In the blue corner of the ring: The Peruvian Traveler menu, by Chef Sergio Nakayoshi of Mango Peruvian Cuisine, who recently returned from an exploratory culinary trip to Peru.
Round by course, the Peruvian Traveler menu:
- Ceviche de corvina, with sweet potato, red onion, cilantro, Andean corn, rocoto and birds-eye chilis in the traditional Peruvian marinade for ceviche, Ginger leche de Tigre. The combination of the mild, sweet and firm corvina with hot chilies, big dense kernels of Andean corn and sweet potatoes with red onion – sounds delicioso.
- Causa de congrejo, a traditional layered potato, crab and avocado dish, gets a new kick with colorful tobiko caviar (roe from the flying fish), radishes, a quail egg and a finish of ruby beet aioli.
- Anticucho de corazon, the classic Peruvian street food of marinated and grilled beef heart and grilled potatoes on skewers served with chimichurri and huancaina, a vibrant sauce of aji amarillo chiles and queso fresco.
- Aji de Gallina, a creamy chicken stew with brightly yellow aji amarillo chiles, Parmesan cheese, soft-boiled egg, garlic rice and meaty Botija black olives.
- Quinoa con leche mazzamora morado, a new take on the classic purple corn and dried fruit pudding, a Peruvian favorite.
In the red corner of the ring: A sextet of Urban Chestnut Brewing Company’s finest German beers; five beers to be paired with each of the five courses for the dinner. One alternate beer will join the lineup.
The UBCB contenders for pairings
- Zwickel Bavarian Lager
- Schnickelfritz Bavarian Weissbier
- Gewässerschutz Maibock (and an alternate, Maximilian Weizenbock)
- Winged Nut Chestnut Ale
- Innovator Belgian Strong Ale
The ringmasters for the evening: GM Ryan Cimperman at the Flying Saucer in downtown St. Louis, and Mikey Carrasco, special beer dinner coordinator for the series.
For Ryan Cimperman, who started at the Flying Saucer in August of 2015, the monthly beer dinner match-up series came about over beers shared with friends. “I’d noticed the strong connections between restaurant people in town. Through conversations with my friend and chef Mikey Carrasco, highlighting chefs and brewers seemed like a natural. In talking with another friend, [Modern Brewery's] Beamer Eisele, we realized we had the perfect storm – enough chefs and enough breweries to hold a monthly beer dinner, all local.”
Cimperman asked Carrasco to organize an inaugural dinner and to explore the options. “Mikey’s is such a social bug. All his friends thought it was an awesome idea. He took charge and we’ve got five events lined up now. The first one was so much fun. By the end of the evening, people who had just met were passing around phone numbers.”
For Carrasco (right), who is one of the chefs-de-cuisine at Broadway Oyster Bar, the dinners brought unexpected but welcome opportunities. He cooked the first beer dinner and now channels his connections with chefs and brewers into the monthly series. He’s looking forward to round two. “One of the cool things about this menu is that Sergio [the chef] has been in Peru for the last month, scouting food ideas.”
As for the beers, Carrasco and chef Andy Fair at UBCB put their heads together and match brews to courses. “The pairing with German beers with Peruvian food sounds different and a little off the wall, but it isn’t. The light, bright flavors of the seafood, chilis, and citrus work with the bright German beers. Some courses pair well with the darker beers. We’ve even got one course with an alternate pairing – a you-be-the-judge choice.”
We got a sneak peek at July’s dinner combination — "Two Americans" features Chef Michael Friedman with his American-focused Retreat Gastropub food and the American beers at 4 Hands Brewing Company.
“Mikey has chefs lined up for the next four or five months,” GM Cimperman says. “They think it’s awesome. Plus, we donate profits from these dinners to local charities. It’s a win for everyone.”
For input on the menu, this writer contacted Peruvian native and foodie Fabiola Gagliardi. She and her husband Jose Barradas (right) introduced me to ceviche, Peruvian style, served with Andean corn and plantain tostones and what a revelation: bright, engaging flavors balanced to perfection.
“Peru is the culinary capital of South America and the dishes that are on this menu are some of the most popular you will eat in Peru,” she says. “I wish I could attend! Causa [de congrejo] is a great starter dish, a different fusion of foods, layered and delish,” she says. She also gives a must-try to Anticuchos and a big thumbs-up to Aji de Gallina. “My favorite.”
The rules of engagement:
- Tickets are $45 for Flying Saucer UFO club members/$50 for non-members and are available only at Flying Saucer. Tickets are not available online.
- Arrive shortly before 7:30 p.m. on June 2nd to begin the festivities.
- Be prepared to meet and greet fellow beer knurds.
Flying Saucer Beer Dinner #2 – Peruvian Food vs. German Beers
900 Spruce
314-932-1456
Thursday, June 2nd beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Flying Saucer
Mango Peruvian
Urban Chestnut
Broadway Oyster Bar
