Brooklyn Brewery Dinner at Haute Dish

Brooklyn Brewery beers are relatively new to Minnesota, but we know they are highly spoken of everywhere they are available. So, when we had a chance to go to a beer tasting dinner to try eight of their beers we jumped on it. Plus Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster, author of The Brewmasters Table and now the editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer would be joining us at the dinner. To top it off, the dinner was at Haute Dish a much talked about restaurant we've been meaning to try.

This was not a dinner for the faint of heart or stomach, eight beers, which at least three had alcohol contents over 9%, and six course of high end comfort food. Let's dive in....

We were greeted with a beer we'd had before, the Brooklyn Pilsner. Just an easy drinking lighter beer.

The first course was a great take on a favorite lunch, grilled tomato sandwich with cheese soup. The tomato sandwich was served on what I think was an eggy brioche adding some wonderful richness. The cheese in the soup was good and tangy. This was served with the Brooklyner Weisse, a light brisk beer that is only available on tap. It was perfect for cutting the richness of the soup.

Course two was humorously called the Haute Pocket. Puff pastry stuffed with tongue, cheek, root vegetables and blue cheese over a bed of mushy peas. I think there isn't much that doesn't taste good baked in puff pastry. Matt loved it! The was served with the Companion Ale, a wheat wine made in collaboration with some of the authors of The Oxford Companion to Beer. A really interesting malty ale.

Course three was a poached artic char in a pumpernickle bread sauce, cream cheese gnocchi and pickled onion rings. The char was nice, but really it was the accompaniments that shined here. That gnocchi was as light as air and using pickled onion in rings is brilliant. The beer here was the Sorachi Ale, a slightly lemony beer made with Japanese Sorachi Ace hops.

Then came the Pig and Apple course, pork belly, pork tenderloin and blood sausage served with brussels sprouts, gruyere and an apple half. At this point we were so full already, but this plate full of porky goodness was hard to resist. This dish was served with my favorite beer of the night, Local #2. This bottle fermented beer had a great fruity, caramel, chocolate flavor and reminded me a lot of the beers I liked in Belgium.

Now came the first of two dessert courses, blueberry empanas over taleggio cheese with blueberry ice cream and shortbread. The empana was great, but I felt like serving it with a blueberry ice cream was kind of a waste. We would have liked to have had a great vanilla, cinnamon or even beer ice cream instead. The beer served with this course was the '07 Monster, a barley wine. When I've tried barley wine in the past I haven't been a fan, but I found this one a much easier drinker. It was interesting because this was the one course that Garrett Oliver thought the beer and food did not pair very well together, though cheese and ice cream are suggested pairings.

Thankfully, the final course was small two chocolate truffles with a monster marshmallow and Black Chocolate Stout ganache. Everyone loved the flavor of the homemade marshmallows, but they were tricky to eat at all politely. This was served with the same Black Chocolate Stout that the ganache was made with. Oh, do I love a good chocolate stout, to me it is dessert in a glass and perfect with the truffles.

Finally, we were offered tastings of two other beers,The Concoction, a beer based on a Scotch-based cocktail called The Penicillin and combining peat smoked malt, minced ginger, lemon juice and wildflower honey or Blast, a double IPA. I had the Blast, which is odd for me as I don't usually care for the hoppiness of IPAs, but this one had a very clean hop flavor that didn't leave the aftertaste that I don't like. Only one person at our table tried The Concoction, no one else was up for it. I can tell you it had quite a pleasant lemony, spicy scent.

This was a wonderful beer dinner, though made for a tough Tuesday morning! We really enjoyed talking to Garrett about how they are working with brewers in places like Denmark, Sweden and Italy to create their own microbrews. We were also very impressed by Haute Dish, serving a dinner like this for a large group of people all at once can often be tricky and effect food quality, we certainly felt none of that issue with this meal.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Chicken Hash

I think I've mentioned before that Wednesday nights tend to be a little more rushed for dinner at Chez Good Appetite than any other night of the week. Matt is heading off to TC Maker and I'm usually having friends over to knit. That means I typically plan something that can made pretty quickly and easily. Last night, I didn't have anything planned beyond using the chicken thighs in the fridge somehow. Luckily, I also have lots of other things around from the farmers market and garden. I just started throwing things together and this hash was born.

To tell you the truth, it was much better than I expected. A really comforting dish that was full of flavor and a little spice. It took me about 15 minutes to prep the vegetables and then about a half hour to cook everything up. Even better it left me with only one pan to wash!

Chicken Hash
Quantities of the vegetables aren't really exact here because you can really just throw what you have in.

1 T olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 - 3/4 c chopped red peppers, I used a mix of sweet Jimmy Nordellos and spicy Fresnos
1/2 - 3/4 c sliced red onion
1 clove garlic minced
4 small yukon potatoes, cut into small cubes, about 1/4 inch
1/2 c chicken stock
1 T white wine vinegar
freshly ground pepper
salt

In a large skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until the it no longer looks pink on the outside. Add the peppers, onion, garlic and potatoes. Sauté until the onion is just starting to get tender. Pour in the chicken stock and vinegar. Season with a few grounds of fresh pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the cover and let simmer briskly for about another 15 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and everything looks a little creamy. Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed (the amount will really depend on how salty your stock is.)

Makes 2 servings.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese

A couple weekends ago, Matt and I stopped by the Modern Cafe for dinner. While there we tried their amazing brussels sprouts special, brussels sprouts and pork belly with a cheese fonduta. I had the flavors of that dish in mind when I made this mac and cheese.

This was such a great combination. The brussels sprouts get roasted before being added to the cheese sauce to soften them and give them a slow roasted nutty flavor. I used the bacon fat to make the cheese sauce which really bumps up the flavor. This version of mac and cheese has found its way into our winter comfort food rotation. Bonus, I think this would be a great way to get someone who isn't the biggest brussels sprouts fan to give them a try, I mean what isn't good covered with cheese and eaten with bacon?!


Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese
I often make mac and cheese early in the day, put it in the casserole dish, cover it then leave it in the fridge until I'm ready to bake it for dinner.

1 c or so brussels sprout, halved or quartered depending on the size (I used a little less than a cup and wished there was more)
olive oil
3/4 lb elbow macaroni
1 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 c chopped onion
2 T all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c half and half (or 3/4 c each milk and cream)
9 oz sharp cheddar, chopped (I like the look of a white cheddar)
pinch dry mustard
dash worcestershire sauce
few grounds fresh pepper
salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Put the brussels sprouts in a small roasting pan. Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat them. Roast in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes until softened and browned. (The time will depend on how small you cut your sprouts. Keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.). Set aside.

Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over medium-heat until it has released its fat and is crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain, leaving the fat in the pan. Check to see how much fat is in the pan, you want about 1 tablespoon. If you have less than that add a little butter to make up the difference. Add the onion and sauté until translucent.

Sprinkle the flour over the onion. Cook while stirring for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the half and half. Stir until the sauce is bubbly and thickened. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the mustard, worcestershire and pepper. Add the bacon to the sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed (the amount will depend on how salty your cheese and bacon are). Stir the brussels sprouts and macaroni into the sauce.

Pour the whole mixture into a large casserole dish and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. It should be golden brown on top with lots of nice crispy bits.

Makes 5 - 6 servings.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Farmers Market Finds and Weekly Menu 10/3-10/8/11

We are enjoying a bit of Indian summer here in the Twin Cities which makes it a perfect time of year to wander the farmers market (and hopefully means my tomatoes will ripen).

It's also time for us to start thinking about filling our freezer with meat for the winter. We are picking up a few interesting things here and there, but really need to place a big order before the time comes we can't see our meat vendor every Sunday.

Apple Cider - Matt is addicted
Hot Pepper Mixture - Want to try my hand at some smoked chili sauce
St. Louis Style Pork Ribs
Festival Squash
Butternut Squash
Ox Tail - I've never cooked with it before, but couldn't resist picking these up to try in soup or stew.
Broccoli
Stew Beef
Cottage Bacon - We're told this bacon is good for sandwiches and wraps
Storage Onion Mixture

On to Menu Planning Monday...

Chicken and Edamame Stir-Fry - A left over from last week as I never got around to making it

Muffaletta Pizza - An idea of Matt's that I think sounds fabulous

Smoked Ribs with potatoes and broccoli

Something else with chicken, but not sure what yet.

We'll also be heading to Pizzeria Lola this week to try their Oktoberfest Pizza with sauerkraut and Ukrainian sausage, yum!

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski

Drinking Beer in Alaska

It seems that just like the rest of the country the microbrew bug has hit Alaska. We took advantage of it the best we could while on our trip. First of all, we were happy to see our cruise ship offered two types of Alaskan Beer at their bars, we were afraid our choices would be things like Bud and Miller the whole trip. Actually, they seems to really push the Alaskan Beer at all their special events and even had a Alaskan Beer tasting which we attended.

Here we were lead through tasting Alaskan's Amber, Summer Ale, Pale Ale and White Ale by one of the ship's bartenders. I think hands down our favorite here was the Amber, but I also quite enjoyed the white ale. It wasn't really the most informative tasting, but certainly a fun way to spend an afternoon at sea.

Our first port in Alaska was Juneau, the home of Alaskan Brewing. Downtown they have a shop where you can purchase t-shirt, glasses and other goodie, but they can also arrange to be driven to the brewery for a tasting and "tour" for $12.

Like Summit here in Minnesota, Alaskan is celebrating its 25th Anniversary which meant we were lucky enough to get to try their celebration ale, Perseverance, a Russian Imperial Stout flavored with Alaskan birch syrup. It was so good and we were lucky enough to find a couple bottles at our local liquor store when we got home.

I did say this was a brewery tour, well sort of. Basically, you get about 5 - 6 tastings and then there is an informal presentation about the history of Alaskan Brewing and how they have dealt with the special issues of being a brewery in Alaska. I have to say we were really impressed with their sustainable brewing practices.

Our next stop was Skagway where we visited the Skagway Brewing Company which has been in business since 1897. It's a really friendly brewpub that seemed to be populated by tourists and locals alike.

Matt tried a sampler of four of their beers which he really enjoyed, but I went for the beer they are most know for the Spruce Tip Blonde. Yes, this is a beer make with the tender young tips of spruce trees. Apparently, when miners came to Alaska the lack of fresh citrus caused them to suffer from scurvy. The natives showed them how to make a drink from spruce tips which are full of Vitamin C. The miners then turned that into beer. It was surprisingly tasty with a slight floral, orange scent and flavor. It's inspired Matt and I to try our own hand at making some.

Our final port was Seward where we visited the Resurrection Roadhouse. Despite being basically a hotel bar they had a wonderful selection of Alaskan microbrews and a bartender who knew something about them. Here we were able to try Moose Tooth Beer out of Anchorage, Kenai River Beer from Soldotna, Midnight Sun Beer from Anchorage, Glacier Brewhouse from Anchorage and Kassik's Brewery from Kenai. Ok, we didn't try them all, but I really loved the Moose Tooth Raspberry Wheat and Matt like the Glacier Brewhouse Oatmeal Stout. The bartender recommended we visit Glacier Brewhouse when we were in Anchorage the next day.

Well, it just so happened the Glacier Brewhouse was right across the street from our hotel, fate! Luckily, he had also recommended we make a reservation, because I think everyone else in Anchorage was there too. Sure there were lots of people from tours like ours, but there were also lots of people who were definitely local. The food was great, in a warm, noisy setting. The beer was also fantastic, we especially enjoyed the special beers they had on tap while we were there.

We had hoped to make it to Silver Gulch Brewery in Fox outside of Fairbanks, touted as America's most northern brewery. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a hike from our hotel and we were tired after a long day of touring. Guess we have something to look forward to next time.

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted. © 2007-2011 Kathy Lewinski