Heavy Seas Hang Ten

I remember stopping by a brewpub called Sisson's in the historic Federal Hill section of Baltimore back around 1994.  Sisson's was opened by Al Sisson in 1989 and it was Maryland's first brewpub since Prohibition.  The brewpub served Creole fare, which was very good, but it was the beer that really stood out.  The head brewer at the time was Al Sisson's son, Hugh Sisson.  Hugh had an ownership share in the restaurant, which he sold when we started his own brewery, Clipper City Brewing Company.  Hugh later developed a series of beers, called Heavy Seas, which he brews with Ernesto Igot, the former brewer at the San Miguel Brewery in the Phillippines.  The Heavy Seas features a series of high-powered beers, such as the Hang Ten.

The Hang Ten is a German-styled weizen doppelbock or weizen bock.  This style of beer features a high percentage of malted wheat (at least 50%), along with barley malts.  One of the oldest weizen bocks has been produced by Aventinus since 1907.

While Hugh Sisson has not been making this bock beer as long as Aventinus, he certainly has brewed a great example of the style.  The beer pours a darker brown, and you can definitely smell the alcohol in the beer.  After all, it is 10% ABV.  The alcohol can also be tasted in the beer, but that is also be expected given the ABV.  But the beer is very smooth, coating the tongue with a warming sensation, along with a taste of vanilla, banana, and clove.

According to the Heavy Seas website, this beer can be aged for two years.  Something I might try to do, especially given the price of the beer is $5.99 for a 22 ounce bottle and is available at most stores. I would definitely recommend this beer.

ENJOY!

Seafood Risotto

Those who know me know that I cooked at a seafood restaurant during college.  I hated the job and, after I quit for law school, I basically stopped cooking.  My culinary renaissance came when I took a vacation in Italy that was coordinated by the Smithsonian Institution.  Led by a local chef, who was born in Tuscany, the trip took a group of us through Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, where we learned not only about how food was made, but we also got to see demonstrations of how it should be prepared.  Upon returning from this vacation, I renewed my interest in cooking.  I decided to focus on one cuisine, so that I learn the ingredients, cooking techniques and the presentation. I chose Italian cuisine, for obvious reasons.

There are few dishes more quintessentially Italian than risotto.  Arabs brought the short-grained rice to Sicily and Spain during the 14th century.  However, as for the origins of the dish known as "risotto," that is the stuff of legend.  More specifically, during the construction of the Duomo di Milano, an apprentice glassmaker named Valeris had the task of making the glass for the dome.  The townsfolk in Milan teased Valerius about his work, placing the credit for the vibrant glass on his use of saffron rather than his talents.  Tired of the teasing, Valerius decided to play a prank on the townspeople who were gathered for his master's wedding.  Valerius added large amounts of saffron to the rice prepared for the meal at the wedding.  Far from a prank, the townspeople loved the rice dish, which became what we know to be risotto.  (For those who want to learn more, you can check out this website and this other website.)

Setting the legends aside, the reality is that risotto is a blank canvas, which a cook can use to make a work of culinary art.  The canvas is arborio rice.  The cook can add a variety of broths or stocks (beef, chicken, vegetable or seafood), wines and a variety of meats, seafood and/or vegetables, along with a variety of herbs and spices.  I've made a few different risottos and, over time, I intend to post the recipes for those risottos on my blog.  For now, I'll start at the beginning, because all of my risottos flow from a basic recipe that I found in a cookbook that is far from Italian -- the Pike's Place Seafood Cookbook.  The cookbook contains a recipe for Shellfish Risotto.  True to form, I've never followed the recipe to the letter; instead, I use it as a guide.  And, with that guide, I produced what I consider to be my first true work of culinary art.

SEAFOOD RISOTTO
Adapted from the Pike's Place Seafood Cookbook at 113-114
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 cups of seafood stock
2 cups of water
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 pound of shelled and deveined shrimp (get the largest count available)
1/4 pound of cleaned squid
1/2 pound of halibut
1 1/2 cups of arborio rice
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 sweet or Vidalia onion, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
Oregano, to taste
Salt, to taste
Several leaves of basil
Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Directions:

1.  In a sauce pan, heat the seafood stock and water to a simmer.  Keep stock warm over low heat.

2.  In another pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic.  Saute the onion and garlic for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the rice and stir the rice so that the rice is covered by the olive oil.  Add the white wine and cook until the wine is almost absorbed, stirring often for a couple of minutes.

3.  Stir in 1 cup of warm stock.  Simmer slowly and stir often until the liquid is almost absorbed.  Adjust the heat of necessary so that the stock does not evaporate too quickly.

4.  Continue adding stock either by 1/2 cup or 1 cup amounts, stirring continuously until the stock is absorbed.  When there is about 1 cup of stock left, add the halibut and the shrimp and continue and stir with another 1/2 cup of stock.

5.  By this time, the rice should be creamy in consistency and cooked al dente (firm to the bite) and seafood should be partially cooked.  Add the squid  and cook for a couple of minutes until it is opaque.  Remove from heat, add butter and stir well.  Also add oregano, basil and pepper to taste.

6.  Serve in bowls.  Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle over the risotto.  Also, sprinkle grated Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.

ENJOY!

Dobbes - Fortmiller Vineyard Syrah (2005)

A little more than a year ago, Clare and I spent our honeymoon in Oregon, which catered to the inner foodies in each of us.  During one stretch of our honeymoon, we spent a few days in Oregon's Willamette Valley, which is home to some amazing restaurants (like the Joel Palmer House, whose menu features wild mushroom dishes prepared by Chef Christopher Czarnecki)  and some equally amazing vineyards.  We had a great tour guide in Mike Thomas, of Wine Tours Northwest, who took us to over a dozen vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms throughout the much of the valley, including the tasting room of Dobbes Family Estates.

According to its website, Dobbes Family Estate was started in 2002 and has grown into the fourth largest vineyard in Oregon with 214 acres and 17 full time employees.  Some of this acreage lies in the Rogue Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area), which itself lies within the larger Southern Oregon AVA.  The Rogue Valley AVA is the warmest and driest area in Oregon.  Thus, the temperatures are less hospitable to Pinot Noir vines and much more friendly to other grapes, such as Syrah and Cabernet.  Dobbes produces two single vineyard offerings from the Rogue Valley AVA -- its Fortmiller Syrah and its Sundown Vineyard Syrah.  (Dobbes also has an offering known as its Grande Assemblage Syrah.)

Clare and I tried the 2005 Fortmiller Syrah, which we purchased when we were on our honeymoon.  According to the Dobbes' website, this wine is a limited production wine consisting of 100% Syrah grapes, produced from three barrels out of the entire lot produced for the 2005 vintage from the Fortmiller vineyard.  The grapes were given a "pre-fermentation" cold soak for six days before the temperatures were raised to initiate fermentation.  After a couple weeks of fermenting, the wine was introduced into barrels of 50% French Oak and 50% American Oak to age for approximately fifteen months. 

The Fortmiller Syrah is a dark wine, with colors reminiscent of dark cherries or ripe plums.  Those cherries and plums are also very present in the bouquet.  And, as with Syrahs generally, this wine has a very earthy taste, with not only the dark cherries and plums present, but also a nice spice taste. This wine is definitely a good example of an Oregonian Syrah.

Now in its 2006 vintage, the Fortmiller Syrah, is $45.00 a bottle.  It is available online at the website for Dobbes Family Estates, assuming that you live in a state that allows you to ship wine to your home.

ENJOY.

P.S.: We paired this wine with the New Mexican Green Salmon Steaks and Devil Corn.  The recipes for those dishes are in the previous post.

New Mexican Green Salmon with Dirty Devil Corn

I've been to Santa Fe, New Mexico several times for work, and each time I go, I try to visit The Chile Shop on my free time.  The Chile Shop, as its name suggest, sells all things chile.  Apart from my desire to buy a bunch of ristras to hang around the house, which would be difficult to carry onto a plane, I always purchase a pound or two of different chile powders.  The spiciness of the chile powder can range from a very mild chile to a very hot chile.  Personally, I usually stock three powders: a medium red Hatch chile, a medium-to-hot green Hatch chile, and a very hot Native Nambe chile. 

These chile powders often serve as inspiration for dishes, such as my New Mexican Green Salmon and Dirty Devil Corn. The inspiration for each is based upon a chile powder.  The Green Salmon is based upon the use of the green Hatch chile in the rub.  The Dirty Devil chile is based on the use of either red hatch chile or Native Nambe chile.  (I used red Hatch chiles in this recipe).  No recipes were used in making these dishes; I came up with these dishes on my own.  For that reason, the measurements are approximate.  But that is a good thing, because you can add or subtract to accommodate your tastes and preferences.

NEW MEXICAN GREEN SALMON STEAKS 

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of green Hatch chile powder
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of adobo

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon of rosemary
salt
pepper
olive oil
4 salmon steaks (see tip below)

Directions:

1.  Combine the green Hatch chili powder, cumin, adobo, garlic powder, thyme and rosemary.  Rub the salmon steaks with olive oil.  Salt and pepper the steaks.  Sprinkle the rub over the all of the steaks, including the sides.  Place the steaks in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

2.  Heat the grill to high.  Remove the steaks a couple minutes before placing them on the grill.  Place the steaks on the grill for three minutes.  Turn the steaks 90 degrees and let them cook for a couple minutes more.  Flip the steaks and let them cook for a couple of minutes and then turn 90 degrees.  Cook for a couple of minutes and then remove.

TIP:  Always know what type of salmon you are buying in the store.  Most salmon sold in stores is farm-raised.   This salmon is not the healthiest to consume, because of use of pesticides and antibiotics by farmers.  It is okay to consume in limited amounts, but you should always look for wild-caught salmon.  Sockeye, Coho and King Salmon from Alaska, Washington and Oregon is the best choice.

DIRTY DEVIL CORN

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 ears of corn,cleaned
2 tablespoons of medium Hatch chile powder (or Native Nambe if you like it really hot)
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of adobo
1/2 teaspoon of thyme
1/2 teaspoon of rosemary
salt and pepper
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 stick of butter
1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro

Directions: 

1.  Combine the chili powder, cumin, adobo, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Take the stick of butter and rub all sides of the corn liberally.  Sprinkle the diced garlic over the corn.  Then sprinkle the combined rub all over the corn.  Wrap each ear of corn in foil.

2.  Heat the grill to high.  Cook for five minutes over the grill and turn.  Cook for about five minutes more.

3,  Remove the corn from the foil.  Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the corn and serve.

ENJOY.

Green Peppercorn ... Tripel?

One of the most amazing things about the craft beer movement is the creativity of the brewmasters.  They don't limit themselves to the ingredients called for in the Reinheitsgebot (water, barley, hops and yeast).  And, more importantly, few ingredients are off limits.  Coffee, chestnuts, cardamom, saffron, and blueberries (just to name a few) have all found their way into different brews. The only limitation is the particular style of beer that the brewmaster intends to make.  After all, one would not expect coffee in a blond ale or blueberries in a stout. 

One such craft brewer, The Brewer's Art, has used green peppercorns to brew a smooth blond ale called, as one would expect, "Green Peppercorn Tripel."  Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Brewer's Art is known for brewing Belgian-style beers.  One can go to its brewpub/restaurant and try one of the brewery's standards, such as the Ozzy, Resurrection and Proletary Ale.  The Brewer's Art also bottles its beer, relying upon a production facility in Pennsylvania. Yet, as with  many craft brewers, it is the special releases and seasonals that are truly noteworthy.

The Green Peppercorn Tripel pours with a very foamy head, which covers a golden ale.  Everything about this beer speaks of its namesake.  A sniff of the beer gives one a firm smell of cracked peppercorn.  Take a sip and the presence of the peppercorn is clearly up front.  All of the other tastes one would normally expect in a Belgian Tripel are far in the background.  It is definitely a beer worth trying for those who are as adventurous as the brewers.  

This beer is available at stores, like Whole Foods, for about $10.99 a bottle.

ENJOY.

Basil Garlic Lobster

Recently, I decided to create my own lobster dish.  I wanted a simple dish, which required only a handful of ingredients and which could be quickly prepared.  This dish requires only lobster tails, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil and a few spices.  The longest part of the dish is getting the lobster out of the tail without damaging the tail.  The tail can then be used as part of the presentation.  

As always, I don't always measure spices, as I generally add a little at a time until I am satisfied.  So all of the spice measurements are approximations.  Also, my apologies for the lack of pictures as to how to get the lobster out of the tails.

BASIL GARLIC LOBSTER
A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 four ounce lobster tails (or larger)

1 bunch of fresh basil (at least 4 large leaves)

1 good size clove of garlic

1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (optional, I like the kick)

Olive oil

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Before tackling the lobster tail, take a couple of basil leaves and chop them finely.  Also, dice the clove of garlic.  Set aside.

2.  Now, the lobster tail.  First, rinse the tail under cold water.  Second, take a pair of seafood scissors and cut down the middle of the underside of the tail.  At the end of the tail, make snippets on each side of the underside, approximately a quarter of an inch or a half-inch apart.  Cut along the edges of the underside, removing the segments as you go along.  After removing most of the underside, clean the edges.  Third, dry off the tails, then rub a tablespoon of olive oil on the inside of the tail.  Salt and pepper the inside of the tail liberally.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees F, and bake the tails for five to eight minutes until the tails are red.  Remove and let cool.  Now you have your serving dish.

3.  Take the lobster meat and clean it.  Lobster is like shrimp, it should be deveined if possible.  The vein is along the top of the tail meat.  Remove the vein and rinse the lobster meat with cold water.  Then slice the lobster meat into pieces that are roughly the same size.  Put the lobster pieces into a bowl and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the chopped basil leaves and crushed red pepper.  Mix the ingredients.

4.  Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet on medium to medium high heat.  When the oil begins to glisten, add the diced garlic.  Saute the garlic for a couple of minutes, but do not let it brown.  Add the lobster mixture and saute for at least five to eight minutes, if not longer, until the lobster is opaque.  Salt and pepper to taste.   Stir occasionally to ensure that all sides of the lobster is cooked.

ENJOY.

(The Basil Garlic Lobster pictured above is served with Angel Hair Pasta with a Saffron Red Sauce and Steamed Broccoli.)

Big Bob Gibson's Memphis-Style Championship Red Sauce

For our first barbecue, I decided to smoke a lot of pork shoulder based on the recipes of Big Bob Gibson's, a well-known BBQ joint in Decatur, Alabama.  Big Bob Gibson started cooking barbecue in 1925 and four generations have continued his passion.  Knowing that I also love BBQ, my in-laws, Frank and Geri Savage, took Clare and I to Big Bob Gibson's.  After a great meal of three different types of barbecue, I purchased some of the rub used by the restaurant.  And, later, Frank and Geri bought me the Big Bob Gibson's cookbook as a gift, which fueled my desire to cook my own barbecue.

The cookbook includes a recipe for Memphis-Style Championship Red Sauce, which I knew would be the perfect accompaniment to the pork shoulder, which had been rubbed with Big Bob Gibson's rub.  Many people asked me about the sauce, and some even asked for the recipe.  I have to admit that I mostly followed the recipe, adding a little more garlic powder.  So, here is the recipe straight from Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book at page 220:

MEMPHIS-STYLE CHAMPIONSHIP RED SAUCE

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups ketchup

1 cup water

3/4 cup vinegar

3/4 cup tomato paste

3/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup corn sugar

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

4 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons molasses

4 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon apple sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (I used a little more)

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions: 
Combine all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and blend well.  Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer over a medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.  Allow the sauce to cool.  It stores in a tightly sealed container for 2 weeks in a refrigerator.

ENJOY.

Another Treasure Threatened

Less than a month ago, I wrote about how I thought that the citizens of Northeast Ohio lost a culinary treasure with the closing of Chef's Choice Meats in Berea, Ohio.  The store had closed just three days prior to my post, and, unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done.  However, Berea and the rest of Northeast, Ohio stand to lose another treasure, VinoMatique Wine Market, a rather unique wine bar and market that I have relied upon for bottles of wine to pair with the dishes that I make or create.

Vinomatique derives its name from the Enomatic wine serving system, which allows customers to sample wine in different amounts up to a glass.  There are usually six reds and six whites to sample, with the bottles being available in the market for purchase.  The market also has many other bottles, some from well known wine regions, like Italy or France, and others from lesser known, less explored regions like South Africa.  Whenever I am in Cleveland, I always try to stop by for a glass (or two) and to purchase bottles for pairing with future culinary endeavors or to simply enjoy on their own.

Personally, I can always count on VinoMatique to have wines that I had not seen before or wines that I have a difficulty finding in Washington, D.C.  I can also count on VinoMatique's owner, Cindy Good, to help me find a good wine to try, whether by the glass or through the purchase of a bottle.  Case in point, just yesterday, I was able to purchase wines that I have a hard time finding -- I Perazzi and Aragone -- two wines produced by the vineyards of Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and Joe Bastianich in the Maremma region of Tuscany.  I also purchased a couple of other wines that reminded me of good times, such as a pinot noir from Dobbes in Oregon, which sparked great memories of visiting the Dobbes tasting room in Willamette Valley.

Just yesterday, I learned that VinoMatique is suffering through hard times because there are not enough customers coming through the doors to either drink or purchase wine. Unlike Chef's Choice, Vinomatique is still open to customers, even though the "For Rent" sign is now hanging in the window.  Everyone, both residents and non-residents of Northeast Ohio, need to do our best to help small businesses grow and thrive, regardless of the economy.   Rather than buy a wine from a supermarket (or worse, Walmart or a gas station), we should make the effort to go around the corner and peruse the aisles at small wine markets -- like VinoMatique -- and buy our wine there.  By supporting these small businesses, we will be able to preserve important culinary and, in this case, a vinious resource for anyone who enjoys good food and wine.

There is still time to save this treasure. I personally ask that, if you are looking for a wine, please make an effort to help the small businesses, like VinoMatique.  Its website can be found at:

http://www.vinomatique.com/

or check out its Facebook presence at either the group page or the fan page.  You don't need to say that I sent you, just go and experience VinoMatique for yourself.

Brooklyn's "Ace"

Garrett Oliver is well known in craft beer circles.  He is the brewer at Brooklyn Brewery, which is located in all places, Brooklyn, New York.   No doubt you have seen bottles of Brooklyn Lager or Brooklyn Pilsner on store shelves.  The core beers of Brooklyn are very good, but, for true craft beer connoisseurs, Garrett's seasonals (like his Blackout Stout and Monster Ale) are special.  

Not only is Garrett an excellent brewer, but his knowledge of beer and his insight into pairing beer with food is unmatched.  He is the author of the Brewermaster's Table, which is a book that any craft beer lover/foodie should read.  Also, Clare and I have benefited from Garrett's knowledge of beer.  We both have attended beer tastings led by Garrett, where we learned about Italian beers (Birrificio del Ducato, Birra Baladin and others) and Scandinavian beers (Mikkeller, Nogne O and others).

Yet, this post is about one of Garrett's greatest contributions to the craft beer world (at least in my opinion) -- the Brooklyn Sorachi Ace.  Brooklyn describes it as a "classic saison" or an "unfiltered, hoppy farmhouse ale."  The hops are the key to this beer.  Brooklyn uses Sorachi hops, which are a cross between the British Gold and the Czech Saaz hops.  The Sorachi  hops are noteworthy for the lemony flavors they impart into the beer.  These hops are only grown in Oregon.  Not only are hops used during the brewing, but also post fermentation.  

Some more about the process.  Brooklyn uses champagne yeast and two-row German pilsner malts.  The beer also goes through a secondary fermentation in the bottle.  The beer registers at a 7.6% ABV.

According to the label, one should be able to experience the smell of lemon zest.  And, I can definitely smell lemons.  But it is the taste that is truly remarkable.  It is hard to put into words, as you can experience the taste across your mouth.  There are definitely citrus notes, but, when drinking the beer, one can definitely taste pepper or coriander.  

Although a bit pricey at $15.99 for a large bottle, it is definitely worth the experience.  I was able to find it at Whole Foods.

ENJOY.

Villa Cialdini

Back in 2006, I was fortunate enough to travel to Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany as part of a culinary trip through the Smithsonian Institution. One of our very first stops was a vineyard owned by Cleto Chiarli, a vineyard outside of Modena.  Cleto Chiarli specializes in Lambrusco, a  wine that originates in Emilia-Romagna.  In 1971, Italy gave  a DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) designation to a part of Emilia-Romagna  encompassing the plain around Reggio-Emilia going northward to the Po River.  Lambrusco wines made from grapes grown in this region and are made according to fairly strict codes are entitled to the DOC designation.  If you are fortunate enough to try a  Lambrusco wine with a DOC designation, you will have an experience that cannot be replicated by the mass-produced swill sold by a certain not-to-be-named-but-very-well-known producer that sells as "Lambrusco" in this country.  Riunite, anyone?

Personally, Riunite Lambruscos turned me off of the wine. However, the Lambrusco made by Cleto Chiarli reignited my interest in this wine.  The Villa Cialdini is a great Lambrusco made from grapes grown  at the Tenuata Cialdini, which is located close to the Castelvetro di Modena area.  At this site, Cleto Chiarli grows the grasparossa grape, which has a rather long history.  The grape was grown by Etruscans and Romans.  The grapes are harvested relatively late in the season.  The wine is fermented for four months in stainless steel and then bottled.  The alcohol content is 11.5%.

The Villa Cialdini is dark red in color, has a full body and is very dry.  While it is carbonated, the froth quickly gives way reveal a very drinkable wine.   This wine pairs very well with the egg pasta from Emilia-Romagna  (see the recipe for Paglia e Fieno), as well as pizza or lasagna.  Always serve this wine chilled.

You can find the Villa Cialdini  for $11.99 at the Italian Store in Arlington, VA.