Love & Craft Beer

Love & Craft Beer: Brouwerij West

Love & Craft Beer

The brewing process is an art that can capture the ebb and flow of the seasons; express the whimsy of the brewmaster; communicate the vibrant essence of its natural ingredients. It is, at its core, a love potion.

Whether pale, amber, copper, brown, or even purple haze in color. With wild aromas and flavors ranging from that of bread, to fruit, spice, flowers, citrus, caramel, nuts, and beyond. A well-crafted beer is way more than a simple combination of malt, hops, and yeast – it is a magical elixir.

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Rhône Blend White Wines are a Dream to Pair with Foods

Fried Goat Cheese, Butter Lettuce Cups, Green Apple, Almonds, Sweet Meyer Lemon Cream

Fried Goat Cheese
Butter Lettuce, Green Apple, Almond, Borage
Sweet Meyer Lemon Cream with Cardamom

paired with

Le Cigar Blanc 2012
Bonny Doon Vineyard
Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, California

for

Grocery Outlet’s
Spring Wine Sale

Rhône Blend white wines are a dream to pair with foods. Who can resist the tempting flavors of peaches, apricots, ripe pears, sweet spices and honey, or the seductive aromas of honeysuckle and tropical fruits? White wines from France’s Rhône tend to have these characteristics. Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, and to a lesser extent Picpoul Blanc – are the dominant varietals in the region. Many of the wines tend toward a creaminess that is rich but not heavy, with a refreshing acidity, and a pleasing minerality and nuttiness.

California Winemaker Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyards has been a tireless champion of the grapes of the Rhône for decades. It is difficult to resist his stylish wines as well as his quirky sense of humor. This wine, Le Cigare Blanc (The White Cigar) is named after his flagship, Le Cigar Volant (The Flying Cigar), so-called in honor of the cigar-shaped flying saucer banned by decree of the village council of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It’s a true story,  in 1954 the mayor and the council voted to ban alien craft from the airspace of their hamlet in order to protect their precious crops.

The 2012 vintage of Le Cigar Blanc is made of 48% Grenache Blanc, 44% Roussanne, and 8% Picpoul Blanc. The Grenache Blanc adds notes of green apple and lemon-lime citrus. The Roussanne brings honeyed notes with a rich mouthfeel and nutty aromas. These characteristics are highlighted and elevated by this salad’s rich goat cheese, sweet/tart meyer lemon cream with a hint of warm cardamom spice, allumettes of green apple, and lightly toasted almonds. Soft butter lettuce, creamy cheese with a toasty panko breadcrumb crust, and crisp Granny Smiths add contrasting textures.

This goat cheese salad and Rhône blend make a quite dreamy pair.

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Food & Wine Pairing: Ahi and Pinot Noir

Food & Wine Pairing: Ahi and Pinot Noir

Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna
Lavender-Scented Soy Butter Sauce with Thyme
Lentil Pomegranate Arugula Salad

paired with

Paraiso Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands 2011

for

Grocery Outlet’s
Spring Wine Sale

The culinary confluence of the first days of Spring in my garden, the mind-boggling wine sale at Grocery Outlet, and irresistible fillets of fresh ahi tuna from my favorite fishmonger – all meld together into a beautiful synergistic seasonal main course.

Pinot Noir is eminently food friendly due to the elegant balance of fruit, acidity, and light tannins. Fruitier versions make a great match with salmon and tuna. Black cherry, pomegranate, and cranberry flavors with hints of spice, smoke, and toasty oak in Paraiso Pinot Noir pair beautifully with fresh-caught yellowfin tuna.

The marriage is a mutually advantageous conjunction revealing deeper layers of flavor for both the dish and the wine. Earthy lentils and peppery arugula reflect those same flavors in the wine. Pomegranate arils mirror those fruit flavors, adding a touch of fruitiness without being too sweet. In the sauce – soy brings salty and umami flavors while butter adds nutty flavor and unctuous mouth-feel. The well-loved fragrance of lavender adds more than a just a scent but also an unexpected burst of flavor that heightens the wine profile. Thyme and black pepper elevate the underlying nuances of this Pinot Noir. The dish is a relaxed, natural presentation of a pristine fillet of fish paired with a delightful bottle of wine, all in the celebration of Springtime.

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Lemon Meringue Pi Day

lemon meringue pie painting by Lori Lynn

Lemon Meringue Pi Day

March 14th. If you are both a math nerd and a foodie, like me, this is an especially fun day where math meets pie!

π = 3.14

Pi, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, is an infinite irrational number that never repeats… ever… so eventually you can find your own phone number, birthday, anniversary, and any numerical significance in pi, that’s cool.

To celebrate this Pi Day, I am not baking an apple pie, nor a pizza pie, nor egg pie or quiche!

I am painting pie! Lemon Meringue. Acrylic on canvas.

My virtual lemon meringue pie pan has a diameter of  9 1/2 inches. What is the circumference you ask?

That is where my handy little mysterious irrational number comes in. The circumference is the diameter multiplied by pi.

C = dπ

9.5 X 3.141592653 = 29.845130209

So approximately 30″ around. Awesome. Thanks π!

Happy Pi Day, Everyone!

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Appetizer, Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Appetizer, Hawaiian BBQ Sauce Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Appetizer
Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

Aloha! Here is a nifty little appetizer to serve at a Hawaiian wedding shower, or any party with a tropical theme. It is simple to prep with just three ingredients – fresh pineapple, bacon, and brown sugar.

When asked to bring an appetizer to a party, anything wrapped bacon is sure to be a hit. Smoky bacon paired with tropical sweet-tart pineapple is a winning combination, guaranteeing this appetizer will be the first one to disappear.

Store-bought Hawaiian BBQ Sauce served on the side as a dip adds another smoky-sweet layer, enhancing the ripe pineapple and the umami bacon flavors. Arrive at the party, and just reheat your appetizer in a toaster oven then add it to the buffet. You will hear mahalo until the last tasty morsel is gone.

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Appetizer Recipe

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