señor tequila cantina - Epicurean Charlotte Food & Wine Magazine

six steps to pouring the
perfect pint of guinness
step one
Take a cool, clean, dry, Guinness branded glass.
step two
Hold the glass under the tap at a 45 degree
angle.
step three
Pull the handle forward until it is horizontal,
and fill the glass to between 15mm and 20mm
(about ¾”) from the top. Never put the tap spout
into the Guinness.
step four
Leave the surge to settle (approximately
119.5 seconds).
step five
Top up the glass by pushing the tap handle
backwards until the head is just proud of the
glass. Do not let the stout overflow, and never
use a spatula to level the head.
step six
Hand the pint to the consumer with a steady
hand. There should be no overspill.
enjoy!
With the craft brewing resurgence in America, Irish inspired
beers are becoming more popular than ever. With their lower
alcohol and mellower flavor profiles, Irish style stouts and Reds
appeal to many who find the hoppier IPAs too much and the
spicy effervescence of wits and wheats off-putting. These are just
the types of comfort beers that go well with food and socializing,
and hence, are at the heart of many North American breweries.
North Carolina in particular among Southeastern states has
seen a rapid increase in the number of breweries whose line-ups
include these styles. Highland Brewing started in Asheville in
1994 with their signature beer, Gaelic Ale. Now the company’s
flagship, it is a rich, amber-hued ale with just the right balance
of sweet malts and a light, crisp hoppiness, which hides its 5.8
percent alcohol with just the right amount of carbonation.
Foothills Brewing—located in downtown Winston-
Salem—started with a small system in a renovated building
and, due to the popularity of their rock-solid line-up of traditional
beers, has since expanded into a brand new brew house. Their
six year-round beers are complemented by seasonal releases,
including an Irish Red, which is more on the rich side than
bitter. At 4.7 percent ABV, this easy drinking seasonal ale is
only found in draft, so you may have to ask your local pub
for it. If you are very lucky, you may still find Foothills Sexual
Chocolate—an early February release at the best beer establishments.
The beer’s cult-like following comes from the
extreme chocolate and toffee flavors imparted by the use of
roasted coco nibs. Its scarcity leads beer geeks to stand in line
all night for the chance to buy four bottles. Irish in style it is
not, but you won’t find a better stout.
Olde Hickory Brewing has been cranking out honest-togoodness
traditional ales since 1994. Though they’ve built their
following on lower alcohol seasonable beers, their limitedrelease
stouts have put them on the national beer radar. So
hopefully this St. Patty’s Day you’ll enjoy one of the many
different selections offered.E
Michael Brawley is the owner of Brawley’s Beverage on Park Road—Charlotte’s top store for beer and a great
neighborhood wine store. Michael is an avid sailor as well.
2 www.epicureancharlotte.com volume • issue 2
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There’s some controversy over whether the “Irish soda
bread” we enjoy on St. Patrick’s day is actually Irish. Many
people contend that it’s an American creation. Others say
that the Irish soda bread we know and love is an Americanized
shadow of an Irish original.
What is traditional irish soda bread?
Soda bread appeared on the scene in Ireland in the
1840s, long after St. Patrick passed on March 17, 460
AD. Traditional Irish soda bread is made of flour, salt,
buttermilk and baking soda—and that’s it. The baking
soda acts as a leavening agent, and it’s where the ‘soda’
in the bread’s name comes from.
The basic table bread became extremely popular
in Ireland in the late 1800s because it was relatively
inexpensive to make. To cook the bread, the Irish placed
the dough in a bastible, a large, cast-iron pot with a lid, and
put the pot right onto hot coals or into a turf fire (turf is a
fuel-like coal composed of dried, compressed vegetation).
does traditional irish soda bread have raisins in it?
No. Soda bread with raisins in it is called ‘spotted dog’
or ‘railway cake.’ Raisins and other dried fruit would have
been luxury items in Ireland in the 1800s. If they had them to
spare, women may have incorporated raisins and perhaps
MAKE EVERY DINNER A
tradition or not? irish soda bread by emma murphy
Crown Point
Dilworth
UNCC
a bit of sugar into their bread as a special treat.
is soda bread still eaten in ireland today?
Yes. I recently visited Dublin, Cork and Kinsale and
found soda bread to be available in many shops.
Here’s an easy traditional Irish soda bread recipe:
ingredients:
• 3½ cups flour • 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda • 1½ cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly sprinkle a baking
sheet with flour. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a
large bowl. Gradually mix in buttermilk until the dough is
moist. Gather dough into a ball. Do not overwork the
dough (the more you handle the dough, the tougher it
becomes). Place the dough onto the floured baking sheet,
and using a sharp knife, cut an ‘X’ into the top of the ball
of dough. The cuts should be about half an inch deep and
extend almost to the edges of the dough ball. Bake for
about 35 minutes until the bread is golden brown. When
you remove the bread from the oven, tap the bottom
with your finger. If you hear a hollow sound, the bread
is finished baking. Let cool for a few minutes and serve
warm with butter. Yield: One loaf—about eight servings.
This article originally ran on The Gourmet Food Blog: thegourmetfoodblog.deandeluca.com.
1308 E The Plaza • Charlotte • 704.817.9365
epicurean charlotte food & wine march • april 2011
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