Thanks to Larry Meiller and Jim Packard, I was a guest on Wisconsin Public Radio, talking about craft beer’s rightful place at the American tables. Publisher Kristi Switzer helped get the cookbooks to the station for a terrific renewal incentive – thanks, Kristi!!

Larry and I also talked about the upcoming Great Lakes Craft Brewers & Water Conservation Conference, the subject of a profile by Barry Adams in today’s business section of the Wisconsin State Journal. Adams’ article includes interviews with Kirby Nelson of Capital Brewery, Dan Carey of New Glarus Brewing Co., and Fred Scheer, brewmaster at Boscos of Nashville, and chairman of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas’ global emerging issues committee.

So, since I’m swamped with conference details, I’m testing the easy crockpot beef recipe from a listener of the Larry Meiller Show – with a few tweaks of course. I’m using 2 bottles of Lakefront Brewery’s Eastside Dark Lager, 3 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 12 cloves garlic, smashed, to cover about 3 pounds of beef rump roast, cut into 3 large pieces to fit into my crockpot. It’s going to take about 5 hours for the beef to turn completely tender, but in the meantime, the Sunday kitchen smells delish.

Milwaukee’s lakefront museum of innovation, technology and the environment is such a cool place. Discovery World offers programs in everything from circuitry to the anthropology and archaeology of brewing. In November and December, you can learn how to brew Mayan Maize Ale, brewed with corn and cocoa (though I hope we don’t have to chew and spit the maize as did Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewing in making chicha, a similar ancient brew). In December, learn to make Mead of Meath from Wisconsin honey. Each session is $20 per person – what a fun way to discover the ancient arts of fermentation, as well as ethnographic variations on brewing throughout the world. Here’s a summary from the seminar teacher, home brewer and archaeologist, Kevin Cullen, and his adventures in brewing with rye. Call 414-765-8635 for reservations.

Discovery World is also the site of the upcoming Great Lakes Craft Brewers & Water Conservation Conference. We have brewers coming from all over the country to Milwaukee to learn about water saving operations: Flying Fish Brewery of NJ; Great Lakes Brewing Co. of Cleveland; Schlafly Brewing of St. Louis; Mark Anthony Brewing Co., MI., Bison Organic Brewing, Berkeley, CA, Summit Brewing Co. of St. Paul, Lakefront Brewery, Sprecher Brewery, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA, Bells Beer of Kalamazoo, MI, Capital Brewery, South Shore Brewery, MillerCoors, Goose Island Beer Co., Sly Fox Brewery of PA, etc., and industry reps from Alfa Laval, Gordon Lane from Briess Malts, WaterWise Consulting from CA, and conservation groups including the Shedd Aquarium, Clean Wisconsin, Milwaukee Riverkeepers, National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Restoration Program and more. We’ll be hosting a welcome reception, SPLASH! with special guest speaker Jake Leinenkugel of the Leinenkugel Brewing Co., the platinum sponsor of the conference. Tickets for SPLASH! are $45 each and may be purchased online at the conference website, www.conserve-greatlakes.com, just click on the registration tab to order by PayPal. RSVP required….because we’ll have a fantastic buffet dinner catered by Bartolotta’s, to enjoy with recipes prepared from the cookbook.

Eeek, it’s early winter in Wisconsin – just 26F this AM. It’s got me thinking about warming food, starting with soup. Here’s a link to a recipe for Gingerbread Ale and Butternut Squash Soup from Ashley Routson, one of several Beer Wenches on the web (Kerri Allen of GA being the first Beer Wench, writing for Southern Brewing News and a contributor to the Best of American Beer & Food cookbook).

Routson’s soup, posted on her blog, Drink with the Wench, calls for oven roasted butternut squash, pureed with a delicious Gingerbread Ale, a spiced porter from Bison Brewing Co. of Berkeley, CA – a gorgeous ale sadly not available in WI. But you’ll enjoy the step-by-step photos, even if you have to make do with another ale for the soup base.

Here’s the recipe from Diane Alexander that I’ll be making for tonight’s dinner:

Brickskeller Carrot Ginger Curry Soup
15 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 quarts defatted chicken stock
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon hot Madras curry powder
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
Pinch garam masala
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Salt and ground white pepper to taste

1. Place prepared carrots and ginger in a large 3-quart saucepan fitted with a lid. Add chicken stock and enough water to cover carrots and place over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil; stir occasionally.

2. When carrots are completely tender, remove from heat and add brown sugar, curry powders, and garam masala. Use a stick immersion blender to puree cooked carrots with cooking liquid in the pot, or puree in batches in a standard blender. For safety, fill blender container only half full, and use a folded tea towel to hold the blender lid in place when pureeing the hot liquid. Steam may push the blender lid off if not held in place.

3. Return saucepan to stove, over low heat. Warm cream; slowly stir into pureed carrots to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and ground white pepper to taste.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Pairing: Hefeweiss or American pale wheat ale

Note: You can make a low-cal vegan version of this soup with vegetable broth instead of chicken stock, and nonfat almond milk instead of cream.

On Tuesday, October 13^th at 10am, there will be a hearing at the State Capitol in Madison regarding Wisconsin Assembly Bill 287.  This bill increases the tax on a barrel of beer from $2 to $10.  The bill states that the 400% increase in taxes will fund drunk driving law enforcement and alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs.  It does not address the effect on the consumer, loss of jobs (at breweries, suppliers, taverns, stores), nor does it justify why punishing the majority is good for the minority.

The language used in presenting this bill is, as Kirby Nelson of Capital Brewery points out, very shaming:  “the people trying to make this happen are considering changing this from a “tax” to an “impact fee”.  They want to emphasize that it is needed to offset the “harm done by beer”.  I find it insulting to imply that the millions upon millions of us who enjoy beer are a menace to society and need to pay more to offset our havoc causing ways.  This type of mentality cannot go unchallenged.”

I do not feel that any Wisconsin brewery, retailer or responsible consumer should be subject to increased taxation simply because some consumers act irresponsibly.  Increasing the tax on beer will not decrease irresponsible behavior.  Instead, increase the penalties on abusers who drive under the influence.  Make them pay for their mistakes and use that money to pay for increased law enforcement and treatment programs. And what about another option – funding public transit??

This is important, because Britain added many new taxes to beer – and those taxes have just about killed the traditional English pub.

Contact your Wisconsin representative and express your point of view.  Join the rally against WI Assembly Bill 287 outside the capitol, 9:00am, October 13^th.  Contact your friends and encourage them to express their opinion. Here’s a link from O’so Brewing Co. with email addresses for the Assembly Committee on Public Safety below – just tell them NO new beer taxes!

Representative Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis), Chair
Email: rep.staskunas@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-0620

Representative Bob Zigelbauer (D-Manitowoc) Vice-Chair
Email: rep.zigelbauer@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-0315

Representative David Cullen (D-Milwaukee)
Email: rep.cullen@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 267-9836

Representative Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire)
Email: rep.smith@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-0660

Representative Terese Berceau (D-Madison)
Email: rep.berceau@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-3784

Representative Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay/Door County)
Rep.bies@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-5350

Representative Al Ott (R-Forest Junction/Upper Fox Valley)
Rep.ott@legis.wisconsin.gov
(608) 266-5831

Tess, a lovely restaurant on the east side of Milwaukee hosts a Wisconsin Beer Dinner Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.  The five-course menu is sourced within 500 miles of Milwaukee, including craft brews to pair with each course, from Ale Asylum of Madison to Furthermore of Spring Green, and Lakefront of Milwaukee.  Mitchell Wakefield, owner of Tess, supports local producers, both at the restaurant and at home.

“Shopping locally ensures freshness, supports local jobs and reduces the carbon footprint left by shipping long distances,” Wakefield says.  “The benefits go way beyond great-tasting food.”  To get home cooks started, Tess’s Executive Chef Leslie Johnson shares one of her favorite recipes served at the beer dinner.

To attend Tess’s Wisconsin Beer Dinner, please call 414-964-8377 or email tess2499@aol.com to make your reservation.

Carr Valley Pinconning Macaroni and Cheese with Rushing Waters Smoked Trout
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups whole milk
Half cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces Carr Valley Pinconning Cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Half pound elbow macaroni, or pasta of your choice, cooked
Half pound Rushing Waters smoked trout, flaked from fish with fork
1 cup coarse Italian bread crumbs

Directions:
1.    In a 2-quart saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Whisk flour and ground mustard into melted butter and keep whisking or stirring for 4-5 minutes (do not let butter and flour brown).  Keep smooth and free of lumps.
2.    Add milk, onion, bay leaf and paprika.  Simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to package directions.
3.    Remove bay leaf. Remove half-cup milk from saucepan, and let cool to lukewarm. Whisk the egg and lukewarm milk until smooth, and then return the mixture to the saucepan, whisking well.  Stir in approximately 10 ounces of the cheese, adding by the quarter-cupful, and whisking after each addition.
4.        Stir the cheese sauce into the cooked pasta so that the pasta is thoroughly covered and coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to  350°F.
5.    Add smoked trout and fold in gently so that fish does not shred completely.  Portion pasta mixture into 6- or 8-ounce ceramic bowls.  Top each with remaining shredded cheese.
6.    Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan.  Add breadcrumbs and toss to coat.  Top the bowls of macaroni and cheese with breadcrumb mixture and bake in preheated oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes.  Remove and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.