Raise Your Glass to Cooking with Beer

Last weekend was busy for Portland foodies. The farmer's market opened on Saturday, and the 13th Annual Spring Beer and Wine Fest took place Friday and Saturday at the Oregon Convention Center. Portlanders had a chance to mingle with artisan brewers, vintners, distillers, and cheese makers, listen to great music from local bands, and eat great food. The cheese selection was impressive, with products from local vendors like Willamette Valley Cheese Company. Forty different brewers, each with two varieties of beer, were on hand to offer samples and pairing advice.
There were lots of tips about types of food to pair beer with, but I was really thinking about types of food made with beer. With the exception of beer bread, which I make frequently to go with hearty soups, I don't use beer in my food very often. It's a great ingredient that adds a lot of flavor dimensions, plus, with so many great brews to choose from in Oregon, the possibilities for use are endless.
Author and culinary instructor Sheila Kaufman will be teaching a class on Cooking with Beer at In Good Taste on June 12. Her class on beer sounds like the perfect way to spend a summer evening- sip artisan beers, snack on delicious food, learn about cooking with beer....the thought itself warms me up. The menu for the class offers 8 different dishes, all of which features beer as a star ingredient. From Beer Boiled Shrimp to a Guinness Stout cake, Sheila will share tips on incorporating beer in your food, as well as in your menu. I hope to raise my glass with you in celebration of cooking with beer this summer!
-Josie