H&C Tea Totals- And Just In Time For Summer!

Well, thank goodness for Lady Pilsner- that's all I gotta say! She is out there in central Europe innovating in the kitchen while I toil like a migrant farm hand here on the other side of the pond. Although I, Ms. Chops, have no real intention of actually quitting my beer habit- this time of year it is good to have other alternative refreshments on hand. Especially if you sweat as much as me, and it's before noon.

Anyhow, Lady Pilsner has decided to brew some ginger beer and share her experience. Which is kind of a coincidence, because just the other day our friend/beer brewing guru told me he takes water, mixes it with lime juice and powdered ginger and then puts it into a keg, carbonates it w/ CO2 and has it on tap in his kitchen. How cool is that? Perhaps someone will come up with a way to merge these two similar and refreshing beverages into one?

"Brewing Ginger Beer" by Lady Pilsner

I've been fascinated by non-alcoholic fermented beverages for a while, and finally managed to inspire myself to make a "traditional" ginger beer. Maybe it was my friend (whose grandmother is an herbalist) mentioning that she makes this type of beverage from elder flower each year when they are in season, maybe it was that I finally had the idea at the same time I had the available ingredients. Anyway, I decided to save my dried elder flowers for tea, and dug into my Nourishing Traditions cookbook for the ginger ale recipe:


3 / 4 c. ginger peeled and finely chopped or grated
1 / 2 c. fresh lime juice
1 /4 – 1 / 2 c. sucanat (I used regular sugar)
2 tsp. sea salt
1 / 4 c. whey
2 qts. filtered water


Combine, cover tightly, and leave at room temperature for 2 days. Filter and serve 1:1 with sparkling water.

Combine, cover tightly, and leave at room temperature for 2 days. Filter and serve 1:1 with sparkling water.
I ended up making approx. 2/3 the recipe b/c it fits nicely into our 1.5 L drink bottles, using a little less ginger (reason - husband) and lime juice (reason – no more limes) than recommended. It was ready today and, even though I didn't have the sparkling water, I was surprised that you do get to taste the fizz even 1:1 with tap water.
Czech beverage manufacturers, who have recently introduced "gently carbonated" waters would be jealous of my ginger beer. It definitely had more of a "buzz" or "fizz" than actual harsh bubbles. I might lessen the salt next time, but, even with the weird saltiness, I quite liked it. And just think how utterly healthy it is! As I understand it, the whey and salt change the type of fermentation from the traditional alcohol-producing one to a lactic-acid producing one, so without them, the drink would be slightly alcoholic. Next time, I may try it without the salt.
After leaving it a few more days I think the salt flavor subsided as the drink "aged" - Now, a few days later, the taste is better than it was the first day.

I've also been trying to find a tried and true Czech recipe for the elderflower drink, but had to resort to the internet because my two sources haven't come through yet. I haven't tried this recipe myself, though I may try it with my dried elder flowers or just wait for next year.

Elder Flower "Soda"

4 quarts water
4 elder flower florets
1 lemon
350-400 g sugar
1 / 2 tsp. yeast (this is pressed cake yeast, I think it would be about 1/3 tsp. dry yeast)


Boil the water, pour into a 5 quart container, mix the sugar into the hot water, squeeze the lemon into the container, then cut up the rest of the lemon into rings and add to the mix. When the water is luke warm, add the yeast and flowers and mix well. After 24 hrs, filter into bottles and refrigerate.

And P.S.-
I just have one last question for the illustrious Lady Pilsner. What in tarnation does an elder flower taste like? Hopefully not elders....

Please Stand By....

I have been horribly negligent in posting. I hope my three readers forgive me. The problem is, I just can't stop planting things. This time of year, it seems I am only capable of doing two things- sweating constantly, and digging holes. Every winter, when it's cold, grey, and miserable and I curl up next to the wood stove and think- 'wouldn't it be great to have 40 more delphiniums, and 40 more echinaceas, and grow lots more herbs, and try planting some husk cherrys...and...and...and'. And before I know it it's the 4th of July and all my 200 seedlings are crying to get out of their cell packs and I have no more space in my present gardens. And the sweating, and digging, and cussing of rocks begins. I promise I'll be back soon...lots more fun to come.

Found: New Bar and Beer

Mr. Chops and I met up with my cousin Sally and her husband Jan for a beer at a new Belgian- style beer bar in Portland ME called Novare Res. Our usual haunt in Portland is the Great Lost Bear, which, although it has an impressive beer line up (4o taps)- it has a very sports bar/ collegey feel to it. It's a dark, boisterous, chicken wing kind of place that sometimes plays excruciating butt-rock. So Novare Res was a nice change of pace. The bar is a basement level brick lined "cave" with what appeared to be three separate rooms. The main taproom has long common tables with benches, which seems like a fun idea. There was an outside area too, but sadly, they had not gotten any umbrellas for the tables yet, so me and my pigment-deprived skin had to stick with the inside seating. The menu was sparse, meat and cheese a la carte, an olive and bread plate, beef carpaccio, a salad, and a sandwich special. The food was delicious, and fresh with an emphasis on artisanal quality and local suppliers. The beer menu offered 25 beers on tap and an extensive selection of 200 + bottles. They also try to offer two cask selections (not available when we we there). The pick of the afternoon was the Leipzinger gose beer (on tap)that Neil and Jan ordered. It was spritzy, refreshingly acidic, but still very much like a weiss beer. It was so unusual and tasty I had to look into it further. Of course, it is imported by enterprising people at B. United. Here's what they have to say about it
"Leipziger Gose is a top-fermenting wheat beer {60% wheat, 40% barley malt} with coriander, salt, and lactic acid bacteria added in the boil. It is a 4.5% alc/vol eclectic beer whose name evokes a close relationship to the renowned Lambic/Geuze breweries in the Valley Senne nearby Brussels, Belgium."
Sounds good huh? Apparently this particular beer had been extinct since from the mid 1960's up until 2000 when it was mercifully ressurected by an enterprising German by the name of Schneider (no relation to the other brewing Schneiders).

Portland has always been a great place for good beer. The Portland area is also home to a number of popular breweries including Stone Coast (now owned by Shipyard), Shipyard, Allagash, Gritty's and the list goes on. Recently, Portland has added a few new bars dedicated solely to beer. Aside from Novare Res, we stopped at some another German-themed place which had opened just that weekend featuring quite a few taps which, I am embarrassed to say, I forget the name of. This may be a blessing in disguise because they were still working out the kinks in their routine so it would have been unfair to pass judgement yet. However, I am sure, even with the glitches, it will attract a loyal male clientele considering they dress their female waitresses in outfits that are an unfortunate cross between traditional Bavarian barmaid and cheap dime-store hooker. And no, I am not including a picture!

A Hops and Chops Night Out

Guess what??? Last week Mr. Chops and I were invited to a regularly scheduled meeting of the oldest beer club in New England! Many beer brewing heavy hitters were there. The night was peppered with lively banter, biting sarcasm, sharp wit and many insightful observations on beer. We tasted a bunch of different beers, mostly brewed by people in attendance. It was fascinating to compare beers of the same style brewed with different yeasts or the same beer brewed by two different people or under slightly different conditions. There was also a very lively discussion regarding the Brooklyn-Schneider hopfen weiss, the Schneider-Brooklyn hopfen weiss, and the clone brew brewed by an attendee designed after the same recipe. I am sure Hans-Peter Drexler's and Garret Oliver's ears were burning! In the end, I can't decide what was more fun- meeting all the characters present, or getting a chance to discuss beer with such a knowledgeable and accomplished group of beer enthusiasts.

The Good Things In Life

I had an outrageously bad day at work. It was just one of those days where everything went wrong, including a rip in the seat of my new uniform pants and a painful sunburn. When I got home, I promptly spilled a full glass of beer all over the carpet. Needless to say I was pretty cranked up. But just when things could have gotten worse, they didn't! Mr. Chops informed me that we had received two lovely gifts! Gerry stopped by with freshly home-roasted coffee beans AND Farmer Kate had passed along some wonderful chicken manure tea for my tomato plants! Nothing brightens a day like coffee and poop! Now, if only someone would drop by with some extra skin pigment I'd be all set!

I Have Become That Person!

When I started thinking about learning to brew, one of the first things I became afraid of was being that person. You know, the person that is so proud that they fermented anything, that they can't tell whether or not it's any good? That person who gives you a bottle of home-made wine as a serious gift, like it was from a famous chateau in France. Inevitably, they ask you how it was and you smile and promptly begin lying. I remember a certain instance where a man wanted to thank my father-in-law (who doesn't drink) for helping him build a porch by giving him a case of homemade wine. Well, guess who got stuck w/ a majority of those bottles? Needless to say, it was terrible. The label said "Merlot" but it tasted like grape juice mixed with moonshine.

Anyhow, the other day I finally siphoned off the sake I'm making into their secondary fermenters! When this is done, I choose to save a little and drink it fresh as nigorizake. I took about two pints, pasteurized them, and chilled them. I was so excited!!! I tasted it, and I swear to you- it wasn't the pride talking- it really did taste good. Cautiously, I had Mr. Chops taste it, and he confirmed that it was drinkable and actually pretty good. Then, the next thing that popped into my head was, I needed a third opinion! So, I immediately thought of Geof and Carla. They are nice enough to read my blog, so I thought they wouldn't mind being guinea pigs. I called them up and they procured a sample. I felt pretty good about this because, well, I had tasted it, and it seemed pretty much on the mark. They both have excellent taste, so I told them to be honest, and that if it sucked I wanted to know. Fortunately, I spared them the interrogation and ended up answering my own question.

I opened another jar of the fresh sake last night and to my horror, it tasted slightly off and the smell was definitely off. I guess I must have done something wrong. Which is strange, because the jar I had tasted first was prepared exactly the same way and tasted pretty good. Oh dear, I am that person! Sorry Geof and Carla! At least I didn't send over a case.

Squirrels, Poised and Ready For Attack

Recently, I have been doing a little soul-searching regarding alternate sources of protein. This started when I noticed an unnatural abundance of squirrels in our yard. They delight in digging in my vegetable garden. Not to eat, which would be understandable, but just to dig up whatever seedlings I just planted. People don't believe me, but I am convinced these little buggers suffer from serious passive aggressive streak. I once had a squirrel bring a perfectly ripe melon onto my porch, take one large bite out of it, and leave it there so I would be sure to see it. There are just so many things wrong with rodents exhibiting this sort of behavior.

For a while, I prayed for more predators in my back yard. Nature has a way of taking care of itself, right? Surely, I wasn't the only one to notice the abundance, of fat juicy squirrels. Amazingly, my prayers were answered and since this winter we have gained a resident pair of red shouldered hawks, a very large coyote, and most recently, a family of red foxes. Unfortunately, they just can't keep up, because, as my friend Mike observed; you could swing a cat and hit five or six of them!

But wait! Aren't humans predators? Shouldn't I be helping balance the rodent to predator ratio too? How many times do I get the opportunity to solve a problem by eating it? Killing two squirrels with one stone so to speak.

The real question here is, do I actually want to consume a rodent? Is a "tree rat" a little too close to a regular rat? But the truth is, as much as I hesitate, secretly I am also rather curious as to what these little grey annoyances taste like. I imagine them tasting like rabbit, although an article I read suggested they taste more like duck. Mmmm...furry duck, that has potential.

Cautiously, I have begun seeking out recipes. I started with the only preparation I had ever heard about for squirrel- Brunswick stew. Sounds pretty benign and almost sophisticated until you read the ingredients. This is a stew made with, gasp- okra (one of the very few foods I will not eat), corn, lima beans, large quantities of KETCHUP, Worcestershire sauce, stewed tomatoes, chicken broth. Ketchup in stew? A resounding blech! Oh, and like burgoo, the type of meat you choose for this culinary disaster is optional. It could be squirrel, but could also include everything from chicken, rabbit, opossum, raccoon, woodchuck etc. etc. Oh, the horror! Eating on the lower side of the food chain seems like a very slippery slope.

Then, a well-timed article from Ms. Yum Yum came to the rescue. It was a story about how in Britain, a natural food store can't keep their free range squirrel meat from selling out. It included a recipe for squirrel meat pie that really buoyed my enthusiasm. Truthfully, it made me feel a whole lot better knowing that there were people, other than straving toothless red necks with unexplained extra appendages, that ate squirrels. Then came another recipe for squirrels with cream sauce! And finally, squirrel and sausage gumbo. Hussah! This is a little more like it. Now that I am armed with some solid culinary guidance all I need is a couple of squirrels. Waste not, want not and cue up that theme music from Jaws....

Don't Be So Bitter

I have been talking with people about IPA's and the trend towards ultra- hoppy beers. In my impromptu survey, it seems that more men than women are into this phenomenon. An acquaintance who runs a bar remarked to me that women almost never order IPA's but the ones who like them are addicts. If a woman likes IPA's that is all they tend to order. Hmmmmm... why all this contention over hoppiness? I have also read that men like bitter tastes more than women due to the fact that in general they consume more zinc than women. Zinc, it appears, effects the way bitter foods taste. The more zinc you have in your diet, the more you like bitter flavors. As for me, I am on the fence. I like the flowery citrusy qualities of hops, and some bitterness but an overwhelming, lingering bitterness turns me off. A good example of this serious bitterness is Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale. I just can't figure out why this much bitterness would be a considered a good thing. I know some people- all men- who love this beer. It has been suggested to me that a lack of appreciation for bitterness equals an unsophisticated palate. Well, although this may be true, I just can't help but think extreme bitterness is form of taste bud torture. Frankly, it reminds me of the taste of gourds. I know, you're wondering what beer has to do with gourds. You are also probably wondering how I know what one tastes like. I offer this story: When my sister and I were kids we were un-satisfied with carving boring old pumpkins at Halloween. We felt we needed to carve a cucurbit with a little more panache, like say, gourds. What we didn't realize was that pumpkins are the time honored squash of choice for carving because they are ideally suited for it. Unlike pumpkins, gourds are rock hard, have a very small inner void and disproportionately thick walls. So, after a long struggle and many failed efforts at finding very tiny candles to fit in our mini-lanterns, we realized yet another reason people don't carve gourds- the taste. Long after we had cleaned up and washed our hands, anytime our fingers came in contact with our mouths we were assaulted by a horrible extremely bitter taste that lingered even after drinks of water or washing. The taste was so terrible we decided that this bitter gourd flavor could be a form of torture. A person would be forced to lick a piece of gourd thereby having to endure that bitter unpleasant taste for all eternity. Or perhaps, now that we're older and wiser we could just skip the gourds and substitute a Bigfoot Ale. There, you see? I can blame my dislike of the very bitter on my childhood. Freud be praised!

So to improve my unsophisticated palate I have popped some zinc tablets and done some research. I have come up with a few beers in this ultra hopped style that I do like. My top pick is Hazed and Infused, an unfiltered dry-hopped English style ale. My second pick is Hop Devil by Victory Brewing. These, in my opinion, have a goodly amount of hop flavor, and an enjoyably bitter but not gourd-like finish. And, Mr. Goodbar- for your information Victory Brewing is in PA so I would consider it local. Hooray!