For the Polenta:

  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup Saison beer
  • 1 cup dry polenta corn grits
  • 3 tbs butter
  • 3 wt oz smoked gouda shredded
  • Salt and pepper

For the Shrimp:

  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp red chili flake
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 3 clives garlic minced
  • ½ cup saison beer

For the Crema:

  • ½ cup Mexican crema
  • 2 tbs fresh lime juice
  • 1 avocado sliced

Instructions
 

  • Heat the chicken broth, water and beer in a pot over medium heat. Add the polenta and cook over a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until creamy. About 30 minutes. Stir in the butter and cheese, add salt and pepper to taste.
  • While the polenta is cooking, make the shrimp.
  • In a small bowl stir together the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red chili flavors, smoked paprika and salt, set aside.
  • Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the beer.
  • Add the shrimp, sprinkle with seasonings.
  • Cook the shrimp until pink, remove from heat.
  • In a small bowl stir together the crema and lime.
  • Plate the polenta, top with shrimp and avocado slices, drizzle with crema.

I use Bob’s Red Mill Polenta (affiliate link), it’s non-GMO, organic, very consistent and really high quality.

 

Spicy Beer Shrimp with Smokey Creamy Saison Polenta and Lime Crema4

Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp

05.07.2013 23 Comments


Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp

None of us really know what we’re getting into when we launch that very first blog post, that Hello World! salute that enters us into the abyss of Blogland. We start these little cubbyholes in the internet Universe out of curiosity, desperation, boredom or just the hope that maybe our lives will take a dramatic tilt. We see the Holy Trinity of blog talent, the online mistress Trifecta we have to master when it comes to blog success: Food, Photos & Writing.

This by itself is a huge undertaking, the hope to be really fantastically,mind-blowingly amazing at three really specific careers, wrapped up in one title, delivered to you at our chosen URL. But that, unfortunately is just the perfectly placed cherry on top of the seasonally appropriate Sundae. Beneath that homemade cardamom whipped cream and strategically placed sprinkles melts an amalgamation of skills that we don’t just need to attempt, we need to master.

Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp

Of course we need to be a skillful recipe developer, photographer, food stylist, culinary-guru and engaging author. But that’s not all, your plate isn’t nearly full enough, pull yourself up to the buffet of online careers and load your platter. You will also need to add to the aforementioned list: SEO expert, web designer, social media darling, PR pro, marketing expert, branding aficionado, and business manager. After all, if you hired someone for each of those positions you’d be in the hole for over 200K.

But who else is going to register the LLC, build the website, apply for a trademark, get a PO box, take those gorgeous photos, not to mention edit them, write the posts, send DMCA take down notice, answer the emails, write the recipes, cook the food, do the interviews, fix that broken code, install the right plugin, promote the content, network with the right people and ohmygodican’tdoitall!

Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp

We need to give ourselves a break. These are ten really difficult jobs, ten careers for which colleges all over the land offer 4 year degrees. We can’t be good at them all and we can’t really afford to hire them all out.

We need to learn to make peace with it the things that aren’t were we want them to be. It’s a triage in a way, the biggest blood loss goes to the front, the rest can wait. In the midst of these panics, we need to remember the list of thing we are really good at is longer than the list of things we shame ourselves for. Because, odds are, there is someone out there wishing to be as good as you are at something.

Don’t forget that when you start to panic about creating a newsletter or figuring out copyright laws. You are really good at more that you are really bad at, the ship will float, it just takes time.

Smokey Hot Beer Shrimp

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 5 cloves garlic grated with a microplane (or minced)
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp red chili flake
  • 3 tbs tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup wheat beer
  • 4 tbs butter cut into cubes
  • 1 tbs honey
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • pinch salt
  • 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 tbs olive oil

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan over medium high heat stir together the smoked paprika, garlic, cayenne, chili powder, red chili flake, tomato paste, beer, honey, pepper and salt. Add the butter and bring to a strong simmer, stirring frequently until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • In a separate pan heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and cook until ust starting to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce into the shrimp pan, cook until the sauce thickens and shrimp are cooked through.

Spicy Beer Shrimp5

New Orleans Barbecue Beer Shrimp

05.06.2013 16 Comments

 New Orleans BBQ Beer Shrimp

 There is a magic to sharing a dish of food with a group of people, it’s unifying. We can all have our separate plates, and play nice, but placing a big pot of food in the middle of a table seems to breaks down walls. For this same reason, I love those big sharable 22 ounce beers that require that beer glassware I love so much.

New Orleans BBQ Beer Shrimp3

At the moment, my grill is broken so I need other options for, fun, get-your-hands-messy, food that can feed the Sunday Supper guests I keep begging to come over and eat my food at the end of the week. This was great, it only took about 15 minutes, really delicious and it has an unholy amount of butter.

If you can handle it, get the head-on prawns for some added flavor. And don’t forget that bread to mop up that fantastic sauce.

New Orleans BBQ Beer Shrimp2

New Orleans Barbecue Beer Shrimp

Print Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup 2 sticks butter, melted
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • ½ teaspoon hot chili sauce such as sriracha
  • 1 cup pale ale
  • 1 pounds raw shrimp deveined, shell on

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add the remaining ingredients (besides the shrimp), bring to a simmer.
  • Add the shrimp, cook until shrimp have turned pink. Avoid over cooking or the shrimp will be tough.
  • Serve with crust bread to mop up all that beautiful sauce. And lots of napkins.

Adapted from the original New Orleans BBQ Shrimp recipe from Pascale’s Manale

 

 

Honey Balsamic Beer Glazed Shrimp Skewers

24.04.2015 11 Comments

Honey Balsamic Beer Glazed Shrimp Skewers

 Honey Balsamic Beer Glazed Shrimp Skewers

Honey Balsamic Beer Glazed Shrimp Skewers

"What’s your favorite beer?"

It’s a question get asked all the time. The problem is, it’s a trap. There is no right answer. If I talk about well-distributed beers I love, "Black Butte Porter is a great beer," or "Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar is one of my favorite brown ales," I’ve disappointed people looking for insider knowledge.

If I talk about the whales (hard to find beers), "Pliny is a great beer, but so is Heady Topper," people see me as a snob who’s just following the craft beer sheep pack. If I mention a beer they have never heard of, "Wow, Blitz Pack from Huminstat Brewing is amazing," they have no frame of reference, maybe it’s a terrible beer, or maybe I just made it up (I did).

Honey Balsamic Beer Glazed Shrimp Skewers -7The real issue is that I don’t have an answer, and it’s mostly a bullshit question. I don’t have a favorite food either, it changes with my mood and what I feel like eating that day. My favorite beer does the same, and I like beer that lives in harmony with the food on my plate.

When I go to a beer bar I ask the bartender what he drinks, or if there is anything exciting on tap right now. Anything special release? Anything new? There are days when I just want a stout, and during hop harvest season I want to drink all the fresh hopped beers I can find.

If I go to a brewery that specializes in a specific style, give me one of those. Maybe it’s because I’m not picky, I’m a very go-with-the-flow person. Or maybe I just believe in adventure over comfort. Or maybe I just love all the beer.

So the answer to the question, "What’s your favorite beer?" is most likely, "Whatever you want to serve me."

Because you buy the beer, and I’ll make the food. I’ll drink what you bring, and you’ll eat what I make.

Deal?

Honey Balsamic Beer Glazed Shrimp Skewers

   

Honey Balsamic Beer Glazed Shrimp Skewers

Print Recipe
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup stout or porter beer
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp red chili sauce such as sriracha
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • 1 lbs raw shrimp shell and vein removed
  • salt
  • 2 tbs chopped green onions or chives

Instructions
 

  • Preheat grill to medium high.
  • In a large pot over high heat add the beer, honey, vinegar, chili sauce, garlic powder, and ginger. Bring to a boil. Stirring occasionally, boil until bubbles have mostly subsided and turned glossy and the mixture has thickened, about ten minutes.
  • Thread the shrimp onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers, sprinkle with salt, brush with glaze.
  • Cook on the grill until cooked through and glaze has slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle with chopped green onions prior to serving.

Puff Pastry Shrimp Beer Cheese Sweet Chili Bites & Why I Hate Santa

17.12.2014 6 Comments

Puff Pastry Shrimp Beer Cheese Sweet Chili Bites

Puff Pastry Shrimp Beer Cheese Sweet Chili Bites. Only 10 minutes prep!

Puff Pastry Shrimp Beer Cheese Sweet Chili Bites

Right out of college I got a job working with gang kids in South Central Los Angeles, like this one and this one. I was prepared to be afraid of them, bracing myself to be on the defense, even packing pepper spray in my purse. I wasn’t prepared to fall in love with them.  I worked with kids as young as 5, and as old as 19, all either on probation or in foster care, sometimes both. To this day, some of the kids I met during that time are the smartest, most kind hearted, motivated kids I’ve ever met.

The first year I worked at a group home in a particularly rough part of Hollywood, I tried to make a big deal out of Christmas in a very middle American ignorant white girl kind of way. Let’s decorate the tree! Let’s make Christmas cookies! When I found out that the very small budget the organization had to cover Christmas gifts wasn’t enough to get the kids more than one small gift each, I ran around getting donations. Kids need presents.

To my WASPY surprise this wasn’t well received. The kids, all boys between the ages of 12 and 17, were mostly kind about it, although visibly annoyed. I wanted to know why, what where the traditions they grew up with, what did they miss? A few days before Christmas one of the younger kid, Jamal, offered to help me wrap some of the gifts, so I asked him.

He sighed, not sure how to proceed.

"Is this another one of my white girl questions that you guys tease me about?"

He laughed, "Nah, it’s just…a lot of us don’t got good memories of Christmas. It’s not really our thing. Some kids do. But most don’t."

He told me he didn’t get presents when he was little because they either couldn’t afford them or his mom was too drunk to buy any. For years he figured that it was because he was bad, that’s the story right? Santa brings presents to good kids, bad kids don’t get any. He also told me a story about waking up on Christmas morning when he was 5, spending it alone because his mom was on a bender. He sat in his living room hoping that Santa wasn’t real. Santa’s lack of existence was comforting, rather than the idea that he was alone and present-less because he was bad. It hit me how terrible the Santa story is for kids that don’t get gifts. My world opened up a bit that day, being taught life lessons by a 12-year-old will do that to you. I’ll never forget his face, so matter of fact, not the tears or grief you’d expect.

I can’t remember what I got for Christmas that year. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to name a dozen gifts I’ve been given over the years. But I’ll never forget Jamal and I hope he never has to spend Christmas alone again.

Puff Pastry Shrimp Beer Cheese Sweet Chili Bites

 

Puff Pastry Shrimp Beer Cheese Sweet Chili Bites

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 8 wt oz cream cheese
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • ¼ cup pale ale
  • ½ cup mozzarella shredded
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
  • 16 jump shrimp raw, de-veined, shelled
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 tbs warm pale ale
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 1 tsp red chili flake
  • 3 tbs cilantro chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375.
  • In a blender or food processor add the cream cheese, cornstarch, ¼ cup pale ale, mozzarella, garlic powder, and salt. Process until well combined
  • Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface.
  • Place 1 tablespoon rounds of cheese about one inch apart for a total of 16 evenly spaced mounds of cheese mixture.
  • Top each mound of cheese with a raw shrimp. Cut the dough with a sharp knife between each shrimp/cheese mound.
  • Place the squares on a baking sheet.
  • Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown.
  • In a small bowl combine the honey, warm pale ale, sriracha, and chili flake.
  • Plate the shrimp bites, drizzle with chili sauce, sprinkle with cilantro.

Puff Pastry Shrimp Beer Cheese Sweet Chili Bites

Beer Battered Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema

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There are a few things you don’t realize you’re giving up when you leave LA. You know you’ll miss the weather, the sunny winter days spent sunbathing on the beach, the fact that every band always has a tour stop in your town, and the unlimited Girls Night Out options.

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Avocado Risotto with Beer Butter Shrimp

29.03.2013 20 Comments

Avocado Risotto with Beer Butter Shrimp5

 Avocado season in California is pretty fantastic, avocados are so easy to come by. Of course, they’re great for you. Lots of minerals, antioxidants, healthy fat, but to be honest this is a food I’d eat even if it was bad for me. It’s flavor, texture and even gorgeous color has me hooked. It’s also my go-to when I want to add creaminess to a vegan meal.

I’ve told you before that Risotto is one of my favorite meals and adding one of my favorite members of the produce family just makes it better. Top it with some beer butter shrimp and you have yourself a dinnertime winner.

For this I used Allagash White, one of my staples of my beer cellar (I wish I had an actual beer cellar, until I figure out how to make that happen my beer selection takes up residence in the bottom shelf of my fridge). Allagash White is clean, bright, and has great spice and citrus flavor. It does not have the typical strong banana notes that most Witbiers have, which puts it over the top in my book, I hate bananas. It has an accessible complexity that makes it great beer to use when introducing people to craft beer.  It’s a great example of the genera, and of craft beer in general.

Allagash White

Avocado Risotto with Beer Butter Shrimp

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Ingredients
  

For The Risotto:

  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 large avocado chopped (skin and seed discarded)
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbs chopped shallots
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 1 cup Wheat Beer plus 2 tbs, divided
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbs chopped chives

For The Shrimp:

  • 1 cup wheat beer
  • 3 tbs butter
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a mild simmer, keeping to warm, but not boiling.
  • In a food processor or blender add the cream, parmesan and avocado, process until smooth, set aside.
  • In a separate pot, add the butter and allow to melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and oil, cook until transparent, but don’t allow to brown. Add the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 20 seconds
  • Stir in the rice, cooking until the rice is completely coated with butter and it smells slightly nutty, don’t allow to brown. About 2 minutes.
  • Add 1 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 avocado mixture, 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.
  • To make the shrimp, add 1 cup beer to a sauce pan over medium high heat, reduce by about half, add the butter and stir until melted. Whisk in the chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and cook until shrimp have turned opaque in the center, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove shrimp from the cooking liquid.
  • Plate risotto, top with shrimp and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Avocado Risotto with Beer Butter Shrimp

Roasted Garlic Beer Butter Shrimp

24.05.2012 9 Comments

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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Elote Pilsner Creamy Polenta with Grilled Tajin Lime Shrimp and Hallumi

13.07.2020 1 Comment

Elote Pilsner Creamy Polenta with Grilled Tajin Lime Shrimp and Halloumi

Sometimes it feels as if my recipes are just a long string of predictive text that I figure out how to make into a meal. Or I keep trying to one-up myself until I can’t fit anything else in a bowl, but it’s how I like to cook. Layers of things on top of layers of other things. Lots of things crammed into a bowl. 

Maybe I’m a bit too much for you, this wouldn’t be an odd thing to think and you wouldn’t be the first one. But I will tell you that you should try, at least once, to be too much. Because we all need to be just a little sick of censoring ourselves for the sake of other people. You should also make some food that is a bit much, just to try it on for size. Maybe you’re like me, and you’ll actually really like a big 'ole layered bowl of too much. It’s fun, you might just want to do it again.  

Elote Pilsner Creamy Polenta with Grilled Tajin Lime Shrimp and Halloumi

5 from 1 vote
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Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the polenta:

  • 2 ½ cups (575g) vegetable broth (or chicken)
  • 1 cup (230g) beer pilsner, pale lager
  • 1 cup (160g) dry corn grits polenta
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 large ear of corn shucked
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • ¼ cup cotija cheese
  • 1- pint cherry tomatoes chopped
  • ¼ cup Mexican Crema

For the shrimp and Halloumi:

  • 1 lbs raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 large lime
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Tajin seasoning divided*
  • 8 ounces Halloumi cheese

Instructions
 

  • Add the vegetable broth and beer to a saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer.
  • Add the grits and salt, simmer, stirring occasionally until the grits have softened.
  • Stir in the half and half, salt, and garlic powder.
  • Preheat the grill to medium-high.
  • Brush the corn on all sides with oil, set aside.
  • Add the shrimp to a bowl, squeeze half of the lime over the shrimp, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Tajin, toss to coat. Thread onto skewers.
  • Slice the Halloumi into ½ inch slices, sprinkle on all sides with the remaining Tajin.
  • Add the corn, shrimp, and Halloumi to the grill, grilling on all sides until shrimp is cooked through and grill marks appear on all.
  • Cut the kernels of the corn, add to a bowl along with the cilantro, and cotija, toss to combine.
  • Divide the polenta between 4 bowls, top with corn mixture, crema, tomatoes, shrimp skewers and Halloumi.

Notes

If you don't have Tajin, mix together 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. 

Hot Honey Beer Prawns

05.02.2020 3 Comments

Hot Honey Beer Prawns

I have a confession. This was supposed to be for dinner but instead I ate it over the sink and called it "lunch" as if I hadn’t already eaten. This would drive you crazy if you had to put up with me on a daily basis, I have no ability to plan or follow through with plans, because sometimes I just want to eat prawns over the sink. 

Hot Honey is a fairly new discovery for me. I started my hot honey journey the exact way you should: with a slice of pizza eaten over a paper plate on the street in Manhattan with my friend. Even if the pizza isn’t better with Hot Honey, this should be your first introduction, it’s just the way the world should work when everything is perfect. By the time I arrived here, Hot Honey was already a thing, which made me feel like I had nothing to offer. If I can’t feed you new and weird food, what good am I?! 

But I will still feed you, even if you’ve already had hot honey somewhere else in the world. I will still hot-up some honey, beerify (this is a word, look away, autocorrect) the dish, and serve it to you on a silver platter. Or out of the skillet over the sink. Whatever. 

Hot Honey Beer Prawns

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Ingredients
  

  • 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 tablespoons (84g) honey
  • 3 tablespoons (62g) Asian hot chili oil see note
  • 3 cloves garlic grated with a Microplane
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon (2g) ginger grated with a Microplane
  • 1 teaspoon (6g) salt
  • ¼ cup beer pilsner, pale ale, lager
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil*
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 lbs prawns or large shrimp deveined (peeled if desired)
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl stir together the butter, honey, chili oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, salt, and beer, set aside.
  • Rub the inside of your cast iron skillet with olive oil (*you can skip this step if you know for sure your cast iron skillet is well seasoned, but it won’t hurt to do this either way. If your skillet isn’t well seasoned the honey may stick without the oil).
  • Heat the sesame seed oil in the skillet over high heat. Add the prawns.
  • Pour in the butter mixture, allow to boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and the prawns are cooked through.
  • Remove from heat, top with green onions. Serve with rice, polenta, or crusty bread.

Notes

  • Asian chili oil, or hot chili oil, is sold in the Asian section of the market near the Sriracha. My favorite brands are Judy Fu's, Lao Gan Ma, and Din Tai Fung. 
  • You can either remove the shells to cook, or cut them down the entire length of the prawn when you remove the vein and serve them as peel-and-eat, but either way, don't neglect the sauce, it's delicious!