Have a Beer with Me #2

Another (greatly delayed) installment of my beer notes for our newsletter:

Discussions of beer & wine can sometimes be confusing and needlessly opulent. We have veered away from describers like delicious, refreshing, and gross towards words like piney, tannic, and earthy. Not saying the latter words are not helpful, but for someone whose interest is just beginning these words are hard to swallow (pun intended).

Let’s take a step back and remember that beer tasting is a totally subjective experience. What I claim is good or bad might not be to the next person, meaning no one should be afraid to respond honestly to the question, “What beer/wine/any product would you recommend?” We are not experts by any means, but sometimes guidance is requested. Don’t be afraid to share your recommendations.

The idea, then, is to come to some sort of agreement on what to expect from beer. Beer is a fermented beverage brewed with barley, wheat, corn. Many times the fundamental flavoring agent is hops, which can also function as a preservative. For example, India Pale Ales (IPA) are usually very hoppy (read: bitter). When someone says, “I like hoppy beers,” an easy recommendation to make is with an IPA (specifically – Bells Two Hearted, New Holland Mad Hatter, or any beer labeled IPA). Conversely, when you hear, “I don’t like bitter beers,” avoidance of IPAs is important with a push toward beers with less (or no) hops. For example, Simpler Times lager is all malt, meaning it is very smooth with very little bitterness. Additionally, Bells Amber, Trader Joe’s Vienna, and Gila Monster are all good examples of beers with very little bitterness.

Still uncomfortable? Try some beers.  Buy a bottle of 2 or 3 different kinds and take notes on what you taste, smell, see, etc.  Look the beers up online at http://beeradvocate.com and compare notes.

Until next time, keep on drinking.

Tacos and Ice Cream

Nothing like the weekend to break out the new Christmas gadgetry.  Today we made beef tacos with homemade tortillas on the new cast iron griddle with refried beans and rice.  For dessert I made banana ice cream.  I love tacos and there is something so good about making the tortillas from scratch.  We use Robert Rodriguez’s recipe from the Sin City DVD.  I’m not a huge fan of the industrialized trash that is sold in the stores, so the work involved in making tortillas is definitely worth it.  The filling is organic ground beef, cumin, chipotle chili powder, garlic, onion, sea salt, pepper, a bit of mole, and a little Roja sauce – something I had in the pantry.  The refried beans recipe can be found over at Simply Recipes.  I used lard (for the beans and the tortillas).  I think lard lends a richness that is lost when other fats or fat substitutes are used.  Aside from the 2 1/2 hour cooking time, refried beans are a simple dish to make – no reason to buy the canned stuff any more.

The banana ice cream was my first frozen treat experiment.  I used an Alton Brown recipe since I tend to think his recipes are usually right on the money.  This particular one, though, called for corn syrup, which I thought was suspect.  It turned out fine, but was too airy and syrupy.   Next time I think I’ll use a more traditional recipe with egg yolks to see if I can get better density.

Tonight’s beer was an Italian Belgian pale ale called Super Baladin.  Super, indeed – this beer is easily the best Italian beer I’ve had and is quite good as a Belgian pale ale.  Sweet, fruity, spicy – all things a Belgian should be.   I received a bottle for Christmas and hope to find more somewhere.  There is also a Super Baladin Sour edition.  I enjoy sours, so finding the sour edition would be nice.  I have a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru in the fridge for New Years.  I can’t wait to crack that baby open.

Jeni’s Ice Cream

Last Valentine’s day I bought Heather a 6 pack of ice cream from Jeni’s Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio. First of all, it should have been a 7 pack, but they forgot to pack my Chocolate Cayenne (!!!) – no big deal, though, I contacted them that night and they immediately responded and apologized. They were so apologetic, in fact, that they will pay for my next order as long as I cover shipping – great customer service.

I write this tonight because I finally finished off the last of the Strawberry Rose Petal. An excellent, rich ice cream that is sweet, tart, floral, and creamy. The rose complements the strawberry perfectly. Rose is a wonderful, if tricky, flavor to work with – Middle Eastern desserts often use rose water as a flavoring agent. The floral flavor can be off putting at first, but once one is acclimated to the taste it is welcome. I cannot honestly remember the nuances of each of the other flavors except for the Thai Chili. Yes, it was quite spicy – peanut butter, toasted coconut, cayenne pepper, & coconut milk. A sweet and hot ice cream with the added textural pleasure of toasted coconut – basically, heaven in a pint.

The Flytrap & Sanders

Jeff over at Make Mine Potato recently reviewed this little gem of a place in Ferndale – an incredible diner called the Fly Trap. The menu is different than most diners in that it relies more on interesting combinations of food and presentation whereas other diners might concentrate more on portion size and slathering said portion with gravy, sauce, or whatever. I had the hot spiced beef brisket – an update of the classic Reuben. Thinly sliced beef, smoked Gouda, jalapeño mustard, and cabbage on grilled rye all work very well together and offer a much different experience than the same boring corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss. The familiarity of the Reuben is there, a feeling of “oh, I’ve had this before!” but the fresh cabbage and jalapeño mustard immediately subvert familiarity toward something special. The same could be said for the “Swat” sauce, a deliciously heated hot sauce that is chunkier than most, thus making it more substantive. I couldn’t place what pepper was used, but there was a nice smokiness followed by a potent punch – a solid hot sauce. Even the coffee is special – rich, creamy, and flavorful, a totally smooth cup that could easily be refilled 3 or 4 times a sitting. The fries, while totally decent, are, well, totally decent – nothing too tremendous, although they did become a nice transportation device for the hot sauce and side of jalapeño mustard.

With Heather nearing the end of the pregnancy, we try to assuage any need she may have. Tonight it was a need for a hot fudge sundae. Grosse Pointe has a village area that is rife with stores, coffeehouses, and restaurants. Also in the village is Sanders, a Detroit staple known primarily for their hot fudge and candy. Sanders closed down for many years. I remember going there every so often with my mother to grab one of their famous hot fudge cream puffs. The ritual of going out for ice cream is something to behold especially for children. Ice cream – good ice cream – is a treat and the event of going out to get it followed that. The Pecan Titan sundae was very nice. An amalgamation of hot fudge, caramel, vanilla ice cream, and roasted pecans, the sweetness of the ice cream, fudge, and caramel meshed well with the saltiness of the nuts. More importantly, the parlor was busy with a large family that spanned across multiple generations – grandpa sharing with dad who is sharing with kids. Traditions are important and in a year or two I will be sharing the tradition of Sanders hot fudge with my kid as well.