HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEE

Yes, 'tis true, today marks the 24th anniversary of my birth. April 30, 1985... a date which will live in infamy. I'm never one to let an event pass without some culinary exploit to mark it with, and at work we always follow the same plan. Get a cake, one that is kosher, which is plain ice cream, which is BORING, and we NEVER get anything else. Well, surprise! My bosses are in China, leaving us free to select a different cake to make to celebrate the monumental event! When asked what my cake of choice was, my immediate thought was carrot cake, but since I'd like to try my hand at making that soon, I opted for red velvet cake. Our new hire is from NYC, and at the very mention of the words "red velvet" she picked up the phone and through our questioning ordered a cake from Cake Man Raven in Brooklyn to be shipped cross country to arrive for my birthday without hesitation. This guy's cakes are world famous, especially his red velvet. His client list includes Oprah, Robert De Niro, 50 Cent, Maya Angelou, and an incredible much more. The stokeage was reaching maximum levels, and I didn't eat anything in anticipation of the sugary treat. It finally came today and we made an early lunch of it! The pictures below speak for themselves- I DID NOT RETOUCH ANY ONE OF THEM BEYOND CROPPING. The colors are true and the flavor was insane. If you ever have the opportunity to sample one of his marvelous cakes, DO IT DO IT DO IT.

Ignore the mild smush, the FedEx guy was just jealous. All it did is condense the deliciousness even more.

Interview with a Brewer (To Be)

For today's post I've got a real treat for you guys. If you've looked around this site, you might have noticed that I've linked to other exceptional beer-related blogs. Well, the last couple of months I've been keeping up with the guys over at Monday Night Brewery as they chase their dream of opening up brewery.

Who/What is Monday Night Brewery?

In short, three young ambitious homebrewers in the Atlanta area attempting to start up a brewery by 2010. See their about page on their site for the longer version.

I managed to get in contact with MNB's Jonathan Baker and asked if he'd like to participate in a HolzBrew exclusive interview. He was down with it. Here goes:

Holz: You guys have been hard at work for a number of years trying to commercially start up Monday Night Brewery by 2010, what has been the most unexpected delay in the process thus far?

MNB: You know, it’s funny. From the outset we gave ourselves a 3-year time frame and we’ve actually stuck to it pretty well. We’re still on track to hit our original target date. Who knows what will happen between now and the end of the year, that could change, but thus far we haven’t encountered any huge delays.

Giving ourselves more time than necessary upfront was definitely a wise decision in hindsight. We wouldn’t have had the time to really develop and think through our brand otherwise. It’s also given us time to actually get pretty decent at brewing, which is obviously a critical piece in this whole picture. The real goal for us is to make sure that we have done everything possible to be successful before actually investing any serious capital into the enterprise.

Holz: By all accounts starting up a brewery is an expensive process. To date, has raising capital been tough?

MNB: It IS expensive. Which is one of the reasons why we’re going to start by contract brewing. Upfront we will only need a fraction of the capital we would need if we were building a brewery from scratch, which will allow us to own more of the company and build some of the demand we will need to sustain ourselves long term with less risk.

I think the 3-year time frame has actually been very helpful in this regard as well. 3 years has given us ample time to make connections and prove to potential investors that we are very serious. Thus far we haven’t had any trouble raising the money we need. We aren’t there yet, but we don’t foresee any huge hurdles in getting it done. We are also throwing in a good chunk of the money we need ourselves, which helps.

Holz: If you could look 5 years out past the initial start up of the brewery, how do you want to distribute your product? In other words, do you see yourself limiting distribution to just the state of Georgia, or perhaps limiting it to a specific region like the Southeast?

MNB: Great question. From the beginning I think we’ve always seen ourselves as a regional brewery. We want to focus on Atlanta and Georgia for the first couple years at least, but eventually we would like to distribute throughout the Southeast. Craft beer is still a local product, in our minds.

Holz: Determining the proper mix of year round offerings vs. seasonal or even limited releases is a delicate process for a professional brewer. What is your current plan for the number of regular year round selections and season/limited releases?

MNB: We are going to launch with 2 beers, a malty IPA (Eye Patch Ale) and a dark, smokey scotch ale (Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale). Eventually we’d like to have around 5 year-round beers, though that is probably a few years out. I think our homebrewing background has instilled in us a desire to experiment, so we would love to focus on limited edition seasonals to the extent that the market will allow it. It would be great if we could have 1-2 seasonals at any one time. We already want to work in our imperial pumpkin ale (Headless Horseman) and our barleywine (Laissez-Faire) whenever possible.

Holz: Could you guys use a good CPA sometime in the future (because I know one)?

MNB: Hmmm. Depends, does he work for beer?

Holz: Just to be clear, I do work for beer.

Seriously though, currently you three are full time professionals in fields outside of brewing, how do you plan to staff the brewery once it is in operation? Do the three of you intend to work at the brewery full time or will you share oversight responsibilities while still maintaining some professional schedule?

MNB: At the very beginning there will be some combination of 1 or 2 of us working part-time and then everyone working nights/weekends (especially Monday nights). We plan on jumping on full-time as the brewery needs it. Joel and I will be the first to make the leap, and then Jeff as we expand and can sustain the monstrous income that he plans to draw (joking). It could be a several year process, depending on how fast we are able to grow. The ultimate goal is that we will all be working full-time at the brewery.

Holz: You guys have been busy updating your brand image lately, how do you plan to differentiate yourself from all of the other great craft beer offerings in your area?

MNB: Part of the reason we updated our brand image was precisely to differentiate ourselves from some of the great craft beer here in Georgia. I think there is still a need for a slightly sophisticated, white-collar beer here. That’s where we fit in. We want to brew well-balanced, interesting beers that can be consumed on weeknights with or without food, with or without friends. Though we obviously recommend friends. We are shooting for a clean, clever look, and we want that same nuance to permeate our beers.

Holz: Besides drinking the final product, what do you guys enjoy most about brewing?

MNB: You know, I find the actual brewing process very cathartic. It’s hard work, but it’s almost like therapy. That or the people – we meet so many great people and the craft beer industry is unlike any industry I’ve ever been a part of. It’s very close-knit and communal.

Holz: Which current craft brewers and breweries do you most admire and why?

MNB: The impossible question. There are obviously too many to name, since craft beer is all about trying new things. But we do look up to Dogfish Head for their brazenness and willingness to experiment (and great beers) and Terrapin for what they’ve done to elevate craft beer in Georgia.

Holz: Which beer style do you enjoy brewing/drinking the most? The least?

MNB: You’ll get a different answer from all of us. Jeff is a hophead, so he loves the Eye Patch Ale. I love darker beers, so my favorite is the Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale. And Joel has a soft spot in his heart for our Belgian wit. I do think we can agree on our least favorite beer styles. We’ve never been too keen on lagers. That’s not to say we don’t enjoy them, we just don’t enjoy them as much as some of the other styles. So even though we have the equipment to lager beer, we just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

Big thanks to Jonathan for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer my questions! Head over to the MNB site to keep up with their progress and buy their beer in 2010.

Brew on Mondays,

HolzBrew

Founders Day

Today's post will cover Founder's Day the day that originated from a proclamation by the United States Continental Congress on October 11, 1782 in response to Great Britain's expected military defeat in the American Revolutionary War. JUST KIDDING ...

If your into beer and you live in Virginia you've probably heard that in the last couple of weeks your favorite beer stores have been receiving shipments of Founders Brewing Company's delicious beers. Having in-laws who live in the Midwest I fortunately was already familiar with several of Founders excellent beverages. My sources tell me that local distributors are or will be carrying up to 8 different Founder's beers:

1. Centennial IPA
2. Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
3. Curmudeon Old Ale
4. Pale Ale
5. Breakfast Stout
6. Double Trouble
7. Porter
8. Imperial Stout

Last week I picked up a sixer of Dirty B and a 4 pack of Double Trouble. Here goes my initial thoughts on these two new additions to the local market:

Dirty Bastard

Pours up a dark red/copper with average sized creamy tan head.

The smell is absolutely fantastic. Lots of malt, cocoa, toffee, and some pine from the hops.

The flavor is as the name implies: Straight Dirty, in a good way (like phat, which doesn't mean you need to lay off the donuts). Toasted malt, spiciness, piney hops, and a hint of chocolate all mashed together. A little alcohol flavor on the back end.

Somewhere between a medium and heavy mouthfeel.

Despite the relatively high ABV, this is dangerously drinkable.

Where most Scotch ales are usually a focus on malt with very little in the way of hops, this one really brings a nice hopiness to the table that makes this beer unique. A must try!

Overall Grade: A

Double Trouble

Pours up a thick golden color, and fairly clear. Good head retention with approximately one finger of white head.

The smell fills the nose with fruitiness. Most notable distinguishable smells are apricot and citrus. Not much in the way of malt smell here.

The taste is sweetness up front with a lot of honey and hints of caramel and biscuit-bready malts. As you would expect from double IPA, the hops kick into overdrive and you get the taste of pine and grapefruit all the way through this great brew.

Thick bodied, and as well-balanced as an IIPA can get.

Despite tipping the scales at 9.4% ABV the alcohol is pretty well hidden throughout.

I like Double IPAs as much as anyone and this is a really good double IPA, but not so much so that I plan to stock my shelves with it in case of distribution scarcity. If you're are down with double IPAs, pick this one up and enjoy it.

Overall Grade: B

Get Found,

HolzBrew

perfect way to start the day

You know how sometimes you just get the exact right amount of sugar and cream in your coffee, which is perfectly brewed and even though you make it the same way every day this particular day it's extra perfect and puts you in a great mood? That happened today. That, plus the delicious treat my co-worker made has jump-started my Tuesday! She sliced up this AMAZING rosemary/olive oil bread, lightly toasted it, added some cream cheese with a slice of sharp cheddar and cold shaved turkey... heaven. A perfect blend of flavors for a marvelous treat.

EgyptiBrew

“The mouth of a perfectly happy man is filled with beer.” ~ Ancient Egyptian Proverb

The Egyptians didn’t create the art of brewing, but it was of great importance in their society. In previous posts (see posts with a common theme “History of Beer” on the right), I discussed brewing in the ancient civilizations of Sumer and Babylon, this post continues chronologically with the Egyptians.

Some 5,000 years ago, beer was the king of fermented beverages (Don’t confuse with the “King of Beers”). In comparison to the Sumerians and Babylonians, the Egyptians left us the best documentation of ancient brewing techniques. Most of what we have learned about Egyptian brewing has come from murals in vaults, pyramids, and sacrificial chambers. These images exhibit the importance the art of beer-making held in Egyptian society.

Perhaps some of the best preserved relics came from the tomb of Meketre. Meketre was chancellor and chief steward during the reign of Mentuhotep II and Mentuhotep III. His tomb contained several wooden replicas, representing the daily activities and life in Ancient Egypt. Because the inner chamber of Meketre's tomb was untouched by grave robbers when it was discovered by Herbert E. Winlock in 1920, the wooden models give us an intimate three-dimensional view of how Egyptians lived. These wooden models represented Egyptians at work. There was a carpentry shop, an abattoir, a granary, a kitchen, river boats, and ... a brewery!

The brewery model from Meketre’s tomb dates from around 2009 to 1998 B.C. A card at the exhibition in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (where this model is preserved) explains what is going on in the brewery: "The overseer with a baton sits inside the door. In the brewery two women grind flour, which another man works into dough. After a second man treads the dough into mash in a tall vat, it is put into tall crocks to ferment. After fermentation, it is poured off into round jugs with black clay stoppers."


Ties to the Gods

Beer was a regular part of life for every Egyptian both the pharaohs and the working class alike. Beer was the currency of power and social structure, connected to the gods and the state. In Egyptian culture, all power derived from the sun (as you can imagine in an area of the world where the sun seems so utterly pervasive). The god of the sun, Re, was regarded as the source of all life and nourishment. Accordingly, he was considered the creator of beer. Re and his wife Nut, the goddess of the stars, were considered the creators of the Egyptian pharaohs and of all lesser gods. Their favorite daughter was Hathor, a pretty and alluring thing (Re kind of had a love jones for Hathor, which is kind of sick, by our modern attitudes toward incest). When Hathor drank beer, she turned into the goddess of love, lust, joy, singing, dancing, and laughter.

Hathor’s sacred tree was the sycamore, under which lovers would meet to share a crock of beer. Her brew was an aphrodisiac, often flavored with mandrake, a plant whose bark contains an alkaloid that has a narcotic effect.

The god of the dead, Osiris, was hailed as the guardian of beer. Egyptian beer was brewed from both emmer and barley and it was believed these grains had sprung spontaneously from Osiris' mummy, as a gift to mankind and as a symbol of life after death.


Ties to the State

The god-like pharaohs turned brewing into a state run monopoly and strictly licensed brewing rights to entrepreneurs and priests. Many temples opened their own breweries and pubs, all in the service of the gods. The port of Pelusium became a large brewing center, and trading in beer became big business.

Egyptians used beer as a currency to pay slaves, tradesmen, priests, and public officials alike. Every Egyptian was entitled to a particular amount of daily beer. This beer ration was strictly regulated, even amongst the royalty. A queen was entitled to 10 loaves of bread and two crocks of beer a day. This allotment was usually guaranteed to her by her husband, the pharaoh, as part of the marriage contract. A princess was due 10 loaves a day, but she was only entitled to one crock of free beer a day. An officer of the guard fared better, as he was due 20 loaves and two crocks. Even the daily ration of the slaves who provided the muscle for building the pyramids, were entitled two to three loaves of bred and two crocks of brew. The nectar of the gods was even a slave's entitlement.


Beer and Medicine

In addition to offering sustenance to the laborers and pharaohs alike, beer was also used for medicinal purposes. Ancient Egyptian medical documents (dated approximately 1,600 BC) list roughly 700 prescriptions regularly prescribed by doctors, of which about 100 involved beer. The Egyptians used beer as a gum-disease treatment, a dressing for wounds, and even an anal fumigant—a vapor borne pesticide to treat diseases of the anus (nasty, I realize).


Egyptian brewers unfortunately exited history for good due to the fall of the ancient Egypt (The fall of Egypt is a history lesson beyond my expertise), but it is believed that the Greeks learned the art of brewing from the Egyptians, perhaps a future post?

Drink like an Egyptian,

HolzBrew


Note: If you are interested in learning more about the Egyptians and beer read Horst Dornbusch's article titled, "Egyptian Beer for the Living, the Dead ... and the Gods." I pulled info from all over to write this post, but I "borrowed" heavily from Mr. Dornbusch's superb article.

Mac attack

Oh, the glory of it all! How have I been missing such an American staple for so long? Where have you been all my life, the elusive Big Mac?? Why, just around the corner at your friendly neighborhood McDonald's!

Now, to all the people who are going to backlash and ask how I can support such a disgusting industry that is clogging the arteries of America's youth and destroying the local eateries, BACK THE TRUCK UP. I've probably had McDonald's less than 5 times in the last 10 years. This includes late night drunk munchies and any other inebriated state requiring a quick fix of cheap greasy food. It's just nasty. Everyone knows that. I hardly think that this goal of tasting an American Tradition means that I am a McDonald's supporter.

As gross and unhealthy as it may be (which it certainly is), the Big Mac is an American Icon of food. The fact that I'd NEVER EVER TRIED ONE blew a lot of people's minds, including my own. How have I, such an avid lover of all things flavor, missed this unique and uncopyable flavor in its own right? I defy anyone to try and mimic this succulent, delicious, unique flavor in any capacity. There's got to be crack or something in them. One bite and I was hooked.

I was definitely warned up front. I've brought up this quest to many people over the last few weeks, and here's how the conversation went about 99% of the time...
Me: "Blah blah blah food blog, I'm going to go to McDonald's too...
Other person: "MCDONALD'S??? THAT DISGUSTING TITAN OF WHAT THEY TRY TO PASS AS FOOD? DON'T YOU KNOW HOW IT'S DESTROYING AMERICA? HOW COULD YOU WANT TO GO THERE? OH MY GOD LET ME JUDGE YOU!!!!"
Me: "But I've never had a Big Mac before, and I think that's weird. I want to experience ALL flavors, and this being such a famous one how could I exclude it from my taste library?"
Other person: "... you've NEVER had a Big Mac? You must drop what you are doing immediately and get one now! How have you lived 23 years without trying one! Once you have one, you'll understand what you've been missing. Actually, it's kind of a secret pleasure of mine to get every once in a while.... (sheepish grin)"

SEE?!?!? EVERYONE knows McDonald's is gross and unhealthy. But it's a travesty that I didn't even know what I was missing! The following is the step by step of the monumental event.

Ahh, even the packaging says "Eat me, EAT ME!"


Not my first look at the Big Mac, but my first look at MY first Big Mac.


First bite. Flavor is already dripping off my tongue and down my chin. Maybe it's just the secret sauce.


Contemplation that only the most serious food critic or philosopher can summon.


APPROVED!


Soon to be digested... hopefully.


+1 for Mickey D's



I will say though, this might not have the happiest of endings. All I know is I ate this at around 9:30 PM yesterday. It is not 2:10 PM and it is still solidly in the stomach. Something needs to happen soon......

How to "Subscribe" to HolzBrew

Recently a few people have asked if it was possible to be notified when a new post was on HolzBrew. I'm not great with web programming, but I think I have found a solution. I've signed up with Feedburner (I love the name, it just sounds fast). If you click on "subscribe to: posts (atom)" at the bottom of the page you can embed HolzBrew on your homepage of choice (iGoogle, myYahoo, etc.).

Do it!

-HolzBrew

The Bruery tasting at Whole Foods

One of the things I really miss about Richmond was my connection within the food community there. It's a tightly knit fraternity that can only be entered through the blood, sweat, and tears of participating in this largely thankless industry. For as much crap as you have to deal with working in the restaurant/catering world, there is no limit to the rewards reaped in the network-dependent clique. It was rare for me to go to a restaurant or bar without some connection or hookup there; this incestuous relationship is not uncommon, especially in a small town with an emphasis on food.

Now that I am separated from the relationships I had built over the years, I have longed to re-enter that world, slowly but surely, in San Diego. When we saw the flier for a Belgian Beer Tasting at Whole Foods, of course we jumped on the opportunity. No stranger to beer dinners am I, and a rabid fan of all beers Belgian. The featured brewery was The Bruery, which is an infant to the industry and located in Orange County. Their beers were accompanied by so many cheese plates it really ended up being more like a never-ending cheese tasting with some beer on the side, but it was excellent nonetheless.

The first beer we tried was the Bruery White Orchard (5.7%, 15 IBU's, $7.99 per 750 mL), and the first thing I noticed was the bottle it came in. They have super-cute and kitschy labels that are a great accent shape over the whole bottle. Only a design weenie like me would even notice, but it's nice to be drinking a good beer with an attractive label. I can definitely see me drinking this a lot, especially in the spring/summertime. It's incredibly light and would make an excellent shandy.

Next up, Bruery Black Orchard (5.7%, 15 IBU's, $7.99 per 750 mL). Along the same vein as the White, but slightly malty and had a mild licorice flavor. I didn't love this one, it seemed over-carbonated and had that sticky-in-the-mouth feeling like coke leaves. You know how if you're drinking a really fizzy soda you have to pause for just a moment before swallowing it because all the trillions of bubbles pop at once? It's like that. Not a bad beer by any stretch, it had hints of coriander and chamomile. I rated it "weird but good". An occasional sip.

Saison de Lente (their Spring Seasonal, 6.5%, 35 IBU's, $10.99 per 750 mL) was up next. It's supposedly the "lighter" version of the Saison Rue, but I found it hoppy, fruity, and dry. It was over my personal preference of hoppiness, but it was still nowhere NEAR what an IPA would be like. It had a really great smoothness, and the taste lingered just long enough without overstaying its welcome.

I was excited about the Trade Winds Triple (8%, 25 IBU's, $10.99 per 750 mL) when Patrick told us there was thai basil in it! I was actually so excited that I wrote "hurray" in my notes. Don't believe me?

Anyway, it was very similar in color to the Saison de Lente, but cloudier with a really strong, floral aroma. For some reason I've always has this strange aversion to Tripels, but this had a great pear flavor that was a bit too carbonated but good. No one else seemed to like it, and I don't think I could drink the entire bottle myself... but if I found myself in that position, I'm sure I could rise to the challenge.

The Saison Rue was up next (8/5%, 30 IBU's, $11.99 per 750 mL), and the alcohol content just keeps rising! The first sip of this amber-colored beer was excellent, and paired with a bite of one of the soft cheeses they complimented each other wonderfully. We got a little zany and tried pairing it with the White Stilton with Lemon Zest on top of the Nairin's Stern Ginger Oat Biscuits, and it was a match made in heaven! This beer is absolutely enhanced with a good pairing!

Last but not least was the Partridge in a Pear Tree: Winter Seasonal Belgian Style Quadruple (12%, 20 IBU's, $10.99). There's something about winter brews that always contain a high alcohol content. I understand that in the North or East where you spend months on end huddled in your apartment cursing Mother Nature and nursing your body back to warmth with a brew, but here in Southern California it's just not necessary! Beach Christmas, anyone? Regardless, staying true to the Belgian style, this caramelly dark beer is not made with roasted grains (which is why the majority of dark beers are actually dark in color). The Quadruple contains almost no roasted grains, which means it doesn't have the smoky flavor found in most dark beers. It substitutes caramels and sweetness for smokiness, which I found to be a pleasant change. This beer is also unique because every year it will be the next line in the Christmas song, meaning 2009 will be 2 Turtledoves, and so forth. An excellent collecting incentive!

All in all it was a pleasant and educational evening. The cheese was magnificent, the beer was a new treat, and the company was stellar. I hope to drink much more of these for years to come!

OMG SO DELICIOUS

I am EXTREMELY proud of this dish! My uncle and aunt came down for dinner last night to see our place, and I wanted to wow them with our cooking skills. I had gotten this recipe from a friend and it just seemed a little boring, so I jazzed it up with a few items of our own creation and made it our own!

ENJOY!!!



Thai Curry Chicken with mushrooms and peppers
3 lbs. chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 large shiitake mushrooms cut into large pieces
1 large red bell pepper
Curry to taste (probably 2-3 large tablespoons depending on desired flavor)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups chopped onions (1/4” dice)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 small can or 1 cup coconut milk
Jasmine rice

Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl or pan, combine chicken, lemon juice, zest, salt, pepper, and cayenne to marinate for 1 hour (or longer). In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes. Add chicken and mushrooms, generously sprinkle curry over everything, brown and cook until nearly done (about 12 minutes). Add tomatoes, ginger, and sliced red peppers, stir well, cook for 3 minutes more.

At this point I transferred everything into a large pot and then added the coconut milk. You can leave it in the skillet if you have enough room, whichever you prefer. Simmer until chicken is completely cooked. Reduce sauce to desired consistency, serve over jasmine rice.

STUFF YO' FACE AND YOU GOOD!!!

BEER WARS

I got the opportunity to check out Anat Baron's documentary last night on the Beer industry titled, "Beer Wars." If you hadn't already heard about it, it was a one night only screening across America, that was followed up with a live panel discussion of the movie. Some of the panelists included Sam Caglione (Owner of Dogfish Head), Greg Koch (Owner of Stone), and Charlie Papazian (Homebrewer extraordinaire). The panel was also moderated by Ben Stein.

Anat did a great job of covering Big and Small beer, but it definitely was slanted in favor of the micro/craft brewer. All in all it was a craft beer lovefest, which was definitely cool. They discussed the dominance of A-B, as well as the three tier system in place in the US (Brewer, Distributor, and Retail) and how AB makes crappy beer, but convinces you to purchase it through slick marketing as well as some questionable business practices (lobbying, dominance of distribution, etc.).

The documentary focused on two main story lines. The first was the Dogfish or Sam Caglione story. Describing DFH's early roots and their rise in popularity. I thought Ben Stein did a great job of quizzing Sam on whether or not his goals are exactly the same as AB. I think Sam came off well, in that he tried to express that he was somewhat indifferent to the rate at which DFH grows, and that he is more interested in continuing to push the status quo of what beer is and of course focus on the beer being brewed rather than fanciful marketing campaigns. It was clear that while successfully growing micros need to be quite business savvy in order to stay in business, they don't necessarily intend to become backhanded sly business men either. It was cool to see the on screen camaraderie that Greg and Sam genuinely share. In contrast, I can't imagine the CEO's of AB, Coors, and Miller being good friends. But it all comes down to purpose. I mean DFH or Stone are small brewers who truly seem to have a passion for making great beer and running a business is second. The CEO's of AB, Coors, and Miller are supposed to be savvy business men first, and if they weren't then the would get ousted by their Board of Directors or shareholders. In summary that's just capitalism, baby.

The second story line involved Rhonda Kallman. She was original business partners with Jim Koch (founder of Boston Brewing Co.) and I suppose at some point she decided to leave in order to start doing her own thing. First, it was hard to imagine why someone who had so much success at an influential craft brewer like BBC would want to leave. But to each their own. She currently is promoting a new beer that she has developed herself (she is not a brewer, but more into beer advertising) called Moonshot. Moonshot is a light lager that includes caffeine. While I have to imagine from a marketing perspective it would seem that there would be a market for such a product, the beer itself didn't smack of quality, but rather, a marketing gimmick. During the panel discussion, Todd Alstrom from BeerAdvocate plainly stated that he thought that Moonshot was a crappy marketing gimmick and was in general bad for beer, which was awesomely awkward considering that he was seated very close to her during the live panel discussion.

When this thing hits the DVD market, you should pick it up or Netflix it. I was completely worth the two hours.

-HolzBrew

what to read on the train?!

I really like to read "Tina, die Frau von Heute". It's one of those cheap-o German women's magazines with the tissue thin newsprint and the articles that repeat every month. I find, however, that I can't put it down. And I learn lots of German words, ones that aren't found in the SZ or bild: Hausfrau words. Mostly, I read the recipes.

I am actually currently following the "5 day US Miracle Diat" from a similar publication, "Bild der Frau". which is a strange collections of recipes including "Egg Burger" and Herring in Jelly Salad". Not really US American, but interesting nonetheless. I really just needed a break after the Easter gorge fest at Artur's family's house, and I am now on day 4 of 5. I've already lost some weight and I'm feeling better. And, I am taking a liking to vegetable juice with rolled oats. Every morning, I start the day with a spoonful of olive oil mixed with lemon juice. It's supposed to "encourage my de-poisoning". That's a euphemism if I've ever heard one… At any rate, I've almost survived (and I've learned some new recipes to boot) and I hope that at least my stomach has shrunk so that I'm not hungry all the time.

I highly recommend cheap cheesy women's magazines to all of you Expats who would like to deepen your knowledge of cooking, cleaning and ironing vocabulary as well as read some tear jerking sappy stories of life changing experiences…

Guilt Trip

You know that saying "when you fall off the horse, get right back on it?" yeah. I missed that one.

Sorry that I haven't written ANYTHING in a few weeks. I was in Vienna visiting my dad (he was there for business) and then.. I dunno… the spring weather just snuck up on me like crazy. I was outside the last few weeks, soaking up the sun, enjoying the biergärten, entertaining visitors.

Is it just the cold gloomy weather that makes me want to blog about life instead of getting out to live it?

I'd like to take a look at what Amiexpat's offering for the Real German Cuisine Challenge this week.. maybe I can get off my butt and onto the blog horse!

Until then, ta ta!
PS: I just saw that the next challenge with be a Spargel dish, one of my FAVORITE veggies (and times of year in Germany, Hooray for Spargelzeit!) but not until next week. Maybe that will give me time to do all the 100,000 other things I have to do…

Best Burgers in town

CNN is often the voice of despair, of war, of crime... but sometimes it's the voice of tasty travel tips! Today's article seen on CNN/Travel is about 5 of the best and most unique burger places in the country. Pay extra special attention to Hodad's in Ocean Beach- I've yet to go, but with a CNN blessing I am far more motivated!

Speaking of burgers, I've got a bombshell for you all. I have never, in my entire life, had a Big Mac. For as much as people poo-poo McDonald's (and for good reason), the vast majority of people upon hearing this revelation are shocked and urge me to drop whatever I'm doing and run to the golden arches as fast as I can. Well my friends, I think this weekend will be BM-Day. I will have a Big Mac. And also a Bowel Movement. Of that I am sure.

Sticky Rice DC

Sticky Rice on Main Street in Richmond is a total Fan staple, especially anyone with hipster-ish tendencies and the desire to see and be seen in a hip location. Considering their sushi is new-school with 90% innovative flair and 10% tradition, it's a great bar spot that happened to be 3 blocks away from my old apartment. (sigh) They've got great events like karaoke, 1/2 price sushi Mondays, and trivia nights that are always guaranteed to be jam packed.

Within the last year, they've opened the 2nd Sticky Rice in the H District in Washington, D.C. I'm sure it will attract the same group of 20somethings who long for tater tots and cheap PBR with a California roll on the side. I would love to see the new location's design and layout; the interior and exterior of the original was kitschy and bright while just grimey enough to entice bike punks and young professionals alike. Even Sticky to Go Go across the street was a wild success. All best wishes for their old and new ventures alike!

Recommended for people who want a cool sushi "experience" rather than expecting the most traditional of dishes.

Samichlaus 2006

Meg and I were given a 4 four pack of Samichlaus as a wedding gift in 2007 (the beer was actually bottled in 2006). If you are not familiar with Samichlaus here is the description from their website:

“Samichlaus” beer is brewed once a year, in each case on December 6th, and stored and matured afterwards for over 10 months before it is bottled. "Samichlaus” beer can mature for many years in the bottle; older vintages obtain a complexity and receive their creamy warm aftertaste. This beer can be served with heavy meals and desserts, particularly with chocolate - or as digestive and meditations drink. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the strongest lager beer in the world with 14 % alcohol and 32° original extract content. It is brewed exclusively of natural raw ingredients after the purity requirement of 1516.

Meg and I have enjoyed one of these fine brews each year since we were married in 2007. We have one left for 2010.

I'll have to say that this beer has changed quite a bit since we first tried it in 2007. During our first tasting in 2007, Meg and I were both overwhelmed with the over the top alcohol hotness of it. It also had a lot of bourbon overtones.

As expected this beer has really mellowed out and is much easier to appreciate the complexities. Here goes:

An aggressive pour yields almost no head whatsoever (that's what she said), but it has a nice deep orange color. It has a nice bready, and caramel aroma. As you might expect, this beer is quite sweet and malty. Raisins, figs, brown sugar and maple syrup come out with a little yeast flavor on the back end. Very little in the way of hop flavor. The mouthfeel is smooth and syrupy. This is definitely a dessert beer to split with a friend. If you drank more than one of these, it would put you down big time (or take you down to Chinatown!).

If I must place a rating on this one, I'd give it a straight B. This one is kind of hard to rate it, because there really isn't anything that comes to mind to compare it against, so it definitely gets a uniqueness street cred bump. But its not the kind of beer that you are going to run out and buy whole bunch of. Definitely a very cool wedding gift for fellow beer geeks.

-HolzBrew

Marley's mac n' Cheese

My sister is not known for her culinary flair (just mention the words "jello salad" and you will be regaled with a tale that the family will NEVER let her live down!) but I definitely respect her for her persistence in the cooking realm. Actually, her husband Jason has a bit of talent with a grill, and even with the smallest kitchen I have ever seen, they've been able to knock out some commendable tidbits. I haven't yet tried the following recipe, but with cheese, jalapenos, and prosciutto, I think it sounds pretty damn tasty.


Ingredients

8 oz. box of macaroni (we use Cresti di gallo noodles; its large size and the ridged texture always adds to the pasta when you have a rich sauce by helping the sauce adhere to the pasta)

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 small shallot, finely diced

1 jalapeno (include seeds and/or a 2nd jalapeno if you prefer it spicier)

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp dried/ground mustard

1/2 tsp paprika

2 cups half and half

8 oz shredded sharp cheddar

8 oz shredded pepper jack

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs w/ 1 tbsp melted butter

1.5 oz (half a pack/to taste) prosciutto (found near the deli counter by lunch meats)



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C)
2. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta noodles and cook for 7-8 minutes until they're almost al dente; drain well and set aside
3. Meanwhile cook prosciutto in olive oil/butter in a small saucepan until slightly crispy; cut into smaller pieces and set aside
4. In a large saucepan (at least 3 inches deep) over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp unsalted butter; add shallots and jalapenos and cook for 1 minute; add flour, dry mustard and paprika; stir continuously until blended (about 1 minute); pour in half and half slowly as you're stirring everything fast enough to keep it from getting chunky
5. Add shredded cheeses and stir until blended
6. Stir in garlic powder, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce
7. Add macaroni and prosciutto to pan and mix everything well; transfer to a 2 quart Corning ware/casserole dish. Mix 1 tbsp of butter with bread crumbs (can use same small saucepan as the prosciutto) and sprinkle over macaroni and cheese
8. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges.

Spring time for Oktoberfest

The weather is finally warming up, and Spring means only two more seasons until Oktoberfest. Prost!