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You learn to cook so you don't have to rely on recipes — Julia Child
Julia is right, of course, but if you didn't learn to cook when you were a child you have to start somewhere. I began teaching myself to cook when I was six or seven and received my first cookbook for my eighth birthday. I loved the process of cooking at least as much as the final results, and sometimes more so. It was the exploration of ingredients, the alchemy of transforming them, and my growing ability to make foods taste delicious that enchanted me.

If you want to become a good or better cook, my advice is to first become a good eater: savor your food, indulge your curiosity, be brave and daring, eat outside the box—both figuratively and literally. Get to know fresh foods in their own true season, rather than out-of-season foods from far away. Simple cooking will follow naturally and I'm here to help. This section includes the basic recipes every home cook should know by heart, along with techniques, recommendations for equipment, and more, with new posts weekly.

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Julia is right, of course, but if you didn't learn to cook when you were a child you have to start somewhere. I began teaching myself to cook when I was six or seven and received my first cookbook for my eighth birthday. I loved the process of cooking at least as much as the final results, and sometimes more so. It was the exploration of ingredients, the alchemy of transforming them, and my growing ability to make foods taste delicious that enchanted me.

If you want to become a good or better cook, my advice is to first become a good eater: savor your food, indulge your curiosity, be brave and daring, eat outside the box—both figuratively and literally. Get to know fresh foods in their own true season, rather than out-of-season foods from far away. Simple cooking will follow naturally and I'm here to help. This section includes the basic recipes every home cook should know by heart, along with techniques, recommendations for equipment, and more, with new posts weekly.

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Aug 25, 2016,

Cooking

Beer and Cheese: A Starter Guide

With thousands of beers and cheeses in the world, creating a short guide to happy matches is not unlike herding cats. The moment you get a cheese nestled under a particular style of beer, it eludes capture and nuzzles up to another. Such is the amorphous quality of pairings; there are so many variables. Yet with the assistance of Jim Rollston, former wine director at Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg, we have compiled general recommendations guaranteed to flatter both brew and cheese.

 

Wheat: Bright, light on the palate, ideal with both young, high-acid white cheeses, from fresh chevre, burrata and farmers cheese to feta, mozzarella and mascarpone and with soft-ripened cheeses such as French Brie and Camembert.

Amber Ale: (including IPAs): When hops are dominant as they are in amber ales and especially IPAs, cheeses with grassy elements–aged chevres, for example–and Parmigiano-Reggiano engage beautifully. Ambers are also good choices with Monterey Jack, Teleme and Pecorino.

Brown Ale:  A creamy texture and the sweetness of the malt makes brown ales an engaging match with a broad range of cheese, especially mild and strong blue-veined cheeses, Cheddars and other cheeses with nut flavors, such as Comte, Emmental, Gruyere, Gouda, Havarti and Mimolette.

Stout: Full and rich with a broad sweetness on the palate, the best choices to pair with these beers are those with similar qualities, such as soft-ripened cheeses like Brie and Camembert, and mild blue-veined cheeses such as Maytag.

Lager: Smooth, soft and refreshing from cold fermentation and conditioning in a cold environment, lager is the most versatile when it comes to pairing with cheese. You will rarely encounter a conflict on the palate; that said, there will be less nuance and less potential for an extraordinary match unless you seek out hand-crafted artisan brews.

Fruit Beer: These traditional beers, primarily from Belgium, can serve a dual function on the palate, adding the refreshing effervescence that all carbonated beverages contribute along with a sweet fruity element similar to the chutneys and preserves that are traditionally served alongside blue-veined and Cheddar cheeses.

This guide first appeared in a feature story I wrote for Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2009. The photo of Brian Hunt was taken by John Burgess of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Moonlight Brewing, which Brian Hunt founded, is now part of Lagunitas Brewing Co., based in Petaluma.

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