Beer and Food Pairing with Kirin Brewery
Last weekend, I was invited to attend a beer and food pairing sponsored by Kirin Brewery. The event was hosted by Publix Aprons School, and the guest chef for the evening was Candice Kumai. Candice was on the first season of Top Chef, has multiple cookbooks, and a regular judge on Iron Chef. She’s also the spokesperson for Kirin Brewery Company. As a fan of Top Chef, I was really excited to meet her. Her cookbooks are geared to healthier cooking techniques using fresh ingredients.
The event took place at the Publix Aprons kitchen in Plantation, Florida. It’s about an hour south of our house in Jupiter. We arrived a few minutes early ready to learn more about Kirin Ichiban and eat some yummy food.
Once we were seated in the kitchen, we were informed the demo was being recorded. I use to watching cooking shows all the time. I’m pretty sure the Food Network logo was burned into my TV screen. My dream was to one day star in my own cooking show, and when I’m cooking, I sometimes talk to the dogs in a Julia Childs voice. Luckily, Huck hasn’t caught me doing that yet! I was really excited to see what goes on behind the scenes during a cooking video.
I’ve had Kirin a couple times when eating at a Japanese Steakhouse, but I didn’t know much about the beer. Kirin has been brewing beer since 1888, and have two styles available in the US, Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light. Ichiban means Number One and it’s brewed using only the first-press of the wort. Kirin Light only has 95 calories. Both beers are good for the style. They paired well with the Asian food we were presented through the night.
We started the evening with Kirin Ichiban and Wasabi-Ginger Spiced Cashews.
I love cashews! Huck and I almost polished off this whole bowl on our own.
Huck practicing his chopstick skills.
Camera crew setting up.
Candice was energetic and fun. She had great stories about her life and family, and she was very detailed when explaining the dish and preparation. You can tell when someone has a real passion about what they’re doing, and she definitely has that. Huck and I both agreed, we’d love to meet her mom.
The first dish she prepared was Sushi Rolls. She made a basic California and Salmon Roll and paired them with the Kirin Ichiban. One tip she shared, and is a problem I run into often, if you can’t find fresh fish, try using smoked tofu or smoked salmon.
The Sushi Rolls were served with Soy Sauce, Spicy Mayo, and Homemade Pickled Daikon Radishes.
Next up, Mom’s Homemade Gyoza. Gyoza are also known as potstickers. Candice added a little oil to a hot skillet and added water to help steam the potstickers. It’s a great combo of crispy and tender. The Gyoza were also served with Kirin Ichiban and a soy dipping sauce. The flavors complimented each other well.
While we were snacking on the Gyoza, we met a representative from Kirin. She discussed the history of Kirin more and told us about a new way to drink Kirin beer in the US- Kirin Ichiban Frozen. Apparently, it’s like a beer slushy. It’s available in a few ballparks. Great way to keep your beer cold while watching baseball.
Our last dish of the the night was Beer Marinated Ginger Garlic Chicken and Roasted Miso Honey-Glazed Root Vegetables paired with Kirin Light.
This was our favorite meal of the night. The glaze was delicious. I used my chicken to soak up every drop! I wanted a bottle of it to take with us.
After the cooking demo was over, we had a chance to speak with Candice. I purchased one of her cookbooks, Pretty Delicious. It’s full of healthy recipes I can’t wait to try.
She even signed it to me and Life Food and Beer… So cheesy I know!
{Do you think when you get a cookbook deal, they teach you to write and sign your name neatly? My handwriting and signature are HORRIBLE!!}
It was such a fun opportunity. Thank you Kirin, Candice, and Publix Aprons for allowing us to attend.
As a special treat for LF&B readers, Kirin and Candice gave me permission to share one of the recipes we sampled.
Beer Marinated Ginger Garlic Chicken and
Roasted Miso Honey-Glazed Root Vegetables
Recipe by Candice Kumai
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- 2 Cloves Garlic- Finely Minced
- 1/2 cup Kirin Ichiban Beer
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 lbs Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts
- 2 Tablespoons White Miso Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 1 1/2 lb Root Vegetables {Carrots, Parsnips, Waxy Potatoes, Turnips, Rutabagas}
Method:
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, Kirin beer, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and brown sugar. Pour into a re-sealable plastic bag. Place the chicken in the bag with the marinade and make sure breasts are evenly coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for 25-30 minutes or overnight.
- In a mixing bowl combine low sodium soy sauce, garlic, Ichiban beer, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and brown sugar and whisk well to incorporate. Peel and slice the root veggies into 1/2 inch pieces. If using beets, wear gloves while preparing and add them last. Toss the root veggies in the marinade until coated and allow them to site for approximately 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the root veggies on a large, foil-lined baking sheet and cook for approximately 45 minutes.
- Spray a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the marinated chicken into the baking dish along with the marinade. Bake for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, and until the internal thermometer registers 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice on the bias and serve with Roasted Veggies.
Disclosure: Kirin Brewery provided me with two tickets to attend the cooking demo. As always, the opinions are my own!
