Pies and Pints | Brussels Sprout Pizza

The tradition continues in week two of Pies and Pints!  My roommate turned me on to the glory of roasted Brussels sprouts, for which I am quite grateful.  Usually I'll saute some thinly sliced Brussels sprouts up with some bacon, dried cranberries, candied pecans.  Or--a newly discovered and newly beloved preparation from the blog Five and Spice--I'll pan roast sprout halves, adding kimchi in the last minute.  I seriously can't get over Brussels + kimchi.

But back to the pizza.  With our shared love of roasted Brussels sprouts, we thought it'd be a great idea to put them (along with some cheese) on top of a pizza.  As for the crust, we wanted to continue testing different recipes in our search for the Best Crust Recipe(s) Ever.

This week's Pies and Pints selections...

• Toppings:  Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Provelone Slices, Apple and Onion Slices, and shaved Parmesan

• Crust: Spelt Crust, adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck

• Beer:  Sierra Nevada's Ruthless Rye

Spelt Crust
from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck
Makes 2 pizza crusts

Ingredients:
2 cups whole grain spelt flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg
coarse cornmeal for dusting the peel and pan

Preparation (by hand):
Whisk together spelt flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, milk, oil, and egg.  Beat with a fork until smooth.  Pour the ricotta mixture into the well you made in the dry ingredients.  Combine with a fork, stirring from the center and gradually incorporating the flour from the sides until a fairly moist dough comes together.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface.  Lightly flour your hands and briefly knead 5 to 7 turns to get a smooth yet slightly tacky dough.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to allow the brain in the flour to soften.

To roll out your dough, see Assembly instructions below.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Preparation:

Wash and halve each Brussels sprout, cutting it so that each half remains attached at the "base" part of the sprout. Heat about 1-2 tbsp. (depending on the amount of Brussels sprouts you are roasting) of peanut oil over medium-high heat (so a drop of water sizzles when added).  Place the sprouts in the pan, cut side down, and cook for several minutes until deeply brown.  Stir the sprouts and cook for a few more minutes (4-5), until the sprouts are just beginning to be tender and easily pierced with a knife tip.  Remove from heat to limit any additional cooking.

Assembling the Pizza:

Place your pizza stone or an upturned baking sheet in a cold oven.  Next, preheat to 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, unwrap your dough, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and cut into 2 equal pieces.  Lightly flour your hands and briefly knead one piece until smooth, about 7 to 10 turns.  Roll or pat your dough out until it is between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.

Generously dust an upturned baking sheet or pizza peel with cornmeal, so your dough doesn't stick to it and will transfer easily to the preheated stone/sheet.  Lay your dough on top of the cornmeal.

It's time to assemble the pizza!  On top of your dough, brush extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle minced garlic. Place a layer of provolone slices, then apple slices and onion slices (both made with a mandolin or very thinly sliced with a knife).  Next, add your roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted side up.

Generously dust the hot pizza stone or upturned baking sheet with cornmeal, so you prevent your pizza from cooking onto the stone/sheet.  Carefully transfer your assembled pizza onto the hot stone/sheet.  We've found that using a combination of lifitng the front edge with a spatula + sliding the remainder of the pizza onto the stone/sheet to work best.  And after a few times, you'll scatter a lot less cornmeal around the oven and floor, I promise!

Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is done and cheese is browned.  Carefully slide your pizza from the pizza stone/upturned baking sheet onto a pizza peel (or wood cutting board or another upturned baking sheet), using the spatula + slide technique.  Sprinkle liberally with shaved Parmesan, cut, and dig in!

Our thoughts on this week's selections...

• The Toppings:
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Provelone Slices, Apple and Onion Slices, and shaved Parmesan
• Loved the Brussels sprouts. Roasted, almost charred...but practically flavorless without additional seasonings. Alas, none of the other toppings did much to help in this area, so I can't even say this was my favorite part of the pizza.
• Provelone, apple, and onion....not much flavor here either. Sigh.  Total bust in the flavor department.

• The Crust:
• Not something I'd ever like to revisit. I like my pizza crusts to have both a crispy, crunch crust and a chewy interior.  This spelt crust had absolutely no crunchy crust or chewy interior. Just a lot of soft and crumbly bread, almost like a very dried out quickbread (blurgh!).  
• However, the fact this dough didn't use yeast meant it came together incredibly quick, thanks to no rise time

• The Beer:
• This is one of my first opportunities to try a rye beer, and I must admit to enjoying it! 
• There's a slight tang from the rye that makes this brew different and interesting.  Paired with its medium body (not too light or heavy) and generally balanced flavors, Ruthless Rye would go well with a variety of savory foods. One I'd be happy to drink again.

Guess we failed in the toppings and crust department...but there's always next week!

Pies and Pints | Sausage, Fontina, and Egg Pizza

Last summer and fall, my dear roommate and I made a tradition.  We went to a marvelous weekly event called Burgers and Beers at our local liquor store, The Party Source, where we'd enjoy a gourmet burger (new toppings each week!) with stunning array of beer samples (a new theme with new beers each week!).  It was very much a tradition because we only missed a handful of these weekly gatherings over the course of 3 months.  We eagerly anticipated every Thursday, even the perilous part of the short drive from work to The Party Source, when you're fighting to merge across two lanes of traffic to the exit while those two lanes are, perversely, trying to merge onto the highway, directly into you.  And all this happens on a very short bridge.  It makes you wonder how traffic planners could be so dense at times...but that's another thing entirely.  The important thing is we made and loved this tradition of Burgers and Beers.

Since Burgers and Beers doesn't happen during the winter, we decided to create another weekly tradition -- Pies and Pints!  Inspired by another event at The Party Source, Pies and Pints was a chance to try gourmet riffs on pizza pies paired with different beers (hence the pints part, though I'm not sure if the samples were a full pint...).  We've never been to a Pies and Pints at The Party Source, so we have the freedom to make it entirely our own.  Each week, we're going to make a different type of pizza and enjoy it with a different beer.

It's quickly become our new favorite tradition. Especially since it immediately follows our boxing class where we get to pound out the week's frustrations.

Cheers to our inaugural session of Pies and Pints!

This week's Pies and Pints selections....

• Pizza:  Sausage, Fontina, and Egg, inspired by a dish from a local restaurant, A Tavola
• Pizza Crust:  Rushed dough recipe from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
• Beer:  Mt. Caramel Brewery's Amber Ale - A Cincinnati local!

Rushed Pizza Dough

from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Makes one 12oz. dough (approximately 1 medium/large pizza)
Requires 10-15 minutes prep + 30 minutes to rise

Dough Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 - 116 degrees Farenheit)
1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast*
1 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for the counter
1 tsp. table salt
Olive oil

Dough Preparation:

Turn your oven on to warm (about 200 - 225 degrees Farenheit) for 5 minutes; then turn it off.

If mixing the dough by hand...
Pour 1/2 cup warm water into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water, and let it stand for 5 minutes.  Add the flour, then salt, and mix with a wooden spoon until a rough, craggy mass forms. Turn dough and any loose bits out onto a lightly floured counter, and knead for 5 minutes or until a smooth, elastic dough forms.

If mixing the dough with a mixer...
Pour 1/2 cup warm water into the bowl of your electric mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water, and let it stand for 5 minutes.  Add the flour, then salt, and mix with your dough hook at a moderate speed until the mixture starts to form a craggy mass.  Reduce thes peed to low and mix for 5 minutes, letting the hook knead the mass into a smooth elastic dough.

For either method...
Coat inside of a heat-safe mixing bowl with olive oil, place the dough back into the bowl, and lightly coat the dough with olive oil (adding a drizzle more if you need).  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the previously warmed (but now off!) oven for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.  Remove dough from the oven, turn it out onto a floured counter to roll it out for your pizza!

Before rising...

After rising...

Sausage, Fontina, and Egg Pizza

inspired by A Tavola restaurant in Cincinnati, Ohio

Ingredients:

Prepared pizza dough

Garlic, chopped

Extra-virgin olive oil

Italian sausage, casings removed and cooked

Fontina cheese, sliced thinly or shredded

Fresh sage leaves, washed and roughly chopped or torn

Eggs

Pizza Preparation:

Put your pizza stone (or a baking sheet with its bottom facing up) in the middle of your oven.  Then turn your oven on to 400-500 degrees Farenheit (or whatever the instructions for your particular pizza stone say).  This is absolutely critical -- pizza stone FIRST, oven turned on SECOND.  If you reverse the order, you can break your pizza stone.  So if you forget, forgo the pizza stone and use an upturned baking sheet.  Just preheat it in the oven too, so your crust gets extra crispy.

Saute the chopped garlic in a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over low/medium-low heat, until the garlic just barely turns golden-brown.  Remove from heat to stop cooking...or else you'll have some very burnt garlic!

Cook your sausage and convert it into pieces.  We poached the sausage in water (casings on) over medium-high heat until it was fully cooked.  We then removed the casings and cut thick slices of the sausage.

Work your pizza dough out into your preferred pizza shape - we just kinda went with oblong here.  Set up a pizza peel or another upside-down baking sheet as your assembly platform.  Dust it liberally with cornmeal.  Don't hold back, you need this for the dough to slide off the assembly platform and on to the pizza stone.  Brush the dough with your garlic + olive oil mixture, all the way to the edges to get a lovely golden-brown crust.  Top with cheese, sausage, and sage.

We also cracked an egg onto the center of the pizza before we began cooking...but....we're going to advise you to wait until your pizza is almost done before adding your egg.  Add your egg when you have 2-3 minutes remaining.

Dust your pizza stone liberally with cornmeal.  Don't be stingy, or else your pizza will be stuck on the stone!  (We don't recommend putting the cornmeal on the stone until this point, or else it burns quite a bit)  Transfer your pizza from the assembly platform to the pizza stone.  We use a spatula to help us guide the pizza as it slides (sometimes with a little shake of encouragment) off the assembly platform and onto the pizza stone.  Try to position the pizza on the stone during this transfer - it's not terribly easy to maneuver once it is on the stone, especially if your dough is thin, if you didn't use enough cornmeal, or if you have a lot of toppings.

Set your timer for 10 minutes.  When you check on your pizza, you can tailor its level of doneness to your preferences.  I like my crust deeply golden-brown and my cheese bubbling, so my pizza took about 14-15 minutes.  If you think your pizza is close to being done, add your whole egg in the center of the pizza, so it doesn't ooze off the crust.

Our thoughts on this week's selections...

• The pizza:
• A great combination of toppings.  Melty and mildly flavored cheese, spicy Italian sausage, the earthy flavor of sage and garlic, plus a delicious fried egg.  
• Sadly, our eggs were too far done to be the runny mess we were hoping for. Just imagine that velvety egg yolk oozing over the sausage and cheese....Mmmm!  Next time, we'll add the eggs a minute or two before the pizza is removed from the oven.
• The crust:
• Very quick and easy to make, thanks to warming the "room" where the dough rises.
• Good crunch on the exterior + good chew on the interior.  A winning combination in my book!
• The beer:
• Mt. Caramel's Amber Ale is my all-time favorite from this brewery.  It's a rich amber color with medium body and a great balance between roasted malt and hop flavors.  Perfect for pairing with foods, since it doesn't have any overly assertive flavors of its own but still tastes great.

Any suggestions for pizza combinations?  We're excited to try new ones!

Pumpkin Beer Review

Last fall, I informed you of my intent to conduct a survey of pumpkin beers.  I was in search of The Perfect Pumpkin Beer, the one that captures fall in a bottle of brewed delight.

Well, I conducted this survey.  A quite extensive one, I'll admit.  I'm still drinking a few of those six packs now, trying to clear space for new brews.  If you'll forgive me the delay, here is my report on the Official Pumpkin Beer Survey 2012...

(I profusely apologize for taking so darn long to tell you about these beers. You may not be able to find them in stores at this time.  I took that long. Sorry!!!)

Let's start with big bottles...


Chatoe Rogue (or Rogue Farms)
First Growth Pumpkin Patch Ale
Rogue Brewery

Contains pumpkin, ginger, cloves, vanilla bean, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.

Obviously, I was attracted to the bright orange bottle like a moth to flame.  The fact that its made by Rogue, one heck of a delicious brewery out of Oregon, clinched my decision to buy a bottle. The label states the pumpkins were grown and picked from Rogue's farms and immediately processed into the brew.  It definitely had a POW-in-your-face flavor...but I'm not too sure that flavor was distinctly pumpkin and/or spice.  This might not be for everyone, but I still loved the brew and will be sure to enjoy a bottle (or two) next year.

Pumking
Southern Tier

Flavor notes from the brewery:  malty sweetness, vanilla, clove, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, pie crust.

You've heard about Pumking from me many times before. It's my reigning favorite pumpkin beer, with a distinct pumpkin taste and a wallop of spices.  If I'm drinking a pumpkin beer, I want to know it's pumpkin and not some indeterminate lager that could be an Oktoberfest if I didn't read the label.

Pumking is not too heavy in the mouth or the stomach, but with more heft than a summery pilsner or lager. Perfect for fall.

I liked it so much, I went from the large bottle (which is the only way its sold) to the growler. Yes, indeed.

La Parcela No. 1 Pumpkin Ale
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales 

The label reads: "packed with real pumpkin, hints of spice, and a gentle kiss of cocoa to liven the soul.

A pumpkin ale from Jolly Pumpkin? It has to be good, right? Plus it has cocoa flavor, and I love the combination of chocolate + pumpkin.  Alas, I was sorely disappointed.  Not much flavor of anything, despite the beautiful coppery orange color.  This probably won't make the list of contenders again. Bummer.

Fat Jack
Samuel Adams

A double pumpkin ale (28 lbs. of pumpkin per barrel) with classic pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice).  These flavors are deepened by an undercurrent of roasted malts.

Twice the pumpkin sounded awfully enticing.  While delicious, I didn't pick up a distinctly pumpkin flavor from Fat Jack.  At least no distinct in-your-face pumpkin flavor like Pumking.  So I'd drink Fat Jack again, but it isn't the champion pumpkin brew due to its lack of distinct pumpkin flavor.  Also, I'm loving this more specialty/seasonal/limited batch production by Samuel Adams as an alternative to their mass produced beers.   To be clear, I enjoy both, so I'm not a beer snob or hipster.

Let's move on to the six packs....

Harvest Pumpkin Ale
Samuel Adams

Contains roasted pumpkin (17 lbs. per barrel), deep roasted malts (including a smoked malt to add a distinctive smoked flavor), and traditional pumpkin pie spices.

Solid, but not distinctly pumpkin or spice.  Unlike many other pumpkin ales, this Sam Adams offering isn't too much spice.  It seems, to use the wise words of Goldilocks, just right.  It's not the champion pumpkin ale in my book, but it's one I may return to if pickings get slim in future searches.

Pumpkin Ale
Smuttynose Brewing Company

Contains pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Described by a review in the Wall Street Journal as "more spicy than spiced...Less aromatic than most, with more noticeable hops, it is not an obvious pumpkin beer, but not quite anything else."

I've become a huge fan of Smuttynose Brewing Company after trying their Old Brown Dog Ale and their Winter Ale.  So their pumpkin ale seemed like it'd be a serious contender.  Alas, it had no true pumpkin flavor, though I'd disagree with the Wall Street Journal review and say the hops weren't a strong flavor either.  Overall, a solid autumnal beer with a moderate amount of hops and some spices.  I'd drink it again, but it won't be in the running for pumpkin ale champion.

Pumpkin Ale
Kennebunkport Brewing Company

Described as a pale ale with hints of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg...crisp and refreshing.

A late entry from the beer section at Trader Joe's, this pumpkin ale was just alright.  It seemed...lighter? less substantial? nearly identical to KBC's blueberry wheat beer from the summer (just a bit less fruit-sour)?  Even though I can't find the right word to describe it, I just wasn't impressed. There was no discernible pumpkin or spice taste, and it seemed muddled in flavor.  Not likely to revisit in the future, like most other KBC beers.  So sad...

Burgers and Beers:  The Great Pumpkin
A pumpkin beer sampling at The Party Source.  I'll keep it short here, we're almost done...

Post Road 
Brooklyn Brewery
Meh. Not much flavor here, either of pumpkin or spice. I'll pass.
(but they served it with a dollop of orange liquor infused whipped cream...and that was tasty!)

Ichabod
New Holland Brewing Company
A decent amount of flavor, but lacking in the distinctive pumpkin flavor.  Okay, but not a favorite.



Pumpkin Ale
St Ambroise

I flipped out over this pumpkin ale from a Canadian brewery about 4-5 years ago when it was at AleFest.  This year, I didn't so much as flip out as say "Okay. Maybe even good. But not noteworthy."  Has more of a pumpkin flavor than most, but it doesn't come through the spices and hops cleanly.

Pumpkin Beer

O'Fallon Brewery

Solid. Good pumpkin flavor (136 lbs of it, according to their website), an appropriate dose of spice, crisp...good work.  It didn't win top spot, but I'd happily drink it any fall.

Pumpkin Ale

Schlafly 

Introducing the runner-up in my unofficial (yet incredibly official) pumpkin beer survey 2012....Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale!  It has distinct flavors of pumpkin and spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) balanced against each other.  Maybe a little extra pumpkin, to ensure those obsessed with pumpkin (ahem, me) would be happy.  A great fall brew to be enjoyed, and one I'll certainly be drinking as soon as I can get my paws on it.

And you've heard my opinion on Southern Tier's Pumking...(winner! pow-pumpkin-in-your-face!).

So that concludes my survey results.  Obviously, I love pumpkin beer.  Some more than others.  And I hope it's equally obvious that I'll be back in 2013 with a fresh review.  Any suggestions for what to try???

Chocolate Stout and Valentine's

With Valentine's day fast approaching, you're likely being bombarded with recipes, advertisements for jewelry and flowers, and pink and red heart-shaped decor in all directions.  Don't get me wrong! I love Valentine's day.  Even in high school, my best friend and I would go bonkers making each other Valentine's and baked goods.  To us, it's all about showing and sharing your love for others, whether it's family, friends, or a significant other.

But here's my humble idea...  If you want to do something a little different for Valentine's day and your fellow celebrants enjoy beer, why not bring chocolate stout or porter to the table this year?  It's delicious to drink, it's versatile in cooking and baking (check out The Beeroness' blog for inspiration!), it can be served with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream for a chic and easy dessert, and it mixes with champagne for a Black Velvet cocktail.  Plus you're still bringing chocolates, a Valentine's day staple!

To aid in your decision, my roommate and I had a taste-off between two chocolate stouts.  Their labels lured us in with irresistible descriptions of chocolate and velvety taste.  We're obviously suckers for anything packaged well.  We tasted, we decided - Southern Tier Brewing Company's Imperial Choklat Stout is the best chocolate stout for your loved one(s).  Provided you share.  Thankfully these come in large bottles, so sharing is easy.

Upland Brewing Company's Teddy Bear Kisses

vs.

Southern Tier Brewing Company's Imperial Choklat Stout

Imperial Choklat Stout
from Southern Tier Brewing Company

About Choklat:
10% ABV
Opaque, very dark brown color
Lightly carbonated, heavier + creamy body
Brewed with ale yeast, two types of hops, four types of malts, and bittersweet Belgian chocolate.
Flavors noted by the brewery include chocolate, dark cherries, lightly woody and bittersweet.

Ahhhmazing. Seriously, you need to try this.  It's richly, distinctly chocolate, but it is incredibly smooth and drinkable.  The flavor is perfectly balanced, rich chocolate without any unappealing hints of hoppy bitterness or cloying sweetness.  Unlike several other dark beers, Choklat does not sit heavy in your stomach, inviting both food pairings (flavored chocolates, delicate and creamy cheeses, angel food cake, fresh berries) and drinking it solo.  It's also excellent for cooking, such as brownies or cupcakes or - dare I say it? - an ice cream float, adults-only style.  Upon first taste, my roommate and I fell in love and it's going to be a long-term relationship with Choklat.

Teddy Bear Kisses
from Upland Brewing Company

About Teddy Bear Kisses:
10.2% ABV
Opaque, very dark brown color
Lightly carbonated, medium + creamy body
Brewed with high alpha hops and an abundance of dark malts.  Aged on cocoa nibs to provide additional bitterness and chocolate flavor.
Flavors noted by the brewery include a velvety malt character, balanced bitter intensity, and soothing chocolate notes.

"Teddy Bear Kisses will make you feel warm and happy inside, but it's definitely not your childhood cuddle toy." (Upland)

It looks like motor oil...but it tastes better.  However, Teddy Bear Kisses isn't quite what I had imagined from its description on the bottle.  Belying its looks, this brew had medium body, so it wasn't as heavy in the stomach as expected.  The malts didn't provide a thoroughly rich and roasty flavor, but instead a burnt malt and slightly chocolate flavor.  The hops + cocoa nibs provided bitterness, which was thankfully not the typical hoppy bitter flavor.  Instead, the bitterness had a hit of chocolate and espresso.  The chocolate flavor I'd hoped for was much milder in Teddy Bear Kisses, perhaps drowned out by the other flavors.  Rats.  There is a possibility, though, that we didn't experience the best this brew has to offer.  According to other reviews, this beer shines when served on tap instead of from the bottle.  Overall, Teddy Bear Kisses was just okay.  We won't be asking it to be our Valentine, especially when Choklat is there to sweep us off our feet.


This Valentine's day, Eric and I are continuing the tradition of cooking dinner together and sharing a bottle of champagne.  I'm making him Plain Old Brownies, which are our compromise (he wants box mix brownies, I want to make them from scratch to show my love) on brownies.  My coworkers are receiving a bunch of Monster Cookies (from Baked:  New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito), which are thoroughly addictive cookies of oats, peanut butter, M&M's, and chocolate chips. I may shove a bit too much batter in my face while making them. Oops.  And my roommate and I are celebrating early with raspberry lambic - vanilla Greek frozen yogurt floats (inspired by Bianca at Confessions of a Chocoholic).


What are your plans for Valentine's?

Good Things - Early Winter

Good things from the past few weeks...


The return of fondue dinners with my roommate.
We bust out an electric fondue pot for the Trader Joe's fondue mix and assemble an assortment of dipping vehicles.  This time, we've got toasted bread cubes (pumpernickel and sourdough), raw broccoli, and roasted brussels sprouts.  Unsurprisingly, melted cheese made my initial taste of raw broccoli delicious. Cheese works its magic yet again.

Don't worry, the bunny isn't for dipping. He's supervising our fondue feast, spread across the coffee table that functions as our storage device/dining room table. Yup, we're heathens. But happy ones, at least!

Southern Tier Imperial Choklat Stout.
"A stout brewed with chocolate" is on its label. It's amazing. I must get another bottle (or four) very soon. Rich without being heavy, flavorful without being an in-your-face brew, I couldn't get enough of it.  It's also easy and delicious to use in baked goods, like bread puddings or brownies or cupcakes.

More Apple Cheddar Scones.

I told you, they're thoroughly addictive.  I can't have them enough, fresh out of the oven or for breakfast the following morning. 

Cardamom Ice Cream.

As much as I am a loyal fan of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (who makes a fantastic lime cardamom frozen yogurt, by the way), I've been loving this intensely cardamom ice cream from Three Twins.  Equally cozy with chocolate or caramel sauce as it is with roasted fruit (especially roasted plums).

Pumpkin, Maple, Bacon, Pecan Oatmeal.

Yeah, I did it. I put bacon in my morning oats. And it was delicious. A salty-smoky-sweet flavor bomb.  Just cook your favorite package of instant oatmeal with a mixture of pumpkin puree and milk, then top with cooked bacon, pecans, and a generous drizzle of real maple syrup. Wintry luxury that's good for you!

Spaghetti Squash, Black Bean, and Cotija Cheese Tacos.

From The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.

Holy cow, I've never been more in love with a vegetable filled taco than I am for this. It's incredibly easy to make - just one night's prep offered 4 dinners' worth of food.  And it's a welcome change from my usual spaghetti squash meal, where I top the squash with tomato sauce and pretend it's spaghetti.  

Roast your spaghetti squash with chile powder and cayenne powder.  Assemble your tacos (or, if you're me, on a giant sized chile tortilla from Trader Joe's. So good.) with roasted spaghetti squash, black beans from a can, cotija cheese, extra hot sauce (because you can never have too much), and lime juice.  Make a hot mess over your plate and call it a night. Bonus points for a cold beer to wash it down.

The Brief Return of Summer

I may be a little late in the season to bring up all the fruit beers I tried this year.  It's fall, after all.  The time of falling leaves, apples, spice, and all things pumpkin.  And I do mean all things.  I'm determined to make as many pumpkin things as possible this year.  In life, though, it's not exactly acceptable to waste beer, so I translating that into the blog world - it is not acceptable to waste the opportunity to talk about beer, even if it is out of season.

Besides, it's almost 80 degrees Farenheit outside today, complete with sunshine and cloudless blue skies. It just looks like summer, and I am going into fall and winter with a bit of a fuss. I'm not ready to hunker down and bundle up for 6-7 months.

I tried quite a variety of beers made with fruit flavors this past summer. I claimed it was for this blog, but you know it was really because I wanted to taste something new. Or drink some beer.  Both, probably. I won't apologize.

Kennebunk Brewing Company's
Blueberry Wheat Ale

Deep golden color
Moderate blueberry flavor

This brew was refreshing and delicious, one I'd come back to next summer. The blueberry flavor is noticeable but not overpowering.  More importantly, it is a realistic blueberry flavor and not overly sweet or cloying like artificial flavoring.

Dark Horse Brewing Company's
Raspberry Ale

Mild raspberry flavor, though more distinctively raspberry than most others of this flavor

A little too sweet overall to become a personal favorite, this is still a delicious brew and distinctively raspberry in flavor.

Ass Kisser's
Strawberry Wit

Pale blonde color
Very mild (or almost non-existent) strawberry flavor

Seeing this beer mentioned on the amazing blog, The Beeroness, I was excited to try it. I'd seen only one other example of a strawberry beer (Abita's Strawberry Lager), and had high hopes with a nod from a beer lover I respected.  Sadly, my hopes were dashed.  I couldn't detect any noticeable strawberry flavor, and the wit beer itself wasn't as good as I expected.  Oh well, you taste and you learn. I love the bottle, though!

Our New Mermaid Friend

My roommate couldn't resist this charming cast iron bottle opener.  She asserts it must make her some kind of college frat boy, but I doubt they'd got for a charming mermaid bottle opener.

Abita's
Satsuma Harvest Ale

Pale golden color
Mild citrus flavor

I've enjoyed many of Abita's other brews, but had never tasted Satsuma Harvest Ale.  It was lovely, very refreshing with a distinct citrus taste and a very mild sweetness to distinguish it from the citrus-pine flavor of some types of hops.  Though it wasn't memorable enough to become an instant favorite, I wouldn't turn down a glass if offered.

21st Amendment Brewery's
Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer

Pale and cloudy golden color
Strong watermelon flavor

This is one of my favorite summer beers, and one of the best gambles I took on a brewery I'd never heard of before.  Your first few sips will overwhelm you with a distinct and somewhat sweet watermelon flavor.  But stay the course! After those first sips, the watermelon flavor settles into the background, transmuting into a refreshing wheat beer that epitomizes summer.  As a wheat beer, it does have a bit more oomph than a pilsner or lager, but this particular beer remains light overall, so you'll reach for one on even the hottest of summer days. I'll definitely be snatching up the first six pack I see next summer.

Shiner's
Ruby Redbird

Golden and pale amber in color
Moderate citrus taste, with just the occasional hint of spiciness from ginger

Upon seeing this in the store, I couldn't resist.  Ruby red grapefruit and fresh ginger flavor this summer seasonal from Shiner.  Though the citrus flavor isn't distinctively grapefruit, it's pleasant and not bitter. It's as if the sweeter aspect of a grapefruit was used here.  I could taste fresh ginger as a muddled and mild spicy warmth only once in awhile, which is disappointing as I love fresh ginger.  Overall, a nice beer for the summer and one I'll pick up again next summer, though it won't be my primary drink.

Buffalo Bill's
Strawberry Blonde Ale

Rich golden color
Mild strawberry flavor

In the wake of my excessive excitement and subsequent disappointment over Ass Kisser's Strawberry Wit, I stumbled across this beer in the store.  Seeking to give strawberry brews another chance, I have to say I'm more pleased with this example of a blonde ale...though there still isn't much of a strong or distinctive strawberry flavor. This brew also lacks any hint of the fresh ginger it claims to use, but I think I would've been more put off had I tasted it.  The ale itself is quite nice to drink, as long as you aren't expecting a fruit flavor.

Abita's
Strawberry Harvest Lager

Pale golden color
Mild strawberry taste

Let's make it three for strawberry beers!  This was refreshing and delicious, but, alas, I am still unable to taste a distinct strawberry flavor.  Like Abita's Satsuma Harvest Lager, I'd be quite happy to drink this again.  I'd even purchase a six pack next summer.  Since I have a few left from this year, though, I might try a strawberry and beer lemonade out, inspired by a recipe from The Beeroness.

Magic Hat's
Elder Betty

Crisp gold color
Very mild berry flavor

Magic Hat flavored their lager with elderberry juice, with is a very delicate, slightly tart berry flavor.   While I found this brew refreshing and crisp, I couldn't discern much of any berry or tart flavor.  Perhaps elderberries are just too subtle?

Rivertown Brewing Company's
Blueberry Lager

Pale golden color
Bright blueberry flavor without being sweet

This was the biggest surprise of the bunch. As much as I love Rivertown Brewing Co. (it's local and has a few delicious brews), I've grown wary of buying a new brew without tasting it first. So I considered buying the Blueberry Lager multiple times before relenting and going for it. What a shock! Delightfully crisp and refreshing, light, and full of distinctive and strong blueberry flavor. Without being overly sweet! This is one I will return to each year, though I'd guess a single six pack will satiate my cravings for another year.

To be fair to fall, I've undertaken the duty of testing a variety of pumpkin ales.  My report is coming soon...