One Banana, Two Banana
Posted: October 8, 2012 Filed under: Mike the Gay Beer Guy | Tags: banana cream pie, fall in new england, Mike the Gay Beer Guy, southern english brown beer, white labs, wyeast Leave a comment »Hi Everyone – Mike TGBG here.
I know I know… it’s been a while… AGAIN! What can I say?
Fall is here in New England… the leaves are turning colors, apples are on the trees, and in my mind, I’m ready to bring my cooking back indoors from the outside grill (which I used almost exclusively over the last few months!). I had been craving to make a Banana Cream Pie since August, and I finally got my chance a few weeks ago. Read the rest of this entry »
Summer Baking…Tasty and Healthy (Well, Sorta Healthy…)
Posted: August 3, 2012 Filed under: Mike the Gay Beer Guy, Uncategorized | Tags: healthy desserts, Mike the Gay Beer Guy, russian imperial stout, two peas and their pod, wedding presents, zucchini brownies 1 Comment »
Hi Janet, Hi Rachel
Well, I’m back after my two month hiatus. Sorry!!!! Between the move and some playing that I’ve picked up (as well as my usual festival playing in Maine during July), I just haven’t had the time to cook… at least anything special enough worthy of Table1095’s standards!
Now that I’m back into my marathon training, I’m trying to eat much healthier… my daily routine usually involves some sort of protein-packed berry shake for breakfast, salads for lunch, and a nice dinner of chicken or fish with even more vegi’s (almonds and trail mix for snacks? well yes, please!!). But of course, who can live without dessert? Certainly NOT me! (And no, I haven’t given up drinking, which of course would be very VERY healthy, but much MUCH less enjoyable… more on that later!)
Tabbouleh Musings
Posted: June 4, 2012 Filed under: Around the Table – guest posts, Mike the Gay Beer Guy, Table Talk: Janet – posts by Janet | Tags: Meatless Mondays 1 Comment »After years of living hither and yon, Mike (the Gay Beer Guy) is back in CT and we were finally going to cook together in person. The reason for this cooking was an outdoor concert of the orchestra we’ve both played in (Mike for four years while he was in high school, me since its founding 30-plus years ago). As we do with orchestra alums, Mike was welcomed back with open arms to play. The concert, the last of the season, was an outdoor one where people bring picnics and eat and drink under the sky while we play. It’s generally a festive event. Children run around unhindered by shushing parents and good friends chat, all while we provide some nice music.(At least this is what happens when the weather cooperates. This year, it rained so everyone picnicked in the gym while we played. Not ideal but so it goes.)
Anyway Mike and I decided to make a couple of salads as our contribution to the group. I had never made tabbouleh before (pathetic I know) but have been obsessed with it recently, regularly buying large containers to in theory share with my husband, only to scarf it all down myself. He’s lucky if he gets a tablespoonful, no joke.
And this is where the full pathetic nature of where I shop comes to the fore: I could not find bulghur anywhere. That’s right, no bulghur, despite the fact that it really is not some esoteric oddity. I couldn’t believe it.
But I didn’t want to give up on my tabbouleh, so I decided to substitute pearl couscous for the bulghur and while the consistency was obviously different, the taste was just lovely. Someday I will live in a place where bulghur is not considered in the same vein as, say, pig’s feet. In the meantime, this rendition will do just nicely, thank you.
Pate Cake, Pate Cake, Baker’s Man
Posted: May 4, 2012 Filed under: Around the Table – guest posts, Mike the Gay Beer Guy | Tags: charcuterie, cheese, epicurious, homebrewed beer, pate, pork Leave a comment »Howdy folks. As I said in my last entry, I’m making preparations to leave Kansas City. While I am saddened to leave a place I’ve called home for the past four years, I am extremely excited to pursue bigger and better artistic opportunities in the Northeast.
To go out with a bang, I’m drawing inspiration from the Aixois Restaurant here in the Brookside neighborhood of town. This French-Casual restaurant features all sorts of novel and innovative French cuisine. When I went there for dinner a few weeks ago, I was very impressed by the charcuterie plate, the central item being the house-made pâté.
What better way to integrate fine cuisine and the Midwest than to make a pâté, not of liver but of pork! When you review (and hopefully make) the recipe based on something I found on Epicurious, you will notice a lot of unhealthy stuff in there. Between the pork, cream, butter — and of course bacon — it sounds like a heart attack just waiting to happen. But it tastes so good. Just eat in moderation and all should be fine. This is definitely going on the menu for my first beer tasting party on the East Coast!
Spaghetti and Meatballs (almost from scratch)
Posted: April 6, 2012 Filed under: Around the Table – guest posts, Mike the Gay Beer Guy | Tags: beer, home brewing, homemade, meatballs, sour wit, spaghetti Leave a comment »
Hey folks… Mike TGBG here… let me first say how excited I am to write my first post for Table 1095! And what better way to kick off my series than with a sort-of-quick-and-easy way to reinvent the Italian American classic, Spaghetti and Meatballs! Ok I fully admit it’s not quick, nor is it actually easy… but the results are amazing!! The only component I’m not making is the pasta, but I would probably would have if I had a pasta machine.
I’ve changed a few things from tradition. First off, I don’t add any herbs or spices to the meatballs; I prefer just onion, cheese, and
seasoning… the herbs will go into our sauce. Second, I swap out Romano cheese for the traditional Parmesan. Lastly, instead of frying off the meatballs on the stovetop, I cook them in oven!
Beer and Chocolate. No Joke.
Posted: March 2, 2012 Filed under: Head of the Table – 10 Best, Mike the Gay Beer Guy | Tags: Boulevard Brewing Company, Brewing, Cocoa solids, Egg white, Egg yolk, homebrewed beer, Mash ingredient, Mike the Gay Beer Guy, Molten chocolate cake, molten lava cakes, Ramekin Leave a comment »
Mike the Gay Beer Guy weighs in on the wonders of chocolate and, yes, beer.
So who likes chocolate? Here’s a quick desert that takes about 20 minutes to make, 10 minutes to bake, and an evening to enjoy! We make this molten lava cake a few times a month … very little “real” baking technique is required and the results are amazing. This recipe is from Epicurious, and can be doubled or halved as needed. For tonight I only made two, even though we have 4 ramekins. Did I mention it’s quick and easy?! And of course why would I pair this with anything other a chocolate beer!
Fondue WHAT?
Posted: February 3, 2012 Filed under: Mike the Gay Beer Guy | Tags: Alcohol by volume, beer, Brewing, broth, Chili oil, Chinese cooking, homebrewed beer, Hot Pot, Imperial Mild, Mike the Gay Beer Guy, Piquance, soy sauce Leave a comment »And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our monthly dose of wisdom from Mike the Gay Beer Guy. Be still our beating hearts…
Mike here.
We’ve all been there… you know, THAT couple that invites you over for a Fondue party. Cheese, oil, chocolate – it’s all the same. Little tiny forks sticking out of center bowl warned over a tiny burner. Well roll up your sleeves and get ready to impress your friends with this spiced up version! That’s right – HOT POT.
Pork and, Yes, Beer
Posted: January 6, 2012 Filed under: Mike the Gay Beer Guy | Tags: america's test kitchens, beer, Beer measurement, Black pepper, Cook, cooking with beer, Malt, Mash ingredient, Mike the Gay Beer Guy, pork, roast pork, Witbier Leave a comment »
Clearly at least two of the writers of this blog have pig on the brain. First we get the Edna post (that almost made me become a moral vegetarian) and now we have a much lovelier post about roast pork, a favorite of mine back when red meat was on my personal menu. (I know pork is the “other” white meat but you get what I mean.) Anyway, without further ado, this month’s post from Mike the Gay Beer Guy — Janet
Walking with a Winter Weizenbock
Posted: December 2, 2011 Filed under: Mike the Gay Beer Guy | Tags: Beer measurement, braised short ribs, Brewing Classic Styles: 80 Winning Recipes Anyone Can Brew, German, Jamil, Jamil Zainasheff, Mash ingredient, Mike the Gay Beer Guy, Thanksgiving, weizenbock, Wheat beer Leave a comment »
Time for our monthly post from Mike the Gay Beer Guy…
Dear Friends: Happy Thanksgiving! I know by the time you read this, it’ll be slightly belated, but you get the idea. T and I have never been traditional in anything we do. To celebrate before going out for crazy-midwestern-Walmart-Black-Friday shopping, we of course make a special meal like most out there. Turkey? No. Braised Beef Short Ribs – well yes please!! This simple, yet fantastic, main dish goes with almost anything else you wish to prepare; we had a soup from roasted squash, roasted asparagus, and garlic new potatoes. To go along with the meal, I had planned a nice Weiznbock; well I got to it a little late and it’s still in the fermenter… c’est la vie. It smells good, though! Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year… see you in 2012.
Pizza and — What Else? — Beer
Posted: November 4, 2011 Filed under: Mike the Gay Beer Guy | Tags: Cook, Dough, flour, Home, homebrewed beer, homemade pizza, Mike the Gay Beer Guy, New England, Peel (tool), pizza, pizza and beer, Yeast Leave a comment »
Hi Janet, Hi Rachel
Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, Christmas is just a stone’s throw beyond that. Nothing screams fall in New England more than pizza.
Ok, you got me… pizza screams nothing of fall in New England. But hey, this is a great recipe and I even remembered to take pictures!
