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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Budweiser Task twelve : The Ultimate Choices


Above the summer, Budweiser performed Project 12, exactly where each of their 12 U.S. breweries and brewmasters have been requested to appear up with a unique new beer utilizing the Budweiser yeast strain and model values. The final 3 beers strike cabinets in a combined six -pack this fall.

Budweiser Project 12 63118Batch 63118

Brewery Spot : St. Louis

Brewmaster: Jim Bicklein, with aid from Fort Collins, CO, brewmaster Katie Rippel.

Beer: Golden Pilsner, 6 % ABV

An homage to the German immigrants like Adolphus Busch, The pilsner works by using materials that had been prevalent in the St. Louis location in the late 1800s.

Evaluation and notes: Pours great gold with a reasonable head. Noticeably round and a small boozy, the beer doesn’t acquire factors for subtlety, but has a wonderful tang from the Tettnang and Hallertau hops. Correct to model for a Bohemian Pils, but the alcohol and thinness will switch off some drinkers, who may possibly connect the flavors with price reduction beer. The the malt character will proabably make this the least challenging to lovers of standard Budweiser, and the bitterness in the aftertaste will include a stage to which they are not applied. By considerably my least favorite of the six brews I tried, enable on your own the three that produced the final lower.

Budweiser Project 12 91406Batch 91406

Brewery Area : Los Angeles

Brewmaster: Bryan Sullivan, with assist from Scott Ungerman (Fairfield, CT) and Dave Cohen (Houston).

Beer: Amber Lager, six % ABV

Employing a caramel malt, Sullivan and co. aimed for a beer with both equally additional malt and more hops than regular Budweiser.

Evaluation and notes: Pours amber with tiny head. Slight roast in the nose. Enthusiasts of amber lagers like Yuengling will probably get pleasure from this beer, while the hops and yeast give it a substantially crisper, cleaner complete than most. It’s effectively -carbonated with not a ton of human body, and so the roastiness comes by nicely. A effectively -crafted lager, if not bursting with taste by non-macrobrew expectations, the LA batch should be satisfactory to nearly everyone and enjoyable to several.

Budweiser Project 12 23185Batch 23185

Brewery Location : Williamsburg, VA

Brewmaster: Daniel Westmoreland, in collaboration with Mike Anderson (Jacksonville, FL) and Dan Kahn (Cartersville, GA)

Beer: Bourbon Cask Lager, 5. five %

Westmoreland designed an all-malt brew and aged it on staves from bourbon barrels.

Assessment and notes: Pours light, whiskey- coloured amber with major head. Nose has a wonderful malty roastiness with a hint of vanilla. Absolutely the most intricate of the 3 beers, the description shouldn’t intimidate anybody. The bourbon staves advocate relatively than demonstrate vanilla character in the beer, and give only mild hints of the conventional taste. The beer – like all of the Job 12 offerings – has a crisp and clean complete from the Budweiser yeast, and could be effortlessly drinkable in some quantity. Though craft beer fans will lament the deficiency of daring taste, I truly uncover the subtlety refreshing. I really like bourbon, but also frequently it’s applied as a taste cudgel in craft beers. This is a nicely -crafted lager that I savored in the blind six -pack in advance of I understood it experienced bourbon staves. 


Via: Budweiser Project 12: The Final Offerings

Budweiser Project 12: The Final Offerings


Over the summer, Budweiser conducted Project 12, where each of their 12 U.S. breweries and brewmasters were asked to come up with a unique new beer using the Budweiser yeast strain and brand values. The final three beers hit shelves in a mixed six-pack this fall.

Budweiser Project 12 63118Batch 63118

Brewery Location: St. Louis

Brewmaster: Jim Bicklein, with help from Fort Collins, CO, brewmaster Katie Rippel.

Beer: Golden Pilsner, 6% ABV

An homage to the German immigrants like Adolphus Busch, The pilsner uses ingredients that were common in the St. Louis area in the late 1800s.

Review and notes: Pours deep gold with a moderate head. Noticeably round and a little boozy, the beer doesn’t win points for subtlety, but has a nice tang from the Tettnang and Hallertau hops. True to style for a Bohemian Pils, but the alcohol and thinness will turn off some drinkers, who might associate the flavors with discount beer. The the malt character will proabably make this the least challenging to lovers of traditional Budweiser, and the bitterness in the aftertaste will add a level to which they are not used. By far my least favorite of the six brews I tried, let alone the three that made the final cut.

Budweiser Project 12 91406Batch 91406

Brewery Location: Los Angeles

Brewmaster: Bryan Sullivan, with help from Scott Ungerman (Fairfield, CT) and Dave Cohen (Houston).

Beer: Amber Lager, 6% ABV

Using a caramel malt, Sullivan and co. aimed for a beer with both more malt and more hops than traditional Budweiser.

Review and notes: Pours amber with little head. Slight roast in the nose. Fans of amber lagers like Yuengling will likely enjoy this beer, though the hops and yeast give it a much crisper, cleaner finish than most. It’s well-carbonated with not a ton of body, and so the roastiness comes through well. A well-crafted lager, if not bursting with flavor by non-macrobrew standards, the LA batch should be acceptable to almost anyone and enjoyable to many.

Budweiser Project 12 23185Batch 23185

Brewery Location: Williamsburg, VA

Brewmaster: Daniel Westmoreland, in collaboration with Mike Anderson (Jacksonville, FL) and Dan Kahn (Cartersville, GA)

Beer: Bourbon Cask Lager, 5.5%

Westmoreland made an all-malt brew and aged it on staves from bourbon barrels.

Review and notes: Pours light, whiskey-colored amber with significant head. Nose has a nice malty roastiness with a hint of vanilla. Definitely the most complex of the three beers, the description shouldn’t intimidate anyone. The bourbon staves suggest rather than demonstrate vanilla character in the beer, and give only light hints of the traditional flavor. The beer – like all of the Project 12 offerings – has a crisp and clean finish from the Budweiser yeast, and could be easily drinkable in some quantity. While craft beer fans will lament the lack of bold flavor, I actually find the subtlety refreshing. I love bourbon, but too often it’s used as a flavor cudgel in craft beers. This is a well-crafted lager that I enjoyed in the blind six-pack before I knew it had bourbon staves. 


Via: Budweiser Project 12: The Final Offerings

Happy Hour Bloody Maria


I like the summertime and all that goes with it. But fall comes with a single pleasure that summer does not: football! And as a fan with season tickets, I take my pregame tailgating just about as severely as the game itself.

The opening-day menu? Mexican brunch. That signifies rolled-up huevos rancheros and chorizo hash served with blue corn chips and homemade guacamole and salsa. And a perfect cocktail, of program, to fit the occasion : the Bloody Maria.

There are a lot of approaches to make a bloody it all depends on your personalized preference. The traditional Bloody Mary recipe is merely two parts tomato juice to 1 aspect vodka, balanced off with lemon or lime juice, Worcestershire, and spice.

This Bloody Maria recipe, compliments of Josh Wortman, beverage director at Añejo Tequileria y Restaurante in New York City, calls for tequila alternatively of vodka and is accompanied by classic mexican flavors that, unlike a Bloody Mary, is intended to showcase the base spirit. "At the finish of the day, a Bloody Mary is not about the vodka. It is about the other substances," Wortman says. “When incorporating a flavorful tequila (Josh prefers Casa Noble Blanco), you actually want to taste the earthy, peppery, citrus flavors that blend so well with the other elements.”

But really don't be fooled by the simplicity here. The tomato and lemon juices mix beautifully with the hot sauce, seasonings, and salt. And the tequila itself ties it all together to make this a complex but clean, refreshing cocktail with a kick.

So let's raise a glass and welcome the two seasons— autumn and football—with a cheer. Let ’S! GO! JETS!

Bloody Maria

Recipe courtesy of Joshua Wortman, head bartender at Añejo Tequileria y Restaurate

What you'll require :
1. five oz a hundred % agave blanco tequila (Casa Noble Crystal is perfect )
. five oz lemon juice
3 oz tomato juice
3 dashes hot sauce (Like Valentina or Cholula—something with a very little entire body to it)
1 dash habanero sauce
Salt to taste*

How to make it:
Mix components in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour over ice and garnish with lime and pickled piquin chiles (or any pickled pepper will do here ).

*For more flavor : mix salt with ground dried chipotle, arbol, and ancho peppers. As well considerably operate ? Use ground cayenne pepper.

Photo spot : Rollin Greens in Queens, NY. 


Via: Happy Hour Bloody Maria

Budweiser Venture 12 : The Last Offerings


Over the summer time, Budweiser conducted Project twelve, where every single of their 12 U.S. breweries and brewmasters were asked to come up with a special new beer making use of the Budweiser yeast strain and brand values. The ultimate 3 beers hit shelves in a mixed 6 -pack this fall.

Budweiser Project 12 63118Batch 63118

Brewery Location : St. Louis

Brewmaster: Jim Bicklein, with aid from Fort Collins, CO, brewmaster Katie Rippel.

Beer: Golden Pilsner, 6 % ABV

An homage to the German immigrants like Adolphus Busch, The pilsner makes use of substances that have been widespread in the St. Louis area in the late 1800s.

Critique and notes: Pours deep gold with a reasonable head. Noticeably round and a very little boozy, the beer doesn’t win points for subtlety, but has a good tang from the Tettnang and Hallertau hops. Genuine to fashion for a Bohemian Pils, but the alcohol and thinness will turn off some drinkers, who may affiliate the flavors with low cost beer. The the malt character will proabably make this the least tough to lovers of traditional Budweiser, and the bitterness in the aftertaste will add a degree to which they are not employed. By far my least favored of the six brews I attempted, allow alone the a few that created the last minimize.

Budweiser Project 12 91406Batch 91406

Brewery Place : Los Angeles

Brewmaster: Bryan Sullivan, with help from Scott Ungerman (Fairfield, CT) and Dave Cohen (Houston).

Beer: Amber Lager, 6 % ABV

Making use of a caramel malt, Sullivan and co. aimed for a beer with each more malt and more hops than classic Budweiser.

Overview and notes: Pours amber with small head. Slight roast in the nose. Fans of amber lagers like Yuengling will most likely get pleasure from this beer, even though the hops and yeast give it a a lot crisper, cleaner finish than most. It’s effectively -carbonated with not a ton of physique, and so the roastiness comes via effectively. A effectively -crafted lager, if not bursting with flavor by non-macrobrew requirements, the LA batch really should be acceptable to nearly anybody and satisfying to quite a few.

Budweiser Project 12 23185Batch 23185

Brewery Place : Williamsburg, VA

Brewmaster: Daniel Westmoreland, in collaboration with Mike Anderson (Jacksonville, FL) and Dan Kahn (Cartersville, GA)

Beer: Bourbon Cask Lager, five. five %

Westmoreland manufactured an all-malt brew and aged it on staves from bourbon barrels.

Assessment and notes: Pours light, whiskey-colored amber with substantial head. Nose has a good malty roastiness with a hint of vanilla. Absolutely the most complex of the three beers, the description shouldn’t intimidate anyone. The bourbon staves suggest instead than demonstrate vanilla character in the beer, and give only light hints of the standard taste. The beer – like all of the Venture 12 offerings – has a crisp and clean finish from the Budweiser yeast, and could be simply drinkable in some quantity. Though craft beer fans will lament the lack of bold taste, I in fact come across the subtlety refreshing. I like bourbon, but as well usually it’s utilized as a taste cudgel in craft beers. This is a effectively -crafted lager that I loved in the blind 6 -pack ahead of I knew it had bourbon staves. 


Via: Budweiser Project 12: The Final Offerings

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Acquired Taste Learn To Love Cilantro


There are some things, it seems, the People (you know, with a capital P) will never agree upon. Bowties: Charming accessory for the well-dressed man, or cheesy hipster attire? Al Gore: Environmental activist and former vice-president, or shape-shifting reptilian humanoid? Cilantro: Magical flavor enhancer, or soapy-tasting, gag-inducing destroyer of tacos, bahn mi, and all other potentially delicious dishes?

If you're firmly rooted in the latter camp (on the cilantro front, that is), it's time to give the humble leaf of the coriander plant another shot. I know, I know, if you're a full-fledged cilantro-hater you'd probably rather be run down by a passing Mack truck than down a dish of the stuff, but trust me on this one—it can actually be kind of … well, delicious.

The explanation is all in the chemistry. Those offensive soapy flavors are produced by substances called aldehydes, explains Harold McGee, and research suggests that crushing the leaves—like, say, in a pesto?—allows enzymes to work their magic and make those retch-inducing aldehydes less pungent.

I was willing to give it a shot. I pick cilantro out of sandwiches and salads, avoid cilantro-packed guacamole, and slurp around it in pho—in other words, I'm a tried-and-true cilantro-phobe. But this cilantro pesto from Jeffrey Saad? I'd eat it by the spoonful. The olive oil and the cotija temper the strength of the cilantro, the pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch, and slathered on a hot ear of corn, it may just be the perfect summer meal—even for a cilantro-hater.

My intrepid bunch of taste testers repurposed the stuff to top pulled pork and found it to be a winner. If you don’t have good sweet corn, use it to punch up your carnitas, spoon it over shrimp skewers, or spread it on tilapia with a squeeze of lime. Or (because why the hell not?) just grab a spoon.

Grilled Corn with Cilantro Pesto
Recipe by Jeffrey Saad, chef and host of United Tastes of America

What you’ll need:
8 ears corn
2 cups cilantro, washed, large stems removed
¾ cup canola oil, plus ½ Tbsp
½ cup cotija cheese, grated, plus more for topping
2 tsp garlic, chopped
¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 tsp chile powder
¼ tsp kosher salt

How to make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Toss the pumpkin seeds, ½ Tbsp canola oil, chile powder, and salt in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and roast for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In a food processor, combine the cilantro, canola oil, roasted pumpkin seeds, cotija cheese, and garlic. Pulse until evenly combined but still chunky. Add salt to taste.
3. Peel the corn and place on a hot grill. Cook for ten minutes, turning every two minutes to ensure even cooking.
4. Using a pastry brush, liberally slather pesto on each ear of corn. Top with additional cotija. Serves 8. 


Via: Acquired Taste Learn To Love Cilantro

Eat Wild Plants With Songwriter Sean Rowe


In the event of an apocalypse, you're going to wish you had a friend like Sean Rowe. He's the kind of man who could survive in the wilderness with nothing but a pocketknife. In fact he did once; he lived in the woods for more than three weeks, trapping and foraging all the food he needed to survive.

Even in his daily life, Rowe looks to nature to find food. Not for all of it, of course; foraging and trapping are quite laborious. And Rowe has other things to think about—namely the release of his latest album, The Salesman and The Shark. It's a haunting collection of songs with all the introspection you’d expect from a man capable of living weeks alone in the forest, and Rowe delivers it in a voice deep enough to rattle windowpanes.

Recently Rowe invited us along with him on a foraging mission, and the video here documents the music and food behind the singer.

Feeling inspired? If so, there are a few things to consider before you set out on your own survival mission.

Know where to find food
"Most people think you need a thick forest to forage," says Rowe. "But actually that can be very challenging." The reason: The forest is dense and hard to navigate, and at its center, it's not particularly diverse. "You're far better looking along the periphery between two ecosystems," he says. Where a wetland meets a prairie is a good place, or—more common in urban environments—where a wooded area meets a mowed field.

Study your plants
Trial and error is perfect for ironing out recipes in your kitchen, but in nature, it’s a different game. (Watch Into the Wild if you’re not convinced.) Start by learning a couple safe plants indigenous to your area, and every time you go out, try to recognize one or two new ones. To get you started, Rowe recommends The Forager’s Harvest, Stalking the Wild Asparagus, and Edible Wild Plants.

Remember the tricks of the kitchen
Just because you’re foraging doesn’t mean you have to eat like a primate. Take a couple hours to collect what you can, and then bring it back to the kitchen to prep. Lambsquarter is similar to spinach, so you might sauté it with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Wood sorrel looks about like clover but delivers a big punch of sweet citrus. Try tossing it with store-bought mixed greens for a more flavorful salad. And for a refreshing summer beverage, try the sumac tea below. Difficult as it is to find in stores, sumac is abundant in nature (just beware its poisonous copycat—sometimes its best to venture out with an experienced forager first to teach you identification), and, Rowe notes, the bright red clusters are loaded with vitamin C. Consider it your natural elixir.

Sumac Tea
Recipe from Sean Rowe

What you’ll need:
5 sumac clusters
1 gallon cold water
Maple syrup

How to make it:
Scrape the berries from the clusters and into the water. Press with your hands or the back of a spoon to bruise lightly. Let set for 1 to 4 hours and sweeten to taste with maple syrup. Yields approximately 10 12-oz servings.

 


Via: Eat Wild Plants With Songwriter Sean Rowe

Mix A Whole Grain Entree Worthy Of Dinner


A few months back I contacted cookbook virtuoso Bruce Weinstein to help me create a vegetarian burger that didn't suck. He delivered. It turns out Bruce had been thinking a lot about vegetarian burgers—more specifically, about the many ways to utilize the robustness of whole grains. In fact, as I reached out, he was just finishing a new cookbook called Grain Mains: 101 Surprising and Satisfying Whole Grain Recipes for Every Meal of the Day. What luck.

Grain Mains just hit bookstores, so I decided to take it for a test drive. My first foray into Bruce's world of whole grains did not disappoint. The recipe calls in sweet peppers and dates for a sweet balance to the black barley's robust nuttiness, and the roasted almonds and smoked paprika lend a warm, toasty finish.

If you don't already cook with whole grains, you should start. Unlike insipid refined grains, whole grains retain the bran and germ, making them robust enough to make substantial meals from vegetarian entrées. This black barley recipe works well as a side, but it's filling enough to sub in as a main dish. And if you can't fathom a meal without meat, just add chicken or some crumbled feta. The grains will understand.

Spanish-Inspired Black Barley Salad with Chickpeas, Dates, and Toasted Almonds
Recipe by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

What you'll need:
1 cup barley (black barley is best for this, but regular barley will work)
2/3 cup almonds
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
6 large Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:
1. Prepare barley by soaking it in cool water for 8 to 16 hours. Drain the water and cover the soaked barley with a few inches of fresh water. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. (Note: the barley package might provide a quicker recipe. Follow that if you'd like, but this method will result in a softer, chewier grain.)

2. Heat a pan over medium-low and add almonds. Toast until brown and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Once cool, chop roughly into bite-size pieces.

3. Mix the black barley, chopped almonds, chickpeas, roasted peppers, dates, and garlic.

4. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Makes 6 servings. 


Via: Mix A Whole Grain Entree Worthy Of Dinner