The Summer Pale Ale is in the bottle ...

Yes, my first batch of summer beer is officially in the bottle:  Summer Pale Ale

After my stuck fermentation this past winter, due to cold temperatures in my home this past December and January, I decided I should wait a little while before brewing again.  The temperatures are staying above freezing, for the most part, spring is in full force, and I am writing an article about homebrewing, so there seems no better time than now to start brewing beer for the summer.

For those that are new to the brewing process, you must have other beer ready and standing by as you begin the brew process.  The beer you are starting will not be ready for consumption for nearly a month.  You will need beer ready to drink during the brewing process, while you wait anxiously, and very important after you bottle (during bottling is not such a good idea - remember you will be focused on sterilization and multitasking).  

I'm starting the summer with a crisp and light (in color that is - not flavor) beer in the style of an India Pale Ale.  I use a combination of grains at different toast percentages to create my recipe "mash".  This year's Summer Ale is a combination of Munich, Victory, Crystal, and American 2-row malts.  My blend of hops will be Cascade and Columbus.  The resulting beer should be a nice IPA ready about the second week of June.

I prepared the mash and processed the grains to ready them for fermentation on May 12th.  It takes about 14 days for the fermentation process to conclude before the beer is ready to bottle.  Due to space constraints, I brew one gallon at a time.  That's a little less than a 12-pack.  I can get six 500ml bottles filled from a batch. 

I use the bubble airlock, like the one shown in the photo (right) and then switch to a tube release system as the fermentation slows.  

Once the fermentation is complete, I siphon the beer into a pot and add a little honey to wake-up the yeast.  This is what gives beer it's "head" or frothy foam when poured.  While the purpose of the head is a point of many discussions amongst beer drinkers and brewers, regardless of your position it just seems right that a beer have a some frothy foam on top.  I personally feel that it gives you access to aromas of the beer's components that aren't as accessible to our senses in the liquid portion of the beer itself.  

Once the honey is blended, the beer is immediately siphoned into the amber bottles. I like to use a Grolsch style closure for the bottles.  I find them easier to use than the more commonly seen crown caps, plus it adds a little something special to my hand-crafted beer.

I'm thinking of something special, a meal that is, to celebrate the opening of the first bottles in June.  I'll keep you posted!

Cinco de Mayo ...

Most of us know that Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for the 5th of May; however, there is must speculation as to why and where it is celebrated.  This uniquely American celebration has its roots in Mexican Americans living in Southern California, Arizona and Texas.  It initially spread up the West coast into Oregon and even Washington State.

So now that we know what it is and where it originated, what is the celebration in honor of? The 5th of May celebrates the French defeat by Mexico at the same time the United States was starting into the Civil War.  The celebration is a mix of honoring the victory of Mexico against a perceived oppressor and showing support for the Union and an end to slavery in the US.  Another fun fact is that the most avocados consumed in the US are on Cinco de Mayo and Superbowl Weekend (“Superbowl” is the registered trademark of the National Football League – have to stay legal).

So in honor of the defeat of Napoleon III I am celebrating Cinco de Mayo with some local friends.  Taking a more traditional approach to the menu we made savory and sweet tamales.  A salsa verde and salsa roja (that's a roasted salsa rojo), and no Cinco de Mayo wouldn't be complete without guacamole.   There were two versions, one with crickets for the adventurous and one without.

Appetizers: Guacamole, Tomatillo based Salsa Verde, Roasted Tomato based Salsa Roja. (Left)

Main Course: Savory Tamales: Pork tamales with a chili gravy, garnished with queso fresco and cilantro.  Served over a bed of Mexican style rice. (Right)

Dessert: Sweet Corn Tamales: Masa based tamales with sweet corn, cream, and a little sugar finished with local honey for a tasty and different dessert. (Left)

Beverages: The evening was all about Beer and Margaritas, need I say any more.  This was not a wine night, unless you are talking about Mescal wine distilled into something special; something that if it was made only from the Blue Agave we would call Tequila.

Wine Suggestions -
Just go for it and enjoy a good Mexican light or dark beer, maybe a cold salted Margarita, and finish the night with some good Tequila.  Save the wine for another night.

For my complete recipes click on the links below:
Guacamole            Salsa Verde            Salsa Roja           Pork Tamales           Sweet Corn Tamales

Meritage

Check out this month's Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living Magazine for a great article on Meritage wine.
Page 206-207 http//spokanecda.com   Thank you Arbor Crest Wine Cellars for your assistance with my research.

Tequila: Vino Mezcal

In the spirit of May and the upcoming celebration of Cino de Mayo I thought it would be a good time to talk a little about the other wine - vino mezcal.   Originating in Mexico, it is believed that the original mezcal (or mescal) wines were produced by the Aztecs for ceremonial purposes into a drink that is still around today called pulque.  The refinement of pulque into what many call tequila has its origins with the Spanish exploration of Mexico in the 1500's.  Once they ran out of brandy they needed to find a substitute and pulque was it.

Named for the City of Tequila, Mexico, today there are strict regulations on what can be called tequila, much the same way wine is subject to certain regulations if you say it from a certain region or use a varietal name on the label.  So let's start with the basics and work our way up to defining tequila.

All tequila is mezcal, but all mezcal is not tequila.  Mezcal is made from the piña, or heart (and sometimes called a pineapple), of the agave plant.  It looks very much like a giant yucca plant (see photo below) and similar to aloe plants. Native to Mexico and the  Southern United States, they grow wild and are cultivated for their sap and other edible parts.  The sap when harvested at the base of the budding flower becomes Agave nectar, a great cane sugar substitute used similar to honey in food preparations. It is this sap and starches in the plant that are processed to become our mezcal.  It's been claimed that if you heat mezcal to more than 1400° F you get tiny diamonds.

Back to making mezcal.  The agave takes about 8-12 years to fully develop to a point where the piña is large and mature enough to harvest.  The leaves are sheared off at the heart in a process called "jima" by a person called a "jimador".  Once the leaves are removed the heart is sheared off from the roots at ground level using a "coa de jima".  What that all means is a worker using a very sharp spade-like hoe chops the leaves off and cuts off the heart, which weights anywhere from 60-200 lbs.

Warning: Don't try this at home.  The sap of some agave is a skin irritant causing a rash that can last for weeks and re-occur for years.  Also the ends of the leaves have points like a needle that can puncture the skin and cause problems. 

The harvested piña are transported to the distillery where they are cut in halves or quarters, depending on size.  They are placed in a hornos, or oven (today most facilities use the equivalent of an autoclave) to roast for 20-30 hours.  This process helps to break-down the plant's starches so they can be converted to sugars and extracted.  Once fully roasted, the hearts are removed, passed through a shredder and sprayed with water to fully extract as much sugar as possible. The resulting liquid is called "aqua miel" or honey water, which is collected in a large fermentation tank.  Yeast is added or allowed to naturally occur, much like making wine. In fact, once this stage is complete - fermented to about 5% alcohol, you have mezcal wine.  If the end product is to be 100% agave, then the juice alone is fermented.  If the product is a "mixto" which means it's at least 51% agave and the rest is made up from cane or other sugar, they must be added to the miel before fermentation begins.

The mezcal wine is then at a minimum twice distilled similar to other spirits, such a vodka.  The end result is a blanco or plata.  The styles of mezcal are as follows:

          Blanco (white) or Plata (silver) - un-aged, bottled immediately after distillation

          Reposado (rested) - aged at least two months, but less than a year in oak barrels

          Joven (young) or Oro (gold) - a blend of part blanco and part reposado 

          Añejo (aged) - aged at least 1 year, but less than 3 years in standard size oak barrels

          Extra-Añejo (extra aged) - aged at least 3 years in standard size oak barrels

So at this point don't we have tequila? The answer is maybe. Tequila has two requirements: 1.) the agave plant used to make the mezcal must be Agave Tequilana also called Agave Azul, which you may know as Blue Agave; 2.) it must have been grown  in the Mexican state of Jalisco or specified regions of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.  You may be surprised to know that much of the tequila sold in the US is actually bottled in the US. The spirit is shipped in barrels, tankers, and rail cars to bottling facilities.  You can find authentic tequila by looking for the NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) followed by 3 numbers - four letters - and year.

Whether you ware making margaritas, a tequila sunrise, or straight up neat you now know what it take to bring this amazing distilled spirit to the party.  Many have a love - hate relationship with this beverage, but whether it's tequila or  mezcal, the end result is going to interesting.   As for me, I like a rustic mezcal from Oaxaca con gusano, that's with the worm.

Cooking with friends, school is in session...

Today I have a few friends joining me in the kitchen who want to learn a little about creating a multi-course dining experience.  Our focus is on creating small bites with a medium entrée and decadent dessert.  This should be interesting as I am in my law school friend’s apartment kitchen in the Pacific Northwest; space is at a premium for one and we will be three.  The goal is for everyone to make an appetizer and we will all work together on the entrée.

My menu plan was to start out with three light bites, but with bold flavors that prepare us for a powerful main course.  We started the meal with a beautiful cucumber canapé.  English cucumber sliced on the bias with a lobster salad placed delicately on top.  Next came another canapé, but this time on little pieces of toast we cut from the bread we made (using our basic bread base) topped with Brie, honey and a berry reduction.  Our final light bite was also a canapé, this time using mozzarella, eggplant and a balsamic reduction.  All three were amazing!

The one ingredient I couldn’t find on short notice was honey with real honey comb, so if anyone out there has a friend with bee hives let me know.  I like the texture and the presentation of the honey comb on top of the Brie. I also think a homemade cracker would pair nicely if you don’t want to use toast.

Now for the main course, the idea here is to create a steak and lobster dinner that is presented in a more modern style.  The basic flavors and cooking methods for all of the items was the same, this dish is all about the presentation and I think they did a great job.   The plate is dressed with an incredible port wine reduction, followed by mashed potatoes upon which the steak medallions are placed and finished with a two portions of diced lobster.

We concluded with meal with my rich, dense, and moist brownie prepared in four inch rounds.  Peanuts and cashews were added for a nice flavor and texture addition.  And you can’t have a brownie without vanilla ice cream.

Lobster Canapé:  English cucumber partially peeled and sliced on the bias, lobster, jalapeño, mango, red onion with a cilantro garnish. (Left)

Brie Canapé: Toast round, Brie cheese, honey (or honey comb), berry reduction and garnished with mint chiffonade. (Right)

Eggplant Canapé: Toast round, mozzarella cheese, broiled eggplant, tomatoes, finished with balsamic reduction and parsley garnish. (Left)

Steak and Lobster: Butter poached lobster; filet mignon medallions over mash potatoes finished with a port wine reduction sauce.  I would plan on one medallion per plate rather than the two shown. (Right)




Dessert: The cashew and peanut brownie was prepared using four inch spring pans to create an individual dessert portion and uniformity in the presentation. This is a dense moist dark chocolate creation that can also be prepared in a traditional baking pan.  Served with vanilla ice cream and is it okay to garnish it with a little mint, but I prefer some chopped nuts.

Beverages: The appetizer courses needed a wine that would hold up to the cheeses, pair well with the earthiness of the eggplant, and not over-power the lobster.  The choice was a bright lees aged New Zealand Chardonnay from Stone Bridge.  David Hart and his wife are producing a bright but complex Chardonnay that is barrel aged on the lees (that's the yeast) creating a wonderful full -bodied white wine; perfect for our unique progression of appetizers.  This wine could have been carried over to our main-course, but I had a special wine already in mind.  After reviewing Arbor Crest's Dionysus Meritage earlier this week and in celebration my recent publication, it was only appropriate to share this Washington treasure.  For dessert we went with a Heitz Cellar Ink Grade Port; a perfect ending to a good meal with great company.

Wine Suggestions -
Appetizers: Any medium to full-bodied white that is fermented dry (meaning there is no residual sugar left) would pair well.  A Viognier, Pinot Gris/Grigio, or Meritage would be nice.  A Sauvignon Blanc or other high acid and minerally wines may taste bitter when paired with these items.  If you want to go red, pick a medium bodied wine that is on the lighter side of 12.5% alcohol, but still fermented dry.  No heavy tannins, overly oak, or bold wines should be selected; think for fruit forward light and jammy. A Gamy, or a youthful Malbec could work.
Entrée: Pairing to the steak with lobster is really dictated by the port reduction sauce, which also contains Red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon based).  The rule is to follow the sauce, then the main protein, so in this case the ideal wine would be a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine - our selection was the Meritage.  Other reds that would pair well would be a Carmenère from Chile.  Traditional reds such as Merlot, Syrah, or a Tempranillo would also complement the meal nicely.
Dessert: The rich chocolate comes to life with a Port, as we did tonight, but also other traditional dessert style wines can be enjoyed. Sauternes' wines of Bordeaux France would be a treat; Ice Wine/Eiswein, Late harvest Riesling or Gewürztraminer would also pair well.

For my complete recipes click on the links below:
Lobster Canapé            Brie Canapé             Eggplant Canapé        Filet Mignon
Mashed Potatoes          Wine Reduction Sauce

A fitting offering to it's Greek God namesake ...

Arbor Crest Wine Cellars: 2009 Dionysus Meritage Red Wine    
Columbia Valley          70% Cabernet Sauvignon        13.8% Alcohol

I discovered this beautifully blended wine while doing a little research for my article on Meritage wines in Washington.  Arbor Crest was started in 1982. The winery is rich in family history and a continued passion for creating hand-crafted wines.  Kristina Mielke-van Löben Sels, the winemake and daughter of of the founders, and her husband John bring to the winery their experience in California.  Kristina was the associate winemaker at Ferrari-Carano of Sonoma.

Named for the Greek God of Wine, Dionysus, the 2009 Meritage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (15%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Malbec (4%) and Petit Verdot (1%).  The grapes are from Washington State's Columbia Valley and includes fruit harvested from the Dioynsus Block 16A which is one of the oldest vineyards in the state, as well, there is fruit from the Wahluke Slope Vineyards.  While 2009 summer was hot and dry, the cool fall provided for small balanced fruit and overall excellent growing conditions in the region.

Evaluation:
Sight - the wine is visually clear with a bright reflection, it has garnet core bleeding out to ruby red and finishing with a youthful rim indicative of the wines age.  Defined legs let you know this is a moderately viscous wine, reflective of the alcohol labeling of 13.8%, and letting us know that we should expect a full-bodied wine.
Smell - on the nose the wine is clean, fault free, and initially a little delicate, or as some may say tight.  As the wine begins to open, the predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon is evident, and the nose becomes more moderate.  Cedar gives way to dark fruit and a hint of spice indicative of some time on French Oak.  A touch of tobacco and dark brown sugar round out the experience.
Taste & Touch - the wine is full-bodied in the mouth.  The cedar gives way to cooked black-cherry and plum following the dark fruit on the nose.  The oak's spice comes through as nutmeg seemingly to soften the youthful tannins.  The wine is still a bit young, but the signs are all there that it will continue to develop over the next few years; just when you think the wine is done, the flavors try to come back and fill your mid-palate for a long finish.

Conclusions:
A beautiful example of what "Meritage" wine is all about, handcrafted wines reflective of Bordeaux yet standing on their own merit.  The initial thought is to pair the wine with meat, as I did with a filet mignon, and certainly a rich wine sauce of the same base. It can also be paired with wild game, such as elk and bison.  Paired with roasted duck would make for an elegant evening.  The wine is coming into its own and you can enjoy it now, but if you can lay it down for a few more years your diligence will be rewarded.  As for me, I always like to buy one for now and a few to cellar.  Optimally I think the wine will show its best  2016-2020.
Price: $35-$50 (retail)  $75-$100 (restaurant)

Our Moroccan feast....

A certain someone has been promising me that she would get me my very own tagine from Morocco.  In school, culinary school, I loved the historical aspect of the tagine in Moroccan cuisine.  For those who are wondering what I'm talking about, a tagine is conical shaped ceramic pot that is used for cooking in North Africa, including Morocco.  In the past people would prepare the ingredients in their tagine and leave it with the "tagine man" on the edge of town as they headed out to tend their herds.  The tagine man would create a pit for cooking vessel and add hot coals.  At the end of the day people would collect their tagine and their meal was ready to eat.  You could say it was their crock pot of the day.

Well needless to say I don't have my authentic tagine and therefore must improvise.  I use a large stock pot with a vegetable steamer insert.  The design of the tagine is to allow for moist cooking with the minimal use of water, which is a precious commodity in the desert region.  I cook the vegetables and chicken in a stock based liquid in the bottom of the pot and then steam the couscous above, which is held in cheese cloth, in the insert.  Everything cooks perfectly.

Just a little bit of additional information on couscous.  I have made my own just to do it, but don’t feel it breaks any rules to just buy it.  Couscous is pasta made essentially from the same dough you would make noodles or ravioli with.  Instead of rolling the dough out and cutting it, the dough is passed through a fine mesh strainer or tami.

So our Moroccan feast started with a pastilla (pronounced 'bastiy-ya') appetizer.  This is a phyllo dough pastry with chicken and almond filling.  The main course consisted of two types of couscous - one with lamb and one with chicken.  One vegetable dish combined yellow squash and zucchini, the other eggplant and tomatoes.  The garnish was cilantro and parsley, both very common to the cuisine of the region.  Mint is also very popular and could be used instead of these two.  To accompany the entrée we made fresh flat or sometimes called skillet bread; it’s a bread that doesn't really rise, so put your fears aside and go for it.

Pastilla:  Phyllo wrapped filling of chicken, almonds and herbs; finished with a light dusting of confectioners sugar.  One is usually enough, but everyone likes to go back for seconds, so I plan on two for everyone. (Left)

Couscous Morocco:  Lamb rubbed with cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper; Chicken rubbed with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt and pepper. 

Modern Zaalouk: Roasted eggplant seasoned with salt and cinnamon, combined with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and garnished with parsley.

Squash: Diced and seared yellow squash and zucchini, seasoned with salt and finished with parsley. (Right)

Dessert: We ended the meal with my version of M'Hanncha or snake cake.  No there are no snakes, insects, or other delicious creatures in the dessert.  This is a unique phyllo and almond dessert that presents beautifully to your dining companions.  Rather than make one large M'Hanncha, I prefer to make individual ones about 4" in diameter; really enough for two people to share by why when you can have your own.

Beverages:  The connection with this weeks wine evaluation may becoming clear now.  I wanted a nice rosé wine that mirrored the style of wines being produced in Morocco. The Bonny Doon Vineyard Grenache based Vin Gris de Cigare paired very nicely with the rich pastilla appetizer and would have carried nicely through the couscous course.  We moved from the Vin Gris to a interesting wine from Patit Creek Cellars located in Walla Walla, Washington.  Their Trinité, a Syrah and Grenache predominant blend was a nice surprise and merits its own complete evaluation in the near future.  The light earthiness paired well with the lamb and vegetables, as well, holding up to the power of the hearty seasonings.

Wine Suggestions -

Appetizer/Entrée:  The rich buttery flavor of the appetizer combined with the earthy filling makes for a unique challenge in pairing; however, when you follow the rules it opens ups several options.  I've also combined the pairing, as all of these suggestions could carry over from the appetizer to the  entrée.  Remember if you start with a red don't go back to a white - other than mix and match as you please.  A Loire Valley Chenin Blanc, any dry Sauvignon Blanc, or even a Sémillon.  On the red side, the Petit Creek Trinité, other Grenache based wines, Mourvedre, or even a more fruit forward Syrah.  Stay away from big barnyard/earthy reds as they will weight down the lighter aspects of the meal.  Also stay away from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or blends for this meal.  Use this as a chance to explore some wines that may be out of your comfort range.

Dessert: This is a buttery, sweet, nutty delight that needs a just a creative wine to match.  You could go with a Port on this one or even a sparkling wine; just go with at least a Sec (medium sweet) and feel free to pair even a Doux (very sweet) sparkling wine.  For me this meal was about history, the origins of modern cuisine, so I needed something that celebrated that history.  My choice was a Tokaji from Hungary.  Other choices include a later harvest Riesling or Ice Wine/Eiswein.

For my complete recipes click on the links below:

Pastilla         Moroccan Couscous         Modern Zaalouk        Flat Bread         M'Hanncha