Okbrewer

Just finished Typhoid Mary and immediately started Kitchen Confidential.

I vote for Chocolat and Tortilla Soup. The soundtrack to Chocolat is also great.

I know, I know, most purists will usher in the New Year with a bottle of bubbly, but for those of us who appreciate beer, New Year's Eve provides an excellent opportunity to crack open a special bottle of BEER! What will it be for you? For me, well I have a case of Lindeman's Cuvee Rene (1994 vintage) that will probably see some damage tonight, as well as a bottle of Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus, as a prelude to the midnight toast I will probably savor the flavor and aroma of an old Thomas Hardy's that is stashed in the back of my beer shelf. Oh, boy, I can't wait! I'm getting thirsty as I post this

In this case, though, the best galss for a DeuS is a champagne flute!

Estate sales are great for finding all kinds of books, including cook books. At one sale I bought AUTOGRAPHED copies of books by Jacques Pepin and Emeril, less than $5 for each.

Mothers-in law! We went over to my inlaws for Christmas morning as we do every year. The MiL always makes what she calls 'breakfast eggs,' a kind of egg and sausage casserole. She is notorious for being late and for not having food out on time. We were supposed to eat around 10:30am, and we didn't arrive until about then. When we did the distinct (d'stink!) odor of burnt food filled the air! She whined that the eggs had burned and she didn't know why, but they were only burnt on the bottom so if we wanted to eat them we could. We were so hungry that we did dive into the burnt eggs only to find them only partially cooked in the middle and indeed crispy and black on the bottom, with the flavor that only burnt food can provide. On further inspection I noticed that her oven was not on 'bake' but rather 'CLEAN!' She had cookded the eggs on the clean cycle! This is not the first time something like this has happened. One time she was complaining that the food (another kind of casserole) in the oven didn't seem to be getting done and the oven was on 350! Well, the oven was indeed on 350, but it was not the oven the food was in! She has dual ovens and the empty, lower oven was a nice toasty 350!

Oh, I like hops alright, in fact my favorite seasonal is Celebration, but it seems that a lot of seasonals are Celebration wannabes and they can't do it! That's why it is refreshing to have a winter ale that is not overly hopped or spiced like curry!

Garrett Oliver's The Brewmaster's Table

We have a breakfast room off the kitchen with a table and that is where my wife and 12 yr old daughter and I eat 90% of our meals. The TV is in the living room and is visible from the breakfast room but it is usually off during meals, unless of course there happens to be an OU football game on at meal time! We have a large kitchen with an island that includes the cooktop. I prepare 99% of our meals and usually place the finished products on the island and we serve ourselves from there. Most of our meal time is spent in conversation, a recap of went on at school or work, and coming events. We all enjoy this time together! When we have more 'formal' meals or when we have guests, we eat in the dining room which has a much larger table, the TV is not visible from this room. I do like to have some music playing in the background when we eat, but nothing that is too disruptive. My daughter will eat breakfast on Saturday mornings on the coffee table in front of the TV so as not to miss any of her Yugi-Oh cartoons!

I meant to say the Clipper City was NOT too overblown in the hop department, just right in the aroma and flavor.

Had MacTarnahan's Mac Frost Winter Ale last week, got it in a Christmas basket from a friend. The label description gives the indication that it is a hoppy fest beer, but that is not what I tasted. It was very caramely, with hints of candi sugar and slight fruit notes, almost Dubbel-like in flavor. I was very pleasantly surprised that it was not the over hopped same old same old that seems to be popular now as holiday cheer. On the other hand, I also had the Clipper City Winter offering and it was loaded with hops, citrusy, grape fruit-like American hops, but too overblown, in fact the body was not as full as the aroma would suggest and the beer finished somewhat dry. I liked it, but liked the Mac Frost better!

Received: 2 Cuisinart Chefs Classic pans, new rolling pin, 1 silpat baking sheet, Emeril's Kitchens cookbook, 12qt Le Creuset stock pot, bottle of Van Winkle 12 yr old Bourbon. Gave my dad an 8 qt Le Creuset Stock pot, and my mom wanted some pizza pans, so thats what she got! Gave myself a 6 pc block set of Henckels Twinstar plus knives, just because I couldn't pass them up! The store had the set mismarked for $34.95! Only had the one set or I would have stocked up! Also received some wine and holoiday beers.

I went out shopping earlier this week and found that my local distributor has DROPPED the price of the Old Potrero to $69! I may have to go round up a few bottles! How does this price compare to other parts of the country?

I have been using the Professional II for about 2 years, and I love it! No more freezer burn for steaks and meats that I used to wrap in butcher paper. I buy steaks in bulk remove from the original package, season them, then place 2 or 3 in the foodsaver bags. Often I will marinate right in the bag, placing a paper towel inside so the liquid doesn't get into the machine. I also have the large square marinating dish that makes it even easier. So, it's great for storing meat and fish, as well as soups and sauces (freeze them first). I especially like the system when I make a big batch of guacamole. Any left overs used to turn black and ugly in the fridge in a day! Now I place the leftover guacamole in a bowl, loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in a bag and vacuum seal. It stays fresh and fresh looking for several days! I'm very pleased with it and glad I made the investment.

Old Potrero is very good, but at about $86 a bottle, my money goes for the Sazerac Rye at less than half the price of the Old Potrero. And the Sazerac is dam good! It doesn't have the overt rye expression that you describe, but does have some wonderful vanilla and caramel notes that make it oh so smooth! Try it, you'll like it!

I usually prefer beer, rather than wine, with meals. My pet peeve is restaurants that have wine lists but no beer list. Then, what really gets me, is when I ask the server what kinds of beer they have and I get the reply, "All kinds!" I usually then ask for something like a Hanssen's Oud Gueuze or Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus. What the server really means is Bud, Miller, Coors. But doubly frustrating is getting this reaction in brew pubs or upscale places that do in fact serve quality micro-brewed or imported beers. The server needs to be as educated about the beer selections as they should be about the food menu.

Why wait for someone else to put on the dinner!!? Invite some like-minded friends over and hold your own beer dinner! A 'themed' dinner helps to keep the food and beer pairings somewhat manageable. But a 'free-for-all' approach, sampling various beers with each food course, also can be fun. Below are some notes from a Belgian beer dinner I hosted at my house. This is an annual event. Wow! What a sensory overload! Rich, Belgian-style fare paired with various Belgian beers. The evening event was scheduled to kick off at 5:00pm, with guests arriving around 4:45. Ten adults and 4 "young adults" attended. While we waited for all the guests to arrive we munched on my salmon mousse decoratively piped onto cucumber slices, and also used the mousse as a dip with other veggies and crackers. This was washed down by one of the two non-Belgian beers of night, New Belgium's Abbey ale. When all had arrived, our first sit-down course was presented: Brie en Crout! A huge wheel of brie smothered with a slightly tart marmalade and cranberries, baked in pastry. Mmmmm! This was paired with the other non-Belgain beer, Hennepin. Well, actually, we started with Hennepin then our planned pairings quickly turned into a rush to see what other beers might taste like with this! One delicious pairing with the brie was a Framboise. As some of the guests cleared the table and washed and dried dishes, a few of us ventured out back to put the mussels on the cooker! 12 pounds of mussels cooked in a rich buttery saute of garlic, shallot and thyme, and then 2 bottles of home brewed geueze. Served with crusty bread to sop up the juice, these were amazing! We could have eaten another 12 pounds! By this time the formal beer pairing had evolved into grab a bottle and open and see what it tastes like! Many tripels were to be had this evening! The salad course followed with a delightful salad of mixed greens and walnuts with a homemade raspberry vinagrette. Needless to say, the beer of choice here was the Framboise again! A short recess was called on the food, but not on the beer, as the Waterzooi was finished. This traditional creamy-rich soup was filled with various pieces of fish, shrimp and mussels! Even the kids called for more! More crusty bread allowed us to sop up every last bit! As all of this was being consumed, the aroma of roasted Cornish game hens filled the kitchen and dining area. When we were ready for the main course I made a sauce from the pan drippings as the birds rested. Into the pan drippings went a bottle of New Belgium Trippel to deglaze the pan. Once strained into a sauce pan, I added a stick of butter some corn starch for thickening and at the finish some pearl onions and mandarin orange slices. You couldn't ask for a better presentation! The sauce ladled on to the plate with a few pieces of orange and onions with the hen perched on top! The birds were served with mashed potatoes and leeks, and green beans almondine. By tihs time various bottles of beer were spaced on the table and you just grabbed what you wanted when your glass was empty! After another slight recess from the food, a cheese course was presented. Maytag Bleu, English Stilton, and a Danish Bleu along with a blend of goat cheese and ground coriander and black pepper served as a palate cleanser of sorts before dessert. Dessert consisted of a delicious raspberry mousse made by one of the "young adults" and my moist and rich bread pudding served with my creme Belgique: New Belgiums Abbey ale brought to a simmer, added some brown sugar and then several scoops of vanilla ice cream, all brought to a creamy consistency. MMMM! Cigars were the next item on the proposed agenda, but by this time we were all too stuffed and tired (it was 11:00pm) so we cleaned up the kitchen and savored the last few beers and called it a night! What a night it was! You would have enjoyed it! Some of the beers enjoyed were Chimay (all varieties), Rose De Gambrinus, Lindemans Framboise, "Mad Bitch", Hennepin and Ommegang, the New Belgium Abbey and Trippel, Unibroue 10, Orval, and a bunch of others that I'm having trouble remembering! Thought you'd appreciate this line up!

Here's a review I did of Waterzooi for our local beer club newsletter: I hit the road again last week (November 3-7)! Went back to Long Island, this time to Garden City, NY. In preparation for any of my trips I always try to plan in advance my extracurricular activities (read: beer excursions!). For this trip, that was easy! I consulted my handy New York Breweries book written by my friend Lew Bryson. I also chatted with Lew online to get some clarification and the latest updates on where to find good beer in New York. Check out Lew’s website at: www.lewbryson.com I have been to Garden City before so I knew of at least one place that I HAD to visit: Waterzooi Belgian Bistro! This place has a nine-page BELGIAN BEER MENU! They also have a Monday night beer dinner. Three courses of delicious and attractively prepared food, paired with Belgian beers. What a way to start off my trip! Waterzooi is located in a strip of shops off Franklin Avenue in the quaint downtown area of the village of Garden City. Entering the long, narrow bistro from the parking lot entrance you first pass through the bar area. The restaurant and bar areas are divided by a glass block wall. Though smooth jazz plays in the background, the subdued lighting and low, arched ceilings provide a sense that you are entering a monastery. Arched entries and the minimalist décor of decorative stained glass and framed mirrors complete the allusion. I arrived around 6:00pm and the place was not yet crowded. However, after 7:00pm the restaurant became full, though not overly crowded or noisy. In contrast to the tome that is the beer menu, the food menu is contained on a single 11x14 sheet of paper. From the appetizers to the salads to the main courses, the menu looked wonderful! Of course, a Belgian restaurant must offer Moules and Frites and Waterzooi is no exception. Mussels prepared a dozen different ways are served with Belgian-style fries and home-made mayonnaise. Another time, perhaps, for I was there for the Beer Dinner! The specially prepared beer dinner is offered every Monday night and is equally enticing as the regular menu. First course was carmelized beef short rib on top of wild mushroom risotto, surrounded by a gingered carrot sauce. Paired with Corsendonk Brown. Very delicious indeed! The main course consisted of flame seared Halibut atop a nest of roasted garlic spinach, atop a bed of truffle mashed potatoes, surrounded by a caper butter sauce. On top of the fish was a dollop of chopped tomatoes and basil. Served with Pavel Kwak. The dish was presented well, and tasted very good, especially the fish and the spinach, but there was just too much going on! Too many competing spices and flavors, and the basil in the tomato in this dish really didn't do anything for me. Also the potatoes were kind of soupy from the sauces. In this case, I think it was personal preference that was the problem and not anything the chef did, so I ate and didn't feel the need to report it. Dessert was somewhat dissappointing. A strawberry and kiwi fruit tart that was on the crusty side, kind of dry, and a scoop of blueberry sorbet, which was rather good by itself. I told the waiter I would have much preferred the always delicious bread pudding. The dessert was paired with Lindemans Peche, which is also not one of my most favorites. Since I have been to Waterzooi before and had a wonderfully satisfying experience, my expectations were high for this visit. The food was still good, though not as good as on previous visits, and the beers were also good, but not as imaginative or creative in their paring with the food. But I think I got my moneys worth! All of that for $35 plus tax and tip. I would definitely do it again. The service at Waterzooi is always first class and prompt. If you want a semi-elegant dinner, paired with a great selection of Belgian beers, Waterzooi is the place to go! In addition to the beer, Waterzooi also has an extensive wine list and offers small batch vodkas, single malt scotch, and martinis. Something for everyone!

If you are in to Belgian Beers, go to Waterzooi in Garden City. Every Monday night they have a beer dinner, 3 courses, each paired with a different Belgain beer. Or, if you'd prefer something less formal, just grab their 9 page beer menu and go to town! Waterzooi is a very nice place to eat and drink.

LLOYD!! Next time I visit N. VA, and if you want to buy me beer (like you always do!), Guess what kind I want!? You got it! That Bourbon Stout is the reason I stop into OD! Well, that and the Tuppers Pils, and the pale ale on hand pump and the...wel, you get the idea! Good to see you here! Bob R in OKC

Though not all are considered Winter Beers, the following tasting notes were prepared last week while imbibing some of the best beers I've tasted in a while. My friend from Alaska did bring me some of the famous Alaskan Smoked Porter! Talk about a winter warmer! Here are the notes (Smoked Porter not included): Tasting Notes December 4, 2003 In attendance: Pete Devaris, Bob Rescinito, Steve Law, Tim Nagode, Mike Groshong and his friend John ? Pete, who conducted the tasting at Bob’s house, provided most of the beers. The beers were carted to OKC from Anchorage, Alaska! 1. Pete’s Belgian Christmas Ale (homebrew) - Hints of cardamom, coriander and EKG hops, along with a lactic, citrusy aroma. Flavor was sweet yet surprisingly dry! Well-balanced with hints of orange and a soft alcohol bite. Trappist-like, Saison-like. Very enjoyable beer to start the evening! Good job, Pete! 2. Delirium Noel – Fruity, Munich malt character in the nose, rather light bodied. Candi sugar / caramel expresses itself in the flavor all the way to the finish. Rum notes. Hints of hot alcohol. Good, not great. 3. Oud Beersel Gueuze Vielle – All the requisite lambic aromas! Horsy, lactic nose with hints of pears. The flavor is nutty, peach pit-like, well-balanced, with a very dry finish and a salty edge. Very nice beer and palate cleanser for things to come! 4. Pete’s Cassis Lambic - Big Time FUNKY!! Horse blanket, hay, fruity, goat cheese, pine-like aromas all competing for attention! Exceptionally dry with a juniper-like bite from the cassis with hints of citrus/tangerine/pineapple. Spritzy! Excellent, nicely crafted, well-aged beer, Pete! Would have been the hit of night had it not been for the DEUS! 5. N’ice Chouffe (1996) – Oxidized, cardboard, wet newspaper aromas, but not as bad as in previous samplings of this beer. Some fruity and malty aromas and flavors, but still somewhat oxidized and lacked carbonation. 6. DEUS!! - The name says it all! This beer is god-like! Divine! A well-orchestrated symphony of aromas escapes from the rising white head and tickles the nose. Star anise! Lavender! Baked apples! Champagne-like in its carbonation, the beer climbs up the flute and doesn’t want to be confined to the glass. It begs you to drink it! But the aroma is, well, DIVINE! You just want to keep smelling it! The crystal clear, sparkling golden color adds to the beauty of this beer. All the aromas show up in the flavor along with a perfumey, licorice spiciness and the cinnamon/apple, persimmon, clover flavors all dancing on the tongue! All married together in this well-balanced, exceptional beer! Divine! Amen! 7. Terrible - Plum-like, Trappist nose with hints of chocolate malt, and a sassaphras/root beer-like aroma and flavor, notes of blackstrap molasses. Very angular flavors, not well-balanced. Some fruit cake and rum flavors lead to a hot alcohol finish. Didn’t quite live up to its name, but close. Not the best beer of the night. Could it be because it followed the Deus!? 8. Gouden Carolus Noel - Banana esters in the nose and flavor, followed by a huge malt component. A lot of alcohol in the aroma and flavor. Flavors included dark fruits, raisins, plums, sweet, with hints of bourbon and licorice, finishes with a carbonic bite. 9. Delirium Nocturnum - Highly carbonated, with a thin, light body. Some raisin and plum flavors with hints of chocolate. A mediocre dark Belgian, good, but not great. 10. Old Foghorn - They should call this Old Reliable! The usual: caramel, malt, hops. Big flavors in a small bottle. Refreshing barleywine. Comfort beer? 11. Lee’s Harvest Ale (1997) – This beer has body in the nose!! Smells like caramel covered toasted marshmallows! Put it on pancakes!? Toffee, loads of caramel, raisins, plums, dark fruit, malt all meld nicely together, finishing with an alcohol flourish. This beer was awesome! 12. Thomas Hardy’s (1975) - Yep, that’s right, 1975! Pete dusted off a few vintage bottles for us to try. PFFST on opening, always a good sign! Beautiful tawny, copper color. The aroma is malty, with hints of smoke, wine and bitter chocolate. Smells like the bottom of a well-used barrel. Salty, leather, tobacco flavors merge with licorice and caramelized raisins. The smoke turns to bacon-like flavors. It moves like mercury in the snifter. The flavors are almost maduro cigar-like. This is a well-worn boot; it fits and feels so good! Outstanding beer!! 13. Thomas Hardy’s (1974) – Another from Pete’s collection! It’s cloudy, almost chunky in appearance. Raisins and plums are prevalent in the aroma, followed by a hint of smokiness and some alcohol in the nose. Some lactic, vinous components in the flavor hit first, followed by the same leather and tobacco as in the ’75 version. This one finishes quicker, with some tartness balanced by a candi sugar sweetness that merges into a dry finish. Exceptional! What a wonderful evening! And what a variety of exquisite beers we sampled! The clear favorite of all tasters was the Deus, followed very closely by the pair of Thomas Hardy’s. Also receiving high praise was Pete’s Cassis Lambic. Thanks, Pete, for sharing! Let’s do it again some time!

Weighing in late: Count me as a fan of the Van Winkle 12 year old, also the Elijah Craig, Buffalo Trace, Makers Mark, and I LOVE the Sazerac Rye. Bob R in OKC