But I do have a fantastic beer batter fish and onion rings recipe that is to die for. So when my husband and his friend went fishing Saturday morning and caught their limit of wipers (some kind of big, ugly fish) we decided to have a beer batter fish and onion rings party. (Don't judge! The alcohol cooks out in the hot oil, and I do not feel bad about it at all.)
(And if any of you aren't LDS, or do drink beer, feel free to laugh at me, and then please help me with suggestions for the future!)
It was my job to purchase the beer and onions for the dinner. So imagine me, who has never had a drink of alcohol in my entire life, going to the grocery store to buy some beer. First of all, I couldn't find the beer aisle. I knew it was by the Snapples, which I have purchased before, but clearly not for a while. Finally I found the aisle. So I strolled up and down the beer section, kind of hoping no one from my ward would choose right this minute to walk down the aisle too. Right away I saw a whole bunch of six packs, but didn't see the single ones (at first). I was thinking, "I don't want a six pack of beer!" I did eventually find the singles - which are big cans, by the way, a full 24 oz. I vaguely remember my friend who gave me the beer batter recipe telling me that I don't want a light beer, I want a dark beer. So here's a question to my beer drinking friends - is lager dark? Is ale light? I probably sound really dumb right now, but for a beer drinking virgin I don't know these answers.
Anyway, I called Christian. I said, "Should I choose Miller, Busch or Budweiser? Those are the only ones that don't say "light" on them." He said, "I don't know. It probably doesn't matter."
For those of you who are interested, I chose Budweiser. It was the only one that said lager in big letters, so I hoped that meant "dark". And the fish and onion rings were deeelicious. I only used half of the beer, so I got on my Facebook page and offered anyone the other half of the beer, but sadly, no one local took me up on the offer. So I smelled it (bitter!) and poured it down the sink.
Sincerely,
still a beer drinking virgin,
50 people wanted to leave a comment:
naturally, I'm laughing with you..NOT at you! I would have been in the exact same predicament. I'm interested to know the answers to your questions!
That does sound DELISH!
Lol, too funny. I would have been red in the face the entire time I was there I am sure. :)
HA! I had to buy coffee awhile back to clean some vomit out of my car, and I was so uncomfortable buying it! My MIL, the stake pres's wife, uses beer to feed her plants. She's got six packs in the garage!
I love it! I wouldn't have any idea about a dark beer or light beer either. If someone else was there buying beer or anything else I probably would have asked their opinion. Sounds like a yummy dinner!
great story. :)
no answers here. with love from another beer virgin.
My beer knowledge is a little rusty. I used to work for a company called Big Rock Clothing Co. and we designed and made all of the t-shirts for Squatters Brewery. The had all kinds of information about hops, lagers, ales, etc. on them. If I had one here, I could answer all of your questions. Alas, I don't and since it's been 13 years since I worked there, I've kind of forgotten all of the information.
I forgot to say that I would love the recipe. They sound really yummy.
I love that you smelled it first---just seems so random:)
Hahahahaha! Great story!
Hey, at least you were trying not to waste! :)
I had an accidental taste of beer when I was about 12 and in Lake Powell with all my extended family. My mom is a convert, and the only member of her family, so naturally, there was plenty of beer around. There was a cooler full of soda and beer at all times. I went to get myself a Barq's Root Beer and ended up with real beer in a similar silver can. Gross, is all I can say. It cured my desire ever to drink, that's for sure! :)
I always make Justin buy it when we make beer can chicken. The last time we cooked it I made my brother(who does drink) go buy it and then he finished the can.
While watching tv, a commercial for Samuel Adams (lauger) came on, and we decided that if we were to ever drink a beer, it would be that one! It just looked so good (it was dark). However, when I make onion rings and such, I go to my friends and "borrow" a beer, which I never return. (they drink Busch). Though, access to beer around here isn't really a difficult thing, when you can drive up and buy one at the many drive thru liquor shops!
I would have no idea what it meant either.
Oh, and we LOVE eating at pubs and breweries. They always have the best food!
I *think* you are correct on lager vs ale. I hear things about "Pale Ale" etc in commercials. There is a recipe my husband loves that is essentially chicken fingers in buffalo sauce accompanied by a budweiser blue cheese dressing. I alway feel a little naughty eating it because I know that the beer hasn't cooked out of the dressing, but it tastes SO good. I've actually never made it, but I will admit I don't turn my nose up at it if somebody else has made it. Its delicious.
We have a friend who owns a little rural garbage company in our area...and my husband's the bishop. (Not that he digs thru the trash, cuz he doesn't, but some people (members) are so brash as to leave the empties next to the trash can) Imagine the collaboration! But I am sure he'd ask if you used the beer from the can for baking purposes or not...it's when there's six pack after six pack of cans that you begin to wonder. We sometimes have beer cans in our trash, too(we pick up litter that's been left behind by others - REALLY!)
:~D
That is too funny. I do think lager is dark and higher end. I hear most grocery store beer is pretty cheap and not great tasting.
Have you ever had the cheese fondue at the Melting Pot? They mix beer in with the cheese and it is divine!
so, did you get "caught" by any ward members? ;)
please post the recipe.
I would have no idea what to buy. And I would have totally ran into my bishop or someone from the ward...I can just imagine it now.
Funny story.
You are totally funny Erin. Great post...and of course you know I just sent Dillon on our beer run:).
I can't handle the smell of beer... so it's funny to me that you smelled it on purpose. :) Great story!
I remember once my mom had gotten paint or something in her hair and couldn't get it out... Somebody suggested beer so I had to go to the grocery store and buy it. I think it was my first time being carded. That was cool. But beer does smell gross! I can't imagine ever developing a taste for it!
First--recipe please?!
Second--hehe!! If I would have gone to the store (my luck sucks) I would have run into my Bishop, both his Counselors and several ward members. I guess when I make the dish I need to go to a store in a different town to buy the beer!!
My mom used to volunteer at a battered women's shelter and because one woman was going through withdrawals, Mom had to go to the grocery store and buy her cigarettes. On a Sunday to boot. Yeah. She was really hoping no one saw that.
Boy am I ever giggling!
Don't judge. . .but I once had to buy beer for a friend on a regular basis to get any repairs done around my house. Since I didn't know anything about beer either, I just picked the ones with names I liked. My favorite (name) was Captain Bastard's Oatmeal Stout.
Like "Me", I'm laughing with you! I always feel awkward when I'm buying red or white wine to cook with or coffee grounds to use in my garden. So, how was the beer batter? Never tried it, so pass on your recipe! Like you, I pray someone from the ward won't happen to walk down the aisle as I'm carting it. Ha. (They probably have and just spread it around the ward like gossip fodder I am not hearing). I'm a virgin drinker too!
love it! we have said the same thing when recipes call for alcohol- that we couldn't buy it because (just our luck) a member of the bishopric would surely be in the checkout line behind us. sounds delicious though!
That's funny! Sugar Daddy does a WONDERFUL marinade which includes a very specific brand of beer.
As former indulgers, not unfamiliar with the territory, but now that he is YM president, he is terrified that one of his boys will run into him at the store with it in our cart.
He will usually buy it somewhere FAR outside our neighborhood!
And yes, it is DELISH!!
For the record, use the rest to wash your hair, it's awesome!
OK. So, here is my beer knowledge: Lagers are sort of dark. There are Dark Lagers (Michelob makes one) Lagers take longer to brew, and its the Carmel that they add to the Dark ones that make it, well, dark (hence the reason you would want to cook with the dark lager... otherwise its bitter).
Ale on the other hand is a sweeter tasting beer (fruity), and takes a lot less time to brew.
YES! Wash your hair next time in the left over beer-- it does AMAZING things to your hair!
This is not FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE... Marrying a convert has it's advantages!
You can't make a post like that and not give the recipe!! And as for your "excuse" for explaining the beer away, that's like me trying to convince our Baptist preacher's wife that she should buy the beer bread at a Simply Tasteful party because "the beer cooks out anyway." I can't believe I said that to our preacher's wife!
Again, another post that made me hungry. I saw your facebook status that evening & with the chaos that was ensuing in my house at the moment, I almost took you up on your offer.
Motherboard is totally correct on all things beer. Just sayin :)
I didn't laugh at all! Makes sense to me that you wouldn't know, and that's totally cool.
:)
I have a few recipes that call for cooking sherry. It doesn't bother me one bit! So I won't judge you :) I also have a turkey injection marinade that calls for dark beer, but I couldn't find it at Walmart without buying it in a case...yeah, I don't need that.
The only way the alcohol doesn't cook out is if you're drinking it WHILE you're cooking, so good call on pouring it down the drain.
What?! you didn't drink the rest? What a waste!
So, how about sharing your delish recipe with us?!
Love the story. I made beer bread once and I didn't feel bad about it either, and I also worried I'd run into someone from the ward! I am excited to try the recipe! I love onion rings!
I just had a funny thought today wondering how many google hits you're going to get now when people do searches on "virgins and beer." Won't they be disappointed!
My father is a pharmacist and often sends his children/employees to the ABC store to buy Everclear, and bourbon. He uses them for compounding.
Nothing like walking out of the liquor store with a brown paper bag and seeing the little old lady who sits two pews in front of your entering the store next door...
"Oh, Hi Sister Phillips! How are you?"
I cook with wine all the time, but I've never tried beer. Uh, cooking, or otherwise. ;) I wanna try your recipe though. Sounds awesome!
Once my son threw a toy into the shelf full of coffee and coffee filters at the grocery store. While I was digging through and man-handling all of the coffee and filters looking for the toy, an old ward member walked up the aisle and started talking to me. I turned to her with two cans of Folgers in my hands. Of course I had to hurry up and explain what I was doing. So, I'm definitely laughing *with* you.
oh I lub you so!!!
Sorry if someone said this but isn't beer good for washing your hair? Makes it shiny or something. One day we were at a little ski chalet coffee shop in Breckenridge CO and my wacky disabled Big Guy was eight at the time and trying to dispense some soda with his mittens on. He had a little accident with the coke dispenser and yelled at the top of his lungs "I got caffeine on my gloves!" Talk about BEER virgins . . .
haha I went to the state liquor store once. I totally blogged about it too haha. Such an experience!
I am not laughing at you, I am crying for you. I find it very sad that you have to sneak a bottle of beer for use in cooking for fear of being discovered by a member of your church. I'm crying for you because your not allowed to thing for yourself, because your oppressed by your religion.
I'm glad you're able to think for yourself, Erin. I think many members of our church think it might be wrong to cook with alcohol, but you've studied and know that cooking with alcohol is not at all against our religion. Good for you!!!
Thats a great story Erin. Love it.
Just the smell of that bitter stuff is enough to make me not want to try it, but I can see the advantages to cooking with it. :)
NEXT time, just pick one up at the gas station.
Great story and I would feel the same way down here in AZ. The receipe looks great too:) I cooked a turkey with wine and it was the best tasting turkey. I had to ask some people at Walmart which kind to buy - I had no clue.
As I read throught the comments I got to Lara's. I started making that awful face when you eat something bad and gagging waving my hands like I had just eaten a hot pepper. UGH I would be so sick if I did, I can't even stand to think I'm about to drink water and it be sprite.
Hahahaha, this is so great! my hubby's fam makes beer shrimp every year meaning they just boil the shrimp in beer, then dump the beer, eat the shrimp. SO tasty but you wouldn't believe the weird comments I get from members about there still being alcohol in it. 'Scuse me, but there's 10 times more alcohol in your morning mouthwash rinse that you ingest than in my once a year bunch a beer shrimp! :)
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