Day 157! Scotland - UK - Goibniu Home Brew Beer -- Up Next, Senegal!

Before I get any mail correcting this post, let me state up front that I know Scotland is not technically a sovereign country, although from a historic stand point, it could certainly be considered so. Rather, Scotland, Wales and England all make up the entity known as the UK. And, although each has their own distinct culture, food, traditions and dialects/accents, all share common citizenship, government, currency, armed forces and membership in the UN.  But, since I'm currently working my way through the "S" countries, and  my awesome friend, Michael Roman just happens to know a thing or two about home brewing, Scottish beer seemed like a logical, (slightly self-serving) choice. Hence a trip to Deja Brew, in Shrewsbury, MA, where I had the time of my life learning to brew my first ever batch of beer with the help of a generous and awesome group of brew masters.

Seeing as I am a total beer brewing newbie, I asked Michael, professional photographer extraordinaire and all around great person, to contribute a guest post, along with the beautiful photographs (with the exception of the beer in the glass and the bottles, which you can tell were taken by me, the wannabe photographer) you see on this page.  Please check out the link to view his work or to register for a class. Take it away, Michael.............

When Sarah first mentioned the idea of a guest blog about home brew, we wanted to tie it in to a country of the world. The obvious choice? Goibniu (pronounced Goiv – new)! Other than the fact that this has been one of my favorite recipes, its name comes from the Celtic god of manhood. Goibniu was a sword-smith whose place of worship was the smith-works. Before a battle, he bestowed a blessing on the swords and weapons with....wait for it...beer.  So we have a tie-in to the blog and a great excuse to go brew a batch of beer! In case you're wondering about the flavor, Goibniu is a nice malty ale, tipping the scale at 7.5% alcohol content. Twelve pounds of grain in the mash make this a delicious, smooth beer, with a slightly sweet finish.

To be honest, I have to state up front that “home brew” is a slight misnomer in this case. I actually brew my beers at a place called Deja Brew.  They have a vast collection of recipes, all the ingredients necessary, kettles that are larger than anything I could muster at home (so the amount of beer per batch is more rewarding than what one could typically produce at home), and, perhaps best of all, they handle all the clean up. It of course costs more to brew at their facility than it would at home, but the convenience is well worth the extra cost, and the beer still ends up being cheaper than what you can get at a retail store. And the fun of creating something from scratch is enhanced by the fact that you can sample some of the beers Deja Brew has on hand in order to help you decide on a recipe to use either for your batch that day or for one in the future. And it’s also a great social occasion to brew with several friends or coworkers. But on to the main point.

Happiest behind a camera, Michael
also has some mad brewing skills!

As a typical college student in the 1970’s I loved, and consumed, my share of beer. Until a funny thing happened to me, that is. While in college, I spent five months in Germany and  got to sample a wide and wonderful variety of beer. When I got back to the U.S., I quickly realized that my domestic beer drinking days were behind me. American beers were just so bland and all the same for the most part. There was a glimmer of hope for me when my good friend Greg brought over a six pack of a new beer in the mid 80’s. He was all excited about it and I felt bad having to tell him I just wasn’t all that fired up about beer. But he was right. This beer had flavor and body. It reminded me of the beer I used to have in Germany. The beer was Samuel Adams, and the timing was right at the start of the micro-brewery explosion in this country. I still didn't consider beer very often until one day at work when a couple of home brewers brought in the fruits of their labors and hosted a beer tasting party in the parking lot at the end of the day. One of the beers was so flavorful and delicious that I came to realize that beer, as my friend Kevin always used to say, “was not just for breakfast any more”! (the older readers of this post may remember the orange juice commercial from the 70’s or 80’s). The beer was Deja Brew’s Midnight Porter. Before I knew it,  I was hooked into the group of brewers who regularly meet at Deja Brew. These guys have opened my eyes to some recipes I may never have tried on my own, and it’s been a rewarding nine years in the meantime.

Okay, so Sarah and I had a mission. A mission to educate her readers to the joy and ease of making your own beer. We had to toil over a hot kettle, albeit one with some wonderful aromas coming from it, and countless time (countless because after enough sampling of the product, the concept of time got a little fuzzy) filling bottles with beer and running the capping machine, but, hey, somebody had to do this for you, the reader. And we were willing (hiccup) to suffer any sacrifice (hiccup) we had to in order to bring this post to the world (hiccup). Joining us were Sarah’s husband Liam and my brew buddy Mike, who was the one who first introduced me to Midnight Porter, which to this day remains another of my favorite recipes.


Here's how the brewing process goes: Many, many thanks to Deja Brew owners Ray and Donna, Head Brewer, Dave and Brewer Joe who patiently guided us through the process, sharing information, a little history and lots of culinary chemistry tips the night we brewed.

Our first step was to go see what was on tap that night and to pour some liquid refreshment to help us get through the task before us. The second step was to go to the recipe books and take out the one for Goibniu. There are so many recipes to choose from it can be a bit overwhelming to decide upon “the one”, but we didn’t have that problem this night.

The next step is to measure out the grains and grind them (called “milling”) in order to expose the starches. Then comes the mash process. This is where the grain, in a basket, is submerged in the kettle and steeped at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. During this time the starches are being converted into sugar, which the yeast will later convert to alcohol. The spent grain is then removed and pale malt extract is added. This is grain-based sugar that is designed to speed up the brewing process. If the extract was not added, the recipe would require a lot more grain, and a lot more time and effort in the mash process. One of the things about the extract is it carries some color and flavor from the grain that it was made from and this is reflected in the color and flavor of the beer.

The wort, as the mixture is now called, is brought to a boil which causes various chemical reactions as well as sterilizing the wort. Sterilization is important to keep wild yeast from spoiling the flavor and character of your beer. After the boil, the wort is simmered at just below the boiling point and hops are added for flavor and aroma.

It’s now time to move the wort to the fermentation tank where the yeast can be added to do their job. But first the wort needs to be cooled down which would otherwise kill the yeast. Deja Brew sends the wort through a heat exchanger on its way to the fermentation tank so there is no delay before adding the yeast. The fermentation process runs for 7 to 10 days during which time either all of the sugar is converted to alcohol or the amount of alcohol reaches the point where it kills off the yeast. I’m thinking the latter happened in our case. Goibniu is a very “high octane” beer. Yeast converts sugar into two waste products – alcohol and carbon dioxide. There is a valve on top of the tank that allows the carbon dioxide to escape but not let anything in from the outside. The valve is transparent and filled with water and you can see the CO2 bubbles going through it which makes it easy to know when the fermentation is done.

At this point the beer is moved to the “bright” tank, being filtered in the transfer process to remove the dead yeast and any other material that may have made it though the filter between the kettle and the fermentation tank. The “bright” tank is pressurized with CO2 and sits in a cold room for up to a week or so, at which point the beer is ready to be bottled.

The final step in the process is a return trip to Deja Brew on bottling day. The bottles are run through a sterilizing process and then the beer is transferred to the bottles and a hand operated capper adds the finishing touch. Again, it’s a rewarding time and a great social get together. And the fruits of your labors can be shared and enjoyed for months to come. 

But don’t wait too long to enjoy your beer. There are no preservatives and it will spoil over time, especially if you don’t keep it cool or cold. In fact, the beers all seem to peak in flavor about two weeks after bottling after which point they will slowly go downhill. I find it best to keep the beer in a “beer fridge” and finish them off within three months or so. Beers that are high in alcohol, like Goibniu, and/or lots of hops will last longer, but, hey, it’s beer, so why wait to drink it? My brewing buddy Mike has found some Goibnius in the back of his beer fridge more than a year after they were bottled, and reports that they are still a delicious treat.

Goibniu (recipe courtesy of Deja Brew and Dave Thompson, Head Brewer)

Grain
3 lbs. caravienne
3 lbs. crystal
3lbs. munich
2 lbs. caramalt
1 lb. roasted barley

Extracts
7 qts. pale malt
2 qts. adjunct
2 lbs. brown sugar

Bittering Hops
3 oz. kent golding

Finishing Hops
2 oz. fuggle
1 scoop Irish moss

Yeast
Irish dry yeat


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved 

Mango Cucumber Salad

I just love the way the cucumbers and mangoes look in this salad. The green and orange look so summery and playful. The addition of lavender syrup provides a fragrant boost of flavor.

Lavender Syrup
Ingredients:
½ cup water
1/8 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lavender

Instructions:
Bring all ingredients to a boil in small pan over high heat. When sugar is dissolved, strain and cool.

Salad
Ingredients:
2 mangos, diced
½ cucumber, shredded
3-4 tablespoons of lavender syrup

Instructions:
Mix mangos and cucumber with three to four tablespoons of the lavender syrup.

Peach Blackberry Cobbler Recipe

Is there a more old-fashioned word than cobbler or cobbled? It brings to mind a shoemaker in a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale or those stone streets in Europe (the ones that are so treacherous if you're wearing high heels). Just the word alone is quaint, charming and feels handmade. Which of course brings me to the culinary version of cobbler. A cobbler is basically sweet biscuit dough formed into tiles and "cobbled" together on top of baked fruit. It's the kind of thing you can make year round, just varying the fruit with the season. Because it's so chilly in San Francisco in August, it's really the perfect dessert at the moment. We'll have to a while longer before making ice cream I'm afraid.

My most recent cobbler combines organically grown peaches I got from my friend Gayle who annually adopts a tree from the writer and farmer Mas Masumoto, dark as night blackberries from Driscoll's and a spice I am crazy about, cardamom. I recommend combining a couple types of fruit, it makes the cobbler prettier thanks to the contrasting colors, but also adds more texture, complex flavor and sweetness. I also recommend adding a bit of spice. If black pepper and mint had a love child, it would be cardamom. It's an exotic and aromatic spice, common in both Indian cuisine and in Nordic baking. I added a touch of it to both the fruit and the biscuit topping but it's still very subtle.

This cobbler is based on a Sara Moulton recipe. She makes a scaled down version that bakes in a one quart pan in the toaster oven (I use an 8x8 inch pan instead). It's really smart for small households because cobbler is best fresh from the oven. In fact, if you preheat the toaster oven and then get cooking I find it reaches temperature just at the point the cobbler is ready to bake.

Note: You can blanch and peel the peaches if you like, but I prefer leaving the skins on.

Peach Blackberry Cobbler Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 peaches, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 cup blackberries
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cardamom

Topping
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup buttermilk plus more for the tops of the biscuits
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the peaches, blackberries, cornstarch, cardamom and sugar and toss gently to combine. Transfer to an 8 inch square baking pan.

In a bowl combine the flour sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles the texture of small peas. Stir in the buttermilk to form a soft sticky dough. Knead into a ball then turn out onto a well-floured work surface and roll to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Use a biscuit cutter or wine glass to cut out 4 biscuits gathering the trimmings and rolling again as necessary. Arrange the biscuits over the fruit. Brush biscuits lightly with additional buttermilk using a pastry brush, sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with or without vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

All about Dijon Mustard

I never expected to visit Dijon. But on my first trip to France, I asked my Parisian friends for suggestions for where to go and they said Dijon and nearby Beaune, so off I went. The historic capital of Burgundy, Dijon is a dramatic looking city with lots to do and see. It has many museums, churches, medieval buildings with gargoyles and stunning geometrically patterned roofs of green, white, yellow, black and terra cotta ceramic tiles.

When most people think Dijon, they think mustard. But Dijon is in wine country, home of Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguinon and lots of other rich and rustic dishes including the classic preparation of Escargot in garlic, butter and parsley. In addition to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay and Aligoté, the region is also known for Cremant de Bourgogne and cassis. It's worth noting that you can get to Dijon in under 2 hours from Paris if you take the TGV.

But let's talk mustard. If I had to choose one mustard only (currently I have 7 open jars in my fridge) it would be Dijon. It's mellow and sophisticated in color but with a spicy bite. It's made from brown or black mustard seeds and usually from white wine vinegar, though initially it was made with verjus, a kind of unripe grape juice. Dijon is where you'll find the original Maille shop, founded in 1747, the windows filled with handsome ceramic mustard jars of all sizes. There is another Maille boutique in Paris (right near Fauchon and Laduree at place de la Madeleine).

I'm rather fond of the Maille brand (now a subsidiary of Unilever), it works particularly well in recipes and is not very expensive. If you substitute Grey Poupon (owned by Kraft), you will notice a difference (and it does not work as well in vinaigrette recipes). In France you can buy Dijon mustard flavored with everything from cassis to blue cheese to cognac, nuts, mushrooms, and piment d'espelette. Having been on the giving and receiving end, a small jar of flavored Dijon mustard makes a fine gift.

Here are some ways to use Dijon mustard (other than on sandwiches and hot dogs)

* Combine with oil and vinegar to make a classic vinaigrette

* Add to quiche recipes, especially quiche lorraine

* Slather on fish fillets before baking

* Mix with honey to make a dipping sauce, also great on salmon

* Add a touch to macaroni and cheese

* Use in baked beans

* Combine mustard and olive oil with red potatoes then roast until crusty

* Coat pork chops or chicken in mustard then crust with panko and bake

* Add to potato and egg salads

* Spread it on bread instead of butter

* Simmer mustard with pan drippings, wine, broth and cream to make a sauce for roast chicken

* Add to barbecue sauce

Want to learn more about Dijon cuisine? August 23, 2011 Michelin star chef chefs Jean-Pierre and Alexis Billoux from Dijon will be doing cooking demos at the CUESA kitchen at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market from 10 am - 2 pm as part of the Dijon Must’art tour.

Summer Vegetable Toss

This vegetable toss is super simple and lets late summer vegetables shine. Because the emphasis is on the produce, it is important to get the best possible ingredients. A local farmer’s market is likely to have the juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes and sweet ears of corn that make this dish pop.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 ears corn, husked and kernels cut off
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 small zucchini, shredded
3 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup chopped parsley
1 lemon wedge

Instructions
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the corn, tomatoes, and zucchini shreds and sauté for a minute. Add the scallions, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook for about 4 more minutes or until the corn is cooked through. Throw in the parsley and stir. Drizzle lemon juice over the vegetables.

Day 156! Saudi Arabia - Fish Kabsa with Cilantro and Pine Nuts - Up Next, Senegal

Few smells and spices transport me to a place is quickly as Middle Eastern cooking can. Now, I have never been to the Middle East, but in my highly over active imagination, the aromas that wafted from my kitchen while grinding tonight's Arabian Spice mix and simmering a big pot of Fish Kabsa transported me to Saudi Arabia in a super magical way. Plus, my hands are totally stained yellow by the turmeric I knocked over, so you could say my body has been transported as well. No Star Trek transponder needed.

Sometimes referred to as "The Land of Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest places in Islam, The Kingdom of Saudia Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East. The country borders Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemin and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway. To the northeast, is the Persian Gulf and to the West, the Red Sea. Founded in 1932 by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, the country is an absolute monarchy. This beautiful country also boasts the largest oil reserves and exports in the world.

Cuisine in Saudi Arabia is heavily influenced by nomadic traditions that began with sheep and goat herders. Although the country is now well developed and most no longer follow the nomadic ways of life, traditional food continues to be an important part of Saudi life and customs.  Dates, flat breads, hawayij (a spice blend) are all enjoyed along with grilled lamb, goat and chicken, falafel, humus, kabsa and of course, strong brewed coffee -- by no means an exhaustive list!  The country now produces all of its own dairy and most of its vegetables, but strict Islamic principles dictate dietary restrictions of pork and alcohol consumption.

The Basics: Pollock, Cilantro, Garlic and Onions and Basmati Rice

Arabian Spice Mix - A Heavenly and Aromatic Blend

Toast up the Pine Nuts

Layer the Fish on top of the Rice and Cook for about 20-30 Minutes (until rice is tender but not mushy)

Fish Kabsa (Adapted from Food.com)
(4-6 portions)

2 lbs. white fish, cut into medium chunks
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, sliced
2 cups basmati rice, soaked
3 cups water
1 tsp. vegetable bouillon or base
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 Tbsp. Arabic Spice mix (recipe below)
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted in a dry frying pan
1/4 cup cilantro

In a heavy, large pan,  heat and add butter, onions and garlic and cook until tender.
Add Arabic Spice mix, blend well.
Carefully add fish and cook half-way on each side until lightly pink-white (about 1 minute).
Remove fish onion mixture from pan and set aside.
Add tomato paste, vegetable base to pan, cook a little and add rice and water.
Carefully place fish mixture back on top of rice.
Raise heat to high to bring to a full boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer.
Cook covered until rice and fish are cooked.
Arrange on platter and top with cilantro and pine nuts and serve with green salad.

Arabian Spice Mix (Adapted from Food.com)

1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. black pepper corns
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. fennel seeds

Blend in a mortar and pestle until crushed.
Store extra in an airtight jar.

Final Assessment: A wonderful, one pot meal that scented the house with a heavenly aroma of spices. The dish was satisfying, healthy and the addition of pine nuts and cilantro was a really nice touch. Served along-side a green salad, this was an excellent meal. We loved it!



© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Mushroom Risotto

This creamy rice dish is infused with the earthy flavor of mushrooms and enhanced with fresh herbs and a handful of sweet peas. The combination of dried and fresh mushrooms packs a warm, savory punch. I like to cook the cremini mushrooms before starting the risotto. Giving the mushrooms room to brown in a large sauté pan allows these guys to achieve maximum flavor. Top off the finished risotto with a sprinkling of Asiago cheese and you are good to go.

Ingredients

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
dash of salt
dash of pepper
dash of oregano
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio or medium-grain rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Asiago cheese, for serving

Instructions

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Once the butter has melted and the bubbles in the mixture have started to subside, add the chopped mushrooms. Stir continuously, allowing the mushrooms to absorb the butter and oil mixture. After a few minutes, once the mushrooms have begun to brown and release their juices, take off heat.

Simmer the chicken broth with the dried porcinis for 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the dried mushrooms and finely chop. Keep the chicken broth warm over low heat. In a large pan, melt the butter and sauté the shallots until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice. Add the wine, stirring often, until the rice absorbs the liquid. Add a ladleful of the hot broth (about ¾ of a cup) to the rice. Stir the rice constantly until the rice absorbs the broth. Repeat until the rice is cooked and the mixture is creamy. Stir in the frozen peas, parsley and thyme. Once the peas are cooked, adjust the salt and pepper levels. Serve with a sprinkling of Asiago cheese.