Beer of the Week: Stone Brewing Company San Diego County Session Ale

Stone Brewing Company
San Diego Session Ale
Beer of the Week 1/29/11 to 2/4/11

One beer trend that is starting to obtain a strong foothold in the market is "session" brews. The term was coined in England, and describes a beer that you can drink over a long session without getting "pissed" as the Brits say. In contrast, a lot of the beers on the craft beer market have a very high alcohol content. I, for one, am happy that these lower-alcohol beers are appearing in stores as they still have a lot of good flavor.

The session beer pictured above is a collaboration by three San Diego based brewers. Stone Brewing Company joined up with Balast Point Brewing and the home brewer Kelsey McNair. This ale comes in at a 4.2% ABV and is sold in 12 oz. bottles (generally in singles).

It pours a nice orange color with a small white head. The nose and taste are definitely hoppy, with lots of grapefruit. While I'm not usually a huge fan of such a strong hop flavor, this was still pretty good as it's light and not overly carbonated. (I think the low alcohol helped). I can't wait to try out some other session beers as they come out!

Chicken, Spinach, and Pear Stew

What's better on a cold winter night than a nice bowl of stew? I would say pretty much nothing. No set recipe here, just more of a basic idea from a dinner we had recently.

The girl and I browned off some chicken thighs in one pan while sauteing onions and carrots in another. We then added the thighs to the veggie pot, and added enough chicken broth to create a stew-like consistency. The girl seasoned it using yellow mustard seeds and a few spoonfuls of mostarda (we modified this recipe slightly).

Once the mixture came up to a simmer, we added torn spinach leaves (remember, spinach cooks down a lot, so don't be stingy!). Since the mostarda already has pear in it, the girl decided to roughly chop up a pear and toss it in towards the end to enhance the flavor. We didn't let it cook for too long after that, however, because we didn't want it to become mushy. We let it cook just long enough to soften the pear and the spinach, and then it was time to eat! We toasted up fresh whole wheat rolls to soak up any broth left in the bowl.

Beer of the Week: Fraoch Heather Ale

Fraoch Heather Ale
Beer of the Week 1/22/11 to 1/28/11

Image Courtesy of Williams Bros Brewing

This week's Beer of the Week is a bit out of the ordinary. The girl and I went to a traditional Burn's Supper, and while enjoying our haggis, neeps, and tatties (I'm not swearing at you, I promise!), we drank Scottish Williams Brothers Brewing Fraoch Heather Ale.

Heather is one of Scotland's beloved national symbols. It grows wild all over the country, and turns the landscape purple when it flowers in the summer. There are over 5 million acres of it! Rarer white heather is considered lucky, and a sprig of it is often worn for good fortune.

The Williams Brothers website describes their ale and how they infuse it with this flower:

Brewed in Scotland since 2000 B.C. heather ale is probably the oldest style of ale still produced in the world. From an ancient Gaelic recipe for "leann fraoich" (heather ale) it has been revived and reintroduced to the Scottish culture.

Into the boiling bree of malted barley, sweet gale and flowering heather are added, then after cooling slightly the hot ale is poured into a vat of fresh heather flowers where it infuses for an hour before being fermented.

While reading that, you might have thought, "Beer brewed with heather? That could be really floral!". However, this is definitely not the case. You can taste the heather, but it's not overpowering. On the other hand, the beer is not quite as drinkable as others I've recommended here because of its dry finish.

Fraoch is not available in many liquor stores or restaurants, so if you do see it, pick up a bottle and give it a try!

Graham Cracker Candy

Photo courtesy of the girl

Looking to make your girlfriend smile this Valentine's Day? Skip the boxed chocolates and make her this delicious candy! The girl and I made this for Christmas, but it's perfect for any occasion.

It's a variation on the well-known saltine candy recipe, made instead with graham crackers and almonds. Don't be shy about adding the salt! It may seem like quite a lot initially, but the salty finish really makes the whole thing come together and keeps it from being overly sweet.

Graham Cracker Candy

Adapted by the girl from “Homemade Candy from the food editors of Farm Journal”, and the blog "Not Without Salt"

Ingredients
4.5 graham cracker sheets
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 T butter
Sea salt or any fine finishing salt (we used pink Hawaiian sea salt)
3/4 bag bittersweet or dark chocolate chips


Directions

1) Lightly butter a 9 × 9 baking dish, and pre-heat the oven to 325*.

2) Arrange the graham crackers on the bottom of the dish and sprinkle the toasted almonds on top. Put aside.

3) In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and boil for 3 minutes. Then pour this mixture over the crackers and almonds in an even layer. (I recommend drizzling in up and down rows, then using what's left in the saucepan to fill in the gaps.)

4) Sprinkle with a good amount of salt. You want 3 - 4 grains in every square inch. (The salt keeps the candy from being too sweet, as it's the last flavor you taste.)

5) Place the dish in the oven and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the sugar mixture is bubbling all over.

6) Remove from the oven. Once it's stopped bubbling, sprinkle on the chocolate chips and let the residual heat melt them. Use a spatula or knife to smooth the melted chocolate chips so they cover the entire surface.

7) While still warm, score the candy with a sharp knife. (I'd recommend small squares, as the candy is very rich.)

8) Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Remove, and use the sharp knife again to cut along the score marks.

Serve immediately, or keep in an airtight container for up to one week. The candy can also be frozen for up to one month.

Beer of the Week: Maine Beer Company Peeper Ale

Maine Beer Company Peeper Ale
Beer of the Week 1/15/11 to 1/21/11


A few years back, I decided I wanted to try my hand at making beer, to learn the process - so I took up homebrewing as a hobby.

One part of the process is to bottle condition the beer. This means the beer is finished in the bottle, left unfiltered, and carbonated naturally (without being injected with gas). However, it can take quite awhile to get the beer properly carbonated.



I was at the liquor store recently and noticed that Maine Beer Company's Peeper Ale is bottle conditioned. I immediately picked one up as I rarely see this type of beer sold in stores. While the Portland, Maine company is committed to producing good bottle-conditioned beer, they're also committed to using 100% wind energy and donating 1% of their sales to environmental non-profits as stated on their label. This is a beer company I can get behind!

As for the beer itself, the Peeper Ale is of the American Pale Ale style. It pours a golden, almost orange color with a very frothy head that dissipates quite slowly with good lacing on the glass. The smell is very hoppy, which I generally don't like in a beer. However, when you take a sip, the hop flavor is not nearly as strong as that of an Indian Pale Ale. (The Maine Beer Company uses 100% American hops for their beers, although I couldn't find out the exact type.) The hops lend a nice citrus flavor and are also slightly floral. You can taste the malts as well, which give the brew a nice body. Peeper Ale does have a slight bitterness at the end, but it will not keep you from wanting to drink more. The aftertaste stays with you for awhile as well, but it's a pleasant one. This is definitely worth picking up a bottle of if you see it in the store!

Candied Orange Peels

These candied orange peels are an easy-to-make treat for any occasion, adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. I picked up a bag of organic oranges for this, as I wanted to avoid using peels that may have wax or chemicals on them.

Martha says to take off all of the white pith of the orange rind before blanching and boiling in the sugar syrup. While it's a good idea to get as much of it off as you can, it's fine if some of it is left on. The slight bitterness of the bit of pith actually pairs very nicely with the sweetness of the sugar.

If you really want to go all out, you can dip the candied peels in melted dark chocolate (to create "orangettes") instead of rolling them in sugar.

Candied Orange Peels

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

4 oranges (organic are best)
4 cups sugar plus extra for rolling

4 cups water

Directions

1) Using a paring knife, make 6 slits along curve from top to bottom of each orange, cutting through peel but not into fruit. Using your fingers, gently remove peel. Reserve fruit for another use. Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Again using a paring knife, remove excess pith from each strip and discard.

2) Place the strips in a large saucepan, and cover them with cold water. Bring them to a boil, then drain. Repeat this twice.

3) Bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring the mixture occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Then stop stirring and wash the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Add the strips to the boiling syrup, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the strips are translucent (about 1 hour). Remove the pan from the heat, and let the strips cool in the syrup. (The strips in syrup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.)

4) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the strips to a wire rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet. Wipe off any excess syrup with paper towels and then roll the strips in sugar. Arrange them in a single layer on a wire rack, and let them dry for at least 30 minutes. The sugared peels will keep, covered at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks.

Beer of the Week: Carlsberg Pilsner

Carlsberg Pilsner
Beer of the Week 1/8/11 to 1/14/11


The girl and I popped into Grendel's Den in Harvard Square recently for a pint. Grendel's can get pretty crowded with students and tourists, but there are a few tables tucked away in the back by the bathrooms (and we managed to grab one of them). The bar has a wide selection of beers, both in bottles and on tap. I was in the mood for something light, so I decided to order a pint of the German pilsner-style Carlsberg. My only previous experience with this beer was seeing its name on the front of a Liverpool jersey, but the girl recommended I give it a try.

It pours a golden color, with a slight haze and a thin white head that quickly disappears. I immediately was hit with the smell of yeast, hops, and a bit of citrus. It's easy to assume this beer is going to be bland in flavor because of its color, but I was pleasantly surprised. Carlsberg is a very good example of a German pilsner, as the flavor was malty and hoppy but neither was overpowering. It would be easy to have a few pints of this as it has a fairly low ABV (anywhere from 3.8% to 4.6%), with only a slight bitterness. If you're looking for a lighter beer that still has good flavor, give Carlsberg a try.

My pint...I guess it's a half pint at this point!

A bottle I picked up at the store