TripHop Grapefruit IPA (and a recap of Beer For Beasts)

We're happy and hungover at Sixpoint and BeerAdvocate, and want to thank everyone who came out to our inaugural fundraiser event, Beer For Beasts, at the Bell House on Saturday. I had a fabulous time, and am eager to share a recipe for one beer I heard many compliments on... me and Robert's Triphop Grapefruit IPA! But first, a quick recap of how the event went down:

Food Blogger Contest! Post a Spring Recipe to Win Classes at Ger-Nis

These past few warmer weeks, I haven't been able to get the song, "Here Comes the Sun" out of my head. Spring means a lot of things to a lot of people, whether it's cleaning or getting out of dodge with your "fling." But to me it means a few things: asparagus, pea shoots, dandelion greens and a general presence of chlorophyll. Those are all just around the corner and coming to a Greenmarket soon. So in anticipation of that, let's have a little blogging challenge that captures the essence of spring.

Corned Beef on Rye with Mustardy Coleslaw & Caramelized Onions

Happy St. Patty's Day! If popular tradition had won us over, we'd be toasting pints of Guinness in leprechaun hats and forking up mouthfuls of corned beef with cabbage and potatoes right about now. But as much as I hold dear that classic meal, it just didn't seem like an appropriate day for boiled potatoes and cabbage. At sixty degrees and sunny outside, it's picnic time. Spring is here, and that's reason enough to celebrate.

Wild Mushroom Quiche with Pecorino & Lemon Zest

If it weren't so easy to make an entire one, I might succumb to ordering a slice of savory quiche at a bakery or for brunch. But it is, and no matter if you incorporate the most luxurious ingredients or leftovers in its airy, yellow mass, definitely more economical than the options above. It's one of my favorite ways to add class to eggs.

Orange Rosemary Bundt Cake

I had an I-Can't-Believe-I-Made-That moment when this cake slipped out of the new bundt pan. Its surface was like a helmet of crisp, melted sugar; it hit its final destination of a plate with a slight spring. A wave of warm, buttery caramel, with citrus and spruce filled my nostrils. It looked like an Art Deco sculpture of sorts. It was a real moment of victory. And I can't wait for it to happen to you, hopefully, too.

Kimchee Roasted Potatoes

Hear me out: making kimchee at home is really easy! And the payoffs are practical in the kitchen, too. Here's a look at my first attempt at making a true, Korean friend-approved batch of kimchee, and one way to put it to delicious use: as a seasoning for everyday, ever-versatile roasted potatoes.

Kandake, the Queen of Beers

photo by MHT What do figs, spice and everything malty and nice have to do with one another? They're all ingredients of a specialty beer I helped brew this week, for Sixpoint and BeerAdvocate's Beer For Beasts festival. It's an event we've been "brewing" up for a while, and the pieces are all coming together in the form of twenty-some unique, one-off beers that will be served for it. This is just one of those among the lineup, but an exciting one that I just had to share a homebrew recipe for. Inspired by the African title for queens, Kandake, this beer is flavored with honey, birdseye chili (or peri-peri), cardamom, cloves, Ethiopian coffee and dried figs.