I was lucky enough to get an early copy of The Beer Lover’s Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings by Claire Bullen and Jen Ferguson and after just a few pages I can see why this book won the award for best book in the 2019 North American Guild of Beer Writers Awards.
If you’re not familiar, the publisher describes the book in this way:
This appealing book demonstrate the unlimited potential for pairing craft beer with food. With five chapters devoted to the key beer styles—Saisons and Sours; IPAs and Pales; Lagers; Dark Beers; and Wheat Beers—it presents 65 global recipes matched with a wide range of beers. From Blue Cheese Macaroni to Salmon Poke with Macadamia Nuts, the recipes satisfy various palates and are enhanced by the inspired suggested beer parings. Fried Avocado Wedges are paired with Burnt Mill Pintle Pal Ale (UK), Fork Brewing Godzone Beat (NZ), and Half Acre Daisy Cutter (US). And beers to try with the recipe for Chai-Spiced Cheesecake are Ayinger Celebrator (Germany); Pohjala Oo Porter (Estonia), and Sawmill Baltic Porter (NZ.)
Packed with dinner party menus, detailed beer style guides, pairing tips, and brewery profiles, this book is irresistible to foodies and beer aficionados alike.
The photos in the book are really enticing and I’ll admit they definitely enhanced my interest in a recipe (especially those with a nice beer in the photo). I love trying new combinations and with a fresh Challa bread I just baked, I locked in on the Three-Cheese Toasted Sandwiches With Tomato Bisque. The recipe uses American cheese, mini Mozzarella balls and herbed goat’s cheese as well as the toasted Chala bread. We did substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock in the bisque recipe and the whole combination was perfect, especially with the cold weather hitting the northeast. Of course we paired it with the suggested Helles Lager and my choice was a Weihenenstephaner Original. The pairing was really good and it’s a food/beer pairing that will likely find it’s way to my table again (and again).
I’m also excited to try the Raspberry & Chocolate Mousse paired with a Framoise and I’m sure you’ll not only find some favorite pairings but also some favorite recipes. The Beer Lover’s Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings by Claire Bullen and Jen Ferguson is available now so be sure to check it out for yourself…and when you do, be sure to let us know what YOU think.
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