Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

A canned beer revolution is under way among craft brewers who swear that forgoing bottles is the best thing they can - har har - do for the integrity of their beer. Never mind that they were initially as skeptical as the beer drinkers they are trying to win over.

"We all laughed at first," said Chad Melis, of Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Colo., which has canned since 2002 and is widely considered the source of the trend. "But then we started looking at the details and realized it was better."

Consumers are apparently starting to agree. Durango, Colo.-based Ska Brewing, for instance, only bottled its beer for seven years before adding cans in 2003. The growth has been steady, and many at the brewery expect can sales to overtake bottles this year.

Breweries that can are united in their arguments: Light compromises flavor. Glass is heavier and bulkier to transport. Cans create a tighter seal against damaging air and are easier to recycle. Most important, improved can technology has long prevented an unpleasant taste from seeping into the beer.

Our (skeptical) team of tasters tried several canned microbrews, including two intentionally bold choices: Oskar Blues' Dale's Pale Ale and Ska's Modus Hoperandi India Pale Ale. Both held up beautifully, their hops staying fresh and filling our senses with glorious, earthy pine.

But the real test came with Big Sky Brewing of Missoula, Mont. We tried their Moose Drool Brown Ale and Trout Slayer Ale from both bottles and cans, and the results were clear: Cans won. Handily.

From the bottle, the Trout Slayer was thin and watery and tasted "grainy, like corn," according to one judge. Out of the can it became a bold but crisp golden ale with a big aroma - a beer that I gladly would have sipped all afternoon.

There was less difference in the Moose Drool, but the canned version again fared better: bigger, bolder with more flavor and aroma. The nod to cans for both brews was unanimous among the tasters, which surprised them all.

So next time you're at the liquor store, don't instinctively look past the cans. But do remember that what resides inside is still a lively and complex beverage; when it comes time to imbibe, pour it in a glass.

GET 'EM WHERE YOU CAN

A few more craft breweries that can their beer:

Surly, Minneapolis

21st Amendment, San Francisco

Half Acre, Chicago (to be released in May)

Maui, Maui

Blue Mountain, Afton, Va.

Southern Star, Conroe, Texas

New Belgium, Fort Collins, Colo.

Cathy Corison produces only up to 3,000 cases at her eponymous winery in California's Napa Valley. She sells just two cabernet sauvignons nationally. There's a staff of only three. Yet her influence on winemaking is being increasingly felt in the United States and around the world.

Eloquent of speech and a graceful writer (read her often poetical tweets on Twitter: (at)cathycorison), Corison has been a tireless champion of "terroir"-driven wines, wines ripe with the unique flavor of region and vine, but also what is in the heart and mind of the winemaker.

"After making wine for others for many years, I made my first Corison cabernet with a clear stylistic vision of what I was trying to do," Corison wrote in an e-mail. "My goal is to make Napa Valley benchland cabernet with both power and elegance that graces the table and enjoys a long, distinguished life. Of course each vintage deals us a new hand, but the vision is still the same. I hope I've gotten better and better at realizing it."

With her top-of-the-line cab from her cherished Kronos Vineyard selling for about $100, Corison realizes she has to deliver.

"At the high end, a wine must distinguish itself from others or perish eventually. It needs to have something to say," she explained.

Corison, too, has plenty to say about why such wines, carefully, lovingly and traditionally made, are growing in relevance today.

Q: You say there's a renewed interest in a "wine's ability to express time and place." What do you mean by time and place? Why is that important?

A: Where and how a grapevine grows has a direct impact on the way a wine tastes. Everything that touches a vineyard contributes to a sense of place, beginning with the soil and climate and including the people involved and everything they do.

Time comes into play in many ways. Every vintage is different because the weather varies, so we can't make exactly the same wine twice, even from the same vineyard. As winemakers, we are always operating in several time frames at once, watching our library vintages evolve, working with two vintages in the cellar and growing the grapes this year for the upcoming harvest. Even if we live a very long life, our vintages are numbered. Age-worthy wines mark time as they age, unlike almost anything else. The aromas and flavors of wine have an uncanny ability to evoke memories and emotions.

Q: How is that interest in time and place manifested?

A: Renewed talk of terroir is in the air again with both winemakers and consumers. Perhaps it's a reaction against sameness? A search for meaning? Wine is great for washing down your food, but it can be so much more. Wine with a soul can give you something to think about and feel. It is alive, and like an interesting person, fun to follow through the ups and downs of a long life.

Q: But aren't we seeing worldwide a trend toward consolidation of ownership, industrialization of the winemaking process and a whole lot of anonymous plonk meant to be drunk right now? How does one fight that?

A: Stubbornness, I guess. In the end all anyone has to sell is their integrity, and for me, that is honoring the vineyard. I take it as a moral obligation to let these great vineyards speak and make wines with a chance at a long, interesting life. I believe that the Napa Valley can produce cabernet as well or better than anywhere else in the world. I am so lucky to have the chance to spend my life helping great vineyards express themselves.

THE WINES

Cathy Corison makes a number of wines, but only two are widely available outside the winery. Our tasting panel sampled both late in 2009, giving both a rating of "very good."

2005 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard

A super-smooth cab with raspberry and violets on the nose and a flavor that combines berry, wood, spice and mint into a seamless whole. Long, spicy finish ends with a dash of black pepper. Serve with rack of lamb, beef tenderloin. $98

2006 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon

So purple it almost looks like blueberry juice, this Napa cab is smooth and silky, with a nose of plum and incense and a slow-building berry flavor that fades into a long finish. Deceptively powerful. Serve with beef roulade, filet mignon, rack of lamb. $70

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 13 minutes per batch

Makes 18 large cookies

Kathryn Pierce of Sacramento misses the dark molasses spice cookies she used to get at the now-closed Cookie Creations shop. They were chewy and contained no oats. She was hoping for their recipe or one similar.

We haven't received the Cookie Creations recipe, but we are featuring two recipes today that may come close. This one comes from Cook's Illustrated's "The Best Recipe" Cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling cookies

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds.

Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula.

Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Place remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 tablespoons of dough each time, roll dough into 1¾-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1½ to 2 inches apart. Bake until the outer edges begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks. Do not overbake, the centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them from the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry.

Per cookie: 202 cal.; 2 g pro.; 31 g carb.; 8 g fat (5 sat., 3 monounsat., 0 polyunsat.); 33 mg chol.; 214 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 18 g sugar; 36 percent calories from fat.

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours, 35 minutes

Serves 6

This dish, served at the Tra Sole e Vigne farmhouse restaurant in the Piedmonte region of Italy, appears in "The Italian Farmer's Table" (Three Forks, $19.95, 320 pages). You can buy certified Piedmontese beef at Corti Brothers, 5810 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 736-3800. Note: For some variations on this recipe, see Allen Pierleoni's story on this page.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch half-moon slices

2 medium yellow onions, cut into small dice

2 stalks celery, cut into small dice

2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons minced rosemary

2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 bottle full-bodied red wine

11/2 cups canned low-sodium beef broth

4 whole cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

In a heavy casserole pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leek, onions, celery, carrots, garlic and rosemary. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse meat and pat dry. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, toss with cornstarch and add to the vegetables, continuing to cook until the meat starts to turn brown. Raise the heat to high and add the red wine to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes to let the alcohol burns off; reduce the volume of the liquid slightly. Add 1 cup of the broth, the cloves and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the pan, reduce to low heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Add the cinnamon, another 1/2 cup of broth and continue to cook until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes to an hour. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Per serving: 579 cal.; 30 g pro.; 15 g carb.; 35 g fat (13 sat., 17 monounsat., 2 polyunsat., 3 other); 104 mg chol.; 776 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 55 percent calories from fat.

Right, the Les Ecureuils farm in northern Italy; below, traveling authors Melissa Pellegrino, left, and Matthew Scialabba. "The Italian Farmer's Table"

Prep time: 50 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Makes 8 large puffs

Note: The filling is for 4 puffs – 2 each for a romantic dessert. You can also fill puffs with your favorite flavor of ice cream or custard. Extra cream puffs may be frozen in freezer bags, once completely cooled, for up to one month.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour (preferably bread flour, but all-purpose will work)

4 eggs, divided use

Filling for 4 puffs

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided use

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If you have a baking or pizza stone, place it on lowest rack.

Warm eggs in a bowl of hot tap water. In medium saucepan, combine water, butter, salt and sugar, and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat, add vanilla, then add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to quickly form a ball.

Return the pan to medium heat and continue stirring, pressing the dough against the side of the pan and gathering it up into a ball. This dries out the dough so that it can better absorb the eggs. Stir constantly, not letting the dough scorch, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Place dough in bowl of stand mixer and set aside.

In small bowl, lightly beat three of the warmed eggs. Separate the fourth egg, placing the white in a small dish and beating lightly. Save or discard the yolk.

With mixer on low, gradually add the beaten eggs in three increments, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more. Increase mixer speed to medium until eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

Stop mixer and test the dough by placing a spoonful on a plate; it should be supple enough to hold its shape, but not pasty. If it's still stiff, beat in the egg white. If it looks very soft, proceed to shaping the puffs.

On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray, place large spoonfuls of dough at least 2 inches apart. You should end up with about 8 dollops for large puffs.

Using a plant spritzer (a clean one!), lightly spray each puff once with water. This will keep them moist longer so they'll puff as much as possible before firming up.

Place the baking sheet directly on pizza stone or on bottom rack. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake 25 minutes. Do not open the oven door, or the puffs may collapse.

After 25 minutes, remove pan from oven and pierce each puff with a small knife to allow any steam to escape and to help the puffs bake dry. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

To make the filling: Just before serving, whip cream with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar until it holds a soft peak. Reserving a few whole raspberries for garnish, lightly crush the rest with a fork, then fold into the whipped cream.

Cut puffs in half horizontally with a serrated knife, fill bottom half with cream and replace top. Sift with remaining powdered sugar and garnish with whole raspberries.

Per filled cream puff: 367 cal.; 6 g pro.; 19 g carb.; 30 g fat (18 sat., 9 monounsat., 2 polyunsat., 1 other); 177 mg chol.; 192 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 73 percent calories from fat.

LARRY CROWE Associated Press This spring salad, created by Katie Webster for the March-April 2010 issue of EatingWell magazine, is a good example of ways to make a salad exciting without negating its nutritional benefits. Mixed greens and simmered baby beets are the backbone of the salad, but it's what goes on top – crisp prosciutto – that is the luxurious touch. The beets and the creamy onion dressing can be prepared ahead.

Prep: 35 minutes • Cook: 40 minutes

Serves 6

Note: The cook time for the onions overlaps the cook time for the beets.

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil, divided

4 slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces)

1 bunch beets (about 12 ounces), preferably small, stems and greens removed

1 medium sweet onion, sliced

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

14 cups mixed salad greens

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil over a large baking sheet. Cut the prosciutto into 1- to 11/2-inch squares and place on the baking sheet. Brush the prosciutto with another 1/2 teaspoon oil. Bake until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully transfer prosciutto "chips" to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, place the beets in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the beets and let stand until cool enough to handle. Trim both ends of the beets and rub off the skins.

While the beets are cooking, in a small saucepan over medium-low, combine the onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the onion is very soft and caramelized, another 8 to 10 minutes. If the onion begins to brown before it becomes very soft, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the onion, scraping up any browned bits. Set aside 1/4-cup and transfer the remaining onion to a food processor or blender.

Add the buttermilk, vinegar and mayonnaise, then purée until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the chives.

In a large bowl, toss the salad greens, the reserved 1/4 cup of onion and the dressing. Divide among 6 plates. Top with the beets and prosciutto chips.

Per serving: 130 cal.; 5 g pro.; 12 g carb.; 7 g fat (1 sat., 2 monounsat., 1 polyunsat., 3 other); 8 mg chol.; 311 mg sod.; 3 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 49 percent calories from fat.