Peachy the Magazine October/November 2013

ENTERTAINING YUKON GOLD POTATOES: 3 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes Salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 cups chicken stock 3 tablespoons butter 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves Place the potatoes in a deep skillet and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover potatoes halfway with chicken stock, about 3 cups, add the butter and cover skillet with a lid. Cook the potatoes in the stock until almost tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, depending upon the size of the potatoes. Remove the lid and allow the stock to evaporate, about another 5 minutes. Once the stock has evaporated pop each potato using a ladle or large spoon, creating a small crack in each, but do not smash. Allow the potatoes to brown on each side, another 5 minutes, and re-season with salt and pepper, if necessary or desired. Remove the browned potatoes from the skillet and place onto a serving platter, garnished with the parsley. Pay attention to the beer’s color, clarity, and head formation. APPEARANCE Swirl your glass to allow aromas to be amplified. Is there sweetness or toasted and roasted character from the malts? Do you smell floral aromas or spiciness or bitterness form the hops? Is the aroma mild or strong? Generally speaking light colored beers will smell more of hops while darker beers tend to have a pronounced malt, roasted, chocolate or coffee aroma. Many ales have a spiciness or fruitiness from their yeasts. AROMA BEER TASTING TIPS JACQUES PEPIN STYLE 6 servings Force the beer over your tastebuds. Is it sweet, bitter or balanced? Taste often comes from the aroma you smell. Do you taste malt and it characteristics of caramel, chocolate, toasted or smokey flavors? Or do you taste more hops and its characteristics such as floral, sourness or tartness? TASTE Do you detect the bubbly carbonation? Does it have a heavy or lighter feel? This is the texture of the beer or how it physically feels in your mouth. Beer ranges from silky dry stouts, to thick and chewy Scotch ales to thin and fizzy Berliner weisses. This is an important characteristic of a beer. MOUTH FEEL OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013 59

Peachy the Magazine October/November 2013 | Page 59