At Ohio Brew Week last Saturday, I conducted a short class at Ohio University’s food service and hospitality center’s test kitchen. I had several requests for a recipe we sampled – refrigerator pickles made with cauliflower, curry spices, and liberal amounts of IPA. Special thanks to chef and professor Francis McFadden for making the class samples ahead of time!

Start with 2 heads steamed cauliflower, cut into chunky florets (2-3 bites per piece), and dusted with salt. Make a pickling brine base by mixing 2 parts white vinegar,  with 1 part pale ale, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon each red chile flakes, brown mustard seeds, ground turmeric, and 2 (or more) tablespoons minced garlic. (The measurements are expressed as a ratio because the brine needs to be sufficient to cover the cauliflower completely – adjust seasonings to taste.) Bring mixture to a boil and pour over cauliflower florets packed in a large glass bowl, cover and chill. Refrigerate overnight or longer for best flavor, and consume within 2 weeks.

It’s a trend worth noting – more community agriculture groups are including craft beer at the table. For decades, I’ve thought that vegetables pair more wonderfully with craft beer than wine. Now, there’s some company from both craft brewers and chefs, in appreciation of artichokes, asparagus, heirloom tomatoes, roasted corn chowders, and other veggie cuisine matched with ales and lagers…

On August 26, chef Alec Lopez of the Armsby Abbey and the Pretty Things Ale Project are producing a farm to table beer dinner. “The month of August brings some of the most amazing vegetables from our local farms, the ripest fruits from our favorite orchards, farmstead cheeses… so what better way to honor them then a Farm-to-Table VEGETARIAN Beer Dinner?” Owner/Brewer Dan and Martha Paquette of Pretty Things Ale Project will chat about each of their beers.

And organically raised meats are also alluring matches on a farm to table menu. Jason Ebel of Two Brothers Brewing in Warrenville, IL, hosts a farm to table beer dinner each summer with City Provisions, a Chicago-based catering company with an environmentally conscious ethos. “We take a bus to a local farm, Faith’s Farm in Bonfield, IL, and talk about the sustainable raising of farm animals such as chickens and pigs, on the bus ride down. When we arrive, we tour the farm and have a wonderful beer and food pairing dinner, with all provisions from Faith’s Farm.” It’s almost twelve hours of travel and talk, bonhomie and beer, and a chance for participants to really unwind from city life through a relaxed feast on the farm.

Abita Brewing Co. is helping to support a wonderful cause, the filming of a new documentary series about New Orleans food traditions, “Ma Louisianne,” hosted by star chef John Besh.
As filmmaker Gaylon Emerzian writes, “Abita Beer is brewed in the quiet town of Abita Springs, about one hour north of New Orleans, across Lake Pontchartrain. Like any number of businesses in the area, Abita’s microbrewing facility was damaged in Hurricane Katrina. The facility’s roof was torn off and the power was out for six days. A thousand barrels for beer were spoiled. Getting the brewery back on line was a huge endeavor. And while the Abita Brewery was making a comeback, they didn’t forget those less fortunate.

Shortly after the hurricane, Abita launched Restoration Ale, a light, English-style pale ale. Abita donated a portion of the profits from the sale of each six pack to Katrina relief and to date has raised almost $600,000.

We applaud Abita’s efforts to help keep the community and culture of New Orleans alive.

Portland chefs love to kick back with a cold craft brew on the patio as they cook up their favorite grill grub.  The Oregon Brewers Guild asked five local chefs for their favorite barbecue pairings, so that we could pass them along to you. Enjoy these refreshing recommendations from Munich on the Willamette…it is Oregon Craft Beer Month after all!

Ten 01 – Burger
Chef Benjamin Parks of Ten 01 restaurant loves pairing the restaurant’s signature burger with Deschutes Brewery’s Mirror Pond Pale Ale. The brew’s classic hop aromas and flavor make it perfect with a burger. The hoppy bitterness provides a great balance that cuts through the fat – it’s just enough hops without being overwhelming, the perfect balance. “During the summer I live off our burgers and this beer,” says Parks.

Red Star Tavern & Roast House – Ribs
Grilled meats take center stage year round at Red Star in downtown Portland, so Chef Tom Dunklin takes a seasonal approach to beer pairings. For ribs off the backyard barbecue in summer, Dunklin recommends a Bridgeport Blue Heron Pale Ale. The round and soft texture of this pale ale complements the rich, smoky flavor of barbecued ribs, while the refreshingly crisp finish quenches a summer thirst.

Tabla Mediterranean Bistro – Salmon
Anthony Cafiero, chef de cuisine at Tabla Mediterranean Bistro, loves barbecued salmon during the summer months and recommends pairing it with a Ten Barrel Summer Ale from Bend, OR.  Salmon is naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids and Ten Barrel’s Summer Ale offers a nice mix of malts and hops to balance the meaty flavors with a dry finish.  Cafiero likes to keep it simple, flavoring his salmon with a bit of lemon juice and fresh rosemary from the garden.

Café Nell – Pork Tenderloin
For pork tenderloin, Café Nell Executive Chef Andrew Garrett recommends pairing it with Southern Oregon Brewing Company’s SOB Pale Ale. This sweet and hoppy ale hits a balance that can be hard to find in pale ales, and it has a full front and smooth finish that completes the palate. This ale will work with any pork dish, but Garrett suggests pork tenderloin basted with a sweet plum marinade, grilled and served with fresh sweet corn basted in butter or grilled pluots.

Wildwood – Lamb
With a philosophy of letting ingredients shine, Wildwood Executive Chef Dustin Clark finds that the barbecue is the perfect medium. For grilled lamb simply seasoned with salt and pepper, Clark recommends Terminal Gravity IPA out of Enterprise. Yes, it’s hoppy… but that big hop flavor is backed by the subtle sweetness of malt for a balance that doesn’t overwhelm the mild gaminess of the lamb, but instead accentuates it.

Tomorrow, packing up the cooler and BBQ tongs, and heading to Athens for Ohio Brew Week, the original civic celebration of all things beer (started in 2005, which has spawned several other beer/brew weeks across the country). It’s actually held in a downtown district where all the events are so close, it’s possible to park the car for the weekend and walk to all the goings on. I’ll be doing several talks with tastings on Friday, and helping with judging the barbecue contest as well. Chris O’Brien, the Beer Activist, will be there, as we’ll be signing books at the Little Professor Book Store. Look for details online at ohiobrewweek.com

A delightful evening of dining with Bell’s beer on August 3 at Tess (2499 N Bartlett Ave., 414-964-8377) which is one of the hidden gems of Milwaukee’s east side. Here’s the menu from restaurateur Mitchell Wakefield and local Bell’s rep Paul Moebius – the guest speaker will be Marty Compton from the brewery HQ in Kalamazoo – just 20 seats left out of 75 for the evening – tickets are $48 per person which includes tax and gratuity and the chance to win special Bell’s beer gear!

Last Friday’s blog postings about beer and travel came just before the 4th July holiday weekend – so my post is too late for the Session’s round-up posted to Beer by Bart. But since the Best of American Beer & Food contains a virtual travelogue within its covers  – the first half of the book is devoted to interviews with chefs and brewers across North America – it seems right to post this brief excerpt about beer dinners, travel and inns of Wisconsin:
Small hotels and inns across the Midwest are tapping new customers with combinations of beer dinners and overnight stays. In Wisconsin, the American Club of Kohler offers a series of beer dinners on Tuesday nights, with special packages to stay overnight after sampling. Given the rich menus and lavish sampling at most beer dinners, staying overnight is a wise choice.

At a beer dinner for the Rogue Brewery, Chef Brett Muellenbach prepared a five-course meal that began with beef carpaccio paired with Dead Guy ale, a salad with a coronet of toasted rye bread paired with the Half-a-Weizen, pan-seared walleye, roasted chicken with American Ale, and topped off with the finale of Rogue 10,000 and a velvety soft chocolate cake, prepared by pastry chef Richard Palm. It was a sumptuous meal, and knowing that the comforts of a down-filled duvet and whirlpool bath awaited made the evening all the more enjoyable.

In New Glarus, Wisconsin, the Chalet Landhaus Inn  prides itself on offering a taste of Swiss hospitality. That extends to special beer dinners, such as the one prepared by Chef Mike Nevil for Deb and Dan Carey of the New Glarus Brewing Co. to celebrate the brewhouse expansion. Chef Nevil used beer in several preparations, but one of the favorites was a salad topped with nutty shaved Emmentaler cheese from the Edelweiss Creamery, served with a Raspberry Tart Vinaigrette. “I took the raspberry tart beer and reduced it with some lemon juice, fresh tarragon, minced sweet onion and balsamic vinegar, and then blended that reduction into a creamy base,” says Nevil. “Brewmaster Dan Carey just loved the flavor.”

Some brewers even become innkeepers themselves. Bill and Michelle Tressler of Green Bay’s Hinterland Brewery became the proprietors of the Whistling Swan Inn, Fish Creek, in Door County, WI. Urban flavors, surrounded by intimate comfort, best describes the Whistling Swan. The menu, designed by Hinterland Executive Chef Kelly Qualley and Whistling Swan Executive Chef Adam Schierl explores contemporary American cuisine. Their journey to create bold flavors traverses a diverse selection of locally foraged produce, wild game, freshwater and ocean fish. “It’s been a tremendous adventure,” says Tressler of the decision to become an innkeeper.

And Leah Caplan, a chef turned innkeeper in Wisconsin at the Washington Hotel, relishes the relationships she’s able to nurture with local foragers, farmers, fishermen, and now, the Capital Brewery. She even plans to bring in a guest chef for a beer cooking class each summer. “I’m more of a wine drinker,” Caplan admits, “but my guests all love beer, too.” At the very least, craft beer can be an equal at the table and in the mini-bars of more hotels and inns.