DINE Sips of the Season
Sips of the Season: 13moons WRITTEN BY CATHERINE TORRES | PHOTOGRAPHED BY KAYLIN STIEFER
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n a warm mid-September afternoon, we gathered at 13moons in Swinomish Casino and Lodge for the month’s Sips of the Season. Chef Andrew Bighouse delighted our taste buds with seasonal offerings while Mike Burns paired beers for each course, complementing the flavors on the dish with those in the glass. The first course, salty prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and mozzarella with sweet oven-roasted tomatoes, was served with a malt forward Kulshan Amber. The beer is not-toohoppy and on the lighter side with a clean finish, making it an excellent starter beer. Burns explained how he pairs drinks to enhance food, not compete. He suggested tasting the food, then sipping the beer, and trying the food again. Even eating the different components on the plate in between sips can bring a new appreciation for the dish. A bite of just asparagus and a swish of beer brought out the stalk’s freshness while a bite of the tomatoes started sweet and ended pleasantly tart. Burns also added there’s no right or wrong when it comes to pairing, it’s simply what you enjoy. But as a guideline, he recommends pairing based on power: light food goes well with light beer, heavy with heavy. The salad course consisted of bitter endive leaves arranged in a lovely starburst on the plate. Sprinkled on top were bits of rich gorgonzola, sweet Pink Lady apple slices, whole hazelnuts, and a sherry vinaigrette. A slightly hoppy Kulshan Pilsner complemented the endive’s bitterness well, while playing perfectly with the strong gorgonzola notes and subtle hazelnut bites. 78 NorthSoundLife.com
The third course was a bowl of sweet, creamy roasted butternut squash soup with a heaping pile of pecan-wood smoked Dungeness crab in the middle, garnished with a drizzle of truffle oil. With so many flavor components (sweet, smoky, earthy), only a strong, flavorful beer is up to the challenge. Burns chose Bale Breaker’s Field 41, an American pale ale on the hoppier and bitter side that downplays the soup’s sweetness, brings out more of the crab’s smokiness, and complements the soup’s lusciousness. Next up came a dish that blew guests away: slow-braised, fall-off-the-bone tender short ribs atop a bed of creamy Cambozola polenta served with steamed broccolini, and a rich cherry reduction. The flavors were big and needed an even bigger-flavored beer. Burns poured us Iron Horse’s Irish Death. The rich, Irish-style stout’s caramel, bitter, and roasted notes paired exceptionally well with the rich meat and sweet, almost tart, cherry sauce. For dessert, we shifted gears to Moka Joe Coffee, specifically a cup of Cafe Femenino medium roast. The coffee has a medium acidity and delicate milk chocolate notes that worked well with the rich hazelnut chocolate mousse Chef Bighouse served. Layered with crunchy hazelnut biscotti crumbs and fluffy lemon mascarpone mousse, this dessert was decadent. The coffee help cut some of the richness without sacrificing flavor. It was a very sweet ending to an incredible meal. We’d like to thank 13moons for hosting September’s Sips of the Season, Mike Burns for his tasty beer pairings, and Moka Joe Coffee for rounding out our meals with a great brew.