Hard Cider

More and more these days I've been seeing "hard cider" in the stores. Then my husband and a few friends decided to hit the Kansas City Craft Beer Festival.

Almost everything was delicious!

Almost . . .

We won't go naming names here because there's different strokes for different folks and all but my face almost froze like this!

But they did have hard ciders there! I didn't know that hard ciders are apple and other fruit juices that they add alcohol producing yeasts to! So it's sort of like beer or even wine. A natural product!

The ciders were light, bubbly, slightly sweet, fruity and wonderfully refreshing on a HOT day. Perfectly delicious! Supposedly they have them on tap in a lot of pubs in England. I need a passport.

I've tried a few examples since then and they're all pretty good. They tend to cost $7-$8 for a six pack though to try something for the first time. A six pack is practically a commitment after all!

But a 22 oz. bottle is easy. Plus its cheap. Under $4.

I got really excited when I found this one in the specialty beer aisle.

Isn't it pretty? This is an "amber" cider. In my limited experience the "amber" ciders are sweeter than the "crisp" ciders.

It smells like apples! Beautiful fresh apples! The flavor is very similar to fresh unpastuerized apple cider. The kind you used to be able to get at apple orchards during apple festivals in the fall. You know before the USDA, FDA, and other government agencies all decided that unpastuerized cider was going to KILL US ALL!

There's a sweet fruitiness. The hint of acid you have in any good fresh fruit. Then there's that bit of bitterness that apple peel adds to an apple.

But watch out! It doesn't taste like there is any alcohol in it at all. It's absolutely smooth. At 5% this is at the same alcohol level as . . . a Budweiser, Coors, Dos Equis, Michelob. It's stronger than a Boulevard Wheat, Bud light, or Coors light!

So some day if you're in the mood for something sweet and light. Or if you're having a beer tasting and want to make your sweet wine drinking friends feel included whip out a Woodchuck Amber style hard cider.

Keys

Went and picked up Guitar Boy from lessons the other day.

Guitar Boy: "Mommy? What is that green thing hanging from your keys?"

I am always highly on alert when the 12 yr. old calls me "mommy." So I decide to have some fun . . .

Me: "Oh, its a bottle opener . . ."

Guitar Boy: "Why do you need a bottle opener on your keys?"

Me: "Well, how do you think drinking and driving accidents happen? The mommies were having trouble with twist off caps!"

Guitar Boy: "MOM! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU CAN'T DRINK BEER WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING!!!"

Me: "Your DARE officer has taught you well, Grasshopper!"

How many years of counseling do you think he'll need? 

Day 11 of the Occupation . . .

I'm of course referring to the full day occupation of the household by my children . . .

Should you have to tell the 10 year old to not kick the 8 year old . . . in the dairy aisle?

How can you eat yogurt wrong? Guitar Boy is emphatic that his youthful siblings do!

The cat is getting jumpy and can't keep his Friskies down! Now he sits and howls at me. Believe me it wasn't my idea!

Last night, I heard my Dear One warn them in a very low and threatening voice "Leave her alone, she is taking a shower, you do not need her before she is done." . . . he is such a flirt!

Okay, if I am ready to have a mental breakdown over dealing with three harping children how am I ever going to put up with say . . . religious persecution?

Food blogging? All I do is make peanut butter and jelly and reheat pizzas!

So on my way out of the local grocery store. My former happy place, which is now become a house of horrors. I picked up a small libation. For blogging purposes only . . .

Hornsby's Hard Cider! We tried some different "hard" ciders at the KC Craft Beer Festival last weekend. They were terrifically refreshing on a hot day!

Hard ciders are cider that has been allowed to ferment. If you read old sermons you'll occasionally hear references to "cider drinkers."

This is what they're talking about!

I decided to try the Crisp Apple. It is crisp and light and just brimming with fresh apple flavor! Just enough sweetness to make it a lovely summer drink. Not cloying at all. I drank it wondering if it contained any "read" alcohol at all. A little research made me go WHOA! It's at 5.5% and the Amber style is a hefty 6%. This makes it STRONGER than some of my favorite craft beers!

If you like wine you're going to like this stuff! If you like a wine cooler it might be your cup of tea too, though the Crisp Apple flavor is less sweet than most wine coolers I've had.

If people were brewing this in the 1700's, what in the WORLD ever made them stop?

I'm going to have to watch the kiddos though. Guitar Boy was like "Oh, you're getting cider? I LOVE cider!"

Bedtime may be getting a lot easier around here . . .

WTF???

It's a beer people! What were you thinking?

If you've never spent hours listening over a police scanner or been associated with the military you might not know that there is a series of very specific words used to clarify alphabet letters used as designations/codes.

Here's a sample alphabet--the idea is that every word is unique and will be easily distinguishable during radio transmissions.

A-ALPHA	B-BRAVO	C-CHARLIE		D-DELTA
E-ECHO	F-FOX-TROT	G-GOLF		H-HOTEL
I-INDIA	J-JULIET	K-KILO		L-LIMA
M-MIKE	N-NOVEMBER	O-OSCAR		P-PAPA
Q-QUEBEC	R-ROMEO	S-SIERRA		T-TANGO
U-UNIFORM	V-VICTOR	W-WHISKY		X-X-RAY
Y-YANKEE			Z-ZULU

 The military LOVES acronyms. They live on them! When my Dear One was transitioning from the Reserves to Active duty he showed up at the Post for his assignment.

Sgt.: You're assigned to Alpha Company

Dear One: Oh, so Company A?

Sgt: NO! ALPHA COMPANY!

Dear One:  . . . okay . . . Alpha . . . Company . . .

I still remember asking one neighbor what her husband did.

Neighbor: He's the NBCNCOIC.

Me: Huh?

Neighbor: NBCNCOIC

Me: What is that?

Neighbor: Oh sorry! Natural Biological Chemical NCOIC!

Me: . . . Non Commissioned Office-IC?

Neighbor: Oh goodness, I don't even hear it anymore! He's the Natural Biological Chemical warfare Non Commissioned Office who's In Charge . . . I've been here too long!

Anyway! What with my son now in the hands of the USAF I just had to buy this cute little beer with its name that reminds me of the military. I think they had to change the W to Wilco because you can't label beer as Whiskey! There's rules in beer selling, just like there's rules in the military!

It claimed to be a malty, robust, jobless recovery ale. It made me giggle! It's from California . . . who knew they made beer in California?

I was a little worried . . . what if it was bitter? It was obvious it was named by one of those bitter clingers!
I don't really like bitter beer . . .

It was a gorgeous deep brown with very few bubbles. It smelled lovely. There was a beautiful coffee and chocolate aroma coming from it.

May have to put a little behind my ears . . . don't you think men would prefer beer scented perfumes?

I guess it might be a problem driving. Can you imagine how long the traffic stop for a speeding ticket would take if you smelt of beer?

Oh and I guess it wouldn't be appropriate for the parent teacher conferences either . . .

The taste was WONDERFUL! The coffee and chocolate smells translated into the actual flavor. It reminded me of Boulevard's Chocolate Ale but with a sweetness that made it very palatable. It had that lovely yeasty undertone that beer and bread both should have. The finish was one of after dinner coffee served with a lovely dark chocolate truffle.

It's got a 7.8% alcohol rating so its got some kick!

If you're a beer lover and looking for something new to celebrate American Craft Beer week I highly recommend you give it a try.

I think I'm going to go buy another bottle to toast my son with when he graduates!

The Land of Pork and Chocolate . . .

Do you remember me talking about the best day ever?

How I was planning on it?

It happened!

I spent the whole day with my Dear One!

We went to the school assembly and saw Darling Daughter honored and Guitar Boy help with a skit.

Then we went to Kansas City's beer epicenter, Boulevard Brewery! I got to eat a delicious meal made by Chef's Colby & Megan Garrelts, of Bluestem in Kansas City.

Want to know what we ate?  Here it is!

I was thinking this dairy needed to rethink their name . . .

Then I didn't care what their name was!

This cheese had a hint of barnyard that you find in a standard goat cheese. It had been whipped to a fluffy lightness that was incredible. There was a beautiful hint of lemon to it. There's a little pocket of Balsamic must. I gather it's a mix of balsamic vinegar and the grapes used to create the vinegar in the first place. It had a beautiful sweet tanginess that made the cheese incredible tasting. My husband said the cheese almost took on a texture like finely pureed parsnips or potatoes. It did have very satisfying texture. The pea and asparagus salad was crisp, tender and delightful next to the rich cheese.

The Tank 7 beer is one of the Boulevard Smokestack series. My husband had one in the tasting room! It's on the left. It is a beautiful golden color. Very interesting in that you taste the bitter hops at first then the finish is sweet and light! This is a very smooth beer that can sneak up and spank you with it's 8% alcohol content.

Second Course! The N/A notifies us that the beer has no label. It's still in development. Let me tell it's developing LOVELY!

Oh! Oh! Oh! This was delicious! It's pork shoulder cooked for 24 hours in an immersion circulator. So the meat gets beautifully tender and the fat just melts as soon as it hits your mouth. There was the slightest hint of soy, garlic, ginger, and sesame in this.

The vegetables were incredibly tender too. Knives? Not necessary. Bok choy, mushrooms and won ton noodles simply sauced in the juices from the meat and it's marinade. Why mess with perfection?

The entree was all about tenderness and subtle flavor. The beer was so complex it balanced it completely. Dubbel is a beer they've been working on for quite awhile. This iteration had a hint of celery scent to it. It is flavored with anise, cinnamon and coriander. The overall taste is warm, zesty, and citrusy with a smooth and nutty finish.

Be still my heart.

It's not really a luncheon without a little dessert right?

Goodness gracious!

I'll admit I wasn't particularly excited for this dessert. I'm not a huge fan of pecan pie and while I thought that the float had possibilities I wasn't holding out a great deal of hope.

I was terribly, terribly wrong. This is one of the BEST chocolate desserts I've ever had!

No, I don't think the four beers I've had in the last hour has had any effect on my judgement . . . thanks for your concern

The "tartlet" was a delicious sort of pecan-pie-bar-cookie thing. I think I'll call all my future bar cookies "tartlets." I may have to make some chocolate tartlets tonight. I can imagine it now . . .

Guitar Boy: Mommy, can I have a brownie?

Me: No!

Guitar Boy: What? Why not?

Me: I have no brownies!

Guitar Boy: What are those?

Me: Those are chocolate tartlets! Would you like one?

Guitar Boy: But, . . . Mommy?

Gentle Giant: Shush! She's got that look in her eye!

The pecan tartlet was almost candy like. It was chewy, orangey, with a lovely range of cinnamon and cloves flavors. There was definitely an undercurrent of molasses in it too. The float was pure heaven! The "Old Clarence" is actually Boulevard's Bully Porter barrel-aged for a year like a smokestack type beer would be. It had a deep rich bitterness that made the chocolate become a chocolate symphony in your mouth! Bubbly, cold, bitter, chocolate.

What a lovely day!

The Land of Barley and Hops

While you are at work and taking care of business . . . I am having THE BEST DAY EVER!!! How do I know? I am writing this the day before THE day after all. Well here we go.

1. My husband has the day off and we're going to spend it TOGETHER with no kids. Well the 21 yr. old will be around but we'll avoid each other by mutual agreement.

2. We're headed to school for Darling Daughter to receive a Super Citizen award. Yes, I'm bragging! I figure I should enjoy it now. Next year she could decide she hates school and is becoming an atheist.

3. We've got a lunch date at the Boulevard Brewery! That's right, I get to take pictures of somebody else's food. Somebody who actually gets paid to cook!

4. School Art Expo/Ice Cream Social/Scholastic Book Fair is this evening! Okay, I'm still trying to sell that one to myself.

I am savoring the day before it even gets here. I figure I better enjoy it beforehand. What if I got a flat tire? What if I fall and break my leg? Life changes quickly savor your blessings NOW!

Lunch at a brewery? Big deal? YES it's a big deal. For us craft beer fans at least.

You have to understand Boulevard only has these lunches once a month. You have to enter a lottery to win the chance to buy a ticket. There is no Boulevard "chef" so they actually just recruit a local chef to come cook. Tomorrow it's the Chef from Bluestem. The only guideline is that they cook with beer and pair their offerings with beer!

Did I mention there's beer?

Lots and lots of Boulevard beer?

Did I say the chef gets to cook whatever they want?

Would you like to see pictures?

These are some of the barrels they age their "smokestack" series beers in. You gotta watch yourself with those beers. They have an alcohol content more like wine!

The bottling line!

Big old vats of beer in the making!

What? You wanted pictures of the food?

Salmon rillettes. Smoked and cured salmon chilled in a shot glass and covered with clarified butter. Spread it on the sesame crostini! Served with a lovely cucumber and radish salad with a sour cream dressing. The salmon made a rich and buttery spread. LOVED IT! Paired with ZON beer. A light crisp beer flavored with coriander! Very summery! Perfect with the rich salmon.

Lamb Chops! Served on a warm salad of dandelion greens and roasted beats! YUMMO! The morel mushroom demi-glaze's saltiness cut the bitterness of the dandelion greens perfectly! Paired with "Rye on Rye" from the Smokestack series at Boulevard. Wonderfully rich beer with a hint of sweetness that complimented the bitterness of the lamb seasoning and salad.

Maybe some dessert? A blackberry rhubarb tart with little oatmeal crumblies and vanilla gelato! Very, very tasty! Paired with a stout of the Smokestack series called "The Dark Truth." I usually don't like stouts but this one was rich, foamy, and had the sweetness of a stout with a nicely balanced bitterness. Perfect to accompany a buttery, fruity, dessert.

Maybe you'd like this short rib ravioli? Braised in Sour Brown Ale? With oyster mushrooms and English peas? Savory, meaty, tender. Beef and pasta, am I in heaven?

Perhaps some wild king salmon cured in lime juice and Zon? With a micro green salad and Zon-orange-coriander vinaigrette. It was served with Two Joker's Double Wit. It's almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

Maybe a cheese course? A smokey blue cheese with rosemary scented honey and hazelnuts? Some grilled Rosemary Olive oil bread on the side to wipe the plate with? Have mercy!

I always like it when they include something to clean the plate with. My Dear One gets so embarrassed when I lick the plate.

After I recover from Friday I'll make sure to tell you all about it. Does this make me cruel?

I better stick the camera in the purse NOW!

Boss Tom's Golden Bock

So Boulevard is out with it's late spring seasonal offering and I just had to snatch up a six pack. I was severely unhappy with the Irish Ale seasonal but had LOVED the Nutcracker Ale at Christmas time so I was excited yet distrustful at the same time! Maybe I'm becoming beer-polar?

The bottle label is a little weird.

An angry goat and rabbit? Further research indicated that Bock is another term for goat so they like to use goats to decorate the beer labels.

I've never thought of goats as decorative animals. Chickens? Yes! Geese? Most certainly! Kittens? Obviously! Penguins? Absolutely! Horses? Majestic! Dogs? Well duh! I don't think they make plates with goats on them . . . nor goat pillows . . . or little kitchen towels. There's a whole other world of animal marketing that has not been explored!

As for the rabbit further research explained that. From the Boulevard Box:  From 1925 until 1939 Kansas City was under the control of powerful political boss Thomas J. Pendergast whose "Goat" faction feuded with rival "Rabbits" for partisan dominance. The atmosphere of graft and lawlessness fostered a boom in jazz clubs and speakeasies, earning our town the title "Paris of the Plains." Isn't it nice they explain things on the labeling? It's so helpful!

I know it's a great history lesson and all but . . .

WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE?!!

It tastes pretty good.

It has a beautiful golden color that reminds me of sunshine and happiness. The aroma is unusual. My first impression was of sweetness. It has a sweetness similar to the Boulevard unfiltered Wheat. There was also a bitterness that was not unpleasant for me. Then I swirled some across the roof of my mouth and I tasted it. It is floral. Somewhere between a carnation and a hyacinth.

Do you think Hy-Vee would mind if I went into the floral department and sniffed their flowers a little? I'd just need a handkerchief dipped in beer and I could compare aromas . . .

It is not unlike the beautiful Stella Artois which is definitely hyacinth like. The Boss Tom's has a richness that Stella doesn't have though. The aromas seem a little more delicate too. The flavor doesn't linger in the mouth as long as Stella.

It's a dollar more expensive than the standard Boulevard offerings at my local grocery store. That puts it a dollar cheaper than a Stella so I'm thinking I'll be enjoying this beer all spring long!

Beer Poached Shrimp

With the coming of warm weather we're all watching our waist lines a little closer. I've also been breaking out a few cool make ahead meals too. Boiled shrimp is just the ticket!

I have a few issues with boiling shrimp. I'm never quite sure how much to salt the water! Some shrimp is really salty and others are really bland. Then of course there's the fact that a lot of it gets over cooked just waiting for it to "come back to a boil." Oh and if you have to go help a screaming child you know it's going to over cook in about 30 seconds! Who likes shrimp jerky?

What about a kinder and gentler cooking method? I was watching Alton Brown poach some fish and started to wonder . . . about shrimp.

These packets of goodness have been on sale a LOT lately. Thank you Lenten Season! I like them because they make a cut down the back and clean out the digestive track for you. Ick!

We need a flavorful poaching liquid! So let's start out with these lemon wedges I had in the fridge! Since I'm using a nice big 12 inch skillet I would normally slice a lemon thinly for this but the wedges will do since I cut them up last night for dinner. I threw in a couple of bay leaves too!

Some peppercorns too! Red pepper flakes would be delicious in addition but I was feeding a few friends . . .

I thought I was done so I threw my shrimp in! They're bigger ones 26-30's. Did you know that means there's 26-30 per pound? Helps to know if you're making shrimp cocktails!

Ooops! I forgot shrimp's best friend, garlic! Throw a couple of those in there too. If you don't want to peel them just rinse them off and give them a bang with a knife so the poaching liquid can mingle with the garlicky goodness.

Some thyme leaves too! Don't forget the thyme! Normally, I'd throw in some fresh thyme still on the stems but mine is just coming up and isn't quite ready for me to start harvesting it. :(  I am going to add my shrimp to another recipe and it needs to look nice so I'm wrapping my thyme up in some cheese cloth.

Now for some flavorful poaching liquid . . . you want a mild beer. My hubby and I call this "camping" beer. You can drink it all day while camping and don't have to supplement with water because its so weak! Okay that's OUR theory at least. Now if you want to substitute an actual flavorful craft beer I would recommend ,using a cup of beer and adding a half cup of water to it. I'm thinking a Boulevard Zon or a Pale Ale might be nice. This is a lovely application for any of your standard Budweiser, Miller, or Coors products too! You know if somebody leaves one at your house . . .

Pour it in and turn the heat on low! Yes, LOW! We want to avoid a boil for as long as possible. I unloaded the dishwasher, and did a Sudoku puzzle while this was warming. For those of you worried about bacteria and other organisms does it comfort you to know that 140 deg F for 5 minutes has killed just about everything dangerous in it?

Look it practically covers it! I do this with up to two lbs of shrimp. By the time the shrimp thaws it's all under the beer. Stir it periodically. You want to get the shrimp thawed out good before it starts to cook. Oh and salt! Add about half a teaspoon or even better add a teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning. If a seasoning has been around for 60 years you know they're onto something!

It's all thawed! That only took 10 minutes or so.

Look! It's starting to get pink! If you can turn your heat any lower do it. Slow and steady wins the prize!

They're all pink and firm now so I fished them out with a strainer! At this point if you have no other plans you can just cover them with some plastic wrap and throw them in the fridge to chill.

They babies are sweet, juicy, shrimpy deliciousness! They taste of the salt and the sea. They're done all the way through yet they're tender because you didn't over cook them.

I'm going to use the poaching liquid and the shells to make a nice shrimp stock. These shrimp are actually headed to a shrimp salad today. They're perfect for it because they pack a punch of shrimpy flavor. Besides, how else can you economically feed four adults shrimp as an entree?

Beer Poached Shrimp

1-2 lbs frozen raw shrimp
1 light beer, 12 oz size (or 1 cup craft beer with 1/2 cup of water added)
1/2 a lemon, sliced
1-2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
3 cloves garlic, smooshed
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning or 1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and cook over low heat until shrimp are pink and firm.  (It should never reach a boil!)