Cook in the Irish spirit with beer

Mary Ann Kauchak/Columnist
Published: March 11, 2008

In preparation for St. Patrick's Day, we're gearing up for a beer tasting at the wine shop. Charlie, my jolly beer distributor, is teaching me everything I need to know about lager, ale and stout.

Charlie is loads of fun and I've been a beer enthusiast since my college days. Usually, I conjure up a new corned beef recipe for my St. Patty's day column. This year, visions of frosty-cold beer and assorted sausages have been dancing through my head. Or, should I cor-rectly say, "polka-ing?"

I've chosen to share an old family recipe for beer bread, plus, offer some tips on beer and sausage pairings. The warm cabbage slaw with apples and bacon serves as a sassy side dish for countless sausage entrées. Using pre-shredded red cabbage from the produce section of your supermarket saves time when making this hearty salad.

Amber-colored pale ales are light in body but generally highly hopped. This makes them a natural for robust smoked beef sausages and Polish sausages. Deep amber lagers are usually strong-flavored and slightly higher in alcoholic content.

These characteristics make them a perfect match for traditional German bratwurst and sweet poultry sausages. Stout, almost black, is hearty and complex acquiring bittersweet and toasted flavors from roasted barley. Stouts pair well with spicy sausages and hearty European-style meats. Wow! I can hear the frosty mugs clinking and my friends are calling! See you at the local pub!

Erin Go Bragh!

EASY BEER BREAD

2 ¼ cups self-rising flour*

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 (12-ounce) beer, mild lager

2 tablespoon butter, melted

*May substitute 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour mixed with 1 T. baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Butter an 8 ½ -by 4 ½-inch loaf pan.

In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and baking soda. Pour in beer and melted butter; stir

until moistened. Spread evenly into prepared loaf pan.

Bake until loaf is well-risen and crust is golden; about 45 minutes. Cool on rack 10 minutes. Loosen edge with knife turn bread onto rack to cool further. When room temperature, slice and serve.

RED CABBAGE SLAW WITH APPLES AND BACON

2 slices baco

1 sweet onion peeled and slivered

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch piece

1 pound shredded red cabbage

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon until crisp and browned. Transfer to paper towels.

Add slivered onion and apple pieces to same skillet and cook in bacon fat until limp, about 5 min-utes. Add cabbage and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until cabbage is wilted but still crunchy. Transfer mixture to large bowl.

Using same skillet over medium heat, add vinegar and mustard and stir until slightly thickened. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Crumble cooked bacon over top. Serve warm. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Correction for "Cheesy Smoked Sausage Dip" printed February 20:

1 cup chopped smoked sausage

2-quart baking dish

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until set.

Mary Ann lives in Lake Ridge. Her third cookbook, "SHORTCUTS, TOO," is now available at Ye Olde Dominion Wine Shoppe in Occoquan. Send questions or comments in care of this paper at P.O.Box 2470, Woodbridge, VA 22195.