Announcing The Session #8: Beer and Food

On October 5, 2007, I have the honor and privilege of hosting The Session. The Session is a group writing project that was conceived by Stan Hieronymus of Appellation Beer and Brew Like a Monk fame.

The concept is simple. On the first Friday of each month, bloggers the world over write about the same beer related theme. The host compiles a list of links to all the contributions – usually with witty commentary. Beer enthusiasts read all the entries and are educated, enriched and entertained. Comments and discussions proliferate. Lifelong friendships are formed. The world becomes a better place. A month later, we do it all again.

Traditionally the host chooses the theme. Don’t worry, I won’t make everyone write haiku or limericks or sonnets. I have chosen the theme “Beer and Food”. Mmmmmm… Beer and Food.

I am looking for posts about pairing beer with food or using beer as an ingredient in food. I hope to see recipes, pictures, tasting notes, stories, menus, reviews or anything else that fits the bill of fare. Whether you write about which beer goes best with chili dogs or give your family’s secret recipe for vegan stout stew or post pictures of those ale braised lamb shanks you had last week, I want to know every mouth watering detail.

It’s simple to participate:

1. Write a blog post on the Beer and Food theme and publish it on Friday, October 5, 2007.
2. Email the link to your post to me at beerhaiku [at] gmail [dot] com or use my contact form.
3. Read what everyone else has to say.
4. Comment on and discuss the contributions.
5. Spread the word about the fantastic writing and amazing insights you found.

If you need inspiration on this topic there are a number of books and websites available to get you started:

Books

• The Best of American Beer and Food: Pairing & Cooking with Craft Beer
• The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food
• The Bartenders Beer Cookbook
• Beer & Food: An American History

Websites

• BeerDinners.com
• About.com
• BeerCook.com
• Beer101.com Cooking
• Vanberg and DeWulf Cooking with Beer
• National Beer Wholesalers Association Cooking and Dining with Beer
• Victory Brewing Company Cooking with Beer
• Beer in Food

I’ve created an information page for the Session. It includes links to the announcements and roundups of all previous Sessions as well as instructions for becoming the host of a future session.

Update: Here is the round-up of the Beer and Food Session.