Milwaukee Public Radio and
WUWM.com website to feature holiday ales with
The Best of American Beer and Food author, Lucy Saunders
December 17, 2008 -- Lucy Saunders, author of The Best of American Beer and Food , will be featured on Milwaukee Public Radio's Lake Effect program, Wednesday, December 24, 10 a.m. during a sampling of holiday treats such as winter ales and Barley Wine Marshmallows.
Joining Saunders will be Adrienne Pierluissi from The Sugar Maple, a craft beer tavern in the Bayview neighborhood (www.myspace.com/sugarmaplebayview).
The two women will discuss holiday craft beers with WUWM's Lake Effect arts producer, Bonnie North, sharing the finer points of winter seasonals and beer appreciation.
"Listeners will learn how to present a sampling of winter ales, perfect for holiday or casual winter gatherings," says Saunders. "We focus on American craft beers, such as Anchor's Christmas Ale, Lakefront Brewery's Holiday Spice Lager, and the Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Aged Barley Wine."
Since craft brewing started in the early 1980s, innovative chefs have put flavorful beers on their tables and in their foods. Saunders interviewed chefs and craft brewers for the illustrated cookbook from Brewers Publications , sharing their recipes, tasting suggestions and a survey of beer and food matches from coast to coast.
"Not only a cookbook, Lucy guides the consumer through the 'how to' of pairing beer with food," said Kristi Switzer, Publisher for the Brewers Association. "Pairing and cooking with beer shouldn't be intimidating and this book opens a world of possibilities with discussions of pairing beer with chocolate and cheese and showcasing over 80 recipes for dishes cooked with beer."
Saunders presents tested recipes and proven pairing tips. "Lucy has been a leader in the presentation of craft beer and food for 20 years," says Switzer. "Her experience brings depth and richness to a topic that is becoming more widely appreciated." Saunders is a freelance food writer, web editor (beercook.com and grillingwithbeer.com) and author (Cooking with Beer, 1996 and Grilling with Beer, 2006).
Recipes in the book were drawn from more than 40 professional and home chefs across the country then consumer tested and edited for home preparation. Most of the book's recipes will fit into any home chef's cooking routine but several are splurges for special occasions. For more information, see www.beertown.org or call the Brewers Association at 888-822-6273. Books are available through bookstores and online retailers.
Based in Boulder, Colo., U.S.A., the Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade and education association for American craft brewers and the community of beer enthusiasts. Visit the website: www.beertown.org to learn more or www.seasonalbeerandfood.org for a downloadable beer and food pairing chart.
Milwaukee Public Radio, WUWM, has been serving as southeastern Wisconsin's premiere public radio source for news, information, and entertainment programming since 1964. WUWM is listener-supported radio that is licensed to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and operated by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Letters and Science. Listen on-air at 89.7 FM or on-line at www.wuwm.com .
Barley Wine Marshmallows
Pg. 189, The Best of American Beer & Food
These ale-fluffed confections were originally made by Executive Sous Chef Piet Vanden Hogen at Pelican Pub in Pacific City, Oregon. Using Pelican Pub's Wee heavy or a local Barley Wine will add a bit of beer flavor to mugs of hot cocoa, or use them as the filling for adult S'mores, made with graham crackers and bittersweet chocolate. Use organic powdered sugar for the best taste and texture. Adjust the amount of water to soften gelatin according to humidity and elevation. The texture of the bloomed gelatin should be thick and smooth, not grainy.
3 envelopes plain powdered gelatin (3 tablespoons)
4 to 5 ounces cold water
Unsalted butter for pan
¼ cup sifted organic powdered sugar for pan
4 ounces decanted (settled, with no foam) Scottish ale or Barley Wine
2 cups pure cane sugar
¼ teaspoon finely ground sea salt
6 ounces corn syrup
½ teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract
2 cups organic powdered sugar sifted with 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Bloom or soften gelatin in 4 to 5 ounces water in the bowl of a stand mixer. While the gelatin softens, prepare a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan by greasing it with butter inside and sprinkling it with powdered sugar to cover base and sides. Rotate pan so sugar is evenly applied. Set aside.
- Combine ale or barley wine, sugar, salt, and corn syrup in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring to soft-ball stage, 238° F on a candy thermometer. Mixture will foam and turn caramel colored.
- Place bowl with bloomed gelatin into a stand electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn mixer to MEDIUM-LOW and slowly pour in hot sugar mixture, whisking into bloomed gelatin until it starts to fluff. Do not whip too fast or the hot syrup will splatter. Stop mixer and scrape sides. Restart mixer on MEDIUM-HIGH and whip until mixture becomes white and fluffy, about 10 minutes, adding vanilla extract during final minute of mixing.
- Scrape mixture into powdered sugar-lined pan and spread evenly to desired thickness (about 1 inch). Sprinkle top with powdered sugar-starch mixture and set aside. When cooled and set (from 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on humidity), turn slab out onto a cookie sheet covered with half of the sifted powdered sugar mixture. Slice into cubes with sharp knife or scissors dipped in warm water between each slice. Roll cubes in remaining powdered sugar mixture so all sides are coated. Let air-dry until not sticky (time varies according to humidity), and place in an air-tight covered container. Will keep up to 10 days.
Makes about 50 marshmallows.
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