Challenge yourself to something new

Tomorrow I will be doing something that I have never done before, running a triathlon. Granted it is a small sprint triathlon, it will be a challenge that I am going to complete so I can set my sights on the next challenge, what ever that may be.

I think it is important to challenge yourself for several reasons. By creating small difficulties or stresses, and then completing them, it can instill a sense of pride and accomplishment that you can carry with you when it comes to the larger, unexpected challenges that life can bring. It's kind of like baby steps, in the sense that if you start out small and work your way up, then the bigger things aren't quite as daunting.

Challenging yourself can be as simple as setting a goal to wake up earlier, spend less time watching television, exercising more often, it really can be anything. Then after you have accomplished that goal set your sights a little higher. For example, now that you have reduced the amount of television that you are watching, you have more time to exercise, which in turn can allow you to live a longer and healthier life. Your goals don't necessarily need to be about you either. Perhaps a goal could be to volunteer in your local community, save an extra $25 dollars a month for a special trip with your family, or anything really.

I think it is important to always look forward and figure out what it is you want to accomplish. If you set goals, long term and short term, and you frequently revisit those goals to make sure you haven't strayed to far off track, then you, your family, and your friends will be proud of you and it may even motivate them to set some goals for themselves. I am writing this because I truly believe that if we can motivate ourselves and each other to accomplish small goals, then in the long run everyone will prosper from these little tasks.

What are your goals? Do you have a timeline to accomplish them? Let people know about these goals, that way they can support you and help you along the way. This triathlon is not going to be easy for me, but I have told several people about it, and they want to come out and cheer me on to the finish. Hopefully this will motivate them to do something outside of their comfort zone and, who knows, they may find something out about themselves that they didn't know.

Let me know what your goals are, and if I can help you accomplish them, I will. I enjoy seeing other peoples successes, and if I can help you get there, then it is an all around win.

Support your local brewery

Do you have a favorite local brewery? It could be a large national brewery, a small locally distributed brewery, or your buddy down the street who brew his or her own beer. Either way they are a favorite for a reason.

One of my favorites is Green Flash Brewery (www.greenflashbrew.com). It was an early Wednesday morning and I had set out to brew beer. I had spoken the night before with Chuck Silva the brew master at Green Flash and arranged to assist in the next days brewing session. When I arrived Brett Stampf had already begun the process by adding the grain to the mash tun and was getting ready to transfer the wort to the boil kettle. I assisted in brewing 500 gallons of there award winning West Coast IPA. I was surprised at how the process to brew 500 gallons isn't really all that different than brewing 5 gallons in my kitchen, just a much larger scale. The most interesting thing that I learned while there was that while they brew about 500 gallons at a time, they mix four batches together for the fermentation process. This allow for slight imperfections to be masked through, what is essentially, blending.

They area local brewery located in Vista, CA in north county San Diego. One of the things that I really enjoy about their beer is there there willingness to include the public. They have tastings on Friday and Saturday and on special occasions. They have supported fight ALD (AdrenoLeukoDystrophy) as well as other local charities and events. There beers are locally and nationally available for purchase, for a list of locations where you can enjoy there beers check out there website.

They really are a great group of people, who work hard and have an extreme passion for what they do. My home brewers group the Society of Barley Engineers (www.societyofbarleyengineers.org) has held meeting on the floor of the brewery and have enjoyed all of their delicious beers. If you are in the area, I highly recommend that you stop by and check it out. It is an experience that you will likely not forget, the smells, the sights, and most importantly the tastes.

If you can't make it to this area of San Diego, then I am sure there are local breweries near you. Do a google search for the brewers guild near you and I think you will be amazed at how many small breweries there actually are throughout the country.

So get out and enjoy some home grown beer and support your local brewery, it is Friday after all, and that is a great way to start the weekend!

Cheers!

Lemon Pepper Cod with Hefeweizen Chaser

This is a quick and easy recipe that delivers a memorable meal that you will come back to time and time again. The lemon in the fish plays well with the Hefeweizen to create a delicious harmony between your plate and your pint.

 Hefeweizen is a south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made with a typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. A yeast that produces a unique phenolic flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apples. Little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol. The "Hefe" prefix means "with yeast", hence the beers unfiltered and cloudy appearance. Poured into a traditional Weizen glass, the Hefeweizen can be one sexy looking beer. 

Often served with a lemon wedge (popularized by Americans), to either cut the wheat or yeast edge, which many either find to be a flavorful snap ... or an insult and something that damages the beer's taste and head retention.

Lemon pepper Cod:

serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds cod fillets

1 lemon, juiced

ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Add fillets and squeeze 1/2 of the lemon's juice over the tops. Sprinkle with pepper to taste. Cook for 4 minutes and turn. Squeeze with the remaining lemon's juice and sprinkle with pepper to taste. Continue to cook until fillets flake easily with a fork.

Serve this dish with rice pilaf and a fresh green vegetable during the summer weather while dining al fresco, and you will impress even your toughest critics.

Cheers!

Do you remember your first.......beer?

Do you remember what your first beer was? I do. I think I was around 4 years old, it was a coors original with the now banned pull tab. I remember I was living in Idaho and we had guests over playing pool in the upstairs of our split level house (the details are what really matter about your first beer). It was only a sip of beer, but it was disgusting. I looked at my dad and thought to myself how on earth can you drink that stuff? Fast forward about 12 years to my junior year in high school. Have you ever seen that movie Can't Hardly Wait? There is a scene where one of the characters, William, says: "I can't feel my legs...I have no legs." Well I distinctly remember that one as well. I was at a party and I think I might have had a beer and a half (lightweight) and I could not feel my legs, well I could feel them, but they were quite numb.

The point of this is that there are many firsts in our lives and many of them are accompanied by beer, wine, champagne, or other celebratory drink. When a softball team wins the championship (I mention softball because what else is softball for beside finishing off a twelve pack before the 7th inning) they go out for a beer, not lemonade, or tea, beer. When you get married or celebrate an anniversary you toast with champagne. There are milestones that we reach in our lives, big or small, that are special to us, even if only for that moment, they are special to us and we often time celebrate them with a cold drink in our hands.

More often then not when you have your first drink it is a beer, whether its in high school, or college, it is memorable. What are some of your first memories of having a drink? What are some of the funny memories, the sad memories, the first memories (or lack of memory), regardless of what those memories are, they have helped to shape you into the person you are today. So if you want to share those thoughts, now is the time to do it. We won't judge you, because we've all had our share of humiliating moments (at least I hope WE all have and not just me.)

Where have I been???

Hello everyone,

I realize that I have been out of touch with this blog for quite some time (almost a year and a half) and I figured it was time to start again. You may have noticed the title has changed slightly, instead of just beer and food, I am going to write about life as well.

Some interesting things have happened to me lately that have opened up my eyes and made me realize that I have been doing things all wrong. While I have still been enjoying food and beer, I have forgotten about life. I'm not saying that all I have been doing is eating and drinking, because that just isn't the case, I've just forgotten what was really important.

I am going to routinely update this blog with, well obviously beer and food topics, but also about life topics, like events in my local area as well as across the globe, milestones in my life, and topics that might be of interest to you. More or less it is going to be my opinion of these things, you may agree or you may disagree with my thoughts, but I would urge you to let me know. I hope his doesn't become a one sided conversation with myself, I hope that you let me know what you are thinking, about beer, food, and life in general.

I am essentially starting this blog over, from scratch, so I will introduce my self. My name is Bryan, I am going to say that I am 30 again, but for those of you that know me, you know that just isn't the case. I live in Carlsbad, CA right near the coast. If you haven't been to Carlsbad, I highly recommend visiting. It is a beautiful coastal town just north of San Diego. The beaches are amazing, there are great restaurants, local breweries nearby and a very healthy dose of southern California living. I was served in the Navy for eight years as a nuclear machinist mate and got out in January of 2005. After that I moved to San Francisco to attend the California Culinary Academy. San Francisco, what an amazing place to live (or visit). Anyways, I moved down to Carlsbad in 2006 and started working at the Four Seasons Resort at Aviara. A very uppity resort that caters to the wealthy and trust me, they care more about the customers then they do the employees, so I left. I am currently working at the Encina Power Plant (warm water for you surfers out there) as a millwright. I returned to my mechanical / engineering background because, while cooking is very fun, it is also very stressful, the pay sucks, and the hours are quite possibly the worst that any job can offer. Any ways, I am married, have a dog, and love living in Carlsbad. I love beer, food, and experiencing new adventures. I am going to Europe in the fall for a three week windfall of a trip where I will be driving through 8 countries, visiting 12 cities, and attending Oktoberfest. Yes, Beerfest!!

So that's me in a nut shell, I am very willing to answer any questions you might have about me, Carlsbad, cooking, brewing or drinking beer, or anything at all really. I look forward to hearing from you about your experiences with beer, food, and life. What a wonderful world....

This is unique

I was cruising the web and found this video about different ways to open a bottle of beer. I am sure there are many more ways to open a beer, so perhaps you might have a creative way that you might like to share with us. If you haven't heard of or seen any inventive ways, then perhaps you can come up with something new. If it is something different, I might give it a try.



I hope you find this entertaining. Talk to you all later.

Cheers!

Tastey Temperatures

Just like wine, beer has an ideal temperature range for drinking. It also has an idea storage temperature. Temperature is important for a number of factors.

First we'll talk about storage temperatures. To prevent early spoilage and increase longevity of you beer, you need to keep your beer out of direct sunlight and make sure that the temperatures stay relatively constant. Sunlight can lead to the "skunky" taste that many people find unpleasant (I am one of those). If you are brewing your own beer and are not able to keep your beer out of the light, then placing a dark colored t-shirt over the carboy will definitely help. Storage temps and fermentation temperatures are different for very specific reasons, but I am not going to go into detail about the fermentation. The style of beer plays a very important role in the temperature at which your beer is stored.

Strong beers, such as barleywines, tripels, and dark ales are better suited between 55-60 deg. Standard ales like IPA's, dopplebocks, and stouts should be stored at 50-55 deg. The last temperature is for light beers; lagers, pilsners, wheat beers, etc. is 45-50 deg.

As a rule of thumb, the higher the alcohol, the warmer the temp, and the opposite is true for lower alcohol beers.

Serving temperatures are a different story. The main reason for the temperatures given are to bring out the flavors found in the various styles of beer. Some beers are better served cold while other are better at room temperature. Here are some guidelines for different styles:

- Serve fruit beers at 40-50° F.
- Serve wheat beers and pale lagers at 45-50° F.
- Serve pale ales and amber or dark lagers at 50-55° F.
- Serve strong ales, such as barley wines and Belgian ales, at 50-55° F.
- Serve dark ales, including porters and stouts, at 55-60° F.

I hope that these guidelines help to make you beer drinking experience more enjoyable, and that you'll share these tips with you friends and family.

Cheers!

Curry for the Courageous

For those of you who have never had Curry, you are certainly missing out. Curry is full of complex and wonderful flavors. There are various types of curries and each of them is well worth discovering. Curry is a matter of preference and preparation styles, none are better than the other, just different, offering different flavor profiles and texture characteristics. The recipe that I am including here is a basic curry, that can be used and adapted to different meats and vegetables. I recommend using fresh, whole spices because the flavor they add is unmistakable.

1 1/2 3-inch cinnamon stick

4 cloves

4 green cardamom pods

8 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup canola oil

1 med. onion, thinly sliced

4 large garlic cloves, pureed

1 chunk (1 1/2 inch) fresh ginger root, peeled and pureed

1 1/2 pounds of your favorite protein source (i.e. lamb, chicken, shrimp, beef, etc.)

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1/2 tsp. salt + more to taste

3 whole plum tomatoes (you can use roma), chopped, plus 1 tbsp. of the juice

2 bunches spinach cleaned and washed thoroughly, chopped coarsely

1 cup chopped cilantro

1 jalapeno ends cut off (seeds removed to lessen heat) and cut down the middle

1 cup peas, 4 med. boiling potatoes (3/4 in. cubes), 4 med. zucchini (1/2 in. cubes), or any combination.

2-4 tbsp. chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in non-stick pan, but do not let smoke, and add the first group of spices, cook for about 5 to 10 seconds. Add onions and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes.

2. Stir in garlic, ginger, protein of choice, ground spices, salt, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring constantly until liquid evaporates, oil separates and turns orange, and spices begin to fry, 5-7 minutes. Cook until spices start to smell cooked (about 30 seconds after change in oil).

3. Stir in spinach and cilantro. Add 2 cups water and jalapeno, and season with salt. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is tender. (20-30 minutes for chicken, 30-40 minutes for beef or lamb. If using shrimp, wait until later in the procedure)

4. Add the vegetables of choice (except peas) and cook until tender. Stir in cilantro. Add shrimp and/or peas if using. Simmer until all ingredients are cooked, and heated through (about 3 minutes.)

The most difficult part of this recipe is the preparation. Make sure that all the ingredients are prepared prior to beginning the recipe.

There are many different beers that can be paired with curry. I would recommend a honey ale, to bring out the sweetness found in many curries. Another good option would be an Indian pale ale. Regardless of what you choose to serve with your curry, remember that the fun in trying new things is learning more about what you like and don't like, and sharing those things with others.

Wet, Brown, and Delicious

Brown Ales... It seems that there are a few different styles of brown ales; English mild, English brown, and American brown ales. It seems like when ever I want a beer that is refreshing and full of flavor it is very difficult to find one that satisfies both needs. Well Brown ales seem to fill the gap where other just slip through.

Brown ales were invented in England and come in many different shades and flavors, but they all fall under the styles above. The term brown ale actually only became recognized around 40 years ago. They tend to be similar to porters, but are paler, sweeter, mellower, and not as dry.

English mild ales are from southern England and tend to be dark brown, low in alcohol, and low in bitterness. Crystal malt is a major ingredient, which lends to its sweetness, however, it is not all that popular in the U.S.

English Brown ales are from the northern region of England and is typified by the Newcastle Brown Ale. It has a reddish brown color, is drier than the mild ale, and has a higher alcohol content. It is quite popular in the U.S. due to its less sweet and heavier qualities.

American brown ales are sometimes called California browns or Texas browns because they tend to be hoppier and bigger in flavor. They tend to be on the same level of alcohol as the English brown ales, around 5.0%.

There are other beers called brown ales, for instance, Belgian brown ales, but they do not fit in to the category of brown ales, they tend to be more tart or sour in flavor. These beers are called Flanders brown and red ales. They are named as such because of the distinct area that they were first brewed.

The reason that I chose to talk about Brown ales is because I just brewed my first, and it will be ready soon. I hope to find the results of my beer to be indicative of the traditional styles. I will let you all know once I try it.

Until next time, happy brewing, and happy drinking.

Happy New Year

Hello everyone, it has been a few (okay more than a few) days since my last post, but it is the holidays, and it is good to take a break every now and again. I realize that you have been patiently waiting with bated breath for the next post so here it is.

One of the things that I knew already, but revisited over the break was that beer is appropriate in so many places. You might be thinking that it is only appropriate at certain times, but this simply is not true. Beer is as great at a family gathering during the holidays as it is on at the beach on a sunny summer day. After brewing my first beer, and having my parents visit over christmas, I realized that after talking about the beer and the process of creating the beer, it was a great experience to be able to share the results. Together my dad and I also brewed another batch, so we were able to go through the process together, and when it is ready, we will be able to discuss the outcome and what worked and didn't work.

Another time I found over the past few days that beer can be appropriate, is to mark specific, special days. On New Years day, my girlfriend, our dog, and I went to the mountains east of San Diego to an abandoned fire lookout. It was cold and windy, but the view was fantastic. While we were up there, we sat and talked about goals and expectations for the new year and commemorated it with the Pale Ale that I brewed. I can't really think of a better way to start off the new year.
Beer brings people together and brings people closer, beer is a great way to mark momentous occasions, and it is great for a cozy winter day. It can be used to make decisions, and set goals; however, I would recommend decisions be made with a little less beer (sometimes).

I hope that your holiday were wonderful and that the new year brings you new friends and new adventures.

Cheers!