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.

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Is there a 12 step program for Sushi addicts?

OK, so a little back story for everyone:

When I was a kid, I hated fish, but I loved fishing.

I hated asian food of all types, but learned to love eating fish and chips at "The Good Earth" - much to the delight of the owners - since I was the only kid they knew that ate my decidedly non-chinese dinner with chopsticks on their insistance. "If you're not going to eat our food, you should at least eat with chopsticks." It was a challenge I delighted in mastering early on. Eventually, I grew up and came to love asian foods in general.

Fast forward a few years and it was on a late night postering run for the Pyramid with John Palypchuck that I was introduced to the delights of Sushi at Edo on Ellice.

"So, what's in this one, John."

"Eel, fish eggs, and something else tasty, just eat, it's good for you."

OK...

And so it began, but it's difficult for me to get the time to enjoy Sushi simply because Nicole's not a fan, and so the ritual of "going for sushi" is non-existant.

Until now! Keep in mind that never have I professed to be an expert in the Sushi arts - but I know what I like, and I'm enjoying the hell out of working my way through the menu at Sushi Place (Portage & Hampton) a couple of rolls at a time.

The location for me is the kicker, because it's just up the road from the brewery. The further I get into the menu, the more good stuff I find. Jane (pictured here) makes a Kimchee Roll that is unbelieveably yummy, with plenty of garlicky goodness. Why is it so good? She makes the Kimchee herself - from scratch, no prepackaged cabbage for this lady! You gotta respect craft, and IMHO this is well crafted.

So what has this got to do with beer. Well, nothing really, but who cares? I bet it would go well with a nice Weizen Heimer (coming up in April 2010) but really, I'm just happy I can have something clean, healthy, and not brown (deep fried) as an option for a quick meal.

So Cheers to Jane and Co. at Sushi Place for keeping St. James interesting, and from what I can see, running a very successful part of the neighbourhood.

Labels: Savoury, Spicy, Sushi

Karen's Short Ribs

Karen Omichinski sent me this one a couple weeks back, which reminded me that I have a wicked stew recipe at home that Nicole had me whip up a week or so before that. More on that one later - here's Karen's reccomended method and credit where credit is due - it's from a Better Homes and Gardens book. She used the Stir Stick Stout for this one and tells me it's quite good.

Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 11 to 12 hours (low) or 5.5 to 6 hours (high)

5 pounds beef short ribs

1 14 ounce can beef broth

1 12 ounce can dark beer

1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges

¼ cup molasses

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dried thyme, crushed

1 tsp bottled hot pepper sauce

½ tsp salt

Mashed potatoes or hot buttered noodles (optional)

Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

1. Place ribs in a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker.

2. Add broth, beer, onion, molasses, vinegar, thyme, hot pepper sauce, and salt.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 11 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5.5 to 6 hours.

4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ribs to platter; cover to keep warm.

5. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Serve liquid on the side for dipping. If desired, serve ribs with mashed potatoes and garnish with thyme leaves. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving: 481 kcal., 19 grams fat (8 grams sat. fat), 132 mg chol., 821 mg sodium, 22 grams carbs, 46 grams protein. (If served with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes). Skip the salt also, as beef broth is a source of sodium.

From: Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications, “Ultimate Slow Cooker”, 2010.

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

BBQ - Slow and low, baby!

Anyone who knows me understands my ridiculous obsession over Southern BBQ. Slow and low, baby... it's the only way to go. Now, I have not spent a ton of time in the south, but I know what I like and I sure as hell think I can tell good Q from bad. Memphis, Texas, whatever - it's all good. Patience rewards the chef de Q.

When I was in Regina for the ALES Club Annual Homebrew Competition, Gary, Sue, Craig and I made our way over to Smokin' Oakies for a meal between a couple of our judging sessions. I had the brisket sandwich and slaw which was super yummy, as well as a real iced tea. Lovely.

Closer to home, I've got an off-set firebox BBQ that does a nice job, even if it is a bit finicky. I've seen Bev from the Bushwakker do his up with an insulated blanket of sorts.

I usually just tend the fire all day and I'm content with spending the day outside.

Here's a simple recipe for a roast that can duplicated at home with minimal equipment.

Give'er the Ol' Rub Down:

Take your roast and rub it down with a spice blend of your own concoction. Make it up as you go as your tastes may differ from mine

3/4 cup paprika

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chili powder

add in a tablespoon each of Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Cayenne (if you want it spicy - I usually leave it out).

Sprinkle the roast down with the dry rub mix and then wrap it up and keep it in the fridge overnight. Pull it out about 3 hours before you start the cooking process. A cold roast with dry out over the fire, while a room temperature one will stay juicy cause you're not trying to heat up the chilly middle.

Now, there's all kinds of info available on this interweb thingy on how to do this at home. Basic gist of it is to cook slow & low while adding in some flavour from a hardwood of some sort. Hickory is nice, as is oak and maple is my fave. Mesquite seems to make the meat bitter if you're cooking for a long time so try to just finish with it if you love that flavour.

You'll find wood chips everywhere from Canuk tire to S.I.R./Cabela's. If you're not too sure, start with Apple or Oak and make your determination from there.

Keep the temperature in the low 200 f. range and you'll need about 6 hours for a medium sized roast. If you have a rotisserie that helps, too. Basic science is that tough cuts become fork tender over the long cooking period and the fats gelatinize and keep the meat moist. You can take a butt roast and make it taste better (IMHO) than a Filet Mignon.

Here you see the roast after the smoking process. You can cheat a bit (gasp!) and toss it in the oven for the last bit while you get your accompaniments ready to go with.

Just dump over 3/4 of a bottle of beer in the pan and run the oven on 200f. while you make your slaw, potato salad or what have you.

I've got a nice Pineapple Upsidedown Cake in the background there.

When the roast comes out, make sure you let it rest for the juices to re-distribute throughout and for it to cook off the final 5 degrees or so. This one is done a little too much for my liking, but the boss likes hers cooked through just cause.

Notice the nice pink hue to the outer edges of the roast and how they make the meat look uncooked. This is a good thing. Your meat thermometer will tell you when the process is done.

That, or when you run out of beer or charcoal. Whichever comes first.

I've been doing all these beer dinners lately (Beer Bros., The Winter Club, etc.) and I've finally become cognisant of the fact that maybe some of you foodies out there would like to see what the chef's are up to!

So with the crackberry in hand, I've snapped off a few photos and a video of the entertainment for the night at last nights dinner at the Winter Club.

Most of you will recognize the name Darren Raeside, Sommelier, CSW. He's one of the fine fellows at Banville & Jones who gets your wine mojo running. Last night, he put on a Scotch Night at the club with a fantastic 3 course meal, Scotch pairings, Wine pairings, and I helped out a little with some beer pairings of my own.

Scotch tasting Dinner #5 - May 5th
Winnipeg Winter Club

Pre dinner events:
Beer, scotch and Wine samples Pre dinner and Post dinner

Passed hot and cold Canapés’
-Cold Smoked salmon Cream Cheese Pizza
-Haggis Sausage Flambé Station w/ carrot rutabaga onion and Whiskey
-Passed Oysters w/ warm bacon Chive Ale Broth
-warm Basil garlic anchovies Marinated Shrimp
Smoked House made Ribs w/ dipping Sauce

Starter course:
Smoked Lamb loin w/ Red wine Glaze, Parmesan cheese, lemon
Caper garlic lemon Tuna loin Garnished with tomato Beer Clam Risotto

Entrée Course:
Braised Red wine Beef Short ribs
Served with Beets & leek Confit
Finished w/ scotch whiskey Mustard Cream Sauce
Roasted Garlic 3 potato Mash

Dessert Course:
Stuffed royal Gala Apple w/ Blue cheese graham Nougat compote
Baked w/ Butter and Beer
Finished W/ Whiskey Caramel Sauce
And Macerated Fruit and Chocolate

All in all a fantastic night of beer, wine, scotch, and food. Chef Craig Geunther has outdone himself again as the food was outstanding. Thanks to Darren for introducing me to another great scotch, too!

Thanks to all for the fun evening - see ya next year!

Let them eat cake!

Alastair likes his Little Scrapper. Alastair likes cake. Behold!

	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. This blog has moved This blog is now located at http://halfpintsrecipes.blogspot.com/. You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here. For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to http://halfpintsrecipes.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default. posted by Brewmaster Dave @ 3:21 AM Is there a 12 step program for Sushi addicts? OK, so a little back story for everyone: When I was a kid, I hated fish, but I loved fishing. I hated asian food of all types, but learned to love eating fish and chips at "The Good Earth" - much to the delight of the owners - since I was the only kid they knew that ate my decidedly non-chinese dinner with chopsticks on their insistance. "If you're not going to eat our food, you should at least eat with chopsticks." It was a challenge I delighted in mastering early on. Eventually, I grew up and came to love asian foods in general. Fast forward a few years and it was on a late night postering run for the Pyramid with John Palypchuck that I was introduced to the delights of Sushi at Edo on Ellice. "So, what's in this one, John." "Eel, fish eggs, and something else tasty, just eat, it's good for you." OK... And so it began, but it's difficult for me to get the time to enjoy Sushi simply because Nicole's not a fan, and so the ritual of "going for sushi" is non-existant. Until now! Keep in mind that never have I professed to be an expert in the Sushi arts - but I know what I like, and I'm enjoying the hell out of working my way through the menu at Sushi Place (Portage & Hampton) a couple of rolls at a time. The location for me is the kicker, because it's just up the road from the brewery. The further I get into the menu, the more good stuff I find. Jane (pictured here) makes a Kimchee Roll that is unbelieveably yummy, with plenty of garlicky goodness. Why is it so good? She makes the Kimchee herself - from scratch, no prepackaged cabbage for this lady! You gotta respect craft, and IMHO this is well crafted. So what has this got to do with beer. Well, nothing really, but who cares? I bet it would go well with a nice Weizen Heimer (coming up in April 2010) but really, I'm just happy I can have something clean, healthy, and not brown (deep fried) as an option for a quick meal. So Cheers to Jane and Co. at Sushi Place for keeping St. James interesting, and from what I can see, running a very successful part of the neighbourhood. Labels: Savoury, Spicy, Sushi posted by Brewmaster Dave @ 11:50 AM Karen's Short Ribs Karen Omichinski sent me this one a couple weeks back, which reminded me that I have a wicked stew recipe at home that Nicole had me whip up a week or so before that. More on that one later - here's Karen's reccomended method and credit where credit is due - it's from a Better Homes and Gardens book. She used the Stir Stick Stout for this one and tells me it's quite good. Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 11 to 12 hours (low) or 5.5 to 6 hours (high) 5 pounds beef short ribs 1 14 ounce can beef broth 1 12 ounce can dark beer 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges ¼ cup molasses 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp dried thyme, crushed 1 tsp bottled hot pepper sauce ½ tsp salt Mashed potatoes or hot buttered noodles (optional) Fresh thyme leaves (optional) 1. Place ribs in a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. 2. Add broth, beer, onion, molasses, vinegar, thyme, hot pepper sauce, and salt. 3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 11 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5.5 to 6 hours. 4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ribs to platter; cover to keep warm. 5. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Serve liquid on the side for dipping. If desired, serve ribs with mashed potatoes and garnish with thyme leaves. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Nutrition facts per serving: 481 kcal., 19 grams fat (8 grams sat. fat), 132 mg chol., 821 mg sodium, 22 grams carbs, 46 grams protein. (If served with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes). Skip the salt also, as beef broth is a source of sodium. From: Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications, “Ultimate Slow Cooker”, 2010. posted by Brewmaster Dave @ 11:40 AM 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 BBQ - Slow and low, baby! Anyone who knows me understands my ridiculous obsession over Southern BBQ. Slow and low, baby... it's the only way to go. Now, I have not spent a ton of time in the south, but I know what I like and I sure as hell think I can tell good Q from bad. Memphis, Texas, whatever - it's all good. Patience rewards the chef de Q. When I was in Regina for the ALES Club Annual Homebrew Competition, Gary, Sue, Craig and I made our way over to Smokin' Oakies for a meal between a couple of our judging sessions. I had the brisket sandwich and slaw which was super yummy, as well as a real iced tea. Lovely. Closer to home, I've got an off-set firebox BBQ that does a nice job, even if it is a bit finicky. I've seen Bev from the Bushwakker do his up with an insulated blanket of sorts. I usually just tend the fire all day and I'm content with spending the day outside. Here's a simple recipe for a roast that can duplicated at home with minimal equipment. Give'er the Ol' Rub Down: Take your roast and rub it down with a spice blend of your own concoction. Make it up as you go as your tastes may differ from mine 3/4 cup paprika 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup chili powder add in a tablespoon each of Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Cayenne (if you want it spicy - I usually leave it out). Sprinkle the roast down with the dry rub mix and then wrap it up and keep it in the fridge overnight. Pull it out about 3 hours before you start the cooking process. A cold roast with dry out over the fire, while a room temperature one will stay juicy cause you're not trying to heat up the chilly middle. Now, there's all kinds of info available on this interweb thingy on how to do this at home. Basic gist of it is to cook slow & low while adding in some flavour from a hardwood of some sort. Hickory is nice, as is oak and maple is my fave. Mesquite seems to make the meat bitter if you're cooking for a long time so try to just finish with it if you love that flavour. You'll find wood chips everywhere from Canuk tire to S.I.R./Cabela's. If you're not too sure, start with Apple or Oak and make your determination from there. Keep the temperature in the low 200 f. range and you'll need about 6 hours for a medium sized roast. If you have a rotisserie that helps, too. Basic science is that tough cuts become fork tender over the long cooking period and the fats gelatinize and keep the meat moist. You can take a butt roast and make it taste better (IMHO) than a Filet Mignon. Here you see the roast after the smoking process. You can cheat a bit (gasp!) and toss it in the oven for the last bit while you get your accompaniments ready to go with. Just dump over 3/4 of a bottle of beer in the pan and run the oven on 200f. while you make your slaw, potato salad or what have you. I've got a nice Pineapple Upsidedown Cake in the background there. When the roast comes out, make sure you let it rest for the juices to re-distribute throughout and for it to cook off the final 5 degrees or so. This one is done a little too much for my liking, but the boss likes hers cooked through just cause. Notice the nice pink hue to the outer edges of the roast and how they make the meat look uncooked. This is a good thing. Your meat thermometer will tell you when the process is done. That, or when you run out of beer or charcoal. Whichever comes first. posted by Brewmaster Dave @ 1:47 PM I've been doing all these beer dinners lately (Beer Bros., The Winter Club, etc.) and I've finally become cognisant of the fact that maybe some of you foodies out there would like to see what the chef's are up to! So with the crackberry in hand, I've snapped off a few photos and a video of the entertainment for the night at last nights dinner at the Winter Club. Most of you will recognize the name Darren Raeside, Sommelier, CSW. He's one of the fine fellows at Banville & Jones who gets your wine mojo running. Last night, he put on a Scotch Night at the club with a fantastic 3 course meal, Scotch pairings, Wine pairings, and I helped out a little with some beer pairings of my own. Scotch tasting Dinner #5 - May 5th Winnipeg Winter Club Pre dinner events: Beer, scotch and Wine samples Pre dinner and Post dinner Passed hot and cold Canapés’ -Cold Smoked salmon Cream Cheese Pizza -Haggis Sausage Flambé Station w/ carrot rutabaga onion and Whiskey -Passed Oysters w/ warm bacon Chive Ale Broth -warm Basil garlic anchovies Marinated Shrimp Smoked House made Ribs w/ dipping Sauce Starter course: Smoked Lamb loin w/ Red wine Glaze, Parmesan cheese, lemon Caper garlic lemon Tuna loin Garnished with tomato Beer Clam Risotto Entrée Course: Braised Red wine Beef Short ribs Served with Beets & leek Confit Finished w/ scotch whiskey Mustard Cream Sauce Roasted Garlic 3 potato Mash Dessert Course: Stuffed royal Gala Apple w/ Blue cheese graham Nougat compote Baked w/ Butter and Beer Finished W/ Whiskey Caramel Sauce And Macerated Fruit and Chocolate All in all a fantastic night of beer, wine, scotch, and food. Chef Craig Geunther has outdone himself again as the food was outstanding. Thanks to Darren for introducing me to another great scotch, too! Thanks to all for the fun evening - see ya next year! posted by Brewmaster Dave @ 10:47 AM Let them eat cake! Alastair likes his Little Scrapper. Alastair likes cake. Behold! posted by Brewmaster Dave @ 10:57 AM
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