BEER! Whether it's ale, lager, pilsener, or stout, is terrific for cooking. Beer makes a batter for deep frying and smooths a French onion soup. And what could be more compatible for lunch on a rainy Vancouver weekend out on the boat fishing for Spring salmon than a cold beer with a hot pastrami sandwich smothered with brown beer mustard?

This is the late James Beard's recipe for batter to French fry vegetables.

Trim your veggies, wash, dry thoroughly, dust with flour, dip into the batter, and fry in oil at 360 degrees F until done.

However, James 'missed the boat' on this one it's far better for deep frying halibut, cod, or any other seafood. The batter puffs up because of the beer's yeast, fries quickly, and as a result, doesn't commit the cardinal sin of seafood preparation overcooking.

I think few of our piscine friends benefit from deep frying as a cooking method, but that's another story.

To prepare, place flour in a mixing bowl and add egg yolks, salt, oil, and beer. Stir batter until thoroughly mixed.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours or as long as 24 the longer the better, to a point.

Just before using batter, stir it well again.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; gently fold egg whites into batter.

Does 2 lbs. of veggies or 6 fish fillets, depending upon their size.

Makes 6 servings.