Eliza Cross has given us a neat little cookbook,101 Things To Do With Beer (Gibbs Smith Publishing) for not just for summer barbecuing but for year round cooking.Beer is one of the most versatile ingredients because there are many types and each are perfect for everything from casseroles to desserts.The small cookbook (only 124 pages!) is packed with some big recipes. The chapters include appetizers, breads,sauces and condiments, soups, dinners, side dishes, desserts and sweets.She also give definitions of the seven different beers used in the two pages of helpful hints.Pilsner cannot be used for dessert recipes because it's too light and bitter while stout is too rich and almost chocolate-y to be used in batters.Regular beers is excellent in baking because the yeast in it acts as a leavening agent.It also makes an excellent marinade because its' enzymes have a tenderizing effect. Its' natural sugars help promote browning and carmelizing. Also beers don't have the acidity of wine so meats can be marinated up to forty-eight hours to absorb more flavor.Home chefs should use caution in adding beers to food that will be frozen since the alcohol in it can inhibit the freezing process.
The recipes are great. Party givers and party lovers will enjoy the easy beer cheese dip made with cream cheese and beer. Of course there are the beer battered recipes, but with a new spin using cauliflower and jalapeno chips (!). There are the beer battered onion rings but spiced up with garlic and Parmesan. Home bakers will love baking loaves with it because the en product will be not only fluffier and moister but will stay fresher than regular loaves.They'll enjoy baking soft beer pretzels. There is also honey wheat beer bread and cornbread waffles. Beer is even in German coffeecake and a glazed banana bread as well as in foccacia and scones. The dinners include the classic Welsh rarebit, that glorious mix of beer, cheddar and Worcestershire sauce along with the new classic beer can chicken. However beer lovers will delight in the spaghetti with beer braised meatballs and beef boiled shrimp. Stout lovers will go mad for the beef stout pie. There are also recipes for sides such as buttered mushrooms with beer and refrigerator pickles made with it. Crafty home chefs can also whip up spicy beer mustard or best beer turkey brine. along with the beer orange dressing. Stout beer, tastes the most like chocolate and it's in many dessert recipes There are chocolate glazed stout brownies and chocolate stout ice cream.. Other beers such as lager star in apple cinnamon beer batter crepes.along with cherry wheat beer in the appropriate cherry beery Bundt cake. For a fun movie night make a batch of chocolate stout fudge or beer caramel corn.
Beer is the perfect summertime drink. Yet it's even better , saucing up meatballs or giving depth to classic Welsh rarebit. Try the recipes in 101 Things To Do With Beer. They'll elevate the brew to another level.
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