AT THE TABLE Raise the bar

Raise theBAR

by FANNY SLATER

Iremember partying in the ’80s. I was 4 and no taller than the hairy, high-socked legs of my grandparents’ friends. While many middle- age couples elect to eventually slow down their social calendars, my dad’s parents were in no hurry to cease celebrating life. Or Passover, or the Super Bowl, or any other occasion that called for a six-foot-long sub sandwich and an open bar. As a child visiting my grandparents’ New Jersey home, I remember silently observing caterers as they scattered last- minute tufts of parsley over platters of lox moments before the first guests arrived. I remember my Uncle Mitch effortlessly snapping the cap off of a chilled Mexican lager and handing it to a nearby partygoer. I’m sure my family’s love of entertaining influenced the hostess I am today – well, that and my unbridled enthusiasm for eating and drinking. What I learned from my family is that the point of gathering is not just about where, it’s also about how we do it and what we designate as the star of the show. For my grandparents, it was smoked salmon and everything bagels. Recently, for me, it’s beer. You read that right: I’ve been elevating dinner parties by thinking beyond what’s on the plate.

Bottle share

I’m a product of my generation, in that I’d rather spend my paycheck on an experience than a material good. I’ll take a trip instead of invest in a new car, and, on a smaller scale, maybe even pass up some new shoes to attend a local food truck festival. I also love to frequent craft breweries, a trend that’s seemingly here to stay. As interest in specialty microbrews grows, I’ve noticed another trend within it: Open a bottle, or order a pint, and pass it around among friends. It’s an informal take on beer flights. Translated to entertaining, my friends and I like to buy a bottle, open it at home, and share sips alongside appetizers. This is a way for hop-lovers, no matter particular preferences, to expand their brew knowledge and their palates.

SPREAD OF PLENTY

A cheese and charcuterie platter can pair with many styles of beer: stout, IPA, witbier, and winter spiced ales.

BEER SHARE MENU

Cheese and charcuterie board with brown-sugar-ginger-pumpkin jam

Pairs well with: spiced winter ale for the smoked meats and cheeses, creamy stout for a mild blue cheese such as Stilton, hazy

American-style IPA with creamy Camembert-style cheeses, and witbier with fresh cheeses like goat

Coconut, chili, and lime grilled chicken wings Pairs well with: cloudy, citrusy Belgian- style witbier, crisp pilsner, and fruity gose

Sticky stout and molasses braised short ribs Pairs well with: Baltic porter Date, brie, and Nutella s’mores Pairs well with: bold barley wine

Here’s how to throw your own bottle-share soiree. First, instead of planning your menu and then selecting drinks to serve alongside courses, reverse the formula and begin with the booze. While you’ll want to choose the beers to complement the weather (no one craves a coffee milk stout in July), don’t get too boxed in. You won’t want only light ales in the summer or only dark styles in the winter. (You would still drink a smooth, light pinot noir with a filet in the spring, right?) Begin by learning a bit about the many beer varieties. Chose several familiar faces, like West Coast IPAs and porters, as well as novelties like a Berliner weisse or farmhouse ale to delight and unite novices and beer nerds alike. As the host, it’s your job to provide and pop a few bottles, but invite your guests to bring one or a few for sharing, too. When it comes to pairing the cuisine, once again do your research – and I don’t just mean turn to Google. Start up a conversation with the bartender at a local bottle shop or brewery. They’ll likely let you taste-test, within reason, beer profiles you didn’t even know existed. Ask these experts what they would serve as a complement, and go from there. To get you on the right track, here is what I know: Spicy dishes require crisp, clean sips; dark flavors are balanced by sweet, caramelized, and charred; and spice marries well with smoke. As is always a good rule of thumb, make sure your menu covers a wide spectrum of flavors that spark the taste buds in different spots. If you can achieve this, everyone is practically guaranteed to find a dish that elevates or uncovers complex characteristics of the brew they brought. Throw another log on the bonfire, because now is the time to break out winter warmer ales erupting with holiday aromas like clove. To kick things off for my chilly weather celebeer-ation, I start off with one of my favorite, practically effortless appetizers for a group: cheese and charcuterie. An elegant platter is an expert way to have a variety of pairings in one single dish. Take it up a notch by adding homemade brown-sugar-ginger-pumpkin jam. Did a friend bring a bold, full-bodied stout? Its residual sugar will magically match a buttery blue cheese’s salt. I recommend Stilton. For citrusy IPAs, their fruity bitterness will parallel the floral pungency of a stronger, slightly

funky, washed-rind cheese. Next up, I like to serve another crowd-pleaser: chicken wings. I bathe these handhelds in an unexpected blend of coconut milk, fresh chilies, and lime juice, bake until almost done, and then toss them onto the grill. No grill? Clear an indirect spot on your fire and finish them in a tinfoil package over the flames to achieve the same smoky essence. These fiery flavors need something fresh and citrusy to cool them down, and this is where your lighter styles come in handy. A cloudy Belgian-style witbier or a refreshing Pilsner will help to tame the heat. For a real treat, keep an eye out for gose, a salty, tart wheat beer usually spiced with coriander, especially one featuring Asian notes like ginger and lemongrass. Since it is the holidays, you might as well end with an indulgence and go beef or go home. I slow-braise thick slabs of short ribs in sticky molasses spiked with a stout, and then caramelize them on the grill for the win. The slightly bitter, robust flavor of a Baltic porter brings out the roasted malty flavor of the beer-infused meat. A few hours later, for dessert, replace traditional marshmallows in-between Nutella-slathered graham crackers for an oozy soft cheese like brie. Add sweet dates for a meaty chew, and wash it all down with a robust, toffee-scented barley wine. When the last sticky short rib has been cleaned and the final hop drops have disappeared, pat yourself on the back for thinking outside the basic dinner party box and pulling off a lively evening that brought people together. And of course, don’t forget a moment of gratitude for the ingredient that inspired it all. Here’s to the beer!

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CHEESE AND CHARCUTERIE BOARD WITH BROWN- SUGAR-GINGER- PUMPKIN JAM

For the board:

4 ounces fresh cheese, such as a local goat’s milk chevre 4 ounces sharp, aged cheese, such as manchego or Parmigiano-Reggiano, sliced into shards 4 ounces soft-ripened or semisoft cheese, such as Camembert 4 ounces salty, pungent cheese, such as Stilton or Gorgonzola 4 ounces smoked cheese, such as Gouda or cheddar 4 ounces cured, hard sausage, such as sopressata, sliced 2 ounces whole-muscle cut meat, such as prosciutto, shaved crostini rounds, toasted crackers, for serving chunks of honeycomb (or a ramekin of honey) mixed olives

For the jam:

1 ½ pounds baking pumpkins (or 1 15-ounce can pumpkin) juice and peel of 1 orange ½ fresh vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out 1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground ½ cup light brown sugar salt, to taste Assemble meats and cheeses: On a large platter, arrange the cheeses and meats and decorate with crostini rounds, crackers, honeycomb, and olives. Serve the pumpkin jam, recipe follows, in a small ramekin with a serving spoon. Make the brown-sugar- ginger-pumpkin jam: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice off the pumpkins’ stems, cut them in half, and scoop out the seeds. Place them cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake until very soft, 45 to 60 minutes. When they’re cool enough to handle, scrape out the flesh. Place the pumpkin flesh into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Transfer the purée to a medium saucepan over low heat, and add the juice and peel of the orange, the vanilla bean seeds, ginger, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt. If mixture is too thick, thin with ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook until visibly thick, about 10 minutes. Remove the orange rind and serve the jam chilled or at room temperature. Yields 2-3 cups. Total recipe serves 12 - 14

MELTED BRIE, DATE, AND NUTELLA S’MORES

24 graham cracker squares 1 cup hazelnut spread 12 thin slices of brie cheese ½ cup pitted medjool dates, sliced thinly long-way 1 cup orange marmalade Preheat a grill to medium heat (or your oven to 350 degrees). Lay out half of the graham cracker squares. Top each one with a smear of hazelnut spread, a slice of brie, and a few date slices. Spread the other graham cracker with orange marmalade and then place it jam-side down on the s’more. Wrap each s’more individually in a foil package and then place them on the grill (or in the oven). Cook until the brie is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 10 - 12 Find more recipes online at waltermagazine.com.

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