Sláinte

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about today...

 Because what other day of the year celebrates my love of Guinness more than today?

 So wherever you are, I hope you have a chance to enjoy one of these... or maybe a green beer!

Thanks for stopping by- and may the luck of the Irish be with you today!

Bring on the brewery...

Before I left Michigan last weekend, my mom and I stopped for a fun afternoon in Frankenmuth, MI.
And for lunch, we stopped by the Frankenmuth Brewery.
It's a nice spot to grab a bite...
And the beer is good (I'm a fan of ordering the 4 oz. "tasting" glasses.... that's about all the beer I can handle)!
The food was good, too... but I've come to realize a quirk I've developed...
Sometimes I'm more excited to take photos of the meal more than I'm excited to eat it... how's that for a dork who likes to take a lot of pictures?
Lucky for me I have this blog to share all my food photos! Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a great day!

Sláinte

I love Guinness!
And on St. Patrick's day, it's a pretty appropriate beverage... but have you ever thought about it as a meal? Thanks to the Internet, I found a recipe for Guinness Stew here, and decided to make it the other day! Want to sneak a peak at the finished product?
But let's back up- here's what I started with:
I added a tablespoon of oil to my trusy dutch oven (I'm quickly becoming addicted to this thing)...
Before adding the onions...
And garlic.
Once those were sufficiently sauteed, I put transfered them to a different bowl. Then I added another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and proceeded to sear the beef in small batches.
Once the beef was finished, I put it all back into the pan and added a bit of flour before stirring to coat all the meat.
With SFS' help, I added beef boullion...
And the Guinness- look at the foamy deliciosness!
Once the pot started to simmer...
I added in the pre-sauteed onions/garlic, carrots, and a couple bay leaves. After simmering for an hour, I added the weirdest ingredient I've ever put into a soup: PRUNES! You see, the beer makes the stew a little bitter, so the prunes sweeten things just a bit... and by the time the stew is finished the prunes will have disintegrated into nothing!
While the stew simmered for the last half hour, I peeled potatoes, quartered them, and put them in a pot of water to boil. Once they were tender, I strained them and tossed them in a bit of parsley (mostly for color). And before you know it, dinner was done!
Talk about a scrumptious, hearty dinner completely appropriate for today's holiday!
If you'd like to try the recipe yourself, here's the version I went with:

Guinness Stew

2 pounds of stew beef (cut into cubes)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 cups of onions - chopped
1/4 cup of flour
1 1/2 cups of beef broth
12 ounces of Guinness Beer
3 large carrots - sliced into coins
2 bay leaves
A pinch (or so) of black pepper
3/4 cup of prunes (pre-pitted and chopped into pieces)
6 potatoes

Directions: In a Dutch oven, on medium high heat, heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil and sautée the onions for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove them from the pot and add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pan. Quickly sear the meat on all sides in several small batches. Return all the seared meat to the pan. Reduce heat, stir in the flour until all the meat is coated. Add beef broth and the Guinness and stir until mixture comes to a simmer. Add onions, garlic, carrots, bay leaves, and ground pepper to the pot before stirring. Simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (Make sure to cook the stew uncovered so that the gravy will thicken.) Add the prunes to the pot. Continue cooking for 1/2 hour- the gravy will develop a glossy finish. While you're waiting, peel and cut the potatoes into quarters. Put in pot of water and boil until tender. Once finished, strain the potatoes from the water and sprinkle with parsley (for color). When the stew is finished, remove bay leaf and add salt and pepper to taste.

Thanks for visiting my blog- I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!!

Sipping on some Saranac

A couple years ago, my family spent Thanksgiving in the Adirondacks. It was amazing- we had a blast, and I fell in love with the area! So imagine my excitement when SFS and I saw this at Whole Foods over the weekend!
Saranac Beer! That's right, these babies were brewed in the Adirondacks! They're made from the water in Lake Placid and the hops are grown in the area as well! The brewery has also been family owned since 1888... can you believe it? Also, I love the multi-pack... this way you can try six different kinds, to really figure out which one is your favorite!
First, the Pale Ale. As the company website says: A beer that would make the English jealous! This true English Pale Ale is rich and fruity, yet finishes crisp. You'll love the copper amber color and medium body.
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Malt Selections: Crystal English Pale Ale
Hop Selections: Cascade, East Kent Golden
Color: Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Lamb, beef, stews, cheeses
Next, the India Pale Ale. A hop lover's delight. In the India Pale Ale tradition this brew is very hoppy in both aroma and flavor from the generous amounts of cascade hops used in brewing. Look for a medium to full body and golden straw color.
Beer Style: American I.P.A.
Malt Selections: North American two-row
Hop Selections: Cascade
Color: Golden straw color
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Seafood, pizza, mexican
How about the Adirondack Lager? Our classic German lager has a perfect balance of caramel malt sweetness. Look for a rich, amber color and medium body.
Beer Style: German Amber Lager
Malt Selections: Two-row & Caramel
Hop Selections: Cascade, Mt Hood, German Hallertauer
Color: Golden/Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Red Pasta, Sandwiches, BBQ Chicken, Tex-Mex
Or maybe the Brown Ale is more your style. This Brown Ale is brewed with American malt and hops, and traditional ale yeast. Look for a sweet, chocolaty taste, with balanced bitterness resulting in a full flavored but smoothly drinkable beer.
Beer Style: American Brown Ale
Malt Selections: American Two-Row Pale, Victory, Chocolate
Hop Selections: Cascade, Columbus
Color: Medium Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Pizza and Spicy Foods
Or how about the Black and Tan? A beer lover's dream! This classic Irish stout and amber lager blend is malty, yet pleasantly bitter with many complex flavor notes. Look for a deep brown-black color and full-body.
Beer Style: Stout, amber lager blend
Malt Selections: Chocolate, caramel, black roasted barley
Hop Selections: Willamette
Color: Dark Brown / Black
Mouthfeel / Body: Heavy
Food Companions: Steaks, hearty stews, soups, oysters/clams
Check out the yummy Black Ale: A Bavarian black beer with distinctive carmel malt sweetness and rich creamy trademark head. Flavorful, yet smooth; it is very drinkable!
Beer Style: Bavarian black beer
Malt Selections: Two-row & caramel malt
Hop Selections: Mt hood, hallertauer
Color: Dark Brown / Black
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Ole' Mexican foods, grilled chicken dishes
But I couldn't just take pictures all night, so I popped open a couple bottles, and SFS, his roommate and I enjoyed a cold one.
SFS went with the Black Forest- it was so dark!
While I tried the Black and Tan!
We all thought the beers were yummy, and it was fun tryihg something new! Thanks for checking out the Saranac beers with me. If you ever see these in the grocery store, I recommend trying a bottle... they're fun, and I love the labels! I hope you're having a great day- thanks for stopping by!!