A few laughs for you Halloween enthusiasts....

Someecards is always a must for holiday fun. If you've never been there - go there now and check out the always "classy" list of cards you can send on any occasion.

Enjoy with a pinch of sarcasm.

Chopbiscuit recipes: Sunday football fiery thai wings

If you want to spice up your Sunday football wings or just any wing occassion - whip up these easy and killer thai chicken wings and use the marinade for any and all meat or seafood. This always works well for tempeh and tofu as well. I recently created this recipe after wishing I was grilling wings on the big fire we had in our firepit out back of my home. The firewood was a lot branches and a large tree all downed by the recent storms and hurricane Irene.

Thai Berry Ginger Bomb Wings  (A very "TSA friendly" reference)

2 pounds wings trimmed, washed and patted dry

2.5 TBSP ginger, minced
3 TBSP white onion, minced
2 TBSP Thai chili sauce
3 TBSP chili garlic sauce
2 TBSP rice vinegar
3 TBSP soy sauce
4 TBSP mixed berry jam (Sarabeth's)

Toss together and marinate. The longer the better and bring the meat to room temperature before grilling. U-4 shrimp would also work for this recipe.

Be Well, eat good food and know thy farmer!

Grind it! It's Friday!

A Friday food challenge for you this weekend...

Go find a farmer/rancher close by your town that produces humanely raised grass fed beef and make some of the best burgers in you life. If you can't find the grinder attachment to your mixer don't fret. Maybe panic, but don't fret. A quick trip to about any antique store nabs you a perfectly fine grinder for a few cheap bucks and you look cool cranking this sucker in front of friends. Maybe a little awkward for tweens though.

Make it look as if you have been making burgers like this since you were a kid. There is a great saying that fits here perfectly, "If eating a shit sandwich, never complain about the bread." Well, since you are eating local meat your next step is finding a great bakery. Give this to someone else on your team (little Jimmy and his laptop will search it out). Make sure you think out side the box. Look for the most enriched baby bun or bread and slice it. Think brioche or challah.  You can make a cool square mini bun with the challah since it is already different than a bun. Remember that quality always trumps size and shape. You really want the egg and/or butter in the bun so when you heat, toast, or grill it - the fats come alive and give another level to your creation.

So go have some fun making killer burgers during a great fall football weekend and most importantly have some fun with friends, family and food. Send me a personal request and I'll send you a recipe or create something on the spot according to your taste and flavor direction. Ya dig!

Peace

Tomato Smartassery: Why I leave my red friends behind during the winter season

Enjoy the unripened flavor of your winter tomato

As old man winter comes rumbling through the northeast, it's appropriate timing for this post about tomatoes. I'm making a commitment this winter in terms of how and what I eat. Eating seasonally is always something I did when it seemed fitting, but this winter I will stick to my values and hold myself to them. Mark this down - I will not touch a tomato until it's seasonally appropriate. I'm doing this for a few reasons.

(1) They taste like shit - translucent, spongy and complete lack of flavor.
(2) My disdain for the tomato manufacturing business of "Sunny" Florida.

If you've never read about the tomato farms downs down in Florida, check out this read from Eatocracy.
These green tomatoes are picked when they are unripe, taken back to a warehouse, packed in boxes, which are stacked on pallets and moved into storage areas where they're exposed to ethylene gas. The gas forces the tomatoes to turn the right color; it doesn't ripen them. So, if you've ever wondered why your tomato caprese or mozzarella salad lacks flavor in late January - you know why. The great thing about technology is that everyone can understand how food is naturally grown and the demeaning processes used to serve you everything, everywhere at all times. You can't tell me when you walk into your Grocer in February and see all the pints of strawberries everywhere, that they are going to have the robust flavor and the plump juiciness you would expect from a summer strawberry right? Of course not.

For me it's not a passionate humanitarian mission or showing my disdain as I do for factory farming, it's just a matter of principal. I'm just tired of eating shitty tomatoes and I believe restaurants and grocers should consider removing them off the menu for this period of time.

Imagine that statement "Sorry everyone, we just don't want to serve you shitty tomatoes. Come back and see us in late spring."

That's what I call honesty and integrity at the highest level.

{Taste} Saint Louis

There are certain cities you just really look forward to visiting for one reason or another and St Louis is at the top of my list. I love finding these secret little places where you can find a great beverage made by a young lady who not only showed wisdom well beyond her years she is looking to find her place in a cool country. Taste on Laclede is truly a great little speakeasy where you can get lost in conversation eat a great meal washed down by a tasty beverage and leave feeling like you just visited friends in a great part of town.

My pals Vito and Craig have done it again with the opening of Mad Tomato in Clayton. Chef V has gotten back to his roots of cooking and curing on levels that very few chefs in the country can master. And the pasta -  oh the pasta!  Every single little piece of pasta or long sheets are all made within a foot your table. Vito & Craig really understand food and the connection to it. Thanks guys for an incredible meal with some incredible friends.

Peace

The Artisan Can of Soda - An industry Quagmire

Bruce Horowitz from The USA Today wrote a great article about how Marketers are using the artisan label approach to evoke more sales of their products. It showed the obvious trend of the plagiarist mentality of big retail marketers and their ability to confuse the masses with false promotions of "crafted" products.

Why don't we look at the actual definition of Artisan.

Artisan: One that produces something (as cheese or wine) in limited of limited quantities, often in traditional methods.

So now there's Domino's Artisan Pizza, Tostitos Artisan Recipes chips and of course, Starbucks has Artisan Breakfast Sandwiches. If you walk the isles of your local grocer you're sure to see an Artisan substitute for any commodity product from the big brands. In a certain way you have to laugh at the impudence of some companies to take themselves seriously in the world of "traditionally produced goods". I understand that big business has to replicate on defining and emerging trends to stay ahead of the curve. They need to understand the consumer psyche at a granular level and market to that base to make sure their brand fits with the shifting tide of buyers preferences.

It's the whole "You can put lipstick on a pig............" mantra that none of these folks ever seem to really understand. I'm going to use an example. Most of you know that I like good craft beer and often write about beer drinking culture.

Let's take a look at Genesee Beer, for over 125 years Genesee (the brewery's first beer) has been an American icon. Today, every can, bottle and pint glass delivers the same full taste and quality that made it famous in 1878. Brewed with six-row barley malt, corn grits and hops from the Yakima Valley, Genesee Beer will forever be a classic. As beer culture has been flipped upside down by craft beer, Genesee has never tried to flip the company and play in that world. They are a commodity beer brand that produces easy drinking lagers and Cream Ales. They have a customer target, and they stick to their principles. I'm sure we will never see Genesee Brewery ever jump into compete with Samual Adams. It's not their core competency to do so.

So, having said all of that - let me introduce you to Chet Hammerton. You're welcome.

Chopbiscuit pompous wine review: Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2008 {Say What}

Welcome to Chopbiscuit's elitist, smarty pants and stiff-neck wine review. We will be completely patronizing and pretentious as we review some of our favorite wines. As we do with with the barley pop, we will review anything from your local "box" of magistracy or the most pompous french cardinal blush.

Now, go get me some crackers and turn on the Bravo network for some clever metrosexual programming.

What I drank: Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2008 (Say that with a wad of crackers in your mouth)

I'm not going to lie here, this was the bottom dweller bottle of red on our wine rack. It was a party gift from one of our friends that has been lingering for quite some time now. I was curious about this bottle because it was a wine that was bottled from grapes that were picked a couple weeks prior. It's goal is to give the drinker a peak at the quality of that particular seasons vintage. Interesting eh?

It had some poignant cherry notes with a decent, light body. It didn't have much complexity or maturity, but was an easy drinking red that I could throw down while watching some football. Yes, you can drink wine and watch football. It's Ok, as long as you have some Busch Light in the fridge to even you out a bit. It's not a wine to bring out with a nice dinner, but is suitable to enjoy while performing long division.

The 112th Oktoberfest Chilli Cook-off And/Or a glossy 8x10

I will be holding a signing at your local Borders...Oh, wait?

The 2012 Annual Oktoberfest Chili cook-off has come and gone, but the sediment will sit in the bottom of our digestive tract for weeks to come. We had eight great entries this year, but in the end we had a clear winner. We also had a couple great brews provided by Mr. Adam from Adirondack Brewery. Again, we didn't raise any money for local charities, but everyone (including these lovely ladies above) were able to go home with a signed glossy 8x10 from yours truly. As you can tell, these ladies were uber excited about my head shot and I'm sure those photographs are framed, sitting on a mantle or strategically placed in their home where people will no doubt question "Who's that Dapper man with the corduroy kangol"?

When we wrapped up the night, Nick went home with the covenant magnetic strip of bacon for the second year in a row. I will be providing some pictures from the festivities and some recipes from winning chili's.

God bless Tums.

We're tumbling on Tumblr

For most of you that know me, I'm a humorist at heart. So, I've created a little Tumblr site for me to ramble some of my witty one-liners about culture and food. So, if you just used your {free} AOL CD to hop on the world wide web for the fist time, head on over to Chopbiscuit on Tumblr to see what it's like for someone that has a deranged view on the world of food silliness.

Oh, we'll also have pictures of unicorns and all their glory.

Starbucks getting blonde highlights - Daily Links

Are you enjoying the blonde my dear?

Starbucks unveils blonde roast coffee

Starbucks is going blonde. The coffee company known for its dark-roasted beans unveiled its lighter blend "Starbucks Blonde Roast" Tuesday, as it tries to reach a wider base of consumers. Starbucks has long faced criticism from people who think its coffee is too dark or bitter. The company said it developed the new roast for the large number of U.S. consumers who prefer a lighter-tasting coffee.

The 10 most controversial restaurant policies

No Kids? Screaming baby isn't everyone's favorite dining soundtrack, so in order to minimize complaints, some restaurants insist parents leave their kids at home with the sitter. While it's primarily a noise issue, it's also a safety issue. Kids are prone to run around restaurants and may get hurt in high-traffic areas where service staff are passing by quickly.

Curried Butternut Squash soup with Heirloom tomatoes (recipe - fromscratchclub)

I have made butternut squash soup many, many times, but this time needed to find a way to incorporate the tail-end of the season’s heirloom tomatoes.  I had acquired a number of tomatoes from my CSA share and felt the pressure to get them consumed.  I altered my usual butternut squash soup recipe to accommodate the flavors of the tomatoes and this is what I came up with.

Barlett Pear Chutney with Dried Cherries and Ginger (recipe - foodinjars)

I like my chutneys to be a little bit sweet, strongly flavored and quite acidic. As it’s written, the Bi-Rite version just didn’t give quite me what I want from a chutney (though I adored their choices in fruits and flavors). I pumped up the amount of vinegar, sugar and grated ginger, added quite a bit more liquid and quadrupled the cooking time, so that it could simmer, thicken and soften without running dry.

Top Ten Fall Beers

Fall is a season that has the word "beer" written all over it. Cool nights unleash the craving for hearty beers, whose colors mirror those of the turning leaves. Fall brews are more flavorful and more substantial than summer's bright quenchers. Colors get deeper and flavors get toastier as the tastes of the harvest table call out for malty partners. It doesn't take much to trade up to luxury in the beer world, so why not live a little? Check out one of these world-class brews next time you're cruising the six-pack aisle. From seasonal specialties to solid stand-bys, from innovative American craft brews to international ambassadors of style, autumn's finest offerings await.

Look who's back - Joanne!

I’m back with another video!  I actually filmed this Cheddar Scallion Biscuits video about a week ago (you will notice I’m wearing the same clothes as the Potato Video), but I just had not gotten around to editing it until this past weekend.  You may also notice that my personality is starting to come out a lot more…and if you’ve ever read my written “hehehe” in my posts, you can see what a real life Joanne “hehehe” sounds like about 3/4 through the video.  I can’t help myself or hide my giddiness (and really, I don’t think I should).  Thanks again for being so supportive with my video making!  It’s more enjoyable filming when I know others are enjoying the clips. Enjoy!  I’ll be posting a recipe tomorrow.

Chopbiscuit recipes: Baked Eggplant and Basil Ricotta Rolls

I've had an inappropriate relationship with eggplant for a few years now. My wife is aware of it and I've sought out some professional help. Eggplant is easy, delicious and dog-friendly. This is an easy recipe below you can make at home or in your neighbors kitchen when they're sleeping at night. They will be surprised and delighted that you broke into their house to bake this eggplant recipe.

Baked Eggplant and Basil Ricotta Rolls
Yield: Serves 4 - 5

2 medium eggplants
2 cups fresh ricotta
1/2 cups chopped fresh basil
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup Primavera pasta sauce
3/4 cup coarsely grated mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 large baking trays with olive oil. Cut the eggplants into 1cm thick slices lengthways. Arrange the eggplant, in a single layer, on the prepared trays. Lightly spray with olive oil spray. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, place the ricotta, basil and three quarters of the Parmesan in a medium bowl and stir until well combined. Taste and season with pepper.

Place 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on 1 eggplant slice and roll up firmly to enclose filling. Place the roll, seam side down, in a 30 x 20cm baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ricotta mixture and eggplant. Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the rolls. Sprinkle with fresh mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until the mozzarella melts evenly

An appropriate Monday morning read while you're eating your {Frosted Flakes}

 Below is a great article from Kristin Wartman of Civil Eats. I couldn't have stated it any better. Remember, it' not about being anti-corporate - it's about doing what's right. Period.

Occupy Wall Street and the food movement

If you are paying attention to Occupy Wall Street—and by now most people are—the anti-corporate message is coming through loud and clear. Most participants at the events now spreading across the country say they are no longer willing to let powerful corporate interests determine the course of their lives. These Americans realize that a participatory democracy is essential.

As it stands today, 75 percent of the population are obese or overweight and many are chronically ill with diet-related diseases. They are also largely dependent on an increasingly unhealthful and contaminated food supply that is heavily controlled by corporate interests. It’s obvious that this is our moment to drive a very important point home: Upending corporate control of the food supply is a fundamental change that must occur if the “99 percent” are to be healthy participants in a true democracy.

This could be a catalyzing moment for the food movement with a real chance for average Americans to see and hear the connection between corporate control of the food supply and our nation’s health crisis. Indeed, the declaration of Occupy Wall Street (available on its Facebook page), addresses issues the food movement has been working on for years. The declaration states, “They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.”


Author and activist Naomi Klein has been an outspoken advocate and participant in Occupy Wall Street. When asked how it connects to the food movement she said, “The protest is about the corporate takeover of democracy of our lives in every way. The food movement is inherently anti-corporate and it is inherently about rebuilding a real economy.” She continued, “The food movement is where a lot of the leadership is. Occupy Wall Street is not just about banking legislation. The food movement is paving the way for what needs to happen in manufacturing and I think it’s all connected.”

Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University agrees. “Of course Occupy Wall Street connects to the food movement,” she said. “If we had a healthier financial system, we might be able to fund better food assistance, universal school meals, a rational and effective food safety system, and production agriculture that promotes sustainability and affordable food that is healthier for people and the planet. The food movement needs to be there and its voices heard.”

While powerful players like Goldman Sachs and Fannie Mae were on the lips of nearly every American after the 2008 financial crisis, the names of industrial agriculture corporations remain largely unknown. But consider how much power they wield. Take Monsanto as an example. When Monsanto began selling its genetically modified Roundup Ready soybeans in 1996 only two percent of soybeans in the U.S. contained their patented gene. By 2008, over 90 percent of soybeans in the U.S. contained Monsanto’s gene. This is especially alarming given that soybeans account for the largest source of protein feed and the second largest source of vegetable oil in the world. According to the USDA, in 2008-09, the farm value of soybean production was $29.6 billion, the second highest among U.S. produced crops—and soy is ubiquitous in processed foods. It ends up in the meat, milk, eggs, and farmed fish many Americans consume (as a result of it being in animal feed) as well as thousands upon thousands of packaged foods usually in the form of soy protein isolate, soy isoflavones, textured vegetable protein, and soy oils. Soy accounts for a fifth of the calories in the American diet.

Continue reading the rest of the article here

Football food: {super simple} Slow cooker Spinach Dip

We are officially knee deep into football season. Halle "freakin" lujah! For those of you that don't know, outside of being a passionate food culture guy, I'm just as passionate about football. Some would say I'm a bit fanatical. My passion lives with a few teams, Syracuse Orange, East Carolina University (My alma mater) and the New York "Football" Giants.

As we are getting knee deep into my favorite part of the year-football season, I figured I would post some of my favorite tailgating recipes on Chopbiscuit. I have been throwing down on the flames at tailgates all over the country for years and have led a few Pig Roasts in North Carolina, judged wing competitions in Buffalo and ventured in a few "Rib Cook Offs" in the "Dirty".

Hope this will help everyone get a few ideas for their next tailgate and enjoy Real Simple, Hearty Grub leading up until kickoff. If you don't like football, the terrorists win. That's not good.

Slow-Cooker Spinach Dip
Yield: Pending on the size of the guys 

Directions:

Mix 1 cup of a grated "good" smoked mozzarella, 3/4 cup grated parmesan, 6-8 ounces of Panera Bread cream cheese, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 box thawed frozen spinach, 1 jar artichoke hearts, and salt and pepper to taste in a slow cooker. Sprinkle a few dashes of Cayenne pepper for a lil' kick and cover and cook on high, 2 hours 15 min. Grab a couple french baguettes and you're good to go.

Super simple and hearty.

Return of the one legged pig - Daily Links

Eat more chicken?

What the F%$k is up with Peanut skins?

Most peanut butter is made from blanched peanuts. Blanching is the technical term for removing the testa, or seed coat, from the peanut kernel. What's the testa you ask? That's just science-speak for that dark reddish, papery coating on every peanut.

Perhaps now you're thinking, "Wait a second. Why are they removing the skins from my peanuts? Didn't I just read somewhere that skins are healthy?" Peanut skins have traditionally been treated by peanut processers as a waste product and sold off as animal feed. But that is changing.

Apple Pie Cookies (recipe - freakin' a right?)

As far as reentry* points to on-a-whim cooking go, these cookies aren’t the most obvious choice. I might have gone with something from the market, or something from a new fall cookbook or maybe just something practical that would feed us for the next few days, like a hearty stew

 Bacon, Egg white and cheese flatbread from Subway Review

After experiencing some sticker shock at my last trip to McD’s for breakfast (nearly $8 for two Egg McMuffins!) I was elated to see another chain offering a complete breakfast on the cheap. Subway’s Flatbread Breakfast Combo comes with egg, cheese, and your choice of black forest ham, bacon, or no meat at all. You also get a 16 oz. Seattle’s Best coffee. All this will only set you back $3.00.

*Grubgrade is always easy, simple reading for a good laugh. He even reviews the McDonald's Mac snack wrap. Oigh!

How the other half eats

Food can bring people from very different backgrounds together, but it can also drive us apart. In today’s society, what you can afford to put on your plate might be as powerful an indicator of your social standing as the car you drive or the house that you live in. Although most Americans eat diets that are well beyond the point of subsistence, problems affording adequate food are still widespread in the United States and obesity is a scourge that particularly affects racial minorities (interested readers can check out posts I have written on hunger, and obesity).

All of this begs a question: Is it time to have a national conversation on food inequality?

We may already have one in the making. The issue of “food justice” has become one of the most visible complaints made by the Occupy Wall Street protesters. As one protester told a New York Times reporter: “Food plays a huge part in this movement. Because people are tired of being fed poison.” The image of a modern food system that delivers massive quantities of unhealthy, environmentally destructive food to the majority of Americans has become a powerful symbol of corrupt, uncaring corporate greed. (Even sympathetic Ben and Jerry’s has been criticized)

Mr. T cooking show? Yes please!

Set the beer down son and embrace the tea

Many of you out there know I enjoy good craft beers, coffee and wine. Well, most of you may not know that I often read 18th century Slavic and Eastern European literature while sippin' on Asian Jasmine white tea, which to me, forms the perfect union with those tender White Tea buds, imparting a heavenly aroma for an exalting cup. Immediately after drinking I partake in watching regional Monster Truck Series action. What can I say, I like a little back 'n forth.

All kidding aside, I have some really cool gigs with my job. I'm able to learn many colorful things about the world of food and beverage, which in the long run helps me with my potential run for Secretary of Food and Beverage for the 2032 Justin Bieber presidential campaign. Okay, enough of the jokes.

Yesterday I had another opportunity to sit through an in depth tea presentation by the great folks from The Republic of Tea. As a curious food and beverage lover, I'm always interested in the nuances you pick up when you dial into certain attributes of flavor varietals and the traits of each breed or type represented. For instance, I had no idea that all white tea comes from the tender, white downy buds of the Camellia sinensis bush. Who knew y'all? (stated in my most druken Paula Deen voice)

As someone who makes their living in this business, I always take advantage of these types of sessions. The world of food and beverage is a world of learning and, more learning. In this case, we're lucky enough to have a partner that is widely known as one of the best purveyors of great quality tea in the world.

Do God fearing folk make good pancakes? - Daily Links

Does Christian mean organic? 

There are those who farm for food, others for money, some because it's what they have always done... and then there are the Stollers. This family in central Ohio farms in connection with their religion. They raise organic dairy cows and practice a way of life that is simple, beautiful and in real connection with the land and each other. Along the same path as Mennonites and the Amish, they have chosen a life outside of mainstream culture. We spent two days with this family and despite our differences, we fell in love and were inspired by their way of life.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream (recipe)

Are you drooling yet???  Yeah, sorry about that.  But I really think you have to make these, because they’re just so darned easy and also freaking delicious.  You know, I don’t really understand how there are so many cupcake shops that stay in business.  But I guess it’s probably because there are a lot of bad cupcake recipes online and that scares people off.  So if you’ve had some less than amazing cupcakes, please do yourself a favor and make these.  There is no fancy machinery required, they’re extraordinarily stunning, and also the best cupcakes my husband and I have ever had.

No Crust Apple Pie (recipe)

I’ve finally found the perfect apple pie recipe. It’s perfect because you don’t have to make a crust.
That’s right, all of the glory and none of the pain. In a small kitchen, even a simple pie crust is typically out of the question. Really anything that requires rolling out dough usually gets vetoed. So when my good friend Vanessa shared this recipe with me, I knew I’d found my perfect match. It’s called a “Swedish” Apple Pie.

The best book about beer ever written

For millennia, beer has been a favorite beverage in cultures across the globe. After water and tea, it is the most popular drink in the world, and it is at the center of a $450 billion industry.

The first major reference work to investigate the history and vast scope of beer, The Oxford Companion to Beer features more than 1,100 A-Z entries written by 166 of the world's most prominent beer experts. Attractively illustrated with over 140 images, the book covers everything from the agricultural makeup of various beers to the technical elements of the brewing process, local effects of brewing on regions around the world, and the social and political implications of sharing a beer.

Chicken bacon sandwich, homefries and strawberry sponge cake (recipe)

As the title says, Chicken Bacon Sandwich, Homemade Fries and Strawberry Spongecake. That sounded a lot for breakfast doesn’t it? It seems like i might go overboard with my breakfast menus at times. I think I might be just a lil bit obsessed.

Bakery Cafe Segment expanding (Job security)

Restaurant consumers are visiting bakery-café chains more frequently, allowing those brands to grow and capture market share from the quick-service and casual-dining operators, according to Technomic.

The Chicago-based research firm found in its new “Bakery Café Consumer Trend Report” that 71 percent of 1,500 consumers surveyed had been to a bakery-café operation, up from 43 percent in a similar report from 2008. Of those bakery-café customers, 72 percent reported visiting a bakery-café restaurant at least once a month.

Do you have 46 seconds and want to learn how to peel a potato? Our friend Joanne over at Fifteen Spatulas will show you how to do that.

Hanging the garlic And/Or buying beef with integrity

Continuing on our belief that when possible, we should be eating humanely raised and antibiotic free meat - I just wanted to speak to you about a local farm that I buy our beef products from when given the opportunity. Locust Grove Farm is a cattle farm in Argyle, NY. They raise Limousin, which is one of the lean continental breeds of beef cattle. Traditionally us American folk have raised  Angus or Hereford beef breeds. These two British beef breeds are known for their marbling attributes. (fat throughout the meat). The high fat content of British breed beef overshadows all the nutrient value that has made beef such an important part of the American diet for over 100 years.

Lean. Lean. Lean

 I bought this ground beef (pictured above) from the Saratoga Farmers's Market right here in Saratoga Springs, NY. I used this ground beef for a Pasta Bolgnese recipe I made last week. While cooking I immediately noticed how lean the product was. For many of us Americans, we may be discouraged by the the fat content that is missing by cooking a product from the Limousin breed. Maybe, that's why we are one of the most obese nations in the industrialized world eh? Anyway, the product was great and we were happy to support a small, local farm that produces some great products.

So, if you're interested they are taking orders now.


Or, you can just go all "Hasselhoff" and visit your local McDonalds.

Football food: Make your own flatbread pizza dough

We are officially knee deep into football season. Halle "freakin" lujah! For those of you that don't know, outside of being a passionate food culture guy, I'm just as passionate about football. Some would say I'm a bit fanatical. My passion lives with a few teams, Syracuse Orange, East Carolina University (My alma mater) and the New York "Football" Giants.

As we are getting knee deep into my favorite part of the year-football season, I figured I would post some of my favorite tailgating recipes on Chopbiscuit. I have been throwing down on the flames at tailgates all over the country for years and have led a few Pig Roasts in North Carolina, judged wing competitions in Buffalo and ventured in a few "Rib Cook Offs" in the "Dirty".

Hope this will help everyone get a few ideas for their next tailgate and enjoy Real Simple, Hearty Grub leading up until kickoff. If you don't like football, the terrorists win. That's not good.

Basic Flatbread  Dough
Yield: 12 pounds

Ingredients

Honey - 3 ounces
Water - 70 degrees
Dry Basil - 1/4 cup
Yeast, dry, granulated - 1 1/2 ounces
Bread flour - 3 pounds
Durum flour - 3 pounds
Whole Wheat flour - 2 pounds
kosher salt - 3 1/2 ounces

Directions

(1) Combine water, yeast and dried basil in a mixing bowl. Mix with hands until yeast is dissolved. Add honey and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Add the salt and the different flours using your dough hook and knead the dough until it pulls cleanly from the bowl and has a smooth, elastic texture (between 5-7 minutes).

(2) Cut dough into 10-ounce balls right away on a lined tray, cover and place in fridge for at least 6-8 hours. This will slow the fermentation process and you know how we like to "slow the fermentation process". *wink*  The longer it sits in the fridge, up to 24 hours, the easier it is to work with.

(3) Bake in your oven at it's highest temperature. Mine gets just over 500 degrees, but if you can get that up even higher - you're a lucky bastard. Bake until ingredients are melted evenly and crust gets some charring to your likeness.

Now, grab a beer and relax. You're going to have some bad ass pizza dough.

Chopbiscuit preeminent booze review: Harvest Spice Ale

Since we just wrapped the day of drinking sponsored by the Ye Olde folk from Ireland, we figured it's time to get back to our roots here at Chopbiscuit and continue the reviews of The World's Best draughts. We have poked fun at our favorite canned beers in the past, but ultimately we love the best in beer making. Whether it's a Belgium White, American Brown Ale, Japanese Rice lager or an oatmeal stout - We enjoy a good beer.

So, let's continue the exposition with our reviews.

This is fall for beer lovers

Brewery: John Harvard's Boston, MA

Beer: Harvest Spice Ale

Beer style description: American Ale


If you're ever near Boston, here is a beer to seek out. My wife introduced me to this beer a couple years ago. I have never seen a beer served this way with cinnamon sugar edging the entire rim of the glass, like salt for a margarita. This affects the aroma (obviously sweeter with cinnamon) as well as the initial taste.

This brew is just good. The blend is excellent--many of the beers spices came out (nutmeg, all spice, and cinnamon). It's full bodied, but not overtly sweet. While this is more of a novelty beer to some, it still is very tasty, well made, and worth trying with an open mind. Act like a "free spirited" woman and give it a shot. *wink*

Shrouding the Cloud And/Or Affording the all-natural Chicken

For some, the price doesn't match up

Yesterday I was walking around town looking for some local, all-natural, free-range chicken to make some Stir fry tonight for my wife Katie. After perusing some local shops, I found some Misty Knoll farms chicken at one of our local artisan grocers, Putnam Market. I was happy to pick up some chicken knowing the world-wide reputation Misty Knoll has for ethical and healthy farming. As I was walking home, I realized that I spent over an hour looking for this specific item because of it's attributes. Knowing the obvious, most people will not suffice this amount of time and energy to do the right thing and pay that little extra. I paid $9.89/lb for these chicken breasts. Let's state the obvious - most families WILL NOT and COULD NOT afford that price tag for chicken at their dinner table. I'm not making a case here, I'm just stating the blatant obvious.

I paid for it because I could afford it and want to support a healthy food Eco-system. To many of my friends, I'm that elitist snob that shuns at the thought of industrial farming and it's relationship to my kitchen at home. It's true, I'm that guy. But, the more and more these farms, markets and dietary habits gain bandwidth, the realization of those overly processed, filthy industrial chicken and cattle farms will have to move towards better practices. At one point you could only buy a few craft beers. Sam Adams changed the landscape along with a few other micro lot breweries and changed the game. Shitty canned beer will always have a place in my heart from the college years, but they're not in my cooler anymore thanks to people that wanted a beer with good, clean ingredients and artisan brewing methods. Commodity coffee? How's Sanka an Folgers doing these days eh?

It's about bringing what seems fringe and elitism to the main stage of retailing. If you have deeper pockets, try to buy what's right. If you have a family of five and live on a fixed income - do what you need to do, we understand the circumstances. We'll get there eventually by being smart and understanding the landscape.