Aluna

The Aluna is, to say the least, elusive.  I came across the beer at a Made in Maryland event, where the brewer Peabody Heights had a table.  Peabody Heights is a brewer located in the Charles Village area of Baltimore (which was originally known as Peabody Heights). The brewery is somewhat unusual, offering small brewers the opportunity to brew their beers under the guidance of master brewers. Peabody Heights brews its own beer, with three year around beers (a wit, a pale ale and an IPA) and a host of seasonal beers.  

When I visited the Peabody Heights website, there was no sign of the Aluna. Nothing. There were the three year around beers.  There were 13 seasonal beers. No Aluna.  I searched the Internet, but had more success finding Aluna, a documentary film about a Kogi tribe stepping out of its isolation into the modern world.  Hardly a movie about beer.

All that I have to go on is the can.

The can declares that it is an Imperial Milk Stout.  The style tends to be a sweet stout, which comes from the use of lactose.  There are some of the more common elements one would expect from a stout, such as chocolate notes. 

The Aluna stands apart, primarily from the brewers use of peanut butter, chocolate and vanilla wafers.  That's right. Vanilla wafers.  When one takes a look at the pitch black, oily liquid, one does not expect wafers.  But as the aromatic elements waft into one's nose, the wafers are front and center.  They also feature prominently in the taste of the beer. Every sip is full of those wafers, with the chocolate and peanut butter notes playing supporting roles.  This combination of sweetness, vanilla and chocolate makes for a very drinkable milk stout.  With an ABV of 8%, the alcohol catches up with you after a while.

The Aluna is a very good milk stout.  I say that, even though milk stouts are not perhaps my most favorite style of beers.  (Indeed, I am not a big fan of adding lactose to beer, and, generally, steer away from those beers.)  If you find this beer on a shelf, it is defintely worth a try. 

ENJOY!

Jerked Octopus

I am a huge fan of the Jamaican jerk style of cooking.  The combination of spices and peppers, along with the smoky notes used when cooked over wood is perhaps one of the best ways to cook proteins.  When it comes to the protein, one most often sees jerked chicken. However, the cooking process has also been used for pork, beef, goat and lamb.  It has even been used for shrimp and shellfish.  

I have prepared jerked chicken in the past, but I got to thinking that this style and process of cooking seemed perfect for octopus. Generally speaking, a common way to prepare octopus is to marinate the tentatcles and then grill it. This cooking technique is perhaps best known from the octopus dishes prepared in Greece. The basic method of cooking remains the same, the only differences would be the marinade and (in theory) the actual cooking process (that is, the wood used if one were using wood).  In the end, those differences do not really matter, because the overall style of jerk cooking seemed to be a natural fit for octopus.  And, it was.

I went back to some old jerk recipes to come up with a good jerk marinade for the octopus. The key to the marinade is the use of allspice and, of course, the scotch bonnet pepper (or a habanero, if your local market does not have the scotch bonnet).  Other spices, such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg help to round out the marinade.  Once the marinade is ready, the tentacles should be marinated for at least a few hours, but overnight may be preferable.     

When it comes to cooking, if one wants to be authentic, then he or she would grill the octopus over the coals from a pimento wood fire.  I did not have any pimento wood.  So, I grilled the tentacles on my gas grill.  It worked just as well when it came to the requisite charring of the edges, but, it will lakc the smoky element that only grilling over hardwood can give.  (One could always cheat and add a little smoked paprika to the marinade, but I did not cheat with this recipe.) I was fine without the smoky taste.  The octopus was just too damn good to even care. 

JERKED OCTOPUS

Adapted from recipe from Food Stories

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 package of precooked octopus, about 2 pounds

1 1/2 tablespoons of allspice (freshly ground is best)

1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon thyme

1 bunch scallions (white part, chopped)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3 Scotch bonnet chiles (deseeded)

Juice of 2 large limes

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Marinade the octopus. Blend the allspice, sugar, cloves, thyme, scallions, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, chiles, lime juice.  Insert skewers through the octopus to straighten the tentacles.  Combine the marinade with the octopus and allow it to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours, or overnight. 

2.  Grill or broil the octopus.  Cook the octopus over direct heat, flipping frequently until a little charred, brushing every now and then with the marinade (because the octopus is already precooked, there is no worry about contamination).  Serve immediately with a side, such as Jamaican rice and peas. 

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Dominican Republic

When it comes to my personal culinary challenge, Around the World in 80 Dishes, the selection of the country is sometimes left to chance and sometimes intentional.  When my beautiful Angel purchased sixteen pounds of goat meat for me to cook, that led to some specific challenges.  There was the Guyanese Goat Curry, which satisfied the challenge to make a main dish from the country of Guyana.  Then there was the Jollof Rice with Goat, which satisfied the challenge for the country of Ghana.  A couple of other specific challenges followed, which involved Tonga and, most recently, Myanmar. 

Now, I am returning to the random country selection. The first country that came up was the Dominican Republic; and, quite coincidentially, the main course to be selected is Chivo Guisado, or goat stew.  However, before I get to the challenge, some background is necessary. 

The Dominican Republic lies in Greater Antilles, sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Long before any European set foot on the island, the Taino people called the land their home.  Since about 650 A.D., the Taino fished, farmed and hunted across the island. (The Taino may have been the people whose cooking inspired what ultimately became known as barbecue.)  By the time European explorers reached the island in 1492, there were five Taino kingdoms with a combined population of more than one hundred thousand people. Four years later, the first permanent European (Spanish) settlement was founded at Santo Domingo.  With the rise of Spanish, the Taino fell. The Europeans  found gold on the island and established mines.  The Spanish conscripted the native Taino to work in the gold mines, exploiting the workers who endured horrible conditions.  Eventually, the Spanish exhausted both the mines and the native Taino.  As focus turned to agriculture (such as sugarcane) and other industries, and, the need for labor increased, the Spanish brought African slaves to the island. 

The colonial history continued for centuries, but the peoples of what would become the Dominican Republic declared their independence from Spain in 1821.  The turbulence continued for decades, first with a united Hispaniola country and then another war of independence in 1844 that resulted in the Dominican Republic. The troubles continued for many more decades, until the 1970s, when peace and stability finally took hold in the country.  

MAIN COURSE

The foregoing is just a thumbnail sketch that does not do justice to the history of the country.  Nevertheless, that sketch provides the outline for the cuisine of the country.  A cuisine that still has its roots in the native Taino culture, with broad strokes of Spanish culinary influence, that are filled in by African  food traditions.  The food is a combination of meats, rice, beans, vegetables and stews.  This is what led me to the preparation of a guisado or stew.  The only question is what protein to use in the stew.  And, the answer led me to chivo or goat.

The use of goat in dishes is quite common throughout the Caribbean, and, it is no different in the Dominican Republic.  Goat meat is considered a special ingredient in the country's cuisine.  As the story goes, goats graze on the naturally growing oregano in the Dominican countryside, with the herb imparting its flavor in the meat.  (It also explains the use of oregano in the recipes, see below.)

So, with a lot of goat still on hand, I have decided to undertake the challenge of making Chivo Guisado or goat stew.  As one can expect, there is no one standard recipe, with each cook or chef preparing this dish with his or her own twists.  I pulled from two different recipes, one more traditional and one a little less traditiona. to make this dish.  The end result is a somewhat spicer stew with more of a tomato base, which I think follows more closely to what one would expect from this stew.  

CHIVO GUISADO

Recipe adapated from Manusmenu and Dominican Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the goat):

2.2 pounds of goat meat, with bones

1 orange, juiced

1/2 lime, juiced

2 bay leaves

1 white onion, diced 

1 bunch of cilantro (coriander)
1 cubanelle pepper, diced

4 plum tomatoes or 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves

Salt, to taste

3 tablespoons of oregano

Ingredients (for the braise):

2 tablespoons of oil

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of tomato sauce

Directions:

1.  Prepare the ingredients.  Cut the goat meat into smaller pieces (but do not trim the fat as it adds lots of flavor and keeps them meat soft.  Dice the onions, coriander and spring onions.  Put the garlic cloves, oregano and salt in a mortar and grind to a paste.

2.  Marinate the goat.  Put the goat meat in a big bowl and add all of the marinade ingredients. Mix well, cover the bowl and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight.

3.  Braise the goat. Heat the oil and cook the sugar until it turns to a caramel color.  Be careful not to burn it.  Add the meat, with the marinade kept in reserve. Brown the goat meat on all sides.  Add the marinade, stir and add the tomato paste. 

4.  Cook the goat.   Add some water, little by little, and cook it over medium heat until the meat is very tender, about one and one-half hours.  Season to taste, serve with white rice and fried plantains.

SIDE DISH

No main course is complete without a side; and, one very popular side in Dominican cuisine is Tostones or fried plaintains.  I have to admit that this is my first effort cooking plaintains, so my expectations were not very high.  Nevertheless, I thiink the end result was pretty good.

TOSTONES

Recipe from Dominican Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 unripe plaintains, peeled and cut in 1 inch slices

1/2 cup oil

1 tablespoon salt (or more to taste)

1 chopped tomato

4 sprigs of parsley

1 clove garlic

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare the dipping sauce.  Combine the tomato, parsley, garlic, black pepper and olive oil in a blender or food processor.  Pulse until thoroughly blended but not liquefied.

2.  Fry the plantains.  Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry the plantains until golden.  Remove from the oil and flatten to 1/4 of an inch.  Fry the plantains again until golden yellow again.  Serve immediately with the dipping sauce. 

BEVERAGE

It has been a long time since I prepared a drink in connection with my culinary challenges.  The last drink was Po Cha, a butter tea, that was part of my culinary special to prepare a Tibetan main course.  (It's hard to believe that it has been eight years since that culinary experience.)  For this challenge, I decided to make a papaya drink, which seems appropriate for this Caribbean challenge.   

BATIDA DE LECHOSA

Recipe from Dominican Cooking

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups of papaya, cut into cubes

3 cups of ice cubes

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 quart of evaporated milk

1/2 cup of sugar

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients (but only half of the sugar) in a blender and keep on high speed until the ice is blended.  Try and add more sugar if needed, blend for a few additional seconds. 

*     *   *

With my third goat challenge under my belt, I have to say that I am ready for a challenge involving another protein. Still, the Chivo Guisado turned out very well, and, I count this challenge as a success.  If I could improve upon it, I could have had a better cut of goat (one with less bones and connective tissue. The tostones and the batida de lechosa were both excellent and definitely something that I am going to keep in the back of my mind. Now, it is time to turn to the next challenge.  Until then ...

ENJOY!

Parmesan Crusted Rack of Lamb

A rack of lamb or carré d'agneau presents an amazing canvas for the right ingredients. The rack of lamb is a cut perpendicular to the spine of the lamb that includes sixteen (16) ribs.  This is an amazing cut of meat, which was often referred to by the British as the "best end of lamb."  And, as one could expect for the "best end," it is also one of the more expensive cuts of lamb sold at a butcher shop or grocery store.  

There are many recipes for a rack of lamb out there on the Internet.  A large segment of those recipes focus around a "crust" for the meat.  Generally speaking, a crust has two to three components: something wet, something dry and something interesting.  The "something wet" is an ingredient that can hold together the other components to the rack. Typically, mustard or olive oil could work. The "something dry" is usually bread crumbs. Finally, for that "something special," it is typically a combination of herbs and spices.  If the right ingredients are combined together, the crust will enhance the taste of the lamb with a depth of added flavors and aromas.

For this recipe the three components are fairly straight forward.  The "something wet" is olive oil and the something dry is bread crumbs. The "something special" is truly special, the king of cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, along with rosemary and parsley.  The combination of the Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley and rosemary provide levels of earthy flavors that complement the lamb. The amazing flavors are really noteworthy given how easy it is to prepare the dish.

Everytime I think about this recipe, I think about how I need to go out and buy a rack of lamb.  Speaking of which, I need to go out and buy one.  Until next time....

PARMESAN CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB

Recipe adapted from New York Times Cooking

Serves 41

Ingredients:

1 rack of lamb, approximately 1.5 ponds, frenched

2 tablespoons extra virgin oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped finely

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Sear the lamb.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put a large frying pan over high heat until very hot.  Rub lamb with 1 tablespoon of the oil, season aggressively with salt and pepper and then sear the meat in the pan the meat in the pan until it is golden brown all over, about 4 minutes a side.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes, until cool.

2.  Prepare the crust.  In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, rosemary and parsley.  Rub the cooled off lamb with the remaining oil, then pat the seasoned bread crumbs all over the meat in an even layer. 

3.  Roast the lamb.  Put the lamb back on the baking sheet, and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 120 degrees Fahrenheit, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Remove the lamb from the oven and allow to stand, covered loosely in foil for about 10 minutes.  Carve into chops and serve on a warmed platter.

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Myanmar

This is not just any challenge.  For years, I have been trying to cook my way around the world.  I try to focus very hard on the cuisine of each country, usually steering away from politics or world events. That all changed when Myanmar became my next challenge.

From afar, Myanmar (formerly Burma) would ordinarily present a very interesting challenge.  The country has over 135 distinct ethnic groups (officially recognized by the Myanmar government).  This means that there is a wide range of cultures within the borders of the country. Different cultures usually translates to a variety of approaches to the use of ingredients, the preparations of dishes and, in the end, food traditions.

However, this challenge is about the 136th ethnic group, the one that is not officially recognized by the Myanmar government.  The one that has been the subject to a history of discrimination and exclusion, which in recent years has been marred by terrible violence that has degenerated into ethnic cleaning. Thiat ethnic group is the Rohingya.  A people who call Myanmar their home, but whom Myanmar won't recognize as its citizens.

So, this culinary challenge is not so much about the country, but the people who have been abandoned by that country.

The Rohingya have lived for centuries in the northern regions of the Rakhine State of Myanmar, which is located along the Bay of Bengal.  The Rohingya trace their history to Arab traders who sailed along the coastline and settled in the area during the 8th and 9th centuries A.D.  At that time, the region was known as Arakan.  The Arab traders settled among the Buddhist peoples already living in the area. Over time, the Muslim population grew in the region, bolstered by the influence and control of the neighboring Bengal Sultanate. Arakan eventually achieved its independence from Bengal control; and, for a couple of hundred years, there was an Arakan kingdom. As with all kingdoms, they raise and fall.  Arakan was eventually conquered, first by the Burmese Empire in 1784 and then by the British Empire in 1826. After the Second World War, Burma gained its independence, and, the Arakan region became a part of the new country.

Rohingya refugees.

Since the establishment of Burma or Myanmar (as it became known in 1989), history has not been kind to the Rohingya people. In 1982, the Burmese junta enacted a nationality law. The law recognized individuals who belong to an "indigenous race," and it recognized 135 of those ethic groups.  That did not include the Rohingya. The law thus left the Rohingya -- a Muslim minority living in a Buddhist majority country -- without a state. This unfortunate outcome disregarded the fact that, as noted above, the Rohingya have lived in the northern parts of the Arakan state for centuries.  To add insult to injury, Myanmar changed the name of the area in the 1990s from Arakan to Rakhine, which is the name of the ethnic Buddhist majority who live in the area.

Over the past decade, the Rohingya have been the victims of ongoing violence, that has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The violence ostensibly began with an attack by a Rohingya milita upon the Myanmar border police.  The government's response was not simply directed at the militia, but the Rohingya people.  The military went through Rohingyan towns, and, according to accounts, the soldiers murdered innocent civilians and burned down homes. It is estimated that more than 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the month following the start of the violence. Nearly a year later, the number of Rohingya killed in the violence climbed to more than 24,000.  The number of Rohingyan villages that have been destroyed totalled 288, out of 578. That is nearly half of the Rohingyan settlements.

As their homes burned, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyans were forced to flee.  They left not just their homes, not just the Rakhine state, but Myanmar.  More than 900,000 Rohingyans fled to neighboring Bangladesh, where they are referred to as the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals or FDMN. Multiple refugees camps have been set up in the southeast of the country.  As the graphic to the left shows, some of these refugee camps are huge in size. While the World Bank announced nearly $1 billion in aid for the Rohingyan refugees, the conditions in such camps are not good. Disease is a major issue, with poor sanitation and water quality contributing to the spread of infectious diseases through the refugee camps.  Malnutrition is another issue, with nearly 25% of Rohingyan children being malnurished. In March 2019, Bangladesh announced that it would not accept any further refugees.  Other countries - such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia -- have accepted Rohingyan refugees.

While more than 1 million Rohingyans have fled Myanmar, there are perhaps 500,000 Rohingyans still living in the Rakhine State.  While a treaty was reached to provide for the repatriation of the Rohingya, no one is returning to what is left of their homes.  In the end, the Rohingyan remain a stateless people living in more than 1 state.

MAIN COURSE

This challenge is particularly difficult because there is very little information about the cuisine of the Rohingya people. I started with some research about the cuisine of the Rakhine State, but there was little to no differentiation between the cuisines of the ethnic groups who live in that state. I tried to focus my research on the Rohingyan cuisine, but I was only able to find one dish.  It is called Durus Kura, a traditional fried chicken that can be served with either eggs, potatoes, rice and/or chapatti. As one would expect, there were different ways to prepare this dish.  I gathered those different recipes  and tried to merge them into one preparation.

Rohingyan cooks prepare Durus Kura with what is easily available to them, starting with the chicken.  Typically, in the Rakhine State, it would start with an Ayam Kampung, or a free range chicken.  Free range chickens take on a yellowish hue from the food that they eat, which sets them aside from factory farmed chickens. As with anything, care should be exercised in selecting the chickens.  As it turns out, some farmers in China have taken to dipping their chickens in yellow dye to fool unwary customers.  I was able to find a free range chicken (or at least a chicken tha was labelled as "free range") in a local grocery store.

The recipes call for the chicken to be marinated in a green chile mixture.  For the chiles, I used a combination of Anaheim chiles and serrano chiles.  The larger Anaheim chiles provided the base for the mixture, while the serrano chiles provided a little heat or kick.  I made the mixture with the rest of the ingredients (onions, ginger, etc.) as well as the spices. I also followed the recipe in terms of first boiling the marinated chicken. After I removed the boiled chicken, I tried to create the sauce, although I was not able to get a consistency that I liked.  I also fried the chicken as called for by the recipe. The resulting dish, which was very tasty, is pictured below.

DURUS KURA

Recipe from The Stateless and the Rohingya Learning Center

Serves many

Ingredients (for the chicken):

2 inch piece of ginger, grated

2 tablespoons ground turmeric

1 tablespooon of garam masala

5 small red onions, grated 

1/5 tablespoon green chile paste

1 kampung chicken (or regular chicken)

4 cups of water (or more if using a regular chicken)

3/4 cup of vegetable oil for frying

Salt

Ingredients (for the green chile paste):
7 green chiles
Water

Directions:

1.  Make the green chile paste.   Bring the water to a gentle boil in a pot and add the chiles.  Boil the chiles over low heat for five minutes.  Remove from the heat, set aside to cook before placing the chiles in a blender.  Process the chiles until you have a thick liquid paste.

2. Marinate the chicken.  Pound the ginger and garlic until you have a thick rough paste.  Add the turmeric and garam masala with some salt.  Add the grated onions and green chile paste.  Stir until it is all well incorporated.  Cover both the inside and outside of the chicken with the paste. Marinate for one hour.  Once fully marinated, truss the chicken by cutting small incisions in each skin flap either side of the cavity and tuck in each leg tightly on the opposite side.

3.  Cook the chicken.  Place the chicken in a large pot and add the water.  Cover and boil over moderate high heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Depending on the size of the chicken, the cooking time will vary and you might need to add some more water.

4. Complete the boiling of the chicken.  When ready, you will have a thick gravy like sauce.  Remove the chicken from the pot onto a plate and set to the side.  Reserve the sauce in the pot.

5.  Fry the chicken.  Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep frying pan or wok over a high heat.  When the oil in a large deep frying pan or work over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the chicken and fry on all sides until it has a crispy skin and golden.

6.  Finish the dish.  Place the reserved sauce on the bottom of a serving plate. Plate the chicken on top and serve with steamed rice or chapatti.

*     *     *

As I mentioned above, the chicken was very good.  The flavors of the marinade (the onions, ginger, garam masala, etc.) could be tasted in the chicken, although I think with a longer marinade, those flavors could have been more present in the dish.  Still, it was a very good effort and kindled an interest in learning more about the Rohingyan people, their history, culture and, of course, their cuisine.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Lobia Masala

It is well known that black eyed peas are supposed to bring good luck when served and eaten on New Year's Day.  In the United States, black eyed peas are often served on their own, or as part of Hoppin John.  While I have made Hoppin John in the past, I wanted to try to make something different.  That led to a very long search across the Internet for a recipe.  The search resulted in a recipe for Lobia Masala or black eyed pea masala. (Lobia is the name for these peas in Punjabi and Hindi.)

This particular recipe comes from the Punjab region of India. The spice mix of ginger ,cumin, coriander, fenugreek, chile, and turmeric. As with any recipe, there are many different versions of Lobia Masala.  Some recipes have a tomato onion base; and, others vary from a creamy gravy to a dry masala. 

In the end, I found a recipe in perhaps the one place that I would never have thought about: Birmingham Magazine.  That is Birmingham, Alabama. There was an article about three different black eye pea recipes, with the third one being a Lobia Masala.  I have to admit that I was a little wary about this recipe, especially given there was no provenance (that is, any reference to its origin). Nevertheless, the recipe produced a very tasty masala.  It reminded me once again why Indian food of my favorite cuisines to cook and eat.   

LOBIA MASALA

Recipe from Birmingham Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup onion, diced
1 tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 teaspoons cumin seed, divided

1 tablespoon coriander seed

2 teaspoon fenugreek powder

1/4 teaspoon red chile powder

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon mango powder (optional)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

3 cups water

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Directions:

1. Prepare the peas.  Soak the peas.  After the peas have been soaked, fill a large pot with water, add the peas, cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, tilting the lid slightly to allow steam to escape and leave to cook for up to an hour, or until tender. 

2.  Prepare the masala.  Puree the tomato, onion and ginger in a food processor. Set aside.  In a mortar or spicemill, grind 1 teaspoon of cumin seed and all coriander seed into a powder.  Combine with fenugreek, chile powder, turmeric, salt and optional mango powder.  Set aside. 

3.  Continue to prepare the masala.  Add oil to a large skillet or pot on medium heat.  Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin seed and lest sit until seeds start to pop.  Stir in reserved puree.  Stir in spice mixture and cook 7 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent scorching. 

4.  Cook the peas.  Mash 2 tablespoons of cooked peas.  Add remaining peas to the pot and stir in the mashed peas.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in garam masala at the last minute.  

5.  Finish the dish.  Serve with steamed basmati rice or an Indian bread like naan or chapati.  

ENJOY!

Elvis Juice

Born in Scotland.  Brewed in Ohio.  That is the Brew Dog.  The brewery started over thirteen years ago, in an industrial park in northeastern Scotland. The brewery has taken a rather unique path, fighting against the massive brewing conglomerates while opening up some of its ownership to the people who drink its beer.  And, as Brew Dog carves out its own path, the journey has taken the brewers to the United States, where they have opened first a brewery and then a beer hotel, both of which are located in Columbus, Ohio. 

The opening of the brewery meant that Brew Dog beers could find their way throughout Ohio and the Midwest.  My father loves their beers; and, when we come to visit, Brew Dog finds itself in the fridge.  Most recently,  it was the Elvis Juice, the brewer's nod to a grapefruit infused IPA with natural citrus flavors.  

The Elvis Juice is brewed with Extra Pale and Caramalt malts, as well as Amarillo, Citra, Magnum, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops.  The product is a grapefruit IPA that has a 6.5% ABV and 60 IBUs.  The 60 IBUs falls within the range of American IPAs, which range from 55 IBUs to 70 IBUs.

The Elvis Juice pours a golden, hazy color, which suggests more of a New England IPA or hazy IPA. Any suggestion tha tthis beer is something other than a grapefruit IPA is quickly dispelled by the aroma.  This beer has perhaps the best aroma, because it is the one grapefruit beer where I can truly pick up a distinct grapefruit in the aroma.  That aroma carries clear through to the taste, as if the glass has a full grapefruit in it. While the brewers also added some orange to the beer, that citrus is not as present in either the aroma or the taste of the beer.   As bitter as this beer is from the citrus, one can also find some of the malts around the edges of the palate of the beer. 

The brewers call this beer "the absolute king in a world of wannabes."  As far as grapefruit IPAs go, I have to agree that this beer sets itself apart from its peers. 

Blackbeard's Breakfast

From a culinary and historical perspective, one might conclude that "Blackbeard's Breakfast" may have been something slightly better than what pirates typically ate while sailing the high seas in the 17th and 18th centuries.  For the average pirate, a meal might have included hardtack or a ship biscuit, a hard square of flour and water.  If there was meat, it usually took the form of salted and dried beef, which, after the curing process was complete, resembled bark off of a black oak tree. 

While pirates may have carved that "black oak" into belts or buttons, the brewers at Heavy Seas produced a thick black porter called "Blackbeard's Breakfast." The brewers describe it as a "robust porter with a new world twist." The beer is brewed with UK Pale, UK Amber, Vienna, Light Crystal, Dark Crystal, Chocolate and Dark malts, along with Target and East Golding Hops. The twist is that it is aged in bourbon barrels and brewed with Dark Sumatra coffee from a local roaster, Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company. The beer is then finished with house made caramel and salt.

Blackbeard's Breakfast pours pitch black, like that salted beef that would have been handed out to pirates as food.  The aromatic elements were a little difficult to ascertain, but there was definitely a hint of the roasted coffee.  

When it comes to the taste of the porter, the brewers describe strong notes of caramel and slight nut character.  With each sip, the character comes forward.  It is definitely worthy of a pirate, as the bourbon is very forward in the beginning, receding slightly as the beer warms (or as the pirate becomes more soused).  The roasted coffee notes become more pronounced as the bourbon recedes, with even a slight note of black pepper in the background.  

Blackbeard's Breakfast is an Imperial Coffee Porter that is brewed by Heavy Seas as a limited release.  The beer is usually available in February of each year. 

ENJOY!

Mushroom Bisque with Yellow Oyster Mushroom Garnish

Ludwig von Beethoven once remarked, "anyone who tells a lie has not pure heart and cannot make good soup."  So, I should be honest when I say that I don't really make a lot of soups. There are approximately two dozen recipes on this blog, but that is over several years.  Much of my cooking has been focused more on main courses, and, in particular, my interest in barbecue.

Nevertheless, I think soups are important.  For many people, a soup may be a main course. It may be the dish that is served to the family because, for whatever reason, there is not enough money to go to the market and purchase expensive ingredients, like most proteins. It is far more economical to scrounge around for or use one's money to purchase a few, cheaper ingredients. 

Yet, he use of simple, cheap ingredients can be combined together to produce something almost magical.  A dish that can nourish people, providing the sustenance or fuel for the hard work that they do, day in and day out. That is what I would like to think that the combination of mushrooms, onions, garlic, and rice can do when combined together to produce a mushroom soup. 

I found a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman on NYT Cooking, which served as the starting point for this recipe. While I could make a cucina povera version of mushroom soup, I wanted to use my creative skills to elevate the dish a little.  Those skills were primarily focused on the yellow oyster mushroom garnish. I came across the yellow fungi in a store and wanted to try to use them with this soup.  Hence, the fried mushrooms became the garnish.

MUSHROOM BISQUE WITH 
YELLOW OYSTER MUSHROOM GARNISH

Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking

Serves 6-8

Ingredients (for the soup):

1 1/2 pounds of  mushrooms (white or cremini) sliced 

1 leek (white and light green part only, 

     cut in half, cleaned and sliced)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup medium grain rice

4 1/2 cups of vegetable stock or broth

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 Parmagiano Reggiano rind

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoons sherry

1/2 cup milk or additional stock

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients (for the garnish)

Fresh yellow oyster mushrooms

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Directions:

1.  Saute the vegetables.  Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, leek and a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Do not brown the onions or the leek.  Add the garlic and another pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring, until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring until they begin to sweat and smell fragrant, about 5 minutes. 

2.  Cook the soup.  Add the rice, stock, bay leaf, thyme, Parmigiano Reggiano rind and soy sauce.  Salt to taste.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the rind.

3.  Blend the soup.  In batches, blend the soup until smooth.  Fill the blender less than half way and cover the top with a towel pulled down tight rater than airtight with the lid because hot soup will jump and push off the top if the blender is closed airtight.  Return to the pot, taste and adjust salt, add pepper and the sherry. Add the milk and another cup of stock and heat through, stirring.  If the soup seems to thick, thin it with a little more water or stock, but check the seasoning.  

4.  Make the garnish.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.   Line a baking sheet with foil and place in the oven as it preheats.  Remove the oyster mushrooms from the main stem.  Toss the mushrooms in a bowl with the oil and garlic powder. Remove the baking sheet, spray with non-stick cooking spray Spread them onto the hot baking sheet so that there is one layer.  Bake in oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until all mushrooms are brown and crispy to taste.  

5.  Finish the dish.  Pour the soup into a bowl.  Add the crispy oyster mushrooms garnish in the center of the bowl.  Sprinkle the parsley around the crispy oyster mushrooms. 

ត្រីខ្ញីកម្ពុជា (Cambodian Ginger Catfish)

Fish plays an important role in Cambodian cuisine, it is one of the primary proteins in the diet of the Cambodian (or Khmer) people. Located in Southeast Asia, Cambodia has a large system of waterways (including the Tonle Sap and the Mekong Rivers) that provide access to freshwater fish, as well as a 280 mile long coastline along the Gulf of Thailand, which provides access to saltwater fish. In all, Cambodians have access to a large variety of fish species, including snakeheads, gourami, and carp. 

Yet, demand for fish is very high in Cambodia. One estimate is that this demand has increased from 52 kilograms (115 pounds) per year to 63 kilograms (139 pounds) per year. This increased demand presents a threat to the native populations that swim through the rivers or can be found in the Gulf of Thailand.  

The Cambodian government has responded to the increase in demand for fish by encouraging the growth of a domestic aquaculture industry, specifically fish farming.  The government has looked at creating incentives for domestic fish farms, such as lowering energy costs or cutting imports on fish feed (as Cambodia does not have its own fish feed production sector).  The focus on aquaculture has resulted in an increase in farmed fish, from 74,000 tonnes or about 11% of total fish production in 2012 to 172,500 tonnes or 22% of total fish production in Cambodia. 

One of the fish cultivated in Cambodian aquaculture is the catfish.  For example, there is a project in the town of Koh Khorndin, which is located in the Stung Treng province. The goal was to establish a fish farm for African catfish, which would provide a food source for the local population of about 100 families, as well as water storage for their crops. After the first round of fish farming was completed, it was determined that 35 families showed the ability to pursue a profitable business of selling fish and vegetables, with enough to feed their own family members.  

In some sense, this recipe reflects the increased emphasis on sustainable aquaculture.  The catfish is the protein, surrounded by ingredients that are central to Cambodian cuisine, such as ginger and fish sauce.  I prepared this recipe for the Savage Boleks' New Year Open House; and, it appears to have been the most popular dish of the event.  Perhaps it will also serve as the springboard for a Cambodia challenge as part of my quest to go Around the World in 80 Dishes. 

CAMBODIAN GINGER FISH

Recipe from AllRecipes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 pound peeled, matchstick-cut fresh ginger

4 catfish fillets (about 4 ounces each)

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 large yellow onion, sliced

1/4 red bell pepper, cut in thin matchsticks

1/2 bunch green onions, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Directions:

1. Prepare the fish. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook and stir ginger in the hot oil until slightly softened and brown, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add catfish fillets, cook until firm, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove fillets from the skillet to a plate and set aside.  

2.  Finish the dish.  Stir fish sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce together in the skillet.  Add onion and red bell pepper.  Cook and stir until softened, about 4 minutes.  Return catfish fillets to the skillet and spoon sauce and vegetables over the fillets.  Continue cooking until the flesh of the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 3 minutes more.  Garnish with green onions and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!