Posts tagged ‘beer’

June 7, 2011

Big Sky Cafe

by Amanda

Thank you for your well wishes and words of encouragement on my post-grad plans post! I’m very excited about the years ahead of me, and I can’t wait to rejoin the residents of St. Louis. Perhaps now is a good time to finally post one of the meals I had when I was recently in St. Louis prepping for my transition.

Most nights, my job in the family is to pick out what we’re going to eat for dinner. I’m not complaining. This also puts me in charge of finding restaurants when we’re in the mood to eat out. I’m still not complaining.

I have a long list of places I still want to try in St. Louis, but my parents’ tastes are very particular. They love classic meat and potatoes food done well, and that list of restaurants is a little bit shorter. When I found Big Sky Cafe, I knew I had a winner. I ignored the many Yelpers that declared this a great place to take a date.

I was excited to see an outdoor patio, even though the weather wasn’t going to let us eat outside that night. Dining outside may be one of my favorite things to do.

I was also excited to find Moose Drool from Big Sky Brewing Company on their menu, a beer that I have been trying to track down for months. It was quite smooth with a strong caramel and nuttiness taste to it.

Big Sky’s menu offers “revitalized American favorites.” It’s basically upscale comfort food in an unassuming environment.

I ordered the Rosemary & Red Wine Braised Pot Roast–naturally raised Angel Acres grass-fed chuck roast slowly braised with red wine, rosemary, carrots, onions and celery, served on garlic mashed potatoes.

Sign you know it was too cold to eat outside: I ordered pot roast. Winter comfort food at its finest. Don’t you love when restaurants have longer descriptions of their menu items? I’m a huge fan of local food and whatnot, but now when I’m dining out, I can’t help but think of the hilarious clip from Portlandia where a couple asks where the restaurant got their chicken.

My dad and mom both ordered burgers. My dad’s choice was a blue cheese burger while my mom went for one of their specials, a Bloody Mary burger.

They both like their meals. All in all, I’m happy to have found Big Sky Cafe, and I’m sure I will be visiting it again. There are many things on the menu I want to try, and I need to come back and dine on that patio…instead of at the table next to the window closest to it.

So close, but so far away…

What do you think about dining out? Is it fun and does it make you feel French (ignore the fact that I’ve never been to France) or do you hate dealing with the sun making you sweat, wind blowing your napkins or bugs buzzing in your ear? I know, I make it sound really appealing, don’t I? 

February 27, 2011

The States of Craft Beer

by Amanda

I’ve professed my love for craft beers already. But when I saw this graphic GOOD magazine put together featuring the most popular craft beers in each state, I had to share. You all know how much I like maps of the United States. To those of you who have never had a craft beer, seek out the winning beer in your state and start there. To those of you who think you don’t like beer, seek out the winning beer in your state and reassess.

craftbeer

[Click to enlarge.]

Did you know that Americans prefers beer as their alcoholic beverage? The rest of the world likes spirits the most. They don’t know what they’re missing.

Have you tried your state’s craft beer? Did the GOOD readers correctly pick “the most awesome, best-tasting, sustainably brewed, independently owned, community-oriented craft beer brewed in your state?”

February 3, 2011

A Brewing Question for You

by Amanda

I’ve never been a huge juice drinker. Growing up, I didn’t enjoy drinking my glass of milk with dinner. I normally saved it until the end, and that’s what I was told I had to finish before I got ice cream for dessert (apparently I didn’t mind dairy in dessert form). And after an epic two-year battle, I’ve overcome my addiction to soda.

But I love coffee. And I love beer.

coffeebeer

Yes, I am hugging the beer.

Some of my favorite coffee companies include:

Some of my favorite microbreweries include:

For some unknown reason, I always put my love for supporting small coffee companies in the same category as my love for trying craft beers. Maybe it’s because the two are acquired tastes? Quintessential American beverages? To some degree, adult beverages? I can’t quite figure out the connection, but Starbucks also seems to think there is one since they starting selling both in some of their stores last year.

It’s a strange thing to want to figure out, I know, but it’s actually my assignment for mygasp–last undergraduate journalism piece. So, if you wouldn’t mind, please share your opinion in the comments section. Are you a coffee and beer drinker? Or do you just like one kind of brew? Is there a connection or is the coupling of these two drinks as greatly exaggerated as Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock’s recent love story? Let me know your thoughts below.

Also, feel free to mention some of your favorite beers and coffees. Let’s toast to the good stuff!

January 1, 2011

Beer-Cheese Bread

by Amanda

You know those recipes that have some kind of alcohol as an ingredient, but once cooked/baked/prepared you can’t taste any trace of it? This is not one of those recipes. This bread tastes like beer.

Which means it tastes good, obviously. It’s also super simple and doesn’t require yeast as an ingredient.

Beer-Cheese Bread

from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

1  tablespoon  olive oil

1/2  cup  finely chopped yellow onion

1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

1  garlic clove, minced

13.5  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)

3  tablespoons  sugar

2  teaspoons  baking powder

1  teaspoon  salt

1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1  (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (such as Budweiser)

Cooking spray

2  tablespoons  melted butter, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

I know I really need to learn how to make bread with yeast, but perhaps I’ll just let beer do the work for me a little bit longer. I’m sure no one will mind beer-flavored cinnamon rolls…

Do you like baking with alcohol? I once made a Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Praline Frosting for my mom’s birthday. It was delicious and so fun to make.

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