Beer of the Week: Anchor Brewing Company Christmas Ale 2008

A new feature of the BostonFound blog in 2011 will be a Beer of the Week. I will be checking in to different liquor stores around the city to try to find unique and interesting beers to highlight. I will tell you up front that this will not necessarily be a 'review' of the beer. I am not going to pretend to taste all the subtleties of every beer that I post and there won't be a rating. Think of it more like an introduction to something you maybe have never heard of or seen. Or, if you have seen it, it may be a reminder that you should pick it up again. With that disclaimer out of the way, I bring you the first Beer of the Week!

Anchor Brewing Company Christmas Ale 2008
Beer of the Week 1/1/11 - 1/7/11

On New Year's Day, the girl and I decided to stop into the Blanchard's Liquor store in Allston. This place has everything a classic Allston hipster casual beer drinker could want. They have also have a ridiculous selection of liquor and wine as well. We were only there to look, but with such a large selection, I couldn't go home empty-handed.

Normally, I'm not a big fan of Christmas or "winter warmer" beers because I find that they usually have way too much spice. I've tried a few over the years but have never really found anything that I've completely enjoyed. I can now gladly say my search is over...maybe: Anchor Brewing Company puts out a new Christmas Ale each year. The recipes are different (and top secret) for each one.

The beer pours very dark brown with a light head. Since this is an ale, the head is not as thick as you might see in a porter or stout. It's a medium bodied beer, with mild carbonation. The smell is that of roasted malts with a little bit of spice - think ginger or nutmeg. Taking a sip, you immediately get a raisin-y flavor with more spice (but not "spicy"), and a little vanilla. While the beer is only 5.5% ABV, you still need to drink this slowly as the finish is very dry.

Anchor says that with proper refrigeration, the beer will stay good for years. I picked up the 2008 vintage at Blanchard's and, I have to say, it is still good. I wish I had tried it when it originally came out for comparison.

All in all, this is a good beer and I am definitely making a note to try this every year (and maybe even pick up an extra to let age for a year or two). Whether you are a fan of Christmas/"winter warmer" beers or not, I would recommend giving this a shot!

Candy Cane Marshmallows

Photo Courtesy of The Girl

As part of the Christmas food making, I made some candy cane marshmallows adapted from Martha Stewart (I kicked up the peppermint flavor!). The girl and I made some vanilla marshmallows last year and they were so easy to make. Try one of these in a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, it's to die for!

Candy Cane Marshmallows
Adapted from Martha Stewart

These can be made by one person but I found it easier to have a second person helping (thanks to the girl's Mom!)

Ingredients:
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
4 packages (1/4 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 cup confectioners sugar (for tossing cut marshmallows)

Directions:
1) Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.

2) Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.

3) Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.

4) Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbleized effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.

5) Cut into squares 1 to 1.5 inches square. Toss the cut marshmallows in confectioners sugar to keep them from sticking to each other.

Spicy Guinness Mustard

Photo Courtesy of The Girl

Do you love mustard? Is it on or in everything you make? Well as I found out, making your own mustard is really pretty easy and tastes much better than what you get from the store! I found this recipe in Saveur Magazine and decided to make a batch for my Dad for Christmas (and of course some extra for myself!). It was really simple and was delicious with the day after Christmas ham sandwiches!

Spicy Guinness Mustard
Adapted from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Guinness Extra Stout
1/4 cup brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 tbsp. kosher salt
1/3 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1–2 days so that the mustard seeds soften and the flavors meld. You can leave this in the refrigerator for another couple of days and it won't be a problem.

2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until the seeds are coarsely ground and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more vinegar (I used some malt vinegar). You can process this to whatever consistency you like. We left it very thick as we like that texture but you could certainly grind it down to a smoother consistency. Transfer to a jar and cover.

3. Refrigerate overnight and use immediately or refrigerate for up to 6 months. (The flavor of the mustard will mellow as the condiment ages.)

It's Fall and My CSA Is Over

Photo Courtesy of TreeLink.org

My CSA from Farmer Dave's has finished for the year and I am a little sad! I really liked the concept of the CSA from the beginning. It is a great way to help out the farm when they need it the most, and then I get a steady supply of fresh veggies each week - pretty much a win/win situation!

I got a lot of great produce this year. From the beautiful tomatoes, to a steady supply of green and cranberry beans, to the big butternut squash, I was overall pleased with my shares each week. I got a lot of certain items which was nice as I was able to blanch and freeze items for the winter (I have TONS of sweet corn in my freezer) but there were some things I was quickly swapping out toward the end of the season as I'd simply had too much of them (bok choy and wax beans were often swapped for wonderful carrots and beets).

I would suggest anyone who loves produce and lives in an area where a CSA is available (which is pretty much everywhere these days) to give it a shot next year. You may not get all your favorite vegetables in the share each week but it will certainly help if you are getting bored with the same old veggies. Don't be intimidated if you look at a CSA flyer or website and it lists things you don't like or have never heard of - a quick google search will most likely yield a recipe that you'll end up liking. If not, a lot of CSAs have swap boxes where you can swap it out the next time!

I will be switching CSA's next year and I think its best to remember that this is not a multiple year commitment. If you go through the year and decide at the end that you didn't really like a lot of what you got, or that there wasn't as good a variety as you'd been hoping for, you can always switch next year! Many farms grow similar things but will have different ways of distributing between the shares. Also, it is sometimes a good idea to split a bigger share with someone in an effort to get a better variety (my plan for next year).

All in all, I loved my CSA and I can't wait for next summer to start getting a share of the crop each week again!

Harvard Square Urban Ag Fair

This past weekend, the 2nd Annual Urban-Ag Fair was held in Harvard Square. The girl and I took a trip over in the early afternoon to check it out. (We also stopped by the Charles Hotel Farmer's Market, held every Sunday - you should check it out!)

There were tables all around the square with food for sale as well as free samples of local foods and information about green initiatives in the area. One table even had different kinds of pickled fruits and vegetables to sample. (We didn't have time to try any, although they all looked and smelled great!) We did, however, get to try a few Grown-Up Sodas which were really good. We especially liked the Extra Dry Ginger Ale and the Dry Cranberry Lime.

Other tables featured ongoing and upcoming local food events. One of these that caught our eye was for the Boston Local Food Festival, coming up on October 2nd. It's going to be a big event down on the waterfront near the Children's Museum that will feature local food, exhibits and local music. It sounds like it will be a great time, and we will definitely be checking it out!

Corn and Chicken Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers (CSA Recipe)

Photo courtesy of Farmer Dave's

My CSA share over the past few weeks has been a steady stream of beautiful tomatoes, all kinds of peppers, and ears of corn along as well as some squash and eggplant. I've put together a quick recipe for chicken-and-corn-stuffed cubanelle peppers. As with most of the recipes on this site, it can be changed in any number of ways based on what you have for fresh ingredients and on your tastes. Enjoy!

Corn-and-Chicken-Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers

Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 Cubanelle peppers (Poblanos would work well too)
2 ears of corn; kernels removed
1 tomato; seeded & diced
1/2 lb ground chicken; browned
1 clove of garlic; minced
1/2 jalapeno; seeds & ribs removed; diced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste
juice from 1/2 Lime
grated Monterey Jack cheese (or Cheddar)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the corn, tomato, ground chicken, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, salt & pepper, and lime juice in a bowl.
2. Add some of the cheese to the mixture and toss until all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Using a paring knife, cut a T shape into the peppers.
4. Carefully stuff the peppers with your chicken and corn mixture, taking care not to rip them.
5. Place in a baking dish and cover with foil; put in a 350 degree oven for 25 - 35 minutes (until peppers are soft).
6. When peppers are soft, sprinkle the top of each pepper with more cheese and put them back into the oven, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
7. Serve with rice, seasoned beans, or your favorite side dish!

Home Grown Potatoes

This is a pile of our home-grown potatoes! The new crop we decided to try in our vegetable garden this year was Russian Banana Fingerling Potatoes. We only did a small patch, about 3 x 3 feet, but we ended up getting a good amount of fingerlings. These did not last long; they were so delicious. We will definitely be doing them again next year!