Not just pub grub anymore (not that there's anything wrong with that), beer & food pairings have come a long way! Here we aim to show the versatility of beer with food, as well as sharing recipes for cooking with beer.

Eat! Bistro

After setting up our booth at the Flatlander's Beer Festival, Zach and I headed out to dinner over at Eat! Bistro located in the same building as Aqua Books. After a short time getting aquainted with the menu, we decided to take the suggestions contained and have a little bit of a couple of dishes to share (how metrosexual of us). This was my first experiance at this restaurant and I'd have to say now I will be back.

It was very much like a tapas type menu with little bits of too many interesting things to fit into one meal.

It sounds like Chef Candace Hughes is a bit of a smartass after my own heart. "And if you want a big hunk of meat, the Keg is down the street. " Ha! Way to draw your line in the sand, Candace.

I ordered some Lemon Chicken soup and the special Margerita Flatbread of the day. Both nice and fresh tasting. The soup was a rich broth with a softened tang from the lemon. I think it had a day or two to meld as it had a good consistant twang throughout.

The flatbread had bright veggie flavours from the onion and tomato, with just the right garlic blast.

Zach was insistant on Onion Rings (look at the size of it!). There's something to be said for a restaurant that doesn't make greasy Onion Rings. I guess it is possible, though all evidence I've gathered insofar made me believe the contrary. We tried them out with a curried mayo that blended well with the crispy tempura batter.

Below, you'll see the Mexican Wontons with Tex Mex Rice and Smoky Chipotle Sauce, which were quite good though I may have preferred a slightly spicier Chipotle sauce with them. Seriously, I'm not a restaurant reviewer. From what I understand, it doesn't take much more than a desire to eat and a computer these days (if you write for the FP, an odd affinity for Dim Sum seems required, too), so take it with whatever grain of salt you wish.

A couple of Sweet Chai Spiced Ice Teas and we were set.

Overall, a good time was had by all. Special thanks to our server Kayla. I hope I spelled it right, she did repeat it twice, but I'm deaf sometimes. I should just call her Vanna as she was kind enough to show you that this place has impeccable taste in a certain brewery's beer. Not only is that one available at the moment, but they had our others, too. Cheers to them!

We headed back to the fest with a sampling of 3 cookies too. Ginger Snap, Rolo, and Smarties. Can you believe it, Chris wasn't even there and he snaked the Rolo from us. Oh well, I'll just have to go back and get my own.

Labels: Appetizer, Eat Bistro, Mexican, Savoury

Pico De Gallo

At our open house on December 9Th, 2006 we had some food pairings set out with our beers. One of the most requested recipes from that day is the simple fresh salsa we made called:

"Pico De Gallo"
1 x 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion diced (sweeter varieties work well for this)
1-2 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
3-4 limes, juiced and the zest from 2 of them
salt & pepper
Tabasco to taste (how hot do ya like it?)
1/4 tsp fresh ground toasted coriander seed
1/4 cup of good extra virgin olive oil

Basically, mix it all up then chill the salsa for a couple of hours before you use it. Nicole and I like this paired with Que Pasa Tortilla chips and half pints of Little Scrapper IPA. The flavours are usually stronger the next day, and it can be used on a great Huevos Rancheros for breakfast, too.

As a quick note, you're going to see that as I give out recipes, I have a tendency to leave out some measurements because they depend on your personal taste. I tend to like less salt and more spice to compensate - but that's just me.

In that spirit, here's some optional additions for your own twist on Pico De Gallo (add one or all - it's your choice):
1/2 cup fire roasted corn
1 cup smoked tomatoes (peel the skins off after cooking)
smoked Jalapenos (Chipotle Peppers)
a small can of green chilies
sun ripened black olives
black beans
grilled red & green peppers (remove the blackened skins)

Use your imagination - I've even had this on home-made chicken tamales and Chili's Relleno. Suddenly, I'm hungry...

Brewmaster Dave :)

Labels: Little Scrapper IPA, Mexican, Spicy

	Home What’s Brewing Brewing Process On Tap Keg Order Recipes Merchandise Brewer’s Blog Links Contact Info Not just pub grub anymore (not that there's anything wrong with that), beer & food pairings have come a long way! Here we aim to show the versatility of beer with food, as well as sharing recipes for cooking with beer. Eat! Bistro After setting up our booth at the Flatlander's Beer Festival, Zach and I headed out to dinner over at Eat! Bistro located in the same building as Aqua Books. After a short time getting aquainted with the menu, we decided to take the suggestions contained and have a little bit of a couple of dishes to share (how metrosexual of us). This was my first experiance at this restaurant and I'd have to say now I will be back. It was very much like a tapas type menu with little bits of too many interesting things to fit into one meal. It sounds like Chef Candace Hughes is a bit of a smartass after my own heart. "And if you want a big hunk of meat, the Keg is down the street. " Ha! Way to draw your line in the sand, Candace. I ordered some Lemon Chicken soup and the special Margerita Flatbread of the day. Both nice and fresh tasting. The soup was a rich broth with a softened tang from the lemon. I think it had a day or two to meld as it had a good consistant twang throughout. The flatbread had bright veggie flavours from the onion and tomato, with just the right garlic blast. Zach was insistant on Onion Rings (look at the size of it!). There's something to be said for a restaurant that doesn't make greasy Onion Rings. I guess it is possible, though all evidence I've gathered insofar made me believe the contrary. We tried them out with a curried mayo that blended well with the crispy tempura batter. Below, you'll see the Mexican Wontons with Tex Mex Rice and Smoky Chipotle Sauce, which were quite good though I may have preferred a slightly spicier Chipotle sauce with them. Seriously, I'm not a restaurant reviewer. From what I understand, it doesn't take much more than a desire to eat and a computer these days (if you write for the FP, an odd affinity for Dim Sum seems required, too), so take it with whatever grain of salt you wish. A couple of Sweet Chai Spiced Ice Teas and we were set. Overall, a good time was had by all. Special thanks to our server Kayla. I hope I spelled it right, she did repeat it twice, but I'm deaf sometimes. I should just call her Vanna as she was kind enough to show you that this place has impeccable taste in a certain brewery's beer. Not only is that one available at the moment, but they had our others, too. Cheers to them! We headed back to the fest with a sampling of 3 cookies too. Ginger Snap, Rolo, and Smarties. Can you believe it, Chris wasn't even there and he snaked the Rolo from us. Oh well, I'll just have to go back and get my own. Labels: Appetizer, Eat Bistro, Mexican, Savoury posted by Brewmaster Dave @ 10:59 AM Pico De Gallo At our open house on December 9Th, 2006 we had some food pairings set out with our beers. One of the most requested recipes from that day is the simple fresh salsa we made called: "Pico De Gallo" 1 x 28 oz. can diced tomatoes 1 medium onion diced (sweeter varieties work well for this) 1-2 crushed garlic cloves 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro 3-4 limes, juiced and the zest from 2 of them salt & pepper Tabasco to taste (how hot do ya like it?) 1/4 tsp fresh ground toasted coriander seed 1/4 cup of good extra virgin olive oil Basically, mix it all up then chill the salsa for a couple of hours before you use it. Nicole and I like this paired with Que Pasa Tortilla chips and half pints of Little Scrapper IPA. The flavours are usually stronger the next day, and it can be used on a great Huevos Rancheros for breakfast, too. As a quick note, you're going to see that as I give out recipes, I have a tendency to leave out some measurements because they depend on your personal taste. I tend to like less salt and more spice to compensate - but that's just me. In that spirit, here's some optional additions for your own twist on Pico De Gallo (add one or all - it's your choice): 1/2 cup fire roasted corn 1 cup smoked tomatoes (peel the skins off after cooking) smoked Jalapenos (Chipotle Peppers) a small can of green chilies sun ripened black olives black beans grilled red & green peppers (remove the blackened skins) Use your imagination - I've even had this on home-made chicken tamales and Chili's Relleno. Suddenly, I'm hungry... Brewmaster Dave :) Labels: Little Scrapper IPA, Mexican, Spicy posted by Brewmaster Dave @ 2:00 PM
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