Today at work I took part in a (sort of) social experiment. This morning while attempting to make my curly mess of hair look like one of the suave Mexicans I work with, I discovered that when I brush my hair straight back I look like a serial killer. Instead of styling my coiffe to the normal style, I kept the I’m-going-to-kill-you look in order to see if diner’s tipping habits are influenced by fear.
Monday night I made $125, $40 was in credit card tips.
Tonight I made $124, $40 was in credit card tips.
I guess people are used to scary goons serving them hot bowls of Spaghetti Bolognese.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Regalitos
I am a firm believer that the best gifts are edible/drinkable and don’t take up a lot of space. That being said, two of the best gifts I received this Xmas were a beer of the month club membership and a growler of a delicious American style barley wine a pint glasses from the Portsmouth Brewery.
Happy Holidays!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Xmas (or happy holidays)
Basically, we are in the middle of the big three end of the year eating holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Since my family missed out on the FriendsGiving I had, I will fry a turkey in their honor this morning. I have the bird prepped on the counter, a tasty Hefeweizen (just in case you’re interested, it’s a Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse, technically a weizenbock )in the fridge and a big ol’ pot of oil waiting for me in the back yard.
MERRY XMAS!
MERRY XMAS!
Friday, December 12, 2008
CityDusk
I’ve recently started working with a company called CityDusk doing beer and food related events. The basic idea behind CityDusk is to put on interesting events in and around Manhattan with a common theme. Since am a self-anointed beer and food guy I am focusing on these finer points of life.
The first event is a down home, chill out sort of deal. In the future we will be doing some exclusive stuff regarding various breweries, including tastings, dinners and pairings, but for now, I’m just going for a good time.
The event is focused on Beer, Bowling and Pizza and is guaranteed to be a rollicking good time. Ten-Pin destruction and fine craft beers—is there anything more you need?
Check out the CityDusk site for complete information.
The first event is a down home, chill out sort of deal. In the future we will be doing some exclusive stuff regarding various breweries, including tastings, dinners and pairings, but for now, I’m just going for a good time.
The event is focused on Beer, Bowling and Pizza and is guaranteed to be a rollicking good time. Ten-Pin destruction and fine craft beers—is there anything more you need?
Check out the CityDusk site for complete information.
Space Beer Has Landed!
“Will fermentation work the same in weightlessness? What happens to carbonation when there's no buoyancy to bring the bubbles to the top? Can space beer form a proper head? Scientists who study the physics of gas-liquid mixtures would love to know!”
There are few questions that keep me awake at night more than “Can space beer form a proper head?” I often lie awake pondering the ability of a beverage brewed in the Milky Way to produce a voluminous, frothy cap of foam. If I ever got the chance to orbit the planet, you can rest assured that a tasty brew will be the first thing I am concerned about after dusting Mars for signs of human life.
All kidding aside, Space Beer has been a curiosity for a few years now. An article posted by NASA in 2001 describes the efforts of Kirsten Sterrett, a University of Colorado student and former Coors employee, who set to discover if brewing in space was possible. Backed by BioServe and the Coors Brewing Company, Sterrett produced 1-mL of Space Beer. The basic conclusion of the beer was that the space beer produced less live cells—the work of the yeast—than beer brewed back on Earth. Very interesting results, but I find the recent experiments by the Russian Academy of Science, the Okayama University in Japan and the Sapporo brewery much more interesting:
In May of 2008, Sapporo took barley grains that were being cultivated in space to brew beer. The barley was part of an ongoing experiment aboard the International Space Station to see if cultivating edible plants in outer space was possible. Whether or not the cabbage and other produce aboard the ISS tasted good is beside the point; Sapporo has officially completed 100 liters of their Space Beer!
Although the beer probably won’t find its way to your local super market, 30 lucky Japanese folks will get to try the brew. This really is one giant leap for mankind.
There are few questions that keep me awake at night more than “Can space beer form a proper head?” I often lie awake pondering the ability of a beverage brewed in the Milky Way to produce a voluminous, frothy cap of foam. If I ever got the chance to orbit the planet, you can rest assured that a tasty brew will be the first thing I am concerned about after dusting Mars for signs of human life.
All kidding aside, Space Beer has been a curiosity for a few years now. An article posted by NASA in 2001 describes the efforts of Kirsten Sterrett, a University of Colorado student and former Coors employee, who set to discover if brewing in space was possible. Backed by BioServe and the Coors Brewing Company, Sterrett produced 1-mL of Space Beer. The basic conclusion of the beer was that the space beer produced less live cells—the work of the yeast—than beer brewed back on Earth. Very interesting results, but I find the recent experiments by the Russian Academy of Science, the Okayama University in Japan and the Sapporo brewery much more interesting:
In May of 2008, Sapporo took barley grains that were being cultivated in space to brew beer. The barley was part of an ongoing experiment aboard the International Space Station to see if cultivating edible plants in outer space was possible. Whether or not the cabbage and other produce aboard the ISS tasted good is beside the point; Sapporo has officially completed 100 liters of their Space Beer!
Although the beer probably won’t find its way to your local super market, 30 lucky Japanese folks will get to try the brew. This really is one giant leap for mankind.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Brooklyn Beer Dinner
North Meets South: Brooklyn Beers, Latin Cuisine
Last Thursday I made my way to a small Brooklyn restaurant called Palo Santo. Beer lovers would recognize this as the aromatic, South American hardwood used by Sam Calagione for Dogfish Head’s Palo Santo Marron. In Brooklyn, New York, however, Palo Santo is a hidden culinary gem whose compact menu is dependent on what’s available at the market and is fittingly described as “eclectic-Latino”. Jacques Gautier, the Haitian chef, was celebrating his 30th birthday that night while located in the back room a puffy shirted Argentinean guitarist gave classic Beatles tunes a flamenco treatment. Despite all of this, the reason I ventured to Park Slope was for a beer dinner held by Brooklyn Brewery’s Garret Oliver.
Over the past fifteen years Mister Oliver has become a world-class authority on food and beer pairing while attempting to bring beer the same culinary respect as wine. As I arrived at seven o’clock, the brewer was hunched over the main bar, scribbling some notes and chatting with the chef about a few of the dishes. I gawked as I was escorted to my seat and poured a pale, frothy glass of Brooklyn Weisse. After catching up and clinking glasses with my friends, my eyes fell upon the small menu positioned in front of me.
My mother’s family is Puerto Rican, so I grew up with Caribbean and Latin tinged food. None of my grandmother’s simple dishes prepared for the onslaught of flavors I was about to sample: Braised Rabbit with Lemon and purple potatoes to compliment the Weisse; an IPA to ease the spice of a curried duck with coconut milk and mustard greens; vanilla ice cream in a pork reduction with lard cookies and Black Chocolate Stout.
The fine folks at Brooklyn Brewery have always been very helpful about pairing their beers with food. Their website is full of tips and recipes and Mr. Oliver wrote a book dedicated to the art of creating the perfect meal with a harmonious marriage of drink and food. Despite all of this, I was not prepared for the avalanche of flavors that were about to engulf me.
Conejo en Escabeche was the first course. Literally translated as Rabbit in Brine, the gamey taste of the meat was offset by the tart lemons. I’ve eaten rabbit many times and the classic Spanish dish of mejilones en escabeche was as familiar to me as the banana-tinged taste of Brooklyner Weisse. When combined, however, the brisk, bouncy tang of the beer played with the acidic lemon in the dish and really highlighted the dark, earthy flavors of the rabbit and potatoes. These taste bud enlightening moments only intensified as the evening went on and I learned about the beauty of a finely matched meal and beverage.
My favorite plate was Duck Buss-Up-Shut paired with East Indian Pale Ale. Although IPA’s are not my first pick for a drink, their compatibility with spicy food is undeniable and the Duck buss-up-Shut was the perfect foil for this beer. Crispy skin acted as the first layer of a symphonic display of flavors. The crunchy exterior led to a thin layer of gooey, savory fat before leading to the dark and juicy meat. A small mound of mustard greens contrasted the textures while a pool of spicy curry sauce enveloped the entire package in heat. The spice was intense, but not enough to detract from the flavors. Also, the East Indian Pale Ale—a beer more in tune with its English ancestors than its modern, American counterparts—was able to match each step, extinguishing the fire and fat while letting the flavors shine through. I could have eaten this meal forever, and you couldn’t imagine how both the beer and the food merged to create an entirely new flavor profile when experienced together.
Garret Oliver is an interesting and passionate individual. As he lamented on the fact that 10% of the beer produced in the early 1900’s came from Brooklyn and over 1400 independent breweries existed, he spoke optimistically about the emergence of fine foods and beers in this country.
The beers that Mr. Oliver brews are like the man himself, luxurious but down to earth, opulent but manageable. Brooklyn brewery aspires to pair its beers with lobster, quail, caviar and other big dollar meals but it never loses sight that nothing goes better with a smooth lager than a juicy hamburger. He, like his beers, marries old fashion dependability with flair. You can drink a Brooklyn in the finest restaurants in New York City just as easily as the cheapest dive bar. Fortunately for the beer enthusiast, both white cloth cuisine and deep fried tavern fare will benefit from a well-matched brew.
A bit of Dark Matter and some beer braised short ribs.
Both photos courtesy of Graham Kates
Last Thursday I made my way to a small Brooklyn restaurant called Palo Santo. Beer lovers would recognize this as the aromatic, South American hardwood used by Sam Calagione for Dogfish Head’s Palo Santo Marron. In Brooklyn, New York, however, Palo Santo is a hidden culinary gem whose compact menu is dependent on what’s available at the market and is fittingly described as “eclectic-Latino”. Jacques Gautier, the Haitian chef, was celebrating his 30th birthday that night while located in the back room a puffy shirted Argentinean guitarist gave classic Beatles tunes a flamenco treatment. Despite all of this, the reason I ventured to Park Slope was for a beer dinner held by Brooklyn Brewery’s Garret Oliver.
Over the past fifteen years Mister Oliver has become a world-class authority on food and beer pairing while attempting to bring beer the same culinary respect as wine. As I arrived at seven o’clock, the brewer was hunched over the main bar, scribbling some notes and chatting with the chef about a few of the dishes. I gawked as I was escorted to my seat and poured a pale, frothy glass of Brooklyn Weisse. After catching up and clinking glasses with my friends, my eyes fell upon the small menu positioned in front of me.
My mother’s family is Puerto Rican, so I grew up with Caribbean and Latin tinged food. None of my grandmother’s simple dishes prepared for the onslaught of flavors I was about to sample: Braised Rabbit with Lemon and purple potatoes to compliment the Weisse; an IPA to ease the spice of a curried duck with coconut milk and mustard greens; vanilla ice cream in a pork reduction with lard cookies and Black Chocolate Stout.
The fine folks at Brooklyn Brewery have always been very helpful about pairing their beers with food. Their website is full of tips and recipes and Mr. Oliver wrote a book dedicated to the art of creating the perfect meal with a harmonious marriage of drink and food. Despite all of this, I was not prepared for the avalanche of flavors that were about to engulf me.
Conejo en Escabeche was the first course. Literally translated as Rabbit in Brine, the gamey taste of the meat was offset by the tart lemons. I’ve eaten rabbit many times and the classic Spanish dish of mejilones en escabeche was as familiar to me as the banana-tinged taste of Brooklyner Weisse. When combined, however, the brisk, bouncy tang of the beer played with the acidic lemon in the dish and really highlighted the dark, earthy flavors of the rabbit and potatoes. These taste bud enlightening moments only intensified as the evening went on and I learned about the beauty of a finely matched meal and beverage.
My favorite plate was Duck Buss-Up-Shut paired with East Indian Pale Ale. Although IPA’s are not my first pick for a drink, their compatibility with spicy food is undeniable and the Duck buss-up-Shut was the perfect foil for this beer. Crispy skin acted as the first layer of a symphonic display of flavors. The crunchy exterior led to a thin layer of gooey, savory fat before leading to the dark and juicy meat. A small mound of mustard greens contrasted the textures while a pool of spicy curry sauce enveloped the entire package in heat. The spice was intense, but not enough to detract from the flavors. Also, the East Indian Pale Ale—a beer more in tune with its English ancestors than its modern, American counterparts—was able to match each step, extinguishing the fire and fat while letting the flavors shine through. I could have eaten this meal forever, and you couldn’t imagine how both the beer and the food merged to create an entirely new flavor profile when experienced together.
Garret Oliver is an interesting and passionate individual. As he lamented on the fact that 10% of the beer produced in the early 1900’s came from Brooklyn and over 1400 independent breweries existed, he spoke optimistically about the emergence of fine foods and beers in this country.
The beers that Mr. Oliver brews are like the man himself, luxurious but down to earth, opulent but manageable. Brooklyn brewery aspires to pair its beers with lobster, quail, caviar and other big dollar meals but it never loses sight that nothing goes better with a smooth lager than a juicy hamburger. He, like his beers, marries old fashion dependability with flair. You can drink a Brooklyn in the finest restaurants in New York City just as easily as the cheapest dive bar. Fortunately for the beer enthusiast, both white cloth cuisine and deep fried tavern fare will benefit from a well-matched brew.
A bit of Dark Matter and some beer braised short ribs.Both photos courtesy of Graham Kates
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