Beer: It’s not just for drinking anymore
Award-Winning Chef creates Multi-Course Menu With Beer
edited by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
 With the proliferation
of microbrewed specialty beers, there has been an increased appreciation of
the relationship between beer and food. No longer considered a beverage good
only for washing down potato chips and sausage, beer has taken a place of
importance on the menu that was once reserved for fine wine.
Given the newfound prestige of beer, it’s no surprise that one of the
hottest trends in entertaining is the beer dinner. A full course meal
of dishes prepared with a variety of suds, each accompanied by the
appropriate brew to complement the qualities of each entrée, is a fun way to
enjoy beers of different styles and flavors. And a beer dinner is a unique
idea for New Year’s or Super Bowl Sunday celebrations, or to combat the
entertaining doldrums.
The beer dinner is a growing trend among those who entertain at home,”
says Jennifer Trainer Thompson, author of The Great American Microbrewery
Beer Book and the award-winning cookbook, Jump Up and Kiss Me: Spicy
Vegetarian Cooking. “The right beer can bring out the best qualities in
foods, while certain foods make beer even more enjoyable. Beer can be served
with almost any dish, but it adapts best to highly flavored or spicy foods.”
A nationally known expert on food and specialty beer, Thompson has put
together the perfect menu for a great beer dinner and has also selected the
perfect beers to accompany each course. She suggests moving from lighter
beers to heavier as the meal progresses. She also suggests choosing
fewer beers to focus on making it easier on the budget and less complicated
in the kitchen.
“If you start with a heavy beer, you won’t be able to taste the lighter
ones,” the three-time James Beard Award nominee says.
Thompson suggests starting off with Bocken Wings, cheese twists and
steamed clams. To accompany the appetizers, serve a lighter beer like Pete’s
Signature Pilsner. This bright, dry, golden beer has a fragrant floral
bouquet and lively carbonation, which is good with seafood and garlicky
food. Serve slightly chilled.
The main event starts with a tomato herb soup with a chipotle cream
that’s made with Moosehead beer. The Moosehead, which Thompson also
recommends as an accompanying beverage, mellows the acidity of the tomatoes
and enriches the vegetarian soup, which can be served hot or cold. <
Next is a pork tenderloin enhanced by a tangy beer marinade that Thompson
creates with Pete’s Honey Wheat Ale. The sharpness of the marinade is
balanced by the sweetness of glazed apples. Choose a nice, malty lager to
accompany the pork dish, such as Pete’s Winter Brew. This full-bodied,
fragrant holiday ale goes well with the pork, and its taste is also a
perfect complement, to the apples. Non-pork eaters can substitute chicken
breast marinated with the same spicy wing sauce as the Bocken Wings.
A couple of loaves of beer bread complete the meal. Dessert is Pete’s
Pumpkin Pie, made with Pete’s Wicked Ale, or a chocolate spice cake made
with Pete’s Winter Brew. Try Shiner Honey Wheat Ale with dessert. The
sweetness of the honey wheat is a perfect complement to desserts, and a
fragrant end to a meal. Serve slightly chilled to chilled.
A few tips to remember when cooking with beer: The longer the cooking
process, the more subtle the beer taste seems to be. For a sharper, more
pronounced beer flavor, add 2 to 3 tablespoons near the end of cooking. When
cooking with beer, bring the beer to room temperature for the best flavor.
Keep in mind that a 12-ounce bottle of beer measures 1 ½ cups. <
Above all, have fun experimenting with different combinations of beer and
food. You’ll discover flavors that you didn’t know existed, and your guests
will be sure to invite you to their next dinner party.
Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who is suddenly loving beer
and enjoying it in food pairings and as a cooking ingredient
Read her stories in
www.travellady.com, ww.carladynews.com,
www.yogayaya.com,
www.chocolateatlas.com,
www.cocktailatlas.com,
www.coffeeatlas.com,
www.teaAtlas.com
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