Congrats to a Local Homebrewer!
Here are the details courtesy of Cigar City Blog: The Smoked Jalapeno Ale was collaboration with Tommy Orr, a member of Special Hoperations Homebrew Club of Tampa. His is the first of 4 very special beers we will be releasing in the next few months all brewed with members of local homebrewing clubs. Here’s how it all started: The beers and their brewers are: Smoked Jalapeno Ale- Tommy Orr from Special Hoperations Kumquat Amarillo Wheat Ale- Mark Stober from Tampa Bay BEERS Belgian Strong Dark Ale- Dave Kmietek from Dunedin Brewer’s Guild Where’s my Lips Double IPA- Bob Bridges from Pinellas Urban Brewer’s Guild Look for these beers to be on tap in the coming months and be sure to let us know what you think! When we are ready to put them all on tap together we will update you with another blog post so that you can come try them all and give us your official vote. Sources: Related Posts: |
Beer-making as reality TV?As strange is it may sound, that’s the premise behind the Discovery Channel’s new series, “Brew Masters,” which debuted November 21. The show tracks Dogfish Head Brewery founder Sam Calagione as he travels the globe searching for unusual ingredients (Egyptian spices, anyone?) and learning about age-old beer making techniques –- all in the name of crafting the perfect pint.
On Tuesday, December 7, Datz resident Beer Geek Mike McGhee will host a special tasting and discussions of Bitches Brew from 6:30p-8p at the Chefs’ Kitchen. Until then, enjoy this interview with Calagione from the Discovery Channel blog. How did you get into the beer business? I started as a homebrewery – making 5 gallon batches in my cramped apartment in NYC. It was basically a hobby that went out of control and took over my life. From there I apprenticed at a small brewery in Maine, wrote a business plan, and raised the money to open our original location (and still our pub and R&D brewery), Dogfish Head Brewing and Eats in downtown Rehoboth, Delaware. We opened as the smallest brewery in the country, making ten-gallon batches. Today we are among the fastest-growing breweries in the country, making over 7,000 cases of off-centered ales per day out of our Milton, Delaware production facility. We host beer lovers for tours of both our pub and our brewery — folks can sign up at dogfish.com. Where did the name of your brewery come from? I always forget how goofy the name of our company sounds to most people. I grew up in New England. Dogfish Head is a head or jut of land off of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. I wanted to take a little rustic New England with me when I moved to Delaware to open the brewery, and this name allowed me to make that happen. My wife Mariah, who runs Dogfish with me, is from coastal Delaware, so that’s how we ended up here. What’s your favorite kind of beer? The kind that’s in front of me. Seriously, I drink all kinds of beer, not just Dogfish. There are so many amazing breweries out there around the world. But I mostly drink the beer from fellow small, indie craft breweries. What are some of the more unusual ingredients you’ve made beer with? Lavender buds, licorice root, juniper, tea leaves, human saliva, arctic cloudberries, chili peppers, tree seeds, gourds, saffron, coffee, maple syrup… Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Have you learned anything surprising about beer from working on Brew Masters? I never cease to be surprised by how good my coworkers here at Dogfish are at our job. I’m sure the exotic travel and ingredients will be highlights of the show, but I’m also looking forward to viewers getting to know the off-centered creative, funny, and dedicated people I work with here every day. Who would you most like to have a beer with? Living: Mark Arm of the band Mudhoney. Dead: Andy Warhol or David Foster Wallace. Anything else you’d like to share? I’ve had a blast working with the folks from ZPZ production and Discovery Channel on this series. As obsessed with quality and authenticity as we are at Dogfish Head, these guys are within their respective industries. I always look forward to seeing them and hoisting a pint together after long days of productive work. |
Wild Rice & Lentil Salad RecipeLunch Box: Summer Salads Ingredients: · 1 C vegetable or chicken stock Method · Combine 1 cup water and the stock in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover and simmer over medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. · Meanwhile, place lentils in a saucepan over medium heat and cover with 11/4 cups water. Simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool. In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked rice and lentils. · Prepare a vinaigrette by whisking together the walnut oil olive oil, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the lentils and rice. Add the red onion, dried cranberries and slivered almonds. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. * These products are available for purchase at Datz. Have some fun while you eat lunch and learn how to cook something new! Sign up for a Lunch Box lesson this week. You can find registration information on our website at www.datzdeli.com. |
Watermelon, Mint & Feta Salad RecipeFrom Lunch Box Monday July 26: Homage to Jacques Pepin Ingredients
Method
* These products are available at Datz Cook’s Note: For a fun serving suggestion, reserve the scooped out watermelon rind and use as a bowl for the salad. Great for picnics! Be sure to sign up for one of our weekday Lunch Box lessons. You can find more information and register on www.datzdeli.com. |
Crazy for Crepes (Part II)by Chef Nikki Bowen
Basic Crepes Ingredients · 1 cup all-purpose flour · Pinch kosher salt · 2 eggs · 1/2 cup milk · 1/2 cup club soda · 3 tablespoons melted butter, plus 3 tablespoons for cooking the crepes Batter: · In a mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and make a well in the center. Add the remaining ingredients, except the melted butter, into the center of the well and whisk together until just combined. The mixture should be like VERY loose pancake batter. If the mixture is a little thick, whisk in a little more milk. Let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes before using. *Tip: Crepe batter can be made up to 2 days in advance, covered and refrigerated. Crepes: · Melt about a 1/2 teaspoon of butter in a small nonstick saute pan. The butter should coat the bottom of the pan. · Put the pan over medium heat. Fill a 2-ounce ladle, almost to the top, with batter and pour it into the preheated pan, tipping and rolling the pan, as you ladle the batter, to evenly cover the bottom. This will take a little practice, even when you are an experienced crepe maker the first couple always get wasted. Accept it and move on. · When the edges of the crepe begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and the bottom begins to brown a little, turn the crepe over and cook it for about 1 minute on the other side. Remove the crepe from the pan to a plate and let cool. Stack the crepes as they are cooked between parchment paper squares. Repeat this process, until all the batter is used, wiping the pan with your paper towel or melting a little more butter to the pan, as needed. Semolina Crepes Ingredients · 3 cups warm water · 2 teaspoons baking powder · 1 3/4 cups fine semolina (sometimes called extra-fancy durum flour) · 1/3 cup AP flour · 2 teaspoons active dry yeast · 1 teaspoon sugar · 1 teaspoon salt · Vegetable oil, for cooking · 1/3 cup honey, warmed · 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Method · In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup warm water with baking powder. In food processor, combine semolina with flour, yeast, sugar, and remaining warm water. Process for 30 seconds, until smooth. Add the salt and baking powder mixture and process for 30 seconds longer. Pour the batter into a large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. · Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet and coat it with a thin layer of vegetable oil. In a small bowl, blend the honey with the butter. Whisk the batter until creamy. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter into the skillet, tilting the skillet to distribute it evenly. Cook the crepe over moderate heat until bubbles appear all over the surface and the bottom is pale golden, about 2 minutes. Shake the skillet to loosen the creoe, then slide the crepe onto a plate. · Drizzle with the honey butter and serve right away. Repeat with more oil and remaining batter and honey butter. |
Crazy for Crepes (Part I)by Chef Nikki Bowen
Crepes Suzette (Sweet Crepes) Ingredients · 2 large eggs · 3/4 cup milk · 1/2 cup water · 1 cup flour · 3 tablespoons melted butter · 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar · 1 teaspoon vanilla extract · 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur · Butter, for coating the pan Method · In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours. · Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart. Sauce Ingredients · 1/2 pound butter, softened · 4 tablespoons sugar · 4 ounces of your favorite liquor · 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream Method · Fold your crepes in half twice, so they are in the shape of a triangle. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, melt half of the butter. When it begins to foam remove from heat and add 2 ounces of the liquor and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Always add alcohol off of the heat to avoid a jumping flame. Use tongs to gently lay crepes into the pan. Turn the crepes to coat. Lay the crepes out on a plate and top with ice cream. Pour remaining sauce over the ice cream. Serve immediately. Manicotti Crepes Ingredients · Extra-virgin olive oil · 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice · Kosher salt · Pinch crushed red pepper flakes · 3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped · 1 pound bulk fennel pork sausage · 1 pound baby spinach, washed and cut into 1-inch lengths · 2 cups ricotta cheese · 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving · 2 eggs · Bechamel Sauce, recipe follows · 1/2 recipe Basic Tomato Sauce, recipe follows · 1 recipe Basic Crepes, recipe follows Directions · Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and put the pan over medium heat. Season the onions with salt, to taste, and add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Saute until the onions are translucent and very aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 3 to 4 more minutes. Add the pork sausage and cook until nicely browned. Stir in the spinach, season with salt, to taste, and saute until the spinach is wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. In a large bowl, add the ricotta, 1 cup of grated Parmigiano, the eggs and 1 cup of bechamel and stir to incorporate. Mix in the cooled sausage mixture into the ricotta mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. To assemble the manicotti: · Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. · Prepare the baking dish by evenly schmearing 1 cup of bechamel sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. · Put 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling on a crepe just below the halfway mark. Form the filling into an even log and then roll up the crepe to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining filling and crepes. Arrange the crepes in the baking dish, snuggling the crepes together until the dish is filled. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top of the crepes and spread the bechamel in a wide swath down the middle. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmigiano and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top starts to brown a little, about 5 to 10 minutes. · Remove from the oven and serve topped with a little extra cheese. Bechamel Sauce: Ingredients · 3 tablespoons butter · 1/2 small white onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice · Kosher salt · 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour · 1 quart milk · Pinch grated nutmeg · 1 bay leaf · 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Method · Add the butter and onion to a large saucepan over medium heat. Season the onions with salt, to taste, and cook until they become translucent and very aromatic. Add the flour and cook until the flour and butter resemble wet sand, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually, whisk in the milk until incorporated. Add the bay leaf and nutmeg and season with salt, to taste. Slowly bring the milk/flour mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. Be sure that the milk comes to a boil or the flour will not cook out and you will be left with a very objectionable starchy feeling on your tongue. · Once the sauce has come to a boil and has thickened, remove it from the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the grated Parmigiano, taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. · Use right away or refrigerate, covered, until ready to assemble dish. Marinara Sauce: Ingredients · 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil · 1/4 pound diced pancetta · 2 large Spanish onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice · Kosher salt · 4 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped · 4 (28-ounce cans) Italian plum San Marzano tomatoes, crushed Method · Coat a large sauce pot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Put the pot over medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt, to taste, and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. · Add tomatoes to pot. Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 1 to 3 hours (to your desired consistency and taste) stirring occasionally and tasting frequently. · Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days or it can be frozen. |
Fiddleheads for you and for me!When I was small, maybe 7 or 8, my mother instituted the rule that every Friday night was New Vegetable Night. The childhood burden of new and strange vegetables did not fare well in our household. Unfairly blamed on my mother’s cooking, my brother and I took to pouting and temper tantrums to avoid eating anything green. It wasn’t long before New Vegetable Night became Pizza Night instead, and peace was restored in the Lee household. Twenty years later, no longer so closed-minded, a new vegetable appeared on my plate on Friday night. And strangely, I ate it with wonder and abandon. Well… perhaps not so strangely. This was culinary school, and the lesson at hand was fiddleheads. Fiddleheads, the tightly furled shoot of the Ostrich Fern first discovered by the Maliseet and Mi’kMaq tribes in Eastern Canada, are a springtime delicacy all the way up the East Coast. Until that night, I don’t recall ever having seen them, but they tasted like I imagined they would – like asparagus. (They smell and taste of the earth in the same way that fresh scallops taste of the ocean.) They were crunchy and earthy and green tasting and paired well with the pappardelle, crispy prosciutto and salty Parmigiano-Reggiano also on my plate. It’s one of the few things I miss about living in the northeast – these succulent signs of spring. Asparagus. Ramps. Fiddleheads. <sigh> Desperate for a harbinger, Chef Jason Dame and I ordered them from Sid Wainer, but just the other day, I found them at The Fresh Market. (You’ll have to wait for a new shipment because I bought them all.) Jason and I served them alongside wild mushrooms in a ragout topped with a mammoth diver scallops. Oh! And finger limes. Today, I’m using up what’s left in a spring risotto – asparagus, fiddleheads, meyer lemon and creamy cana de cabra (because that’s what in the fridge). And I’m thinking that maybe my mother was on to something after all. FIDDLEHEAD FAQ Want to know more about fiddleheads? Here are the basics on stalking, preparation and storage: What do they taste like? They taste like asparagus. How can I tell if a fiddlehead is ready to eat? In the field, you can tell the fiddlehead is still young by how tightly it is furled. If the furl is loosening into a fern, it’s gone by. How long will a fiddlehead stay fresh? Most chefs like to use them the same day, but you can blanch or steam them for less than a minute, lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze them solid. Then you can keep them in a bag in your freezer. What’s a simple way to eat a fiddlehead? Steam or blanche the fiddlehead for three minutes, douse them with butter and lemon, and serve as a side dish. How long is fiddlehead season? Fiddlehead season lasts about three weeks. Since the timing varies from Virginia to Canada, you can usually order them for about six weeks from somewhere.
NOTE: Not all ferns are edible, so stalkers should arm themselves with information or get a knowledgeable partner to go out with. Also, don’t be too greedy. Stalkers ask that people take no more than a third of an outcropping so the crop can be sustained |
Hop to it Datz: Vote Now!Calling all beer geeks and Datz foodies! It’s time to hop to it and vote for the name of our new beer created exclusively for us by Cigar City Brewing. We received nearly 400 entries to name the Datz pumpernickel rye beer, but after making some tough decisions we narrowed it down to the top three.
So vote for your favorite in our web poll. Fifty percent of the vote will come from you and the other 50 percent will be judged by a panel of Datz judges. The 1st place winner receives: The 2nd place winner receives: The 3rd place winner receives: |
Home Brew How-ToIf you’re a connoisseur of fine beer, the day may come when you’ve grown weary of sampling the creations of others. If you can no longer satisfy your cravings, you may want to take the plunge and try your hand at brewing beer of your own. Many people are afraid to start brewing their own beer because they think the process is intimidating, but the truth is: it’s far easier than you may think. The equipment is not complicated or expensive. Plus, following a recipe for beer is much like following your grandmother’s favorite recipe for baking a cake from scratch. Measure this, boil that, and Voila! You’re drinking your own beer and impressing your friends. That said, there’s any number of places you can get how-to information. YouTube has come great videos, and the internet is a wealth of (sometimes conflicting) knowledge. The best books out there are The Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian, and How to Brew by John Palmer. They walk you, step-by-step, through the whole process. Further, How to Brew has its own website where you can read much of the book for free! (Check it out at www.howtobrew.com.) Of course, the best way to learn (in my humble opinion) is for you to come out to Datz for free classes! In a little less than two hours we’ll walk you through the process, actually making beer while we talk. And as an added plus, a few short weeks after we make the beer, come in and pick up a free bottle of the very same brew we made together! No matter what route you decide, the next step is always the same: buying the “stuff” to make it happen. Luckily there is a most excellent homebrew supply store here in Tampa. Southern Brewing Supply is located up on Busch Boulevard and has everything you need to start brewing. They are open Monday through Saturday and are extremely helpful to both the novice and expert alike. If you walked in and said “I want to make beer, but don’t know how,” they’ll square you away. If for some reason you can’t make it out to Southern Brewing, try the internet. There are a “gazillion” brewing supply stores on the web. Now, I don’t want to make a giant list here (because heaven knows it would take me a while to type a gazillion of anything), so again I recommend talking to Mr. Google. However, if you would like to see a good one, try www.northernbrewer.com. Very good prices on everything and shipping is only $7.99, no matter how much or what you buy. Finally, you’ll need ingredients. Again, Southern Brewing or a nice web based company has everything you need. Start out by buying a ready-made kit. Homebrew shops will already have everything you need put together and will come with a handy little “recipe.” Too easy. And that, in a nutshell, is all you need to know. Just go get a little smarter on it, and then dive right in. Again, we’d love to have you come out to Datz for the Homebrewing 101 class. Just go to the events page on the Datz website. Scroll down and find a homebrewing class that still has availability and register! It’s free, it’s easy, and I promise to make the class as fun as possible (which is pretty dang fun.) As most people like to sip a beer while we making the beer, the class gets even better and more fun as the night wear on. As Ben Franklin notably said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” So get to brewing! -Danny Reid |
Hop to it Datz: Name Our New BeerIt’s no secret we love beer at Datz and want to that passion with you! Whether it’s the smooth, unfiltered Blanche de Bruxelles, hoppy Stone Ruination IPA, Victory Storm King Russian imperial stout or limited releases like Bell’s Hopslam and Dogfish Head 120, Datz rotates 28 taps of incredible beer. Still, we’ve been left wondering… what’s missing? Is there something more we can possibly do? The answer, it turns out, was right in front of us at our weekly homebrew class – brewing our own beer!!! So we’ve paired up with Tampa’s best – Cigar City Brewing – to create Datz Pumpernickel Rye. Datz beeroisseurs and Cigar City brewer Joey Redner are crafting the recipe and brewing will start soon, but guess what? We don’t have a name!
That’s where YOU come in. We’re asking you – our fellow beer geeks and foodies – to “Hop to It” and help name our brew! What’s in it for you? Well… The 1st place winner receives:
The 2nd place winner receives:
The 3rd place winner receives:
Official Hop to Datz: Name Our Beer Contest rules:
1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Participation in the Contest constitutes full and unconditional agreement and acceptance of these Contest Rules, which are final on all matters relating to the Contest. 2. Contest Period: The contest begins 8:00 a.m. ET, March 15, 2010 and ends 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 31, 2010. 3. Eligibility: The competition is open to everyone 21 years and older. Employees of Datz Restaurant Group, LLC or Cigar City Brewery (and their immediate families and those with whom they are domiciled) are not eligible to enter. 4. How To Enter: Email: Hoptoitdatz@datzdeli.com your best name for a pumpernickel rye porter by Cigar City Brewery. Place your suggestion in the subject line. One suggestion per email. 5. Receipt of Entries: To be eligible, entries must be received during the contest period. Entries which are incomplete or are illegible are null and void. Datz and Cigar City accept no responsibility for entries which are lost, misdirected or delayed for any reason. Nor is any responsibility assumed for incomplete entries, incorrect or inaccurate capture of e-mail. Entries received from persons under the age of 21 will be null and void and no prizes will be awarded. 6. Multiple Entries: Multiple entries are acceptable but no more than one entry can be included on a single email. 7. Judging: Entries will be judged on Thursday, April 2, 2010. The top 3 winners will be notified and moved on to the final round of voting to take place on April 3, 2010. The winners will then be judged by a panel of Datz judges (consisting of 50% of the vote) and on a web poll on posted on www.datz4foodies.com (consisting of 50% of the vote). Winners will be posted on Datz website and other social media outlets as well as press releases being sent to area news and t-shirts being produced using new beer name. In the event that two or more entrants provided identical entries that are judged to be the winning entry, the winner will be decided by a coin toss. The other winning entries will automatically become the runners-up unless there are more than two in which case the runners-up will be decided by a coin toss. 8. Decisions of the judging are final: By entering the contest, each entrant agrees to be bound by these rules and regulations and all decisions Datz, which decisions are final with respect to all matters relating to the Contest, including (without limitation) the selection of prize winners. No correspondence will be entered into other than notification of prize winners. 9. Use of Entries: Datz reserves the right to use any of the names submitted in any way whatsoever. Attribution may or may not be made. Datz retains the right not to use the winning entry, or any entry as the final product name. Datz also shall have the right to use the winners’ names and/or likenesses in any way it chooses in connection with this competition or with promoting the beer or Datz. 10. Evaluation Criteria: Entries will be judged on creativity, appropriateness in keeping with Datz’s style, context and characteristics of the brew. 11. Claiming Prizes: Winners will be required to show proof of identity and be subject to age verification. 12. Liability: By entering the Contest, entrants agree to hold harmless and indemnify Datz Restaurant Group and Cigar City Brewery against any and all liability, damages or causes of action (however named or described) with respect to or arising out of either: (i) entrant’s participation in the Contest; (ii) the receipt or use of the Prizes awarded herein; or (iii) the administration of the contest (including winner selection) and distribution of the prizes awarded herein. |
