Lagunitas Citrusinensis Pale Ale

 

As part of their onehitters series, Lagunitas released a spin on their New Dogtown Pale Ale. CitruSinensis is a hopped ale brewed with natural blood orange flavors, which is perfect and refreshing for summer.  

Citrus aromas pour out of my glass and are joined by juicy and sweet notes. The sip is a burst of citrus, grapefruit and malty hops. Boy, this is beer refreshing! The finish has a strong blood orange taste, which has some sweetness upfront with a tail end of bitterness. Even though the hops give off a bitterness, there is a lingering sweetness aftertaste. Such an interesting combination of bitter and sweet that keeps you wanting one more taste. 

  Overall, very crisp and easy to drink this summer. This is rather limited so I definitely suggest picking up a 6 pack if you see it! (P.S. My store still has a couple left!) 

What's your favorite Lagunitas beer? Have a great day! 

Lemon Butter Scallops

Scallops are one of my favorite food items to order while out to eat in the summertime. I do not know why I do not cook them myself more often because they are very quick and easy. I tried out a lemon butter sauce recipe for my pound of scallops with a side salad and it turned out delicious. The best part about scallops is that a glass of your favorite Sauvignon Blanc marries the flavors perfectly together!

All you need is 5 ingredients and 10 minutes. I do suggest preparing your side dishes ahead of time since the scallops cook fast!  

For ingredients you will need the following: 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

1 pound scallops 

Salt and black pepper, to taste 

Ingredients for the lemon butter sauce: 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

Juice of 1 lemon 

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional) 

Instructions: 

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan over medium high heat.

Rinse scallops with cold water and thoroughly pat dry. Season scallops with salt and pepper, to taste. Working in batches, add scallops to the pan and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and translucent in the center (about 1-2 minutes per side). Set aside and cover to keep warm. 

To make the lemon butter sauce, melt 2 tablespoons butter in your pan. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Pour the lemon butter sauce over your scallops and garnish with parsley, if desired. Bon appetit!  

Food & Wine As Of Lately

One night after work I stopped at Wegmans and picked myself up a prepared to go meal. They have really great options for the nights when you need something quick and healthy. I chose salmon topped with pesto and paired it with a Rose sample from my Monsieur Touton salesman. I tend to lean towards Rose from Provence because of its crisp, dry and fresh flavor profile. 

MiMi en Provence, Grande Reserve Rose 2014 is made from the same juice as Whispering Angel (hot Rose of the moment) but for half the cost! It is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, which gives it a pale pink color. Strawberries, white peach and rose petal give this wine a wonderful aroma and crisp taste. It paired great with my salmon and I can imagine it going well with any seafood dish.

Also I cannot forget to mention the Ornellaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil pictured above. It is absolutely AMAZING!  Ornellaia's oil is a product of olives pressed from about 2,000 trees that grow on the grounds of the winery. Many of the trees are over 100 years old, which is no surprise since the Ornellaia Esate was created in 1981. 

My knowledge of oil olive is miniscule, but I do know how exceptional Ornellaia's wine portfolio is and they did not skimp when it came to their oil. I highly recommend this Tuscan extra virgin olive oil if you are ever looking for a present for the ultimate foodie in your life. 

For the 4th I made devil food cupcakes topped with strawberries and blueberries to create a dessert American Flag! Hope your 4th consisted of great company and food!