Boo! Beer and Babies

Good ale is meat, drink, and cloth.

A Compleat Collection of English Proverbs
by JOHN RAY
English naturalist and collector of proverbs
1628—1705

 

Boo! Beer and Babies Musings

For those parts of the world influenced by European conquest and culture, the calendar’s final three months are holiday central. From autumnal beer to Halloween to Christmas, this edition of musings picks up on some historical insights and quirky stories.

What’s Cool? My personal favorites for boosting immune systems and moods as the seasonal shift and stress take their toll.

Musing’s reading list for this edition includes Bruce Springsteen’s memoir, Born to Run, and Kevin Kwan’s bestseller, Lies & Weddings. Rounding out this edition’s picks is The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen.

Enjoy quotes from these selections across our social media platforms.

Bringing it back to beer, Francine Lizotte (a.k.a., Club Foody) closes out musings with her recipe for beer battered fish.

 

When I die I want to decompose in a barrel of porter and have it served in all the pubs in Dublin. I wonder would they know it was me?

J.P. DONLEAVY
American-Irish novelist, short story writer, and playwright
1926—2017
The Ginger Man

 

What’s Wonderful and Weird

Boo! Christmas in July?

Holidays? … Love them? … Me? … You bet!!!

In the late 1990s holidays were my focus for over three years as host and producer of a show on AOL. Writing “Every Day’s a Holiday” columns for AOL’s electronic Gourmet Guide (the eGG) and Global Gourmet … articles for Saveur … getting cited by FOX News and the James Beard Foundation … Yeah! You could say holidays are kind of a “thing” for me.

And as I stated in the introduction, October through December are packed with celebrations.

But here’s the thing—I love the traditions and the foods of holidays. Conversely, I despise the commercialization more and more with each passing year. When a large box store and a home improvement giant broke out Halloween and Christmas items in July, this article took form.

Candy is central to Halloween revelry and plays a part in Christmas creep. Ergo, the BBC explores why the sweet stuff is on store shelves so early.

As for my disdain of holiday commercialism, Saturday Night Live has this treat with its take on an annual phenomenon.

Beer and Baby

While autumn means pumpkin spice lattes to many, for me it brings back memories of Oktoberfest and beer. As the seasonal menu changes, it pairs so well with beer both as an ingredient and an accompaniment.

Beer (and its variations) is older than wine and most spirits. In an era when water safety was often unreliable, fermentation provided a solution.

Of course, the evolution of beer styles historically and the explosion of craft brewing over the past two decades has created a greater awareness that not all brews are equal.

Pilsner made its mark in America as a contrast to the English beers which originally dominated the scene. The original pale lager, it was the hallmark of the mass-commercialized beers in the U.S. of my youth. Living in Europe in the 1960s and 1970s, it definitely wasn’t the same pilsner I was sipping there. And as American palates have caught up to mine, the popularity of these mass-produced brews has taken a hit. Food and Wine provides a brief history of the rise and fall of pilsner—It’s a great read!

As brewing and tastes have changed in the United States, so too have they changed in Europe. FOX news explains why you need to come to the U.S. if you want an authentic, original Oktoberfest beer.

Baby brings us to one of the best beer stories to appear in the news. A Michigan couple named their newborn after a local brewery. Read the details in this article from the New York Post.

Brewers?—Yup! There’s a Saint for That!

His name is Wenceslaus. Yes, the very same king whose kindness was immortalized in that popular Christmas carol. What better place to learn the story behind the man and the song then the U.K.’s Classic FM article.

Patron saint of brewers (rather than beer), Wenceslaus is one of over 100 Christian saints associated with food and drink. Let me introduce you to a few more with this article I penned for Saveur.

 

Goes down better than the real thing.®
Advertisement for Titanic Beer^TM

 

What’s Cool

While the change of seasons is magical in its own way, for many people it also taxes their immune systems. Add holiday stress to the mix and you have a possible recipe for disaster. Or at least the makings of less enjoyable celebrations.

This edition’s What’s Cool products are from two companies that provide arrows in your quiver to combat seasonal swings in health.

Los Angeles’ Irwin Naturals is a nutritional supplements and vitamin company founded by Klee Irwin in 1994. Their line of plant-based, third-party-tested products has been a staple in my home for over two decades. And when my immune system needs a boost, my go-to is Immuno-Shield.

As someone with extreme chemical sensitivity and severe autoimmune disease, discerning choices in buying supplements is a must. Irwin Naturals has not disappointed.

Likewise, Aura Cacia essential oils have been part of my immunohealth wellness plan for decades.

Aromatherapy has been used for centuries as part of traditional homeopathy. The health value of essential oils has been clinically established in many cases. However, not all products are created equal. Aura Cacia’s standards for both ingredients and testing of their essential oils surpasses what I’ve found among their competitors.

Whether you use Aura Cacia oils in a diffuser, add them to your bath, or apply them topically, always use them safely.

Despite the claims of some popular brands (and especially multi-level marketing companies), essential oils, nutritional supplements, and vitamins can be misused. Similarly, people can have sensitivities or allergies to their ingredients. In addition, these products can have adverse interactions with medication. Therefore, always check with your health professionals—including your pharmacist—before adding any of these to your regimen.

What We’re Reading

Nonfiction

Born to Run is Bruce Springsteen’s bestselling memoir.

Yes, it provides a glimpse into the rock-star reality of one of the world’s most recognizable and enduring musicians. However, like Springsteen’s music itself, the story of this industry legend is complex, thoughtful, and nuanced.

The gritty honesty of Springsteen’s songs fills each page of this autobiographical tour de force. From Freehold, NJ, to the largest performance venues of the world, the reader feels a part of the journey.

Furthermore, Springsteen shows us that many of the struggles and concerns of his life mirror that of many of us. Despite the fame and fortune of a storied career, Born to Run paints the singer as that everyman you’d love to share a beer and conversation with at that bar which only the locals know.

Fiction

New York Times bestselling author of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, Kevin Kwan’s most recent novel is Lies & Weddings.Laced with the author’s familiar acerbic wit and outrageous assortment of characters behaving badly, Kwan’s newest bestseller is riotously fun!

At its heart, the protagonist (Rufus Leung Gresham) is faced with an age-old conundrum. He must choose between love and money while battling the machinations of an overbearing parent.

Kwan takes what could have been a familiar story with stock characters and turns it into a globetrotting thriller. As with his previous novels, the people in Lies & Weddings are complex and entertaining. Just as one thinks the plot is figured out, Kwan’s wicked twist makes every last page of the book delicious!

In short, if you’re a fan of Crazy Rich Asians you will love Lies & Weddings!

 

Cookbook

“Cooking is not rocket science.”
from The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs

This is the underlying theme of The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs. This selection is this edition’s kiddo choice, too. And, trust me, the recipes will please adult palates as well as your young’uns.

Certainly, it’s what the reader would expect and hope to find from the book’s creator, America’s Test Kitchen. And, as fans of their many cookbooks and shows might guess, the results are delicious and the directions cook-friendly.

Over 100 recipes vetted by more than 750 kids cover all the meals and in-between treats of the day. Keeping with America’s Test Kitchen style, readers never feel daunted by recipes or cooking instructions.

Further, as someone whose child was on the kitchen counter helping bake from the age of two, there’s no better way for parents to create a healthy relationship with food than to include children in the creation of great eats.

The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs is the perfect antidote for parents looking to create family time. In addition, you and your children are left with that other important pleasure—sharing a meal together.

What We’re Eating

Beer Battered Fish

While any number of foods evoke autumn for me, fish and chips ranks high among them. And, as any fried fish afficionado knows, the batter matters!

Francine Lizotte debunks a popular misconception of the origins and evolution of this classic dish. Plus, her Club Foody take on prep and ingredients hits the mark!

Concluding this musings edition, I’ve already envisioned myself enjoying this meal with a lovely ale or stout and amazing company. Food and drink are more than the meal and the libation. It’s the people we share these with are what make it memorable and, at times, transcendent!

Cheers!

 

On drinking beer in Australia:
Beer drinking is our greatest national pastime. Beer has long been the prime lubricant in our social intercourse and the sacred throat-annointing fluid that accompanies the ritual of mateship. To sink a few cold ones with the blokes is both an escape and a confirmation of belonging.

RENNIE ELLIS
Australian photographer, journalist, documentarian, lecturer, television presenter, and author
1940—2003
The New York Times

 

Quotes featured in this article are excerpted from Ian Makay’s Food for Thought: The Pleasures of the Table: Primi Piatti.

 

                             

How About YOU!

Did you come across an interesting or strange slice of life in the news? Found a favorite new read? Discovered a new kitchen gadget, cookbook, or recipe you love, love, love?

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Read! Enjoy! Always remember to Savor Life’s Flavors!