New Beer Friday - November 30 Edition

Mitten Brewing Co. Pesto Pizza

By Chris Siciliano

Before we get to naming the latest and greatest beers to arrive at Siciliano’s, I want to first express a sincere thank you to Chris Andrus & Max Trierweiler, founders, brewers, and proprietors of the newly opened Mitten Brewing Co.

Last Friday, after my wife and I had a few beers and lunch in their new taproom, Max and Chris treated us to a tour of the small brewing operation, the pizza kitchen, and then the rest of the 100+ year old building.

I’ll save my extended and overall impression of the Leonard Street nano-brewery for a stand-alone Tuesday Review. I will say now that the pizza is excellent, the service is friendly, and, most important, the beers are solid, well on their way to becoming something special.

Speaking of special beer, this Saturday, December 1, representatives from Vivant will be conducting an in-store tasting at Siciliano's from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Stop by and see us!

New (and Returning) Beers

• Harpoon El Triunfo Coffee Porter, $6.69/22oz - "Caramel and dark chocolate accentuate the bittersweet notes of the locally roasted coffee beans. The end result is a balanced beer with a sweet, smooth body complemented by the delicate flavors and aromas of fair trade Mexican coffee (source).
• Boulder Beer Co. Killer Penguin Barley Wine, $3.89/12oz, 8.59/22oz bottles - "Traditional winter seasonals are warm and comforting - not this Penguin. Diving in at around 10 percent alcohol by volume, Killer Penguin uses over twice the malt as other winter beers, and is aged for over 6 months to perfect the condition and flavor of this barleywine style ale. This beer doesn't ferment, it hibernates, and wakes up with an attitude" (source).
• Founders Furniture City, $6.99/22oz - "Furniture City Stock Ale is a malt-forward beer brewed with seven different varieties of malts and grains. Our version of this historic style of beer pours a deep mahogany and is smooth and easy to drink" (source).
• Bell's This One Goes to 11, $3.09/12oz - "This One Goes to 11 Ale opens with bright, juicy aromas such as tropical fruits & ripe cherries, largely derived from massive kettle & dry-hop additions of Southern Hemisphere hop varieties such as Galaxy, Motueka, and Summer. The citrus & resinous pine notes of the Pacific Northwest hop family are also well represented, making their presence known through Simcoe, Citra, and the newly released Mosaic varietal, just to name a few. A wide range of specialty malts anchor the hops to this IMPERIAL RED ALE, contrasting the assertive bitterness & juicy aromatics with a robust, toasty depth of flavor. Fermented with Bell’s signature house ale yeast, This One Goes to 11 Ale finishes with a lingering warmth" (source).
• Short's  Cup a Joe, $2.19/12oz - "A brew uniquely different from most coffee stouts, we cram Higher Grounds roasted fair trade espresso beans into every facet of the brewing process. Prominent aromatics of malt, espresso, and cocoa are abundant and create a flavor robust with big malt characters fused with cream and coffee. The perfect morning night capper" (source).
• Malheur Brut Reserve - $28.69/750ml - "Malheur Brut Reserve is suitable as an aperitif, dessert or digestive: strong but silky-smooth, with a powerful, dry aftertaste, very aromatic, velvety peach and rose, apricot, vanilla, orange, lemon rind, strongly bound and quietly controlled" (source).
• Dogfish Head Hellhound, $14.39/22oz - "2011 marks the 100th birthday of Mississippi Delta bluesman Robert Johnson who, according to legend, sold his soul down at the crossroads in a midnight bargain and changed music forever. Working again with our friends at Sony Legacy (yup, the same folks we did our Miles Davis-inspired Bitches Brew with), Dogfish Head pays tribute to this blues legend by gettin the hellhounds off his trail and into this finely-crafted ale. Hellhound is a super-hoppy ale that hits 100 IBUs in the brewhouse, 10.0 ABV, 10.0 SRM in color, and dry-hopped with 100% centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilos per 100 barrel brew-length. Can you tell we at Dogfish are stoked for this mighty musical centennial? To accentuate and magnify the citrusy notes of the centennial hops (and as a shout out to Robert Johnsons mentor Blind Lemon Jefferson) we add dried lemon peel and flesh to the whirlpool" (source).
• Point St. Benedicts Winter Ale, $1.19/12oz - "St. Benedict of Nursia lived in the late 5th to early 6th centuries. Legend has it while living in solitude, he was befriended by a raven that later saved his life. He is most remembered for writing the Rule of St. Benedict that, among other virtues, teaches humility. Inspired by this Rule we humbly offer St. Benedict’s Winter Ale, a hand-crafted ale using generous amounts of dark roasted malts and the finest noble hops for a robust warming flavor" (source).
• New Belgium Biere de Garde collaboration with Vivant,  Price TBA*/22oz - "Famous in Michigan for farmhouse ales, our friends at Brewery Viviant introduced us to their biere de garde ale yeast strain. From there, we imagined a slightly tart, intentionally dry beer with hints of bergamot citrus that pairs perfectly with French cheeses" (source).

Picture of the Week

John's version of the Heisman

Cheers!

*As of early Friday morning, when New Beer Friday went to press, the New Belgium Beire de Garde had not yet been delivered to the store; therefore, no price was available. Please contact Siciliano's for pricing updates.

Doug's Deals 2.0 - Beautiful Deals for the Holiday Season

Doug, dealing

By Doug Dorda

'Tis the season for savings here at Siciliano's, and we are working to provide the best possible deals to those of you looking to scratch beginner wine- and beer-makers off your list.

In the interest of providing you, the shopper, with the quickest means of gathering all equipment necessary for someone looking to make their first batch of beer or wine, we present to you the second round of Doug's Deals. Prices will become effective December 1st.

Beer-Making Equipment Deals – Each of these deals will provide you with one version of our beer-making equipment kits as well as two cases of clear 12-oz amber bottles, a wine thief, and a copy of How to Brew by John Palmer. Aside from the ingredients and, in one case, a brew pot, these deals include just about everything a first-time brewer is going to need.

• Doug's Deluxe Equipment Kit Deal, $135 – With this package, you get the Brewers Best deluxe equipment kit. You will also receive two cases of 12-oz amber bottles, the wine thief, and a copy of How to Brew by John Palmer. These items, sold separately, are a combined value of $158, a total savings of $23. Please note that the deluxe kit does not contain a brew pot; therefore, this is the deal to consider for those who may already have a 5-gallon kettle.
• Doug's Beast of A Deal, $165 – With this package, you get the Brewers Beast equipment kit, as well as the two cases of bottles, wine thief and book. This kit contains everything that can be found in the deluxe kit, but also boasts a 5-gallon stainless steel brew pot by Polar Ware, a test tube, and a vial of IO-San sanitizer. For those who need to purchase the complete package, look no further than this deal. Again, the total savings add up to $23, as the separate cost amounts to $188. 

Wine Making Equipment Deal – It is important to note that the wine-making deal varies significantly from the beer-making deal. The least of the reasons behind that being there is no boil necessary for wine making so a pot is of no concern.

• Doug's Wine-Making Deal – For only $130, you get the Vitners Best Wine-Making equipment kit, two cases of 750-ml green Bordeaux wine bottles, and an auxiliary 6-gallon glass carboy. The total cost for the items purchased separately would be $150; that's a savings of $20!

Kegging Kits – Know a beer maker that is looking forward to getting into kegging? This year we have thrown our beginners kegging kits into the holiday fray. The kit includes one 5-lb CO2 tank, a dual-gauge regulator, a new or reconditioned 5-gallon Cornelius keg, a cobra tap, disconnects, hose clamps, and correct lengths of tubing required for liquid and gas distribution.

• Kegging Kit Deal – The kit with a used keg will be offered at $199, down from $225. The kit with a new keg will be offered at $235, down from $275. Note that the CO2 tank that comes in the kit is not full – pending availability, you may pay an additional $17 on top of the kit price to include a full CO2 tank.

For those of you that simply can not decide on a gift for that beer or wine lover in your life, we also offer Siciliano's gift cards, which are available in any increment you desire. The cards are good for any of the items that we offer in the store. We wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season.

If you have any questions concerning the deal pricing, or any questions about the equipment itself, please give us a call at 615-453-9674.

*All deals listed above are designed to be comprehensive packages for equipment only; ingredients will be sold separately. All equipment listed is also available for purchase separately. You do not have to purchase a full deal if you do not wish.

Tuesday Review: Amore Tratorria Italiana

Gnocchi

By Steve Siciliano

Some of my most cherished childhood memories are of the times I sat at my grandmother’s kitchen table watching her combine a steaming pile of riced potatoes with raw eggs and flour. She would then knead the doughy mixture on a massive wooden cutting board, hand-roll pieces of the heavy lump into long strips, and then finally cut those into dozens of delicate little potato dumplings called gnocchi. [See video below for correct pronunciation.]

Gnocchi is a rustic and simple Italian dish that is frustratingly difficult to make properly. Add too much flour and you get something more akin to lead ingots than delicate, succulent, potato based pillows. Too little flour and the dumplings transform into a runny mess in the boil. But if the ingredients are combined in just the right proportions the result is exquisite culinary alchemy. Although Grandmother Fulvi never measured ingredients, her gnocchi always turned out perfectly.

Today whenever I see gnocchi listed on an Italian restaurant’s menu I can’t resist choosing it as an entrée. Most times this ends in disappointment. One time I chose the dish at a ubiquitous national chain. “I’ll have the gnocchi,” I told the gum-smacking waitress.

“The what?”

“The gnocchi,” I said again.

“The what?”

I pointed to a spot on the menu.

“Oh,” she said. “The nacky.” I should have known better.

This past Sunday, Barb and I went to Amore Tratorria Italiana, a relatively new restaurant housed in an old building on Alpine Avenue just south of Six Mile Road. “Doesn’t look too promising,” my wife said after we parked and were walking up to the front door.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things,” I replied.

When inside, we were immediately greeted by a smiling hostess and promptly seated. Seconds later our server appeared with a basket of focaccia bread and a cruet of olive oil. I half listened while she described the specials, choosing instead to focus my attention on the appetizers and the exclusively Italian wine list. Barb suggested we try the cozze, “mussels cooked in white wine with garlic, tomatoes, lemon, parsley and a touch of anisette” ($9.00). I chose a bottle of L’Astore Primitivo ($36.00) to accompany our meal and told our server that we would look at the entrees after the appetizer.

While waiting for the wine and mussels we looked around the room. An eclectic assortment of artwork adorns the rustic-red and gold painted walls. Booths line two of those walls and tables are spaced nicely around the mostly carpeted room that has a wood section in the middle appearing to have once served as a dance floor. On each table and booth was a vase holding a single—and real—red rose.

When our server appeared with our wine she properly presented the bottle, opened it, and then poured the wine through an aerator into a decanter. A nice touch. A heaping bowl of mussels were then delivered to the table. Since the description on the menu indicated that the mussels were prepared in white wine we were surprised when they came out swimming in a red sauce. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The sauce, with its subtle anise flavor, was excellent and we soaked up every drop with the focaccia bread.

While we were finishing the appetizer I turned my attention to the entrees and it was then that I saw that one of the offerings was gnocchi.

“How’s the gnocchi?” I asked the server.

“It’s very good.”

“Is it frozen?”

“Of course not,” she replied. “The kitchen makes it fresh from scratch every day.”

The gnocchi ($10.00) turned out to be very good indeed. Diners have the option of ordering the dish with a four cheese, Bolognese, vodka or pesto cream sauce. I chose the Bolognese. For her entrée Barb chose the involtini, thinly sliced breaded eggplant stuffed with a four cheese blend, baked with tomato sauce and cheese ($15.00). It too was very good.

I give Amore Tratorria Italiana an emphatic thumbs up. The restaurant sources many ingredients locally and it is evident, as stated on the website, that the owners are committed to providing an experience and not simply a meal. Well prepared food, excellent service, good prices and an extensive wine list all combine to create that experience. I have no doubts that we’ll soon be back for another.

Amore Tratorria Italiana is located at 5080 Alpine Avenue, Comstock Park, Michigan, 616-785-5344.

Don't Take Stock, Make It

The method and importance of reintroducing homemade stock into everyday kitchen practices.

By Wes Eaton

Stock is a simple, yet too often overlooked part of kitchen practices. Meaty bones, carcasses, grizzle, and trimmings are not only left out of much of the packaged products now available across America, but when they are brought home, they are often neglected and ultimately wasted. Why is this so? The decline of stock-making practices results from both structural changes, as in changing retail and meat packing practices that prioritize individual, boneless/skinless fillets, as well as from a shrinking understanding and appreciation for both the practice and purpose for making stock in the home.

What I want to do here is begin to point us toward ways of addressing the latter of these issues, the knowledge gap in stock-making practice and purpose. To do so, I want to emphasize the simplicity of making stock, and arranging a stock making practice that allows us to truly make this an “everyday” (or, more likely “every-week”) kitchen practice. I also want to draw upon two of may favorite sources of kitchen lore and science, Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, and Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking, and share a bit about the ways stock nourishes, protects, and heals our bodies.

Falling somewhere between myth and science, homemade stock, concocted from fish, poultry, and ruminant bones, grew infamous for its nourishing, health benefits well before the scientific, industrial, and accompanying medical revolutions. Today, however, retail stock, and its sisters restaurant broth and soup in general, are demonized as MSG- and salt-laden health risks. Yet in reality, stock is nourishing in at least three important ways, as pointed out by Fallon. First, meat stock contain the minerals, such as calcium and potassium, from bone, cartilage, marrow, as well as vegetables. The slow process of simmering, and the addition of a small amount of acidic vinegar, help draw this out. Second, the gelatin which the simmer isomerizes into solution, has the special property of attracting liquids, making foods easier to digest. Moreover, the gelatin, in combination with the other ingredients in stock, heals the mucus lining of the small intestine, which is regularly inflamed and damaged by other things in our modern diets.

Finally we come to taste and cooking qualities. Stock, which is best stewed slowly on stove top throughout a blustery day, adds exquisite depth to soups, stews, and other dishes like risotto and quinoa. Stocks can be clear or cloudy, depending on cooking processes, but all stocks carry their concentrated ingredients in a full bodied, gelatinous, and rich form, perfect for thickening sauces.

To make stock, McGee instructs us to begin with cold water, which allows the proteins of the meat to heat slowly, and therefore fall out of solution, allowing the cook to skim off extra foam and particulates, leaving a generally clear liquid if the boil is not too vigorous. My stock, however, is often cloudy. What should be added to stock? Remember, the idea is to dissolve, through simmering, base components of vegetables, meats, and bones, into a homogenous liquid. There are generally four categories of stock: beef, chicken, fish, and vegetable. McGee points out that the meat itself contributes the depths of flavor, while the bones and skin provide the gelatin; so a bit of both seems prudent.

There are countless arrangements of recipes, so here I want to share my particular practice of making chicken stock. I use the word practice to emphasize that this is more than a recipe, and more than simply a procedure, but rather, as a household practice, chicken stock is part of our family’s routine. First you need a bird, or more specifically, a carcass. Being the holidays, there ought be plenty of turkeys, for instance, to go around. Once or twice a month we purchase a broiler from Rakowski Farms and use this meat and stock throughout many of the weeks’ meals.

Once the bird is cooked, and we roast a whole chicken, and the meat largely removed, situate the carcass on the bottom of a stock pot—arguably the most important tool in the kitchen, next to fire. Per McGee, add cold water. How much depends on the size of the bird, but at least halfway. Heat the mixture to a boil and skim off coagulated proteins before adding additional ingredients. These ought to include, at the least, a couple tablespoons of vinegar or wine to help break things down (this will cook off), carrots, celery, and onions. For spices, leave out the salt. This way you can always salt your ensuing recipes to taste. Instead, add a few bay leaves, black peppercorns, fresh parsley, fresh or dried sage, and a spring of fresh thyme. Continue to simmer, uncovered, all day. Use your discretion, but the longer the better. If you reduce the volume too much, you are producing fumet or demi-glaze that can later, however, be reconstituted with water. 

When you are satisfied with your stock, it's time to prepare it for storage (if you are not using immediately for the split pea soup recipe I give below). To do this, pour the contents of the stock pot through a colander into a large mixing bowl or other storage container to cool. I recommend utilizing the back porch so as not to warm your fridge. Once chilled, you will notice two things. First, the fat will have risen and hardened on top. You can scrape this off and discard, or cook with it if you are using duck. Second, in this cooled state, the stock will resemble straw-colored jello, thickened from the gelatin. To store, I recommend scooping into gallon freezer bags and flattening these on their sides for easy stacking, or keeping in the fridge if you plan to cook within the week. Frozen stock keeps for months, so mark your containers with dates and rotate. Keeping stock on hand will help you make this into a part of your own cooking and eating routine.

Chicken Stock 

• One or more chicken, turkey, or game bird carcasses, trimmed of fat but heavy on skin and trimmings
• Celery, carrots, onions, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
• Bay leaves, peppercorns, fresh or dried sage, fresh thyme, fresh parsley
• Cold water at least half way up the pot 

Split Pea Soup 

• 2 tablespoons butter
• Large finely chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 7 cups chicken stock
• Large smoked ham hock
• 1 slice of smoked pork/ham
• 1 pound split green peas
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• Bay leaves
• 2 carrots, peel and cubed
• 1 celery rib, cubed
• Black pepper 

In a dutch oven (preferably cast iron), warm the butter, saute the onions and then add garlic and cook for no more than an additional minute while stirring. Next, add remaining ingredients, but leave out the carrots and celery. Raise to a boil, then simmer 45 minutes until peas are tender, but not mush. Next, remove the pork steak, and using a fork, shred and store this in a tupperware to keep from drying out. Add the celery and carrots. Cook for additional 30 minutes then remove the bone, bay leaves, and sprigs, and add back in the shredded meat. Season with salt and pepper if need be.

New Beer Friday - November 23 Edition

Great Lakes Blackout Stout,
$3.29/12oz (4-btl limit)

By Chris Siciliano

In a development that shocked no one, a total of zero Siciliano’s customers camped in tents outside the store last night in an effort to get the jump on competing shoppers. This despite the fact that for the first time ever, the boss has decided to recognize Black Friday by putting select merchandise on sale—specifically, our homebrew and winemaking equipment kits (read the full details here).

In other news, we’re hoping that you all ate your fill of delicious turkey on Thanksgiving, but that you also have room today and all weekend to pile on (responsibly of course) some tasty new brews. Considering this week’s list of arrivals, you probably don’t want to start that diet just yet.

New (and Returning) Beer

• Short's Good Human, $1.99/12oz - "This Double Brown Ale, made with Carabrown Malt, was created to showcase one of Briess Malting Company’s new products. Although it was thought to be a onetime brewing event, this beer is now one of our most recent successes. Sweet malty aromas mingle with prominent toasted caramel and toffee flavors. This beer finishes pleasingly dry, with a bouquet of hops that have slight fruity qualities" (source).
• Great Lakes Blackout Stout, $3.29/12oz (4 bottle limit) - "A Russian Imperial Stout with a hearty malt body and bold hop flavor. Named after the infamous "Blackout of 2003" that left the northeastern United States in complete darkness, but resulted in old-fashioned neighborhood porch parties and fun" (source).
• Sixpoint Autumnation, $2.59/12oz - "Our first-ever seasonal can release arrives today, and it is brewed as a true celebration of this special moment in time. We made a trip out to Yakima Valley to the oldest continually operating hop farms in the country, and met with Patrick Smith, a 3rd generation hop grower. We selected and harvested 800 pounds of fresh “wet hops” (source).
• Abita Christmas Ale, $1.69/12oz - "Abita Christmas Ale is a festive dark ale crafted with special care. Each year, Abita changes the secret recipe a bit, making every annual batch unique. Have a sniff of this brew and you’ll quickly notice the holiday spices—nutmeg, clove, ginger, a touch of anise and some citrus notes fill the nose. Look also for a firm malt backbone to support all of these spices. Expect these elements to be less prominent in the flavor profile, with the nutty malts and fresh-baked bread notes taking center stage. A moderate bitterness rounds out the finish. Its nutty and spiced elements will partner nicely with a Cannoli or pumpkin pie dessert" (source).
• Harpoon Winter Warmer, $1.49/12oz - "Harpoon Winter Warmer is a full-bodied rich ale that uses a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg to achieve its spirited flavor. Perfect for the holidays!" (source).
• Southern Tier 2x Christmas, $1.99/12oz - "Double spiced ale brewed in the tradition of Swedish Glögg” (source).

Picture of the Week

Jacob and the Boss at Deer Camp, 2012
(Photo courtesy Steve Lewis)

Cheers!

Siciliano's Recommends - Gewurztraminer

By Steve Siciliano

What's Gewurz that could happen?

Like most Americans I look forward to a traditional Thanksgiving Day roast turkey and its accompaniment of tasty side dishes. When choosing the wine for this annual feast, the star of the show should, of course, be given the primary focus, but the supporting cast—the wine, for example—also warrants some consideration.

I like Thanksgiving wines that not only compliment the subtle flavors of the fowl but also pair well with the smorgasbord of flavors that are presented by the sauces, spuds, and veggies. A nice pinot noir, with its balanced acidity, bright fruit and low tannins is always my first choice. But when I'm in the mood for a white vino on Turkey Day, I'll always opt for a gewurztraminer.

While certainly not as popular as chardonnays, sauvignon blancs and rieslings, I feel that gewurztraminers, with their spicy flavors and floral aromas, are like side dishes in a glass. The following offerings from Siciliano's wine room both have a trace of sweetness and would make nice additions to Thursday's tummy-busting feast.

• 2011 Lone Birch Gewurztraminer, $9.99/750ml - "A delicate fruit-forward bouquet pear and melon. Light-bodied and crisp with lingering flavors of pear and citrus fruit" (source).
• 2008 Firestone Gewurztraminer, $13.59/750ml - "This is an ideal sipping wine, with alluring notes of lychee, mandarin orange and nutmeg on the nose. Citrus flavors of grapefruit and bergamot emerge on the mouth, which is enlivened by a compelling acid note. Quenching citrus notes balance nicely with hint of sweetness on a clean, refreshing finish" (source). 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Siciliano's Black Friday Deal

By Doug Dorda

Let's get right to brass tacks. Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, will send many of you out and about, determined to check every item off of your holiday shopping lists so that December may find you relaxed and well clear of chaotic last minute shopping. For those of you with prospective beer- or wine-makers on your lists, we have put together a few deals that may make your shopping just a little bit easier.

Our beer making equipment kits will be offered at a substantial discount all day Friday, and on Friday only. On top of the discount on equipment, we will also give you 10% off one ingredient kit of your choosing (this includes wine ingredient kits). Below is a listing of the equipment kits that we offer, as well as their special pricing.

The Brewers Beast Equipment Kit will be only $120 (normally $135). This kit is the best bang for your buck, bar none! It contains: 

• 1 5-gallon glass carboy
• 1 6.5-gallon primary fermentation bucket with lid
• 1 6.5-gallon bottling bucket with a spigot
• 1 5-gallon stainless steel polarware brewpot
• 1 4-oz bottle IO-san sanitizer
• 1 packet of easy clean no rinse cleanser
• 1 auto siphon
• 1 triple-scale hydrometer
• Siphon hosing with a shutoff clamp
• 1 liquid crystal thermometer
• 1 carboy brush
• 1 airlock
• 1 bottle filling wand
• 1 twin-lever capper
• 1 bottle brush
• 1 brew paddle
• 1 lab thermometer
• 1 10” test jar 

The Brewers Best Deluxe equipment kit will be only $85 (normally $105). This kit contains all the equipment that the Beast has to offer, less the boiling pot, IO-san, and test jar. For those that already have a brew pot, this may be the kit to consider.

Again, purchase an equipment kit on Friday (wine kits included) and receive 10% off any one ingredient kit of your choice. From all of us at Siciliano's, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and an expedient shopping experience.

Note: Discounted prices will only be effective on Friday, November 23, 2012.