TIP OF THE DAY: Cooking With Craft Beer

Cooking with beer is as old as civilization itself. The first-known written record, from the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia, is a 3900-year-old beer recipe and poem honoring Ninkasi, the patron goddess of brewing. Brewing is much older than the written record: Evidence of beer production in Mesopotamia dates back about 5,000 years. Fast forward to…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Cooking With Craft Beer”

TIP OF THE DAY: Fall Beer Styles For Your Oktoberfest

We held an Oktoberfest dinner this past weekend. That’s because even though the name says October, the fest begins in late September and lasts for 16 days, through early October. This year it’s September 19th through October 4th in Munich, where an annual festival has been held since 1810. (It was originally held to celebrate…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Fall Beer Styles For Your Oktoberfest”

TIP OF THE DAY: Sweet Or Savory Popcorn Garnish

Before it was a popular snack, popcorn was a whole grain food. In Colonial times, it was eaten in a bowl with milk or cream, like modern puffed rice and other puffed cereal grains. In the 18th century, after the corn harvest, farmers would toss corn kernels, some fat and a little molasses into a…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Sweet Or Savory Popcorn Garnish”

TIP OF THE DAY: Uses For Artichoke Hearts Beyond Spinach & Artichoke Dip

March 16th is National Artichoke Hearts Day. Yes, there’s a holiday for just about everything: Here are the food holidays. If you shop at a club store, you may run across large cans of artichoke hearts or artichoke pieces, nicely priced. There are also occasional sales on regular formats (13.85 ounce cans). Grab them! Should…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Uses For Artichoke Hearts Beyond Spinach & Artichoke Dip”

TIP OF THE DAY: Grenache (Garnacha) For Fall & Winter

The third Friday of September—the 18th this year—is International Grenache Day. With its high alcohol content and spicy notes, it’s an excellent wine for autumn and winter food pairings (see below). Grenache (gruh-NOSH) in French, Garnacha in Spanish, is easy to grow and thus one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Grenache (Garnacha) For Fall & Winter”