A TwoZouBrew's Milestone

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Tylor and I would like to thank each and everyone of you who has visited our blog.

We have more beer to brew and dishes to cook. I hope to experiment with lagers in the

next month. I want to make at least one American Style Lager, German Pilsener, and

Octoberfest. The lagers will take a few months to age, but they are worth the wait. My

goal is to send at least one lager in to the National Homebrew Competion. I haven't made

a lager in 5 years, but with the recent addition of the thermostat controller I have some

confidence in making a quality beer. I also intend to buy more equipment and expand the

capacity of the TwoZouBrew-House. For example, I want at least two more glass carboys,

which hold 6 gallons each. In addition, I will purchase a 55lb. sack of Pilsener Malt, Marris

Otter Pale Malt, and 2-Row Malt. Pilsener Malt for lagers, Marris Otter for english ales,

and 2-Row for american ales.

We can't wait to share our hard work and dedication in the coming months. Stay tuned

and thanks for stopping by!

Beers,

Cole

Tylor's Smoked Turkey

Turkey+Smoke=Smoked Turkey

Beers.

Cole

Tylor's "Asian Persuasion" Short ribs

Low and slow baby! That's going to be the motto for this recipe. We are using Beef short ribs which are much meatier and usually more tender than pork short ribs. Short ribs are cut from the rib and plate primals and a small corner of the chuck. They come in full slabs but are usually seen cut into individual portions. This is how I usually purchase them because they are much easier to serve and can be found with the bone in or boneless. This cut of meat can be prepared two ways. In Korea they are usually marinated and quickly grilled over high heat. This method is best for those with a little more experience with short ribs as they can easily become tough. The other way to prepare them is by cooking over low heat or wet heat for an extended amount of time. We'll be using a wet heat method today by braising in some beef stock and local wine. I chose a local Norton varietal blend called Hunter's Red. This wine has strong notes of pepper and what can only be described as a "barbeque" smoke taste. This is not a very "Asian" ingredient but it is going to give  great flavor to our ribs. Here we go kids....

"Asian Persuasion" Short Ribs


8 Short ribs
1 cup of Beef Broth (splurge on the good stuff, it does matter)
1 cup of Hunter's Red
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
Water
3 cloves of Garlic-diced
1 large shallot or 1/2 medium onion-diced
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon Chinese Mustard
1 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
1 tablespoon Oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon peeled and minced Ginger
1 stalk of lemon grass, halved and smashed
Sesame seeds
green onions-chopped
Salt
Pepper


           Begin by heating a large dutch over or stock pot over high heat. Add your short ribs a few at a time into the pan and sear on each side just until brown. Remove the ribs and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium and remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes as not to burn the garlic and shallots. Add the shallots and cook for about 3 minutes then add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the ribs back to the pan. Add the beef broth, wine, and vinegar. Add enough water to bring the liquid just to the top of the ribs. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, stir to incorporate, then bring the liquid to a boil. Once at a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer for about 1hour or until they are tender and falling off the bones. Once the ribs are done, remove them from the liquid and cover to keep warm. Drain the fat from the braising liquid. Place the remaining braising liquid into a sauce pan over medium high heat and reduce to about 1 1/2 cups. Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed strainer and discard the solids. Add the ribs and the liquid back into the pot over medium heat and cook until the ribs are warmed through and glazed. Serve over jasmine rice and top with sesame seeds and green onions.

For Those Allergic To Hops?

(Joel-Allergic To Hops)

If you happen to be allergic to hops, like our roommate Joel, this beer is for you. I have decided to make a clone of a very interesting Strawberry Cream Ale(http://hopfentreader.blogspot.com/2010/05/farm-fresh-fruit-series-strawberry.html) made by Joseph Lemnah. Joe is an award-winning home brewer and professional brewer at Evolution Brewing Company. I had the privilege of learning many aspects of brewing from him when I interned at Dogfish Head. Anyway, I made a visit to Delaware over the summer and I happened to try his Strawberry Cream Ale. This is the only beer that I've had that actually tastes like fruit.

This beer is part of Joe's "Farm Fresh" series of brews. He makes a trip to the farmers market and purchases whatever fruit is fresh and local. He then incorporates it into a brew of his choice. I REALLY like this idea and I hope he continues the series outside of the home brew setting.

Here is my take on Joe's beer, but made just for Joel:

"JOE-JOEL'S 'Dank' Strawberry Cream Ale"

~American Two-Row Barley~

~Flaked Maize~

~Flaked Oats~

*German Ale Yeast*

I plan on making this beer on Sunday, so stay tuned!

Beers,

Cole

Fried Potato salad

This is a recipe that comes from the kitchen at the Star Dinner Theatre. This was a very simple side dish we  put out a lot which I've jazzed up a bit with some more ingredients. This is not your normal potato salad thats deep fried, rather the potatoes are fried and then dressed. I absolutely love this recipe and it reminds me of the Star every time I make it.

Fried Potato Salad

4 large Potatoes, diced
4 strips of bacon, diced
1 large white onion, diced
2 teaspoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper
green onions, diced

Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup miracle whip
1/2 cup Italian Dressing
1/4 cup sugar

  Take the diced potatoes and soak in a large bowl of cold water to remove the excess starch. This will help the potatoes cook through. In a large pan, fry the diced bacon over medium high heat. Add the bacon to the pan before it begins to heat up. This will help make your bacon nice and crispy. Once the bacon is done, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. We want to keep the rendered bacon fat in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium low and saute the onions until translucent and soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and turn the heat back to medium high heat. Fry the diced potatoes in the oil and rendered bacon fat until the potatoes are golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. It may take a few batches to fry all of the potatoes and you may need to add a bit more oil. After each batch, allow the oil to heat back up for about a minute. Season with the potatoes with salt, pepper, Cayenne, paprika, and garlic salt. In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing and mix well. In another bowl, add the potatoes, onions, and bacon. Add the dressing over the potatoes a little at a time, as not to over dress the potatoes. Top with the green onions. Serves 4.

Arancini (Risotto Croquettes)

My mother used to make this recipe but its rather time consuming so they were only made on special occasions. These small balls of risotto are stuffed with mozzarella cheese and deep fried. AMAZING. I'm sharing this at the request of a friend who finds them addicting. 

Arancini

3 cups canned low-salt Chicken broth

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 a medium onion, chopped

1 1/4 cup arborio rice

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup parmesan 

2 large eggs

All-purpose flour

2 cups finely ground bread crumbs

2/3 cup finely diced whole-milk mozzarella cheese

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Bring broth to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add onions; saute for 4 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of broth and simmer until liquid is absorbed; stirring often. Cook until the rice is just tender and the risotto is creamy adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time stirring frequently and allowing each addition of broth to be absorbed before adding the next, about 25 minutes. Mix in the parmesan. salt and pepper to taste. cool completely. Mix in 1 egg. Cover and chill.

Place flour in one bowl. Put remaining egg in another bowl and beat well. Place bread crumbs in another bowl. Using moistened hands, shape a 1/4 cup of cold risotto into a ball. Poke a hole into the center of the ball and fill with about a teaspoon of mozzarella. Press risotto over filling. Coat the rice balls in coating starting with the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs. Place on rack to dry. Repeat process with remaining risotto. Allow rice balls to stand for at least 30 minutes. 

Bring about 1 1/2 inches of oil to 360 *F in a heavy medium pot. Fry the balls, 3 at a time, until golden brown and crusty, turning once, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot or at room temperature. 

Bon Appetit,

Tylor

Italian Brined Pork Chops

Another original recipe here. I came up with this one while Cole and I were scrounging to make dinner. I haven't experimented much with this one so try it out and let me know. Bon appetit.


Brine
Large container or 1 gallon zip loc bag
6 cups of water
1 cup of salt
2 tablespoons Rosemary
2 tablespoons Caraway seed
2 tablespoons Celery seed
1/4 cup Balsalmic Vinegar

Polenta
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 milk
1/4 tablespoon of butter
3/4 cup polenta
salt and pepper
1 cup of parmigiano-reggiano

Combine the ingredients for the brine in the large container or the zip loc. Marinate the pork chops for at least 2 hours and up to over night. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over  medium high heat in a large cast iron pan or other oven safe pan. Sear the pork chops for 1 minute on each side then place into the oven for 10-15 minutes. In another sauce pan, brown the chopped bacon over medium heat. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain the grease. Add the milk and chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Slowly add the polenta while continuely whisking. Stir for 2 to 3 more minutes to thicken and remove from heat. Add the parmigiano-reggiano and bacon. Remove the pork chops from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Place two large spoonfuls of the polenta onto the plate and top with one of the pork chops.

Pork Chop Paradise

I picked out some pork chops from Mizzou Meat Market (http://mizzoumeat.missouri.edu/) after work. They have some great prices for quality cuts of meat. However, everything is frozen at time of purchase. We are each making one dish. Here are the dishes:

Tylor's Pick: Italian Brined Pork Chop with Creamy Bacon Polenta

Cole's Pick: Caramelized Onion/Onion and Tomato Pork Chops with Butter and Sour Cream Noodles

I had nothing at home except for onions, tomatoes, and noodles. I've always had pork chops cooked in tomato sauce, but I thought fresh tomatoes and onions would suffice.

RESULTS

Tylor's

Cole's

Beers,

Cole

Tylor's First Recipe

This is Tylor's First Recipe, Orange Sesame Chicken with steam white rice, and our second dish prepared just for you. This is the only meal that Tylor has talked about making since we first started the blog. He seems very driven to make this dish and I imagine a great meal will be the result. Although Tylor is making the meal I have decided to have a beer tasting. I have picked a local brew from Augusta Brewery (http://www.augustabrewing.com/Our%20Beer.s).

It's the Belgian Style Saison, which is a bottle conditioned farmhouse ale(French in Origin). I wanted to get a beer that matched the spiciness of Tylor's Orange Sesame Chicken, but instead I took a chance on matching different flavors. I wanted to match the orange in the sauce with the fruit esters in the Saison. A safer pick for spicy foods would be an IPA or a light lager. We shall see....

Beers,

Cole

Orange Sesame Chicken with Belgian Style Saison

Tylor did a great job with this dish. The orange glaze provides a sweet base before the spiciness come through. Only one thing wrong with this meal: No chopsticks or fortune cookie! Just kidding. Job well done!

The Belgian Style Saison was a nice refreshing late Summer beer. I noticed a slight clove and mellow fruit ester. However, this did not pair well with Tylor's dish. An India Pale Ale would have provided the hop bitterness to mellow out the Sriracha spiciness. The beer was still enjoyable and I recommend it for the harvest season.

Beers,

Cole

Here's a link to the video of Good Eats host Alton Brown making the quick rice recipe


http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/how-to-cook-rice/36904.html

FIRST RECIPE

Ok fans, here's my first recipe post. This is one of my favorite sauces and the best orange chicken i've ever had. I came up with this recipe while at work actually. I will also show you a fool-proof way to make steamed rice. Ill post pictures of me making this recipe soon. Here it is...

Orange Sesame Chicken with Steamed White Rice


Chicken Breasts
Milk
All Purpose Flour
Orange Marmalade
Sriracha Chili Sauce (a must have)
onion powder
tabasco sauce
honey
salt
pepper
Sesame seeds
white rice (jasmine or basmati)
butter
Vegetable oil (for frying)

In a sauce pan, over medium low heat, combine 1 cup marmalade, 1/2 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon honey, a dash of tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to warm and mix well. Add about a half inch of vegetable oil to a large pan and heat to medium high heat. Next, set up a dredging station. Fill a small bowl halfway full of milk and another half full of flour. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix to incorparate. Cut 4 chicken breasts into large pieces ( I usually use chicken tenderloins because they're easier to work with, but most people have chicken breast already handy). Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, then into milk, and back into the flour. Fry the chicken on each side until golden brown. Season with salt immediately after removing from oil. In a large mixing bowl, add half of the marmalade sauce. Add fried chicken and mix to coat the chicken. Add excess marmalade sauce as desired. Add half a cup 1/4 cup of sesame seeds and mix to coat. Serve over rice.

This is the easiest and quickest way to make rice that I've found. It only takes 15 to 20 minutes compared to the usual 45 minutes. Begin by bringing 3 cups of water to a boil. In a separate medium sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat. Yes, I said high heat. Once the butter begins to turn light brown and stops foaming, add two cups of rice and one teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir the rice until it becomes just aromatic and nutty (you'll really be able to smell the rice while stirring it). This is when you add your boiling water. Adding hot water to the hot pan causes the water to bubble vigorously. Don't be alarmed, it won't boil over. Quickly cover the pan and turn the heat to low. Allow the rice to cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, kill the heat and uncover the pan. For sticky rice, serve immediately. For light fluffy rice, allow the rice to sit for another 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

The Start....

(TYLOR & COLE)

Finally, we've found a place to showcase our dedication to brewing beer and cooking gourmet food! Here is a little background for Me(Cole):

I've been brewing small batches of beer since I was a Senior in high school. I started cooking when I was eight, even before I managed to burn half of my parents kitchen down. I'm now a Senior in college that has experienced internship opportunities for leading craft-breweries. In 2008, I assisted the Brewmaster at Prison Brews(Jefferson City, Mo), where I got a taste of brewing on a pub-size scale. In 2009, I was picked to intern with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery(Milton, DE);http://www.dogfish.com/. Here I was shown basic tasks of a mid-production brewery(100,000+ BBL's/yr). This Summer I put to work my previous experience at Long Trail Brewing Co.(Bridgewater Corners, VT);http://longtrail.com/

Tylor and I both have the desire to start a brewpub some day and this is the place to show our progress. My goal is to have at least four beers on tap at all times and to cook one dish a week this entire school year. I also want to enter my homebrew into the National Homebrew Competition next spring.

Beers,

Cole

Cole and I have decided to start this blog not only as a place to express our passion for food and drink, but as a foundation to begin building towards our ambitions and goals. We hope this blog proves helpful and entertaining for our readers and is the first stop to successful career in food. Now, the 411 on the other half of this blog.

I've been cooking for as long as I can remember. I come from a very large family which is still very much in touch with its Italian heritage. I was never taught how to cook. I learned by watching my father prepare dinner in the kitchen, helping out with different tasks on occasion. Both of my parents worked during the day so I would be home by myself after school or during the summer until late afternoon. If I was hungry, it was up to me to make something. Trial and error would be the best way to describe how I learned to cook. After a handful of fires, a few cuts, and a lot of terrible combinations, I became obsessed with food. I worked at the Star Dinner Theatre for 5 years where I learned the in's and out's of the restaruant and catering business. The kitchen was run by a mother and her daughter. Yelling matches often erupted during the middle of service between the two and I was often dragged into the middle of them. I loved every second of that job and I'll never forget my time there. I spent three years of my college career studying Chemical Engineering and doing research. After careful consideration I changed my major to Food Science. Sophomore year I met Cole and we have been good friends since. He introduced me to the wonderful world of Brewing and I've been hooked ever since. Cole and I plan on taking our hobbies to the next level and open our own brewpub. Soon we will be posting recipes for food, beer, and wine. We will also upload pictures and video to go along with the recipes. Please post your own recipes for us to try and any helpful hints you may have.

Bon appetit,
Tylor