Cooking with Beer!

Is it the weather? I don't know.

After recovering from being ill for a week I started to supplement my evening meal with a small glass of porter, a conceit from my current obsession with the early 19th century. Apparently, in addition to being a tasty beverage, porter was prescribed as a physic to people recovering from ailments, as it is generally high in vitamins (for a beer) and also has an abundance of calories. Well, after purchasing a delicious artisan brew of 22oz. and drinking only 8oz., what was I supposed to do with the rest?! I let it sit in the fridge for two days before hitting on the idea of adding it to a beef chili I was making.

Brilliant!
It added a certain sweet richness that enhanced the stew and paired well with the ubiquitous cinnamon and cumin I add to all my chili "recipes" (ie. potions)

A few days later, I used the remaining 8ish oz. to marinate a pork roast that needed to be cooked. After browning the pork and placing it in the crock pot on low, I sauteed leeks, fresh garlic and ginger, and added all with the porter and a little tamari to the pot. Eight hours later--hey presto! A scrumptious and uniquely flavored slow roasted pork loin.

Tonight:
A recipe I have not tried but wanted to for ages. Chocolate Calypso Beans. Magic ingredient (besides the chocolate, of course)? BEER! The verdict is not in yet, as the beans are still simmering, but it smells amazing and there was about 4 oz. of beer that couldn't be used in the recipe! Yum!

--OK, the verdict is ridiculously delicious! Sweet and smooth, with a pleasant burn in the ears. How I wish I had tortillas right now!

Quinoa and Pomegranates

Our new super easy dinner!

Make quinoa with some broth, veggie or chicken

Dry roast cumin and coriander seed, then grind;
or just have ground cumin and coriander on hand

Saute diced onion and garlic in olive oil

Add cooked (or canned) garbanzo beans and spices, then continue to heat

Take everything off the heat and add pomegranate seeds and quinoa; mix, mix

Shape with ramekins and sprinkle more pom seeds on top!

Oh! And I guess I should credit Martha Rose Shulman whose recipe was published in the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/health/nutrition/07recipehealth.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=quinoa%20pomegranate&st=cse

More H.M.R.N. + food!

Plantain chips

Jim has a cookbook published in 1970 called The Cooking of the Caribbean Islands by Linda Wolfe, that has some amazing photos, stories and classic recipes. For example, included in the section about breadfruit is the lesser known reason for the mutiny on the H.M.S. Bounty of Captain Bligh fame. It seems that his mission in 1787 was to transport breadfruit saplings to Jamaica, and in his zealotry he denied his sailors water in order to water the precious trees. So, *splash!* goes the Capitan!

Actually, Bligh seems to have been a decent captain, with little in the way of the cruelty that he supposedly exercised: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bligh

Jim and I have been peeling the almost ripe plantains and slicing them into 1/4" rounds and lightly sauteeing them in a generous amount of olive oil. Not traditional, I know, but awesome with guacamole or simple fresh avocado mashed with a little salt. They are best when they are hot!

Here is Linda Wolfe's recipe:

Banane Pese
Twice-Fried Plantain Slices

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 medium-sized green plantains, peeled, and cut into 1/2" slices

In a heavy 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add as many plantain slices as you can without crowding the pan, and brown them for about 2 minutes on each side. As they brown, transfer the to paper towels to drain. On a board, using an unslotted spatula, press each slice into a flat round about 1/4" thich and 2 inches in diameter. Heat the oil and fry the rounds again for about 1 minute on each side. Drain and serve.


So we don't double fry or smash them, and they turn out chewier and heartier. I have also seen them sliced lengthwise which is great for reaching over other people for the guac!