Drunken Cabbage

Did you know that cooking with beer uses about 50 percent fewer calories than cooking with oil? One tablespoon of olive oil has approximately 120 calories, while an entire 12-ounce can of beer has around 146, breaking down to fewer than seven calories per tablespoon. It’s even been said that cooking with beer can enhance the flavors in foods, especially meat. But that’s not all — it can be healthier, too. Toby Amidor, M.S., R.D., and author of “The Greek Yogurt Kitchen,” explained to Self that “beer can actually boost your health because it is packed with B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium.”

           Photo: flickr user pointnshoot

Ingredients

pound smoked bacon diced

1 onion thinly sliced

1 head red cabbage cored, sliced

2 tablespoons caraway seeds

3 tablespoons coarse mustard

12 ounces wheat beer

2 tablespoons sugar

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

1

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over low heat. Add the onions and sweat for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and season. Cook until cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes.

2

Serving suggestions: Serve this hot or cold, as a side for chicken or pork.

3

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe from www.foodista.com

Blackened Beer - Brined Grilled Chicken

Did you know that cooking with beer uses about 50 percent fewer calories than cooking with oil? One tablespoon of olive oil has approximately 120 calories, while an entire 12-ounce can of beer has around 146, breaking down to fewer than seven calories per tablespoon. It’s even been said that cooking with beer can enhance the flavors in foods, especially meat. But that’s not all — it can be healthier, too. Toby Amidor, M.S., R.D., and author of “The Greek Yogurt Kitchen,” explained to Self that “beer can actually boost your health because it is packed with B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium.”

Blackened Beer-Brined Grilled Chicken

Serves 4 to 6

2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 3 pounds)
2 (12-ounce) bottles dark or amber beer
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Combine the cider, sugar, salt, cinnamon, bay leaf, peppercorns, and cloves in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir just until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and let to cool to room temperature.

Lay the chicken breasts, skin-side down, in a shallow glass or ceramic (not metal) baking dish. Stir the beer into the cider mixture, then pour over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate the chicken for 4 to 8 hours.

When ready to grill, heat a gas or charcoal grill to to high heat (about 450-degrees). Meanwhile, transfer the chicken from the brine to a clean plate and let it rest, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes to take the chill off. Melt butter and stir in chili powder and cayenne.

Brush half the chili butter over the skin on each chicken breast and lay the breasts skin-side down on the grill. Cover and let cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts, taking care not to tear the skin, and brush with the remaining chili butter.

Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Check the chicken for doneness, and if necessary, continue cooking in 5 minute increments until it has finished cooking. The chicken is done when the interior reaches 165°F, its juices run clear, and the inside is no longer pink.

Tent the chicken breasts with aluminum foil and let them rest 10 minutes before carving. The bones should pull away cleanly from the underside of the breasts with a little pressure. Slice the breasts into thin pieces and serve.

Pint Post

A bonus to working with club members is you get to do a few special things from time to time.

In October I signed us up for Pint Post, it’s a bit expensive for what you get, but in time we should be tasting some smaller and limited batches that will not be available in stores. And unless you get the breweries often you’d miss out.

Once a month we’ll receive a package delivered right to our door which will include at least 2 liters of beer.

November Pint Post 2016:

Three feature craft beers from Vancouver: One of Vancouver’s smallest breweries, oldest breweries and most popular breweries.  Listed from light to dark beer,  focus on drinkability.

Doan’s Brewing: Kolsch

Breweries tasting notes: From Vancouver’s smallest brewery, this traditional style Kolsch has the light body and easy drinking of a lager but the malt complexity of an ale. Light carbonation brings forward the German hops providing a crisp citrus flavour.

Western Beer club tasting notes:  With a golden appearance, this earthy, with a hint of (spice or fruit) has a light bodied bitter taste. We’d all drink this one again.

R & B Brewing: Dude Chilling Pale Ale

Breweries tasting notes: A new addition to the R&B lineup, this pale ale is dry hopped with Citra, Galaxy and Centennial hops. A sessionable ale for those that still want a little hop profile.

Pairs well with tapas or cheese

Western Beer Club tasting notes: With an amber copper appearance, this hoppy full bodied light beer has a bitter taste. With mixed reviews among the beer club, some would drink it again others found it too hoppy. I wasn’t one of them !

Postmark Brewing: Stout

Breweries tasting notes: Contrary to most stouts, Postmark has developed a stout that is dark in colour but light in taste. Balanced with notes of caramel, chocolate and coffee. 2016 Gold Medal winner of Canadian Brewing Awards.

Western Beer Club tasting notes:  This black stout has a smoky, roasted taste to it. It is clearly a full bodied beer. It was not a favorite by most of the members. However only 1 or the 5 of us tasting would say they like stout or porter type beers.

~ Colleen

How to Tap a Pumpkin

Thanks to Carmen we had a little fun for Halloween.

We tapped a pumpkin with success !!

Here are the directions how:

 

 



San Diego - 57 Degrees

If you're only able to visit one place for craft beer while in San Diego than 57 Degrees is the place to go. They have an abundance of craft beers on tap. I'm not sure they have 57, but you wouldn't be able to try all 57 anyways !

You can create a flight of 5 of any of the beers on the board. Most from San Diego, California, or a close by state. Craft Beer Listing.

~ Colleen

San Diego - Karl Strauss Brewing Company, downtown

It was a day of morning seminars in a freezing cold air conditioning room. When it was break time I was outta there to enjoy the San Diego sun and find something local to try. 

I wondered the streets of San Diego knowing I would find a great place in no time, when I wondered upon Karl Strauss brewery. Ordering a flight of beer, I had to taste everything I could, and a appetizer that was more like a meal. Sitting outside at street level, I took in San Diego's  hassle and bustle of the trucks along the street, and people buzzing by on their lunch breaks. It was a great atmosphere. 

First on the taster was a Kolsch. It was crisp, bright and refreshing as all Kolsches should be. Follow the Sun Kolsch is brewed with noble hops and traditional malts. Next up Mosaic Session IPA, it had a vibrant grapefruit aroma with flavors of tropical fruit. The Tower 10 IPA used Pacific Northwest hops for an intense pine and Big Barrel IIPA. Karl Strauss imports New Zealand hops for this bright golden ale. The use of Nelson Sauvin hops add a grapefruit melon flavor, while Warrior and Ahtanum hops add an assertive bitterness. 

grapefruit flavor. This West Coast India Pale Ale is packed with citrus aromas which linger through a dry finish. Lastly on the tasting pallet was the 

Every beer tasted was excellent, the staff was charming and the boneless wings were outstanding. I will visit again when I'm back in San Diego.

~ Colleen

A must stop on your trip to Whistler

After checking out of our hotel at Whistler we grabbed some breakfast and were on the road. To avoid the long weekend traffic we stopped in at Function Junction to check out Coast Mountain Brewing.  Just steps away from Whistler Brewing Co.

It was only day 7 of them being open so the beer selection was limited to 2, Field Guide Ale and Indian Session Ale. But 4 more are in the tanks and will be ready by the time you or I get back there.

With their limited stock Coast Mountain asked a couple of their friends to help out until they could get on their feet !  It’s a great idea for the locals who are not going to make it out of Whistler to sample some of the other brews available in the greater Vancouver area.

Their guest taps were: Dageraad’s Burnabarian (Burnaby). Steel and Oak (New Westminster), Smoked Hefe and Field House (Abbotsford), Salted Bark Porter. Not available for growler fills.

Their tasting room is cozy. Complete with a fire place, and a large window to view the brewing tanks. Sit up at the bar, or grab a spot at the giant cedar picnic bench.

It's a must visit stop on any trip to the whistler area. 

~ Colleen