When people think of food that goes with beer, people usually think of savory items, such as steak or pizza.
However, the concept of pairing beer with desserts ( yes—desserts ) is gaining traction. The "Let's Grab a Beer" campaign has partnered with pastry chef Melanie Diamond-Manlusoc, who's with one of Chicago's most exclusive restaurants—Spiaggia—to share a trio of beer-inspired dessert recipes: cinnamon pretzel twists, pump-can cake ( pecan pie baked inside of a spiced pumpkin cake ) and dark chocolate cremoso ( which has a consistency between those of mousse and ganache ). Note: I was fortunate enough to try the cremoso with Leffe Brune—and they honestly brought out the best in each other.
Windy City Times recently spoke with Diamond-Manlusoc, who happens to be an out lesbian, about food and her sweet life.
Windy City Times: You've had quite the interesting life. I understand that it was a trip to Italy that kickstarted your love of desserts.
Melanie Diamond-Manlusoc: Yeah. I was doing a summer saxophone workshop in northern Italy. [Diamond-Manlusoc studied music education at Michigan State University.] A guy with a saxophone studio set up the trip, and I went with my saxophone quartet. I stayed with a host family, and I was immersed in all of [Italy].
One day, the family pulled out prosciutto. Of course, I had seen prosciutto, and they cut it and put it on a plate for me. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to trim it or put the whole piece in my mouth. I then saw the host shove the whole piece in his mouth, and I [did the same]. I then thought, "My god—this is amazing!"
After dinner, we went to the gelato shop; it was the first time I had gelato. I didn't know I was supposed to choose a couple flavors, but I then picked cantaloupe and strawberry. I was beside myself: "This tastes exactly like a strawberry and a cantaloupe!" It changed my mind about food. I came home from that trip and bought an Italian cookbook and Italian tools; when I had a bad day, cooking was like therapy. [Laughs]
It was like what I did when I was in music school. Being a musician, you play the notes—and then they're gone. Food is there; you can share music with someone, but with food you're really sharing.
My parents are Filipino, and they wanted me to be something like a Filipino nurse. [Laughs] But I see someone get a paper cut, and I want to pass out. To work in food service didn't [initially] seem like a viable option [as a career], even though I had worked in restaurants growing up. Now people can be celebrity chefs—which is why some people go into the field.
WCT: So what was your parents' reaction when you said you'd become a chef?
MD-M: I think they knew I was miserable teaching. I was very successful and good at it, but I think that was the only time in my life when I was closeted; I came out really early. I lived this double life as a school's band director; I was kind of dying inside every day. I couldn't be myself, and the kids could sense that.
In the middle of teaching, though, my wife and I got married, and we combined our last names. My wife's [maiden] name is "Diamond," so I'm always apologizing to my wife for my last name. She's, like, "Whatever."
I was teaching in Harvey, Illinois—which is, like, uber-Baptist. I was the only Asian teacher, and the kids assumed I was Chinese. After the first couple of years, I introduced myself and made them pronounce my name. I told them they had three days to learn to pronounce my name; if they couldn't, I said I wouldn't answer them when they had questions. [Laughs] They learned it quickly.
WCT: It is National Dessert Month—but it's also National Coming Out Month. Who was the first person you came out to?
MD-M: My sisters—and when I told them, they laughed. [Laughs] They were, like, "Oh, we knew."
It's amazing now in school. Now, there are gay-straight alliances and all these other groups. I told one of my younger cousins, "You guys better give props to us. We were being followed around school. Now you guys are just walking around—it's great."
WCT: And even with marriage, it's amazing how that's progressed.
MD-M: Yeah. My wife and I got married during that Prop 8 [window] that summer in California. About 30,000 couples got married; we got married that first week. We were in the midst of all that.
I remember watching the news at my sister's house, and it didn't occur to me that it was this crazy.
WCT: You were kind of like an accidental activist.
MD-M: I like that: "The Accidental Activist."
WCT: When you write your memoirs, that's the title.
MD-M: I'll dedicate the book to you. [Laughs]
WCT: You make a lot of different desserts, but you really specialize in gelatos.
MD-M: Honestly, that first taste in Italy did it for me. And, growing up, ice cream was that special thing we would go out for. It was love at first taste.
My wife and I honeymooned in Hawaii. We were eating ice cream at this one little shop. It was really good but my wife said, "It's good—but it'd be even better as gelato." I agreed, and thought, "Maybe I should make gelato."
We went home the next day, and I bought an ice-cream maker and book—and started playing. Then I'd make so much of it, and it was just my wife and I eating it. It was too much even for her, so we invited some friends over and had a "Clean out the Freezer" party.
WCT: And you've made green-bean gelato?
MD-M: Yeah; that has happened. Friends asked if they could buy my gelato, and I eventually did a pop-up. Business expanded, and one Thanksgiving, I thought I could make gelato [with savory flavors].
By the way, that's going to happen here next month—the Thursday before Thanksgiving. It's an all-Thanksgiving gelato pop-up for 24 people. It'll be five courses of gelato: turkey gelato, Brussels sprout, green-bean casserole, sweet potato.
WCT: Desserts and beer, huh?
MD-M: Yeah. [Laughs] My wife and I are both avid beer drinkers; in fact, she's a beer snob. She even has a beer app that tells [characteristics] of the beer she's drinking.
We started making our own beer—and I was taken by how similar making beer is like making gelato. Let's say you want to make turkey gelato; you need to infuse the flavor of the turkey into the milk, and then you add the other ingredients. Beer's the same way. Also, they're similar in that everything has to be ridiculously clean and sanitized. For me, making beer was just very natural.
A lot of people would rather drink beer than drink wine. Sometimes you just don't want to feel fancy; they feel you have to act a certain way to drink wine. Here, you can have beer with your seven- or 14-course Michelin-starred meal as well.
WCT: It's come a long way since my day would drink PBR or Schlitz.
MD-M: My dad was Miller Genuine Draft! I'd love to have a party where everyone would drink what their dads drank.
For more on "Let's Grab a Beer," visit http://www.letsgraba.beer/post/131158077638/treat-yourself-its-national-dessert-day. Spiaggia's website is www.SpiaggiaRestaurant.com .
