Malty Maple Cornbread

Just like scones, no two cornbread recipes are alike. I made this flavour of cornbread from the Beer cookbook. It had a sweet malty flavour and the texture was buttery, moist and yet crumbly. The only addition I made was placing grated cheese on top before the bread went into the oven to bake. When baked the cornbread had the perfect bubbly cheesy crust on top. You don't have to add cheese however cheese, porter, and maple syrup need I say more! 

Malty Maple Cornbread

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makes 9 servings

1 cup coarse ground cornmeal

1 cup dark ale or porter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 large eggs

1/4 melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease 9x9-inch pan. Combine cornmeal, porter and maple syrup in a small bowl.

2. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add cornmeal mixture, eggs and melted butter. Stir until well blended.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into squares. 

Notes: I slightly greased the pan and then lined the pan with baking parchment. I used porter not a dark ale so the flavour was a bit more robust. Second slices were had however there were leftovers and after a few days the flavour did not mellow it seemed to intensify. 

The sun has retreated today. Overcast skies and a chill is in the air. Winter will soon be here. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD  

Cooking with Beer

This is a kitschy cookbook that makes me think of Homer Simpson... I wonder why? The recipes are straightforward which look and sound quite edible and may be enjoyed anytime of the year providing one has beer on hand. This book covers everything from appetizers, meat (beef, lamb, pork and poultry), seafood, sides and soups. It is 47 pages and comes with a metric conversion chart. Some recipes to note are the Malty Maple Cornbread, Polenta Triangles with Amber Ale, Cheddar Leek Strata, and the Wisconsin Edam and Beer Spread. What more can be said about such a cookbook that is presented in such a way. 

Beer Cheese Dip

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Makes about 3 cups

2 cups grated (shredded) Cheddar cheese

2 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley the Original Ranch© Salad Dressing & Seasoning mix 

1/2 to 3/4 cup beer

Chopped green onion

Additional Cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, combine Cheddar cheese, cream cheese and salad dressing & seasoning mix. Gradually stir in beer until mixture is to desired consistency. Garnish with green onion and additional Cheddar cheese. Serve with pretzels or assorted fresh vegetables, if desired.

Notes: I have looked around E-town for the Hidden Valley Ranch Salad dressing and seasoning mix and have discovered none. I chalk it up to being an American product. Therefore a substitution of something comparable will have to be used. 

Vegetable-Barley Pilaf

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Makes 4 servings

3/4 cup chopped onions

3/4 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup beer

3/4 cup sliced yellow summer squash

1/2 cup quick cooking barley

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray or oil. Add onion, celery and mushrooms; cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in beer, squash, barley, carrots, parsley, basil, bouillon granules and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until barley and vegetables are tender. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Serving up a slice of Guinness bread and a bowl of Beef Cider Stew with a pint of Guinness at our house for St.Patrick's Day. I already posted the recipe for the bread. The recipe for the stew I will post later. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Weekend Dinner

Saturday night I made baked/jacket potatoes topped with season diced chicken smothered in a cheesy beer sauce. Pure comfort made simple. 

Make your bake/jacket potatoes how you normal do. While the potatoes are baking you can cook and season two chicken breasts in a pan. Dice when finished cooking. Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Take the potatoes and cut them length wise, making sure not the cut all the way through. Open the potatoes and place them in a row. Top with the seasoned chicken. 

In a sauce pan add a good pat of butter and let it melt. When the butter has melted add about a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce. Add about 2 teaspoons of mustard. Then add about 8 teaspoons plus one for the pot of Guinness. Stir to combined. Add about 160 grams of extra strong old cheese. Letting the cheese melt. While this is happening turn the oven on to broil. Once the cheese has melted and bubbling and the sauce has thickened, pour it over the chicken and potatoes. Then place in the oven under the broil until the sauce is bubbling, things are getting crisp and there is a slight browning of the potatoes and chicken. Ensuring the sauce is still a bit runny. Serve immediately. 

This recipe is for 4 potatoes so adjust your sauce measurements according to the number of potatoes you are making. - JW  

CT Fine Bistro Beer Night

Last night I attended CT Fine Bistro's Beer Night. I am more of a wine drinker and yes they do Wine Nights as well. I thought why not expand my palette. CT's warm atmosphere and European flair made this a most memorable and entertaining night. Live jazz music was provided by Alberta Trio and a representative from Mill St. Micro Brewery was on hand to talk about each selected lager and ale for the evening. My favourites were the Original Organic Lager and the Lemon Tea Beer. The Tankhouse Ale had an aromatic flavour and was paired with the Beef Tatar. The Belgian Wit I don't quite remember so the flavour could have been more subtle. Or the fact that it was paired with the Dill Pickle Soup could have been the reason. The Coffee Porter was the least of my favourites. It looked a lot like Guinness and had that rich texture but I found the coffee flavour very robust. It seemed to overpowered this beverage therefore I couldn't see drinking much of it. I have featured a few photos for your sampling but recommend making a reservation, click here, at CT Fine Bistro for either their Beer Night or Wine Night or any night! - JW

Lemon Tea Beer

by Mill St. Micro Brewery

was served with the main coarse of

Chicken, Shrimp and William Potatoes

the menu for the evening was as follows:

Coffee Porter

by Mill St. Micro Brewery

was served with dessert

a Raspberry Mousse Torte