Beer and Food Essay Example for Free

Beer and Food Essay Abstract As a consultant for many restaurants in California, I find myself re-visiting the establishments with a vast food menu and a wide variety of different beers that I can enjoy simultaneously. I prefer to engage myself in restaurants that are optimistic in their location, core values, menu selections, and bar environment. Not only is it important to sell good food and drinks, it is also fundamental to have team members that have integrity in their jobs. I was hired for a restaurant in Claremont, Heroes and Legends (131 Yale Ave. ), in order to evaluate their many beer selections in comparison to their menu offerings. My purpose in evaluating this restaurant is to enlighten other potential guests of suitable beer choices that will cut, complement or contrast their food preference in the establishment. I feel it is my duty to also inform the restaurant of the several food and beer items they offer that may open conversation for server suggestions ultimately lead to a great guest experience. Right in the heart of downtown Claremont there is a trendy restaurant by the name of Heroes and Legends bar and grill. This establishment seems to appeal to a demographic of all ages. With a brick-laid exterior and a name like Heroes and Legends, one would expect advertisements of stouts, porters and fine meats- drinks and foods of a rustic, colonial motif. Walking into the establishment I was immediately told that there was a self-seating method. The feel of the restaurant was warm and upbeat, welcoming a friendly and social attitude. One main focal point upon entering is the bar. Easy to find, it has stool seating and a well-varied selection of beers on tap. Eager to know all the beer selections, I opened the small ringed book sitting on my table. I counted a total of forty-seven beers that were being offered on the list. Some of these beers were of special availability, therefore the waiters and waitresses encouraged us to enjoy them while they last. Each one of these beers had a special quality to them. Of course the taste, alcohol percentage, and size are all special qualities, but each type of beer was served in different glassware. Some of the beers are served in a pint, medium, or large glass. Other beers are served strictly in pint glasses or 11oz glasses only. For example, Premium Belgian imports are served in 11oz flare glasses only, while other beer choices are served in medium schooner glasses or large 34oz mugs. As I scanned the beer menu, I was greeted by a server named Mike whose tasks also involved working behind the bar. To my surprise, this establishment does not designate one server to one section of tables; rather, each server helps one another with every task. Whether it is taking a drink or food order, or running the food out to the table, the restaurant had a total team effort feel. The menu had many food items varying from fish n’ chips to hearty entrees like sirloin steak and carried enough beers for customers to enjoy. As this was my first visit to Heroes and Legends, I asked my server to enlighten me with the establishment’s top 6 items on the menu. The waiter began with the top-selling Chicken Quesadilla, which was chosen to start off my meal. For one order of this appetizer, it is priced at $11. 95. Served hot with grilled chicken, sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions topped with Cheddar and Jack cheeses with a side of guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. I paired this appetizer with a Hoegaarden Witbier for its smooth, refreshing, and crisp finish that won’t overpower the food. The Hoegaarden has a coriander and orange peel flavor, and a dry/sour aftertaste. It isn’t overly sweet, but was flavorful paired with the appetizer. Priced at $7. 25, it was served in a pint glass and has an ABV of 5%. Pairing with a different beer I would recommend the Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier made by Paulaner Brewing Company in Germany (ABV 5. 50%). Paulaner’s Hefeweizen has a banana and clove aroma, but has a better kick regards to taste because of the balanced and prominent taste of banana, clove, wheat, and caramel sweetness. It is a light beer that is high on carbonation, drinks smooth and is creamy- perfect for a poultry appetizer. Next, Mike recommended the New York Steak (14 oz. medium-rare) with a side of steamed vegetables and a baked potato topped with sour cream and chives. I paired the steak with a Belgian-style ale known as St. Bernardus Abt 12 Quadrupel. It had a total ABV of 10% priced at $7 and was served in a flare glass. This beer has a sweet, light-roasted malt, clove, banana, and candy sugar flavor with a subtle bitterness towards the end. It is remarkably flavorful which complements any robust, gamey meal such as the New York Steak. This Quadrupel isn’t quite as bold as other dark beers, but its smooth, full-body and rich taste made this pairing a satisfying meal. Another beer to go with Heroes’ New York steak would be the Dunkel Lager by The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. It is dark yet light-bodied and smooth with an ABV of 4. 90%. Its initial taste of dark toast is mildly sweet and continues with bitter coffee and dark chocolate. It then finishes with a slight spicy presence which is perfect for any dish involving red meat. Among other recommendations, the waiter suggested the L. A. #19 Pastrami. Pricing at $12. 45, Mike described that it is served hot with Russian dressing, zesty coleslaw, Swiss cheese, mounted over rye bread and is served with a choice of sides, one being curly fries. The seasoning on the curly fries and the coleslaw on the sandwich calls for a beer that will cut from the saltiness. It paired wonderfully with an IPA such as Dogfish head 90 minute IPA (ABV of 9%) which was served in a pint glass priced at $7. A perfect suggestion for this pairing would be Russian River’s triple IPA, Pliny the Younger (ABV 11%). This IPA is extremely hoppy. With a strong scent of pine cone and a balanced blend of citrus and herbs it would do well to cut through the salt and fattiness. Other top-selling items were a couple of Heroes’ best-selling burgers. First was the California burger (priced at $18. 95). This burger is definitely a mouthful consisting of caramelized sauteed mushrooms, Applewood smoked bacon, pickle chips, whole leaf lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, onion, and pesto mayo topped on top of flame-broiled Angus chuck patty on a wheat bun. Containing bold greasy, flavors from the bacon and mushrooms I paired this selection with Stone Smoked Porter. It is an American Porter by Stone Brewing Co. with an ABV of 5. 9 % served in a choice of a pint, medium schooner glass, or large 34oz mug. The smoked malt in the beer complemented the large pieces of bacon. Like the Stone Porter, I suggest Hill Farmstead Brewery’s Everett Porter. It has an ABV of 7. 50% with a taste of roasted malt, dark chocolate and brown sugar on the finish which complements the mushroom taste. No hint of booze or hops on the flavor profile leaving the beer very drinkable and smooth. Either porters will do fine in cutting through the greasy flavors. The next Burger Mike suggested was the famous Heroes Kobe Burger. This 10 ounce Kobe beef burger is topped with lettuce, pickle chips, and Thousand Island dressing on an onion bun and priced at $13. 95. This burger seems simple; therefore, I would pair it with a beer extravagant with flavor such as Rouge Double Chocolate Stout. This is an imperial stout priced at $7. 00 with an ABV of 8. 7%. The choice side, specifically curly fries dipped in ketchup, complimented the stout due to the sweetness of the ketchup. The burger, having an onion bun, gave the beer a great contrast, therefore causing the sweet taste of the beer to counteract the wholesome onion flavor. A similar beer not offered at Heroes would be Alesmith Speedway Stout Vanilla and Coconut (ABV 12%). It has the same flavor profile but the amazing blend of vanilla, coconut, dark chocolate, coffee and toasted malts in the background gives this beer a very creamy, rich taste. It is also incredibly well balanced with no alcohol presence making it a great smoked meat or dessert beer. The last best-selling food item served as a lunch entree is the Beef Brisket Sandwich. It consists of tender, thin-sliced and slow-cooked brisket. Due to the large amount of beef, I would recommend a beer that provides cut or contrast. To contrast and cut the flavor of the protein which is salty and greasy, I recommend a dark, bitter and full-bodied beer. From their in-house selection, a mixture of the Stone Smoked Porter with the Stone IPA would pair well. The IPA will provide a refreshing citrusy and hoppy taste with higher alcohol content while the Smoked Porter will provide the dark, smooth, chocolate-coffee, smoky flavor. Combining both these beers into one drink will provide the contrast and cut needed to pair perfectly with the beef brisket sandwich. A beer not offered in this establishment that could also be considered is the Lost Coast Alley Cat Amber (ABV 5. 50%). This beer is well-balanced, full-flavored amber ale, providing an assertive and balanced blend of malts and hops, and will contrast the high protein flavor of the beef. Table 1 Food Heroes and Legends Beer Outside Beer Chicken Quesadilla Hoegaarden Witbier Paulaner Hefe-weissbier New York Steak St. Bernardus Abt 12 Quad Olde Mecklenburg Dunkel Lager LA Pastrami Dogfish head 90 minute IPA Russian River Pliny the Younger (Triple IPA) CA Burger Stone Smoked Porter Everett Porter Kobe Burger Rogue Double Chocolate Stout Alesmith Speedway Stout Vanilla Coconut Beef Brisket Sandwich Mix: Stone Smoked Porter with the Stone IPA Lost Coast Alley Cat Amber Everyone was satisfied with the in-house selection of beers but some recommendations were made. Many of the brand recommendations were Paulaner Brewing Co. , Russian River, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Hill Farmstead Brewery, Alesmith Brewery, and Lost Coast which had produced beers that paired great with our meals. Generally, the 6 new brands were chosen either for similarity in taste and/or better taste, or business-related. For example, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery is a newcomer in the brewing business. They were chosen due to their highly regarded beers and as a method of marketing strategy. OMB’s beers are only sold and distributed in North Carolina, but if Heroes and Legends carried one of their beers such as the Dunkel Lager in the West Coast customers will rush to try this new â€Å"rare† beer. It’s a great way to bring publicity about the OMB name to the West Coast as well as increase Heroes’ daily volume of customers. Some decisions were easier than others such is with Alesmith Brewery: their beer had a similar taste and profile as Rogue’s Double Chocolate Stout. All in all, Heroes and Legends’ beer selections were vast enough for me to have many options. As far as marketing techniques for beers at Heroes and Legends, a new strategy could be applied. Currently, tin and neon signs decorate the cluttered walls from corner to corner. It is overwhelming and lacks any description of each beer’s content. One good technique for introducing new beers is to have a specific beer on special every week or month- a â€Å"beer of the month† approach. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to have the servers make recommendations as a customer’s order is placed. Many of the recommended in house beers were great. Because the selections are already satisfying, our out of house beers resembled them. Therefore, it would not prove difficult to supplement our recommended beers into the current beer list. That is to say, advertising would not have to change much at all. In conclusion, blah blah something concluding this paper. Works Cited BeerAdvocate. (2013). Dunkel Lager The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. BeerAdvocate. Retrieved from http://beeradvocate. com/beer/profile/19247/54854 Benitez, T. (2013). Beer and Food Pairings [Editorial]. Mens Fitness. Retrieved from http://www. mensfitness. com/nutrition/what-to-eat/beer-and-food-pairings Brewers Association. (2013). Celebrating the Best of American Beer. CraftBeer. com. Retrieved from http://www. craftbeer. com/beer-and-food/pairing-tips/pairing-chart Zagat. (n. d. ). Heroes and Legends. Menu. Retrieved from http://www. zagat. com/r/heroes-and- legends-claremont/menu Appendix Key Learnings Briana While doing this project I learned about the different tastes of certain beers in comparison of being on tap or in bottle. In my visit to Hero’s and Legends Bar and Grill, I learned that they do not carry any beers in bottle, only on tap. That night I ordered Rouge chocolate stout. I am a fan of most Rogue beers, specifically Dead Guy Ale. I enjoy Dead Guy Ale equally in bottle or on tap, but for some reason the Chocolate Stout didn’t excite me as much as it does in a bottle. While drinking it on tap, the beer did not have a finishing taste as it does in bottle. The strong chocolate taste was not as evident. Also, the bottom of the glass from the tap stout did not have residue of chocolate as it will when I buy a bottle and pour it into a glass myself. Therefore, I learned that I would most certainly, from now on, favor certain style beers out of the bottle, rather than on tap. Kayla I’ve learned that it’s not just the taste of the beer that sets it apart, but how it smells, looks and the dynamics of pairing it with food. I used to choose a beer based on its alcohol content and name. If it sounded unique, I would order it. Then I’d discern whether I liked the beer or not by how smooth it is and whether I liked the flavor. I never understood what each name meant, for example Pilsner or Dunkel. For the longest time my struggle trying to figure out which beer to order was like trying to find a new computer – I was inadequately informed and there are so many options. Thanks to this class, I don’t have to blindly choose my beers anymore. I can read their labels and, based on what type of beer it is, have a good image of what it looks like and how it will smell/taste. Omar Through this project I learned to start looking at which beer will go well with my food and not just order a random beer. By selecting a pairing of my choice I learned what to look at when pairing beer with food. Michelle The task of pairing food and beers may come off as overwhelming. It is important to remember that if it taste good to you, then that is what truly matters. In the vast market of craft brews (over 2,100 breweries as of 2012) pairing can be simplified to three key roles of beer- cut, contrast, and compliment. When finishing this assignment, it became evident that one beer can pair well with several different food options. For example, a nice whit beer can cut a fatty burger and then compliment a banana split. I feel, that after experimenting, my options have only been expanded for food and beer pairing and now there is an eagerness and excitement to put my knowledge to the test. More beer tasting!

Abortion - How can I Impose My Morality on Another? :: Persuasive Essay, Argumentative

Abortion - How can I Impose My Morality on Another?      Ã‚  Ã‚   "I'm opposed to abortion, but how can I impose my morality on someone else?" This common expression expresses the sentiments of one who wishes to be open to the religious convictions of another on this delicate issue of abortion.    In that statement, replace the word "abortion" with anything else you're opposed to. Like "I'm opposed to racism, but how can I impose my morality on someone else?" or "I'm opposed to rape, but how can I impose my morality on someone else?" Sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it? Why can we impose our "morality" on someone when it comes to racism or rape? Because there's someone else involved. Raping isn't a "choice" a rapist makes in a vacuum - it involves a victim whose life will be altered forever because of that rape. Racism isn't a "choice" made in a vacuum, either. The actions of a racist storekeeper defending his "choice" to do what he wants with his store involve blacks who are unjustly kept from shopping there. The issue here is not "private morality" but civil rights - keeping innocent people from becoming victims.    What about abortion? Is it a matter of private morality, like deciding which church you're going to attend, or is it a matter of public morality - a matter of civil rights? If there's a victim involved, it's a civil rights issue. Is there a victim involved in abortion? There are many who say that there is not, that the preborn child is just a mass of tissue, a part of the woman's body. If this were the case, then no one would have any reason to oppose abortion any more than they would oppose tonsillectomies or appendectomies.    But is that the case? Developments in the science of fetology have given us greater opportunities than ever to learn about the preborn. We know that the baby has a completely different circulatory system than the mother, and often a different blood type. He or she has a completely different genetic code. We know that by the 21st day after conception the baby's heart has begun to beat (Tanner 64). Brain waves are detectable by day 40 (Hamlin 20), and movement also begins around this time (Arey). By eight weeks, when a woman generally discovers she's pregnant, all body systems are present (Hooker). Abortion - How can I Impose My Morality on Another? :: Persuasive Essay, Argumentative Abortion - How can I Impose My Morality on Another?      Ã‚  Ã‚   "I'm opposed to abortion, but how can I impose my morality on someone else?" This common expression expresses the sentiments of one who wishes to be open to the religious convictions of another on this delicate issue of abortion.    In that statement, replace the word "abortion" with anything else you're opposed to. Like "I'm opposed to racism, but how can I impose my morality on someone else?" or "I'm opposed to rape, but how can I impose my morality on someone else?" Sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it? Why can we impose our "morality" on someone when it comes to racism or rape? Because there's someone else involved. Raping isn't a "choice" a rapist makes in a vacuum - it involves a victim whose life will be altered forever because of that rape. Racism isn't a "choice" made in a vacuum, either. The actions of a racist storekeeper defending his "choice" to do what he wants with his store involve blacks who are unjustly kept from shopping there. The issue here is not "private morality" but civil rights - keeping innocent people from becoming victims.    What about abortion? Is it a matter of private morality, like deciding which church you're going to attend, or is it a matter of public morality - a matter of civil rights? If there's a victim involved, it's a civil rights issue. Is there a victim involved in abortion? There are many who say that there is not, that the preborn child is just a mass of tissue, a part of the woman's body. If this were the case, then no one would have any reason to oppose abortion any more than they would oppose tonsillectomies or appendectomies.    But is that the case? Developments in the science of fetology have given us greater opportunities than ever to learn about the preborn. We know that the baby has a completely different circulatory system than the mother, and often a different blood type. He or she has a completely different genetic code. We know that by the 21st day after conception the baby's heart has begun to beat (Tanner 64). Brain waves are detectable by day 40 (Hamlin 20), and movement also begins around this time (Arey). By eight weeks, when a woman generally discovers she's pregnant, all body systems are present (Hooker).

Fight Club Essay

In the movie â€Å"Fight Club† is about the narrator, Jack’s, fantasy of an alternate reality, his personal shadow. Tyler Durden represents Jack’s unconscious collective shadow. Jack, the protagonist, has a meaningless, boring and empty life, and suffers from insomnia. Jack tries to lend color to his insignificant life by purchasing new commodities like his furniture which are the fetish items of the narrator and they provide him with more meaningful existence. Jack has a dull life and he could not find any time for his hobbies due to his busy business life. He has no girlfriend or even a close friend. He does nothing to have fun and he suppresses all his instincts for pleasure in his unconscious. Although he is not happy about his life, every morning he wakes up, goes to work and travels frequently. He suffers from insomnia because he is suppressing his shadow. Later, he finds the idea of participating in cancer and disease support groups. Jack lacks the courage to confront his shadow. Instead, Jack indentifies with her persona, the role the world expects him to play. As the movie progresses Jack gradually begins to become aware of his shadow, and how it motivates his behavior. It is only by doing so that he begins the process of self-realization. One criticism that will be made is that the movie depicts a superficial and incomplete process of self-realization. â€Å"Jung considers the confrontation with the shadow, with one’s own evil, to be of the great psychological value. Understanding something about one’s shadow side is the beginning of self-knowledge. Without the realization of the shadow all real further psychological progress is blocked† (34). As I mentioned before, Tyler Durden is the collective unconscious side of Jack. In other words, Tyler represents the shadow of the narrator in â€Å"political confrontation†. Jack projects onto Tyler, the enemy side, which we view as hopelessly corrupt, sadistic, vindictive, and inhuman. â€Å"The collective shadow, viewed as a component of the collective unconscious, is the archetype of collective evil and can be represented by such archetypal images as the Devil, the Enemy, the Bad Guys, and the Evil Empire† (33-4). Tyler slowly begins to take control away from the narrator. The narrator gets pleasure from Tyler’s crazy, uncontrolled behaviors because Tyler does the things that the narrator imagines doing unconsciously, but was unable to do because of ociety pressure, which encouraged repressing his desires. Jung states, â€Å"Your shadow, the imperfect being in you that follows after and does everything which you are loath to do, all the things you are too cowardly or too decent to do† (35). The narrator gets pleasure from these anarchistic behaviors. Tyler also destroys the narrator’s house in order to prevent him from continuing his virtual life. Then, Tyler initiates a reaction like Jung’s shadow conception, full of violence and sexuality. He manifests his violence and forms an underground boxing club called Fight Club. Hopeless people like Bob who has testicular cancer and many other people who are not happy about their lives, which are full of suppressed emotions and societal pressures, join Fight Club. Tyler also satisfies his sexual instincts with Marla whereas the narrator fails to do so. Tyler becomes a cult hero and he even manages to get paid without ever going to work because of the shadow’s charisma, self-confidence and revolutionary aspect. However, after a while we start to realize the negative effects of the shadow. The shadow, Tyler Durden, takes control completely and he gets out of balance. Fight Club becomes an anarchistic group and Tyler prepares a big plan (Project Mayhem) for destroying all the banks, financial sector buildings. Tyler is thus transformed into a public enemy who wants to destroy the capitalist system. In the movie, Tyler says, â€Å"It is only when you have lost everything, you are free to do anything†. He wants to live in a primitive society in which everyone has nothing and everyone is equal. This feeling comes to his mind because of the influence of the shadow archetype. As Jung mentioned, archetypes are characteristics that reflect our primitive nature. Tyler rants, â€Å"You are not your job, you are not your money in your bank account†. The shadow becomes very destructive, violent and dangerous as Tyler clearly becomes a monster who threatens society. Tyler sees society and the capitalist system as his enemies. Tyler shows us exactly all the aspects of Jung’s shadow concept: violence, sexuality, self-confidence, charisma, courage, madness and a lack of balance. What makes Tyler so strong is the narrator’s error in repressing his shadow for such a long time. After a period, the narrator understands that his conscious mind was taken over for a while and he begins to fight Tyler. He gets rid of Tyler in the last scene by shooting himself and thus by metaphorically reducing the influence of the shadow, Tyler in his mind. The narrator thus achieves a new psychical balance and gets rid of his shadow Tyler Durden. Jung explains, â€Å"Consequently, the murder of the hero represents the need for change, for a ‘revaluation of earlier values,’ at midlife. The shadow figures of savage and dwarf represents the murderous energy as well as the insight, the shadow wisdom, needed to kill the hero and to transcend a youthful heroic attitude toward life†.

Unit Definition in Science

A unit is any standard used for making comparisons in measurements. Unit conversions allow for measurements of a property that have been recorded using different units—for instance, centimeters to inches. Examples The meter is one standard of length. A liter is a standard of volume. Each of these standards can be used to compare with other measurements made using the same units.