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From snowy Milwaukee: it’s beginning to look a lot like Thrift-mas, because everywhere I go…people are planning to save money on presents or make homemade goodies for gifts. With that in mind, here are recipes & quick gifts to share for the holidays. IPA PICKLED VEGGIES So, if you think “sour” is the new “hoppy,” why not bring these flavors together in these mouth-puckering refrigerator pickles? I like curried cauliflower pickles, but you can also make this recipe with carrots, onions, green beans….just be sure to keep chilled until ready to serve, and enjoy within two weeks. Start with 2 heads steamed cauliflower, cut into chunky florets (2-3 bites per piece), and dusted with salt. Make a pickling brine base by mixing 2 parts white vinegar, with 1 part pale ale, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon each red chile flakes, brown mustard seeds, ground turmeric,and 2 (or more) tablespoons minced garlic. (The measurements are expressed as a ratio because the brine needs to be sufficient to cover the cauliflower completely – adjust seasonings to taste.) Bring mixture to a boil and pour over cauliflower florets packed in a large glass bowl, cover and chill. Refrigerate overnight or longer for best flavor. Pack into sterile glass jars with brine to cover, seal tightly, and keep refrigerated – best to consume within 2 weeks. GINGER ALE BARS Holiday spice beers work wonderfully in these dessert bars, enhanced with crystallized ginger. Last year, the Sugar Maple hosted a beer and cookie exchange party, replete with pints, good cheer and the best Holiday Sweater contest – the battery-lit option won. 1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 /4 teaspoon baking powder
1 /4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons minced candied ginger
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins, soaked 1hour in spiced holiday beer of your choice Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons spiced holiday beer of your choice
1 teaspoon ginger liqueur or brandy Method 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x 13 inch baking dish. Place raisins in a shallow bowl and add four ounces holiday beer (or more) to cover. Let raisins soak at least one hour to absorb beer.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Stir in the molasses and honey. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt cinnamon, allspice and ginger; add to the creamed mixture in thirds, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until just blended, and last, stir in the minced candied ginger and drained raisins.
3. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Test with a toothpick for doneness, and remove to a wire cooling rack.
4. Mix the confectioners' sugar together with the beer and brandy. Drizzle over the spice bars while they are still warm, and let cool before cutting. Yields 12-18 bars. BREW B QUE SAUCE GIFT Encourage the art of outdoor cooking with a package of home-blended spice rub, tied with a ribbon to the neck of a bottle of a favorite craft beer. Randy Mosher, homebrewer extraordinaire and author of the best-selling book, TASTING BEER, shares his recipe for spice rub. Makes a big batch to share! 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1/2 cup whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 cup dried ancho chiles
1/2 cup dried guajillo chiles
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons plain cocoa powder
2 tablespoons coriander seed
1/ 4 cup garlic powder
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 /4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup onion powder
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
1 teaspoon dried thyme Grind all non-powdered ingredients with a spice mill or coffee bean grinder and blend together with powdered ingredients. Makes just over 4 cups spice blend. Use as the base for barbecue sauce or brine. DRESSING UP BEER WITH OLIO NUOVO ORGANIC Essential to mixing craft beer into a salad dressing, sauce or marinade is a fresh-tasting oil to emulsify spices and seasonings. The McEvoy Ranch’s highly anticipated Olio Nuovo – the first oil of the season – is now through February 2011 online at mcevoyranch.com. Vibrant green color, rich consistency, striking aromatic nose, and intense, full-bodied flavor can stand up to virtually any craft beer style. The smooth-textured 2010 Olio Nuovo has aromas of parsley, cut grass and fresh basil and flavors of artichoke and green olives, with a long, distinctly peppery finish. THE OTHER LIQUID MALT WE LOVE….DRINKS BY THE DRAM
Yes, we love the taste of malt in its distilled deliciousness. Now, a mail-order company from the UK offers “Drinks by the Dram,” a sampling of wee jars of lovely single malt and blended whiskies. The Master of Malt features selections such as 12 Year Old Lowland whisky, Greenore 15 Year Old, Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Madeira Cask Finish, Edradour 1998 Sassicaia, and other specialties hard to find in the USA. Fireside sampling can continue all winter long, so consider presenting this gift with a tiny bottle of favorite whisky, and a postcard that promises the Whisky Gift (http://www.masterofmalt.com/whisky-gift-ideas/) of their choice. FOR THE BEER BOOK LOVER…. Several fantastic books for beer lovers make excellent holiday gifts, including the aforementioned TASTING BEER: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink (Storey Publishing LLC, $14.95) which is the authoritative guide for Beer Cicerones, as well as fans of Randy Mosher’s exuberant expertise in brewing and cuisine. "Great American  Craft Beer" by Andy Crouch, one of my favorite beer writers, which is entertaining (and curmudgeonly humorous) in tone, reviews more than 60 styles of beer, documented with exemplary brands within each style. Yet the reviews are more explanatory and discursive, not just a simple rating on a hedonic scale. Crouch writes about the history of beer, trends in beer styles, beer and food pairings, and more. “Great American Craft Beer” retails for $22.95 in hardcover (Running Press). The best cookbook about beer is from chef Brian Morin of Toronto’s beerbistro, co-authored by Stephen Beaumont: the beerbistro cookbook, (Key Porter Books) offers glorious color photos to inspire cooking and pairing with craft beer and imports. The beer style pairings are categorized by mood, and the recipes are good for someone with a bit of cooking experience and a reasonably well-equipped kitchen. Restaurant favorite recipes such as mussels baked in ale and lobster quesadillas yield delicious results. About $25 on amazon.com. FOR THE BEER TRAVELER:
Sherwood Forest Bed & Breakfast in Saugatuck, Michigan offers a very similar package called the “Bed and Breakfast and Brewery” package which includes a 2 night stay, access to Saugatuck Brewing Company’s brewing facility where you will receive recipes to brew your own beer with a skilled brewer. In two weeks, your beer will be ready for you to take home and personally labeled. For more inns participating in the package, visit saugatuckbrewing.com. Forty Putney Road Bed & Breakfast in Brattleboro, VT, hosts a pub night at their inn where guests can learn about various beers at the weekly beer tasting, which includes light appetizers. Or guests can hang at the inn and taste different beers from around the world. The inn also offers a “good sports package,” that includes 6 local microbrewed beers, plate of meat and cheeses and souvenir pint glass. And as a festive stocking stuffer, consider making a coupon/card good for tickets for two to a favorite regional beer festival. From the Wisconsin Brewers Guild WiBL Tasting on February 19, 2010, in Madison, WI, to the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival on February 26, 2011, to Portland’s Spring Beer Festival, there are dozens of beer festivals to be found in every state. It’s a gift that promises fun (but can be paid for later!)  Make it a happy and healthy Thriftmas – don’t forget the gift of beer! Pick up a mixed holiday six pack. New this year, Lakefront Brewery now offers a stylish four-pack of their special releases, in 22 oz. bottles ideal for dinner at home or as hostess gift. It includes Bridge Burner Special Reserve, Local Acre (wet hop ale), Rendezvous (Belgian-style ale) and Fixed Gear (red ale). The package was designed by Boelter + Lincoln, a Milwaukee ad agency that has designed a number of brew logos and labels for Lakefront.
Cheers & Happy New Year from the beercook!
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