Laurelwood Portland Roast Espresso Stout

I work for a beer distributor that sells this beer. So one day I decided to get my hands on one and try it. It's from Laurelwood Brewery up in NE (I think) Portland. A Portland roast espresso stout.

It was a wonderful stout that tasted a bit like I was drinking coffee, in a good way. I tend not to have anything to do with coffee. But put it in a beer and I go to town! I even enjoyed the fact that at the end of the beer all the yeast sediment was in there. I really approve of not filtering a beer. Prefer it even. Kind of like the cloudy yeast at the bottom of a blue moon or a widmer but in everything. I wish I had more, maybe I'll buy a case of 22oz. bottles at work and bring them home with me.

It's organic too! for those that care for such things.

My stomach has been warm for hours!

Behind all that red pepper, Mrs. Dash seasoning (available anywhere i imagine. I acquired the tomato, basil, and garlic variety.), and parmesan cheese (thank you dominoes) is some nice unhealthy ground beef. The kind coming in a 5 pound plastic tube, mmmm! I go for the highest fat content possible.

I put the patty along with tons of seasoning in a small plastic container thing and shook it for a while. Then onto the pan with lots of unsalted butter! I believe I used pepper jack cheese as well as a gloop of guacamole. Which reminds me! Guacamole is hard to come by! The real kind anyways... At the store they sell around three kinds of guacamole type spread but upon reading an ingredient list longer than 5 ingredients I knew something was fishy. Luckily I found real guacamole that was made in Mexico. God knows they can't mess it up.
Make one of these! I would skimp on the parmesan cheese though. I only threw it on out of bored curiosity.

Pretend Tikka Masala

So yesterday I craved Indian food but didn't feel like driving anywhere. I always keep curry powder on hand for the cravings I usually get. Normally I just make tomato soup with curry powder in it but I was a little bored and I love to play around with the kitchen so! I make up what could come as close to Chicken Tikka Masala from what I have available.

I grilled chicken, onion, and a bell pepper on the grill outside.
Then added two cans of tomato soup, one can of milk (I like it thick so only 1 can.), sriracha, some cholula (can't explain why.), a little Mrs. Dash tomato basil garlic seasoning, and the curry powder.

Lots and lots and lots of curry powder. The amount I added might not be to your liking. My mother taught me to love curry powder in everything so I usually add it to just about everything, including burgers.

All of this would not be complete without my most useful cooking aid:
A beer... or 4
I'm not counting

Today I decided to grill some chicken with Jeff. After making it I decided a grilled cheese bbq chicken sandwich sounds really good. So out comes the pepper jack cheese, the butter, the knife to chop the meat, and some cheap fred meyer's bbq sauce. Also Jeff cut a potato from scratch and made his home made french fries in vegetable oil with lawry's seasoning on em.
I must say I was pleased . Give it a shot.