Fried Pickles

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Katryn

After our post last week, you were probably asking yourself, “What could Nathan and Katryn do that could possibly top homemade pickles?”  Well, the obvious answer was to make Frickles!  We were trying to figure out what to do with our pickle surplus and Nathan had a flash of inspiration.  Everyone knows that the only way to make an almost perfect food even better is by frying it (or by stuffing it into another type of awesome food and THEN frying it but we didn’t want to blow your minds too much.)  Making the frickles was surprisingly easy compared to some of our other frying experiences and the bite size treats are tangy, spicy, and crunchy all at once.

We were curious about who had this genius idea first and according to our in-depth research (wikipedia search) “Fried Dill Pickles were popularized by Bernell “Fatman” Austin in 1963 at the Duchess Drive In located in Atkins, Arkansas. The Fatman’s Recipe is only known to his family and used once each year at the annual Picklefest in Atkins, held each May.”  Leave it to those crazy kids in Arkansas to come up with something so great as having a ‘picklefest’ AND deciding to fry pickles.

Katryn’s Wine Pairing: Rex Goliath, Pinot Grigio
Rating: 9.0 out of 10.0

Rex Goliath wines always surprise us by how great they are even though they are one of the least expensive wines at the store (this bottle of Pinot Grigio was only $4.99!) They taste at 3 or 4 times more expensive than they actually are. This Pinot Grigio was awesome with the Frickles because the acidity in the Frickles heightened the fruit and citrus flavors in the wine and made the wine taste even brighter and more crisp.

 

 

Nathan’s Beer Pairing: The Public Ale, DC Brau
Rating: 8.00 out of 10.0

I’ve had this local DC beer at a few local bars and restaurants here in DC and have always enjoyed it.  This pale ale is pretty easy drinking but has just enough body, hop bite, and flavor to keep things interesting.  I’ve enjoyed it both as a session beer and with meals and is the type of beer that would pair well with lots of meals because of its moderate flavors.  One of the few criticisms that I have is that the six-pack of the beer ran me $10.00… but for a microbrew that just started up it is probably to be expected.

In the interest of promoting a local brewery you can check ‘em out here: http://www.dcbrau.com/

Frickles:

Ingredients:

4 large pickles, chilled and cut into ½ inch circles

Egg wash, recipe follows

Breading, recipe follows

Canola oil, for frying

Ranch dressing, recipe follows

Directions:

Using only very cold pickle chips, dip pickle into egg wash and then coat with breading. Dip the breaded pickle back into the egg wash and coat once again with breading. Repeat this process until no pickles remain, and arrange dipped pickles on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot suitable for deep-frying to 375˚. Carefully add chilled pickle chips, in batches, to the hot oil and fry for about 1minute or until golden. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve with Ranch Dressing.

Egg Wash:

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

Pinch lemon pepper

2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

Pickle juice

Directions:

In a baking dish, whisk all ingredients together, except pickle juice. Add pickle juice, to taste, and whisk to combine.

Breading:

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch lemon pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper, to taste

Pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a baking dish.

Ranch Dressing:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons minced cilantro

2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

Mayonnaise

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, stir all ingredients together, except mayonnaise. Add mayonnaise, as needed, to thicken. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Homemade Pickles

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Katryn

We have been wanting to make homemade pickles from just about the same time that we started Rampant Cuisine. Unfortunately, we always seemed to think about making them at the end of the season when all the cucumbers are about a foot long. However, this year we made sure to start looking for the small pickling cucumbers in early spring and I was excited to spot them at our local farmer’s market a couple weeks ago. It is hard to stress how easy to make and how good these pickles are… we never want to buy pickles from the grocery store again! Our pickles are crisp and flavorful and the recipe can be endlessly modified to incorporate various ingredients (Wasabi pickles are next on our list!) or suit differing tastes. Give making pickles a try!

Question: Do you have good or bad pickling experiences to share? Is there anything else we should try to pickle?

Homemade Pickles:

Ingredients:

1 cup vinegar
3 cups water
5 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
1 Tbs. Horseradish
1tsp. red pepper flakes
1tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
3 Tbs. salt
2 bay leaves
8 small pickling cucumbers

Directions:

Soak cucumbers in an ice bath for one hour.

Next, in a medium saucepan bring water, vinegar, salt, mustard seed, coriander, and peppercorns to a boil. Meanwhile, put garlic, horseradish, bay leaves and cucumbers into a jar that can be sealed (i.e. a Ball jar.) Use a jar that snugly contains all the cucumbers…you don’t want a jar with too much extra space. Pour the boiling water/vinegar mixture over the cucumbers. The liquid should reach the top of the jar; if it doesn’t, top it off with some water. Seal the jar and allow to refrigerate for one week before trying your first tasty pickle.

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Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Katryn


Since Nathan’s recent attempt to burn down our condo I have been employing our trusty and less fire-prone oven to prepare our meals. This past weekend we were having guests over and I wanted something easy that I could simply pull out of the oven when our friends arrived. We decided to do an old classic with a Rampant Cuisine twist…Mexican Stuffed Peppers! The recipe incorporates the traditional elements of ground beef and rice while mixing it up with the addition of cilantro, queso fresco, and a little spicy heat. Top the peppers with a sour cream sauce, pair them with our Classic Margarita, and you have the perfect meal for your upcoming Cinco de Mayo celebrations!

Mexican Stuffed Peppers:

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil

½ yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 mild sausage

½ pound lean ground beef

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbs. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

2 10 oz. cans diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 cup rice, uncooked (you’ll need 1½-2 cups cooked rice)

½ cup queso fresco, crumbled

2 Tbs cilantro, chopped

Dash of Cayenne pepper, to taste

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1 cup Mexican cheese blend (or you can just use cheddar or Monterey Jack)

6 bell peppers in assorted colors, we used green, yellow and red…orange would be good too!

½ cup sour cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 375° F. Cook the rice according to the package directions.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for several minutes until the onions are translucent. Next, add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the beef and sausage and cook, breaking the meats up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, diced tomatoes, cooked rice (you may not need all the cooked rice…add just enough to balance the meat to your liking), queso fresco, cilantro, cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. At this point, taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings to your palate. Arrange the bell peppers, cut-side up, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or pan. Divide the beef mixture among the bell peppers, add ½ cup water to the dish, tightly cover the dish with foil, and bake until the bell peppers are soft, 40-50 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the Mexican cheese, and bake until browned, 5-7 minutes more.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and ¼ cup water. Drizzle over the bell peppers and top with chopped cilantro.

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Fajita Fail

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Nathan

I know that Katryn usually writes our postings but this time I wanted to tell the tale of our latest cooking adventure myself.  Last Saturday while preparing for Easter and making our cheesecake and deviled eggs, we thought that we would take advantage of the nice weather and do some grilling as well.

Nothing says Easter like fajitas, margaritas, and cheap mexican beer so I promptly set up our brand new portable grill on our tiny balcony and proceeded to start lighting the charcoal.  During this process a gust of wind sent a spark a few feet directly into one of our hanging planters on the railing.  The planter’s lining is (maybe I should say “was”) made up of coconut fibers, or for those of you who don’t know, nature’s perfect kindling.  The spark immediately started a small flame and without thinking I used the paper towel in my hand to try and smother the flames.  Probably not the smartest decision under normal circumstances, my poor choice was exacerbated by the fact that I had just used the paper towel to wipe up some lighter fluid that had dripped onto the balcony.  What was once a tiny flame on the planter became a brush fire and the object in my hand, formerly known as a paper towel, was now a flaming ball of death.

While my previous fast action had gotten me into trouble this time I made the quick decision to throw the flaming paper towel into the grill and shut the lid.  Death ball of fire averted, I turned my attention to the small forest fire on our balcony and immediately made the decision to use my tasty homemade margarita as a sort of ad-hoc firefighting device (not unlike the helicopters that dump massive buckets of water onto fires).  To my disappointment, my selfless sacrifice of adult beverage was not enough to douse the raging inferno, but by this time Katryn had noticed something was up.  She started filling up a pitcher of water and we quickly formed a mini bucket brigade that wanna-be fire fighters everywhere would be proud of, involving cups, tupperware, and anything else that would hold water.

The fire was quickly put out this way and we finally took stock of the damage: none really.  Our balcony is nothing but concrete and steel and nothing else was ever in danger of catching flame.  The only thing damaged other than the planter was my pride.  The whole time this little fiasco was going down our neighbors from upstairs were in the front yard planting some lovely flowers.  They helpfully pointed out that “Hey, your plants are on fire.” as I scrambled frantically to put it out.

Crisis averted, I took my lost dignity and grilling inside where I proceeded to grill our steak on the grill pan.  Remember kids: Smokey says “don’t light your balcony on fire”.

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Lavender Honey Cheesecake

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Katryn

I saw this recipe for Lavender Honey Cheesecake in the Washington Post food section about 4 years ago and the idea has stuck in my head ever since. Every Easter I planned to make it but for one reason or another it never happened. Part of the problem is that culinary Lavender is hard to find! This year, Nathan and I found a culinary Lavender plant at the local farmer’s market and I knew that this would be the year to finally make the dream a reality. It was worth the wait! The blueberries lend color to the cake without masking the flavor of the lavender, which gives this dessert an air of spring. It is definitely an unusual and different cheesecake but that’s what we do here on Rampant Cuisine!

Lavender Honey Cheesecake:

Recipe found here

MAKE AHEAD: The cheesecake should be prepared a day or two in advance; cover carefully and refrigerate.

Ingredients:

For the crust

1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

8 vanilla wafers, crumbled (1/2 cup)

3 tablespoons plus 2/3 cup good-quality honey, such as wildflower

2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature (do not use low-fat or nonfat)

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, stemmed and washed

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons dried (culinary) lavender

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (do not use low-fat or nonfat)

1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt

For garnish

Honey, mint leaves or crystallized flowers (optional)

Directions:

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Boil a kettle of water (for a bain-marie, or water bath). Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan tightly with aluminum foil to make sure it is waterproof.

For the crust: Combine the wafer crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl, then press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.

For the filling: Combine the crumbled wafers and 3 tablespoons of the honey in a small bowl.

Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer on medium speed for several minutes, until it is smooth and creamy. Add the remaining 2/3 cup of honey; the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition; and the vanilla extract; stop often to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Fold the wafer-honey mixture into the batter. Pour the filling into the prepared pan and place it in a larger roasting pan. Place the pan on the middle oven rack; use the boiled water to fill the pan so the water level comes about one-third to halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 1 hour, until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly in the center.

While the cake is baking, prepare the topping: Combine the blueberries, water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the berries are very soft.

Add the lavender and remove from the heat. Let the mixture steep for 15 minutes, then transfer to a blender and puree. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. There should be about 1/4 cup of lavender syrup; discard the solids.

Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer on medium speed for several minutes, until it is smooth and creamy. Reduce the speed to low, then add the yogurt and the lavender syrup. If needed, use a spatula to make sure the mixture is blended together completely.

Remove the springform pan from the bain-marie and place on a wire rack; let it rest for 5 minutes, then spread the topping evenly over the cheesecake. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate overnight (still in the springform pan).

When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and place the cake on a platter. If desired, drizzle with honey or garnish each slice with a mint leaf or crystallized flowers.

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Chicken Parmesan

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Katryn

When Nathan and I have a theme, we like to follow it through to its fullest extent. For instance, when we have tacos the weather must be nice, we must have Margaritas and we have to listen to the ‘Mexicana’ Pandora station (whether we like it or not.) So, for our chicken parmesan last night it was imperative to recreate an Italian trattoria in our apartment. A cool spring evening, a bottle of Chianti, and…Andrea Boccelli courtesy of Pandora.

“Ann-drea Boo-ccelli?” Nathan skeptically asked.

“Of course!” I answered… “Andrea is a staple of a good Italian meal! He will tug at heart strings you never knew you had.”

Yes, it’s true…before last night, Nathan had never consciously listened to the dulcet tones of the ‘fourth tenor.’ And so…Pandora took us on a musical journey of Andrea, Michael Buble, Celine Dion and Josh Groban that left Nathan weak in the knees and yearning for the safe haven of heavy metal. Fortunately, the Chicken Parmesan that we made more than made up for the musical onslaught endured by Nathan’s aural senses. The sauce is fresh and zesty, the chicken is tender and juicy, and the whole dish is covered with a layer of melted cheese that’s as easy to love as the smooth voice of “Ann-drea Boo-celli.”

Katryn’s Wine Pairing: Piccini Tuscany Chianti 2009

Rating: 6.75 out of 10

This is a very standard Italian table wine that reminded me of the house wines served by the glass carafe in many Italian trattorias that I frequented in Rome. It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t remarkably good and was dry in a way that sucked all the moisture from my mouth on the first sip. It was definitely not a wine that I would want to drink by itself but when sipped with the chicken parmesan it was a solid accompaniment. There wasn’t much flavor to speak of…the overwhelming impression of the wine was extreme dryness! I haven’t yet found a Chianti that I love…the search shall continue!

Nathan’s Beer Pairing: Raging B****, Flying Dog Brewery

Rating: 8.25 out of 10.0

This is the perfect example of a good beer but a bad pairing… Initially, I set out to grab a pale ale or IPA with the thought that a lighter beer with some hop bite to it would offset this rich meal.  Unfortunately, I didn’t pay attention to the IPA that I got… Raging Bitch is a Belgian Style IPA with the hop bite that I was looking for but with a rich malt undertones and an 8.3% alcohol content to boot.  Halfway through the meal I was super full from the great filling Italian dish and equally filling beer.

Me not paying attention to what I was buying isn’t Flying Dog’s fault though.  Raging Bitch is a nice strong beer with great balance between the hops characteristic in an IPA with the malty sweetness of a Belgian beer.  This beer would be great with a light tart dish with fruit or funky cheese but not breaded chicken with melted cheese and marinara sauce…

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 coarsely grated peeled carrot
1 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes in juice
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

3 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (from dry French bread ground in processor)
1 large egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided
1 cup coarsely grated well-drained fresh water-packed mozzarella
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Basic Tomato Sauce:

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add carrot; sauté until carrot is soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and diced tomatoes; bring to boil, coarsely crushing tomatoes with potato masher or fork. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until it is pureed to desired consistency. Add garlic powder, basil and red pepper flakes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Chicken:

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using meat mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken breasts to 1/3-inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Spread breadcrumbs on plate. Whisk eggs to blend in medium bowl. Spread flour on another plate. Coat both sides of chicken with flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to skillet and cook until brown, about 2 minutes per side, adding more oil as needed (chicken will not be cooked through). Transfer chicken to platter. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of a large glass baking dish. Arrange chicken over sauce. Spoon 2 cups sauce over. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan over. Bake until cheeses melt and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Cherry Blossom Cocktail

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Katryn

Nathan and I actively boycott the National Cherry Blossom festival. Part of the reason for this silent protest is an experience that Nathan had several years ago. Before Nathan and I met (and I started taking up all his free weekend time) he would bike from his apartment in Arlington into DC and take pictures. (You can see some of his awesome photos on his Flickr site here.) One Saturday when the cherry blossoms were at their peak, Nathan decided to wake up before dawn and take pictures of the sunrise at the tidal basin. He was expecting a solitary zen-like experience during which the cherry blossoms would inspire a creative explosion and National Geographic-quality cherry blossom images would ensue. Nathan arrived on his bike at the cherry blossoms only to discover that approximately 6 million other photographers had the same idea. The only way to get a shot that didn’t have another photographer in it was to essentially shoot straight up into the sky. Nathan biked home jaded and disconsolate, bitter at having wasted a perfectly good sleep in morning.

These days we celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival from afar even though we live right here in DC. This year we commemorated the coming of Spring and the beauty of the Cherry Blossoms with this Cherry cocktail (sorry, no blossoms involved). We used sour cherries to give it a tart flavor and a touch of simple syrup to mellow it all out. We hope you enjoy it more than we enjoy the Cherry Blossom festival!

Cherry Blossom Cocktail

Makes 2 servings

(To make this recipe you’ll need jarred sour cherries in light syrup. We used Adro brand morello cherries.)

Ingredients:

2 shots Bourbon Whiskey
2 shots light syrup from jarred sour cherries
Juice of 1 lemon
1 shot simple syrup
Dash of angostura bitters
Splash of club soda, to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except for club soda in a drink shaker with ice. Shake well. Divide the drink between 2 tumblers, add a splash of club soda and garnish with sour cherries.

 

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Pad Thai

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Katryn


When Nathan and I lived in Arlington, VA we had several restaurants that we frequented on a regular basis (most of them within walking distance from our apartment.) One of these restaurants was a neighborhood Thai place that had surprisingly delicious and authentic fare. Nathan would always get a beef basil dish and I would almost always get the Pad Thai. We had a good thing going…until we moved!

We love where we live now but it’s in a pocket of DC that is something of a restaurant desert when compared with our old Arlington stomping grounds. However, this has been good for the blog (and our budget) because we have been forced to learn how to make our favorite restaurant dishes at home. We tend to measure the success of our home-cooked meals by whether or not we think it’s better than restaurant quality and whether we feel that the dish would be worth the $15-$20 that it would cost if we went out.

So, with all that in mind, we set out to create our version of Pad Thai…a dish that has some unusual ingredients (requiring a trip to the local Asian market) but is surprisingly easy to whip together. I can say without hesitation that if I had ordered this Pad Thai in a restaurant I would have been happy with it!

Katryn’s Wine Pairing: MacMurray Ranch 2009 Pinot Gris
Rating: 7.0 out of 10.0

Well, you win some and you lose some. This wine was fairly good by itself but was completely overpowered by the strong flavors in the Pad Thai. The Pad Thai needed a sweeter and fruitier wine to balance the savory spice of the dish and this wine was way too dry and crisp. It would have been a great wine with cheese and crackers, a light pasta dish, or a delicately seasoned seafood dish. C’ est la vie…it was a learning experience, right?

 Nathan’s Beer Pairing: Reed Hook, Nut Brown Ale
Rating: 8.0 out of 10.0

Katryn and I visited three separate stores trying to find a Thai beer that we would be happy pairing with our Pad Thai but we couldn’t find any.  We finally settled on this nut brown ale from Red Hook and I’m really glad that we did!  With pronounced malty, nutty, and toffee flavors it complimented the sweet, sour, and nutty flavors of the Pad Thai perfectly.  Although the beer pours a very dark amber it is surprisingly light and helps to wash down the noodles really well.

Pad Thai:

Ingredients:

5 ounces fettuccine width medium rice noodles
3 Tbs. fish sauce
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs. wet tamarind paste
1 Tbs. Brown sugar
1 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 eggs
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ small onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 Tbs. sweet preserved radish, chopped
½ cup firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips, similar to French fries
1 ½ cups bean sprouts
½ cup garlic chives
¼ cup chopped, roasted peanuts
Lime wedges for garnish

*All of the weird ingredients in this recipe (i.e. wet tamarind) are available at your local Asian grocery store.

Directions:

Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and soak in cool water for approximately 40 minutes.
Assemble the rest of the ingredients so they are easily accessible…the process goes quickly once you start cooking.
Place the tamarind paste into ½” cup boiling water and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
Combine the fish sauce, sugar, honey, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Press the tamarind paste through a fine mesh strainer and add to the sauce. Stir to combine.
Drain the water from the noodles and set them aside.
Place a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Heat until it shimmers, then add the eggs. Lightly scramble the eggs and then push them to one side of the pan. Add shrimp, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients in the following order and toss after each addition: noodles, sauce, radish, tofu, and bean sprouts. Toss everything until the noodles are cooked and everything is heated through. Add the garlic chives. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the peanuts and additional garlic chives. Serve immediately with the lime wedges.

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Pan Seared Scallops

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Nathan

As you know, Nathan and I make a lot of rich foods for the blog…we’re not afraid of butter, sugar, or the deep fryer. However, on a normal basis we eat a healthy diet and always eat our veggies before our dessert. I’ve even gotten Nathan to eat my whole wheat pizza crust! So, in preparation for Spring, here is a light and wholesome recipe that is easy to make and super tasty…it’s quick enough for a weeknight but fancy enough to make the meal feel like a special occasion.

Katryn’s Wine Pairing: Pine Ridge 2011 Chenin Blanc + Viognier
Rating: 7.75 out of 10.0

I was intrigued by this wine because of the blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier…two wines that I really enjoy. I thought the wine was good although a tiny bit sweet for the scallops…the wine would be most successful paired with something more spicy. It was a very fruity wine with flavors of peach, pineapple and citrus…overall a crisp and refreshing wine. In case you were wondering, this is another wine that was under $10!

Nathan’s Beer Pairing: Happy Hipster Hippo Golden Ale, Rampant Brewing Company

I thought that our newest beer from Rampant Brewing Company would be perfect to pair with a dish like these scallops.  The fruit and citrus aromas of the beer complimented the white wine sauce while the mild malt flavors helped to wash down the bitterness of the bok choy.  I’d like to think that this dish was worthy of our awesome new beer and not the other way around!

 

Pan Seared Scallops in White Wine Sauce:

Ingredients: Serves 2

½ pound scallops, approximately 8
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Rinse scallops with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.

White Wine Sauce:

Ingredients:

¼ cup chicken broth
¼ of an onion
¼ cup of white wine
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbs. butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat, mix the chicken broth, onion, wine, and garlic. Cook and stir until most of the liquid has been reduced. Stir in the butter until melted.

Braised Baby Bok Choy:

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 lb baby bok choy, trimmed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in a deep, large heavy skillet and add garlic. Saute garlic for a minute or two, add the broth, and bring to a simmer.. Arrange bok choy evenly in skillet and simmer, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer bok choy with tongs to a serving dish and keep warm, covered.

Garlic and Parsley Quinoa:

Ingredients:

½ cup quinoa
½ cup water
½ cup chicken broth
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbs. fresh parsley
salt, to taste

Directions:

Combine quinoa, water, chicken broth, salt and garlic in medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes.) Stir in the fresh parsley and serve.

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Happy Hipster Hippo Ale

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Nathan

Continuing my obsession with Belgian beer, Katryn and I decided to brew a Belgian style golden ale.  Golden Ale’s tend to be highly complex flavored beers with fruity aromas, high carbonation, alcohol and ester tastes along with subtle malt flavors.  A compromise between a strong ale and a pilsner, the golden ale is perfect for lovers of light beers and heavier, complex beers alike.


Our Happy Hipster Hippo Ale is a round-about ode to St. Augustine of Hippo in continuation of our St. Augustine’s Ale that we brewed in 2010.  Now, you may be asking yourself what a Hippopotamus has to do with with St. Augustine of Hippo and the honest truth is: absolutely nothing.  We just drank a few of our own beers for inspiration while trying to think of a name and it made us giggle.

So, in honor of good ‘ol Saint Augie, we’ve brewed this exceptional Belgian style beer!  True to golden ales, Happy Hipster Hippo begins with aromas of grapefruit followed by a mix of mild ester, fruit, and subtle malt flavors.  This beer goes down smooth and easy and will really sneak up on you with an ABV of 7.75%.  I prefer to drink Happy Hipster Hippo after dinner as a tasty treat unto itself but it is equally as good with a number of different foods.  The acidity of the fruit flavors can cut through a rich meal with ease or the complex flavors can add life to a bland dish.

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