Beer And Food

As a beer lover, I have always been a bit irked by the short shrift that beer-food pairings get, as compared with wine-food ones. Volumes and volumes have been written on how to cook with wine and how to match wine to food, but it's only relatively recently that beer has begun to receive the recognition (as measured in paper and ink) which is its due.

A recent example of this is An Appetite for Ale by Fiona & Will Beckett. The Becketts run a well-regarded gastropub in Britain and their book contains both excellent recipes utilizing beer as an ingredient AND guidance for pairing beers with various dishes and types of food. It's also very nicely illustrated and full of interesting tidbits. All this makes it just the sort of book to help the average person begin to realize the vast flexibility that beer displays, both in and alongside food. I recommend it as an addition to your beer and/or cookbook library.

Speaking of additions to libraries, does your local library subscribe to any beer magazines? If not, perhaps you should suggest to the local librarian that they do so. If he or she is still not interested, perhaps you should consider purchasing a gift subscription on their behalf. Such a subscription would be considered a donation to the library (and is therefore tax deductible) and is a great way to raise the profile of serious beer-drinking in your area. As an example, the library at the community college where I work now has subscriptions with two beer magazines (All About Beer and The Beer Advocate), one of which I purchased as a gift subscription. It's little things like these that help spread the gospel of good beer.

Until next time, cheers!