Datz has partnered with Hillsborough Kids this year to collect toys for the 2,000 girls and boys in Hillsborough County that are in foster care. This year’s campaign is an angel tree. Come down to Datz, choose an angel ornament from our tree and brighten a child’s Christmas! (See details below.)

Hillsborough Kids is an organization that oversees the care of approximately 2,800 children and teens in Hillsborough County due to abuse or neglect. This organization ensures the safety of these children, strengthens their family relationships, provides family crisis intervention, fights to prevent child abuse, coordinates diversion services with the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Child Protection Investigation Department, offers independent living guidance for teens and assists with adoption placement.

Datz is proud to partner with Hillsborough Kids as they support Hillsborough County’s community of children by keeping them safe, happy and healthy.

Around the globe different cultures have  unique New Year’s food traditions thought to ensure good luck. Spaniards eat grapes as the clock strikes midnight to predict whether the year will be sweet or sour. Austrians decorate their table with marzipan pigs to celebrate progress and  Germans place a few fish scales scraped from the prosperous carp in their wallets for luck. And in the South, it’s all about Hoppin’ John, a steaming bowl of beans, rice and pork. There are a number of seemingly-valid explanations for why beans symbolize good luck: Some attribute their magical properties to childhood lore a la Jack And the Beanstalk; others call it a fertility symbol; and still others say the black-eyed pea saved the South from starvation during the Civil War. No matter what you believe, one thing is true: it’s darn good eating. Happy New Year!

Hoppin’ John Recipe
1 # blackeyed peas, rinsed and picked through
2 large Spanish onions, one peeled and halved through the root, one medium diced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
4 bay leaves
kosher salt to taste
8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
5 cloves of garlic, or more, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
One 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes

Put the black eyed peas, the halved onion, the carrots and 3 bay leaves in a large pot.  Cover it all with about three inches of water (you’ll need about 2 quarts). Put the pot over high heat, bring it to a simmer, then turn the burner to medium low and continue to cook until the beans are tender, about 60 to 90 minutes. Add two or three teaspoons of salt midway through the cooking. Strain the peas (reserving two cups of the cooking liquid); discard the onion, carrots and bay leaves.

While the peas are cooking: in a pot big enough to hold the beans cook the bacon over medium low heat  until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook over until the onion is softened and translucent and beginning to brown, five or ten minutes. Add the cumin, pepper flakes and black pepper, turn the burner to medium and stir to combine the seasonings with the onion.  Add the tomatoes and all the juices from the can. Add the last bay leaf.  Bring this to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or so to thicken the sauce.

Stir in the black eyed-peas, and cook to heat through. Add some or all of the reserved bean liquid to make it as soupy or stewy as you would like. Then taste and season, whether that be more salt, pepper, or around here, more red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Maybe even siracha. Serve immediately with rice and cornbread.

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.

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
Filling:

· 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.

Dear Datz:

I received the Big Brew Day flyer in my email inbox this week, and it looks great, but I¹m a little confused. Can you tell me more about Brew Day and Special Hoperations?

Mark

Mark!

I was glad to learn of your interest in our Brew Day and I’d love to yell you more about it.

Brew Day is being held and run by the newly formed South Tampa homebrew club Special Hoperations.  Datz has been great and supports us whole heartedly, and they don’t hesitate to host our club meetings or events. So Datz is really our de facto headquarters.

The May 1st Brew Day will be Special Hoperations first event.  As its also National Homebrew Day, we are centering the day on the three beer recipes that the American Homebrewers Association encourages brewers to make.   However, don’t feel locked on to this.  If you want to come out and brew something of your own choosing, please do!  Our goal is really just to get together in the fellowship of craft brewmaking.

You do not have to RSVP for Brew Day, but I encourage you to come to our next Special Hoperations meeting. We hold meetings the 2nd and 4th Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Datz, so our next meeting will be Monday the 26.  As an experienced brewer we would absolutely love to get you involved with us!

Dues for membership are a whopping $15 a year.  With membership, Southern Brewing Supply offers 10% off their grains and hops.  Oh, and make sure to bring some of your beer to our meetings!  We all try to bring in something for everybody to sample/critique.

As for brew day, bring whatever equipment you need to make a batch of beer, including ingredients.  Datz will supply us with a water source, but otherwise its on the individual to bring their own equipment.  One great thing about a brew day is to inspect what other brewers use and see how they do things.  We are starting the day officially at 11 a.m., but most of us will probably get there by 10 a.m. to start setting up.

For more information about the AHA Big Brew Day and for a copy of the recipes, log onto the American Homebrewers Association website.

Special Hoperations also has a fledgling website: www.specialhoperations.com.  It’s only about a week old, so there is not a lot there right now, but go back often.

Again, Mark it was great to hear of your interest and we look forward to meeting you. Please don’t hestiate to contact me with any other questions or comments.

Cheers!

Danny Reid

President, Special Hoperations

danny@specialhoperations.com