The Beer Dinner

This goes onto the list of favorites.

With this job I currently have, I've been privileged enough to be treated properly in certain aspects. Never in my younger daydreams did I think about being at a point where I would be flown to and fro for the purpose of learning about what ever my job may be.

I know it's pretty common for big corporations to write these expenses into their yearly budgets, to send those willing and able bodies to far off "Training Seminars", those ones that stand out, the ones that "want it" more then the drones that spend their hours getting themselves coffee instead of doing their (accumulated) 2 hours of actual work.

I know this happens in the normal lives of many. Salesmen going off to sales seminars to learn about what new vacuum or what new pre-made version of Salisbury Steak is available to sell to the local Denny's.

But, lately, I've been that guy.

And you know what's really cool about it?....I travel to taste........beer, and wine, and food.

This is the first beer pairing I've ever done, and I had a blast with it. It's one thing to pair food with wine, but to be honest with you, It might be easier and more gratifying to pair food with beer. I love beer. And, I have learned more about beer in the past two months then I've known for the past 31 years. I found myself in a bar that I've been in hundreds (hundreds) of times the other day and realizing that they sold something other than Heineken. Just saying, I know they always sold an ST (Standardized United States abbreviation for "Shit-Ton") of beers from all over the globe, but I never ventured into learning about them.

Now I do.

Here's the menu and the food from the other night.

First Course: Buffalo Style Sweetbreads, Celeriac Puree, Blue Cheese Consomme.

Served with Bell's Two Hearted Ale IPA . A big part of this dinner was to bring about familiar beer and food pairings, yet present them with unfamiliar aspects. A huge part of what made it fun for me. The pictures may not give the dishes justice, something I've had to accept and learn about myself is that, I am solely flavor driven, How it looks is an afterthought to me.....sometimes. I still eat with my eyes first. I've just accepted the fact that looks aren't everything. That's actually really hard to accept for me. This dish in particular, is a prime example. One of the servers for this dinner, was enjoying one of the extra dishes I put up for these dinners, until one of my line cooks asked her how she was enjoying the Pancreas?..........She almost threw up! She was enjoying it. Until she knew what it was.

I LOVE Sweetbreads! For what ever reason, when first tasting the Bell's, Sweetbreads popped into my head and I could not shake it. From what I heard, the customers enjoyed them with the familiar flavors of hot wings, it made an easier acceptance for them.

Second Course: "Fish and Chips" Doritos crusted Lobster tail in Beer-Cheese soup with potato foam. This dish had to happen. I made Doritos Lobster before as a joke, but it was so damn good! Why not put this with beer as it should be???? Well, I guess someone said, as they were leaving, "Don't ever put Doritos with Lobster again", I still have a feeling they enjoyed it.

Served with Piraat Ale triple IPA

Another dish that "Had to happen" was feakin' Pizza! I mean, really?! What do you think of when you think of beer?

Pizza, maybe not with Sweet Tea brined Kangaroo loin, but still...

Pizza:

I needed to figure out Combos , I wanted the flavors of pizza but not just a slice of pizza, something familiar yet different again.

I may not have completely recreated the center of a "Pizza Combo" but I came damn close.

The beer we served with this was a complete "Mind Screw" as it is.

Imagine if you will....

When we sat in the The Sharp Edge and tasted these beers, It never crossed my mind that I would smell something I've never smelled before! How do you put an idea or image to something you've never thought of before? Imagine waking up one day and realizing that shamrocks are made of cotton and smell like Cratineee with an overlapping scent/taste of Vaggovon? It wouldn't make any sense would it?

I've never smelled anything like this Celis Grotenbier it makes all these non realistic flavors and smells come to life. It's amazing smelling something for the first time, and the flavor on this beer is incredible to, this is the first beer that I can enjoy fairly warm.

Some Bison Back Ribs with collards and onion rings were served with Kasteel Triple d'or.

The last course came very easy, in a way. When I first tasted this Traquair Jacobite the first flavors I got were: Bourbon, Blueberries and Tootsie roll. I don't think Baer liked making Tootsie Rolls, but the dessert came out awesome. It was my favorite dish of the night. When you tasted the blueberry bourbon ice cream and took a sip of the Jacobite, it just explodes with blueberry flavors.