Beer, You Never Look at a Pint in the Same Way Again
We all know the effects (and after-effects) of beer. But lifting a glass of cool liquid to your mouth on a scorching hot day, have you ever stopped to consider the processes and ingredients involved in making it? Well maybe not but here is the answer anyway!
Simply, beer is a fermented combination of water, barley, yeast and hops. The major variation in any beer is the type of yeast used in the fermentation process.
Let’s look at the properties of this beverage.
Water is the main ingredient of beer. In the past, the purity of the water influenced the final result and was specific to the region of the earth from which it came. Today, water is filtered of these impurities, although pure water supplies are still ideally preferred by elite brewers.
Barley malt is an extremely important ingredient in beer as it is the main source of fermentable sugar. Many new breweries use barley malt extract, in either syrup or powder form, as this form ferments much quicker. It also contains many minerals and vitamins that help the yeast to grow.
Without yeast, beer would not exist. Yeast is a unique single cell organism that eats sugar and expels alcohol and carbon dioxide, two of the more recognizable ingredients of beer. Yeast comes in several variations, of which there are two major categories that determine the type of beer produced; Ale yeast and Lager yeast. If yeast alone were used the beer would be extremely sweet and therefore another ingredient needs to be added to reach the final product.
Hops are the flowers of the hop plant, a climbing vine plant that grows well in many differing climates. Hops contain acids which add bitterness to beer. Adding bitterness to beer helps to balance the sweetness, as well as acting as a natural preservative. Add more hops to the mixture and you will get a more bitter taste. This kind of beer is extremely popular in Britian and is simply referred to as “Bitter” (the original names are always the best!).
Variations of these ingredients create different tasting beers as well as having an affect on the alcoholic content.
When making your own beer many good resources are available which provide home brewing kits. It is important to read the ingredients of the packets in order to ascertain which has the best mixture according to your needs. One quick tip which many home brewers fail to adhere to is this: “Use fresh still water”!
I started my career as a bartender many years ago in a small pub in Ireland. My great passion for the trade has given me the opportunity to travel while expanding my knowledge and experience. During my extensive travels I have worked in many different & flamboyant environments. While I gained flairing, exhibitionist and cocktail mixology skills I had the opportunity to flavour many different cultures and there differing tastes.
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Tag: bar beer food recipesShrimp Cheesecake
Time after time I wondered about making this particular cheesecake; will it be good or will it be a fly by night idea? After all, who ever heard of putting shrimp into cheesecake?! Well it turned out to be a fantastic idea and you just can’t believe how good it really is…
1 pounds cream cheese (get a good solid cream cheese)
1/2 pound sour cream
1 1/2 pounds fresh medium shrimp
1/3 cup green bell peppers chopped fine
1/3 cup red bell peppers chopped fine
1 large clove garlic minced
2 ounces butter
3 medium eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces shredded New York State sharp Cheese
pepper as you like it
Lining For Pan:
10 ounces dried unflavored bread crumbs
6 ounces melted butter
Tomato Sauce:
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 medium bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons dried italian seasoning
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
28 ounces crushed tomatoes (canned)
Cook, clean, and chop your shrimp.
Saute peppers, garlic, onions in 2 ounces melted butter for 6-7 minutes on medium heat, add your shrimp and cook for 2 more minutes, drain well and put aside.
Beat your cream cheese so it is smooth, then add your sour cream and mix until fairly fluffy, add your eggs one at a time mixing well after each one.
On low speed gradually add the heavy cream until blended. Stir in the shrimp and vegitable mixture and sharp cheese now add the pepper.
Prepair your 10inch x 2inch spring form pan:
In a medium mixing bowl place your bread crumbs and your melted butter, blend them together well.
Using melted butter with a pastry brush butter the sides of your spring form pan.
pres the buttered bread crumbs to the sides of the pan and the remainder to the bottom of the pan.
Pour the cheesecake into the pan and place in a preheated 300 degree oven for 55 minutes or until jelled( it might be slightly wiggly in the center but not much ) after 55 minutes shut OFF the oven and let it remain in there for 3 hours, then remove it and let it cool, when cool, remove it from the pan.
Prepair your tomato sauce while your cheesecake is cooling:
Saute your onions, garlic and Italian seasoning and bay leaf in hot oil until vegitables are tender, add your tomatoes, simmer about 30 minutes uncovered on low heat or until you reach your desired consistency, remove the bay leaf from your sauce.
Serve hot over room temperature cheesecake.
About The Author
Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at persent I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at http://www.andies.cashhosters2.com
NOTE: You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end). Please a send a copy of your reprint to pastrie@verizon.net
Tags: cheesecale, dessert, desserts, recipe, recipes, seafood, seafood recipes, shrimp, shrimp cheesecakeSpanish Food - How To Prepare Boquerones
Whilst on your travels in Spain and pausing to take a breath from
site-seeing, you have surely experimented with “tapas” at a
welcoming bar.
If this is the case, it is more than likely that you have come
across the small, tasty filleted fish, preserved in olive oil,
sliced garlic and chopped parsley, and highly popular throughout
Spain. This delectable dish is usually known as “boquerones” but,
depending on the area, can also be called “anchoas”.
Boquerones are small, fresh anchovies. Accompanied by crisp,
fresh Spanish bread, a glass of ruby-red wine or refreshing
Asturian cider, they are a delight to eat. Moreover - as with
many traditional Spanish dishes which comprise the renowned
Mediterranean Diet - they are extremely healthy.
Like its friend the sardine, the anchovy is an oily fish, packed
full of proteins and minerals, protecting against heart disease,
and “good” for cholesterol. What