TongoRad

A place I go to does a really nice presentation that turns out to be pretty functional as well. They mound the arugula (dressed with a bit if olive oil) in the center of the plate and then lay the sliced beef on top of that. It gives the plate some height, but more importantly the beef doesn't stick to the plate- I've had the dish in a number of places where I have had that exact problem and it is a bit of a pain to eat. This particular version is dressed with a bunch of shaved parmesan on top, and capers and chopped red onion are scattered about the perimeter. I have made carpaccio at home before and the trick I used to get nice thin slices was to make sure the beef was partially frozen beforehand. Maybe the method of searing is to allow the beef to 'set up' for the slicer?

Milagai posted about a carrot salad called kosumalli on the Carrots thread. I think that would be a killer side dish, and pretty easy to get to the park without bad things happening to it. The raita variations would be great, too. Sorta necessary, actually. I really love bhel puri (kind of like rice krispies with onions, chiles, cilantro, tomatoes and a tamarind/date dressing), but it has to be consumed immediately or it loses the crispy quality. Logistics could be a problem, but it could turn a few heads if done right. If you want to do hot sides I think that either shredded cabbage with peas or even aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower) would go over well with a diverse group.

Miscommunication there- sorry. I meant in my immediate future- this batch and the next are definitely draft beers. I have about 6 kegs and plan on using them. You pretty much layed out the drawback of kegging, which isn't that big of a deal in the long run. I think I'd bottle if I was doing a beer that I wanted to condition for a long time, but I don't really see doing that for a while.

"Brain, brain! What is brain?!!" Actually I think I see some tentacles at 2:00 as well- maybe it's something that would've eaten Pittsburgh if given a chance. Looks like eJulia did us all a service there by cooking it

I am now seeing that the dry yeast may be the best thing for my schedule- for a beer with the liquid yeast that I am using this time around I will have to plan 2 or 3 days in advance, which sort of took this week out of the running since my stuff is not ready for tonight and Fri/Sat/Sun don't work for me. If I was using dry yeast I may have been able to push it for today (Thurs). I am not married to the US-56- I can also get those others- but I would like to have another beer ready for a June party and I am considering making a SN Celebration type beer, so that yeast would be perfect for that. mtigges- it sounds like you really are in homebrewing heaven! Maybe you should get a beer engine next (I always wanted one of those myself...) I found that both kegging and bottling have their drawbacks and advantages, but kegging is definitely in my future this time around.

I didn't know there was a Fairway in Fort Lee- that's great to know. A lot of those Specialty Items can be gotten there (if it's anything like the one on Long Island). Jerry's in Englewood used to be really good for Cheese, though I haven't been in a few years. Also add Kinara in Edgewater to the Indian list. I noticed a small storefront place next to Migdalia's in Bergenfield the last time I was at Mi Pueblo but haven't tried it yet. Anybody have any impressions? But it's all about the crust and the char. I think the roasted red pepper pie is the best thing to get there because the peppers almost melt into the sauce with all of that heat, solving the no-flavor problem Other than that put me down for a big "what he said".

There will always be issues with lists like this, some of which have already been pointed out, but I can't really say I have much of a problem with this one (this quote stuck out like a sore thumb, though: "Young’s is one of England’s most respected breweries and this sweet, creamy, dark, fruity stout shows why. " emphasis mine). In the end you just have to look at it from the point of view of "are these all good recommendations" rather than "are these the best recommendations", and I'd say that for the most part they are. Like Chris said above, this list is meant for a different audience and, with a few exceptions, perhaps, the selections are readily available. The thing that struck me was the similarity of a number of recs; with only 20 slots available do we really need to see Franziskaner, Paulaner Hefe, and Schneider? SNPA and Liberty? Paulaner and Spaten Helles? I enjoy all of these beers but jeez, sometimes you just gotta pick one...

There are two types of Tulip glasses: The one on the left is probably what you are describing, a Belgian Tulip Glass. The one on the right is the UK version, and what Google will give you loads of if you just search for a 'Tulip beer glass'. I Googled for 'Belgian beer glassware tulip' and got this page that has a few (scroll down to the bottom for the Jopen Tulip Glass, though there are a few more on that page that will also suffice). I'm afraid I can't help with the 'unbranded' part, if that matters to you. If you find some cheap ones please post back because I'd like to get a few more (those two glasses above are the ones I use the most.)

That B-Brite definitely did a great job on everything but the hoses, which I sort of expected but thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I was on the Island this afternoon so I got some replacement hoses at Kedco. Tonight I will clean up the wort chiller pictured here: That is a simple immersion style copper chiller. It's actually a lot cleaner than I had any right to expect it to be. All it will really need is a surface cleaning to get rid of any dust and maybe some of the oxidation. The chiller is sanitized with heat by putting it in the boiling wort for the final 15 minutes, so I don't have to do anything like that now. I was speaking with Ken at Kedco today and he may have pushed me in the direction of using some of the newer dry yeasts (like Safale US-56) for the next batch, but I may be getting ahead of myself there. Let's get this one under way first! Just a few more days and I'll get to making the starter and it's off to the races...I promise

The last couple of times we bought shrimp at the supermarket they were deveined but not peeled. I'd imagine that they were done with a similar device (though I don't much see the point of actually buying one for use in the home). They did have a nice clean cut, and were not brutally mangled like I've seen done with those cheapo deveiners, fwiw.

Cleaning the gunk off of stuff, first installment: Here are the things that I will need to get the beer into the secondary: From left to right- 1/2 gallon growler jug for starter, airlock pieces, siphon hoses, racking cane, siphon spigot, siphon starter, and 5 lbs. of B-Brite cleaner (I happened to have that in one of my boxes- yea!). In the back is an old fermenting bucket that I use for cleaning. The bucket will be filled with B-Brite solution and all of this stuff will sit in it overnight, and then rinsed the next day. This stuff does wonders, so I am sure that this is all I have to do with these items. This is the initial cleaning, mind you- it will all be sanitized with iodophor prior to actually being used. Here is a closeup of the siphon starter: This is used to get the cooled wort from the kettle to the fermenter. You plunge the top part down to start the siphon, and the bottom basket is there to theoretically strain out the hops (when there are lots of hops it seems to get clogged up midway through, but it's still not a bad little device). And here are boxes of other things, one of which will come into play when I work on the kegs: My CO2 tank is filled, so I'm good to go on that front as well.

I usually just wrap it all in a foil packet, seasoned, and cook it along with my ribs whether they be on the grill or in the oven (2+ hours at 275F). When it's done you can let it all cool a bit and then separate the meat from the cartilage and whatnot for sandwiches- just add sauce if you like (bottled chipotle sauce works for me) and top it all with some coleslaw. It makes for a good next-day lunch.

I found myself on Long Island around lunchtime again today, and no trip that puts you close to the Nassau/Suffolk border (I came from Farmingdale- that's not too far, is it?) is complete without a stop in Massapequa for... a stop at All-American for a burger and some of their legendary fries (they've been doing it the same way for decades). I mentioned these in another thread, but I figure they are always worth another shot: Those are the real deal, folks- twice fried genuine potatoes, complete with the little crispy bits in the bottom of the container. The burgers are very good indeed (today's photo was lousy, though- my fault) but the fries are what brings you back again.

Allrighty, then- after a bout of illness that ran through my household that preceeded a family vacation of sorts...I am now back on track! The break gave Derek's suggestion of 3 gallon batches sufficient time to sink in to my noggin, and I have committed myself to doing just that on this first batch. Here's where I went today: Kedco is located in Farmingdale, NY (on Long Island) and is where I have bought my supplies since my very first batch. Dave and Ken have been at this for a very long time and have always been tremendously knowledgable and helpful. I'm pretty sure that the first Long Island homebrewers' club (Paumanok United Brewers) had its inception in their shop. That's a partial interior shot, with a cider conditioning in the foreground. Lotsa cool stuff for the homebrewer or wine maker. And here is what is going into my beer- The John Bull Unhopped is no longer available, so I will be going with just one can of the Munton's Extra Light, which is also an English extract (no biggie). 2 1/2 pounds of DME will bring it up to the gravity I need. We did get those Phoenix hops (4 oz. at 10% a.a.), so I'm really psyched about that. I'm using one oz. for bittering as well as an ounce of Northern Brewers (6.8% a.a.) now that this is no longer a concentrated boil. The other three ounces will be used at 5 minutes, flameout and as dry hops. The yeast hasn't changed- Thames Valley- and I will still be making a starter from some of the additional DME in the 3 lb. bag. So this is essentially the same beer, except 3 1/2 gallons. The tradeoff is that I don't have to preboil and find a place to chill the diluting water, add that goopy extract at flameout and worry about what it will do to the wort chiller, screw up the hop utilization rates- it's a much more streamlined and predictable process. More to come very soon...

Lots of great ideas here so far. I always seem to have a loin roast in the freezer because we seem to pick one up whenever it goes on sale, and I'll have to try some of these in the future. Here's what I've been doing with mine lately- lay sage leaves and thyme sprigs all over the exterior and truss it up. Before roasting give it the old salt, pepper and olive oil treatment. Nothing exciting so far, but it makes a solid meal. At this point I take a bunch of sliced onions and toss them with sage leaves and olive oil- put those guys in the bottom of a roasting pan with the pork roast directly on top of them. Add a couple of ounces of white wine at the bottom (the loin roast will give off little in the way of juices or fat, unfortunately) and roast it at 325 until it is done to your liking (I go for mine on the pink side). At some point the wine will evaporate and the onions will start to caramelize. Now here is the part I really like- while the roast is resting you heat up the onions in the roasting pan on the stovetop with a splash of balsamic vinager and maybe some more wine, incorporating any drippings that you can. It makes for a wonderful sweet/sour dark onion relish to accompany the slices of pork (I also prefer not to remove the sage from the roast as I slice it, though I think you sort have to get rid of the thyme stems). The last time I did this it was on the outdoor grill with grape vine smoke, which was nice but not necessary.

You wouldn't happen to have a local Jersey source of these, would you? I've been fairly happy with the imported Italian canned bulk tomatoes I've been buying in the Bronx from Teitel Bros. Is there really a huge difference between those and actual DOP San Marzanos? $3.69 for a 14oz can just sounds freaking outrageous to me when I can get regular Italian canned tomatoes for like $1.40 per 35 ounce can.. Thats like less than 10 percent of the price of those DOPs. ... ← My father and I get them on Long Island (we share it by the case), but if they are available in NJ I'm sure he can find out where. I'll have him look into it for you. They're definitely very high quality, noticably so, IMO (in fact the first time I tried my dad's sauce made with them I could't help remarking "how in the hell did you learn how to cook?" ), but whether they are worth the $$$ is probably left to the individual. I don't use them all the time but I think they are certainly worth it for things like Marcella Hazan's tomato/butter onion sauce or even a killer tomato soup, where the tomatoes are the focus. You gotta try 'em at least once.

As you have alluded, there is a spectrum of approaches to tomato sauces from caramelized and concentrated to fresh and lively. To say that "it is near impossible to make a great sauce at home from tomatoes" implies that there is only one approach that is worthwhile. I personally love the sweet, zippy quality that my homegrown tomato sauce has (particularly with yellow tomatoes) and wouldn't dream of cooking it any further. When I want something more mellow I use canned tomatoes. But most jarred sauce that I have tried has an institutional quality that I just can't get past. And, if you haven't already, try these.

Daniel- I interpreted that pretty much in terms of 'pizza sauce' rather than pasta sauce, but either way I'd take issue with it as well.

It's definitely a quality beer, and I have certainly enjoyed the ones that I have had from the mixed 12-packs lately. I had no idea that they were available by the case, perhaps this is a new development. Good news- thanks for the report budrichard. Now I can only hope that the BBC will respond in the same way to the collective will of its Scotch Ale fans...

Thanks for the info, Milagai- that's what this must be: It's awesome. I've been thinking of duplicating it at home, and now I have a name for it and can hopefully get a recipe to start with (although the description is essentially a good enough recipe). Toliver- I'm sure you will like the results when you add the spices late. Please post back. Lotsa great ideas here, I'm going to try a bunch of 'em.

Shrimp and Saffron Risotto Recipe has been added to RecipeGullet, with a bit more detail. JAZ- I'll second your suggestion for a drink (or two ) while stirring. I was enjoying a Hoegaarden white ale while I made mine, and it accompanied the finished product quite well.

Shrimp and Saffron Risotto Serves 2 as Main Dish. Feel free to substitute other seafood for the shrimp, or even to augment it. I tend to think of the risotto part of this recipe as a starting point, and the seared seafood added at the end can change depending on mood or availability. Scallops, lobster tails, langustinos, etc., all will work well. A 'cheat' that I use if I don't have the shrimp heads to make the shrimp stock is to use bottled clam juice, simmered with the shrimp shells and some herbs for about 30 minutes. Either way, you start preparing the risotto while the stock is still hot, just remove the shells and other items with a slotted spoon. 1 c Arborio Rice 3 c Shrimp Stock- hot 1 large Shallot- very finely chopped 1/8 tsp Saffron threads- soaked in 1 Tbsp water (1) 3" sprig fresh thyme 1 tsp lemon zest 1/2 c White Wine 4 Plum Tomatoes (can be canned), peeled and chopped 1/2 lb Jumbo Shrimp Olive Oil as required Salt to taste 1- Heat the shrimp stock in a saucepan to a light simmer. Check for salt, you want a bit of saltiness, but not too much. Set aside on a back burner for use later. 2- In a wide saucepan heat olive oil on medium heat. Add shallots to sweat, but not caramelize. 3- Add arborio to shallots and stir to incorporate and heat through. Add lemon zest and leaves from the thyme and stir. 4- Add wine to arborio and shallots, raise heat slightly and allow wine to simmer away by half, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and do the same. 5- Begin adding hot stock as you would with other risotto recipes, as the stock becomes absorbed you add more a ladle at a time while stirring. The initial amount of stock should be just above the level of the rice. 6- Heat a large skillet to medium high. Salt and pepper the shrimp (or other seafood) on both sides. Film the heated skillet with olive oil and sear the shrimp on each side until cooked just through. It is suggested that you time this part to coincide with the completion of the rice at the al dente stage. 7- When the rice is al dente add the saffron and liquid. Stir to incorporate and taste for salt, correct as required. 8- Serve risotto in a bowl with shrimp on top, garnished with additional fresh thyme and lemon zest if desired. Keywords: Main Dish, Italian, Intermediate, Seafood, Rice ( RG1702 )

I've always got a small jar of coriander/cumin (50/50) powder at the ready, and it's just perfect on carrots. A common prep would be to roast your carrot slices until they are at your desired level of tenderness, take them out of your oven just as you set some butter to melt in a medium-low skillet. Add the cumin/coriander to the melted butter and let it bloom for a few seconds, turn off the heat and add the carrots. Toss to cover on all sides, salting as you go. Sometimes I'll steam the carrots if it's late and I don't want the fuss of roasting, and it still tastes darn good. Personally I would love to add some cayenne to the works, but my wife isn't as into that idea as I am...

Here's my Shrimp and Saffron Risotto: It made for a hell of a meal, perhaps even elegant. The aromas are definitely intoxicating. The cast of characters... 1 cup Arborio 3 cups Shrimp Stock(*) 1 large Shallot- very finely chopped 1/8 tsp. Saffron threads- soaked in 1 Tbsp water 1 3" sprig fresh thyme 1 tsp. lemon zest 1/2 cup White Wine 4 Plum Tomatoes 1/2 lb. Jumbo Shrimp Olive Oil as required Salt to taste (*)OK- I cheated here and boiled up 3 cups of Clam Juice with the shells of the shrimp, some peppercorns and thyme to make the stock in about 30 minutes. It's not a bad cheat at all, to tell you the truth.

Not that I needed the prodding, but every few months I do a seafood (scallops and shrimp) risotto with saffron and it's looking like it's that time again...