Farro with Chicken, Vegetables, and Feta

If you live anywhere between the Midwest and Atlantic Ocean, it’s unseasonably warm. Like, “oh crap global warming” warm. I’m not complaining…hardly! I’m loving it and embracing it as best a girl can! Purchasing hilarious chaise lounge chairs for the brewery (to work outside, obviously) and mucking through the un-mowed grass in our back yard to sit, read, and bake (sunblock applied, obviously.)

It hasn’t been all puppy dogs and ice cream, though. Not even close. In the middle of window opening and t-shirt wearing has been a very, very, very sick husband, which led to missing uber-cool events. Such is life, and with any luck, that man might hopefully feel better in the next century. Ugh.

But it’s more than that my dear friends. This gorgeous weather breeds the necessary evils of attempting to fit into last year’s warm weather gear. Let’s just say the nonstop work-a-thon that’s been my life as of late hasn’t led to the most beautiful rendition of my bod. Hardly. If anything, attempting to sausage-stuff myself into a pair of shorts has shown me the error of my ways, the need for some exercise, and the desire to throw out all the many boxes of girl scout cookies gracing our freezer. (No worries. I promise not to do anything drastic.)

A rainbow of health

So today, I took action. I worked out, I walked, I consciously noted calories in and out. I promised myself enough is enough, and made the first tiny step to fitting back into my clothes. Enter tonight’s dinner. Whole grains in the form of farro, tossed with vegetables and lean protein galore. Nutritious, delicious, and satisfying enough to feed J’s fever and watch my soon-to-be-svelter waistline.

Highly recommending here, peeps. The leftovers are sure to make a lunch appearance in the next day or so, as I kick Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred’s Day 2 in the mother f’in arse!

Farro with Chicken and Vegetables
1/2 C semi-pearled farro
1 C chicken stock
1 C water
2 chicken breasts, diced
2 T olive oil
1 bell pepper, diced
6 medium radishes, diced
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 container cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
1 T oregano
1 T crushed red pepper
salt and pepper

Crumbled feta, for serving

Top with feta upon serving.

Sometimes life hands you more than you expect. Both in fabulousness and heartbreak, and if you’re me, often at the exact same time. It’s been an incredible, sad, exciting, life-fulfilling, tumultuous few weeks. Things are better than ever and excruciatingly hard at the same time.

Leave it to my girl Alyssa of the newest soon-to-be bestseller “Apron Anxiety” to make my day. With tears streaming down my face this morning, out of laughter and not, I read the first chapter of her book, published online.

I knew she’d get here. Sitting in the upstairs PR/design office of ABC Carpet & Home almost a decade ago, I somehow knew she’d be here.

Congrats my old friend. I cannot wait for the rest.

If you haven’t pre-ordered Alyssa’s book yet, GET ON IT YO!

Once in a while, something happens in the kitchen that really makes you wonder. Maybe you make a killer cocktail, or you burn a meal you’ve made a million times before. Or you make something that no one should ever make, eat, or even think about. That happened here, last night. But I can’t take all the credit.

You see, we had a chocolate event at the brewery on Saturday. And we also had friends in town for a nice Pittsburgh meets Michigan visit. One of the items on the Greenbush Chocolate Classic menu was chocolate drizzled bacon. Yes, yes…everyone is mixing chocolate and bacon and doing endlessly weird dishes with swine. Doesn’t mean the combination isn’t epic, or that any meat-eating-chocolate lover doesn’t swoon over the combo.

Anyway, it was on the menu, and we dug in with gusto. The salty-sweet-fat experience is amazing, but sometimes you just have to take it an extra step. Sometimes inspiration strikes and you are a slave to your own insane thinking. Peanut butter, people. Extra crunchy natural peanut butter.

And well…it happened in the kitchen last night. Bake the bacon, melt dark chocolate, and thin out the peanut butter. Drain the bacon, drizzle the chocolate, then the peanut butter, then the chocolate. Sprinkle with cracked sea salt and some Aleppo pepper if you’re feeling really indulgent. Wait a few minutes. Be clear with yourself how many pieces you’re really going to eat. You can’t eat 5 bacon lollipops…don’t kid yourself.

I recommend making this, even just once. Yes, it goes right to your ass. Yes, you can likely order something as decadent and delightful at our next fancy dinner. But making it in your sweats during Celebrity Apprentice?

I mean come on NOW!

*Yes. I made this with Hap’s Bacon from Local. Use good bacon, good chocolate, and good peanut butter. But doesn’t that all go without saying?

Why hello there! Happy New Year! I promise a photo post of my low-key, super hilarious, and very delicious New Year’s celebrating, but first, I have a bone to pick, and I’m getting on a soap box.

I love blogging, the blogosphere, the world of bloggers. Most of us, I find, are weighted down by ethics and niceness, trying desperately to be honest and kind in the same breath. I don’t like telling my friends about a bad dining experience without trying to find the shining light, let alone blast it to the twittersphere. So, please. Tell me, why do “beer raters” not follow the same ideals?

I have to say, before Greenbush opened, I definitely didn’t pay very much attention to “rating sites.” Once in a while I’d check Beer Advocate for a review on a beer I’d be bringing into the shop, but not much more than that. And now, I feel like I’m inundated with comments here and ratings there about any and ALL beers.

Yes, I’m sensitive to reviews of Greenbush and our beers. But as an intelligent, aware, food-and-beer-minded person, I get that everyone isn’t going to like everything. That’s the way of the world, and likely what makes the beer industry so fantastic. However, I find it so difficult to tolerate meanness, negativity, and down and out rudeness.

Some of the beer raters that come into our brewery are delightful. Understanding, open, and honest. When they don’t like something, they generally say it to our faces before anything else. With kindness and thoughtfulness to the work we do, they let us know if they taste an off-flavor or something that they are just not enjoying. Our bartenders, brewers, and I always respond in the most positive fashion, even if we disagree. Completely.

And look, I get it. I get that people don’t like everything and want to sit behind their computers and tell the world about the vomit and bandaid flavors in a particular beer. But I think that those same people need to understand that there needs to be some kind of “golden rule” appreciation when taking fingers to keys to lash out against a particularly unpleasant beer experience.

With that, I give you my 5 Do’s and Dont’s of Beer Rating:

1. BE NICE! Remember, this is someone’s passion, art, love, and hard work that you’re rating. Whether you’re raving or crushing, think about how you’d feel if someone said that about something you’d worked hard on.

2. If you must rate while at a brewery or establishment, please DON’T RATE EXPERIMENTAL BEERS! I won’t speak for other breweries, but we do experimental beers as just that. Experiments. We aren’t brewing these in giant batches, bottling and kegging for the general world. We’re allowing you, our customers, to taste things as we work on them. Customers are lucky to get to taste things in progress; it’s an honor, quite honestly, and one that really should be respected more. A 5-star chef wouldn’t allow you in his kitchen to taste a sauce before it was finished, yet we, as brewers, offer you the chance to do just that. So please, don’t rate them. Just don’t.

3. Consider the state of your palate. If you’ve been to 3 other breweries first, or drinking pints of Sours, remember that your palate is likely exhausted. More than likely. Which means, flavors and smells will be dulled, heightened, and your mouth will react to things differently. REMEMBER that. And even if you think you’re a star with a star palate-trust me. You’re not. No one is. Your pallet gets tired, just like everything else.

4. Not every IPA/Belgian Style/Porter/Barrel-Aged Stout/ is the same. Yes, some breweries follow certain styles. Other breweries pride themselves on doing just the opposite. Just because you’ve studied and read and know all about what truly is a traditional IPA, that doesn’t mean someone’s beer who isn’t true to style doesn’t taste just as delicious.

5. Probably most important? Remember that people are reading what you’re writing, which is likely why you’re writing it. You have a voice, and you want it heard, so you blog/rate/comment. I’m a blogger, I completely and totally understand. But every single time I comment on something, I note the positives much bigger than the negatives. Everyone who reads your reviews may not know you, and they may have never tried the product you’re trashing. But it might deter them from tasting it, and like I said, that’s someone’s passion/art/livelihood you’re bashing.

For those of you that rate kindly? Rock on. Keep doing what you’re doing. I’m not naive. I know that people write and have opinions and want to think what they want to think. And I know that more than 75% of the people who blog and rate do so in a very positive manner. But for the lesser percentage, the people that want to be mean and inappropriate and venemous….please.

Think before you write.

New Year’s lost its luster a while back, for me. It’s amateur night, it’s crazy, it’s dangerous to be on the roads. Add to that a husband who gigs almost every New Year’s? You get a general sense of “eh.” But that doesn’t stop me from trying every single year.

This year, I knew early I’d be J-less for the evening. Our good friends P and E decided a dinner party was in order, and a smattering of friends were included. It was a mash up of ingredients and courses, basting and bubbling. The sparkling selections delicious, the deep fryer in use, it was a “full body workout” of laughter and fun.

Everyone was given two “ingredients” out of a hat…and the following happened:

The gorgeous table

One of the most delicious cheeses I've ever tasted. Rush Creek Reserve from Upland (in WI.)

Lemongrass and Appetizer

Duck Breast Skewered with Lemongrass

Squash and Side

Aroncini with Squash over Marinara

Bacon Dressed Red Cabbage Slaw

My dish: Fish and Bacon. Deep Fried Cod over a Bacon Dressed Slaw

Harissa Lamb Ravioli (Harissa and Pasta)

There are three dishes that seem to have escaped photography. The HARDEST by far was Coffee and Soup, in which we were treated to a Coffee Braised Bacon Clam Chowder which was a delicious addition. Ginger and Salad paired together wonderfully with a lot of Papaya in the salad dressed with bright ginger loveliness. I fled at about 12:09, which meant I missed the dessert course, Maple and Dessert. But I’ve been told the cake was amazing.

J arrived back Sunday evening, and I had our own New Year’s celebration waiting, with a bottle of bubbly and a comforting, hot, gigantic pot of Hoppin John and Greens ready to go.

Dandelion Greens with Pancetta for Hoppin John

J and I celebrated New Year's Day with Hoppin John.

Happy 2012 to all!

Coffee Rubbed Pork Butt, Served with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli

It’s funny to look back on all my recipes from last year. It’s interesting to see how much time I really did have to add multiple ingredients to dishes, experiment with new flavors, and have the ability to figure it all out if a flavor was just a little bit off.

Clearly, I don’t necessarily have those luxuries of hours in the kitchen anymore. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a very hungry husband, who misses the smells of braising meat coming from our kitchen. Determined to prove that I don’t need hours on end of kitchen focus, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and put a big piece of meat in the oven to slow cook.

Rubbed in freshly ground coffee, salt and pepper

Bacon fat and olive oil, to sear the pork

Simple and clean, and of course, easy, was what I needed. I turned to good friends Local for the meat, 3 pounds of beautiful, local pork butt. For flavor, I was ready. Friends of the brewery, Infusco Coffee, were holding a tasting in our taproom yesterday, and inspiration struck. This new, local, coffee roaster, located in our particularly culinarily lucky corner of Michigan, has made me understand the difference between good coffee and bad, and they generously threw some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe my way. (I have to be honest, I still don’t know the difference in beans, but I’m trying hard to learn a bit more.)

Rye Whiskey reducing with pork

Fresh out of the oven

I took the butt home, ground up some coffee, and rubbed the pork all over with the ground coffee, salt, and pepper. That was all it took. Seared it, and put it in the oven for 2.5 hours, (with some all-important rye whiskey) until it was so quick to fall apart I needed help getting it out of the pan. Reduced the pan juices down about half, thickened with some flour, and tossed the meat and sauce together.

Rye Whiskey Gravy

Shred the pork, toss it with the sauce

The house smelled incredible, the ingredients were few, and the result was more than one of the most delicious things I’ve made in a very long time. I felt a little more like me, again, and I loudly exclaimed I would roast something every week.

J, knowing my schedule and me better than anyone, just smiled and said, “That would be great.”

Coffee Rubbed Pork Butt
3 lbs pork butt, tied (mine came this way)
1 C freshly ground coffee (if you can)
salt
pepper
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP bacon fat (you can omit this and use extra oil if you’d like)
1 1/2 C rye whiskey
1 1/2 C chicken stock
1 TBSP flour (for sauce, at end)

Shred pork into large chunks, toss with sauce. Serve with remaining sauce as gravy on top.

Well hello there! Remember me? Yep, that’s me. That plucky girl who used to cook and grow things and can and bake. The woman who would have time to braise a meal, make jam, and wax poetic on her favorite bottle of wine. All coming back to you now?

Clearly, there’s more to catch up on then any of us have time for. 6 months into the new brewery and things are moving along at a clip none of us really expected. It’s an amazing, exhausting, exhilarating whirlwind, and I’m fairly certain the most gratifying thing I’ve ever done, professionally speaking. Beer dinners, pop-up kitchen takeovers, chef collaborations and more, the world of craft beer is all encompassing.

On the homefront, things are good. We’ve figured out a way to settle into our new digs enough to make things comfortable, even though the kitchen still doesn’t feel like home. But I’m trying, day by day, to get back into the swing of things. Getting back to basics, if you will, and reminding myself how to cook things in 40 minutes rather than 4 hours. I spent so much of the last 7 years working from home, that I guess I took the amount of cooking time for granted. Now, with a work schedule like normal people, getting home at 6 most days with just 2ish days off during the week, I’ve got no time for a gigantic meal and even less motivation.

So I ask you. Where to start? What have you been cooking lately?

It’s been a long while since I’ve had two minutes to put together words on here. Summer has come and gone, I’ve seen friends less times than I care to count, and I’ve worked myself to the bone.There has been a 9/11 anniversary, Emmy Awards, football has kicked into high gear, and my flip flops have made way for my boots.

This past weekend, one of my oldest friends got married in upstate NY. A fabulous time for all, followed by a whirlwind trip in NYC for beer meetings and family time.

Today is our last day, and I’ve been slowly trying to catch up with the outside world before descending at 10pm tonight to jump back into my real life full time with a great event at City Provisions in Chicago tomorrow night. (We’re launching the official release of Terminator X, a beer we brewed with Cleetus Friedman.)

While looking at facebooked wedding photos, trying to find my future sister-in-laws sunglasses, and attempting to understand how I’m still so nauseated, I read my dear friend Apron Anxiety’s latest blog post last night. It made me cry, and I’ve just read it again to understand the magnitude of her post. You see, Alyssa and I met soon after 9/11/01, and I knew from the beginning of her loss during that terrible day. Each year, while feeling my own brand of sadness, I ALWAYS think of Alyssa, her family, her friends.

I’m reposting this for you to remind us all that life isn’t just about food, clothing, being too thin or too fat. Life isn’t just about work, about marriage, or about money. Life is about love.

I applaud Alyssa for her unbelievable candor, truth, and rawness in this post. We should all be so lucky.

We were in the Midwest Brewers Fest in Plainfield IL last weekend. This was the dark chocolate drizzled bacon I ate way too much of.

Somehow, summer is almost over. We just hit the Midwest Brewers Fest in Plainfield, which was a riot on many levels. (Check our Facebook page for all the details of the day.) Can you say Nutella Bacon Pizza? Sigh!

I’m gearing up for a crazy Labor Day weekend at the brewery, inventorying boxes and boxes of merchandise, making sure our tap list is up and ready, and realizing that somehow I’m going to get through the next few days on little or no sleep. I love it. And when the craziness of Labor Day is behind us, and the kids are back at school, we just gear up more and more. A NY wedding is upon us in a few weeks, and distribution expansion, bottling, and much more.

It definitely makes me sad, though, when I walk around the markets and realize the likelihood of canning or making sauce or any of it is slim. I’m begging friends to do it for me, which really isn’t the point (but will work for sure.) The talks of peach pies, tomato sauce, and habanero hot sauce that haunt my brain will have to make room for the fact that 7 of our 9 labels have been approved, and that soon I will be in the land that Irene washed.

Fresh, local, cherry tomatoes simmering in pancetta, onions and garlic

I’ve been trying though. Just now, while J is gigging and I’m home alone with my computer and brand new trapper keeper, I finally cut up the beautiful Yellow Doll watermelon I brought home ages ago and paired it with some delicious feta. I made this gorgeous Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Pancetta and Spicy Fennel Sausage last week, and the taste was unbeatable.

Pasta with Local Spicy Fennel Sausage, Fresh Tomato Sauce, and Mozzarella

So why not share a few food-love pictures from the last few weeks. Tell me what you love, what you miss, and most importantly…

What food are you MOST looking forward to in the next few weeks?

Not eaten, not purchased, but the cutest baby chicks for sale at a Farm and Feed Store today. SWOON!

Spicy Nectarine and Feta Salad

I only recently realized that summer is basically over. Leaves are falling in our front yard, there is a definite chill in the air in the morning, and I’m dreaming of boots and sweaters, always a giant sign of the impending change of season. I feel like I’ve missed out on so much. Boat trips with friends, being tan, and all the rest of summer joys. Of course, I’m thrilled with why I’m not tan and seaworthy, but it does make the end of summer sting a bit harder than normal.

Especially when it comes to food. The beautiful fruits and vegetables of the season are passing me by, with barely a bite or meal to note. Sure, we’ve had a few nights of glory, and I’m thankful for each and every mouthful, but I miss the joys of bountiful tomatoes, lettuces and herbs for days, and corn.

I took the bull by the horns last night, so to speak. We were having our summer favorite for dinner last night, and it just wasn’t enough to mow through a Naan-wrapped lamb burger alone. I visited the garden center (thankfully located behind the brewery or I’d hardly know it was summer at all) and picked up some gorgeous nectarines.

And that was really it. Chopped into small chunks, tossed with local feta and mint, dressed simply with sriracha, lemon juice, salt and pepper, a beautiful salad made its way into my summer repertoire. Eating it, and making it, really, I was inspired by my spicy peach beer and all the flavor it had.

Cheese-less, this would be an incredible salsa for any sandwich or chip experience, but with the feta and maybe a crouton it’s a meal I’d likely eat on its own.

Did I mention I’m eating the leftovers as soon as I hit publish?