Cheese, glorious cheese!

So you already know that I have bragging rights for being the Tillamook Fan of the month in May. Last night it was essentially confirmed by the ladies at Tillamook that I am indeed, a superfan. Don't scare though, as they also confirmed that I don't seem at all stalkery. HA! Little do they know.....

 Firestone Double Barrel Ale was a toasty pairing for tomato soup shots and ham & cheese biscuits. This is most certainly a beer I can drink more of!

Last night I tried the Garlic Chili Cheddar for what I thought was the first time. However, looking back at the post for last years awesome Tillamook event at American Grilled Cheese Kitchen I see it was there and for some reason didn't register. I can promise you that is no longer the case.

I see really great things for the Garlic Chili Cheddar in my future! see? Superfan!

Last night Heidi introduced us to her version of grilled mac & cheese sandwich. It is the ultimate in decadent carbing and not for the faint of heart. Mac & Cheese sandwiched with cheddar on one side and pepper jack on the other and then grilled to perfection. If you do not fear the carb, definitely check it out! PS: DON'T FEAR THE CARB!

And don't miss the lovely Tillamook peeps when they come to do tastings in your town! Great cheese and really wonderful people. How can you lose?!

Chop Bar Brunch!

Brunch at Chop Bar is a fun and delicious experience. I went for the ham & cheese frittata...its huge and comes with potatoes fruit and mini toast. The ham is very flavorful and was the perfect pairing with my Michilada, a drink my soul mother would appreciate with gusto!




Althea was a huge bloody mary fan and would usually end up drinking mine to, as I would order one to see if I liked it and well, I usually never did. I really dig the Michilada which Jesse, one of the owners, made for me himself.
Jesse told me that this is a Mexican classic, and I can certainly see why. Bohemia Beer, fresh lime, spicy tomato juice, ice and salt. This drink will bring me back for brunch, you can be sure!

Chop Bar has a relaxed, cool atmosphere, though be warned, on the weekends they only serve brunch and dinner. They have a small, lovely little kitchen, but trying to turn over three menus in one day would be an amazing feat!



Frankly, I love Chop Bar, and the crew is awesome. If you want friendly, fun and easy going, make sure you visit!




Chop Bar
247 4th St #111, Oakland Ca
www.chopbar510.com

What I learned in my Beer pairing class

If you have a chance to take a beer pairing class, or attend a beer pairing dinner, I highly recommend it. The class was taught by Bruce Paton, aka the Beer Chef and Craig Wathen of City Beer Store.


So what did I learn?

Tasting beer:

*Involve the senses
*start with a 2 oz pour, hold to light, swirl to open and smell
*roll over the tongue
*what is the after taste?

Pairing:

*Taste
*think about the flavor, what would go best with it?
*compliment, contrast & cut (when the taste buds are assaulted)

I learned about barrel aging, craft brewing, smoked beer and session beer

I am excited to learn more about beer pairing and cooking with beer. Be on the lookout for more on beer as I discover new and fabulous brews!

Beer Pairing Class: Craig & Bruce

The beer pairing class I took has to be one of the most interesting classes I have ever had the chance to attend. I learned a lot, such s beer has essential vitamins in the yeast, the difference between session beer, Belgian style and barrel aging and all of the marvelous things you can make with beer.

Chef Bruce Paton and Craig Wathen of City Beer Store in SF were our guides through the world of beer. I am still a novice, so you can only imagine…I took two pages of notes! Since then, I had had the chance to try a few more really fantastic brews and I heartily recommend if you are in the Bay Area, you pop over to the Lake Chalet for the Regatta Red, the best red ale I have ever had the pleasure of trying.

Bruce Paton, aka the Beer Chef, has been serving up beer pairing dinners at the Cathedral Hill Restaurant since 1995. I personally cannot wait to attend one. He provided some nibbles to go with our beers.

The blonde Temptation ale, from the Russian River, was paired with gorgeous prawns & ginger scallion sauce. The ale itself was a crisp, lightly foamed sparkly delight with an unusual bouquet. I am planning in using this in a savory beer cheesecake. Yeah, you heard right!



For the Pliny the Elder, hoppy with a fruit bouquet, we had a deviled egg with scallion aioli & some Hawaiian sea salt. I could taste some spice in the beer, though I couldn’t quite decipher it. Clean and sharp, this is a good double IPA.



The Rogue Mocha Porter is pretty good, but since I first tried Rogue’s Chocolate Stout straight from a fresh keg, I am ruined forever! The Coffee bouquet goes well with the light chocolaty caramel flavor. This was paired with TCHO chocolate.




I highly recommend that you stop by City Beer Store and visit the Beer Chef for a tasting!

Seeking spirits that are Sustainable

In a world were resources are changing, as is our attitude towards them, I was intrigued to find that there are more alcohols being created from sustainable sources. I wanted to share that, so here we go!

www.veevlife.com is an Acai based spirit and $1 from the sale of each bottle goes to help the rainforest

www.orangev.com are distilled, premium American grains, flavored with Florida Oranges

www.rainvodka.com creates small batches of vodka made organic white corn

Bison Brewery, a Berkeley company, makes organic beer. Check it out!
http://bisonbrew.com/default.asp

www.buttecreek.com though the site is not up yet, keep your eye out for these organic brewers, also out of California