Hey all,

It's been a while since my last update here in the recipe section. We've been busy at the brewery with the new bottles. So much so, some stuff tends to go by the wayside - like my kitchen renovation at home! I've got the cupboards in, but no doors. I figure if I stare at the box of couscous long enough, eventually I put up the doors, or do the full out Moroccan meal.

We have still been participating in beer & food dinners put on by many of the top chef's in Winnipeg. Not to brag but - for example:

The Winnipeg Winter Club's Annual Bru Ha Ha Dinner: Chef Craig Geunther really does these types of dinners right. A mix of upscale, yet relaxed atmosphere with an attention to details really puts the room at ease. Our contribution to the meal was the Stir Stick Stout which was paired with a Stout Chocolate Cake and an assortment of fresh fruit and chocolate.

Later in the month, we participated in a dinner at the Dandelion Eatery. For those of you unfamiliar with it, Chef Ben Kramer runs the kitchen here in the restaurant attached to the Organza Organic Food Market. Emphasis is placed on local food first here so the ingredients are farm fresh. In this particular instance, we paired all the courses with our beers, and in some cases even used the beer as ingredients. I think the shining example for me was the Weizen Heimer banana smoothies we were served as an amuse bouche. Someone at the Dandelion has a sense of humour, as well as the palette to pull it all off.

So, on June 24Th, we'll be doing a dinner at Fude on Osbourne with Chef Helena Fontaine. Here's the menu:

June Beer Dinner

Appy: Olive and goat feta Stuffed Lamb chop wrapped in bacon on mint couscous
~
Salad: Fresh Tarragon butter leaf salad with house pickled beets and Oak Island Goat Cheddar
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Soup: stout (O' Hara Celtic or Marston’s Oyster) and cheese soup
~
Main: Malt Vinegar Chip Crusted Pike with chive cream on roasted garlic herb Mashed potatoes. Served with our feature vegetables tossed in Lemon butter.
~
Dessert: House made Stir Stick Stout Ice cream sandwiches!


So, given that Fude is a decidedly wine-centric establishment, what does that mean for our craft beer in general?

I think it has a lot to do with the people of Winnipeg coming forth and demanding better beers.

The MLCC is obviously trying to bolster it's numbers on the premium and super premium beer selection side (I don't think it would be too off base to say we've been helping them quite a bit in that department). But even without counting our stellar beers in the last few months, they've avoided the usual trappings of 3rd world lagers (do we really need another corn based pilsner?) by bringing in interesting, and in some cases, world class beers.

I went to see Marnie Old speak at McNally Robinson's new Polo Park store recently on this issue. Her new book with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewery (Delaware) speaks to the similarities between wine and beer, and really does leave the choice up to the reader. So, as biased as I may sound being the local sounding board for beer with food, Marnie had a lot of good things to say, too. Thankfully, when it comes to craft beer the pretensions are usually left at home, and the real winners are the people who find the issue suddenly crystal clear.

There is a world of flavour beyond the outdated image of frat boys and chug-a-lug beer bashes.

And so, to answer the question (what does this mean for craft beer in general?):
There are more light bulbs going off for the average beer drinker every day. That doesn't make craft beer the new wine, it simply co-exists on a level playing field more so than at any other time in history.

The real question should be:
If we've seen these same revolutions in bread, coffee, wine, and now beer, what's next?

Labels: Pairings, Reccomended Reading

Last week, I was the invited guest of the Great White North Brewerianist Club for a food and beer pairing meal at the Grant Park Liquor Mart. I've actually known the fellow who gives the presentation (Steve Moran) for some time. His passion for all things food and his steadfast dedication to DIY principals are what really draw people in.

If you've got a few hours to spare for some tasty brews and tastier food, I'd suggest the evening highly. On this particular evening, we had some Lobster Bisque, Sushi, Roast Bison and a lovely Chocolate Cherry Cake as dessert. All the while, we were plied with various beers (2 per course) as pairings for the food in front of us. I must have been on a complementary kick that night as I found the pairings I enjoyed the most tended to complement the meals well.

It seems that the food and beer pairings are starting to get their due in chef's circles. Gone are the days of house red or white with house steak or fish (thankfully). It only seems natural that beer would show its versatility in the pairing department as well. Gone are the days of lite beer and pizza or bowls of stale popcorn/pretzels and draft.

Since I'm not the first to champion the cause of beer with a meal, I thought it may be prudent to give you all some links to the beer chef's book shelf. Some of these have been staples in my house, while some are newer additions to the fold.

1. The Brewmaster's Table - indispensable when it comes to the overview of the whole subject, Garret Oliver's book has quickly become the must have in my shelf.
2. Stephen Beaumont's Brewpub Cookbook - Stephen's book was one of the first I read regarding the subject and continues to prove its worth. Lots of recipes with info.
3. The Best of American Beer & Food - I've not actually read this one but...
4. Grilling with Beer - Her other book has been a great read and has left me chomping at the bit for firing up the smoker again. Lucy also has a website (beercook.com) that gives some other stories and such regarding the topic for all to enjoy.

If you get a chance, check these out for your enjoyment. Have fun!

Brewmaster Dave :)

I just got an e-mail from Chef Craig Guenther over at the Winnipeg Winter Club that has me salivating. He planning a dinner for the membership based on a German theme, and one of the courses was a potato soup. Mmm...
Which got me thinking - it's soup season. With the drizzly, wet coast weather we've been having lately, I thought it's be a good idea to share a simple cold weather recipe with everyone.

Potato & Bacon Soup

1 pound alder smoked bacon, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 bottle Oktoberfest Lager
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.

In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, saute the celery and onion until onion begins to turn clear. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.

In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, beer, and tarragon. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Optional ingredients:
Red & green bell pepper diced
ham bone (remove before serving!)
Cheddar Cheese
Chives or green onions to garnish
Sour cream
Read chard or Swiss chard (add just as you're adding the cream mix)

Labels: German, Oktoberfest Lager, Savoury

Dave,

You said you wished people would send more recipes. Here’s one.

David Hall

Beef in Beer

2 t canola oil
1 onion, chopped
6 slices bacon

3 T flour
1 kg beef stew meat
2 T canola oil

½ btl Half Pints Amber Ale (350 mL)
1 T Dijon mustard
2 t sugar
1 T fresh thyme or 1 t dried thyme

100 g fresh chanterelle mushrooms, sliced
[or any other mushroom]

8 thick French bread slices, toasted
3 T Dijon mustard

Heat the first amount of oil in a frying pan. Add onion & bacon.
Cook until onion is softened. Transfer to slow cooker. Discard drippings.

Dredge the beef in flour. Heat the second amount of oil in the same pan.
Brown the beef in 2 batches.

Combine the next 4 ingredients. Slowly add this to the beef, stirring
and scraping any brown bits from the pan, until boiling.
Add beef to onion mixture. Stir well.

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-4½ hours.
Add mushrooms about 1 hour before serving.
Add more ale if necessary.

Place 1 bread slice on each of 8 plates.
Spread about ½ t mustard on each slice.
Spoon ½ C beef mixture on top of each slice.

Serves 8, or 4 hungry.

Serve with Half Pints Amber Ale or Stir Stick Stout.

Labels: Bulldog Amber, Savory, Stir Stick Stout

Customer participation is key for us at Half Pints, and I'll say a big thank you to Mr. Hall for passing this fine recipe along for you all.

Hi Dave,

I was looking at your web site, saw the recipes/your love of food, and thought I’d share something I made last night with a bottle of your Phil’s Pils that I thought was good enough to pass on. A lot of Manitobans grow zucchini, and at this time of year their plants will have a lot of edible blossoms on them. By now, the male blossoms have served their biological purpose and can be used for a delicious appetizer.

The pilsner was excellent in this, though I’m sure your IPA or weizen heimer would do nicely too.

Ian Hall

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Ingredients:

18 squash blossoms (zucchini or other)*
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup Half Pints Phil’s Pils pilsner
2 tsp. curry powder
Salt
Black pepper
About 2 cups canola oil

Method:

1. Wash and gently pat blossoms dry.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk flour and curry powder into Half Pints Phil’s Pils pilsner. Batter should be consistency of thin pancake batter. Allow to stand for about 10 minutes.
3. In another mixing bowl, combine cilantro and feta cheese and season with black pepper.
4. Stuff blossoms with about 1 tsp. of cheese mixture.
5. In a deep-sided saucepan, heat oil on stovetop to about 375 degrees (about “medium”). Oil should not smoke.
6. Working in batches of 3-4, dip stuffed blossoms in batter, and fry in oil for 1-2 minutes, turning once.
7. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
8. Season with salt, and serve with a cold glass of Half Pints Phil’s Pils.

Serve 4-6 as an appetizer

*A note on selecting blossoms: it is recommended to only use male blossoms, since these do not produce any squash. Male blossoms are easy to identify: they do not have a bump on the stem below the flower. Choosing medium-aged blossoms – old enough that they have reached maximum size but not so old the petal ends are starting to shrivel – works best, since they are more tender and more flexible and thus will tolerate stuffing better.

Labels: Appetizer, Customer Recipes, Phil's Pils, Savory

It kind of stands to reason that the type of people who won't accept the drivel foisted upon them by mega-breweries (and unfortunately, some of the small ones) are usually the type of people who'd get a kick out of hitting up a grocery store other than your standard big box feed lot.

Nicole and I are two such people. We hit up Dino's (460 Notre Dame) the other day and came home with a nice selection of tamales, short grain rice, naan bread, manitoba made corn flour tortillas and such. It's inspirational to sniff your way through the aisles and stand there trying to figure out what your next great experiment will be.

The beauty in Dino's lies in the fact that you'll be standing in one aisle eyeing up the industrial sized can of White Hominy Corn and you'll smell something two aisles away that piques your interest. I usually find myself wondering, "what do they cook with that?" or "wouldn't it be neat to try making those myself?"

Here's a couple of recipes you can play with for the pre-beer hours...

Grits & Eggs
1 can white hominy corn (drained and rinsed)

Pop the corn into a pot and cover with about an inch of water. Boil for 5 minutes, then take a hand blender and roughly blend up the mixture. It should look something like a chunky cream of wheat when you're done. Stir in two tablespoons of butter and grind in some fresh pepper.

Optional additions:
1/4 cup of cheese (Cheddar works well, but so does Jarlesberg or your favorite)
1 crushed garlic clove
chopped chives
finely diced hot peppers

How do you like your eggs? I prefer mine poached soft, or over easy - to each their own. I usually serve the eggs on top of the grits in a bowl. Sometimes I like a slice of thick buttered toast from Tallgrass or a heavily caraway'd rye toast with this, too.


Papa Farley's (Originally Uncle Ed's) Beer Cakes

This one's simple:
Your favorite "add water" pancake mix (minus the water)
Your favorite beer (Half Pints, of course)

Use the beer to make the pancakes. You won't be dissapointed. My grandpa guarantees it - so does Uncle Ed. I'd have to say that the Stir Stick Stout would make an excellent choice for this one, but it's up to you.

Serve it with warm manitoba maple syrup (you're worth it) and butter.

Labels: Breakfast, Savoury, Stir Stick Stout

Well, it's the night before our open house, and I thought it might be wise to get the recipes we'll be tasting down on the site here so everyone can try them at home.

We'll be sampling Phil's Pils with a Blue Cheese and Little Scrapper IPA Dip.

We'll also be sampling Weizen Heimer and grilling up some bratwurst basted with Weizen Heimer. They'll be finished off by dipping with a simple Dijon Mustard and Bulldog Amber Ale sauce.

Blue Cheese and Little Scrapper IPA Dip

55 g. butter
40 g. flour
175 ml. Little Scrapper IPA
160 ml. half & half cream
80 g. chopped fresh chives
30 g. Dijon mustard (one with lots of seeds)
115 g. cream cheese
180 g. bleu cheese
115 g. white cheddar
Crackers, bread sticks, whatever for dipping

1. In a large saute pan, simmer the butter, then add the flour and stir.
2. Add the Little Scrapper IPA and the half & half, stirring and simmering for a few minutes - enjoy the remainder of the bottle while finishing up!
3. Add the chopped chives, Dijon mustard and cream cheese - stir & simmer.
4. Add chunks of bleu cheese and cheddar a bit at a time. Make sure each addition melts before you add more.
5. Get your dipping material set, pour yourself and your guests a Phil's Pils, and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

The above recipe is from the book Extreme Brewing by Sam Calagione - owner of the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.

Grilled Brats with Dijon and Bulldog Amber Ale Mustard

6 Bratwurst Sausages

1 Bottle Weizen Heimer

1/2 cup grainy Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Bulldog Amber Ale (drink the rest of the open bottle)

1. Get your grill smoking hot and cook the bratwurst through
2. during the grilling, keep any flames at bay by dousing the bratwurst with Weizen Heimer
3. between drinking your open bottle of Heimer, and grilling brats,
4. take your favourite grainy Dijon mustard and mix in the Bulldog Amber Ale to make a simple sauce

When the brats are cooked through, just serve them up with a simple potato salad and a bottle or two of Weizen Heimer. Enjoy!

Thanks in advance to everyone who's coming out to the open house - we'll have a great time.

Labels: Appetizer, Little Scrapper IPA, Savoury, Weizen Heimer