Cinco de Mayo Pizza Party

Pork Carnitas Pizza and Chicken Taco Pizza:

Cinco De Mayo is here, and that means it’s time for a Mexican themed pizza party! A delicious (and healthier too!) variant of pork carnitas pressure cooked in a blend of flavorful homemade stocks (rather than the heavier, traditional animal fat) and a light, fresh-tasting chicken “taco” pizza with fresh tomato, crisp tasting cilantro, and cool avocado are both on the menu for this fiesta (along with plenty of cerveza to pair with them). Accompanied by Flying Dog Brewery’s “Agave Cerveza”, a lager brewed with lime zest and agave nectar, to complete the atmosphere.

Continue reading →

Roasted Lamb Meatballs with Sweet Pea and Mint Tortellini in Lamb Broth:

While a mint julep might be the traditional beverage for the Kentucky Derby, to celebrate American Pharoah’s win at the Derby yesterday I toasted him with Flying Dog Brewery’s “Mint Chocolate Stout”! When paired with a meal of handmade whole wheat tortellini filled with a cheesy blend of sweet peas and homegrown mint, home ground oven roasted lamb meatballs, all immersed in a delicate homemade lamb broth, this beer pairing brings all the tastes of the Derby to you. The roast-y quality of the dark malts in the stout complemented the roasted lamb, while the refreshing light mint flavor in the tortellini and mint chocolate stout washed it all down.

Continue reading →

Praying Mantis Egg Sack:

Took a break while hiking to check out all the “shells” from last season’s Praying Mantis (Mantis Religiosa) eggs (Ootheca) in a recently mowed field.

Spring Carrot Cake:

This double layer carrot cake is absolutely chock-full of fresh spring carrots to welcome the season! When paired with Jacks Abby Brewing’s “Hoponius Union”, the hop-y floral flavor from the West Cost hops in this India Pale Lager synergized with the cream cheese frosting to really amplify the flowery spring flavor.

Continue reading →

Maple Brioche Burger with Maple Cured Duck Bacon and Sweet Potato Fries:

Some days you just need a good burger, and this one more than got the job done with a one-two maple punch! A 100% beef patty smothered in melt-y cheddar cheese topped with hearty thick-cut slices of homemade, hardwood smoked, maple cured, duck bacon; snugly nestled inside a home baked maple brioche bun (all this and a side of baked sweet potato fries to boot)! This tasty maple burger was served with a vintage Dogfish Head Brewery’s “Immort Ale” from the beer cellar, an oak aged American strong ale brewed with maple syrup, juniper berries, vanilla, and peat-smoked barley for a great complementary pairing.

Continue reading →

Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Sauce:

Not much beats warm, home baked oatmeal cookies straight out of the oven, that is, except for warm home baked oatmeal cookies with a side of chocolate! These cookies were made with a blend of steel cut oats and rolled oats for maximum oatmeal flavor. For a great way to recycle all those unwanted leftover hollow chocolate Easter bunny candies, a painless decapitation breathes new life onto the confection by transforming it into a chocolate pint glass; the perfect chalice to savor the 10^th anniversary version (2014 vintage) of Terrapin Beer Company’s “Wake-N-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout”; an oatmeal imperial stout with coffee roasted by Jittery Joe’s Coffee. The dark, roast-y, coffee flavor in the oatmeal stout meshed wonderfully with the dark chocolate’s similar roasted flavor, elevating this beer and dessert pairing to a higher level.

Continue reading →

Fish Chowder in a Bread Bowl:

The seasons are changing but there is still a chill in the air; so a hot, warming meal with the herb-like floral characteristics of spring is a welcome feast indeed. This seafood chowder was made with some of the first tender spring leeks and herbs to poke their heads above ground this season; and the home baked bread bowl it was served in had Old Bay seasoning baked directly into it for a customized seafood pairing experience. Served with New Belgium’s dry hopped sour ale “Le Terroir”, a beer with enough acidic tartness to enhance the seafood and spring-like fruitiness with a floral punch from the citra and amarillo dry hopping!

Continue reading →

Bacon, Cheddar, and Apple Grilled Cheese with Pot Au Feu for National Grilled Cheese Day.

Pot Au Feu with a Bacon, Cheddar, and Apple Grilled Cheese: It’s National Grilled Cheese Day; and a soup and sandwich beer pairing is a great way to celebrate. This melty sandwich had tart Granny Smith apple slices, a hefty portion of gooey cheddar cheese, and a thick-cut serving of Stoltzfus Meat’s hickory smoked bacon, all lovingly sandwiched in between slices of home baked sour dough bread; coupled with a bowl of homemade pot au feu soup. Served with a glass of Iron Hill Brewery’s “Winter Wheat Wine Ale”; a sweet 10% abv wheat wine which while complementing the freshly baked bread was robust enough to handle the rich, herbal stock in the soup.

Extreme Beer Fest 2015 (EBF 2015): Learned so much last month at Beer Advocate ‘s Extreme Beer Fest sampling some extraordinary brews, hanging out with great people at the fest / other beer events, and savoring the food in Boston!

Continue reading →

Duck Matzo Ball Soup with a Hillel Sandwich:

Chag Sameach! Today is the last day of Passover 2015, and that means no chametz (no leavened food with wheat, barley, spelt, oats, or rye). So while not traditional, it’s the perfect opportunity to use gluten free beer! Korech sandwich made with pulled beef shoulder roast (braised in New Planet Beer’s Brown Ale), homemade horseradish sauce, bitter herbs, and home baked “Matzah Rolls” made from crushed Streits Matzo whole wheat matzos; accompanied by a springtime duck matzo ball soup made with homemade duck broth, home rendered duck schmaltz, and gorgeous homegrown chive flowers (preserved from last year). Served with Greens Beers’ Dubbel Dark Ale; the dark, sweet, raisin-like dark fruit flavors in the dubbel paired particularly well with the residual sweetness contributed by the brown ale that the beef was braised in, while the herbal bitterness from the arugula and the horseradish provided counterbalance for the meal.

Continue reading →