Ladies of Craft Beer

Posted By: PFinicky

Marinade
- 6 large cloves of garlic
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 lb raw shrimps, peeled and deveined. Cooked shrimp is optional.
- Salt and pepper

Sauce
- 1 and ½ cups pilsner (I used Saranac Bohemian Pilsner)
- Handful of cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1-2 tbsp honey
- Salt and pepper

Pasta
- 1 box linguine (1 lb)
- 1 and ½ cups grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Grated parmesan is optional.
- 1 heaping tbsp of dried basil
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Olive oil, approximately 1/3 cup.

DIRECTIONS
1. Marinade the shrimp: Using a blender or food processor, blend the garlic, oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the shrimp and toss to combine. Place in a resealable plastic bag and marinade in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
2. Once the shrimp is done marinating, boil the linguine according to package directions until al dente. Drain and quickly rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process. Return pasta to the pot but keep off the heat.
3. Prepare the Linguine: Drizzle the 1/3 cup of olive oil on the pasta, add more if desired. Add the grated cheese, basil, zest and juice. Toss to combine, ensure that every strand is covered with cheese. Cover the pasta and set aside.
4. Heat a skillet on medium heat (it should be deep enough to hold the total amount of beer.) Empty the contents of the resealable bag into the skillet and fry until the shrimp is opaque and pink (add the handful of tomatoes 2 minutes before the shrimp is fully cooked).
5. Once the juices in the skillet have mostly evaporated, add the pilsner. Lower the flame to low heat and let the sauce simmer until reduced in half.
6. Add the chopped dill, cilantro and honey into the sauce and stir. Add salt and pepper according to taste. Let simmer for another 2 minutes.
7. Prepare the linguine on a deep dish. Pour the beer sauce all over the pasta and arrange the shrimp as desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Related Posts:

• Pumpkin Beer Muffins
• A Meatloaf Aday
• Spiced Imperial Pumpkin Pie by Paula Finicky
• Beer Cheese Soup
• Hot Game Sausage Dip

Originally posted 2010-12-06 14:58:10.

Posted By: JOConnell

Jennifer O’Connell lives in Decatur, GA and is a co-founder of Georgia Ale & Lager Sirens (GALS). A long time lover & friend of craft beer she is also known by some as Hoptrollop. A trained chef she currently cooks only for family and friends, but still gets her kicks creating dishes. If beer is involved in anyway, all the better.

Originally posted 2010-10-15 08:20:00.

Posted By: TGomes

INGREDIENTS of the basic bread:
- 15g of dry yeast for bread (or 30g of fresh yeast dissolved in 1 cup of warm- NOT hot- milk. It cannot be very hot or the yeast will die)
-1 tablespoon of salt
-1 pint of beer
-2 tablespoons of sugar
-2 eggs
-1 egg yolk to paint the bread before going to the oven.
-3 tablespoons of butter
-1kg of tableflour
-500g of malt (the grains you throw away after the lautering of the wort)

How to do it:

Mix the table flour with salt and sugar. Then, add the yeast and mix it (the yeast can’t be directly in contact with the salt, that’s why we have to mix the salt with the table flour before puting the yeast). Add the butter, eggs and beer. Mix it very well and add the grains.

Mix very well until the bread paste is elastic. Correct with more flour or beer depending on how wet or dry the paste is. Let it rest covered for 2 hours (or more, depending on how hurried you are). Then, mix again, adding anything you want (I like to add basil and slightly tainted pepperoni). Put in the pan and let it rest and grow (until it is double the volume) for more 2 hours (again, eyeball this- you may need more or less time depending on your dough. Each bread is different).

Pre heat the oven for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, paint the bread with 1 egg yolk. Put the pan into the oven in high temperature for 20 minutes (so the paste will be crispy on the outside). Then, more 40 minutes in low temperature. Total oven time: 60 minutes.

(Editors note: In Brazil, ovens are set at either low or high. Use your best judgement for translating that to actual degrees, and make sure to keep an eye on your bread as it bakes so that it does not burn.)

Come!

Originally posted 2010-08-27 13:21:01.

Posted By: Kim Riemann

A few weeks ago a friend of mine posted a picture on her Facebook Wall of some pumpkin beer bread that she made. It looked really good so of course I asked for the recipe. I enjoy cooking and baking and eating (something you may or may not know about me – must write that about me blurb soon).

Pumpkin Beer Muffins

On Sunday, I thought I’d make some, but when I looked at her recipe it called for self-rising flour, which I didn’t have, and it was pretty fattening.  Another thing you don’t know about me is I’m on Weight Watchers (hmm, that could  be another post, balancing your diet and your beer). Anyway, that’s really not important except that I wanted to lighten the recipe and I figured while I was at it, I’d do muffins instead of bread since muffins would automatically be portioned (back to that Weight Watchers thing).

Here’s what I came up with:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 15 oz canned pumpkin
• 12 oz pumpkin beer  (really any beer will do)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp canola oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a medium bowl, mix together  flours, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt with a whisk.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, beer, egg, vanilla and oil until smooth.

Add dry mix to wet, stirring just until moist (don’t over mix). Scoop batter into muffin tins coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove and cool for as long as you can possibly wait to eat them. This will make 20 muffins.

Pumpkin Beer Muffins

~

Now I’m not going to lie, the house had an odd smell while these baked – I’m assuming because of the beer. And there is a slight taste of beer on the palate when you eat them. But they are good and moist and are holding up well in a Tupperware container on my counter. For the beer, I used River Horse Hipp O Lantern, but I’d imagine any pumpkin beer would do and if you don’t use a pumpkin beer, I’d up the pumpkin spice a tad (maybe 1.25 or 1.5 teaspoons total).

Oh, and for my Weight Watcher peeps, these came in at 3 points plus value – not bad at all!

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• “Gambero in Birra” aka Herbed Shrimp in Beer Sauce over Lemon-Parmigiano Linguine
• Interview with Randy Mosher about Women and Beer (Guest post by Ingrid Calderoni)

Posted By: Guest

It’s been a long time coming. I have wanted to bake cookies with Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale for awhile now, because it’s just so awesome.

SRS is a blacker-than-black IPA that is highly regarded around this house, and it goes without saying that it’s one of my favorite all-time beers. It’s is 8.7% ABV and pulls a 100 rating on ratebeer.com with over 1,300 reviews.

This is not the beer that most would think to use for a cookie, because it’s an IPA and the flavors are very assertive and might overpower the subtitles of the shortbread flavor. I had faith. The combination of the citrus and roasted flavors really make for something special.

Stone’s Sublimely Self-Righteous Currant Shortbread Cookies

Currants Steeping in Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

Ingredients
1/2 cup of Stone’s Sublimely Self-Righteous Beer
1 cup currants
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon of orange zest (or grapefruit zest)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt [I used vanilla sea salt]
1 cup cacao nibs (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the beer and currants in an airtight container and store in the fridge overnight.

2. Drain the currants, reserving the beer.

Sublimely Self-Righteous Currant Shortbread Cookies

3. Combine butter, sugar, and zest in a mixer with the paddle attachment and beat together until creamy (2-3 minutes). Add the vanilla and reserved beer. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add flour and salt, and beat for another three minutes. Take off the mixer and stir in the currants (and optional cacao nibs. Divide the dough in half and roll into a log in parchment paper. Chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes or until firm.

4. Heat oven to 325° F. Cut about 1/2 inch thick rounds off the log of dough and place on parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, rotating once half-way through. The cookies should be gold around the edges. Transfer to wire racks to cool and store in any container.

I have to say, they turned out good. The batter tasted super tangy/tart/funky, but the finished product was delicate and intriguing. I hadn’t made these before and I always enjoy when a risk pays off.

It’s a nice juxtaposition between the soft and buttery shortbread, crunchy cacao nibs, and tart and slightly hoppy currants.

Beer pals Michael Rooney & Jessica Rice

Jessica Rice is a beer and baking enthusiast born and raised in Southern Orange County. Currently an HR Manager but now a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, Jessica hopes to work at a local brewery someday. She enjoys gardening, baking, homebrewing, soccer, and visiting breweries. Follow Jessica on Twitter @jessicajrice and check out her blog, Beer and Baking.

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Posted By: JOConnell

Ever notice traditional meatloaf is really dry? My guess is it’s the breadcrumbs the recipes always called for. Now I’m no food historian but it’s an easy guess that breadcrumbs were used to stretch the cost and number of servings per loaf. The problem is the breadcrumbs suck the moisture from the meat. You’d need a gallon of ketchup, or if you’re feeling fancy BBQ sauce, to get through the meal. There are ways to combat this arid meat. As usual my way involves beer, specifically soaking pieces of fresh bread in the beer. More specifically, soaking pieces of an onion bagel in strong ale. I also added chopped Mancini Fried Peppers with Onions. (I found this jar in the pickle area of the grocery store and they are soo good.) Then made a tomato sauce to coat the meatloaf and serve as a sauce.

Meatloaf Aday

1 ea Onion Bagel, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

1 bottle Beer, any type but I used a strong ale

1+ lbs 80/20 Ground Beef, basically one grocery store package which is usually more then a pound

1 Tbl + 1 tsp Grill Seasoning of choice

2 Eggs, whisked to mix yellow and white yolks

7 oz Mancini Fried Peppers with Onions, chopped plus 1 Tbl of oil from the jar

1 can (14.5oz) Tomato Sauce

1 tsp ea Worcestershire and Soy Sauce

Soak the bagel cubes in the whole bottle of beer for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 deg F

Put the ground beef in a bowl large enough to mix all the ingredients. Add your wet bagel cubes tearing each into about 8 pieces. Add 1 Tbl of the grill seasoning and eggs then thoroughly mix together, it’s best to do it with your hands. The chopped friend peppers with it’s oil go in now and mix in very gently, they will mush up. Put in a 9×13 pan and form into a loaf. Set aside as you make the sauce to top it with.

In a sauce pan add the tomato sauce and the beer you soaked the bagel in. Bring to a boil then lower the heat. Stir in the worcestershire and soy sauce, allow to cook for about 5 minutes. At this point, spoon some of it over the meatloaf to coat the top. Add 1 tsp grill seasoning to it and slowly cook down to about half it’s liquid. Serve it with the meatloaf in place of ketchup.

Put the sauce coated meatloaf into the 350 deg oven. At the 30 min. mark turn it 180 deg (front to back) for more even cooking. After another 15 minutes check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer. Poke the loaf in the middle but make sure you’re not going all the way through and touching the pan. You want the thermometer to reach between 160 & 165 deg. Tip: the warmer the food gets the more quickly the temperature rises so check accordingly. What I do is every 10 min. after the first 45 min. cooking. This meatloaf should take at least an hour to cook, I’m sorry I can’t be more specific for those that don’t own meat thermometer (you really should you know, beef is one thing but undercooked chicken can get you sick)

Always allow meat to rest after cooking for at least 10 min. Slice and serve with the savory tomato sauce. That night I also made Honey Balsamic sauteed Apples, steamed Broccoli and Onion Rings to go with it. Mmmmmm

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Originally posted 2011-01-25 09:30:45.

Posted By: Theresa Carpine

The rainy season has arrived in the Pacific Northwest, which means it’s time to pull out the Crock-Pot® and let some comfort food cook itself at home all day, offering me an aromatic salutation when I return. Vegetable beef stew is my quintessential start-of-fall meal. Just take everything that you’ve grown in your garden over the summer (if you actually keep a garden; I do not) and throw it in a pot with the some meat.

I found this recipe about a year ago and I love that it calls for lots of different vegetables. The second reason I love it? You don’t need to brown the beef before tossing it in the pot like some other recipes. Easiest stew ever! Plus, you’ll have leftovers for a week.

Now, I bet you’re thinking, “Wait a minute. This is a beer blog. And you haven’t mentioned beer once.” Well, that’s because this recipe didn’t originally call for beer; it called for two cups of water.

I’ve made stew with wine instead of water before, so I did a little research to see if I could substitute beer for the water, why it might make the stew better, and what kind of beer I could use. As much as I love to cook with beer, I’m not about to throw some perfectly good beer in a stew and let all the good flavor simply cook away.

In Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook, Belgium-born Ruth Van Waerebeek explains that beer beef stew is a part of Belgian culinary heritage, and recommends using a “rich, dark, and slightly bitter beer” in her recipe for Flemish Beef Stew Cooked in Beer. Bryce Eddings also had some nice tips in An Introduction to Cooking with Beer.

Since I was planning to slow cook the stew over several hours, I decided to stay away from a hoppy beer that would lose its flavor too quickly. For this batch, I opted to use New Belgium Abbey, a Belgian-style dubbel ale brewed with six different malts and an authentic Belgian yeast strain. Stewing in all those malts really brought out some of the sweet notes in the meat and the tomatoes.

What beer do you think would complement the ingredients of this recipe? Try it out and let us know in the comments.

Happy stewing!

Rainy Day Brew Stew (Vegetable Beef Beer Stew)

Ingredients

1 lb. beef stew
14.5 oz. canned diced tomatoes
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 red potatoes, pared and diced
1 onion (medium), chopped
10 oz. frozen mixed vegetables [my local grocery store has a "fiesta" mix with broccoli, peppers, and several types of beans, which gives this stew a little something extra]
12 oz. beer
4 peppercorns (whole)
3 beef bouillon cubes
½ cup frozen peas

Optional Ingredients

Assorted spices
3 ½ tbs. tapioca pearls (or another thickening agent, if desired)

How to do it:

Combine ingredients in a slow cooker in layers. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. If you’re pressed for time, cook on high for 4-6 hours.

With a half hour left to cook, add frozen peas.

Cut through a piece of meat or a potato to determine if stew is fully cooked.

Serve with fresh bread. And beer, of course.

Originally posted 2010-10-05 09:06:16.

Posted By: Guest

October is here!! Sugar pumpkins are in full bloom and its sweet earthy flavors are once again found in every dish, dessert and beverage. Served warm with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, pumpkins become a staple ingredient for the fall season and its joyous holidays.

What better way to celebrate the arrival of fall than baking a fresh batch of pumpkin pie? Now, we all know that pumpkin pies can be tricky. Your local grocery store may sell generic and barely flavored kinds, and your grandmother may be the world’s pumpkin pie queen-not even the CIA can decipher what her secret ingredient is. Regardless, it is your turn to make a fresh batch of pumpkin pie… and as ladies of craft beer, we will kick it up a notch with a dash of your favorite imperial pumpkin ale (including imperial pumpkin stouts).

Spiced Imperial Pumpkin Pie

Yields 2 (9″) Pumpkin Pies

*Ingredients:*

* *

i. GRAHAM PIE CRUST

• 2 cups ground graham crackers
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup melted butter
• 2 (9″) pie dishes

ii. IMPERIAL PUMPKIN FILLING

• 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened at room temp.
• 2 heaping tbsp ground toasted walnuts
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup Imperial Pumpkin Ale (I used Weyerbacher for this recipe)
• Whipped cream

*Directions:*

PIE CRUST:
1. Combine all the ingredients and knead (you might want to butter your hands a little to avoid sticking.)
2. Lightly butter the 2 pie dishes. Divide the ball of dough into two flatten onto the dishes. Use a fork to add nice patterns along the edges of the crusts.
3. Store the pie crusts in the fridge for an hour.
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake your pie crusts for approximately 10 to 15 minutes until browned on the edges. Set aside.

PIE FILLING:
1. Keep your oven heated at 350 degrees.
2. Lightly mix the 2 eggs and the 2 egg yolks (I like to crack the eggs first and mix separately from the filling just to make sure that I don’t accidentally toss in a bad egg in a perfectly good mix.)
3. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, ground walnuts, egg mix and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the heavy cream, butter, vanilla extract, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix until well blended.
5. Slowly pour in the cup of imperial pumpkin ale while mixing. Enjoy the rest of the beer while you’re at it!
6. Use a spoon to scrape off the bottom of the bowl to ensure that every ingredient is well incorporated.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crusts. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until the center is firm and no longer wobbly.
8. Let cool. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and enjoy!

Paula Finicky also writes about food and beer on her blog. This is her first guest post for Ladies of Craft Beer.

Originally posted 2010-10-08 12:36:24.

Posted By: Guest

Guest Post by Maria Rainier

This is a great recipe for soup or you can cut the chicken stock by 4 cups and make beer cheese dip.

Beer Cheese Soup

Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 Stick butter or margarine
3 Cups chopped celery
3 Cups chopped onion
1 grated carrot
1 tsp. garlic salt
Salt and pepper to taste
8 Tbsp. flour (I use whole wheat)
6 Cups chicken stock (I make my own)
8 Oz. Cheddar or American Cheese
12 Oz. beer (I use Moose Drool)

Prep:
Sauté celery, onions and carrots in butter on medium-high. Add garlic, salt and pepper then slowly
blend in flour. Add chicken stock slowly while mixing. You don’t want to add it all at once or your
battered veggies will turn into mush. Bring to a boil and then simmer, slowly adding cheese. Heat back
to medium-high and slowly add beer.

Note: You want a flavorful craft beer, something that is going to add an additional flavor. I love to use
Moose Drool from Big Sky Brewing Co. in Missoula, Mt. I’ve made this into a cheese dip before too and
it’s delicious and perfect for a game. Enjoy!

Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education and performs research surrounding online schools. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

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• Pumpkin Beer Muffins
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• Cellar Rats Brewery and Debonne Vineyards
• Hot Game Sausage Dip