Iced Tea or Seafood Lemons

This simple yet elegant presentation for lemons served with iced tea or seafood dishes not only keeps the seeds out of the tea or off the dish, they smell terrific and add a decorative touch to the table.

I've garnished the lemons in the photo with fresh mint sprigs, to be served with iced tea. If the lemons were accompanying fish or other seafood, you should use an herb that complements the seafood recipe instead. Fresh Basil, rosemary or thyme often work well.

For Each Bundle You Will Need:
1/2 fresh lemon, cut horizontally
4 1/2 " square of cheesecloth
small piece of ribbon or twine
fresh herbs springs (optional)

If you are using fresh mint sprigs for a garnish, tie a mint sprig onto the middle of the small length of ribbon with a slip knot.

Center a horizontally cut lemon slice onto the square of cheesecloth. Gather the end up so the cloth is tightly against the cut surface of the lemon and tie with a piece of ribbon or twine.

A Unique American Regional Cuisine Experience - The Door County Fish Boil

DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN, USA -- What do you get when you cross the primitive tribal elements of a huge cast iron communal cooking pot set over a blazing raging hot fire with down home Midwest sensibility and hospitality? Answer – the Door County, Wisconsin fish boil.

What began as an economical way to feed large, hungry crowds of lumberjacks and fishermen has evolved into a bonafide culinary tourist attraction and Door County is the only place you can regularly experience it.

Steaks of delicate whitefish taken from the waters of Lake Michigan which surrounds the peninsula of Door County, along with small red potatoes, onions, and sometimes corn on the cob are placed in perforated metal baskets and lowered into heavily salted boiling water.

The “Boil Master” oversees the entire operation, stoking and feeding the wood fire under the huge black cast iron cauldron to keep the water rolling and adding the various ingredients at just the right moments to insure that everything is cooked just the right amount to retain flavor and texture.

Depending on the time of year you visit Door County, you may or may not want to stand outside to view the entire process (can you tell I experienced my fish boil in December?), but either way be sure to get everybody outside in plenty of time for the “boil over.”

For the Fish Boil's spectacular fiery finale, the Boil Master douses the already robust fire with a hefty supply of kerosene, thereby causing the eruption of a flaming volcano, which is ultimately doused by the water boiling over from the cauldron above. Aside from serving as a must-get Door County photo op for your vacation album, the boil over does serve a practical purpose. As the fish cooks, the oil from their flesh rises to the top of the cauldron. When the water boils over, it takes this layer of oil floating at the top with it, leaving food behind that’s perfectly cooked, but never greasy or oily.

Zen-like in its simplicity – the salted water during cooking and a drizzle of drawn butter at the table provide the only seasoning, the Fish Boil’s wholesome ingredients nonetheless satisfy today’s diners just as they did the working Door County residents of yesteryear.

You’ll find restaurants throughout Door County offering Fish Boils year round (although in off season, they are only offered on the weekends). Most offer a complete meal including side dishes and a slice of Door County Cherry Pie to complete your dinner, like they do at the White Gull Inn where I went for the Fish Boil experience. This elegant historic (built in 1896) hotel and restaurant in the beautiful bayside town of Fish Creek also makes a great choice as a home base for a romantic Door County getaway.

Click here for more of my articles on the fun things to do, see, and eat in Door County, Wisconsin.

Practicalities

Be sure to make reservations to attend a Fish Boil in advance, especially during the high seasons of summer and fall when they frequently sell out. During the high seasons most restaurants offer several seatings per evening. Fewer restaurants offer Fish Boils in winter, and usually only on weekends so be sure to check schedules in advance to avoid disappointment.

The White Gull Inn and Restaurant is located at 4225 Main Street in Fish Creek, WI 54212; call 920-868-3517 or visit their website at www.whitegullinn.com.

To find other restaurants offering Fish Boils, click to the Door County Visitor’s bureau website at www.doorcounty.com/dine/fish-boils.aspx.

For trip planning, contact the Door County Visitor’s Bureau at 1015 Green Bay Rd. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235 call 800-52-RELAX or 920-743-4456 or click to www.DoorCounty.com.

(Photo at top of post by Jon Jarosh.)

Seafood Recipes plus The South's Best Seafood Shack

Sorry I've been so quiet this week. Our cable system has been having major issues that affected our connectivity.

Today I want to tell you a great foodie find I came upon last year (plus some terrific seafood recipes). One of the best things about running FabulousFoods.com and FabulousTravel.com is that I get travel a lot. Today's find comes from Gulf Shores, Alabama, where I one found one of the best seafood shacks I've ever encountered -- King Neptune's.

While we managed to dine at a lot of places in and around Gulf Shores, King Neptune's was my favorite. I later found I was in good company in my admiration for the casual seafood restaurant, as Coastal Living Magazine named it "one of the top 25 seafood dives in the country."

There's nothing fancy here - just a "come as you are" local hangout that serves some of the best fresh-off-the-boat seafood you will ever eat. After living in a small California mountain town for the past two years, I'd almost forgotten just how sublimely delicious fresh wild shrimp actually are. The folks at King Neptune's quickly brought back the vivid flavors of my youth on the Mississippi and Alabama gulf coasts.

Scroll down the menu and you'll find an extra special surprise -- Royal Red Shrimp (pictured left). I had previously never heard of Royals Reds as locals know them, and with good reason. These tasty shellfish are rare, even in these parts - which is about the only place to get them. King Neptune's owner Al Sawyer, who worked in the seafood industry for Bon Secours Fishing before "retiring" to run his restaurant, explained that Royal Reds are caught only in the deep, deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, about 1000 miles from the Alabama Gulf Coast shores. The shrimp, true to their name, are red in color and have a flavor that is lies somewhere between lobster and shrimp. Al explains that King Neptune's is the only restaurant in the area that serves Royal Red Shrimp, and even he can't promise to always have them in stock.

"There's only one boat that supplies Royal Red Shrimp and we're at his mercy," says Al. "When we run out, we just need to wait until he decides to go out and fish again."

Because they're caught so far from shore, Royal Reds are preserved in salt and put on ice on the boat. Likewise the shrimp should be rinsed well before cooking. The result will be a shell that imparts a slight salty flavor to rich sweet lobster-like meat inside.

After his years in the seafood industry, Al Sawyer knows the waters of this area intimately well, as well as the people who can provide him their freshest bounty. You can get gulf shrimp - steamed, fried or prepared in some signature dishes. King Neptune's oysters come from the Bon Secours, an area of Gulf Shores that supplies oysters to most of the country (with the exception of the west coast). Of course, they're freshest here, and King Neptune's only serves Select Grade -- the highest grade of oysters.

Also not to be missed are the addictive crab claws - a favorite Gulf Coast snack that can be difficult (if not impossible) to find elsewhere.

There's a cornucopia of seafood to choose from, available steamed, grilled and/or fried. In addition to the aforementioned shrimp and oysters, you can look forward to snow crab, Alaskan king crab, and a variety of fresh fish. Non-seafood lovers can get a hamburger steak or a choice of several chicken dishes. Everyone will enjoy the superb sides - the cole slaw is near perfect and don't miss the fried green tomatoes.

The prices at King Neptune's are shockingly affordable, especially considering the quality of the food. They also offer a respectably extensive children's menu, making King Neptune's fabulou sbudget conscious choice for feeding the entire family.After his years in the seafood industry, Al Sawyer knows the waters of this area intimately well, as well as the people who can provide him their freshest bounty. You can get gulf shrimp - steamed, fried or prepared in some signature dishes. King Neptune's oysters come from the Bon Secours, an area of Gulf Shores that supplies oysters to most of the country (with the exception of the west coast). Of course, they're freshest here, and King Neptune's only serves Select Grade -- the highest grade of oysters.

Also not to be missed are the addictive crab claws (pictured right) - a favorite Gulf Coast snack that can be difficult (if not impossible) to find elsewhere.

There's a cornucopia of seafood to choose from, available steamed, grilled and/or fried. In addition to the aforementioned shrimp and oysters, you can look forward to snow crab, Alaskan king crab, and a variety of fresh fish. Non-seafood lovers can get a hamburger steak or a choice of several chicken dishes. Everyone will enjoy the superb sides - the cole slaw is near perfect and don't miss the fried green tomatoes.

The prices at King Neptune's are shockingly affordable, especially considering the quality of the food. They also offer a respectably extensive children's menu, making King Neptune's a fabulous budget conscious choice for feeding the entire family.

King Neptune's Seafood Restaurant is located at 9949 Highway 190 West in Gulf Shores, Alabama 36542. Phone 251-968-5464 or visit their website at www.KingNeptunes.com.

Seafood Recipes from King Neptune's Al Sawyer

• Al's Shrimp Creole
• Shrimp Zydeco Pasta

More on Gulf Shores, Alabama
Click here for our full travel feature on things to Do, See and Eat in and Around Gulf, Shores, Alabama.

Where are your Favorite Seafood Shacks?

Do you know of other great "seafood shacks? If so please post them to the comments section. Another favorite of mine is the Sea Swirl in Mystic Connecticut -- a small drive-in style place that serves fabulous friend clams, lobster rolls and other casual seafood dishes, as well as soft serve ice cream treats.

New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe and more N.O. Recipes

Here's a my version of New Orleans' famous Muffuletta Sandwich. Missing my youthful adventures in The Big Easy, I came up with this recipe for a picnic at the Hollywood Bowl -- a night of New Orleans music with Dr. John and Pete Fountain. This is also perfect fare for tailgate parties or even watching the big game at home, or any other kind of entertaining. Since you can make it well in advance, it helps makes the event stress free for the host/hostess.

While we used ham and salami, you could substitute your favorite blend of cold cuts instead.

This sandwich was invented and made famous at New Orleans' Central Grocery Store, a French quarter landmark. It's the olive salad that makes this sandwich what is is. You could pay a bunch of money and buy a muffuletta type olive salad in a jar at a gourmet shop. But if you have a food processor, it's quick and easy to make at home.

Although technically a salad, this recipe is usually served as a spread, as in this sandwich. However, it is a versatile ingredient that can be used to season pastas, vegetable and meat dishes as well. Think of using this much in the same way you could use pesto.

Muffuletta Olive Salad

1/2 cup black brine cured olives, such as kalamatas
1/2 cup green olives
1 cup finely chopped celery, with leaves
1 cup Giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables)
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3-4 clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pit olives (if necessary) and combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixed, but still somewhat chunky -- do not puree (see photo). For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for a few hours before using.

Muffuletta Sandwich -- Serves 6

1 recipe olive salad (see above)
1 8-10 inch round loaf of French bread
4-6 ounces sliced smoked ham
4-6 ounces sliced Genoa salami
4-6 ounces Provolone cheese
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced

Cut the bread horizontally in half. Remove some of the soft center to allow room for the filling (use bread centers for another purpose). Spread half the olive salad on the bottom of the bread. Follow with a layer of cheese, followed by layers of meat and veggies. Finish off with another layer of cheese and the remaining olive salad. Wrap sandwich tightly in foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving (you can make this a day ahead of time and it will still be great). Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Cut into 6 wedges to serve.

Recommended Reading:
New Orleans Food: More Than 225 of the City's Best Recipes to Cook at Home
by Tom Fitzmorris

It's obvious that New Orleans native Fitzmorris knows these recipes intimately well. His descriptions and background information really help to bring this vibrant cuisine even more to life. His instructions are clear and concise yet detailed, making the recipes well within the grasp of even beginning cooks. Many of the recipes in this book are based on those served at classic New Orleans restaurants, some are historic recipes. Not to worry, Fitzmorris has adapted them for today's home cooks, and always gives tips and details to make preparation seamless.

Long respected as one of New Orleans' premier restaurant critics, his radio program The Food Show is broadcast daily on WSMB. Netsters can subscribe to The New Orleans Menu, a daily internet New Orleans restaurant review newsletter (www.nomenu.com). With this book we predict Fitzmorris will reach a much larger audience. Even if you can't visit the Big Easy, these recipes will bring the flavor of it into your home kitchen, and Fitzmorris's entertaining commentary is the next best thing to being there.

A portion of the benefits of this book will benefit Habitat for Humantity.

Sample Recipes from New Orleans Food

• New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp -- One of the four best dishes in all of New Orleans cooking, this dish was created in the mid-1950s at Pascal's Manale Restaurant.
• Redfish with Sizzling Crab and Herbs -- Use your favorite white fish to make this crab stuffed fish recipe that's topped with clarified butter.
• Bread Pudding Alaska -- This rich, beautiful and really delicious bread pudding, made with lots of eggs, cream, and cinnamon, is a thing apart.

How to Make a Roux with Marcelle Bienvenu

I had the pleasure of traveling to Louisiana last year to explore the food of Cajun country. My tour guide was one of the world's foremost authorities on the subject -- Marcelle Bienvenu (she's the gorgeous woman in the photo at right). Marcelle's illustrious gastronomical career includes stints at Commander's Palace, Brennan's, and other top New Orleans restaurants; owning her own restaurant in Lafayette (Chez Marcelle); authoring books on her own and with culinary superstar Emeril Lagasse; and penning a popular column, Cooking Creole, for the New Orleans Times Picayune.

Since rouxs are such an important part of Cajun and Creole cuisine, Marcelle agreed to teach our readers her foolproof method for creating a perfect roux. She also shared her recipes for some Cajun classics (links below).

To non Cajuns, rouxs can seem mysterious. Heck northerners often don't even know how to pronounce the word (roo), let alone how to make a roux.

But according to Marcelle Bienvenu, too many people have made too big a deal out of what is really a simple process, thereby intimidating the uninitiated.

A roux is nothing more than flour and fat, cooked together to form a flavorful thickening agent for cooking. Rouxs are used to thicken gumbos, stews, fricassees and other hearty Cajun dishes. Marcelle's mom's elementary Cajun cooking lesson was always, "If you make a roux, you have a stew."

"Paul Prudhomme fries his roux," says Marcelle, "but this is tricky and if you get it wrong you have a burned mess. The trick to making a good roux is to do it slow and easy."

Marcelle prefers cast iron for making roux, but she admits you can also use stainless steel cookware. Nonstick cookware just doesn't work well for making rouxs.

Block out a little time to make your roux. Marcelle warns that once you begin the roux making process you cannot even THINK about leaving it on the stove. Marcelle playfully claims that family members could have died writhing and screaming on the kitchen floor and still her mother wouldn't abandon stirring the cooking roux.

Microwave Roux
In addition to the method below, you can brown flour for roux in a microwave - start with equal parts oil (Marcelle uses regular vegetable oil) and flour. Cook the mixture, stopping to stir every 5 seconds or so, until browned to your liking.

Make Extra
You can make lots of roux, Marcelle usually does. Keep what you don't use in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Making Roux Step by Step

1. Using a heavy cast iron skillet, heat equal parts oil and flour over medium heat (you can use the oil of your choice -- Marcelle used vegetable oil. You can also use lard like they did in the old days.

2. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture, incorporating the flour into the oil and stirring until the mixture becomes smooth.


3. Once the oil begins to foam, it begins to brown. Watch it carefully and stir constantly. When making roux, don't even THINK about leaving it. There's a fine line between a perfectly cooked roux and a burned mess and constant stirring is the key.

4. Rouxs can be used at various stages of cooking -- from lightly golden to deep nutty brown. Your recipe will usually specify. The darker the roux, the more pronounced nutty flavor it will have. The photo below shows this advanced stage of cooking the roux.

Authentic Cajun Recipes from Marcelle Bienvenu
During my trip, I actually got to cook with Marcelle, in her own kitchen on the beautiful Bayou Teche. Each of the recipes includes step-by-step photos so you'll have no trouble recreating the Cajun Queen's recipes in your own kitchen.

• Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Crawfish or Shrimp Etouffe
• Jambalaya

More About Marcelle Bienvenu
The petite chef with the engaging smile maintains that she never intended to be in the food business. Fate intervened and soon after graduating from the University of Southwestern Louisiana she was offered an opportunity to work as a contributor to the Acadian-Creole foods edition of the the Time-Life Foods of the World series. That lead to an illustrious gastronomical career. Click here for Cheri's profile of Marcelle Bienvenu.

Check out Marcelle's book:

Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux?
This book was so popular its original publisher sold out. After long being out of print, Acadian House has lovingly republished Marcelle Bienvenu's classic Cajun cookbook.

Fans of Cajun and Creole cuisine will delight in the more than 200 recipes. Many are for well known Cajun classics. Others are more obscure to the uninitiated. But all are authentic recipes culled from Marcelle Bienvenu's life in the heart of Acadian Louisiana.

With its unique combination of recipes interspersed with Marcelle's family photos and essays, the book is an almost voyeuristic view into the author's family history. And like the histories of many Cajun families, its memories are intimately linked with food. It's a terrific bonus, for in addition to a terrific repertoire of authentic Cajun recipes, readers will come away with a fascinating insight into the Cajun way of life in Louisiana, both then and now.

Click here for more information or to order through Amazon.com.

Get Your Free Sustainable Sushi Guide and Help Save Our Oceans

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch consumer guide to ocean-friendly sushi makes its debut on October 22, and sushi lovers are invited to join the aquarium in a sushi party as part of a coast-to-coast celebration.

They’re also invited to RSVP for the national sushi party and share their experiences via Facebook

www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=29815024537

Sushi lovers who sign up online to become Seafood Watch advocates at www.seafoodwatch.org will receive a tool kit to help them spread the word about the many ways to enjoy sushi without harming ocean habitats.

Kits will be mailed out in time to reach advocates by the week of October 22, said Sheila Bowman, senior outreach manager for Seafood Watch.

Each kit includes printed copies of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new Seafood Watch Sushi pocket guide, a set of reusable, biodegradable chopsticks and colorful cards to leave behind at a favorite sushi restaurant. The cards can be used to thank chefs who serve sustainable seafood or alert them when they’re using items on the aquarium’s “red list,” which identifies seafood that was caught or farmed in ways that harm the ocean.

“Every sushi restaurant serves some sustainable items,” Bowman said. ”We’ve created the tools so people can find those good choices – and enjoy them!”

The aquarium’s sushi recommendations will be available online beginning October 22 and can be accessed through its website and Seafood Watch Mobile service, www.seafoodwatch.org.

The aquarium is one of three leading ocean conservation organizations that will release color-coded consumer guides for popular sushi items on October 22. Blue Ocean Institute and Environmental Defense Fund will also launch their pocket guides rating sushi selections based on whether they’re prepared using seafood that’s caught or farmed in ways that harm the ocean or pose a health risk to people.

“It’s really very simple,” Bowman said. “If you care about the future of the oceans, you’ll want to use the pocket guides and avoid red-listed sushi.”

The pocket guides incorporate human health recommendations from Environmental Defense Fund, and flags seafood items where concerns exist about levels of mercury or PCBs that may pose a health risk to adults or children. Fisheries researchers from the Blue Ocean Institute and Monterey Bay Aquarium evaluated the seafood species included on the guides.

The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium (www.montereybayaquarium.org) is to inspire conservation of the oceans.

Fabulous New Healthy Cooking Book and Recipes

Even though this post is a hearty recommendation for Holly Clegg's Trim and Terrific Diabetic Cooking, I purposely didn't want to put "diabetic" in the title because everyone who likes good food and wants to eat in a lighter healthier manner is likely to enjoy this book.

FabulousFoods.com readers are already familiar with Holly Clegg, through her six previous Trim and Terrific cookbooks and through her numerous feature articles at this website. Her seventh Trim and Terrific cookbook is every bit as fabulous as her previous works - with an important difference - this is Holly's first diabetic cookbook and her first book published by the American Diabetes Association.

Since a diabetic diet is healthy way to eat for most people, I maintain that this book should have a much wider appeal than just those concerned with living with or preventing diabetes.

In Holly's hands, the diabetic recipes are always tasty, not to mention quick and easy to prepare. There are over 200 recipes here that can be on your table in 30 minutes or less. In addition to recipes, Holly peppers the book with lots of tips and tidbits to make cooking even easier.

Chapters include:
Appetizers; Breads, Muffins, and Brunch; Soups, Stews, and Chilis; Salads; Vegetables; Poultry; Fish and Seafood; Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Veal; Pasta; Sweet Treats; Stock and Pantry; 7 Days of Menus; Recipe Suggestions.

Sample Recipes from Holly Clegg's Trim and Terrific Diabetic Cooking

• Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Vinaigrette -- You can throw this salad together in 10 minutes by taking advantage of rotisserie chicken and preshredded carrots.But fresh mint and ginger are a must!
• Pasta with Shrimp and Feta -- When plump juicy tomatoes are in season, make this pasta dish for a scrumptious summer meal. Or leave out the shrimp for a great vegetarian variation. The leftovers make good pasta salad.
• Berry Tiramisu --This fabulous favorite stars berries layered with ladyfingers, raspberry preserves, and an orange cream cheese filling. Use your favorite seasonal berry combination and serve this gorgeous tiramisu in individual parfait glasses for extra pizzazz. Garnish with a curl of orange peel.

For more great Trim and Terrific recipes, and to keep up with Holly's many personal appearances as well as television and radio guests spots, be sure to visit her website at www.HollyClegg.com.

Recipes and Tips for Cooking with Beer

After everyone from last night's poker game went home, I found myself left with a few half full (or half empty depending on how you look at it) beer cans and bottles. Having been raised by depression era parents and grandparents who never throw anything away, I tried to think of a way to put the brew to practical use (it's ingrained in me).

I had, conveniently, been looking for an excuse to smoke some ribs anyway. And so the somewhat flat beer found new life soaking wood chips for the long, slow cooking process.

The incident got me to thinking about the great beer and food I had years ago while researching a story for FabulousTravel.com on New Brunswick, one of Canada's maritime provinces. One of the benefits of being a food and travel writer is that you can often persuade restaurants to part with recipes for dishes you really like. And such was the case with the generous folks at Tapp's Brewpub and Steakhouse in downtown Saint John (pictured above).

The restaurant offers a respectable variety of microbrews along with hearty pub fare -- sandwiches and snacks (unfortunately, not much for vegetarians), with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. While steakhouse is in the place's name, the soups were a standout, along with one of the best chocolate pies I have ever tasted.

Much of the fare, like the Tapp's recipes published here, have beer as one of the ingredients. Even the aforementioned chocolate pie. Yes, you read that right. Chocolate pie made with beer. A hearty dark stout to be exact. The bitterness of the stout, mixes wonderfully with the richness of the chocolate. Give it a try, you won't be sorry!

Recipes from Tapp's Brewpub, Saint John, New Brunswick

• Potato Beer Soup
• Chocolate Stout Silk Pie
  

Have Extra Beer -- Don't throw it out!
If you have an opened unfinished can or bottle of beer, don't thrown it out. Try one of these uses instead:

• Use beer to soak wood chips before smoking meats, fish or veggies.
• Beer can make a tasty addition to barbecue sauce.
• Add extra beer to the liquid when cooking dried beans.
  
• Use as a marinade ingredient for chicken or meats, mix beer with citrus juice, garlic, chile peppers, spices, and oil.
• Use it when making bread, like at the recipe below for Cheri's Beer Cheese Bread.
• Use in making a beer batter for fish, onions rings, or other vegetables (recipe link below).
  

If you have other suggestions for using small amounts of beer, please post them to the comments.

More Great Recipes Using Beer

• Beer Can Chicken -- The whole chicken looks funny perched on its beer can throne, but the final product is a delicious, moist bird that's always a hit at cookouts.
• Cheri's Beer Cheese Bread (pictured above) -- This tangy sesame encrusted loaf will disappear like magic as soon as you serve it, and the smell coming from your oven will draw everyone to the table.
• Three Ingredient Beer Bread -- This recipe is one of the easiest you'll ever find. It uses packaged biscuit mix and is perfect with soups and salads, and even makes great toast for sandwiches.
• Ultra-Hot Beer Wings -- This recipe is not for wimps! It is ultra-hot. Since beer is traditionally used to help put out culinary fires, we've incorporated it right into this recipe. It's still hot. Better have some cold brews at hand as well.
• Ribs 'N Beer -- Fabulous barbecue -- ribs are marinated in beer then cooked long over low heat.
• Steamed Clams with Beer and Bacon -- If you are simmering this dish on a beach, people will come from miles around just to discover what smells so good.
• Clams Steamed in Ale -- Here's a fast and easy recipe from Williams-Sonoma.
  
• Beer Batter for Fried Fish -- A great recipe when making British style Fish and Chips.
• Dave Lieberman's Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes -- These cupcakes are light in texture, but heavy in the chocolate department.