Vermouth was one of the spirits I learned to avoid as a teenager sneaking hooch out of my dad’s liquor cabinet. The floral-infused sweet flavor did not appeal. A fortified wine (a wine in which a distilled spirit, such as brandy, is added) infused with botanicals,...
Growing up as a youngster in Long Island, family gatherings happened often and typically included chaffing dishes full of Italian specialties. Given the chance, I would sneak bites from the penne alla vodka tray, seduced by the potential that something interesting...
A grilling season classic is beer can chicken. Cooking a whole chicken set over a beer can keeps the meat tender and infuses it with the beer’s signature hoppy aromas. In this rendition, cookbook author and regular Sip Northwest contributor Amy Pennington uses...
My grandfather is the one who did all the cooking in my grandparent’s small apartment in Queens, New York. Wrapped in a dirty white apron and wearing a thin undershirt, my memories of him are in the kitchen, standing at the stove, alone. We never crossed the threshold...
Many years ago, at a casual book launch event for Seattle chef Jerry Traunfeld (then of The Herbfarm Restaurant), I had an amazing bite of food. In a small bowl, Traunfeld soaked a mix of dried stone fruits in an intoxicating bath of vanilla beans, fresh rosemary and...
Outside of the pub, taproom and garden, beer is big in the kitchen. Walk into a seafood restaurant and you’re bound to see a bowl of steamers, either clams or mussels, in a hop-based beer bath. The yeasty quality and wide range of aromas provide a strong backdrop to...
Washington State is the largest producer of apples in the nation, so it’s no surprise that hard cider has taken off as the flourishing craft industry to watch. Year over year, hard cider sales across the United States are leaping up (sales increased by 89 percent in...
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a cocktail kind of gal. Sure, I love hard cider and I’ve supported my fair share of Northwest wineries over the years, but cocktails are most definitely my preference. As a dedicated sipper, I tend to swap out drinks with the...
