Culinary Adventures with Camilla

I know, I know. American Craft Beer Week is officially over. But, well, I over-bought. I found intriguing beers and filled a shelf in my fridge last week. Now we have to make our way through, tasting, enjoying, and exploring. No complaints from Jake.  And when we were at a restaurant last week, they served their beer with some celery-salt dusted cheese. Okay. I can do that. So I poured the Ovila Abbey Saison and served it with an aged gouda sprinkled with a salt-pepper blend that a friend brought back from Hawaii for me. It was a magnificent combination. Ovila Abbey Saison is part of a series of Belgian-inspired beers brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.in collaboration with the monks at the New Clairvaux Abbey. This unique brew has the tang of mandarin oranges and the kick of black pepper. It's nice! I only wish I had picked up more than one bottle.

I completely missed one day of trying a new craft beer because we went out to dinner...and I had wine instead. Last night we tried Ommegang 's Hennepin. It's a farmhouse saison. For wine, I'm a pinot girl all the way. I mean, I'll drink other wines, but pinot is my wine of choice. In the realm of beer, I'm quickly realizing that I love saisons! They are effervescent and spicy, fruity and refreshing. Brewery Ommegang, part of the legendary Belgian brewery Duvel Moortgat, opened in 1997 to craft-brew fine Belgian-style ales. Located on a 136-acre farmstead in Cooperstown, New York, I sure am glad I can get my hands on these beers here in California. They are delightful! This hennepin is almost saffron-colored. There are herbal grassy notes followed by slightly sweet with a dry finish. Some beers are shallow. This saison is silky but complex. I am a huge fan! Like I said, I am just a couple of sips away from saying I'm a saison gal all the way. Oh, ...

Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to meeeeee. Happy birthday to me. Yes, it's true...I made my own birthday cake. As my husband noted: "You do that so we won't buy one at the store!" True. I was inspired by a Lemon-Pilsner Cheesecake in T he Craft Beer Cookbook: From IPAs and Bocks to Pilsners and Porters: 100 Artisanal Recipes for Cooking with Beer   by Jacquelyn Dodd. Of course, I had to tweak it since I can't follow a recipe to save my life! Ingredients Crust 3 C crushed graham crackers 1/2 C (one stick) butter, melted 2 T organic coconut sugar zest from one organic lemon Filling 2* - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature 3/4 C organic coconut sugar 3 large eggs 2 C organic sour cream 1 t saison (I used Hennepin by Brewery Ommegang) 1 t pure vanilla extract Sour Cream Topping 2 C organic sour cream 1 T vanilla 1 T saison 1 T organic granulated sugar Curd 4 organic Meyer lemons 3/4 C organi...