Maytag Beef and Bacon Stew

• 1 cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese (available in most markets)
• Pinch of dried rosemary, crumbled
• Pinch of dried thyme, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups beef broth
• 5 slices lean peppered bacon
• 3 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 1/2 pounds beef shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup ale or full-bodied beer
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large, heavy pot, fry the bacon over moderate heat till almost crisp, drain on paper towels, and crumble. Add the onions to the bacon fat, reduce the heat to very low, and cook them slowly, stirring, till nicely caramelized, about 20 minutes. Transfer the onions to a plate, add the vegetable oil to the remaining fat in the pot, and increase the heat to moderately high.

2. On a large plate, dust the beef in the flour, tapping off any excess. Add to the pot and brown on all sides. Add the ale and stir, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the crumbled bacon and onions to the pot and add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, salt and pepper, broth, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook till the beef is very tender, about 2 hours.

3. Serve the stew in bowls with a little blue cheese sprinkled on top.

Yield: 4 servings

Thanks to The Bacon Cookbook by James Villas, copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons

BBQ Shrimp Pie

• 4 4-5 inch tart shells
• Sweet Potato Filling: 2 lb. sweet potatoes (roasted and peeled)
• 2 oranges (zested and juiced)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 16 jumbo shrimp-about 2 lbs-(peeled in center, leave head and tail intact)
• 2 tsp. seafood seasoning
• 1 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tbsp.finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
• 4-6 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup of beer
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup of seafood stock

Brown small amount of butter in skillet, add pepper, rosemary, and shrimp. Add seasoning and garlic, saute over high heat until shrimp are pink. Add Worcestershire, beer and stock. Bring to a boil and allow liquid to reduce. Finish sauce by emulsifying butter into it.

To serve: Fill tart shells with warm sweet potato mixture, arrange shrimp on top and then pour sauce over and around the pie. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Serves 4

Thanks to Sarah's Kitchen

Lunar Beer Bread

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 12 ounces beer, at room temperature

Mix all the dry ingredients. Add oil and beer. Stir until dough is just mixed. Put dough in a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 375° F for 45 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from oven and let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cool some more.

Thanks to Lunar Babe and Men's Health