chopped #duck and chicken liver #crostini: inspired by the @fattedcalf ‘s #inthecharcuterie recipe for #chicken liver crostini: toasted slices of a fresh #homebaked French-style baguette baked in an heirloom #benningtonpotters red clay #banneton topped with duck and chicken #livers flavored with marsala wine, #homegrown shallots, pancetta, capers, and #gardengrown herbs and spices (oregano and thyme). Accompanied with @thebruery ‘s unfiltered, bottle conditioned #saisonrue. This Belgian/French-style #farmhouseale made for an ideal #beerpairing; the ale was light enough to be a good intensity match, the malty earthiness complimented the meat, and the carbonation scrubbed the palate for the next bite.

#homemade #bluecheese and #bacon burger with “fries”: a ground veal and ground beef burger on giant sized #homebaked sesame seed multigrain #hamburger buns, topped with: sautéed sweet onions, assorted greens, sautéed mushrooms, @castellocheese ‘s #castellobluecheese, and bacon slices, all smothered in a sauce made from tomato ketchup, mayo, and @latourangelle ‘s black truffle oil; served with a side salad and baked russet potato batons flavored with #homegrown basil and parsley. For this #beerpairing, the meal was matched up with #TheAlchemistBrewery ‘s #headytopper #ipa.

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#homemadepizza: #homemade whole grain fermented dough base with: (back) an artichoke white pizza topping with parmesan and asiago cheese, herbs, cherry tomatoes, and green onions; (front) a pizza margarita crudo with fresh cherry tomatoes, homegrown dried basil, whole milk mozzarella, and pepperoni. As for the #beerpairing, I choose a freshly canned #jaialai #ipa from @cigarcitybrewing because #pizza and #craftbeer go hand in hand.

Homemade split pea and ham soup: pressure cooked split pea and ham soup made with bone-in-ham with a side of rustic, home baked, wholegrain, organic bread. Destruise and @atgbrewery ‘s all funked up wild series Scorched monk (a sour mash, smoked, brown ale aged in French oak) made for a great beer pairing with the split pea soup. The sour beer tartness contrasted the sweetness of the peas while cutting through any fattiness from the pork, allowing the smoked flavor to compliment the ham.

Pulled Pork Sandwich: slowly cooked wood smoked whole picnic pork shoulder, smothered in home canned bbq sauce made from homegrown heirloom tomatoes (mason jar in top left), and homemade coleslaw, topped with home baked beer bread baked in a Dutch oven (visible in the top left of the photo), with a side of home pickled bread and butter pickles (jar in bottom right). For the beer pairing, this meal was paired with a leffe brun, it had just enough dark roast flavor to match up well with the dry-rub and meld with the smoky flavor in the meat.

Field birds were hopping up to knock the seeds off the rye grass stalks with their bodies and then picking the quite visible seeds off the clean, unbroken surface of the freshly fallen snow . This bird ended up making a snow angel imprint on landing.

With all the snow and temperatures in the single digits, it’s time for a warming homemade meal of white bean and bacon soup with black eyed peas (inspired by City Tavern ‘s recipe) garnished with homegrown parsley and served with @lancasterbrewingcompany ‘s Winter Warmer Ale. The dried black eye peas traditionally bring prosperity in the New Year and the beer makes for a tasty craft beer pairing that will warm your bones! 

Last meal of #2013: homemade savory umami soup with mushrooms, home rolled oshizushi salmon sushi pressed in a wooden oshizushihako (top left), home canned (ball jar in bottom left) Filipino -style atchara (achara atsara) (pickled papaya and pickled ginger), served with green tea and @devilsbackbonebrewingcompany ‘s Vienna Lager . This beer had enough malt to complement the mushroom flavor while still being light enough to work with the fish for a great craft beer pairing. 

#bottleshare from last night: #ciscobrewers (#ciscobrewery )#thewoods #pechishwoods #ladyofthewoods #newbelgium#accumulation #lipsoffaith #leterroir #weyerbacher #althea#devilsbackbone #sixpointipa #eviltwin #justinblabaer#leftcostbrewery #leftcost #voodoostout #stout #hopjuice#rodenbach #sourbeer

Homemade crab cake on fresh home baked light angel-style biscuits garnished with homegrown micro-greens with a bowl of home cooked mushroom soup made with homegrown garden fresh herbs. For this craft beer pairing, I pulled a wild ale that I haven’t had before out of the beer cellar to try. This ale is a collaboration beer from anchorage brewing and @mikkellerbeer (mikkeller ) called AK Alive , While this wild Alaskan ale was a bit different than I expected, it had a wonderful, although subtle, fruity berry-like flavor.