Okay, so I missed a bit of the “behind the scenes” info on the awesome ribs the other day, but it luckily applies to today’s recipe gem, too… It turns out that we have a whole lot of one particular batch of homebrew (beer).  In order to use some of that beer for non-drinking purposes, Scott dove headfirst into recipes that use beer.  And thus, I give you the best wings I’ve ever eaten: CraftBeer.com’s Honey Chipotle Beer-Braised Wings.

I don’t really love wings.  I don’t even pick them out most of the time if I’m at a restaurant that specializes in wings.  I think it’s because wings are messy, and I don’t want to use a napkin as a drop cloth in public.  But honestly, if somebody gave me these wings in public, I would eat them in a heartbeat.  I would even eat these in public with a white shirt on (the mess magnet of all mess magnets, in my experience).  They’re just that good–incredibly flavorful, crispy skin!  What more could you ask for in a chicken wing?

And now it’s time for a minor confession.  Scott and I aren’t great at putting together meals that have a cohesive theme.  We just like food, and we don’t always care if the menu is “traditional.”  Which brings me to the other thing we ate for dinner last night: Giada’s Strawberry-Tomato Jam Crostini.

Yes, that’s me hoarding the crostini while sporting some very color-coordinated pants (accidental pants/jam coordination).  Scott accurately pointed out that this crostini recipe tastes more like dessert than an appetizer, but it’s still super tasty.  It was a great way for us to use some early summer tomatoes and some frozen earlier-in-the-summer strawberries without eating a plate full of raw tomatoes. 

While wings and crostini are not a common meal pairing, that was the best dinner I’ve had in a good, long while.  Om. Nom. Nom.  (Oh, and did you see those mint leaves?  They’re not from our garden, but our mint is finally growing.  Yay!!!  I’m cheering for it to take over the entire front flower bed.  No, really.  I am.)