Beer adds variety, depth to recipes Andrea Hunter Halgrimson The Forum - 02/23/2005 When I grow up, I want to be a beer maven. I want to know about barley wine and bi�re de garde. I want to revel in knowledge of dubbel and dunkelweizen, eisbock and enkel, kr�usening and kriek, lambic and pilsner and porter, quadrupel, milk stout, tripel, weissbier and wit bier. I want to meet les amis de la bi�re. I want to know how to pair beer with food. I want to grasp the intricacies of producing beer, of malting, milling, mashing, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, filtration and pasteurization. I want to have an appreciation for hops and yeasts and worts and copper and casks and bottles. I've been hanging around the Great Northern Restaurant & Brewery hoping brewmaster Paul Sadosky can instill some of his knowledge in my being. He knows his stuff. Sadosky has a Ph.D in cereal science with a major in malting and brewing from North Dakota State University. And he has a diploma in malting and brewing from the Seibel Institute in Chicago. Sadosky's brews include Paul's Pub Draft, an English-style pale ale; Festival Vienna, a version of the standard Vienna beer; British-style Red Ale; Irish-style Stout; California Pale Ale and Pilsner. The kitchen puts Paul's beer to work using it in batter for fish and shrimp, in soup, in the sauce served with prime rib and on occasion for marinades. And they are beginning to expand their repertoire of beer dishes. Executive Chef Shannon Schumacker and Line Chef Brandon Schiewal are working on a dessert using Paul's beer. Their plans are for a Black and Tan Cake using a white chocolate mousse infused with Paul's Pub Draft, a layer of chocolate cake made with their own stout and the whole thing wrapped with chocolate ganache. Schumacker, a graduate of the Cordon Blue program from the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Ore., is new to the Great Northern kitchen, but apprentice extraordinaire Schiewal has been there since they re-opened last year. Schiewal hopes someday to attend Schumacker's alma mater. Bartender Shane Latunski gets into the act too and makes an infusion of gin and spices to serve in some of the beers. It is called Festivus and the recipe is on Page B2. The bar offers a beer sampler in which small glasses of several beers may be ordered for tasting. They also sell 2-liter bottles called "growlers" which come filled with one of Paul's beers for $23. Refills are $8 so you can drink the local beer at home. Or use it in the kitchen. Cooking with beer adds variety and depth to everything from appetizers to desserts. You can add it to soup. I always add it to chili and use it for simmering sausage. Use it for marinades and for braising and steaming. Substitute it for vinegar in salad dressing and add beer rather than wine to sauces. The first time I tasted Paul's Stout, I thought it would go well with chocolate. Of course, it is my belief that there are few things in this world that do not go with chocolate. Broccoli perhaps. Apparently I am not the only one because I found the Chocolate Stout Cake recipe below which is delicious proof. Shane's Excellent Festivus 1� teaspoons cinnamon 1� teaspoons ground nutmeg 12 ounces gin 1 tablespoon vanilla extract � teaspoon grated orange zest Place cinnamon and nutmeg in a coffee filter and add gin, letting it drain into coffee pot. When gin has passed thought the filter, squeeze liquid remaining in the filter into gin and add vanilla and orange zest. Pour into a squeeze bottle and add a dash to 1 pint of Oktoberfest, Stout or Vienna beer. The whole recipe is enough to flavor about 100 pints. Chocolate Stout Cake 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, to dust cake pan � pound unsalted butter 1 cup Stout 2/3 cup good cocoa powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups unbleached flour 2 cups sugar 1� teaspoon baking soda 2 extra large eggs � cup sour cream Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch spring-form pans and dust with cocoa powder. In a heavy saucepan heat butter, beer and cocoa powder until butter melts. Allow it to cool. Sift dry ingredients together and add beer and cocoa mixture. Beat thoroughly for about 1 minute. Add eggs and sour cream and beat for 2 minutes on medium. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove spring-form sides and allow cake to cool completely. Using a long serrated knife, even top of cakes. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of each cake. Stack and finish frosting. Chocolate Frosting 12 ounces good semisweet chocolate, chopped � pound unsalted butter � cup heavy cream 2 ounces Stout 3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted 2 tablespoons Kahlua Place chocolate and butter in food processor bowl. In a medium saucepan combine heavy cream, beer and powdered sugar and stir until it is smooth. Heat to a slow boil. Turn on food processor and slowly add hot liquid into chocolate and butter and blend until smooth. Add liqueur and allow frosting to cool before using. Makes enough for 1 cake. Resources: www.depotdraft.com/; www.bottledbeer.co.uk/glossary.html; www.brewersofeurope.org/uk/facts-figures.asp; www.oneonta.edu/academics/huec/recipes/chocolate_stout_cake.htm Readers can reach Forum food columnist Andrea Hunter Halgrimson at ahalgrimson(a)forumcomm.com -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *