The Good Samaritan Bread Pudding

Here is the other bread pudding I made to compete with the Boffo Brown Bread Pudding recipe I posted last week.  Yes, I made two batches of bread pudding in one day, and no, 2011 hasn't been off to a healthy start here in the Porter house.  What can I say?  I'm no good.  I’m terrible news, a bad influence, and possibly everything that your nutritionists, cardiologists, and mothers warn you about.

But I just couldn't resist.  I mean, who doesn’t love bread pudding? It is warm, comforting, inexpensive, and incredibly easy to prepare. It also makes for a great last-minute or make-ahead brunch or dessert dish, as you can have the ingredients prepped in no time and either throw it together and pop it right into the oven, or let it sit in the refrigerator overnight and bake it off in the morning.

When I developed this recipe, I knew I wanted "bread pudding made with beer," but I didn't really know what direction I wanted to go with it, so I headed to Siciliano's for some inspiration.  They had just gotten their first shipment of The Good Samaritan in that day, and once I saw "brewed with apple cider" on the label, my mouth practically started watering over the idea of some sort of caramel apple flavored bread pudding.  When I brought some home to try before developing my recipe, I discovered that it wasn't as heavy on the apple cider flavor as I was expecting.  It's definitely there, along with some vanilla and toffee notes, but the most distinct flavor I noticed was banana, which was probably from the strain of (Belgian?) yeast that was used.  The banana flavor really intensified after baking, and while this wasn't the flavor combination I was originally going for, I really can't complain about a banana and caramel flavored bread pudding!

For this recipe you will need:

1 large loaf of challah, cut into 1-inch cubes (enough to mostly cover the bottom of the pan)
12 ounces Short's The Good Samaritan
6 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups plain soy milk


Caramel Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water

Cut the challah into cubes, and place on baking sheet in single layer and let dry for 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Place the challah cubes in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Pour the beer over the cubes and toss to coat. Let sit 15 minutes.

Place the eggs, sugar, vanilla and soy milk in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Pour or ladle over the beer soaked challah and bake for 50 minutes, or until the pudding is set and the edges browned.

Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce. Place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until all of the sugar has melted and you have a deep amber-colored syrup. Remove from the heat and carefully add the boiling water. The mixture will boil up and you will see some balls of caramel in the pot. Return the pan to medium heat and cook at a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Stir often until all of the caramel pieces have melted and you have a smooth syrup. Let cool, cover with plastic, and store at room temperature.  The caramel sauce can be made up to three days in advance.

To serve, cut the pudding into squares, place on your serving plate and drizzle on the caramel sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.  For an extra kick, serve with vanilla ice cream.  The pudding can be reheated in a warm oven (200°F) for 20 minutes.

Store covered in plastic in the refrigerator for up to five days.

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Brewery Vivant

Located in the historic East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Brewery Vivant brings a new and different vision of the craft beer market to West Michigan. The huge facility moved into the building left behind by an old funeral home, allowing for a full pub, on-site brewery, and (gasp!) a parking lot.

The pub -- parking lot to the left!

Brewery portion with beer garden in front (coming soon!)

A shot *from* the second floor

Inside, Brewery Vivant evokes feelings of ancient European meadhalls, with a cavernous pub buttressed by thick, yawning, old beams that lend to the feeling of a chapel – which, of course, was what it used to be in its prior life. It felt like I had entered a scene from Beowulf, and at any minute someone would tell me about all the sea monsters he fought while in full armor.  By the way -- Brewery Vivant has by far the coolest sinks in their washrooms I've seen in Grand Rapids.  No pictures for obvious reasons, but trust me.  Check them out.

A shot *of* the second floor

Jason and MBB

While I do not particularly believe in pedigree when it comes to making beer, if I did, Jason Spaulding, the owner of Brewery Vivant, would have it in spades. He cut his chops in the craft beer market back when there wasn't really a craft beer market: he's one of the founders of New Holland Brewing Company, and since 1996 has been a part of one of the pillars of the Michigan craft beer community. Spaulding remembers a time in craft beer history that I am thankful I was not around for. In 2011, it is uncommon for a bar not to have at least a few Michigan beers on tap, supplemented by other popular craft beers from other states. In 1996, it was difficult for Spaulding to even explain to Southwest Michiganders the types of beer he was offering, let alone convince an apprehensive beer market to distribute his wares. Luckily, those times are behind everyone, and in part due to his early nurturing, Spaulding has been able to open a brewery that focuses on exactly what he wants to focus on.

He took Laura and me around the actual brewing facility, which re uses space the old funeral home once used to park hearses (and before that, horse and carriages). Brewery Vivant is on track to hit a whopping 1200+ barrels of beer created in their first year of production, and Spaulding has baked in enough room for expansion to bring Vivant's maximum product capability up to 5,000 barrels. Readers with a sharp eye will notice that that's significantly less than some of the “big daddy” breweries in Michigan. New Holland, for example, produced over 10,000 barrels in 2009, and Bell's is sitting pretty at 124,000 barrels. Spaulding's goal, he said, is not to compete on that level, but focus on being as strong a community brewery as he can be.

Mash tun and boiler

Kludde aging in oak barrels.  Woo! 

Sgt Peppercorn Rye

To that end, he's doing well so far. His master brewer, Jacob Derylo, has a decade of brewing experience behind him and an eye for originality. Brewing Belgian beer is not easy; the price for using the yeast strains required is less predictability in your batches, so being consistent is difficult. That said, the selections available represent a very unique and original take on Belgian brewing. I won't go into all of their selections, but I did want to highlight what I considered the strongest in Vivant's stable:

The Sgt Peppercorn Rye has everything I love about spiced beer and nothing I dislike about rye beers. It's a smooth, malty taste with just a bit of kick on the back end, boosted by green peppercorns. The beer manages to mitigate the typical bitterness I associate with rye beers without boosting the alcohol content to staggering levels (it's a refreshing 6%).

Laura's favorite, the Vivant Brune, exhibited all the gentle characteristics of a traditional brown ale with a belgian twist. Expected flavors of coffee and chocolate are made more playful than one would expect with the belgian yeast, giving this beer more personality without being aggressive like some of the more recent hopped browns.

More Sgt Peppercorn.  Yeah, we liked it.

Vivant's Kludde strong ale, named after a huge, shapeshifting black dog that stalks the Belgian countryside, rounded out my favorites at Brewery Vivant. The Kludde is deep and complex, with a strong aroma of raisins bolstered by a slight licorice flavor, coming no doubt from the addition of star anise. It drinks thick and smooth and sweet and fruity, and at almost 10% alcohol, this is not a beer to be taken lightly or drunk vigorously.

Chef Turnipseed hard at work

Given all the advantages Brewery Vivant has to offer, I was surprised that the strongest merit of this brewery was the relationship between the wares of the head brewer and the food created by the head chef, Drew Turnipseed. I should warn you right now: Brewery Vivant does not offer typical bar food, and the prices reflect the fact that it has more in common with a five star restaurant offering French and Belgian cuisine than a burger joint. Don't get me wrong: I love Michigan Brewing Company's pulled pork sandwich, The Livery's Italian sub, and crack fries, but Brewery Vivant's 12 dollar burger and 12-19 dollar entrees are the exception to the standard rule -- and while the price makes some people on facebook pages embarrass themselves, I think the menu is unique, absolutely fantastic, and worth every penny.

Our meal began with grilled toast upon which we slathered duck butter and sea salt. The toasted baguette was crispy yet tender, the duck fat butter was rich and smooth, and the addition of sea salt was perfect. Don't let our government take this taste away. I paired the sweet Kludde beer with the salty and creamy appetizer, balancing the heavy fruit flavor with the light toasted duck flavor.

Laura ordered the hangar steak that came out french rare – cool and very red in the middle. Yes, Laura likes her steaks a few degrees above raw. It came dolloped with béarnaise sauce and served with marrow butter and frites (think thick cut fries that were fried in duck fat). The perfectly seasoned steak, dipped in marrow butter turned out to be one of the most delicate and lively piece of beef we've tried in a long time. (Lively is not a pun on how it was cooked).

My lobster mac and cheese did not disappoint, either; the house made noodles paired with a thick, peppery cheese sauce with a depth of flavor (the sous chef, CT, let slip that nutmeg and cayenne were part of the secret) I haven't experienced before. The dish was topped with an entire lobster tail and claw. A dish as thick and rich as I've ever had, it paired perfectly with the Triomphe IPA, a light, hoppy version of a pale ale that cut through the thickness and complimented the sweetness from the lobster.

Historically, a bar would not be the first thing someone might want to have as the new business in the neighborhood. They certainly don't generate controversy like strip clubs, casinos, or mosques, but conservative families probably don't get excited about a bar moving into the local community.

But what if that bar is a conscious community member, donating part of its profits to local charities? What if that bar was a responsible environmental ally, working on reducing its water waste, operating at a zero landfill capacity, getting an old building LEED certified and generating some of its own energy on site with sustainable methods? What if the bar brought French and Belgian inspired cuisine to a neighborhood that rivaled some of the fanciest, most well regarded restaurants in town? What if the bar offered a small but growing stable of delicate and complex beer inspired by the great Belgian beers?

I cannot imagine anyone not welcoming Brewery Vivant into their community with excitement.

More photos available on Facebook.

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Boffo Brown Sweet Cheddar Bread Pudding with Apple Butter & Boffo Brown Caramel Sauce

I have a confession.  I have been holding out on you.  I made this bread pudding recipe almost three weeks ago, and I'm not sharing it with you until now.  I've been trying to figure out how I can convince you that you should make this now...seriously, right now.. but I’m having a hard time.  It’s still January, after all, the month of absolving (oneself of having eaten a lot sweets) and resolving (to stop eating so many sweets), and I suspect that the last thing people want to be taunted with is delicious homemade bread pudding -- say, one with a sweet, creamy beer custard base and a gooey, melty sharp cheddar center; both accompanied by a tart homemade apple butter, and then drizzled with a thick Boffo Brown caramel sauce.

All of those things are very “January” of me, and truthfully, I had intended to squeeze this recipe in right before New Years when my sister first presented me with the challenge of a beer bread pudding recipe.  But New Years was a blur, and a few days into January I realized I had a loaf of challah and a block of sharp cheddar on the decline in my kitchen. One should never let either go to waste.

So here is the list of ingredients you will need for this recipe:

1 loaf challah (brioche or any other soft, rich bread would work fine)
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup Dark Horse Boffo Brown Ale
6 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (8 oz) grated sharp cheddar

Cut bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices; arrange slices in single layer on baking sheets or work surface and let dry for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Whisk together cream, milk, beer, eggs, sugar and vanilla until well combined.

Layer half of bread slices in prepared dish, cutting to fit if necessary. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Cover with layer of remaining bread slices.

Slowly pour cream mixture evenly over bread; let stand until absorbed.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until custard is set and top is golden brown. .

To serve, layer spoonfuls of warm pudding with Apple Butter and top with Boffo Brown Caramel Sauce (see recipes below).

Apple Butter:
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Cut apples into quarters. Combine in baking dish with butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until apples are tender.  Transfer to food processor and puree; set aside.

Boffo Brown Caramel Sauce:
1 bottle Dark Horse Boffo Brown Ale
1 cup granulated sugar

In nonreactive saucepan, boil beer until reduced by half.

In large clean skillet, heat sugar over medium heat without stirring until melted and beginning to color; continue to cook, swirling pan, until deeply golden.

Remove skillet from heat and carefully add beer (it will spatter -- trust me, I learned the hard way).  Return to heat and cook until caramel has dissolved. Transfer to bowl to cool.

Top bread pudding with the Apple Butter and Boffo Brown Caramel Sauce and serve warm or at room temperature!

The pudding can very easily be reheated in a warm oven (approximately 200°F) for 20 minutes, and stays good if stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

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Bottled Michigan: Short's The Woodmaster

A few years ago, in a fit of insanity mixed with naivete, my wife and I attempted the Master Cleanse diet. I linked to it, but for the lazy, here's the rundown: you survive on nothing but a mixture of maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and water for a number of days. You also take a daily salt enema, where you drink a salt solution designed to scrub your insides and clean you out.  We lasted 4 days, and it was absolute hell. Additionally, it permanently moved the flavor of “maple syrup” into the unpleasant category, right next to old milk and the breath of a rabid dog. All that posed a problem for me as I look at Short's new brown ale. . .brewed with maple syrup.

Before we discuss how the beer tastes, I think it's prudent, after bringing The Wizard's kitsch goth theme to light, that we spend a minute talking about what is on the label for the Woodmaster. I understand that it takes a certain special type of person to make a living by screwing holes into maple trees and letting their lifeblood sap trickle out. But does he have have to be staring at me with those dark, cavernous eyes and grinning, toothy smile while pushing the screw deep into the flesh of the maple tree? Blond Vermont guy is creepy.

Luckily, this beer is anything but creepy. It pours like any brown would, with perhaps a bit less head than I'd like (about half a finger that dissipates quickly and leaves a nice lacing on the glass). It smells sweet – thick, cloying flavors of maple ride over a light nuttiness that really doesn't develop in the nose.

This beer really comes together once it's tasted. It has a velvety smoothness, unusual for a brown ale but not unexpected as this heavyweight brings 9.5% alcohol by volume to the table. The alcohol really mutes the sweetness of the maple syrup without masking it, and lets the roasted malt play with the toasted pecans in the foreground. Hops are all but nonexistent in this aggressive brown ale, letting the balance come from the juxtaposition of sweet maple syrup and hearty nut flavor from the pecans. This won't replace Good Humans for my favorite winter beer, but that could be because of my previous traumatic experience with maple syrup.

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Bottled Michigan: Short's The Wizard Barley Wine

I wanted to write this description of beer as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the 1989 movie where Fred Savage kidnaps his brother and gets him to win a Super Mario Brothers 3 competition. I wanted to pepper this with images of a pre teen Savage with questionably appropriate references to his later career as director of Daddy Day Care and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

It's in the contract.  Charlie blows DeVito, and I watch.

Unfortunately, the beer had other ideas, and without wailing 80s guitars and the power glove, I didn't stand a chance.

Far from being a fun riff on terrible 80 movies, Short's The Wizard is more of a fun riff on terrible occult movies. The label features what I can only describe as an African American Gandalf, pensively stroking a crystal ball with a skull and the numbers “666” on the base. I assume this is The Wizard, and this beer is Black Gandalf's beer. A black cat hovers on the Wizard's forearm, staring off into space and quite obviously displaying the visage of a cat who really enjoys her barlywine. Not sure how the artist for Short's knows how to draw a drunk cat, but my compliments to that person. Finishing the label is the name of the beer followed by the phrase “barley wine with raisins: boiled for 6 hours and 66 minutes.” I suspect this beer is less Fred Savage and more Alice Cooper. The kitsch occult is great.

This devil beer pours a deep, golden tan, with almost no head and minimal lacing. What little head existed (I poured it cold and let it warm up in a snifter) dissipated quickly. That said, something strange happens when the glass is held up to a light source; the beer turns a deep crimson, looking suspiciously like the liquid vampires tend to drink out of crystal goblets in movies like Underworld.

Vampire, or a Short's fan?

The first thing I noticed from the beer's aroma was raisin, front and center. It's like opening a box of Sun-Maid raisins and inhaling. Hiding behind that, there lurks flavors of dark cherry and bitter hops, which serve to keep the beer from getting too heavy.

The taste is intimidating. I can't be sure, but I have to assume from the alcohol overtones that the Wizard weighs in around 9-10% alcohol by volume. Raisins and fruit dance in front, but their sweetness is tempered by the same piney hops I mentioned earlier. The combination of bitter hops and sweet raisins blends into the malted barley to create a nutty tone, like eating raw walnuts or pecans. It's thinner than I expected for a barleywine, but it's still a hefty beer. Interestingly, The Wizard's evil concoction reminds me most of the Good Humans dry hopped brown ale; the flavors of sweet raisins and malt blend with the hops to create a wintery beer that retains a bit of lightness. Of course, the Wizard does it much more aggressively. The alcohol is high enough that I could almost compare this beer to a sweet bourbon.

Whether you think the occult is a subject worthy of gentle ribbing or not, I would suggest everyone give black Gandalf's The Wizard a try.

Maybe share one with Fred Savage, while you're at it. 

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