Take comfort foods up a notch by creating a dark-beer cheese sauce.*Easy rules to remember:
*Well, maybe we shouldn’t call them rules. They’re really more like guidelines, but these tips can help anyone eager to get started. Just don’t drink the rest of the bottle before the meal begins.Mirror alcohol color with food color. Although the pinot poached pears are an obvious exception, a general rule of thumb is to pair red wines or darker beers with darker meats, and lighter wines and beers with fish or chicken.Keep it simple. Use a liquor you would actually drink and pick a few complementary seasonings, but no need to go overboard and overwhelm your tastebuds.Less is more. Start slowly with any sauces. It’s always easier to add more as you go than to double up on other ingredients after you realize you’ve added too much.Stay away from “cooking wine.” You shouldn’t use the nice bottle you’ve been saving, but a decent $12-$20 bottle will yield much tastier results.
Side plate:
STIR, a cocktail bar at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, is hosting a Bourbon Whiskey Dinner Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. For $65, guests will be treated to a four-course meal and four Garrison Brothers Bourbon Whiskey cocktail pairings.Distiller Dan Garrison will be present to talk about the distilling process and offer insight into the world of the first and oldest legal whiskey distillery in Texas.Space is limited. Tickets can be purchased at STIR or by calling 423-531-7847.
Having grown up partly in the U.S. and partly in France (my father is French), I was taught a lesson early on that has shaped my culinary view: Alcohol makes everything better.
Almost any meal can be made better with the right selection, as long as all the flavors involved are taken into consideration. And your drinks don’t just have to sit on the sidelines; they can mingle with the main ingredients. If done right, that wine you’ve had open in the fridge can add incredible depth to that simple sauce recipe or marinade – even your dessert.
If you haven’t jumped on the boozy food bandwagon quite yet, what sounds better: a cheeseburger, or a smoked-Gouda Guinness burger? How about a red-wine-and-wild-mushroom risotto?
Beyond just classic comfort foods, adding wine or liquor to any dish is a simple way to take flavors up a few notches with minimal added effort.
If you’re looking for a scientific reason as to why you should imbibe and indulge, just remember that alcohol bonds well with fat and water molecules, which means stronger aromas and a corresponding impact on taste. (Meaning it’s delicious, so just do it!)
Here are three simple, yet scrumptious options to get you started:
Bell’s Amber Ale mac and cheese
Serves 6-8
What you need:
– 4 cups elbow noodles
– 1/2 to 2/3 Amber ale (I like Bell’s)
– 4 cups sharp cheddar
– 3 tablespoons butter
– 1 cup milk
– 1 teaspoon onion salt
– 1 tablespoon garlic powder
– 1 tablespoon cayenne powder
– 1 tablespoon Grey Poupon or similar mustard
– All-purpose flour, as needed to thicken
– Breadcrumbs and chives or basil to garnish, as desired
What you do:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles as directed on packaging, then drain and set aside.
2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, then add beer and milk.
3. Add cheese slowly, whisking constantly until all has melted.
4. Turn heat down to medium-low and add mustard and all other seasonings, while continuing to stir.
5. Slowly add flour, continuing to stir until it has thickened.
6. Once cheese sauce is at desired consistency, combine with noodles and serve with desired garnish.
Tequila chicken tacos
Serves 4
What you need:
– 4 chicken breasts
– 4 ounces tequila (El Espolon
– Blanco is my preference)
– 2 limes
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 1 tablespoon onion salt
– 1 tablespoon garlic powder
– 1 tablespoon cayenne powder
– 1 tablespoon chili powder
– 1 teaspoon cumin
– Corn tortillas
– Shredded cheese, jalapenos, cilantro, sour cream and salsa, as desired
What you do:
1. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and set them in a container to prepare and let marinate.
2. Cover chicken with tequila, juice from the limes, olive oil and remaining seasonings, making certain to cover evenly.
3. Refrigerate and let sit for 2 hours minimum (and no more than 1 day).
4. Using a cast-iron skillet, cook chicken on medium heat.
5. Once fully cooked, serve on soft tortillas as desired. (I recommend a peach/mango salsa with jalapenos, sour cream and a pinch of shredded cheese.)
Pinot poached pears
Serves 4
What you need:
– 4 Bosc pears (on the firm side), peeled
-2 cups pinot noir (be sure to select one with sharper, fruitier notes for complementary flavors)
– 1/2 cup sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
– 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
– 1 stick cinnamon
What you do:
1. Melt sugar into the pinot in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Once melted, add cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice.
3. Add pears to simmering wine, cooking on medium-low heat and rotating every 5 minutes so pears are evenly poached.
4. Remove pears after roughly 20 minutes, or when soft (test with a toothpick).
5. Continue to let the sauce simmer for another 20 minutes, or until it develops into a syrup-like consistency, and remove cinnamon stick.
6. Drizzle sauce over pears and serve.
Pro tip: In addition to peeling the pears, coring them from the bottom and slicing off a thin layer allows for a practical and pretty presentation. Can be served alone, with ice cream or whipped cream.