Sounds so wrong, but so right at the same time. I haven’t tried this……yet, as I just got the info.  I just came across a newsletter from Vibrant Rioja.  I couldn’t remember signing up for this, but then, it was to do with alcohol, so who knows.  Anyway, the point is, there was this sick recipe for chocolate potato, and it goes a little something like this………… Oh! BTW, the receipe was by Jill Paradiso’s cookbook (which I can’t yet find anywhere online, but you should go find it, and buy it, because shes good, and you will like her food, and I said so….)

Jill Paradiso is a classically trained chef that has worked in the kitchens of Mario Batali and Jean-Georges Vongerichten – you might recognize them. She has also done recipe development for Martha Stewart, Whole Foods Markets, and Dean and Deluca and she’s been kind enough to share some of her recipes with us.

I [Jill Paridiso] recently served this side dish along side a mixed grill of pork sausage, lamb chops, and steak.  You could easily serve it along side chicken or a meatier fish.  Clearly, these potatoes offer a variety of pairing opportunities, and they are surprisingly easy and delicious!

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You will need three pieces of aluminum foil for the recipe.
Serves 4 (as a side dish)

2 lbs potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
*I recommend using either small, red potatoes (also known as new potatoes) or fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped (you can also use chocolate chips)
2 tablespoons coffee grinds
1 table olive oil
sea salt, to taste

1.Place cut potatoes on 1 piece of aluminum foil. Fold foil around potatoes to create a boat.
2. Add remainder of ingredients.
3.Cover the top of the potatoes with a second piece of foil to create a sealed package. Wrap the entire package with the third piece of foil- this will ensure that no liquids leak out.
4.Place foil package directly on grill. Cook about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Cooking time may vary slightly, depending upon the size of the potatoes.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, I like to leave them on the grill for at least another 5 minutes so that the bottoms crisp!

I couldn’t find this recipe on Vibrant Rioja’s site, but there were a ton of other tasty sounding recipes; not quite as strange sounding as this one, but still of fine quality, as well as information on their wines.  Check out their site http://www.vibrantrioja.com/recipes.html and sign up for their newsletter.

Cheers

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning, or to taste
• 4 slices bacon, cut in half
• 4 thick slices red onion
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 slices provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the bourbon, and simmer for 10 minutes. Have a lid ready to cover the skillet in case the bourbon catches fire.
2. Pour in the cider vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, minced chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Pour sauce into a bowl, and refrigerate until no longer hot, about 30 minutes.
3. Season chicken breasts with grill seasoning, and place into a shallow glass dish. Pour all but 1 cup of the cooled sauce over the chicken breasts, and turn to coat. Refrigerate remaining sauce. Cover the chicken and refrigerate 2 hours. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, and set aside.
4. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
5. Drain marinade from the chicken and discard. Cook chicken on preheated grill, basting with reserved sauce, until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes per side. Meanwhile, brush onion slices with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Secure the rings with toothpicks to keep them from falling apart. Grill over indirect heat until soft, about 15 minutes.
6. To serve, place chicken onto serving plates and top with a slice grilled onion, 2 slices of bacon and then a slice of provolone cheese. Remove toothpicks before serving.

Original recipe found here

I first tried Sam Adams Utopias back in November 08. The Draft Barn sold it for $400 per bottle or $20 per 30ml shot. I wish I had known back then, just how many measures I would have bought, maybe then I would have invested in a bottle, instead of per shot!! As you can tell, I think it is well worth the $20. It has a taste of a Sherry, Cognac and the faint after taste of a malt beer. 10 out of 10 from me.

Truly the epitome of brewing’s two thousand year evolution, Samuel Adams Utopias offers a flavor not just unlike any other beer but unlike any other beverage in the world. Its warm, sweet flavor is richly highlighted with hints of vanilla, oak and caramel. The 2003 batch topped out at a record breaking 25.6% ABV, beating the records that Samuel Adams Triple Bock and Samuel Adams Millennium had set before it. And like those groundbreaking brews, Samuel Adams Utopias is not carbonated and should be served at room temperature.

In one of many examples where Samuel Adams Utopias pushed the boundaries of beer, it received the highest recommendation (96-100 points) from the prestigious Wine Enthusiast Magazine (November, 2003 edition). Due to legal restrictions, Samuel Adams Utopias can not be sold in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia.

History of the Beer

The latest in their strong brews, Samuel Adams Utopias has been brewed in two small limited batches to date. The first batch which was released in 2001 as Samuel Adams Utopias MMII topped out at 24% ABV, while the second batch which was released in 2003 as Samuel Adams Utopias pushed the alcohol to 25.6% ABV. Both batches were released only once and in limited quantities. “Guinness World Records is pleased to confirm that the current record for The Strongest Commercially Available Beer belongs to Samuel Adams for their Utopias MM II brew,” says Keely Hopkins, Guinness World Records Researcher. “At the current time we have not received information nor are we aware of any other organization claiming to have broken this record.”

About the Brewing

Samuel Adams Utopias was brewed at a very high gravity using a wide variety of malted barley and a touch of maple syrup. It was then fermented and conditioned in a blend of scotch, bourbon, port and cognac casks for up to ten months using a pair of proprietary yeast strains they developed at their Boston Brewery.

Many years ago, when I had just started working on board cruise ships, my Filipino Manager at the time, would order from the bar, a ‘Chivas and milk’.  I put this strange mix down to being from another part of the world and figured what the hell!  I gave it a go…..no bad…….but not great.  Strangely enough, the taste of the whiskey was not totally lost; it just meant that the sharp whiskey bite was soothed straight away, by the milk.

Last night, I was at New York’s Prime 333 having the (and I really do mean ‘the’ best Porterhouse steak EVER) with an old ship  friend of mine, when he started bringing up all the various cocktails we had invented together (recipes coming soon).  Whilst blurting out our comparison lists, he mentioned that his Grandmother had joined him in his quest to find the ultimate cocktail.  Her attempt……well, you can see below.

I am currently out of Irish Whiskey, so figured I will try the recipe below, with a shot of Knob Creek, and some good ol PG Tips.  I’ll be right back!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tea bag (regular flavor)
• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) Irish Whiskey
• Milk
• Sugar to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour boiling water into a mug, and place the tea bag in to steep for about 1 minute.
2. Remove and discard the tea bag. (Or use it to clean the burnt underside of your saucepans!)
3. Pour in the whiskey, milk and sugar as desired.
4. Stir, drink and chillax.

Here is one of my recipes for steak and ale pie, I am yet to perfect it, but the basics are there. Feel free to add your own spin on this and let us know about it in the comments below. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer (Guiness or Newcastle Brown Ale is good)
• 1 cup of water (or just add another cup of beer)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 beef boullion cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups quartered fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 pastry for double-crust pie
• 1 tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the beef stew meat, onion, and ale in a large saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the meat is tender, about 40 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Season the beef with garlic, basil, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
4. Mix in the potatoes and mushrooms.
5. Cover and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are just tender enough to pierce with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Whisk a small amount of the sauce together with the flour in a small bowl, and stir into the beef. Simmer until slightly thickened.
7. Fit one pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
8. Spoon the hot beef mixture into the crust and top with the remaining pie crust.
9. Cut slits in the top crust to vent steam and crimp the edges to seal them together.
10. Bake in preheated oven until the crust is golden brown and gravy is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes

Home brewing is an art. With thousands of ‘Home Brew Kit’s’ and books on the subject, finding one that suits you, is art in itself. Home beer brewing is a rewarding experience that you can personally enjoy as well as share with family and friends. Producing homemade beer allows you the luxury of putting a truly personal touch on the beer you drink, and share with others. Below are a series of videos giving you the basics on brewing your own beer, from a kit.

Microbrewery Kit – $ 99.99 The Coopers Brewery Microbrewery Kit is the world’s best selling beer making kit for good reason. It is designed to give you everything you need to brew 6 gallons of your own high quality, completely natural, great tasting beer every time.

I have been assured that Beer Margaritas are pretty amazing.  So I will be testing this recipe out on the Mrs, real soon!    If anyone has a unique food or drinks recipe, that has some form of alcohol as an ingredient, don’t be shy, pass it along.  Send it in.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 4)

• 2/3 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
• 1 cup tequila
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup beer
• Ice
• 4 Slices of lime

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour limeade, tequila, water and beer into a large pitcher. Stir until well-blended, and limeade has melted. Add plenty of ice, and garnish with lime wedges.

This is an awesome recipe for making the best beer batter.   Try dipping your fish, pizza, or even a milkyway bar! (I think I spent too much time at the Chipshop in Park Slope)

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