Beat the Heat with Ice Cream

What better time than the last month of summer to indulge in ice cream?  It should be no surprise that Häagen-Dazs is promoting new ice cream flavors this month, but the twist is that the new flavors are based on a consumer flavor survey focused on American taste preferences. Topics covered in the survey included how people are influenced to try new foods/flavors and how their tastes have changed over time.  One of the survey outcomes was that a flavor boost was needed. Häagen-Dazs took the survey to heart and introduced a variety of new products to help add some extra flavor to your life this summer.   The new ice cream flavors include Dark Chocolate Mint, Amaretto Almond Crunch, Midnight Cookies & Cream, Bananas Foster, and Five Lemon. I'm particularly partial to the Dark Chocolate Mint which reminds me of a frozen chocolate mint cookie and is a great cap to a hot summer day. Or depending on where you're living, a chilly summer's day bundled up in fall clothing!

National Sandwich Month

Do you enjoy sandwiches?  If the answer is yes then you'll love August - it is National Sandwich Month!  To celebrate Mezzetta, who produces imported and domestic peppers, olives and other sandwich fixing goodies is running their Third Annual Mezzetta Make That Sandwich Recipe Contest where home cooks are challenged to enter their best sandwich recipe for a chance to win a Grand Prize of $25,000 and a trip for two to Napa Valley. Last year's winning sandwich was "Open-Faced Wine Braised Fig and Caramelized Onion".  Care to try for the grand prize this year? Details can be found at www.makethatsandwich.com.

Great Sandwich Alternative

But what about those who are trying to limit carb intake or merely reduce calories? If any meal is ripe for carb reduction it is certainly that sandwich for lunch.  Simply take that carb and calorie-packed bread and replace it with a low-carb and low-fat tortilla. Thing is, many low-carb tortillas are also low in flavor (well, actually, low in flavor is being generous).  Over the past several months I've tried several different brands and variations of low-carb tortillas in a quest for a flavor full one that also didn't fall apart easily.  So far, my favorite is Tumaro's Multi-Grain Tortillas.  The Tumaro's Tortillas are also available in Green Onion, Garden Vegetable and Salsa flavors and only contain 3 to 5 grams of net carbs.  Go to www.tumaros.com to purchase.

Disclosure: Items discussed in the What's Tasty posts may have been provided by vendors, publicists, and/or manufacturers to Project Foodie. 

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Photo by Justin Lewis

At Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, Brewmaster Kirk Hillyard did just that.  Starting as a teenager he began home brewing and mid-way through college decided to make it his profession. 

Luckily for those of us in the SF Bay area he also decided to do it in his hometown where we can sample his brews.  I  recently visited with Kirk at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.  Today he shares some advice for home brewers aiming to go pro and tells us about his brewing process.  He also reveals some trends in brewing that make the parallels of wine making and beer brewing even stronger...

Q: Transitioning from a hobby of home brewing to a profession is an accomplishment to be proud of - what words of wisdom do you have for other home brewers looking to make the leap?

Kirk: Getting work in a brewery can be difficult, there aren't many positions available at any given time, and not a lot of turnover.  Much of it has to do with being at the right place at the right time.  If you are serious about brewing, you kind of have to bug every brewer in your area and hope maybe they'll let you clean kegs or something and just get your foot in the door.  Many home brewers think it would be fun to brew professionally until they realize that most of a brewer's day-to-day work isn't brewing, it's cleaning.  I think it's similar to being a professional chef; many people have a romantic view of the job until they realize the work isn't so glamorous, it's work!  So I guess my advice would be: if you are really passionate about beer, be ready to pay your dues in the form of odd hours, little pay, and soggy feet when you get home.

Q: You've compared brewing to cooking.  In cooking the technique and the ingredients are most important.  Can you tell us a bit about the ingredients you use when brewing at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company?  How many different types of malt to you use? What dictates which you use etc?

Kirk: There are really infinite ingredients you can use when making beer, but generally you are sticking to the big four: water, malt, hops, and yeast.  Fortunately, the water can be treated with salts to emulate the water from different regions and create different flavors, and there are many different types of malt, hops, and yeast that a brewer can play with.  We use about a dozen different hops and two dozen different malts at the brewery.  Right now I have four different yeasts which all produce unique flavor profiles.  Half Moon Bay is not a big brewery, our focus is really on quality, and we use the best ingredients we can get.  If I am brewing a German-style beer, I like to use German malt and hops.  The same goes for styles from other regions.  By bringing in the best ingredients from around the world we can make some really delicious and authentic beers.

Photo by Justin Lewis

Kirk: As a brewer, your main objective is creating a sugar and nutrient rich solution for the yeast to ferment.  To accomplish this you grind up malt and mix it with warm water.  The temperature of this "mash" will determine how much of the sugar will be able to be fermented by the yeast; typical brewer's yeast can only ferment simple sugars.  A cooler mash will produce drier beers, whereas a warmer mash will produce beers with more sweetness and mouthfeel.  During the mash, enzymes in the malt break down complex carbohydrates into sugars.  This sugary solution, called "wort," is then slowly drained into the kettle where it is brought to a rolling boil.  Boiling sterilizes the wort, precipitates proteins, and extracts bitterness from the hops.  Hops added at the beginning of the boil contribute bitterness, while hops added towards the end of the boil contribute flavor and aroma.  After the boil, the wort is pumped through a heat exchanger (which cools it so we don't cook our yeast) and into a fermenter.  Yeast is added, and fermentation begins.  We brew mostly ales, which take about 6-10 days (depending on the strength of the brew) to ferment at around 68 degrees F.  Then the beers are dropped to just above freezing, clarified, conditioned, and are ready to drink about three weeks from the day they were brewed.

Q: Similar to a chef's training, one can go to school to learn to be a brewmaster or learn on the job without a formal education. You took the formal route, is this what you would recommend for up and coming brewmasters?

Kirk:  I went to beer school because I wanted to jump-start my career.  A formal education will teach you a lot about the science, history, and theory of brewing, but on the job training is the most important.  Many great brewers have no formal education.  I was lucky to work for an experienced brewer, Alec Moss, who taught me everything I know in regards to running a brewery.  I also worked for a brewer in England who was a former coal miner and had no formal education.  I don't think he knew a lot of the scientific aspects of the brewing process, but he sure knew how to make awesome beer.  So I think it really depends on the route you want to take, but remember you will learn a lot more in the brewery (especially when things go wrong) than in the classroom.

Q: In the culinary world, there are many trends, some longer lived, others shorter. One of the current trends is associated with eating local seasonal ingredients. What are some of the current trends in the brewing world?
 
Kirk: Hoppy beers will always be popular, especially on the West Coast, but I would say the biggest trend right now is using wild yeast and bacteria for fermentation, creating sour and funky beers.  Before our modern understanding of microbiology, most all beers had at least a hint of sourness.  There are some historic beer styles that are very sour, and a lot of fun to create.  Some breweries are even building large wooden vats to age beer.  I enjoy aging beer in barrels because I feel like I have less control of the final product than with more standard beers, and that serendipity makes it fun (especially when it comes out tasting really good).  This is a great time to be a brewer because consumers are really opening their mind to how complex the flavors of beer can be.

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Do you stir-fry? 

I used to get various assortments of vegetables at the Farmers' Market, cook them in a skillet and serve them over rice - stir-frying right? Well... I'm not saying the result wasn't tasty but it certainly wasn't a stir-fry. 

So what is stir-frying?  Grace Young sought out Chinese cooks from all over the world to find the answer to just that question. The result is "Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge". From simple to not so simple, from meat to meat-less, and from traditional to modern Grace teaches you how to produce great stir-frys.

I've only begun, but already I've learned enough to know that dinner after a trip to the Farmers' Market won't be the same again.  Of course, the recipes require a bit more than fresh vegetables - the Chinese pantry can be a bit overwhelming if you aren't familiar with it, but Grace helps with that too.  

I started with Stir-Fried Eggs with Velvet Shrimp (see recipe below) because I have a thing for eggs and have always wanted to create a velvet dish. The dish is also fairly straightforward and doesn't require a bunch of new pantry items. 

I can't say I've mastered Stir-Frying yet, but that's the fun part of tackling a new cookbook isn't it?  Practice makes perfect… 

Stir-Fried Eggs with Velvet Shrimp

amazon.com

Velvet shrimp radically transform stir-fried eggs into a sophisticated dish. The shrimp are not velveted in the true sense of the technique (see Velvet Stir-Fry, page 100) because they are not blanched in oil or water. Nonetheless, the light egg white-cornstarch marinade gives the shrimp the "crisp" silky texture revered by Chinese food devotees. I take the teaspoon of egg white needed for the marinade from one of the eggs rather than break open a fifth egg. After refrigerating the marinated shrimp, be sure to let them stand at room temperature for 15 minutes

before stir-frying; if the shrimp are ice cold, they will not be cooked by the time the eggs are just set. I prefer to stir-fry these eggs in a wok. If you want to use a skillet, it may require another tablespoon of oil to prevent the eggs from sticking.

• 4 ounces small shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry
• 4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon egg white reserved
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1/8 plus 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted

1. In a medium bowl combine the shrimp, the 1 teaspoon egg white, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of the rice wine, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Stir until the cornstarch has dissolved. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the oil. Put the shrimp uncovered in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Bring the shrimp to room temperature for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl beat the eggs, pepper, and the remaining 2 teaspoons rice wine and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, add the scallions and ginger, then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry 10 seconds or until the aromatics are fragrant. Add the shrimp and stir-fry 1 minute or until the shrimp begins to turn color but is not cooked through. Add the peas, swirl the egg mixture into the wok, and stir-fry 1 minute or until the shrimp is cooked through and the eggs are just set but still moist. Do not overcook.

Serves 2 as a main dish with rice or 4 as part of a multicourse meal.

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What's your 'problem' dish? You know that dish you just never seem to be able to make right. We all have them.  

For years mine has been potato salad. 

I've tried numerous recipes and none of them measure up to the taste and texture I was looking for.  To be clear I wanted a creamy, thick, eggy, potato salad with some dill flavor.  Since I couldn't make my own I've been buying prepared potato salad at my local market . Now that may not sound bad, but when you consider I make my own bread, pasta and nearly anything else it really was very big breach of character for me.

That's why I had to seek help.  Thankfully, for me, food help is only an email away to a dear friend who was very kind to help.  I simply asked her:

"Do you have a favorite potato salad recipe? I'm never happy with any I make..."

Her reply was quick, but not exactly what I was hoping for. She said:

"hmmm. I can't say that I use a recipe.  Here's the basic gig:

1. Boil russet potatoes in their skins, or boil unpeeled Yukon Gold or red-skinned potatoes, just until tender

2. Meanwhile, make a full-flavored, mustardy vinaigrette.

3. When the spuds are cool enough to handle, peel the russets (leave skins on the other potatoes) and cut into bite-size chunks & put in a large bowl. Pour in the vinaigrette and toss gently with a rubber spatula to coat evenly. The potatoes will absorb the vinaigrette. Leave to cool at room temp.

4. When the potatoes are cool, this is when you make it your own:

-add a generous amount of Best Foods mayo, or a combo of about 2 parts may to 1 part sour cream.

-taste, and then add salt and pepper to taste. If it seems a bit bland, pour in a little dill pickle juice straight out of the jar. (I hate pickles in potato salad. I find this far more civilized...but it's your party, so make it however you want :o)

-sometimes I'll add coarsely chopped hard-cooked eggs or chopped fresh parsley, if I'm in the mood

-Lots of chopped celery is a must; as well as about half as much sliced green onions (or maybe even 1/3, if you're not crazy about scallions) cover & refrigerate for at least a couple of hours to blend the flavors...you may have to add some more mayo

If you prefer to follow a recipe, I'd probably trust Ina Garten.

Hope this helps.?

At first I wasn't sure it would help,  it sure doesn't look like a magic bullet potato salad recipe does it?  And I admit I really did want a full-fledged recipe.  I'm not a big improviser and given the problems I've had with potato salad I had doubts anything short of a very specific recipe would help. But I am a foodie so I took the challenge head on.

The potato salad I made following these directions was not only the best I've ever made but far better than any I've bought!  

Here's how I made it.

• 1. Boil 3 pounds of Red potatoes.
• 2. Prepare Perfect Mustard Vinaigrette from Martha Stewart Living,
  
  

  Perfect Mustard Vinaigrette (Martha Stewart Living, April, 2001) Ingredients: finding recipe... finding ingredients... My Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 More Actions: add comment cancel add comment | view comment (0) close comment | cooking notes close notes | foodie tags close tags | share close share Edit Tags Rename Tag to My Notes: - Private info just for you! Add Comment: Comments:

   
• 3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size chunks & put in a large bowl.
• 4. Pour in about ¾ cup vinaigrette and toss gently with a rubber spatula to coat evenly. The potatoes will absorb the vinaigrette. Leave to cool at room temperature.  [You could easily use more of the vinaigrette, especially if you want a bit more mustard flavor. In fact next time I'm probably going to use all of the vinaigrette.]
• 5. Slice about 3 stalks of celery, half of a bunch of scallions, some parsley, and fresh dill. Set aside in small bowls for mixing in.
• 6. Prepare four hard-boiled eggs.
• 7. When the potatoes are cool mix in mayonnaise, salt, pepper and the above items. I didn't measure the amounts. I started with two large spoonfuls of mayonnaise and about half of the celery/scallions.  Then I seasoned with salt/pepper and added small amounts of parsley, dill and more mayonnaise until I got the taste/texture I wanted.  
• 8. Refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors meld.
  

Nope it's not a hard-set recipe. but I'm confident I'll never again have any problems making potato salad !

However, if the thought of improvising for this salad does scare you here are a couple of Ina Garten's potato salad recipes :

French Potato Salad (Barefoot Contessa, Episode: I Scream For Ice Cream, Season: 2) Ingredients: finding recipe... finding ingredients... My Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 More Actions: add comment cancel add comment | view comment (0) close comment | cooking notes close notes | foodie tags close tags | share close share Edit Tags Rename Tag to My Notes: - Private info just for you! Add Comment: Comments:

Herb Potato Salad (Barefoot Contessa, Episode: Flavors And Flowers, Season: 8) Ingredients: finding recipe... finding ingredients... My Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 More Actions: add comment cancel add comment | view comment (0) close comment | cooking notes close notes | foodie tags close tags | share close share Edit Tags Rename Tag to My Notes: - Private info just for you! Add Comment: Comments:

New Potato Salad (Barefoot Contessa, Episode: Barefoot Reunion, Season: 4) Ingredients: finding recipe... finding ingredients... My Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 More Actions: add comment cancel add comment | view comment (0) close comment | cooking notes close notes | foodie tags close tags | share close share Edit Tags Rename Tag to My Notes: - Private info just for you! Add Comment: Comments:

Sweet-and-Sticky Baby Back Ribs (Ribs, Chops, Steaks, & Wings by Ray Lampe, 2010) My Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 View: finding recipe... More Actions: add comment cancel add comment | view comment (0) close comment | cooking notes close notes | foodie tags close tags | share close share Edit Tags Rename Tag to My Notes: - Private info just for you! Add Comment: Comments:

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Summer is the high season for fresh fruit and vegetables; so much so that I often find the fruit too plentiful.  It's probably my own fault.  When I go to the farmers' market and sample all those fruits I'm lured in by their wonderful fresh-picked flavor and I buy more than I should.  Sometimes so much extra that I really don't even need to go to the farmers' market again the next week.

While I'm not sure my particular predicament was the motivation, but Jennie Schacht's Farmers' Market Desserts is a great source for uses of my extra fruit. 

Take blueberries, which are at their peak right now here in California.  The blueberry stand at my market was overflowing with blueberries this week.  While I could have bought just a half-pint to eat with my cereal for breakfast it seemed a waste to not get more, especially since they are at their peak for such a short time each year.  But I didn't want to make the old-standby blueberry muffins - don't get me wrong I love blueberry muffins but its not really my favorite choice for fresh blueberries.  Instead, Jennie offers a great parfait that uses the blueberries whole. It also uses rhubarb, something I don't eat nearly as often as I'd like to, but since rhubarb isn't always available at the same time as blueberries Jennie suggests strawberries or raspberries as great alternatives.

That's just one example but I'm sure you get the idea.  Farmers' Market Desserts lets me enjoy the best fruit of summer in great dishes while also introducing new fruits you might not normally try out. 

And as Jennie says, if the blueberries are still in-season for you on July 4th the parfait has the perfect Red, White and Blue theme!

Rhubarb, Blueberry & Cream Parfait

amazon.com

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 pound rhubarb (about 4 medium to large stalks), leaves discarded and stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Small pinch of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Crunch Topping

• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup gently packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Filling

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 pint (2 cups) blueberries

To make the sauce, stir together the sugar and water in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the rhubarb and stir to coat with the sugar syrup. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, cover, and cook until the fruit is quite soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Process until smooth using an immersion blender or standard blender, or mash and stir with a fork. Stir in the salt and lime juice, then taste and adjust with sugar or lime, if needed. (It will taste sweeter chilled than hot.) Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in a covered container until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

To make the topping, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle the vanilla evenly over the mixture, then scatter the butter over the mixture. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture looks like wet, clumpy sand. Scatter the almonds over the top and mix them in with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate the topping for 30 minutes.

While the topping chills, preheat the oven to 375oF, with a rack near the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Use your fingers to crumble the topping mixture onto the baking sheet. It should look roughly like granola, with a few larger clumps. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and turning with a spatula once or twice during baking. Let cool completely before using. (It will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)

To serve, using a chilled bowl and beaters, whip together the cream, crème fraîche, and sugar until the mixture holds medium-firm peaks.

Layer the cream, rhubarb, crunch topping, and berries in 4 parfait glasses. As a guide-without worrying about using exact quantities-divide one-third of the cream among the 4 glasses. Layer half of the rhubarb sauce over the cream. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the topping into each glass. Then, sprinkle one-third of the berries over the topping in the 4 glasses. Repeat the layers, using half of the remaining cream, all of the remaining rhubarb, about 1 tablespoon of crunch topping for each glass, and half of the remaining berries. Top the parfaits evenly with the remaining cream, and then sprinkle evenly with the remaining berries. Finally, sprinkle lightly with some crunch topping. (You will have some crunch topping remaining.)

Serve immediately, or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. The crunch will soften but will still add great flavor and texture.

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