Food Wars- Lobster Rolls

Lobster rolls are to Maine what cheesesteaks are to Philly, and if you haven't had the opportunity to head to the cold netheregions of the Maine coast to enjoy one of the delectable seafood-stuffed sandwiches, I strongly advise you to turn off your computer and hustle there ASAP by any means necessary. Traditionally, lobster rolls contain a generous portion of lobster meat tossed with mayo and served on a hot-dog style bun; however, there are endless variations to the classic, ranging from the slight to unrecognizable. Lobster contains a lot of connotations in the food world representing power, wealth, and huge debates continuously arise around the world about the sustainability and availability of the clawed crustacean. However, with Maine waters teeming with these prized creatures, it remains one of the staple foods of the Northeast and the pride of generations.

While there are thousands of tiny clapboard buildings littered all over the state, each with their own unique spin or traditional homage to the lobster roll, Kennebunkport, Maine lays claim to two powerhouse institutions each boasting the best rolls fresh from the source of the Kennebunk River. I've actually been to the Clam Shack in my ventures to the ever-chilled state, and while there are few foods that San Diego can't reinvent or simply execute better than anyone else anywhere in the world, there's simply no duplicating the lobster roll eaten at the source. When anything is pulled from its home, killed in front of you, and served within moments of its death dressed on its coffin plate with only slight garnishes to enhance the still-living flavor... well, there's just nothing quite like it. Food Wars visited the seaside town to umpire the clash of the crustaceans between the Clam Shack and Alisson's Restaurant, so if your tastebuds are salivating (which they should be at this point), check out the episode's sneak peek below.



My own first lobster roll met its demise a few years ago at the Maine Lobster Festival in Portland, which is a fantastic food festival dedicated to the king of the sea and all his attendants. Let's just say it took a few bottles of suds to get that hat on me.



As convoluted as lobster's history has been and remains to be, it continues to uphold a crowning glory of a long, proud American tradition. I sincerely hope that the seas clear and lobster settles back into its rightful place as ruler of the sea. In the meantime, a hot buttery bun and some fresh lobster meat would do me just fine.

Been Brewing

I haven’t been blogging much lately. There, I said it. Why? I’ve been busy brewing:

1) A few weeks ago I corked the 2010 HolzBrew Holiday Ale, dubbed “Reindeer Games.” This was my first experience using a corker, but after a test run it was pretty easy to figure out. I basically followed the steps laid out in the following excellent article in BYO magazine.
If you brew and are interested in presentation, investing in a corker is the way to go. I think for something like a Holiday Ale that you pass out to friends and family as gifts, it really makes your homebrew unique.

The beer is a Belgian strong golden ale that I brewed back in July and subsequently lagered for approximately two months. I understand that Duvel-Moorgat lagers Duvel and I hope to emulate some of the fantastic flavors you find in that beer.

2) A few months back I was inspired to focus on brewing Belgian ales after reading Brew Like a Monk by Stan Hieronymus (a great gift for the holidays), an excellent book for those interested in trying their hand at Belgian brewing. To contrast with Reindeer Games, I brewed a Belgian dark strong ale a few weeks later. My main inspirations for this ale were St Bernardus Abt 12 and Ommegang Three Philosophers. The end result is probably leaning more toward Three Philosophers as the beer definitely has a fruity-raspberry kick. Long story short, I bottled that beer this weekend and am eagerly waiting for an opportunity to crack one open.

3) About two months ago I brewed an Extra Stout. This is currently on tap at la casa HolzBrew. I dry hopped the keg with 3 ounces of cracked espresso beans, which really imparts a fresh coffee flavor. I love dry hopping kegs and I'm not sure why it me until recently to start doing this.

4) About 5 weeks ago I decided to get back to my roots and brew up a good 'ole fashion tongue scorching IPA for kegging sometime in the next couple of weeks. This is the first time I have brewed an IPA with something other than California Ale yeast. I decided to branch out and try some yeast from the other side of the pond, Ringwood Ale Yeast. I hopped with a combination of Centennial, Simcoe, and Warrior hops. The IBUs on this thing is off the charts, can't wait!

5) This past weekend I brewed up a batch of lambic. I stuck pretty closely to a partial mash recipe that I found online. This brew should be done fermenting sometime in 2012 (no kidding), so I'll have to exercise some patience. I'm already planning on splitting the batch and bottling some of it unblended and blending the other half of the batch with Marionberries (that's right, there is a berry that shares it's name with the infamous DC mayor).

That's the basic run down of brewing operations over the last month. I'll keep up the blog better in November. Go Hokies!

-HolzBrew

Bike Race in Thompson Park

10/31/10: Thompson Park, Jamesburg NJ

I do not know how to ride a bike. When I tell people this, inevitably the next question is: "Can you swim"? I never got the connection between the two sports - but yes, I can swim.

While I have never balanced on two wheels, one of our dearest friends, Chris Gozick (orange jersey), is a top-notch cyclist who competes all over the State. On Halloween, Chris was racing close by, so it was the perfect excuse to go spend a beautiful day outside with Gary and my best friend Christine (Chris's wife) ... we even got an added bonus when our friend Alastair joined us with his new rescue bull terrier, Frank.

Spending time with Gary in the crisp fall air, with our friends and Frank, obliterated any lingering aches and pains October had been harboring, and left me refreshed and renewed - ready for anything.

Frank

Christine

"The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love." - Hubert Humphrey

Try a Little Kindness

I noticed something today. Or, rather, I questioned something. Have people lost their ability to accept kindness? I was shopping at Target, and at checkout was given a coupon for the Starbucks located in the store. Now, I am not a fan of Starbucks, not because they are a chain but because they over roast their coffee and I don’t like it. So, being nice, I offered my coupon to people standing in line for their coffee. First I offered the coupon to a man in fatigues, thinking, “Hey, people in the service deserve thanks.” He declined three times as if I were offering him a dead mouse. So I went to the next guy in line, and he gingerly took it out of my hands, frowned at it, and then mumbled, “OK.” Um…I am offering you money off something you are about to buy. Why aren’t you happy?



People are suspicious. People expect that you are in it for something, that you’re going to want something in return, that there must be some catch. Gee…I was just being nice. Are we really so cynical that we can’t just smile and say, “Wow, thank you” instead of staring blankly while we assess the perceived dark underbelly of an act of kindness?


I searched for quotes regarding accepting kindness. I found one. Just one!


One who knows how to show and to accept kindness will be a friend better than any possession. --Sophocles


In accepting a kindness, we experience a moment of intimacy with the giver. I think it can be easier to show kindness, since we aren’t looking for a connection. “Hey, I’ll pick up that item the lady dropped and return it to her.” But RECEIVING kindness requires that we open ourselves to another’s act. We have to drop our guard just a bit.


During difficult moments in my life, I have found that the only way to stay sane was to accept kindness. If someone offered help, I swallowed my pride and took it. Sure, I could go it alone. Sure, I could be miserable and slog it out solo. But why should we do that? Why not acknowledge that we’re really all in this together? That means not only being the powerful giver, but the humble receiver.


So, my challenge to you and myself this week is to accept kindness when it is offered to you. You just might find that it is offered more often than you imagined. In this challenging world in which we live, kindness should never be relegated to the back of the closet, whether given or received.

Halloween Treat: Dinner at Elements

Elements, Princeton NJ

Gary and I love amazing food, and have flown everywhere in search of it; from celebrity-chef-owned restaurants like Moto in Chicago that use molecular gastronomy to create avante-garde cuisine, to historical restaurants like The Olde Pink House in Savannah that improve upon quintessential comfort food. For obvious reasons, we haven't indulged in such gastric delights in a long time.

One of our favorite restaurants in New Jersey is Elements in Princeton. When we learned that they had a tasting menu during the month of October to celebrate their 2-year anniversary, we decided to take the dive back into fine dining.

If you've never eaten at Elements and you live anywhere near New Jersey - go. Firstly, the space is unbelievable; they actually transformed part of a garage into an architectural marvel. Secondly, the food is incredible. Dinner was perfect, and I've done my best to remember all seven courses, listed below.

Amuse Bouche - Champagne, Coconut-Broccoli Cream Soup, Winter Barley Salad
First Course - Hamachi Tartare with Cilantro
Second Course - Squash Soup with Corned Beef and Cabbage, and Caraway Ice Cream
Third Course - Pacific Halibut with Chopped Geoduck, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Broccoli, and Pumpkin Puree
Fourth Course - Wild New Jersey Mushroom Risotto with Mushroom Froth
Fifth Course - 48-hour Short Ribs with Red Potatoes and Kale
Sixth Course - MY FAVORITE - Bacon and Eggs
Seventh Course - Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingerbread Sorbet
Complimentary Dessert - Chocolate Plate (6 homemade chocolates...the best being caramel peanut-butter filled dark chocolate truffle)

"Bacon and Eggs" at Elements

Ok - that sixth course deserves a pause and further description. It is the chef's signature dish that serves as a bridge between the savory and sweet courses. On one side of the plate is a hollowed out eggshell with three layers of gooey goodness inside: the bottom is brioche French toast, the middle is bacon custard, the top is maple foam with smoked sea salt. On the other side of the plate is a mini French toast with homemade bacon and bourbon maple syrup. It's insane.

Although my appetite is much smaller than it used to be, I took my time and managed to at least savor a little of everything. It was an absolutely wonderful night.

I Finally DID It.... The Haircut!!

So, I finally went and got my haircut ~ after a year and a half ~ and I'm really happy with how it came out... Let me know what you think.

Before: (I did get caught in the rain this morning - TeeHee)




After:



Quite a difference, huh?  It will be SO much easier to take care of and something wonderful happened by having so much cut off:  I was able to donate 10" to Locks of Love ~ so some

I Need Help ~ Dining Room Tables By the Hundreds

Most of you know that we are building a new house (good times!) and we have been looking to maybe replace our dining table because it is really just too big for the two of us.  I only use it for blog work and scrapbookking and when we occasionally have company for dinner.

Here is a photo of the dining room in the model home, it is kind a square room and my dining room table is rectangular, so I