Gastropub Comfort Food ~ From Chedder Cheese Beer Bread to a Stout Float

Spring is not quite here yet, so in our house comfort food is sticking around.  Real California Milk {CMAB} just sent me these amazing looking 'Gastropub' recipes to share with you and that we will be trying in the near future.

The Monk's Cheddar Cheese Beer Bread & Mussels recipe is courtesy of Monk's Kettle in San Francisco and the Stout Float {yes, you read that right} recipe was made popular by BoHo Restaurant, the original gastropub in Hollywood.

Maybe this can be a great alternative to the standard corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day.

Photo by Monk's

MONK’S KETTLE CHEDDAR BEER BREAD

4 tablespoons Real California butter, divided
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups beer, room temperature
1 cup grated sharp Real California Cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt remaining butter and set aside. Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add beer, cheese and melted butter. Mix well, being careful not to over mix; the batter should be sticky but smooth. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on rack. With a serrated bread knife, cut into 16 slices.

Makes one loaf.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 slice): 157 calories; 6 g fat; 15 mg cholesterol; 138 mg sodium; 21 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 5 g protein

Note: The flavor of this bread will be guided by the beer you choose to use. This beer bread is a great accompaniment to dishes such as mussels. Any beer can be used from pale ales, to lagers, to stouts depending on what you are serving it with and what type of beer you like. If paired correctly with Mussels, ideally a Belgian Wit is used.


MONK’S KETTLE MUSSELS

4 tablespoons Real California butter, divided
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 red Fresno or jalapeño chile, cut into quarters lengthwise (remove seeds for milder heat, if desired)
1 pound mussels (about 20), scrubbed and de-bearded
1/2 cup beer, such as Belgian Wit
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and black pepper

Heat a medium sauté pan to high heat; add 1 tablespoon butter and the shallot, garlic and chile. Sweat for 1 minute and add mussels; toss over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add beer and simmer until all mussels have opened. Toss with thyme and remaining butter; season with salt and pepper. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Serve in bowls with the liquid poured over.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 433 calories; 28 g fat; 124 mg cholesterol; 793 mg sodium; 12 g carbohydrate; .3 g fiber; 28 g protein

Note: Toast slices of Cheddar Beer Bread in the oven or brush lightly with oil and grill for a few minutes to add a toasted flavor to the bread. Serve with mussels to sop up all the juice in the bowl.


BOHO STOUT FLOAT

2 (4-ounce) scoops Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (recipe below)
8 ounces stout, such as Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout {use root beer for the non-alcoholic version}
5 Shortbread Cookies (recipe below)
Confectioner’s sugar

Place ice cream in chilled pint glass and slowly pour in stout. Dust cookies with powdered sugar, place on plate next to float.

Makes 1 serving

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 775 calories; 37 g fat; 123 mg cholesterol; 86 mg sodium; 66 g carbohydrate; .3 g fiber; 5 g protein


REAL CALIFORNIA VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

2 cups Real California half-and-half
1 cup Real California heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Combine all ingredients (including pod and seeds of vanilla bean) in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steam starts to rise from the surface or mixture registers 170°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Remove pod of vanilla bean; pour mixture into a container. Refrigerate, covered, overnight to mellow flavor and texture. Freeze in ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s directions. When volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 and mixture is soft-serve consistency, spoon into a container, cover and freeze until firm.

Makes 5 cups



CALIFORNIA SHORTBREAD BUTTON COOKIES

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup Real California unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a bowl, whisk together flour and salt. With an electric mixer or a hand mixer, beat butter about 1 minute or until soft and creamy. Add sugar and beat about 2 minutes or until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Gently fold in flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Position rack in middle of oven; heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4-inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 1-inch cookie cutter. Place on prepared baking sheets and refrigerate for about 15 minutes (this will firm up the dough so that the cookies will hold their shape while being baked). Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 9 dozen cookies



Tweet

Pin It

Dr. Oz says eating hard cheese is GOOD for you! But Why?

When I was visiting the Azores Islands back in 2003, a couple of the things I noticed were; A) everyone seemed pretty fit and  B) everyone ate Portuguese hard cheese more than once a day.  Hard cheese was definitely a breakfast front runner and then it was eaten again later in the day for a snack.

My Dad's family 'beach house' on the Island of Sao Jorge
















I remember thinking, how can these people eat this much cheese and stay fit.....and live to what seemed like a long life in many cases? 

Just the other day, while Barrel Tasting, my friend Kellie told me about a Dr. Oz show she watched where he claimed certain types of hard cheeses can lower your risk of developing cancer and can be heart healthy as well.

I'm excited!

I LOVE cheese!



Photo by Google Image

Can I eat it guilt free now?!.....Not that I had too much guilt before, but this new found information was good to hear.

Here's what Dr.Oz had to say about hard cheese, cancer and heart health:

Gouda, edam, emmenthal and Jarlsburg cheeses are among some of the hard cheeses that contain a form of vitamin K called vitamin K2 (the scientific name is menaquinone) that is both antiangiogenic (blood vessel-inhibiting) and also kills cancer cells directly. The studies indicate that eating as few as 2 slices of these hard cheeses a day can lower your overall risk for cancer, including lung cancer and prostate cancer.

You might be wondering whether eating cheese frequently is such a good idea? Well, in this case, it turns out that vitamin K2 also protects the heart by preventing hardening of the arteries.

Many of the medical studies I’ve cited were done in Europe where cheese is regularly eaten, even on a daily basis, including breakfast. Personally, I think the research is so compelling that we should all find ways to add vitamin K2 into our diets.

I think it's time to go buy a round of my fave Portuguese hard cheese.

Tweet

Pin It

Signs of Spring

Spring is only a week and a half away! 

Rebirth, renewal, regrowth

Any signs at your place yet?

Tweet

Pin It

Fat Tuesday for a Fat Boy, year two

I'm kicking myself for not catching this sooner.  If I had only looked back on this blog one year ago on Fat Tuesday, it would have clued me in. 

Joey, our quarter horse, is 20 years old this year and is prone to founder.

When a horse founders, there is an increase of blood flow to its hooves. The extra blood puts pressure on the bones in the horse's feet. If the pressure is strong enough or goes on long enough, the bones will shift, leading to permanent lameness.

In Joey's case, all that lush green grass and early spring we experienced in January here in California, caused him to founder early.  It's my own fault, I should have taken him off the pasture and locked him up in his paddock earlier in the month of February instead of waiting until March.  But my vet assured me, I was not the only one this has happened to this year.

I think Joey will be okay and will get through this.  He's on medication, eating low-carb food and resting in his paddock.  He's also getting visits from us at least three times a day, which I'm sure he really likes.  Paige has been a huge help in giving Joey attention.  She and I brush him every day, clean out his hooves and give him a ton of petting.

Here's last year's post on Joey and Fat Tuesday.  It also has some fun Mardi Gras recipes too.....Hurricane cocktail and a fun dessert recipe; Bananas Foster.

What are you doing for Fat Tuesday??

Tweet

Pin It

Shopping for Kids at the Hardware Store

The other day on our drive up to my parent's house, we made what was supposed to be a quick stop at the hardware store to buy a battery operated fence charger for my horse's paddock.  Bryce is my shopper.  When I told him we were stopping at a store, he immediately asked if he could bring his wallet and buy something.

"Yes, you can, but do you realize that we're not going to Target?"  I said.

"Yes, Mom.  I want to buy something"  he answers.

"Well, if you see something you can't live without, and you have enough money to pay for it, you can buy it."

Well, I knew very well that he would for sure find something he couldn't live without.  He always does.

First Bryce helped Paige pick something out that she couldn't live without.  When they spotted the funnels, they thought these would make the perfect sandbox toys.  Perfect, they were only 99 cents. 

Paige also spotted some contractor's chalk that she couldn't leave the store without.  They didn't have pink so she settled on white.  She also wanted to buy an axe, but I put the kibosh on that thought right away.

Forty-five minutes later, Bryce ultimately decided on big, blue flashlight for $6.99, battery included.  Another one he can add to his collection of flashlights.  What is it with kids and flashlights?  Isn't one enough?  Since Paige didn't own a flashlight of her own, she was allowed to pick one out as well.

I must say, it was fun shopping with the kids at the hardware store.  You can get really creative and I think it might be less expensive than shopping at Target.

Tweet

Pin It

Happenings On The Wine Road

Every year during the first two weekends in March, the Barrel Tasting event of the year occurs in the Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley areas of Sonoma County.



A. Rafanelli Cellar



We had 145 wineries to choose from for this event.  You can spread out your visits over the two days your ticket covers, but I am only going for the one day. 

If you've never been barrel tasting, the reason behind it at an event like this is, you have the chance to taste wines before they're bottled, meet the winemakers and have the opportunity to buy 'futures' {at a great discount} of the wine which will be bottled 6-18 months from now.

We began our day with some high expectations......we were going to try and visit five wineries.  I was designated driver, so I only tasted a little tiny bit and snapped a ton of photos. 

Our first stop was Dutton Estate Winery.  My friend, Kellie is having a taste and talking to the Winemaker, Terry.

We also had the chance to talk with Tracy Dutton {on left}, one of the owners who is super friendly and totally answered all our questions and even mapped out some other wineries she recommended for us. 

Tracy Dutton & Jeannie

Our good friend, Deb works at Dutton, so it was fun hanging out with her for a while while she was pouring.

I bought.  What can I say, I love Dutton Estate wine.



Dutton Estate Wines



Our next stop was quite a distance from where we started but well worth it because wine is only offered for purchase at A. Rafanelli Winery at events like this or by appointment. 

I bought again.

We talked with Dave Rafanelli, owner and his daughter, Shelley, winemaker.  Kellie and Shelley used to rope together so they had lots of catching up to do.

The first photo, above is taken at Rafanelli as well.

Kellie, Shelley Rafanelli-Fehlman & Dave Rafanelli

Okay, our last winery.  Armida. We only made it to three!  Kellie had never been to this winery and it's a must do if only for the entertainment factor and people watching.

The Armida Winery party has three tasting rooms for this event.  Kellie and Jody ready to enter 'Hell' tasting area.



Armida Winery 'Hell' Entrance



This is where all the red wines are presented.  And the feel of the room is very much like a Halloween party, fog machine, strobe lights and all.



Armida Winery 'Hell' Tasting Room



I like taking photos without the flash on so it gives a sense of the feel at the time, in my opinion anyway.

Here's one with the flash on....you don't see the red glow or the fog that was in the room and the photo is just blah.



Armida Winery 'Hell' Tasting Room



We then headed over to the 'Heaven' tasting room where the white wines are served from the barrel by an angel.



Armida Winery 'Heaven' Tasting Room







Armida Wine 'Poizin'



The view from Armida.  Rain is on its way.

After our three stops we headed into the town of Healdsburg for a snack.  I found some Sao Jorge Portuguese cheese....you know that cheese I LOVE with the nutty flavor, at the little market/deli so we bought some crackers and red pepper jelly and had the perfect snack to end a perfect day.

Tweet

Pin It

Photo Fun for the Kids and Me

You know how much I love photography, right?!  Well I came across this cool website named PhotoFunia that is a total blast.  I just had to share. 

It's not only fun for me, but for the kiddos too.  It's free and it's fast and easy to use.  And you're not required to download the program onto your computer either! 

My kids are diggin' this.

So what I did to demonstrate is, chose a funny photo of Paige and used the same image in every one of these effects.

Chloe's next!

Tweet

Pin It

Chloe the Coffee Hound

Chloe.  She's my little buddy as most of you know.  She likes 'mommy and me' computer time.  She loves riding in the car, all of the time.  She likes her cowdog time, thinking she's a ranch dog.  Chloe has quite a busy schedule.

I have boasted in the past, not here, but to family members that Chloe is SO good when she rides in the car with me to do my errands.  She sits in the back seat.  She waits patiently in the car for me.  If I have a load of groceries in the car and have one more errand to do, she doesn't go digging into the bags.  What a good girl, right?

Well, the other morning, after looking at the time and realizing I had been on the go for 4 1/2 hours and it was only 9:30 a.m., I thought a well deserved Starbucks was in order to begin my list of errands while the kids were in school. 

I usually only treat myself to a decaf gingerbread misto once a week at the very most and this particular morning I was craving it.  It was raining and cold. A perfect morning for a hot drink. 

After my first stop, Chloe in the car, I return.  I open the door to the strong smell of gingerbread misto wafting out the door.  Chloe.  She had overturned my misto and drank most of it {it was 3/4 full}.  The carpet was a little wet but not soaked.  So glad it was a decaf. 

And Chloe knew she had done something wrong even before I scolded her.  So when we returned home, she hid her face in shame.

And today, I'm dealing with the smell of sour milk in my car.  From past experience, the smell will last about a week.  Tomorrow I'm going Barrel Tasting with the girls and I'm the designated driver.  I'm hoping Febreze will do the job.  Any other suggestions?

Tweet

Pin It

GMO Food vs. Organic Food

All this talk about GMO’s, I’m still trying to understand the entire picture. Are you?

In a short version, this is what I’ve come to understand:

GMO; Genetically Modified Organism, is an organism whose been altered using genetic engineering techniques. So, basically changing the DNA of an organism.

Small scale experimental plantings of GM plants began in Canada and the U.S. in the late 1980s. The first approvals for large scale, cultivations came in the mid 1990s. Since then, the adoption of GM plants by farmers has increased annually.

Probably the most controversial but also the most widely used application of GMO technology is patent-protected food crops largely owned by Monsanto, which are resistant to commercial herbicides or are able to produce pesticidal proteins from within the plant, in turn growing a stronger, larger crop.

Photo by Google Image

My understanding of why Organic Farmers might be against GMOs, I think is, organic farmers are not allowed to use GMO seed but most conventional corn in the U.S. is genetically modified and probably one of the easiest crops for cross pollination to occur, its genes can travel into organic fields via wind blown pollen that could land on the tassels of organic corn. Possible and probable cross pollination occuring.

If this happens on a large scale, the organic farmer may be worried  the consumer will stop buying organic produce and/or organic meat, and buy conventional instead.
According to Pamela Ronald, a plant biologist at UC Davis says, those consumers are losing track of what’s most important. Pamela Ronald works with genetically engineered plants in the laboratory, and she's married to a longtime organic farmer. She and her husband together wrote the book "Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food".

"What really is important is, can we reduce the use of insecticides? Can we foster soil fertility? Can we feed the poor and malnourished?" she says. Those should be the goals of organic farming, she says, and they should be the goals of non-organic farming, too. According to Ronald, they're much more significant than avoiding laboratory-spliced genes.

To read more about GMOs and to view Pamela Ronald’s quote, go to the article, “How to Define ‘Organic’ Food.


So GMOs are plants that are stronger, more resistant to things. Is that a bad thing? Will GMO crops help to reduce world starvation?


Do you consider eating non-GMO food as something important to you?

Tweet

Pin It

Sunrise Over the Dairy

I love when rain is in the extended forecast.  It brings us cloud cover and beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  Here is the sunrise over the dairy and Stafford Lake the other morning.

I just can't take enough photos of both sunrises and sunsets.  Each one is different.  Whether it be the different cloud formations, or the fog creeping in or out. 

And I can never decide on just one photo to include in a post.  So here's the first, middle and last photos I took.

I can easily say, sunrises and sunsets are among my favorite things to photograph.

I hope you've been able to enjoy beautiful sunrises where you live.

Do you have a favorite thing to take photos of?

Tweet

Pin It

Almond, Peanut, Nut "Butter", "Paste" or "Spread"?

With last week's conversation regarding the labeling of Rice, Almond & Soy "Milk" or "Drink", it inspired me to ask the same question of the label "Butter". 

Here's some food for thought.........

According to Wikipedia's definition of butter:

•Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications such as baking, sauce making, and frying. Butter consists of butterfat, water and milk proteins.

Photo by Google images



So should the label "butter" be used solely on products made by milk and cream?

If so, then should the following be changed?
Peanut Paste?  Almond Paste?  Nut Paste?  Cashew Spread?

And what about body butter?!

I'm curious what your opinion is on this!





Tweet

Pin It