Scallops Provencal

Oooh look what flew into our fridge! Remember when I said I wanted to try Hitchachino Nest Beer?

I finally found this sucker in the far back corner at Whole Foods, and it was quite the pretty penny. 1 Pint was about $11 and I stood deliberating over those $11 for a good 10 minutes. Finally I succumbed and I had this little lovely (and some clementines):

That was where the excitement ended unfortunately. I tried the White Ale which was really a really unique flavor. A little bit sour while also a bit sweet. Not my favorite flavor. Nick deemed it undrinkable, but he likes brown ales so his opinion was biased from the beginning. I would be interested in trying the other brews under this label if it wasn't so darn expensive! Why spend that much on a pint when I can get a 6-pack of Toatsted Head or Blue Point for less then $10? I wouldn't...

On a side note, I noticed during this beer run that Whole Foods has "happy hour" prices at the tap for a few bucks off the growler refill charge. Cheers indeed!

We complimented the white ale with Scallops Provencal. A heartier scallop recipe, with divine flavors, I've posted it below and urge you to have faith. It seemed sac-religious to bread such beautiful seafood but it ends up not really "breading" them, more like "lightly seasoning" the flat sides. MMM I want it again already. Thanks to Chef Nick on this one! xN

Recipe from Food Network

• 1 pound fresh bay or sea scallops
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, cut in 1/2

Directions

If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you're using sea scallops, cut each 1 in half horizontally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.
In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add thescallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops. Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice

The Wise Owl Brews Magical Beer

This morning I was waiting for my bus when I noticed this truck parked in front of the Gristedes (a non-savory named grocery store in NYC) across the street:

Now. The font is cool but it took me a few minutes of squinting with these old eyes to see that it was Hitachino and not Kitachino but that's beside the point. The point is the tagline which is barely visible in the tan strip along the bottom: The Wise Owl Brews Magical Beer. Well OF COURSE he does. I did a little research and found that Notcot has many great pictures of this beer's identity. Look. At. These. Caps.

Isn't this packaging great? It is cool, modern, a bit hipster but still classic. Couldn't you see it at a backyard/ woodsy party or wedding with cute letterpressed owls invites like the Valentine Caryn sent me? From what I can tell, it actually tastes good too. I've read great reviews of the White Ale in particular and it sounds like you can get it at Wholefoods. Anyone have any experience with this beer? Time to dust off the growler that has been sitting sadly empty for months. xN