Barrette Beer Dinner - Dec 18th

Who agrees to cook for 40+ people on their 29th birthday for a 3 course beer tasting? I do.

I was recently asked to plan and cook for Barrette's monthly Beer Dinner. Barrette is a local bar at Vanderbilt and Bergen in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Friend and owner Erica was impressed by my Thanksgiving crockery and asked me to plan the next one. The brewery of the night was Pennsylvania Brewing Company. We met up with their representative and tasted a few flights to pair the courses. The one request was that the menu be style toward German food.

I however, do not cook German food, not often, not really ever. Have I ever made a Spaetzle? No. So I tapped a very good friend and culinary school grad to help me out.

Our decision was to make it semi-authentic, but not break out the sauerkraut.

Appetizer.
German Beer Cheese Soup and Homemade Soft Pretzels. Paired with Penn Pilsner.
This came out really great - The soft pretzels were delicious and a perfect dunkable addition to the thick cheddar soup.

Main.
Pork Tenderloins wrapped in apple, fresh sage and bacon. Red Cabbage and Caraway, and German Potato Salad. Paired with Penn Dark Lager.

The tenderloin came out perfectly. Who doesnt want pork wrapped in more pork? The sweetness of the apple and the herbacious sage complimented. Over the pork we had simmered down apples, maple syrup and lots of cinnamon into a sweet and delicious sauce.

Dessert.
NY is a little cupcake crazy. So we decided to join the ranks with a (not at all German) but mistakenly so Texas Sized German Chocolate Cupcake.

The cake was amazing, tangy from the buttermilk and just enough sweetness. The frosting was overboard. oooey, gooey, and dripping over the sides. So rich and delicious. - Paired with Penn Bach - dark and malty.

The reviews were fantastic, everyone had a great time and left full. I turned 29.