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Stout French Dip

Stout French Dip

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

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

Beer & Food:

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

Beer Non-fiction:

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

For The Homebrewer:

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

Stout French Dip3

Stout French Dip

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

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

Instructions
 

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

Stout French Dip5

Beer and Butter Poached Lobster with Saison Risotto

Lets Get romantic, shall we?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beer and Butter Poached Lobster with Saison Risotto

For this recipe I used Saison Rue from The Bruery.

Beer and Butter Poached Lobster with Saison Risotto

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Risotto

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

For The Lobster:

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

Instructions
 

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

Beer and Buttermilk Fried Chicken

 

Beer and Buttermilk Fried ChickenP

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

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

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

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

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

Beer and Buttermilk Fried Chicken2

Beer and Buttermilk Fried Chicken

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

Ingredients
  

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

Yield: 4servings

    Instructions
     

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

    Beer and Buttermilk Fried Chicken3

     

    Vegan Chipotle Stout Chili with IPA Cashew Cream

     

    Vegan Chipotle Stout Chili With Cashew Cream

     

    If you’re new to the Craft Beer scene, it might surprise you how many vegetarian and vegans there are here.

    While I am a meat eater (clearly, I put bacon in desserts), I did spend three years as a vegetarian. Mostly, this was a response to growing up on a farm and getting up close and personal to the butchering process as well as the jarring realization of knowing the first name of my dinner. It did, however, give me a profound respect for the food I eat and the farms that share that respect.

    I still eat vegan quite often, and there are some dishes, like lasagna, that I just think are just better in vegetarian form.

    My true and honest feeling about vegan cooking is that regardless of what your typical diet is if you can’t cook a vegan meal that you love, you just aren’t that good of a cook. Produce is amazing, you get to use all the grains, seeds and nuts that you want and by the way, for the most part beer is vegan.

    I first heard about Cashew Cream from this guy, and the idea was intriguing, given that I would have a much easier time giving up meat than sour cream and goat cheese. I like the idea of having a creamy element when I want to go non-dairy. This cashew cream was a really beautiful creamy addition to a vegan chili, when sour cream isn’t an option. I wanted to balance the sweetness so I added some acid and some spices, but feel free to experiment. This would also be a great place to add a little chipotle.

    Vegan Chipotle Stout Chili With Cashew Cream2

     

    Vegan Chipotle Stout Chili with IPA Cashew Cream

    Ingredients
      

    For The Cashew Cream:

    • 2 cups raw cashwes
    • 1 to 1 ½ cups almond milk
    • Additional 1/3 cup almond milk
    • 2 tbs IPA beer
    • ½ tsp onion powder
    • ½ tsp garlic
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ tsp pepper
    • 2 tsp white wine vinegar

    For The Chili:

    • 3 tbs olive oil
    • 1 white onion chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper chopped
    • 1 cup crimini mushrooms finley diced
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 12 wt ounces Soyrizo
    • 2 cup stout
    • 2 cups veggie broth
    • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 15 oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 15 oz can stewed diced tomatoes, with juice
    • 1 or 2 large chipotle peppers in adoboe minced
    • ½ cup quinoa
    • 1/3 cup bulgur wheat
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp garlic powder

    Garnishes:

    • ½ cup Cilantro chopped
    • 1 Avocado sliced
    • Tortilla Chips

    Instructions
     

    • Add the cashews to a bowl, pour almond milk over cashews until covered. Let stand for 4 hours.
    • Drain cashews and add to a food processor with 1/3 cup almond milk, IPA, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, about 5 minutes, possibly longer. Add additional almond milk or beer for a thinner consistency.
    • In a pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil, onions, red peppers and mushrooms. Cook until onions and peppers have softened and the mushrooms have darkened.
    • Add the garlic and the soyrizo, stir, breaking up the soyrizo.
    • Add the stout, broth, tomato paste, black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes and chipotle, allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
    • Add the quinoa, bulgur, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and garlic powder, simmer until the quinoa has cooked, about 15 minutes. The longer chili simmers, the thicker it will be.
    • Plate on top of tortilla chips, if desired, top with cilantro, avocado, and cashew cream.

    Chipotle Stout and Chorizo Chili Topped with Pork Rinds

     

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

    Chipotle Stout and Chorizo Chili Topped with Pork Rinds

    Ingredients
      

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

    Toppings:

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

    Instructions
     

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

     

     

     

    Deep Dish Porter Pecan Pie

    The best thing happened on Thanksgiving.

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

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

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

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

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

     

    Deep Dish Porter Pecan Pie

    Ingredients
      

    For the Crust:

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

    For the filling:

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

    Instructions
     

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

    Beer Cheese Wontons

     

    This recipe has nothing to do with Thanksgiving.

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

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

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

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

     

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

     

     

    Beer Cheese Wontons

    Ingredients
      

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

    Instructions
     

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

     

    Creme Brulee Topped Chocolate Stout Brownies & Some Big News

    I have some news.

    If you Follow me on Twitter, you probably already know the Big News.

    I signed a book deal on Thursday. A publisher has actually decided to pay me to write a cookbook.

    How amazing is that?

    Writing a cookbook has long been on my list of goals, and as I somewhat naively and idealistically jump into this process, I am reminded that it is you I have to thank for this milestone. The ones who share my posts, tell their friends about my little blog, believe in what I’m doing here,  the ones who read every silly word I write, and yes, even those of you who write creepy comments about wanting to wake up in my bed and email me about how you google stalk me on a weekly basis. I am grateful for all of you.

    This isn’t just my book, it’s yours too. The ideas you give me, the way I’m inspire by your questions and humbled by being seen as a source of knowledge and beer-cooking wisdom.

    I wish I could properly thank you all, over a beer and some possibly inappropriate conversation.  But for now, we’ll have to settle for some Creme Brulee Brownies made with two different types of beer. Which seems to be fitting, since chocolate stout was the first beer I ever cooked with and creme brulee was the subject of my first post. It’s an homage to my beer cooking beginnings, hope you like it.

    If you are at all interested in helping me with this book, as an un-paid but thoroughly appreciated, recipe tester, for which you will receive my undying love and affection, a mention in the book, a sneak peek at never-before-seen-recipes, and possibly more, stay tuned. Once we get to that place, I’ll let you know how you can be my beer cooking partner in crime.

    Creme Brulee Topped Chocolate Stout Brownies

    Ingredients
      

    For the Brownie Layer:

    • 3 eggs
    • 1 cup white sugar
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1/2 cup flour
    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp espresso powder
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 stick butter
    • 7 oz dark chocolate 60%
    • 2/3 cup chocolate stout

    For The Creme Brulee Layer

    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 3/4 cup low-hop pale ale beer
    • 1 vanilla bean split and scraped or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
    • 3 eggs plus 2 yolks
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2 tbs corn starch
    • Plus 1/4 cup sugar for the brulee topping

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 3 eggs, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on high for at least ten minutes. You need a meringue type consistency in order to create a crust on top of the brownies to insure the layers stay separate. In a separate bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt, stir to combine.
    • In a microwave safe bowl, add the butter and the chocolate. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted.
    • While the stand mixer is on medium speed, slowly add the chocolate until mostly combined. Add the beer and stir. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
    • Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour batter into dish and smooth out the top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the top is matte and a bit cracked. Don't over bake.
    • Allow to cool to room temperature.
    • For the creme brulee layer:
    • In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring the cream, beer and vanilla to a slight simmer, removing from heat when bubbles start to form around the edges. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk the 1/2 cup sugar, eggs and yolk, and cornstarch until well combined and slightly frothy.
    • While continuing to whisk the egg mixture, slowly add the cream and whisk until well combined. Make sure the cream has cool or you will just have created vanilla scrambled eggs.
    • Return the cream to the stove and stir over medium heat until it comes to a low simmer. Continue to whisk until thickened, between 5 and 10 minutes. The cream should leave a track when you drag the whisk through it. Allow to cool to about room temperature.
    • Pour over the brownies, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill until set, about 1 hour.
    • Just prior to serving, cut into squares, cover with a light layer of white sugar and brulee the top with a kitchen torch until the sugar has melted and turned a dark amber color.

     

     

    Beer Battered Mini Corn Dogs with Chipotle Ketchup

     

    This my friends, is how you do Football Food.

    It meets all of the requirements to earn a spot on the Football Food Table.

    These vague and unenforceable requirements include qualities like: fun, as high calorie as possible, no utensils or plates needed, ability to sit at room temperature for hours, AND there are always bonus points for including beer.

     I also want to tell you a little bit about Chipotle Ketchup. Corn dogs need to be dipped, and if we are all willing to adhere to the good 'ole American tradition of dunking fried stuff in ketchup, I want to doctor it up a bit. Although you can make ketchup from scratch, and don’t think I haven’t filed that idea away in my mental recipe stockpile, I just used store bought. Chipotle is a lovely flavor, one of my favorites.

    The smokiness is beautiful. If you just want smoke and no heat, just add 1 tsp of smoked paprika to 1 cup of ketchup and stir to make yourself a little smokey ketchup to go along with your fancied up deep-fried treats.

    Beer Battered Mini Corn Dogs with Chipotle Ketchup

    Servings 24 mini corndogs

    Ingredients
      

    • canola or peanut oil for frying
    • 1 cup flour plus 1/4 cup, divided
    • 2/3 cup corn meal
    • 1 tbs brown sugar
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 egg
    • 3/4 cup plus 2 tbs beer I used an IPA
    • 24 mini hot dogs
    • 24, 4 inch wooden skewers or toothpicks

    For the Ketchup

    • 1 cup ketchup
    • 1 chipotle peper in adobo sauce
    • 1 tsp adobo sauce

    Instructions
     

    • Pour oil into a pot, about 3-4 inches deep. Clip a cooking thermometer onto the side. Heat over medium high heat until the oil reaches between 350 and 375, adjust heat to stay in this temperature range.
    • In a bowl, combine 1 cup flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, stir to combine. Add the egg and the beer, stir until combined.
    • Pour the batter into a tall coffee mug, this will make dipping the corn dogs easier.
    • Skewer all of the mini corn dogs with wooden skewers. Put remaining 1/4 cup flour in a bowl. Roll the hot dogs in the flour, then brush off any excess flour.
    • Holding the skewer, dip the hot dog into the batter until submerged and coated. Slowly place the battered hot dog into the oil. Allow to fry in the oil until a dark brown, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a stack of paper towels to drain.
    • To make the ketchup, place all ketchup ingredients in a small food processor or blender and process until smooth.

    I used these bamboo skewers.

    Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Beer Sauce

     

     

    Today is November 6th, Election Day.

    As Americans spend the day thinking of little else, wedged firmly between Barack and a hard place, I wanted to give you a little motivation to get through this day.

    We will soon find ourselves at the end of this exhausting Election Season, our feelings of separatism from those who disagree with us will fade. We will find Facebook to be a friendlier place, and those Someecards of a political nature will ebb.

    Regardless of the outcome, you have a reason to grab your favorite beer. Either in celebration of your guy winning the mad race to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, or as a way to console yourself over the fact that the other guy came out ahead.

    Given that you may be too distracted to spend all that much time in the kitchen tonight, this meal only takes about 20 minutes.

    And, I’m pretty certain it has bipartisan support.

    For this recipes, I like a brown ale, a blonde, a pale or a wheat beer. Be aware that using an IPA will kick up the beer flavor considerably and may be too bitter in the end.

    Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Beer Sauce

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • 3 tbs butter
    • 1/4 cup onions chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 5 oz wild mushrooms such as Shiitake (not dried)
    • 1/2 cup beer
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • In a pan over medium high heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle chicken thighs on all sides with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the pan and cook on both sides until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan.
    • Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
    • Add garlic and mushrooms, cook until mushrooms are soft and have darkened, about 5 minutes.
    • Add the beer, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pan.
    • Reduce heat to medium, add the cream and stir.
    • Add half of the cheese, stir until melted. Add the remaining half, stir until combined.
    • Add the chicken and allow to cook until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, serve over rice or pasta.

     

     

    Hefeweizen Honey Rolls

     I have wandered into a complete obsession with making bread. It started slowly, and really, rather timidly. When I first started, I was afraid of yeast, and a wee bit convinced that it hated me.

    I threw several mounds of fail dough in the trash after it refused to rise. I learned a few things long the way that I am more than happy to share with you and save you from the "What the EFF is wrong with this damn bread!" frustrations that I suffered.

    First, check the expiration date.  Yeast expires in a biblical sense, it actually dies. Yeast is a bit of a living beast, and once it reaches it’s expiration date, don’t even think about it. It’s not like that bottle of Ibuprofen in your  cabinet that expired last year but is probably still going to cure your headache. If the yeast has been in your cabinet a while, throw it out.

    Salt kills yeast too. Don’t let inactive yeast come in contact with salt. I learned this the hard way when adding salt to the cream before microwaving it.

    Yeast will rise between 40 and 120 degrees. Any higher than 120 and it will be killed by the heat (unless you use rapid-rise which will work until about 130), stay away from the high end of the scale in case your thermometer is a bit off. If the yeast is colder than around 90, it will take a long time to rise. At 40 degrees, it will still rise, but it will take days. 110 seems to be a bit of a sweet spot, but I live in LA, and even when the East Coast is being ravaged by Frankenstrom, it was still 85 degrees yesterday. Bread rises faster when it’s warm, slower when it’s cold. Yeast types are not interchangeable without major recipe modifications. Use the yeast the recipe calls for.

    Dry milk powder is a bit of a secret weapon when it comes to bread making. I discovered this in the Secret Ingredient section of King Arthur Flour, it may be to blame for my bread making fixation.  Your bread will be softer, taller and more tender. Buy a bag just to keep on hand for Thanksgiving and Christmas rolls, because if you are going to all of the trouble to make homemade rolls, you should really pull out all the tricks in your bag.

    Beer. Of course, the beer. Bread is my favorite thing to make with beer. Even if you aren’t a beer kind of girl, it gives your bread a lighter, slightly more leavened quality that makes it a perfect baking liquid. And because it’s bread, a wheat beer is a natural choice.

     

     

    Hefeweizen Honey Rolls

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 1 envelope dry active yeast
    • 5 cups bread flour
    • 1/4 cup dry milk powder
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 2/3 cup wheat beer room temperature
    • 3 eggs
    • 1/4 cup honey
    • 4 tbs unsalted butter softened to room temp

    To Brush On Top:

    • 4 tbs melted butter
    • 1 tsp honey
    • 1/2 tsp coarse salt

    Makes 16 rolls

      Instructions
       

      • Add the cream to a microwave safe dish. Heat for 20 seconds, test temperature and repeat until cream is about 110 degrees. Add the yeast, set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. If the yeast does not foam, it isn't good. Discard it and try again.
      • In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, salt and dry milk powder, mix until well combined.
      • Add the cream and the beer, mix until combined. It will look dry and shaggy.
      • Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between additions.
      • Add the honey and butter and allow to mix until the dough forms a smooth and shiny ball that isn't sticky, about 8-10 minutes.
      • Coat the inside of large bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball and add to prepared bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm room until doubled in size. This will take between 1 and 2 hours depending on the temperature of the room.
      • Punch the dough down, and knead lightly for about 1 minute.
      • Cut the dough in half, then cut each half in half. You will now have 4 equal size pieces. Cut each piece in half to create 8 equal sized pieces. Cut each of those in half to give you 16.
      • Roll each piece of dough into balls, place into a baking dish with a bit of space between each roll (you might need two baking pans to accommodate 16 rolls).
      • Cover and allow to rise until about doubled in size.
      • Heat oven to 400 degrees.
      • Combine the melted butter and honey. Brush the top of the rolls with honey butter mixture, sprinkle with salt.
      • Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

       

       

      Chocolate Stout and Bacon Skillet Brownies

       

      I hope you don’t mind my excessive use of stout over the past few weeks, but to be honest I’m really not sorry. I love stouts, I’m  unreasonably excited about stouts being back "in season," and we are only about 2 weeks away from International Stout Day.

      I’m geting you all stocked up on stout recipes, in case you want to celebrate via beer infused baked goods.

      Which, of course, I hope you do.

      You can use a chocolate stout for this, and that will be perfectly fine. You can also use a smoked porter or stout, or you can use a coffee or espresso stout.

      Whatever you choose, this is best served warm, in the middle of a table full of fun people, each with a spoon in one hand and a stout in the other.

      Chocolate Stout and Bacon Skillet Brownies

      Ingredients
        

      • 2 strips thick cut bacon
      • 1 stick unsalted butter
      • 3.5 oz 100g dark chocolate (60%), broken into pieces
      • 1/2 cup stout chocolate or coffee stouts work best
      • 2 eggs
      • 2/3 cup sugar
      • 1 tbs espresso powder
      • 1/2 cup flour
      • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
      • 1/4 tsp baking powder
      • Preheat oven to 350.

      Instructions
       

      • In a 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet cook the bacon until done. Remove bacon from skillet. Swirl the bacon fat to coat the pan, discard the excess bacon fat.
      • Add the butter to the skillet, return to heat and cook until melted. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Add beer and stir.
      • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Sprinkle the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and espresso powder over the eggs, whisk until just combined.
      • Add the egg mixture to the chocolate skillet and stir until just combined. Chop bacon and sprinkle over the top.
      • Bake until the top has set (don't over bake) about 25 to 30 minutes.
      • Remove from oven, top with vanilla ice cream if desired (and I'm pretty sure you should desire) set in the middle of a table full of hungry people. Add spoons.

      Chocolate Mint Stout Lava Cake

       

       

       

      Let’s talk about mint for a second.

      If you know me well, you know I have an issue with mint. Although it would be hard to tell, given that I’ve made you Chocolate Porter Brownies with Mint Frosting, Chocolate Mint Stout Ice Cream, and our neighborhood beer float hussy, The Dirty Girl Scout. You could have even assumed that I LOVE mint by all of those recipes, but the truth is that this is my culinary equililant of Exposure Therapy.

      The devolution of mint in my life happened in Morocco. I was traveling though Middle Atlas a few year ago with my sister, being carted from one town to another in the back of what was surely the car of a Moroccan drug dealer (or at least drug dropper-offer-guy, *actual term). I can’t even really pinpoint which incident linked Mint with Morocco in my brain. Maybe it was the cave dweller in Middle Atlas who made me mint tea, or the three Moroccan rug makers who locked me in the back of the factory plying me with mint tea in an effort to convince me to spend $6000 on a rug, or maybe it was the mint vendors waving their wares at me in the walled maze that was the old City Medina.

      To be honest, the experience wasn’t entirely bad. Terrifying and life changing, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to have gone to the other side of the world, even if it did involved running for my life through the late night streets of Fez. The rumor is that your sense of taste is more strongly linked to memories than images. Which makes sense. Because even when I see my photos from that trip, it doesn’t even come close to evoking the memories that come screaming back when I smell or taste fresh mint.

      I want to like mint, it’s an incredible flavor. It’s fresh and bright, and makes me gag. But I’m working on it. Exposure therapy, one chocolate mint dessert at a time.

      Months ago, when I found out about the Ken Schmidt / Iron Fist / Stone Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout I was excited that my self imposed mint affliction could extend into my love of craft beer.

      This might do it. And with a bold and creamy taste, and a gentle, but not sweet, mint flavor, I have high hopes that I will someday be the cure to my mint aversion. I think I need to send Ken Schmidt a mint flavored thank you card.

       

      Chocolate Mint Stout Lava Cake

      Ingredients
        

      • 3.5 oz 100 g Dark Chocolate 70%
      • 1 1/2 sticks butter 10 tbs
      • 2/3 cup Chocolate Mint Stout or chocolate stout
      • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
      • 3 eggs plus 3 additional yolks
      • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
      • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
      • 3/4 cup flour
      • 1 tsp espresso powder this will not make the dessert taste like coffee. Espresso intensifies chocolate
      • 2 tbs dark chocolate chips

      Instructions
       

      • Preheat oven to 425.
      • Butter six soufflé dishes very well. The best way to do this is to soften butter (or use vegetable shortening or margarine) and a wadded up paper towel, smear a large amount inside each dish, making sure to get into the edges.
      • In a saucepan over medium heat, add the chocolate and butter. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add beer, and peppermint extract, stir to combine.
      • In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks and powdered sugar.
      • Pour chocolate mixture over egg mixture, stir to combine.
      • Sprinkle cocoa powder, espresso powder and flour over chocolate mixture, stir until just combined.
      • Divide equally between souffle dishes, making sure not to fill more than 2/3 full. Press about 4 to 5 chocolate chips into the very center of each cake (can be made one day ahead, cover and chill).
      • Bake at 425 until the outside is set, but the center is still liquid, about 9 minute no more than 13. (Note: Glass baking dishes cook much faster then ceramic dishes. Take these out of the oven when it looks as if they "need a few more minutes," you want a very runny center.)
      • Run a butter knife around the edge of the cake. Place a plate on top of each ramekin, turn upside down, lift ramekin to reveal cake. Serve immediately.

       

      Chipotle Stout Sloppy Joe’s Sliders

       

      I spent a few days up in Napa last month. While I was hanging out at Bear Republic those guys were nice enough to show me around and even let me jump behind the bar. While I was behind the bar, most likely annoyingly in his way, the bar manager asked me what my favorite style of beer was. To be honest, I didn’t have an answer. I wanted to try his special release stuff, those beer that never make it into bottles. And the Peter Brown Tribute that I had heard about but hadn’t been able to taste yet, but I still am not sure if I could pick one all-time favorite.

      It depends on what I’m eating.

      I do tend to favor lower alcohol beers, because I live in LA and we like to drive here.

      I like a dry hopped IPA.

      Or a circusy White.

      And I will always stand in line for a spicy beer.

      But, if I had to choose only one style of beer to cook with, that would be easy. Stouts are by far my favorite beer to cook with. They work well with beef and fabulously with chocolate. Spicy stouts are always intriguing, and although the go-to recipes for those seems to be a meat product, I  also want to figure out a really great chili chocolate cake recipe made with a spiced stout.

      Lucky for us, more and more breweries are making beer with spices so check out your local beer store and ask around. Here are some of my favorites:

      Stone Smoked Porter W/ Chipotle Peppers

      Mikkeller Texas Ranger 

      Bootlegger Black Phoneix Chipotle Coffee Stout

      I really encourage you to find a great beer for a brewery close to home. Stop in some day and see what they suggest. Maybe there is even a brewery close to you that won at last weeks Great American Beer Festival. Take look, make  some notes on what you want to try, but don’t forget to drink what you love, because you love it, regardless of how many or how few prizes it has under it’s belt.

       

       

       

      Chipotle Stout Sloppy Joe’s Sliders

      Ingredients
        

      • 1 tbs oil
      • 1 lb 80%/20% premium ground beef
      • 1/2 white onion chopped
      • 3 cloves of garlic
      • 1 1/4 cup Chipotle Stout or Porter
      • 1 small chipotle pepper from can in adobo sauce
      • 1 tsp adobo sauce from can
      • 4 oz tomato paste
      • 1 tbs mollasas
      • 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
      • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
      • 1/4 tsp cumin
      • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
      • 1/4 tsp salt
      • 14-16 slider buns warmed

      Instructions
       

      • In a pan over medium high heat, add the oil and ground beef, cook until browned, stirring and breaking up meat. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from pan.
      • In pan with residual oils, cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir.
      • Add the beer, stir to combine.
      • Remove a small chipotle pepper from the can. Using a sharp knife and fork, chop very well until nearly reduced to a paste like substance. Add chipotle to the pan along with tomato paste, adobo sauce, molasses, cumin, paprika, salt, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Allow to cook until well combined and slightly thickened.
      • Add meat to the sauce pan, stir until well combined.
      • Fill slider buns with meat, serve warm.

       

       

       

      Triple Berry Blueberry Beer Cobbler

      You inspire me. You really do. One of my favorite moments of my day is reading emails from you, those of you who read my blog and like what I’m doing.

      And sometimes,the emails have a common theme. A thread that runs through out the world, across the internet, and remind me of how we are all connected, in one way or another, and more similar than we all think.

      In the past month I’ve received four emails from all over the world about blueberry beer. Not so much along the avenue of, "I love this, you MUST try it!" but more in the vein of, "This is interesting, but not totally drinkable, what do I do with it?"

      And to be honest, I feel the same way. At a beer event six months ago, an overly zealous beer server shoved a glass of Shipyards Smashed Blueberry into my hand. And, as one who will never let a beer go untasted, I began to drink. It was interesting. The presence of blueberry with bready, toasty notes that where really well balanced. It wanted to love it, but it just wasn’t for me. It’s a great example of a blueberry beer, one that you should go out and drink, if fruit beers are your thing, but just not for me. Even still, it stayed with me, because in my world there is a different place for cooking beers. And this was a great cooking beer. One that I believe in, in theory, a well crafted beer with great flavors, but one that I wasn’t eager to run home and drink.

      So here we are, me and you, with blueberry beers that we find interesting but not necessarily ones we want to fill our glasses with.

      So here is what I propose: an easy berry cobbler made with this intriguing beer. And here are some great ones to go out and try:

      SLO Brewing Blueberry

      Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Beer

      Bluepoint Blueberry Ale

      Shipyard Smashed Blueberry

      Triple Berry Blueberry Beer Cobbler

      Ingredients
        

      • Six cups of berries I used 2 cups each blackberries, strawberrries, and blueberries Frozen is fine
      • 1/2 cup brown sugar plus 2 tbs divided
      • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
      • 2 tbs corn starch
      • 1 1/2 cups blueberry beer
      • 2 cups cake flour
      • 2 tsp baking powder
      • 1/4 tsp salt
      • 12 tbs butter 1 1/2 sticks cut into small cubes
      • 1/2 cup beer
      • 1/4 cup milk
      • 1 cup heavy cream
      • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
      • 2 tbs beer

      Instructions
       

      • Preheat oven to 450.
      • In a pot over medium high heat, add 4 cups berries (reserve 2 cups mixed berries for the end), 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, corn starch and beer. Allow to simmer until reduced and thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
      • Remove from heat, add reserved 2 cups of berries, stir to combine. Add to a deep dish pie pan.
      • In a bowl, add 2 tbs brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and stir to combine.
      • Add the butter, rub into the flour until well combined and resembles course meal.
      • Add the milk and 1/2 cup beer, stir until combined.
      • Gently add the flour topping, a bit at a time, to the pie pan until the berries are covered.
      • Bake at 450 until the topping has turned a light golden brown, about 18 minutes.
      • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 tbs beer. Whip on high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
      • Serve the cobbler topped with whipped cream.

       

      Beer Braised Chicken and Hefeweizen Cornmeal Dumpling Soup

      Although most of you are starting to pull out those wool sweaters you neatly packed away a few months ago, here in Los Angeles we are in the throws of a record heat wave that drug us into 108 degree heat yesterday. While most of the sane people of LA stayed indoors and avoided the oven, I spent the morning interviewing ex-cons turn foodies, and then came home and made soup.

      Like i’ve mentioned before, my inherent rebellion pushes me to buck tradition and even reason. I drink stouts in the summer, eat ice cream in the winter and make soup in triple digit heat.

      Beer Braised Chicken and Hefeweizen Cornmeal Dumpling Soup

      Ingredients
        

      For The Soup

      • 4 tbs butter
      • 4 boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets cup into bite sized peices
      • 3 cloves garlic minced
      • 1/4 cup white onions chopped
      • 1/2 cup celery chopped
      • 1/2 cup carrots chopped
      • 1 cup sweet white corn kernels fresh is best, frozen is acceptable, canned is disgusting
      • 2 cups Hefeweizen Beer
      • 2 cups chicken broth
      • 2 tbs flour
      • 1/4 cup cream

      For The Dumplings

      • 1/2 cup Masa Harina corn flour used to make corn tortillas
      • 1/2 cup fine ground corn meal
      • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
      • 1/4 tsp salt
      • 2 tsp baking powder
      • 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
      • 2 tbs butter cut into small cubes
      • 1/4 cup milk
      • 1/2 cup Hefeweizen beer

      Instructions
       

      • In a large pot with a lid, like a dutch oven or enamel cast iron pot, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until seared on all sides, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, onions, celery, carrots and corn, stir. Add the beer and broth, stir. Allow to simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the pot and whisk until combined. Remove from heat and slowly add the cream while stiring. Return to medium/low heat.
      • In a large bowl, add the masa, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and rosemary, stir to combine. Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingers until completely combined.
      • Add the milk and hefeweizen and stir until combined. You don't want the dough too thin or it will fall apart during cooking, you want a biscuit like consistency.
      • Drop mounds of dough, about 3 tbs in size, equally spaced on top of the pot until all dough has been used. Cover the pot and cook on low heat until the tops of the dumplings are dry, about 15 to 20 minutes.

       

      The Dirty Girl Scout: Chocolate Mint Beer Float

       

      This isn’t a recipe. Not really, it’s more like assembly instructions for how to make a float that tastes like a Girl Scout Thin Mint, but with beer.

      Boozy, chocolatey, minty.

      But there really isn’t a recipe involved. Add more ice cream if that’s what you like. Add more beer, if that suits you.

      I used my homemade Chocolate Mint Stout Ice Cream & a lot of Bison Chocolate Stout.

      It tastes like beer. In case you were hoping for one of those overly sweet concoctions they sell at diners.

      But, more or less, this is how you do it:

       

      Step one:

      Add a few scoops of chocolate mint ice cream to the bottom of a mug.

       

      Grab some beer, chocolate stout is preferable.

      Pour beer over ice cream.

       

      Enjoy.