Cranberry Gin Spritz for a Snowy Day

We enjoyed this festive before-dinner cocktail on a recent snowy day. It was inspired by a recipe I came across online and adapted based on what I had on hand.

Cranberry Spritz

• 1.5 oz. Gin
• 1 oz. Cranberry Juice
• 0.5 oz. Simple Syrup
• 0.5 oz. Lemon Juice 
• Prosecco
• Rosemary sprig, whole cranberries for garnish

Combine the gin, cranberry juice, and lemon juice in a glass over ice. Top with Prosecco and garnish with a rosemary sprig and a couple whole cranberries.

A “classic” spritz typically uses Aperol as the base. Swapping Aperol for gin creates a drier, more herbal, and crisper drink — and it also boosts the ABV substantially.

The cocktail is light and refreshing and, like most spritz recipes, quick and easy to make. This festive twist paired perfectly with the first snowfall of the season.

Cheers!

Sunday Cocktail: Paper Plane, With Noble Cigars Act Two

They keep telling us that we're experiencing an "extreme heat advisory." My response is, we're in Virginia, and it's July. Not to be daunted, we still headed out to the deck on Sunday afternoon, as we often do, for cocktails, snacks, and for me, a cigar.

The Paper Plane is a classic and easy to make drink, just four ingredient in equal parts. Add 0.75 oz. of bourbon, 0.75 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice, 0.75 oz. Amaro Nonino, and 0.75 oz. Aperol to a shaker and shake briefly over ice. The drink is strained and poured (typically) into a coupe glass. We prefer the rocks glass for most of pour drinks, so that's what we used. An orange peel is added for a garnish. Another advantage of the Paper Plane as a summer drink is that it's chilled, but not served ice. That minimizes dilution and the amount of condensation on the glass. And it's amazingly refreshing! Random meats, crackers, and nuts made up the hors d’oeuvres part of the table. 

The Noble Cigars is a relatively new cigar maker, founded in 2022 and based in Florida. They currently have two cigars, both rolled in Dominican Republic. The Noble Cigars Act Two has been in my humidor about 5 weeks before smoking. Would that be enough time? Let's see . . .

The 6 x 52 Toro is cloaked in a smooth, dark brown Mexican San Andrés wrapper. The innards are listed as simply Dominican. The Noble website describes the cigar as a full-bodied “Doble Ligero." Upon lighting, I get a warm black and chili pepper note right out of the gate. I can feel it on the retrohale as well. The poignant point is it's not harsh, just flavorful. As the cigar warmed, dark fruit, caramel, and chocolate all join the party. All the while, a fun chili note lingers in the background. Chili pepper and chocolate anyone? 

The burn on the Noble Cigars Act Two is near perfect, "stacking dimes" is how I've heard this performance described. Even with a break to make another batch of drinks, and long breaks to snack, the cigar never went out.

It's a pleasant experience when I try a totally unknown cigar, and get blown away. I got an enjoyable 90+ minute smoke from the cigar. That was just the right amount of time in the still, humid mid-day heat of the deck. Not even a breeze stirred to carry away the copious smoke.

I purchased a  5-pack of these smokes from Luxury Cigar Club, the only online retailer I've found. There are no listed retailers within 300 miles. At this writing, LCC is out of stock, but I have put in my address to be notified when that changes. 

Cheers!

Espresso Old Fashioned

This is a new-to-us cocktail we recently added to our "repertoire." It was something seen on a random Instagram reel and sounded good. It's quite tasty, though as the photo shows, it's a bit of a murky looking drink.

Espresso Old Fashioned

• 2 oz. Bourbon 
• 1 oz. Fresh Brewed Espresso 
• 1/4 oz. Demerara Syrup 
• 2-3 Dashes Pecan Bitters

Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until cool. Strain the drink into a rocks glass over large ice cube. Garnish with a few coffee beans.

In our first attempt, I used 1/2 oz. of the Demerara Syrup, per the original recipe. However, we both found that to be a little too sweet. It was so good that we did decided to make another right away, this time reducing the sweetener. That change allowed the espresso flavor to shine even more. If you like your espresso on the sweeter side, the extra sweetener may suit you.

I made the espresso a short time before mixing the cocktails and it was still warm when I used it. In the future I think I'll brew it in advance to reduce the dilution from the ice while mixing.

I used George Remus Bourbon to make the cocktails. I thought the 94 proof bourbon was enough to be noticeable over the bitter espresso. A lower proof bourbon may not suffice. However, I have no doubt we'll experiment with both lower and higher proofs in the future.

Cheers!

Bourbon Peaches

It should come as no surprise that random bourbon related recipes show up frequently among my online readings. An article about whiskey peaches showed up recently, on the same day Colleen happened to bring home a batch of fresh peaches from the local farmers market. I decided to claim a few for my own purposes. The directions I found are simple.

Fill containers with pitted, pealed, and slice peaches

Over medium heat, dissolve 1/2 cup of sugar in 1/3 cup water

Remove from heat and whisk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and approximately 2 1/2 cups bourbon 

Fill jars with bourbon solution until peaches are covered

Top off with bourbon as needed and refrigerate

The listed amounts were for two 24 ounce containers. I filled two 12 ounce jars using three peaches and halved the recipe using the same relative proportions. I used Bulleit Bourbon and naturally treated myself to a sip or two.

After a few days the peaches were well soaked and very tasty. The now peach flavored bourbon juice was quite good as well. We added the finished peaches to some homemade spiced shortbread with whipped cream. This made an enjoyable dessert.

I am very much looking forward to topping some vanilla ice cream with the bourbon peaches. I also will be trying the peach slices as a garnish in an Old Fashioned. In addition the flavored bourbon in the jar can be used for some flavorful summer drinks. It will make a sweet addition to both a cocktail and fresh brewed ice tea. Of course, the peaches are good by themselves, straight from the jar.

Cheers!

Sunday Cocktails and Smoke

Midway through the Memorial Day weekend, found us in our usual place -- on the deck enjoying the weather. After Mass and a late breakfast, I brewed a pot of French press coffee, and headed outside to enjoy the limited sunshine and spend some time with a good book. Rain threatened and the temperature cooled, while the breeze picked up, and we soon moved into the screened porch. And then it was time for cocktails. 

The libation of choice was a Bufala Negra cocktail. There are several variations of this flavorful bourbon cocktail online, but the one I've saved is simple. 

Ingredients:

- 4 basil leaves               

- 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar               

- 1/2 ounce Simple Syrup

- Ice for mixing, serving                

- 1 1/2 ounces bourbon               

- 1 1/2 ounces chilled ginger ale

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker, muddle 3 of the basil leaves with the balsamic vinegar and simple syrup. Add ice and the bourbon and shake well. Strain the drink into an ice-filled rocks glass, stir in the ginger ale and garnish with the remaining basil leaf. Enjoy.

For the bourbon portion I used John J. Bowman Single Barrel from the A. Smith Bowman Distillery right here in Fredericksburg, VA. And naturally, a single large cube of ice in the glass.

I chose a Casa Magna Colorado Robusto to enjoy with the drink. The deep red Nicaraguan maduro wrapper holds Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigar was listed as the 2008 Cigar Afficianado Cigar of the Year though I had never had it prior. The reddish-brown wrapper and gold label make an attractive presentation.

Sadly, I found the smoke to be fairly bland. There was no richness of flavors. I remarked to Colleen that I just wasn't getting a whole lot out of it. Even well after my drink was finished and I was sipping water, the flavor profile never really broke out. Mild leather, wood, and some sweetness, not much more. I did find a few online reviews that confirmed my experience with the Casa Magna Colorado being a one dimensional smoke. 

Despite the relatively uninteresting cigar, the afternoon was quite pleasant and time well-spent enjoying the outdoors.

Cheers!

The Old Fashioned

My favorite alcoholic accompaniment for a fine cigar is a good beer, or a good Bourbon. Colleen and I enjoying experimenting with various cocktails, but when it comes to mixed drinks, I truly enjoy the simple Old Fashioned. The classic drink is a an excellent mate to a fine cigar.

While the variations on this drink are innumerable, this is the recipe I've adapted for my taste.

2 ounces 4 Roses Single Barrel Bourbon
¼ ounce Simple Syrup
3 dashes Angostura Bitter
3 dashes Regans’ Orange Bitters
1 Orange Peel
1 Luxardo Cherry
1 Large Ice Rock 

In a rock's glass, combine Bourbon, Simple Syrup, and the Bitters. Give it quick stir. Add in one large ice cube. Garnish with the Orange Peel and a Luxardo Cherry. 

Enjoy. Repeat.

The single large ice cube is a must as far as I am concerned. I rarely add ice to my whiskey, but if I do, it must be a slow melting single rock. They're a pain to make, but we keep them on hand nonetheless. If a Luxardo Cherry is not available, skip it. Please, no Maraschinos. 

I rarely have just one.

With Fratello D.M.V. Virginia

With Fratello Navetta Inverso

Bacon, and More Bacon

Earlier this week, Colleen decided to try out a couple of new bacon recipes she had recently come across. While a late night bacon taste test is not a regular occurrence around here, it was looked forward to with much anticipation.

The first recipe was called "Millionaire's Bacon." Thick cut bacon is coated with a rub of sugar, cayenne and black pepper. The coated bacon strips are baked until they are crisp and crunchy. In this test batch the bacon was cooked until "almost burnt." All the tasters decided the extra charred bits were the most tasty. The peppery rub was applied heavily and the flavor was intense. It hit the palate strongly, but, interestingly enough, quickly faded to not burn out the taste buds.

Millionaire's Bacon

The second recipe was for "Beer Candied Bacon." In this case the bacon is brushed with a brown sugar and stout glaze. As the meat is baked, it is repeatedly brushed with more glaze. After cooking, the bacon strips are allowed to cool and the glaze hardens into a candy-like coating. Colleen used a Dogfish Head Chicory Stout in the glaze. The recipe called for just 1/4 cup of the beer, so I enjoyed sipping on the rest of the bottle while the bacon treats cooked.

Bacon Candy

Of the two, the taste testers were unanimous in their selection of Millionaire's Bacon as the best of the two. The spicy strips provided an intense flavor treat in a crunchy, fun form. Both bacons were also tasted as condiments for a molten chocolate cake. We dipped pieces of the bacon in the hot, gooey chocolate. Again, the Millionaire's Bacon reigned supreme. The combination brought out the bacon flavor, and reined in the warm spiciness a tad.

The Millionaire's Bacon is a keeper. We are already discussing using it in the annual beer tasting we'll do this Spring for our son's school fundraiser. Of course, we'll have to taste this treat again in order to figure out the best way to use it in a beer and food pairing.

Corned Beef Recipe

I previously shared the recipe for the Irish Coffee with which we relaxed after dinner on St. Patrick's Day. Before that dessert we enjoyed a traditional Irish American meal of corned beef, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Because of the long day of festivities planned, a slow cooked meal was called for. Colleen found this recipe, which she prepared with just some minor adaptions. It turned out to be a winner, that we'll be having again. We certainly won't save it only for St. Patrick's Day. You shouldn't either.

Ingredients
1 bottle Guinness Draught
1 head cabbage, chopped
1 (generous) shot of Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of Tabasco Sauce
12 red potatoes, roughly cut
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
4 cups water
5 pounds of corned beef

Directions
Open the Guinness the night before to let it go flat.
Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the potatoes, onion, garlic and carrots.
Add the beer, whiskey, water and spices (including the Tabasco Sauce if you chose to use it)
Place the corned beef on the bed of vegetables.
Add the cabbage.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Set the cooker on high and cook for 8-9 hours until fork tender.

With all the activities during the day, our meal actually spent about 11 hours in the crock pot. The beef came out tender with the classic bright red color. The flavor took on a roasted quality. The potatoes, carrots, and cabbage all took had a smoky spice, while keeping their own unique flavors. Interestingly, the cabbage seems to have absorbed the spicy Tabasco flavor the most. Upon finishing our meal, we all agreed that this had to be the best tasting corned beef "pot meal" we can remember. We're saving this recipe so we have handy it for future meals. Easy preparation and unattended cooking, with good eating waiting at the end of the day. What more does a busy family need?

Quick, Delicious, Irish Coffee

Here's an easy recipe to make a delicious Irish Coffee. It may be a tad less than traditional, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

Ingredients
1 shot Irish Whiskey
1 shot Kahlúa
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
Dark Roast Coffee
Whipped Cream

Directions
Combine the Whiskey, Kahlúa and Brown Sugar in a mug and stir to dissolve. Next add the coffee. We use a Keurig Coffee system which makes putting together this drink quick and easy. Select a dark roast K-cup and brew at the small setting on the brewer. Top with whipped cream. Be sure to use a large enough mug to allow for copious cream on top. Enjoy.

Pub Food At Home

Check out these easy, and very tasty sounding recipes, perfect for Super Bowl feasting. They come courtesy of Mad Fox Brewing Executive Chef Russel Cunningham.

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.

The recipes are available here. 

That Buffalo Chicken Pizza sure looks good. The Frickles too. And the Baked Brie. And...

New Year Traditions

I don't know when they became traditions, but for as long as I remember Colleen and I have been enjoying our own New Year's food traditions. As midnight on New Year's Eve approaches, we break out pickled herring and crackers. Other than the occasional Christmas Eve, I think this is the only time we ever eat this tasty treat. And each year I wonder why I waited a year to enjoy it again. Of course, there's always a good beer or two to go along. This year we had Sierra Nevada Celebration and New Belgium 1554 on hand. Celebration is a Winter staple in our house. The New Belgium beers have only recently been available in Virginia, a development I've been enjoying recently.

Dinner on New Year's Day always sees a bowl of a cold black-eye pea salad on the table. This is one of those meals that we've been enjoying since the early years of our marriage. But again, rarely on any other day. I remember many years confusing the produce man at the grocery store with our requests for jicama for the salad. In recent years we've simply opted to leave that ingredient out of the preparation with no loss in enjoyment of the recipe.

Typically we have some form of pork to accompany the salad. This year a slow cooked Cranberry Dijon Pork Roast was the choice.

We have a lot to look forward in the coming year, but for the next few days I am especially looking forward to enjoying the leftovers of these two dishes.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons orange juice

3/4 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cans (15 ounces each) black-eyed peas, drained, rinsed

2 green onions, sliced

1 each, diced small: red bell pepper, celery rib, small peeled jicama, peeled carrot

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Stir together garlic, vinegar, oil, juice, mustards, salt and pepper in medium bowl. Add peas, green onions, bell pepper, celery, jicama, carrot and cilantro; stir well.

2. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Serve cold over baby spinach leaves.

Notes:

As mentioned above, we no longer include the jicama called for in the recipe. Besides the difficulty in finding it, the root crop is fairly labor intensive to peel and chop. This year Colleen substituted lemon juice for the orange juice which imparted a citrus kick to the salad.

Bread and Butter Pudding with Hot Whiskey Sauce

Here's one of our favorite holiday desserts. After Colleen served it at one of our Christmas dinners this week, I realized I had to share with the readers of these Musings. The Hot Whiskey Sauce is practically drinkable on its own.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup Irish whiskey

5 large eggs

2 cups heavy (whipping) cream

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces (8 to 9 slices) firm white bread, crust left on

4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

Hot Whiskey Sauce:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup Irish whiskey

Directions:

To make the Pudding:

In a small bowl, combine the raisins and whiskey and let soak for 1 hour. Butter a 9-inch square nonreactive baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Cut the slices in half diagonally and arrange half the bread in the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping the slices. Drain the raisins and sprinkle half over the bread. Repeat with the remaining bread and raisins. Pour the egg-cream custard mixture over the bread and let it soak for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Place the baking dish in a large baking pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the pudding is set and the top is golden. Remove the baking dish from the water bath and let cool slightly on a wire rack.

To make the Whiskey Sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the sugar, cream and whiskey. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. 

Serve the pudding warm with the whiskey sauce spooned over each portion. Serves eight.

Notes:

Put the whiskey-soaked raisins in between the bread layers only. When on the top they will easily burn during the cooking. Put the buttered side of top layer of bread UP so the top of the bread pudding becomes brown and toasted - a nice contrast to the soft inner portion. 

Low Country Punch

As noted yesterday, I hadn't planned any special beers for Thanksgiving dinner, but that didn't mean we didn't enjoy a tasty libation with dinner. Here's something a little different, for us anyway, that we served during our celebration. Low Country Punch combines black tea, sparkling wine, rum, brandy and peach brandy as the main ingredients. It's quite simple to put together and can be done very quickly.

The drink exhibited a nice balance of alcohol warmth and fruit-sweetness while the tea imparted a bit of bitterness at the end. The sparkling wine gave some palate cleansing efforvescnce. While it was a change from the craft beer or wine we typically serve with dinner, and a bit more potent, the Low Country Punch was an enjoyable addition to the meal. I suspect we'll be serving it up for friends over the upcoming holiday season.

Low County Punch, courtesy of Tasting Table
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cook Time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
5 bags of black tea
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark rum
¾ cup brandy
¼ cup peach brandy
3 medium lemons, divided (use juice of 2 and thinly slice one to serve)
Large ice cubes
1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling wine, chilled

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium saucepot set over high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes, then remove the tea bags and stir in the granulated sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large punch bowl or pitcher, combine the cooled sweet tea, rum, brandy, peach brandy and lemon juice and stir to combine. Add the ice cubes, the sparkling wine and lemon slices and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Holiday Cooking Conundrum

I was reading Fr. Z's Blog the other day and came across an unexpected post. I typically turn to his blog, "What Does the Prayer Really Say?", for commentary on Catholic issues, but was intrigued to see mention of craft beer. Fr. Zuhlsdorf has begun his holiday cooking and was making Christmas Pudding. The recipe he used called for both a barleywine and a stout in the ingredients list.

Father posted that he selected Guinness Stout and Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Barleywine. He also noted that the recipe called for just 2.5 ounces of each beer. That particular barleywine comes in a 750 ml bottle. As Fr. Z remarked "well... what to do… what to do…"

Of course, the title of this post is facetious. There's no conundrum. We all know what to do.

Caramelized Onion, Olive and Gorgonzola Pizza

Here's a great tasting meatless pizza for your Lenten Fridays. Actually, we make this pizza quite frequently, throughout the year. (Admittedly, it's so good it hardly qualifies as a sacrifice.)

2 - 3 T butter
3-4 yellow onions
1 T sugar
15 Kalamata olives, cut in half
10 oz Gorgonzola, crumbled
1 ball pizza dough
Sea Salt

Pre-heat oven to 450° F.
Peel, then slice onions thinly, separating rings.
Melt butter over med-hi heat in a frying pan, let the butter begin to brown before adding onions.
Sauté onions, for 5-7 minutes stirring as they brown
Sprinkle sugar over onions and continue to brown until nicely caramelized and soft.

Press pizza dough out to cover an oiled pizza pan.
Spread caramelized onions over dough.
Sprinkle Gorgonzola over onions.
Sprinkle Kalamata olives evenly over pizza.

Bake for 15 minutes, until cheese begins to brown.
Sprinkle with sea salt before cutting to serve. Enjoy!

A picture from a friend who liked the recipe too.

The Session #47 - Cooking With Beer

Wow, has it really been that long since I last participated in The Session?

The January Session is hosted by the folks at Beer 47. For this month's topic they chose "Cooking With Beer."

We all know beer is great for drinking but what about using it as an ingredient in cooking? Wine is used as an ingredient for numerous dishes and recipes yet beer seems to be under utilized in cooking. However, with the rise in popularity of craft beer and advocacy from the likes of The Homebrew Chef, I think this trend is slowly changing. For the month of January, Beer 47 will be hosting The Session #47 and encouraging beer bloggers from all over the internet to discuss Cooking with Beer.

For my long-overdue entry, I decided to create a virtual Session meal based on recipes featured in the past on Musings Over a Pint.

We'll start off our meal with an appetizer, Red Pepper Crostini and Olivada, served with Heavy Seas Red Sky at Night. Technically the beer is not an ingredient in the food, however the trio of crostini, olivada, and the Saison Ale go together to make a single dish. In fact, when the seasonal Red Sky at Night is available we quite often serve this exact combination. When something works, why change it?

For the main course we're serving Slow Cooked Pale Ale Spicy Beef. This simple recipe has become a staple in our household. It's a crock pot recipe, so it is easy to prepare and it especially fitting for those days when we know we'll be needing a quick dinner that evening. The ingredients are things we typically have on hand. Certainly there's always a Pale Ale in the fridge! We've served the spicy beef to guests on numerous occasions and it does not disappoint. I've even taken the leftovers on a sandwich to work the next day. Serve with a nice Pale Ale.

What's a meal without a dessert? For dessert I've selected Beeramisu, which Colleen first made for our Christmas dinner. The recipe is an amalgamation of Tiramisu recipes, and inspired by a dessert tried at Mad Fox recently.  I expect we'll be serving this version of Beeramisu often. The dessert is made a little in advance to allow the flavors to blend, but should be enjoyed within a day. Leaving it to sit in fridge for more than a day causes the beer flavor to fade, and the Kahlúa and rum flavors to strengthen which changes the flavor, not for the best. I recommend a good dark roasted coffee to go along with dessert.

So that's our meal for this edition of The Session. I hope you enjoyed your stay.

Update, January 16: The Session roundup has been posted at Beer 47.

Beeramisu

Here's a delicious dessert Colleen put together for our Christmas day feast. It's a twist on the popular Italian treat, Tiramisu. This is sure to please your guests.

24 Ladyfingers
1 cup strong espresso coffee
1/4 cup Kahlúa
1 cup Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
1 cup Mascarpone cheese
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum

Combine espresso, Kahlúa, and stout in a bowl.
(Avoid temptation to drink the liquid right from the bowl.)

Stir together Mascarpone and Ricotta cheese with a large spoon until smooth.
Slowly add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
Add dark rum and whisk until combined.
Whip cream to soft peaks.
Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture keeping volume.

Dunk biscuits one at a time into liquid and place in serving glasses. Spoon cheese mixture into glasses, covering biscuits completely. Repeat until glasses are full.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Top with chocolate shavings before serving. Serves 6.

Buffalo Chicken "Sliders" and a Hoppy Beer

It's been a while since I posted about a food and beer combo so I figured I'd share something we've served a number of times recently. This recipe comes from Kraft Kitchens. These Buffalo Chicken sandwiches are easy to prepare. They're quite tasty, and can be served as a main course or as a snack while watching the game on TV. A friend who does not normally eat chicken enjoyed them recently, and then asked for the recipe!

The shredded chicken is heated with hot pepper sauce and water. For the dressing prepare a mixture of mayonnaise, ranch dressing, chopped celery, and blue cheese. The chicken, dressing, and shredded cheddar cheese is spooned onto small buns to make a sandwich. We like to use small, "slider" sized buns.

This spicy sandwich goes great with a hop-forward American pale ale or IPA. We've recently been enjoying these with Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Even though the meal takes less than 20 minutes to prepare, it just seems right to be enjoying a beer while preparing the sandwiches too.

Detailed recipe here.

Steaks with Dunkelweizen and Spice Marinade

We enjoy trying out new recipes and this weekend we tried a new marinade to prepare some steaks for grilling. This marinade recipe is from Lucy Saunders' book "Grilling With Beer". The marinade is made with fennel, mustard, and celery seeds, red pepper, garlic, salt, chipotle pepper, brown sugar, and dunkelweizen beer. We used Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel, or Dark Hefeweizen. While Colleen prepared with marinade the house was filled with the aroma of the spices. Our son declared "It smells like barbecue." We let NY strip steaks marinate most of the day before throwing them on the gill. I also slow grilled some Vidalia onions with butter and parmesan cheese. Add in some corn on the cob and we had a super Summer time dinner in the works!

Per the author's suggestion, Colleen held a bit of the marinade aside and thickened it for use when the steaks were plated. We all enjoyed the flavors added by the marinade quite a bit. Colleen and I spooned the reduced sauce over our steaks, while my son found the steaks spicy enough on their own. There's an interesting multi-faceted profile to the marinade. The initial flavors are fennel and sweet, brown sugar. The flavor of the meat is not hindered at all. Then you are hit by the pepper and chipotle spiciness in a flavorful burst.

I decided to serve Clipper City Red Sky at Night Saison with the meal. The Saison stood up very well to the spices on the meat and provided an excellent palate refresher. Even the mild flavors of the buttery, sweet onions were able to be enjoyed next to the spice of the beef. The Dunkelweizen and Spice Marinade was declared a "keeper" and we'll be enjoying it again, soon.

See Lucy Saunders' site at grillingwithbeer.com for more information on this book.

Slow Cooked Pale Ale Spicy Beef

Here's a dish we've made a few times and one that's great for a quick meal after a day at the pool or other Summer activities. You can put the ingredients together, let it slow cook all day, and pull the meal together in about five minutes when you're ready to eat. We used Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale, but any hoppy Pale Ale will work.

• 3-4 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast
• 12 oz. peperoncini
• 14 1/2 oz. beef broth
• 12 ounces hoppy Pale Ale
• 1 package (1 oz.) Italian salad dressing mix
• French bread
• Provolone cheese

Trim the fat from the beef and place in a slow cooker. Remove and discard peperoncini stems. Add peperoncini, beef broth, beer and salad dressing mix to the slow cooker. You can add some of the peperocini juice for added heat if desired. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. When you're ready to eat, use forks to shred the beef and combine the ingredients. Place the beef and pepperoncini mixture on thick sliced French bread and top with provolone cheese. It makes a messy, but tasty sandwich. Serve with, what else, Dale's Pale Ale.

(Adapted from "Cooking with Beer, Publications International, 2005.)