Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock

Another day, another exciting new release from Bell's, this time the Consecrator Doppelbock. Keeping with the general pattern from Bell's in their non-stout (and non-Sparkling Ale)(well, and Two-Hearted Ale)(okay, also Oberon) offerings, the Doppelbock is very-good-not-quite-great. It's not really fair comparing their non-stout offerings to their world-class stout line, but there's the rub.

Which is to say: the Doppelbock is a very good beer. Good balance, tremendous mouthfeel, nice and malty. Neither too bitter nor too sweet, it is an excellent beer to pair with hearty foods.

Poblano Peppers and Mushrooms

An altogether successful experiment, this dish was just good enough that it left open the tantalizing possibility of perhaps being great with a little tweaking.

Ingredients:

• three poblano peppers
• two packages/hefty number of white mushrooms
• garlic
• two serrano peppers

Procedures:

• slice poblanos lengthwise; mushrooms across; garlic lengthwise; and chop serranos very finely
• heat oil to medium in a pan; add garic and serranos, cook for a minute or two
• add poblanos and sauteé until softening
• add additional oil; wait one minute until heated, then add mushrooms
• sauteé until mushrooms are cooked

Very good already, but what's missing here? Some wine? Something else?

UPDATE: maybe orange juice?

Taco of Opportunity

Saturday brought physical labor, and so Saturday lunch necessitated high-protein refueling. Result - the Taco of Opportunity.

Ingredients:

• spicy pork sausage
• kale
• garlic
• beer
• flour tortilla
• spicy German yellow mustard
  

Instructions:

• Sauteé pork sausage in pan on high heat; when lightly browned on both sides, add beer to pan and cook until beer is half boiled off; remove sausage
  
• Sauteé garlic and kale (with stems intact) in pan until half-wilted; after removing sausage from other pan, move kale to sausage pan and finish in beer/sausage juices
• Warm tortilla. When warmed, slather with mustard, followed by a layer of kale, and then sliced pieces of sausage.
• Enjoy!