| December Newsletter
December 2009- Vol 1, Issue 1 |
| Greetings! |
 One of the most difficult challenges of the holiday season is determining what to bring to that holiday party or what you should serve your guests. Below are some great recipes that you can easily put together and wow your friends with. The Winter Warm Blue Cheese Dip is perfect for any holiday gathering.
Are you tired of traditional favorites during the holidays and want something new? Check out the recipes below and also on the Beer Gourmet page for more crowd pleasing recipes. Let us make your holiday planning a little more exciting.
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| Beer Gourmet Pairings |
Following Restaurants in the Cedar Valley have Beer and Food Pairings. Check them out!
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| Cooking with Beer Tips |
When just starting to cook with beer, the most important thing to remember is have fun. Enjoy a cold one, while experimenting.
#1 Rule - There are no rules!
Using beer in the cooking process adds depth to you flavor profiles while cooking. You are adding one more layer of flavor that you may have missed by using water.
Over-boiling or bringing beer to a boil too quickly can sometimes cause the beer to become bitter. Make sure when you are bringing to a warm temperature and not adding sugar, that you bring it up to a slow simmer.
Cheers! |
| Beer Vocabulary |
What is an IBU?
IBU stands for International Bitterness Unit. This is a rating scale which brewmaster use to determine the bitterness in beer which is provided by the hops in brewing. The scale runs from 0-100. Some scales actually go beyond 100, but there is really no gauge after it reaches 100 and your mouths threshold. Not all websites or breweries offer the IBU ratings, but if they do, it's a great tool to help you determine if you may like the beer prior to opening the bottle. | |
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| Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale |
 Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale has a smooth, robust taste full of rich aromas, hints of vanilla and flavorful hops. This is a wood and barrel aged dark beer and is an excellent, comforting beer for those cold winter month's. This seasonal is only available during the cold winter months.
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| Samuel Adams Winter Lager |
 The first thing one notices in a Samuel AdamsŪ Winter Lager is its color: the deep brown of winter. Then comes the magical aroma which promises something special on the tongue. The warm aroma of cinnamon and ginger which blends with the roasty sweetness of the malted barley and hint of citrus from the orange peel. And after that first sip the promise is fulfilled. On the palate Winter Lager is rich and full bodied, robust and warming, a wonderful way to enjoy the cold evenings that come with this season.
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| Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat |
 Hazy and golden in color, this wheat beer is a fresh twist on the popular Hefeweizen style. Sam Adams constant search for unique ingredients has led them to the Eureka and Lisbon varieties of lemon from three different growing regions in California. The citrus from the lemon balances the character of the breweries own signature malt blend, resulting in a crisp and refreshing wheat beer with subtle lemon aroma and flavor. |
| Goose Island Christmas Ale |
 Every year to celebrate the holiday season, we brew up our Christmas Ale, and with each year we change the recipe slightly so that you have something special to look forward to. Traditionally, our Christmas Ale is a complex brown ale that develops well in the bottle for up to five years.
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 Winter Warm Blue Cheese Dip |
7 slices of crisp chopped bacon 2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1/8 cup half-n-half cream
1/8 cup Samuel Adams Winter Lager
1 cup blue cheese crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until almost crisp; drain well.
Add garlic until golden brown. Beat cream cheese until creamy, add half-n-half, cream and beer; mix well. Add bacon & garlic, blue cheese & chives; mix well.
Transfer to an oven proof dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with warm sliced baguettes, sliced apples and crackers.
Serves 4-6 | |
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| Veal Stew with Leeks and Ale |
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbs veal shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut it into 2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 leeks, white and tender green parts, chopped
4 carrots, peeled, 1 diced, 3 halved and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup Winters Bourbon Cask Ale
1/2 cup chicken stock
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Buttered egg noodles
In a small bowl, place mushrooms in 1 cup of water and microwave on high for 1 minute, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain the mushrooms, chopp and reserve the soaking liquid. Set both aside.
Preheat the oven to 325F. In a large dutch oven with a lid, heat oil to medium high. Sprinkle the veal with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, coating the veal and brown the veal on all sides. Remove veal and set aside. Add the butter, garlic, leeks and diced carrots to the same pot and saute. Scraping loose any brown bits on the pan. Cook about 3 minutes, then add the mushroom soaking liquid, the mushrooms, beer, stock and thyme. Return the meat to the panand stir well. Bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook in oven with the lid on for 1 hour. Cook an additional 30 minutes after stirring until meat is very tender. Remove thyme sprigs, taste to adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle with parsley and serve on top of the hot buttered egg noodles. This dish improves over time and is a wonderful leftover for those cold winter days. Makes 4 servings. |
| Gingerbread Cake |
 1 cup Goose Island Oatmeal Stout 1 cup dark molasses
1 tsp baking soda 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsps ground ginger 2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest Confectioners sugar for dusting
1 cup heavy cream 2 tbsps granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter two 8 inch sq glass baking dishes. In a deep saucepan, combine stout and dark molasses over med-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and wisk in baking soda (it will foam up). Set aside and let cool.
In a bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, all-spice and salt. In a bowl, combine 1 cup of the crystallized ginger and the cooled melted butter and brown sugar. Stir in the eggs and lemon zest. Stir in the flour mixture in four additions alternating with the stout mixture. Pour the batter into the baking dishes, dividing evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Let cool completely, dust the tops with confectioners sugar, and cut each into 6 squares.
In a bowl, combine cream and granulated sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Stir in all but 1 tsp of the remaining crystallized ginger. Serve the cream with the cake and sprinkle with the last bit of ginger. Makes 12 servings. | |
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Thank you for signing up for the Beer Gourmet Newsletter! I hope you enjoy getting new recipes each month. If you have friends and family you think would love to read about new brews and could benefit from some new, exciting recipes, please forward this email using the link below.
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