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.

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.

Join Sheffield’s for a very special Oktoberfest Beer Dinner highlighting the beers Great Lakes Brewing Co.

The four-course meal will feature German-inspired food to welcome the Oktoberfest season.

Reception – Dortmunder Gold | A palate-stimulating welcome beer

First Course – Elliot Ness Amber Lager | Paired with a charcuterie platter consisting of sausages (smoked bratwurst, liverwurst, wild game sausage, etc.), cheeses, and pumpernickel/rye bread, with Dusseldorf mustard and cornichons

Second Course – Oktoberfest | Paired with German beer soup

Main Course – Grand Cru | Paired with the classic Alsatian “Choucroute garni” consisting of house-smoked pork loin, sauerkraut, apples and potatoes in savory juices

Dessert – Glockenspiel | Paired with warm, fresh doughnut bites with assorted dipping sauces

Conclusion Beer – Blackout Stout | Guests will receive a snifter of this Imperial Stout

Sheffield’s,
3258 N. Sheffield
Chicago, IL

When: Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 7 to 10 p.m.

Price: $60 per person

Phone: (773) 281-4989

At 6pm on Wednesday, September 16th, Triskele’s Restaurant will offer a special 5-course Sprecher beer dinner featuring local produce from the South Shore Farmer’s Market. Designed by Chef JoLinda Klopp, this menu reflects the transition from summer into autumn. Founder and brewmaster Randy Sprecher  will discuss the beers and pairings:

Crabcake with Grilled Sweet Corn Aioli and Fresh Basil Chiffonade (Special Amber);
Curry Cauliflower Soup with Fried Brussel Sprout Leaves  (Extra Pale Ale);
Field Greens with Sweet Green Apple Vinaigrette, Blue Cheese and Spiced Pecans  (Shakparo Ale);
Chicken Braised in Pipers Scotch Ale with Chorizo Bread Pudding, Haricot Verts and Pickled Carrots (Pipers Scotch Ale);
Cream Soda Creme Brulee with Cherry Cola Chocolate Truffle and Fresh Mint (Black Bavarian).

Triskele’s is an intimate and friendly restaurant located in Walker’s Point, 1801 S. 3rd Street.   Known for its fresh and innovative cuisine, Triskele’s was opened in October 2007 by Chef Klopp who previously worked as the Executive Chef at the River Lane Inn.  Milwaukee Magazine recognized Triskele’s as one of “Top New Restaurants” of 2008.

Cost for the Sprecher beer dinner is $35 per person plus tax and gratuity. Hurry, because the dinner is almost *sold out* with just a few tables left. Reservations can be made by calling Triskele’s at: 414.837.5950.

Here’s a frightening forecast from Jeanne Carpenter at www.cheeseunderground -

The state of Wisconsin stands to lose almost 1,000 more farms by spring 2010 – this after quarterly reports in which the major corporations in the dairy industry – Dean, Kraft – posted double-digit profits.

Read the story online here and support dairy farm families in Wisconsin – buy local dairy milk when you can, and write your state representative now – just as craft brewers deserve a fair price for their work, so do farmers.

Spring in Virginia – the mountains are hazed with blue fog in the morning as snow melt fills the creeks and rivers. It’s the perfect time to get out and hike along the Rockfish or drive through the little villages that dot both Nelson and Albemarle counties. Now, a new collaboration between the two counties’ offices of tourism, spurred by the spurt in craft brewing and distilling, makes pub crawls easy along the Brew Ridge Trail.   Last week I visited the new Devil’s Backbone Brewing Co., for a tasting organized by executive chef Shawn Goodwin and brewer Jason Oliver, with a little help from my friend (thanks, Russ!) – Russell Otis of Wintergreen.  What a fantastic dinner we enjoyed – I had the pollo borracho enchilada, which was perfect with the smoked chile red sauce and a sampling of Oliver’s amazing ales and lagers. One of my favorites was the Vienna lager – which many people dismiss as a middle-of-the-road brew. In Oliver’s interpretation, the balanced flavors of malt and hops became perfectly smooth and quaffable. The dry Irish stout was another terrific seasonal, creamy on nitro with just the right level of astringency. It’s rare to find such drinkability in brewpub brews, especially those pub operations that are less than one year old. Look for an interview with Jason and others involved in the tourism launch on beercook.com later this month.

Browsing through the latest catalog, I saw a half-profile image of Abita amber, and on the flip page, a beautiful shiny kegerator to bring beer to the party. Just $600 to pour fresh pints for your guests (monogrammed glassware extra).

Read this analysis posted by Alan McLeod of a good beer blog, juxtaposing the cover design for The Best of American Beer & Food next to another tome on the same topic.

Do you see what I see?

Here’s a thought-provoking story from New Scientist, about the contributions that humble beer fridges make to global warming. Hmmmm, there’s a cool spot in the basement under the stairs that might make a good location for a beer cellar. Has anyone converted a cellar space for storing beer?