Brewing is much older than the written record: Evidence of beer production in Mesopotamia dates back about 5,000 years.

Fast forward to the here and now: In American kitchens, some people regularly cook with beer. Others, even though they like beer, are more likely to cook with wine.

Executive Chef Cenobio Canalizo of Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C. likes to cook with both. He recently added beer-braised onions to his fall Bar Burger, and sent us his recipe plus general tips for cooking with beer:

A cheeseburger with caramelized onions is the fall Bar Burger recipes at Michael Jordan’s The Steak House. Photo courtesy PotatoRolls.com.

Beer braised onions are an easy way to start cooking with beer. You can add them to first courses, entrées and sides. As a start, serve them with meat or poultry, baked or mashed potatoes, beans, burgers, eggs, grains, grilled fish and sandwiches (especially great with grilled cheese, roast beef, turkey or vegetable sandwiches).

Chef Canalizo’s fall Bar Burger includes onions braised in Ommegang Nut Brown Ale (from New York State) and melted Cheddar cheese on a Martin’s potato roll, and served with homemade potato chips. Here’s his recipe for the onions:

RECIPE: BEER BRAISED ONIONS

For The Burger

 
Preparation

1. MELT the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and toss to coat with butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are a golden color. Add the beer and herbs and continue to cook for 5 more minutes until caramelized.

2. FORM the meat into four eight-ounce patties. Season with kosher salt and pepper and cook to the desired temperature. While the meat is cooking, toast the buns.

3. TOP each patty with cheddar cheese and beer braised onions, place on the bun and serve.

 
BAKE YOUR OWN HAMBURGER ROLLS

Skip those puffy, white-bread standards and try delicious gourmet hamburger rolls. Here’s a recipe.

 
*Brown ale is sweeter, darker and less bitter than the typical lager beer. If you can’t find an American brown ale, imported Newcastle Nut Brown Ale is typically available in stores with a good beer selection.
  

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 the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria, the future King Ludwig I.)
In the beer category, seasonal beer styles are called…seasonals. For fall, full-bodied beers replace the lighter brews of summer. Three craft beer fall seasonals that immediately come to mind:

 
In addition to these styles, other popular fall beers include:

Fat Jack brewed with more than 28 pounds of pumpkin per barrel. Photo courtesy Samuel Adams.

 
__________
*To be labeled Oktoberfest beer in Germany, a beer must conform to the Reinheitsgebot (the German beer purity law), which dictates a minimum of 6% alcohol (by comparison, America’s Budweiser has 5%). The beer must also be brewed within the city limits of Munich.

Märzen, the classic all beer of Germany. Photo courtesy Gordon Biersch.

THROW AN OKTOBERFEST PARTY

According to us, you can hold an Oktoberfest celebration any time in October. We served an assortment of flavored chicken sausages from Bilinski German potato salad, sweet and sour red cabbage and a cheese course with hard sausage and apples. For dessert: apple sorbet with hard apple cider from Angry Orchard plus some local artisan brews.

Here are two articles to guide your party planning:

 
 
See our Beer Glossary for the different types of beer and the history of beer.

After yesterday’s recipe for spinach and artichoke dip appeared, our friend Rachel emailed to say: “I don’t like spinach. Do you have a recipe for artichoke dip without it?”

This one’s for you, Rachel: an award-winning recipe courtesy of Mooney Farms. The recipe uses Mooney’s Bella Sun Luci brand of sun-dried tomatoes (a brand we favor).
 
 
RECIPE: SUN-DRIED TOMATO & ARTICHOKE DIP

Ingredients

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. In a glass 9-inch pie pan or baking plate, mix the cream cheese, garlic and artichoke hearts. Use a large fork to blend together.

2. ADD the sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and basil. Stir together until well blended.

3. FLATTEN the dip with a fork or spatula, so the dip is an even layer in the pan. Sprinkle top with the Italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper to taste.

4. BAKE for 16-18 minutes; the dip should be golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

 
__________________
*You can make your own Italian seasoning by combining equal parts basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Store in an airtight jar.

In the 18th century, after the corn harvest, farmers would toss corn kernels, some fat and a little molasses into a cast iron pot. Voilà: the first kettle corn. (Today, special popcorn strains create big, fluffy kernels.)

By the 1840s, corn popping had become a popular recreational activity in the U.S. By the 1870s, popcorn was sold in grocery stores and at concession stands at circuses, carnivals and fairs. The first commercial popcorn machine was invented in 1885; by the early 1920s, popcorn machines turned out hot buttered corn at most movie theaters.

Here’s the history of popcorn.

Considered a humble food accessible to all, it now used by fine chefs as a garnish for both sweet and savory food.
 
 
THE HUMBLE SNACK BECOMES FANCY FARE

Recently we featured an elegant savory corn custard, made from fresh corn and garnished with popcorn.

While a popcorn garnish is not yet ubiquitous, it has long been a standard on cheese and beer soup. Here’s a recipe from Emeril Lagasse, who makes spicy popcorn for the garnish. But if you don’t have the time, plain popcorn works just fine.

Any thick soup—bean, lentil, vegetable—is ready to wear a popcorn garnish; as is a bowl of chili.
 
 
USE PLAIN OR FLAVORED POPCORN

A second level of fun in using a popcorn garnish: You can flavor the popcorn to complement the dish. Just a sample of popcorn flavors you can pair:

 
If there’s a flavor you want, just toss it with popcorn. Here are 50 ways to season plain popcorn.

You can also coat the popcorn in chocolate, or use purchased popcorn: chocolate-covered, chocolate-peppermint or maple for the holidays, and so forth.

WAYS TO USE A POPCORN GARNISH

Beverages: Hot chocolate, on a cocktail pick, on milkshakes

 
If you’re not yet convinced, here’s a simple way to try out popcorn garnishes:

The next time you roll down the supermarket snack aisle, check out the popcorn selection. Buy a savory (plain salted popcorn) and a sweet variety (caramel corn or kettle corn) and start using them as garnishes.
 
_______________________
*Leave off the butter and sugar, and season with spices or herbs, and you’ve got a fiber-filled, healthful snack.

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 you grab marinated or plain? It’s a toss-up.

Canned artichokes, packed in water, are more bland out of the can, but fine for dips, soups and other recipes where you don’t want the vinaigrette that comes with marinated artichoke hearts.

Marinated artichoke hearts are marinated in white vinegar and cheaper oil: soybean, sunflower or lower-quality olive oil.

If your palate notices the difference, you’re better off marinating your own, adding salt and spices to taste. They’re best in antipastos, salads and on sandwiches.

If you score a jumbo size, what should you do with all that artichoke?

The good news is that artichokes are low in calories: a 14 ounce can has 165 calories. So use them wherever and whenever.

Below:

> 14 ways to use artichoke hearts.

> A recipe for spinach and artichoke dip and variations.

> The history of spinach and artichoke dip.

> The most popular dips and spreads.

> More dip recipes.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of artichokes.

> The year’s 60+ vegetable holidays.
 
 
20 WAYS TO USE ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Here’s a starter list.

 

[10] How impressive is this dip served in a hollowed-out red cabbage? Here’s the recipe (photo © Inspired by Charm).
 
 
RECIPE: SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP OR SPREAD

Ingredients

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. DRAIN the spinach in a strainer and press with the back of a large spoon to press out the remaining water. Further blot with paper towels if needed.

2. COMBINE the spinach in a food processor with the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and optional zest and nutmeg; blend. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. ADD the artichokes and pulse a few times. For a cold dip, refrigerate spread in a tightly-capped container for several hours or overnight, to enable the flavors to blend.

4. FOR A HOT DIP: Preheat oven to 375°F. Blend in the grated cheese and fresh-ground black pepper. Place in an oven-proof dish, top with more grated cheese and bake at until golden brown, about 15–20 minutes.
 
Artichoke Dip Variations

There are as many different types of artichoke dip as there are people who think of what to add or change. Popular examples:

 
While many recipes include cream cheese and Parmesan, we like grated Emmental or Gruyère cheese atop a hot dip.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP

The 1950s were the decade that launched mid‑century “party dips” to feed the postwar TV/snacking culture and more casual get-togethers.

Artichoke dip, in particular, got a boost when artichoke hearts—canned, jarred, or frozen—became widely available. No one had to wait for artichoke season, cook an artichoke and remove the heart.

While home dips took off mid‑century, spinach–artichoke dip’s modern identity—hot, gooey, cheese-forward, and served with baguette slices, crackers, or potato chips—appears to have been strongly reinforced by restaurant and chain menus. People went home and created copycat recipes. (Here’s the copycat recipe for Applebee’s version).

[1] Spinach Artichoke Dip. The recipe is below (Abacus Photo).

[2] Here’s a recipe for a hot version of Spinach-Artichoke Dip (photos #2, #6, #7. #8 © Taste Of Home).

[3] Forget the dip and make an artichoke baked potato. Here’s the recipe (photo © Bonefish Grill).

[4] If you can find artichoke hearts already halved or quartered, it saves time (Gemini Photo).

[5] How about an artichoke galette: for brunch, lunch or a first course at dinner. Here’s the recipe (photo © DeLallo).

[6] Beyond artichoke dip: Buffalo Chicken Dip is one of America’s favorites. Here’s the recipe.

[7] This dill pickle dip was is so popular, when we serve it guests often bring spoons to eat the dip from the bowl. Here’s the recipe.

[8] A copycat recipe of Applebee’s popular spinach and artichoke dip. Here’s the recipe.

[9] If you steam fresh artichokes, here’s a tip: Don’t discard the stem. It tastes just like the artichoke heart (photo © Melissa’s Produce).

The recipe above is what Mom’s used, transferred from the package to an index card and kept in a metal index card box with her other recipes.

Today, bagel, pita, and tortilla chips; crostini and other toasts; and crudités have joined the dip-and-spread lineup, along with artichoke dip served in a bread bowl (use a round loaf).

The dip can be served hot or room temperature.

Sunset Magazine lauded the dip as a “gooey, melty, mayonnaisey 1960s classic…you can even use as a sauce for grilled fish or chicken.” Here’s their recipe.

Spinach and artichoke dip is one of the most popular dips in the U.S., so it’s surprising that we can’t find information on its origin. If you know it, please let us know.
 

[11] One of America’s most popular party dips is Seven Layer Dip, a Tex-Mex recipe that has inspired similar dips in other cuisines, like Greek Seven Layer Dip (Abacus Photo).
 
 
 
THE MOST POPULAR SAVORY DIPS OR SPREADS

As we were researching this, we came across “Our 10 Most Popular Party Dips Of All Time,” published last October by Southern Living magazine. While their dips skew “southern” and our group of Northerners has never heard of most of them, we’ll append our list following theirs—which contains no artichoke or spinach:

 
Our list, in alphabetical order:

 
Bonus:

 
We do like the idea of Southern Living’s Pepper Jelly Dip. We’ll make a batch for our next gathering.

 
 
MORE DIP RECIPES

 

[12] Here’s a party idea: dips galore (Gemini Photo).
_____________

*Eggs Sardou is a classic New Orleans brunch dish of poached eggs over a bed of creamed spinach and artichoke bottoms, topped with hollandaise sauce. Substitute artichoke hearts instead! The dish was named after French playwright Victorien Sardou, who had visited Antoine’s Restaurant in 1908. The owner, Antoine Alciatore, created the dish in his honor.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.