Allagash: The Cookbook

Allagash: The Cookbook
By James Simpkins
Blue Tree LLC, October 2012, $35

Just the title should be enough to get you clearing space on your bookshelf. Recipes are inspired by US regional cuisines and listed as such, though chapters are based on each Allagash beer, with profiles of each style by chef and author James Simpkins. Simpkins also crafted the recipes, which include (among many others): Venison Tenderloin with Spiced Cranberry Relish (with Interlude); Slow-Roast Duck with Blackberry Gastrique (Coolship); and Chicken Plantain Roulades (Tripel). In his foreword, Jean Van Roy of Cantillon discusses the Belgian tradition of cooking with beer, and an introduction from Rob Tod explains how, when the brewery launched and consumers were wary of those crazy Belgian styles, pairing Allagash beers with food helped consumers appreciate the new flavors. Tod may not need to serve Maine oysters to get folks to drink a Coolship anymore, but who are we to break tradition? ■