Culinary Adventures with Camilla

A local brewpub - Peter B's Brewpub - turns twenty! Okay, they turned twenty last week. But I am finally getting around to posting this. You can read the piece I wrote for Edible Monterey Bay:  here . So, for the birthday party, I rallied two friends and dragged my trio along for a dinner at the brewpub. "Mom," asked the little one incredulously, "we're having dinner at a bar?" Well, it's a brewpub. And they have food. They actually have really good food. "Okay." Always up for some adventure, Jake and I both ordered new-to-us brews. I ordered their Cracked in the Rye which is described as a full-bodied IPA. I typically steer clear of IPAs, but with only 45 IBUs, I was curious. It starts with an almost sweet caramel flavor, but there is a lingering spiciness from the rye malt and the pink peppercorns. Jake still thought it was too hoppy, but I enjoyed it. That evening they were running a birthday special: their Dancin...

When I saw #PeterBsWingsContest - a cooking contest to create a chicken wings sauce using one of  Peter B's   brews - announced on  Peter B's Facebook page , I   was inspired. I created a sauce showcasing a stout then I submitted my  Sumpin' Stout Doubled Down Chicken Wings  to the contest...and waited. Yesterday, the chef at Peter B's recreated all the entries - or maybe just the finalists' entries, I'm not sure - and six different recipes were judged by the Beer Geeks, the Grub Hunter, and Peter B's brewmaster Kevin Clark AKA Chris, Merideth, Mike, and Kevin. I was oddly nervous that a professional chef was making one of  my  recipes. Here's the crew, judging the dishes during  Pub Talk  last night. Here's their blogpost announcing the winner . Woohoo. The Judges, photo via the Peter B's Brewpub facebook page Here's what the wings looked like, coming out of Peter B's kitchen... The Wings, photo via the Peter...

I don't know how I totally missed that Peter B's Brewpub was holding another recipe contest - its 1st annual Wing Sauce Competition. Details on their facebook page . Thank goodness for friends who watch out for me! I am always up for some culinary adventure in the form of recipe development, especially a recipe that involves beer. Ummm...heck, yeah. Count me in. I had never actually made chicken wings before January of this year, thinking that I had to fry them. And, well, I don't fry. But, after a blogging friend levied a challenge to come up with a great wings recipe, I experimented and mastered that crispy delicious goodness in the oven. No frying necessary. For this recipe, I needed to include a Peter B's brew. I wanted to use a seasonal beer and tasted their Nitro Milk Stout. At least that's what the waitress called it. According to their facebook page, it's officially the Sumpin' English Maple Milk Stout. It's brewed with English ale...

When I saw #peterbsbrewsandbitescontest - a cooking contest to create an appetizer using one of their brews - announced on  Peter B's Facebook page , I   was instantly inspired. I created a dish showcasing my favorite  Peter B's  brew: Legend of Laguna IPA. Then I submitted my IPA-Braised Carnitas Over Polenta Cakes to the contest...and waited. The three finalists were announced... Beer Fondue by Rachel N. IPA-Braised Carnitas over Polenta Cakes by Camilla M. Vegan Beer Caramelized Leek & Onion Dip served with Beer Pretzel Bites by Briana S.  ...followed by more waiting. Yesterday, the chef at Peter B's recreated our three dishes and we were judged by the Beer Geeks, the Grub Hunter, and KRML's Program Director AKA Chris, Merideth, Mike, and Jeff. I was oddly nervous that a professional chef was making one of my recipes. Here's the crew, judging the dishes during Pub Talk  last night. photo by Portola Hotel & Spa As is a...

When I saw #peterbsbrewsandbitescontest - a cooking contest to create an appetizer using one of their brews - announced on Peter B's Facebook page , I   was instantly inspired. I wanted to create a dish showcasing my favorite Peter B's brew: Legend of Laguna IPA. I am definitely not a hop-head; I am typcially not a fan of IPAs. But the first time I tasted the Legend of Laguna IPA, in a tasting flight, I was enamored. It was my favorite of the six for sure. I went back to try it a second time and had the same reaction: I love the citrusy, everygreeny taste! It's bright without being too bitter. I'm definitely a fan. So, to play on those orange and pine flavors, I created some carnitas-topped polenta cakes made with citrus juice and pine honey. If you're local, here's a link to all the places you can purchase bottles , and the brew pub also has growlers & growlettes to go! Here we go...what I made for #peterbsbrewsandbitescontest... N...

If you've been following along this week, you'll know that we've been enjoying some American craft beers. We've tried  - click the name for my tasting notes! - Ommegang's Hennepin , Sea Dog's Wild Blueberry , The Bruery's Tart of Darkness , and Clown Shoes' Luchador en Fuego . To cap off American Craft Beer Week, and to celebrate our kid-free day, we stopped at Peter B's Brewpub   and opted for the tasting flight of five beers. We tasted their Belly Up Blonde Ale, Inclusion Amber Ale, Stout Resistance, Fort Ord Wheat, and Legend of Laguna IPA. While I am not typcially a hop-head, I have to admit that I really enjoyed the Legend of Laguna. It's impressively floral which seems to temper the bitterness. I was tickled to see a soft pretzel on their bar menu. Fun! Of course, I had to order it. It came with a large grain mustard and a spicy cheese sauce. And when Jake mentioned, to our waiter, that the IPA was a littl...