This week I am starting a new pairing series in collaboration with the website They Draw and Cook (TDAC).  TDAC is a truly inspiring website with hundreds if not thousands of illustrated recipes by artists from around the world.  As you can imagine each recipe’s style and content is as unique as the artist who illustrated it.  TDAC is a “veritable who’s who” of artistic styles and recipes as you will find painted, collaged, drawn, and digital renditions of scrumptious salads, mouthwatering main dishes, decadent desserts and so much more!

For this series, I have picked five recipes from a compilation book of recipes TDAC had published last year but you can also find them on TDAC.com.  I have picked one breakfast-y recipe, one salad, one appetizer, one main dish and one dessert AND paired each recipe with one and sometimes two different beers!  So if you have missed one (or more) of the recipes just scroll down or click “TDAC” in the categories on the right hand side of the screen.

Visit Eliza's blog here: http://elizasbirdhaus.blogspot.com/

I chose this recipe because people don't always think about pairing beer with breakfast foods.  Weird, yeah?! Well ... it turns out beer does pair well with many breakfast foods, especially baked ones like this quiche, but I'll get to that in a moment. The reason beer goes so well with breakfast foods is that they are generally full of cereal grains (flower, oats, etc) and beer is full of one and sometimes two cereal grains: barley and/or wheat.

Mission St.Brown Ale (from Trader Joe's) is a great pairing with this recipe for several reasons. To begin with, the pie crust sweetness and sweet caramel-like malt flavors in the beer create a sweet base layer that ties all the other flavors together. Next, the baked/browned crust resonates with the darker roasted grains in the beer. These toasted/baked flavors of the crust and malt add a depth to the sweeter base layer and strengthen the tie between the beer and quiche.  The caramel-like malt flavors resonate with the subtle sweetness in the cheese strengthening the tie between the beer and quiche even more. Then there is the play between the beer's toasted nutty aroma and flavors and the nutty flavor in the gruyere. Both are fairly subtle but together they resonate and create a more noticeable nutty flavor.  Last but certainly not least, the hop flavor/bitterness, alcohol and carbonation refresh your palate and clear the way for your next bite.

If you can't find this particular beer here are some good substitutes: Big Sky's Moose Drool, North Coast Acme Brown, Lost Coast Downtown Brown.

1. If you liked this pairing or love this recipe let the artist know and spread the love around. The artist and I would appreciate the extra publicity!

2. You can and should order this fabulous cookbook on TDAC.com.

3. These illustrations are copyrighted.  You may not use them for any commercial reason without express written consent from the artist.  You may, however, print them for your own use.  Click the recipe which will take you to TDAC and from there you can download a high resolution copy or print a copy of this recipe.  

Style: American Brown
Serving: Pint Glass or Mug @ 45°- 50° 

Aroma: Hints of sweet chocolate, caramel with toasted nuts are typical of this style.  Some American browns have pronounced hop aromas especially if they are dry hopped.
Appearance: Pours clear brown to dark brown with a light tan head.
Flavor:  Pronounced sweet malty flavors reminiscent of caramel and chocolate are balanced by elevated hop flavors and bitterness.
Mouthfeel:  Medium-full body that finish fairly dry due to the hops and elevated carbonation levels.

Other Examples: If you cant'f find this particular beer, I suggest you start with Indian Brown Ale from Dogfish Head, Bender from Surly Brewing Co or Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewing Co.

Food Pairings: Cuisine: Barbecue. Cheese: Earthy, Nutty. Meat: beef. Dessert: Chocolate.

HopHeadSaid: I prefer American brown ales over English brown ales because of the elevated hop profiles. The hop profiles help balance the toasted caramely/chocolate sweetness keeping the beer refreshing without limiting the beer’s pairing ability. The assertive hop intensity means the malt flavors have to be increased making it a great pairing beer for grilled foods, assertive cheeses and chocolate desserts.

Recently, I had the pleasure of "researching" my newest pairing project ... Beer and Cheese!  Kelly Briglio and Tina Thayer, owners of Paradise Pantry, took time to sit down with me and explain a little bit about cheese but more importantly they indulged me for two hours while we tasted eleven different cheeses and seven different beers. This series will detail each of those cheeses and the beers that brought a little extra life to them.

If you live in or near Ventura, CA be sure to stop in at Paradise Pantry and say hello and buy some cheese especially if these pairings inspired you to try something new.  Also, be sure to let Kelly and Tina know you read about them here!  

Cabot Clothbound is a cheddar style cheese that is wrapped in a muslin cloth and then aged for a year or so in a deep dark cave. The cheese is cared for and tended to often while it is aging. This labor intense maturation program produces an incredibly complex range of flavors that start with a pleasant sharp cheddar-ness that gives way to a sweet caramel flavor and finally rests with a toasted nuttiness. 

Below is a short video (less than 7 minutes) that chronicles the making of Cabot Clothbound.

American IPA

This beer pairing is all about the hop flavor/bitterness and the sharp cheddar flavors.  The citric hop flavors resonate with the sharp cheddar creating a more intense, bright hop/cheddar flavor. But in a wonderfully pleasant way. The initial hop and cheddar flavor burst is quickly dispelled by the malt sweetness and the caramel flavors in the cheese. The caramel sweetness also acts as an extra balance against the hops, if you aren't so keen on the hops.

Examples:  Two Hearted Ale, 60 Minute IPA, Hop Devil Ale, Raser 5, Titan, Blind Pig
Serving Temp: 40°- 45°
Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Think citrus (grapefruit), resinous pine, or even tropical fruit. There may be a slight sweetness present from the malt but the hop aromas will most likely cover up those aromas.
Appearance: Colors will vary from medium gold to a reddish copper but they will all be clear unless they have been dry hopped and then there may be a slight haze.  Because the malt used has very little dark color the head will be white to off white and should persist.
Flavor: IPA’s are all about the hops (bitterness, flavor and aroma) and so there will be medium to high amount of hop flavor and bitterness that will reflect the American hop citrus qualities (citrusy, floral, resinous, pine).  Malt flavor will be low to showcase all the hop characteristics.
Mouthfeel: You can expect a medium body with a pleasing mouth puckering bitterness (think grapefruit) that helps to dry the beer out and creates a thirst quenching, refreshing beer.

Food Pairings: Cheese: Pepper Jack. Meat: Fish, smoked salmon. Cuisine: American, Mexican.

HopHeadSaid:  I love IPA’s! They are refreshing when it is hot out and their warming alcohol keeps you warm when it is cold.  These beers pair well with many foods especially savory or sweet foods.  The bitterness and alcohol help cleanse the palate of savory foods like cheeses or fried foods and the bitterness also helps keep the sweet foods in check.  But if you want to spice things up a bit drink an IPA with some spicy salsa.  The bitterness momentarily emphasizes the spice but the alcohol helps to refresh the palate just like a tortilla chip.

American Brown


This pairing is all about the malt flavors.  The beer's malt caramel-like flavors resonate with and accentuate the toasted nuttiness found in the cheese.  This creates a pairing that is more balanced towards the sweet side which helps to cover up more of the hop flavors/bitterness and tamp down the sharp cheddar flavors. This beer is hoppier than most browns but that works for this pairing as you need a little more counterbalance to work against all the cheese.  This beer also has a good amount of carbonation and alcohol in this beer which helps to cleanse the palate.


If you cant'f find this particular beer, I suggest you start with Indian Brown Ale from Dogfish Head, Bender from Surly Brewing Co or Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewing Co.

Serving Temp:40°- 45°
Glassware:Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Hints of sweet chocolate, caramel with toasted nuts are typical of this style.  Some American browns have pronounced hop aromas especially if they are dry hopped.
Appearance: Pours clear brown to dark brown with a light tan head.
Flavor:  Pronounced sweet malty flavors reminiscent of caramel and chocolate are balanced by elevated hop flavors and bitterness.
Mouthfeel:  Medium-full body that finish fairly dry due to the hops and elevated carbonation levels.
Food Pairings:Cuisine: Barbecue. Cheese: Earthy, Nutty. Meat: beef. Dessert: Chocolate.

HopHeadSaid:  I prefer American brown ales over English brown ales because of the elevated hop profiles. The hop profiles help balance the toasted caramely/chocolate sweetness keeping the beer refreshing without limiting the beer’s pairing ability. The assertive hop intensity means the malt flavors have to be increased making it a great pairing beer for grilled foods, assertive cheeses and chocolate desserts.

*Photo credits: Photos linked to their source.
Topics: Food Pairing, Beer Pairing, Cheese Pairing, Beer and Food, Beer and Cheese

Frittata base recipe formulated using FineCooking.com's 
frittata creator. [HERE]

Beer:Mission St. Brown ale (5.7%)
Brewery: Steinhaus Brewing Co. (Firestone Walker)
Style: American Brown
Serving: Pint Glass or Mug @ 45°- 50° 

Aroma: Hints of sweet chocolate, caramel with toasted nuts are typical of this style.  Some American browns have pronounced hop aromas especially if they are dry hopped.
Appearance: Pours clear brown to dark brown with a light tan head.
Flavor:  Pronounced sweet malty flavors reminiscent of caramel and chocolate are balanced by elevated hop flavors and bitterness.
Mouthfeel:  Medium-full body that finish fairly dry due to the hops and elevated carbonation levels.

Other Examples: If you cant'f find this particular beer, I suggest you start with Indian Brown Ale from Dogfish Head, Bender from Surly Brewing Co or Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewing Co.

Food Pairings: Cuisine: Barbecue. Cheese: Earthy, Nutty. Meat: beef. Dessert: Chocolate.

HopHeadSaid: I prefer American brown ales over English brown ales because of the elevated hop profiles. The hop profiles help balance the toasted caramely/chocolate sweetness keeping the beer refreshing without limiting the beer’s pairing ability. The assertive hop intensity means the malt flavors have to be increased making it a great pairing beer for grilled foods, assertive cheeses and chocolate desserts.

   

Specific Beer Pairing Suggestion:
This pairing is just plain delicious! Mission St. Brown Ale has just a hint of roastiness that complements the soy chorizo by adding a much needed roundness to the spices.  The residual sweetness of the beer resonates with the sautéed onions and balances the spices in the chorizo.  If you find the chorizo is still a little to spicy for your taste than add a little burrata to each bite. The diced potatoes will help reduce the spices as well. The 

As a bonus, like this pairing needed any thing else, taste the burrata and then take a drink of the beer. The two mix together and create a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich flavor without all the butter or bread!

Chorizo Frittata

1/2 lb. soy chorizo, browned
1 medium onion, diced and sautéed 
1 lb. Swiss chard, trimmed, ribs removed, and coarsely chopped
8 large eggs
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced 
1/2 cup skim milk
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the soy chorizo, onion and Swiss chard as directed in the ingredient list. Let them cool slightly before proceeding with the recipe (they can be warm when added to the eggs, but not piping hot).

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the skim milk, flour (don't worry if the flour forms small lumps), salt, and several grinds of pepper.

Combine the soy chorizo, Swiss chard, garlic, tomatoes, onion and lemon zest with the egg mixture, folding them in gently.
Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof anodized aluminum or nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the egg mixture, spreading everything evenly. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the eggs are set about 1 inch in from the sides of the pan, 8 to 12 minutes.

Uncover the pan and transfer the frittata to the oven. Bake until the top is puffed and completely set, 15 to 25 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the oven and run a rubber spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen the frittata. Slip it out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Let the frittata cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Or let it cool completely to room temperature.

Garnish with sautéed or roasted potatoes and burrata cheese. The potatoes are optional but the burrata is a must!