Rachael Ray on beer, tea and chocolate
I spoke briefly with Rachael Ray on Friday, who will be in our area noon- 2p.m. Saturday signing her new cookbook at Books a Million in Arundel Mills mall.
I asked her about Irish tea, a recipe in her new book. It calls for mixing Guinness stout with chilled sweet tea, and topping it off with a lemon slice. It sounded awful, so I asked, did she actually drink this?
"I didn't love it, but I did have it," she told me. "My husband liked it, and so did my dogs."
A happier beer experience, Ray said, is eating the Mo's Bacon Bar made by Vosges chocolate and drinking a Rogue Smoke Ale. The chocolate maker and the brewer have collaborated and sell a gift box pairing chocolate with beer.
What do you think of Ray's suggestions? Anybody ever try mixing stout and chilled sweet tea?
How about the smoked beer, bacon and chocolate pairing?
Comments
Chocolate and beer pairing is already soooo last year. There have been quite a few suggestons and recipes in the cooking magazines in 2007 and early 2008 (look up, for example, Chocolate Gimay Cake from Bon Appetit magazine on Epicurious). I think chocolate goes very well with dark beer, but, to be honest, prefer just good chocolate, without anything.
Never tried tea with beer, but there are some teas (Lapsang Souchong comes to mind) that might actually be very interesting in this combination... Hm...
Posted by: Jelena | December 12, 2008 1:01 PM
The beer and chocolate might be hit - esp if it's really dark chocolate. Dark chocolate can have smoky complex flavor, very much unlike the Hershey bar taste most people associate with chocolate.
In fact a square of unsweetened chocolate thrown into a pot of chili will give it a wonderful depth of flavor and texture - and no one will ever guess you used chocolate.
Posted by: Bill | December 12, 2008 1:20 PM
I don't think I would waste a Guinness by adding anything other than a Harp or a Bass Ale to it.
Posted by: Jr Copper | December 12, 2008 2:58 PM
Beer and chocolate. Pu-leez.
Posted by: kurt | December 12, 2008 7:10 PM
Tea and Guinness may work for some, but I wouldn't recommend it. If you want a true Irish mix beer, try Guinness and Smithwicks.
Rogue is an Oregon brewery that does a great job of flavoring their beer with smoke, coffee chocolate and various fruits. Smoked beers can be difficult though and can easily be overdone and bitter.
As far as beer/food pairing, Chocolate is a old stand by, but with the true big and craft beers available, beer can be paired with everything from Sushi to your heaviest Meat stew. In fact, I would argue that certain beers, such as farmhouse saisons, are much better with sushi and fish than any wine out there.
Posted by: Karl | December 12, 2008 9:16 PM
try this..tea & chocolate in Frisco, Texas.
Posted by: HALOtc | December 13, 2008 9:40 AM
Beer and chocolate are two of my favorite consumables but I haven't had them together (unless the chocolate was brewed in the beer). I like to savor each one and not have them compete.
I dislike iced tea (unlike everyone else I know). Why would anyone mix it with a beer, especially a craft beer? It might improve the tea but would ruin the beer. Like Jelena, I enjoy hot tea, particularly Lapsang Souchong but I wouldn't mix it with beer.
Posted by: Duane | December 13, 2008 9:39 PM
A little off topic, but...
I read somewhere that Rogue has a Chipotle Ale. I looked for it over the weekend and could not find it. (White Marsh and Towson area) Has anybody seen it?
Posted by: C Double | December 15, 2008 10:07 AM
Jr Copper, I guess you've never heard of Dogfish Head Theobroma, Rogue Chocolate Stout, Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, Sam Adams Chocolate Bock, Stone Belgian Chocolate Stout, Young's Double Chocolate. Not only can beer be excellent with chocolate, many, like the above, have chocolate in them. If you want to impress a woman at Valentines, make her a Russian Imperial Stout Cheescake: http://bcbrews.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/russian-imperial-stout-cheesecake/.
Posted by: Rick Green | December 15, 2008 10:04 PM
C Double: I haven't seen that particular bottle in some time, but I also don't spend too much time with the Rogue brews. Both Wells and the Wine Source have a wide selection of Rogue beers. Give them a call, and they'll have it waiting for you when you get there.
Posted by: Cheese | December 16, 2008 12:44 PM
Looking for Rogue Chipotle Ale? Check the bottle shops in the area that specialize in craft beer. Our friends at The Beer Mapping Project does a great job of helping you find them.
http://beermapping.com
Posted by: Banjo | December 16, 2008 12:56 PM
Thanks guys. I went to the Wine Source and they had it. Can't wait to pop it open.
Posted by: C Double | December 22, 2008 9:29 AM