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...

Whole Wheat Mediterranean Pizza

It was one of those nights.  I needed a delicious dinner. I needed it fast, or I was going to get hangry (it's a real thing and it's dangerous for those around me).  I wanted it to be mostly healthy and homemade.  Oh, and I needed to use those cherry tomatoes that were on the verge of going bad.

So I turned to pizza, inspired by a recipe for whole wheat pizza with cherry tomatoes and olives I'd seen in Melissa Clark's Cook This Now cookbook.  But I was feeling daring.  I'm making this without even opening the cookbook.  Let's just see what I can conjure up, now, shall we?

To keep it healthy and fast, I used pre-made whole wheat pizza dough from the refrigerator case of Trader Joe's.  Instead of the traditional tomato sauce, I lightly heated some garlic and olive oil in a skillet and brushed that on top of my crust.  Thin slices of fresh mozzarella, halved almost-too-ripe cherry tomatoes, halved Kalamata olives, and a hefty dose of dill served as my toppings.  

Since I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, I tested out a suggestion I'd read - flip a metal sheet pan over, lightly brush it with oil, and use it instead of a pizza stone.  I heated the unoiled sheet pan up in the oven at 425 degrees Farenheit while I prepared my dough.  When the pizza was ready, I pulled the sheet pan out of the oven, brushed the bottom (now the top) with oil, and carefully maneuvered my creation onto it.  Since that bit involved multiple spatulas, a flexible cutting board and some hurried and hopeful movements, it was decidedly a good thing no one was there to witness it.

After 15 minutes or so, my pizza was done.  The crust was crispy and hearty, thanks to the whole wheat flour.  The fresh mozzarella had that marvelous chewy-melty texture you only experience with cooked fresh mozzarella.  The flavor of the tomatoes had been intensified through roasting and were marvelously juicy.  All I needed was a hearty sprinkle of red pepper flakes and a glass (or two or three) of red wine. Dinner for one, delicious, healthy and fast.

Next time, I get to play with my roommate's new pizza stone!  

What are your favorite pizza topping combinations?

A Cake for Celebration and Nerds

The last few weeks have felt rather hectic. Lots of dashing around and frantically trying to get-everything-done, whatever that means.  In the midst of all my self-imposed hustle, though, I was able to help someone celebrate.  And though she said it made her day (probably not as much as receiving her doctoral degree), it made my crazy week better too.

Plus I was able to have some fun in the kitchen.  So it wasn't entirely selfless on my part...but I did enjoy contributing to her festivities.

Our dining room table serves as storage space and cooling counter,
complete with expandable surface.

My roommate and I went on a baking frenzy, making yellow buttermilk cupcakes from scratch (recipe from Martha Stewart Cupcakes) as well as a three layer dark chocolate fudge cake (recipe from Sugar Baby by Gesine Bullock-Prado).  She masterfully produced two icings - whipped vanilla frosting for the cupcakes (recipe also from Martha Stewart Cupcakes) and The Best Chocolate Buttercream frosting (recipe from Joy the Baker Cookbook) - while I played with various candies that would adorn the top of the cake. Have I mentioned my roommate is awesome?

The cake, you see, needed to have a reproduction of the protein structure my friend (the one who was defending her thesis and receiving her doctoral degree) had worked on for many years.  Her lab had a tradition of decorating the cake of the newly-doctor-ified person with their familiar protein structure.  I was following in the tracks of some serious cake decorators, and I feared failure.  Knowing I couldn't pipe frosting with sure skill, I chose candy as my medium.  And even after an hour of cutting and arranging and recutting and rearranging, I still wasn't sure how the structure would emerge.

The next morning, my roommate and I rose early to ice everything.  Then we split transport duties - she the cupcakes, I the cake - and journeyed off to work.  Shortly before the celebration, I arranged my carefully cut candies to form an IgA molecule bound to its receptor at the cell surface.  Yup, I got my nerd on.

A celebration cake for a doctoral degree

My friend loved it.  And so did everyone else.

I thought the cake itself was the star, not it's decoration.  Moist, intensely rich, capable of inducing adult-onset diabetes in less than a slice.  It was the chocoholic's dream my coworkers had requested.

But after my struggles with candy as decorations, I'm definitely enrolling in some cake decorating classes.

By the Book: Chocolate Malted Bread Pudding

Another bread pudding, you say?  Really, you say? You haven't exhausted your cookbook and blog collection of recipes for it?  You haven't grown tired of such a rich and carb-laden dish?

Nope. It helps that I share the products of my kitchen adventures with my family and coworkers.  My pants are grateful for that, as is my wallet.  Jeans are way more expensive than they need to be. Seriously.

Anyway, no, I haven't exhausted bread pudding just yet.  In fact, I have another variation up my sleeve. But I'll wait a few weeks, so we can all work off the carbs from my last few iterations.  But until then, you really should make this.  It's got the unique taste of malt powder partnering nicely--like it usually does--with chocolate.  It's like a Whopper candy, if a Whopper candy were a bread pudding.  Don't worry, I won't explore that idea.  But I will advise you to splash each serving of this with Kahlua or Bailey's.  You'll be glad you did.
Chocolate Malted Bread Pudding
From Joy the Baker Cookbook:  100 Simple and Comforting Recipes by Joy Wilson
Makes one 8-inch dish

Ingredients:
5 loosely packed cups stale challah bread, ripped into chunks
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. malt powder (chocolate flavored, if you have it)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preparation:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Lightly butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Set aside.

If your bread isn't stale, put the bread chunks in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes in the oven.

Place the stale or toasted bread pieces in the buttered baking dish.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and cream until just barely boiling.  Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks, sugar, and salt.  While whisking, slowly drizzle the warmed milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs.  Once the mixture is well combined, add the chocolate chunks, malt powder, and vanilla.  Stir to combine.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the bread chunks.  Make sure most of the bread is submerged and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Following the rest, cook for 25-30 minutes or until the top looks dry and dull and the pudding is set, not milky and jiggly.  Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before serving.  It's delicious warm with a scoop of ice cream or at room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator for a few days in an airtight container or tightly wrapped.

Notes:
--I had a stale baguette lying around, so I used that and some softer Italian bread in place of challah.  It worked, though I'd imagine the softness of challah or an Italian loaf would be even better.  This is one of those rare instances where I advocate soft bread to crusty bread.

--Semisweet chocolate chips can be used instead of chopping a semisweet bar.  They might not melt quite as nicely, thanks to the stabilizing chemicals used to limit chip melting, but it will totally work. And I won't tell.

--I suspect my use of a baguette instead of challah made my bread pudding a bit more dry than it should've been.  So I added a healthy splash of Kahlua on top of the bread pudding after it came out of the oven. It's delicious and added the moisture I was missing.  Also, I may have a problem...

--Fresh berries are delicious with this. Especially if you're trying to find a reason to eat a bowl of it for breakfast or dessert. Berries are healthy, after all, so it's an excellent excuse.

Just out of the oven

Don't forget to drizzle (or heavily splash) Kahlua on top...

Chocolate and coffee. Always a winning combination.

Root and Cream Cocktail

Let's hearken back to the golden days of childhood. When you could play in the yard all day, swinging as high as you dared (though I wasn't all that daring) in the summer or making the best snowman ever in the winter (complete with carrot nose).  When you had endless energy and always fought against your bedtime (instead of longing for your bed at absurdly early hours).  When you didn't have to pay bills, take care of yourself and your house, and never worried about work or how you looked.  Sound good?  Hmm...sometimes.

Well, there are certainly perks to being an adult.  Like being able to enjoy a good cocktail.  This Root & Cream Cocktail is the perfect blend of reliving a moment of childhood and the marvelous privilege of an alcoholic beverage.  And to make it even better, it's gloriously simple to make.

Real spices and ingredients used to create Root

Remember Root?  It's a certified organic spirit with a flavor like authentic, craft-brewed root beer.  Minus the carbonation, of course, because it is a spirit. Not only does it have a strong, marvelous flavor and is made from certified organic herbs and pure cane sugar, Root has a historical tie as well.  It's formulated from recipes for Root Tea originally given to settlers in the 1700s by Native Americans.  Over generations, the settlers increased the, ah, potency of the tea, until the Temperance Movement prompted a Pennsylvania pharmacist to remove the alcohol and ironically dub the beverage Root Beer.  The company producing Root--Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction--aims to recreate the original, pre-Temperance spirit.

For some Friday Cheer, mix up a Root & Cream Cocktail.  It's only 3 ingredients (and one is optional!), and it will taste exactly like a root beer float.  With a little extra adult kick.  It's the best of childhood and adulthood in a glass.

Since I mentioned root beer float, have you seen what my beloved Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is serving in their scoop shops?  A Reverse Root Beer Float!  Their newly released flavor, Root Beer, is scooped into a glass and topped with Vanilla Bean Soda (from Dry).  I'm hoping to try one this Sunday when I'm in Columbus to get my certification to be a TRX instructor!


Root and Cream Cocktail
From Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:
2 parts Root liquor
4 parts cream soda
maraschino cherry

Preparation:
Combine Root and soda, giving it a brief stir.  Garnish with a cherry. Enjoy!

An adult root beer float, with a cherry on top
on the bottom of the glass
You know I love boozy fruit!

Happy Friday!

By the Book: Donut Bread Pudding with Tennessee Whiskey Sauce

I've previously confessed my love of custards and their bread pudding brethren. Let's take that adoration up a level by swapping the bread in the bread pudding for donuts.  Oh, and let's add some Tennessee whiskey. Because if we're going for excess, let's go all the way, baby!


Donut Bread Pudding with Tennessee Whiskey Sauce
From The Boozy Baker by Lucy Baker
Makes one 8x8 pan

This is one of the cookbooks I've been repeatedly returning to for delicious baked goods. Plus I was very tempted by the over-the-top-ness of having a donut bread pudding.  I mean, bread pudding is rich already...and I'm making it even more rich? Heck, yeah!

A bread pudding made of donuts, drizzled with
a sauce made from Tennessee whiskey

Ingredients:
For the bread pudding:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 store bought plain cake donuts
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups heavy cream or whole milk
1/4 cup Tennessee whiskey
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the sauce:
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. Tennessee whiskey
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Preparation:
For the bread pudding:
Butter a 9x9 baking pan. Tear the donuts into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks and add them to the pan.

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add the eggs and whisk until blended. Add the heavy cream/whole milk, whiskey, and vanilla; whisky until blended.  Pour the egg mixture over the donuts, pressing down gently on the donuts so they they are entirely submerged. Allow the pudding to stand at room temperature for 1 hour or cover and refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Cover the pan with a piece of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the custart is set but soft.

For the sauce:
Combine cornstarch and whiskey in a small bowl and whisk until well blended.  In a small saucepan, combine the cream and sugar over high heat, whisking constantly, about 2-3 minutes or until small bubbles begin to form.  Continue to whisk and add the cornstarch-whiskey mixture.  It will bubble vigorously for a moment, but continue whisking until the sauce is blended and thick. Avoid boiling the sauce, as this will negate the thickening effect of the cornstarch.

To serve, scoop the bread pudding--either hot or cold--into a small bowl. Top with warmed whiskey sauce and enjoy!

Note:
Store the pudding and sauce in the refrigerator. You can warm either up in the microwave, if desired.  Just use short increments (20-30 second intervals) and stir the sauce after each increment. Personally, the pudding is delicious cold and warmed sauce will contrast nicely.

Donuts soaking up the custard before cooking

Just out of the oven, golden brown

Don't let it's plain look deceive you.
This whiskey sauce packs quite a potent punch.
Especially if, like me, you're heavy-handed with the whiskey.

A Potato Salad to Meet A Stomach's Demands

I had a hankering for some potato salad.  But not the kind you'd purchase packaged in a plastic tub from the refrigerated section of your local supermarket.  I am utterly terrified of those...tubs.  The potatoes are too smushy, there are unidentifiable items scattered throughout, and the sauce - oh, the sauce! It's downright terrifying. Maybe it's mayonnaise based? Maybe it's rife with chemical stabilizers and absolutely no flavor?  I take the easy route and avoid mass-produced plastic tubs of potato salad all together.

So how am I going to address my stomach's imperious demand for delicious potato salad?  I'll make my own, thank you.  I know my way around a kitchen.  Well, my kitchen at least. And I know I love a hefty wallop of garlic, homemade mayonnaise, and baby Yukon gold potatoes.  Oh, and some lightly blanched green beans for good measure and a bit of crunch.  And what the heck, some pesto I was making for another meal anyway.  I clearly live on the edge.

Here's what I did:

1) Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain and allow to cool, then cut into thick slices.
2) Toss the green beans into boiling water for a few minutes.  Immediately put them into an ice bath (cold water + ice) to preserve crispness and a brilliant emerald hue.
3)  Make pesto in the food processor. Super easy. Since I'm only using a few tablespoons of pesto, any extra can get comfortable in the freezer.
4)  Make allioli with extra garlic.  Waver between loving the overwhelmingly potent garlic flavor and hating how it makes me feel like a garlic-breathing dragon for the next day. Decide I love it.
5) Put the veggies in a large bowl.  Mix together enough allioli and pesto to thoroughly coat the veggies.  Stir and take a few judicious tastes.
6) Eat for dinner and lunch the next few days.  Love every minute of breathing garlic and knowing my potato salad is exactly what I wanted.

Allioli (left) and pesto (right), longing to meet
each other

Pesto
my very informal approach to pesto

Ingredients:
A few garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Several handfuls of fresh basil, washed and dried
A handful or two of walnuts or almonds (or your nut of choice)
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Quality extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:
Combine the garlic, basil, nuts, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until it is a thick, consistently blended paste.  While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in some olive oil. Pause often to check the consistency of the pesto. I like mine on the thicker side, but add as much olive oil as you need to get your favorite consistency.  Store in an airtight container in the freezer for a few months.

Notes:
--I realize I'm missing pine nuts and parmesan cheese in this recipe.  It's deliberate.  Pine nuts are expensive, so I often use a mix of pine nuts and walnuts or entirely walnuts in most of my pestos.  And though I adore parmesan, I simply didn't have any in the refrigerator when I made this particular batch.  If I had to guess, I would say I probably adored all the parmesan out of the refrigerator and into my tummy earlier that week.

Allioli and pesto mixed together before
adding to the cooked vegetables

Allioli
adapted from In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:
If you want to use a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and salt to make a paste.
If you want to use a cutting board and knife, use the flat side of the knife to mash the garlic and salt on the cutting board until it becomes a paste.  Transfer to a mixing bowl (preferably a glass or metal one).

Whatever you're doing, whisk in the lemon juice, then the egg yolk.  Make sure they're thoroughly combined.  While whisking or pounding constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream.  Continue whisking/pounding until the oil is fully emulsified.  If it seems too thick, drizzle in a few drops of hot water and mix well.  

Notes:
--Making this aillioli by hand is possible. I promise it is. Your arm may get a bit tired while whisking...but it's not very bad and the allioli is seriously worth it. Plus it means you don't have to clean the food processor or blender, which is not one of my favorite tasks.

--You can increase the amount of garlic you use to 2, even 3 cloves.  But be warned, you'll have intense garlic breath, feeling like you're breathing garlic fire.  If your roommate or significant other doesn't mind, go for it.

--This contains raw egg, so please don't consume this if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system. Try it with a red wine vinagrette instead!

The finished salad, already packed
for lunch the next day