Latkes, the crispy, browned potato and onion pancakes beloved on Hanukkah, are widely adaptable to both toppings and pancake mixtures, it turns out. It’s also something that seems to inspire deep, somewhat spiritual, comfort, as well as fiery opinion as to how they are best made. (To echo co-judge Rachel Wharton’s question to the audience, how many swear by grating or shredding the potatoes?) As a non-Jew growing up in a heavily Jewish part of New Jersey, I didn’t eat latkes at home. But thanks to my childhood friends and neighbors — particularly Julie Stein’s family, who let me join their Passover seders — I got to eat plenty of latkes, matzoh ball soups, and gefilte fish anyway, the latter of which I actually enjoyed, contrary to my young friends.

the line wrapped around to Flatbush Avenue outside of BAM

once inside, tasters eagerly dig in

Edible Brooklyn‘s recipe contest winner with her “Double Happiness” latkes

The latkes made by 16 chefs at BAM last night were certainly not my childhood neighbor’s potato pancakes, though. They’re my new friends and neighbors’! A standout of the night was a perfectly textured cake topped with five-spice duck confit by Dori Fern, who took the first prize in Edible Brooklyn’s latke recipe contest earlier this month. Joined by her son, the home cook served up an entry that was every bit as impressive as the restaurants’ offerings alongside.

one of five latke iterations by BAMCafe

a reuben-styled latke by Mae Mae Cafe

It was nearly impossible to choose whose latke was the best. Nobody did the same thing, and all were delicious. Many restaurants made two different takes on the cakes, and one restaurant, BAM’s own Cafe, made five. I savored The Vanderbilt‘s braised oxtail and pickled pepper-topped sweet potato cake and their inventive way of stuffing aged cheddar inside a would-be traditional potato one; Mile End‘s reliably delectable charcuterie championed a schmaltz-fried cake with duck pastrami, duck cracklings and tart applesauce; and I wanted eat the umami-rich maitake and chanterelle mushrooms off of all of Kutsher‘s perfectly schmaltzy potato cakes with herbed ricotta topping.

the esteemed judges include (left to right): Mitchell Davis, Karen Brooks Hopkins, Mimi Sheraton, and Rachel Wharton

But in the end, the judges’ tastebuds collectively hovered around three favorites: Telepan‘s inventive celery root and potato latkes with a tangy and luscious green apple sour cream; Great Performances‘ hilarious duo of “The 99%” latke with a mini hot dog, and “The 1%” latke with a quail egg and caviar; and Almond‘s excellent latke topped generously with house-smoked bluefish that one of its sous chefs recently caught on Long Island. Those were the judges’ third, second, and first-place picks, respectively.

Bill Telepan (left), serving his winning latkes while NY Times’ Melissa Clark (right) chows down

The latke-loving audience got to vote, too. Once the ballots were counted, the favorite latke of the populace turned out to be third place-winning Telepan’s.

I have never eaten at Telepan but if someone asks me out there, I would not say no! From the many frenzied food festivals and benefits that I’ve haunted, I’ve enjoyed seeing this restaurant almost always show up to represent, with one of the best darn things in the room. So I was thrilled when its friendly chef/owner Bill Telepan agreed to share his celery root and potato pancake recipe for this post. Equal parts shredded celeriac (celery root) and potato, this is just what the more adventurous latke-maker was looking for, yet its taste is subtle enough to please the most die-hard latke purist. Enjoy — but there’s just one catch: Bill didn’t include a recipe for his green apple sour cream topping, saving that as a chef’s secret. Let your own latke imagination run with that one!

Bill Telepan’s Potato and Celery Root Latkes
(makes 6 servings)

3/4 lb Idaho potatoes
3/4 lb peeled celery root
1 small onion
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt

Using the large hold on a box grater, grate potatoes, celery root and onions into a mixing bowl. Squeeze the grated potatoes, celery root and onion and save the liquid. After the liquid has settled, pour off the water and save the starch which has settled to the bottom.

Beat the eggs and add them to the reserved starch and combine well. Add the flour and salt and combine with the shredded vegetables. Form into cakes and pan-fry in a saute pan in a generous amount of vegetable oil.

Cost Calculator, Health Factor, and Green Factor ratings respectfully omitted for guest recipes

So I’m thankful to SF Food Wars for putting on the event, and having me tag along as a volunteer. This event was created by Jeannie Choe in 2009, and over the past two years has held almost a dozen amateur cooking competitions in various foods. Pies, mac ‘n cheese, “breakfast,” and salsa have each lured some twenty cooks and their best concoctions out of their kitchens to compete. Geared with prizes from food businesses in the Bay Area, and in partnership with CUESA (The Center for Urban Education About Sustainable Agriculture), its main benefactor, SF Food Wars usually sell out to the public weeks in advance.

SF FoodWars’ creator/host, Jeannie Choe

Sound a bit familiar, Brooklynites? Dirty secret: Jeannie relocated to San Francisco four years ago from our turf. A few months later, she got “bitten by the food bug,” and put her mind to figuring out how to throw a cook-off in her new community, even calling me up for advice. Well, she did — with flying colors. Most impressive is that all of the contestants are encouraged to use local produce thanks to CUESA’s involvement, and the fact that the events are held at the historic Ferry Terminal Market Building in San Francisco, home to a farmers’ market two days of the week.

The colors, spices, and sweet tastes of summer were all proudly on display for this salsa-themed food fight, as tasters searched for that perfect combination of refreshment and heat. Although the Californians sure know a proper salsa from pico de gallo, there was still quite a variety of flavors and fruity add-ins along the tables to taste. A quick tour of some!

a salsa with julienned Gravenstein apples, a Sonoma County specialty

with peaches, cucumbers, avocado crema – oh my!

this seriously herbal salsa verde with kick took the judges’ second place

this was not the only nod to a mom’s recipe on display

a salsa god good-luck charm

I got to taste them all with the other volunteers, and we debated our favorites. Turns out, people look for a lot of different things when it comes to this dip. Some like it smoky, some like it roasty, some like it sweet-forward with fruit, some like it thick, and several liked it with bits of grilled corn on Sunday, too. It’s a totally subjective thing, and by the time I reached the end of the line, I was pretty confused about whatever it was I liked in a salsa — my tastebuds were tingling with all of these and more.

But one salsa that really struck me was perhaps one of the simplest. It was the kind of thing that I just wanted to keep dipping my chip into, and could see myself doing for hours at length at a party. It was Team Hellepenos’ “Salsa Delfina,” named after the brother-and-sister team’s great-grandmother, upon whose recipe it was based. It was just so bright-tasting with good, red tomatoes and lime, and there was enough finely chopped cilantro swimming in the juices to make it half-green (pictured at top).

Ceviche Verdura, the judges’ 1st place choice

and the winners of the people’s choice 1st place vote

I voted for this salsa, not really thinking it would be flashy enough to win. But lo and behold, when all was said and done — sponsors thanked by Jeannie, and judges introduced — Salsa Delfina won the biggest award of the day, the audience vote’s number one choice! In the judges’ category, four local food experts decided upon Team DoomBunny en Fuego’s “Ceviche Verdura,” another great red salsa topped with sharp cotija cheese and lime (no fish added; the name was a creative way of describing the vegetables’ good soak in lime juice).

For the full list of other winners from this event and photos, see the SF Food Wars’ website. As a newcomer, I’m afraid I can’t say much about the contestants and their concoctions as I’d like, but I’m taking notes on salsa-making thanks to them. One good rule of thumb that I was able to extract from both the first-place winning entries: let it marinate, at least overnight. Marry the flavors, and marinate some more. Maybe a pico de gallo will begin to look more like salsa after doing this, too.

Hosted by Kara Masi and friends, this annual cook-off will be held at Kelso Brewery, and has received a block party permit so as to close off the whole Clinton Hill, Brooklyn block. In order to spread the love, the event picks a different charity as a beneficiary each year, and we’ve just heard news that the Food Bank For NYC’s budget is in danger of being federally cut. It’s incredible that something like the proceeds of an amateur food cook-off might be able to fill the gap, but according to sources at the Food Bank, this event’s proceeds actually could. So come on down and nosh for all those in need of more of that while you’re there, every dollar of the $45 all-you-can-eat tickets will help out.

a scene from last year’s cook-off ’10

Kelly and Sonya Taylor (& family) of Kelso

I’m happy to enter for the third year as a *friendly* contestant in the Great Hot Dog Cook-Off, too. Among those who will also be sweating at the grill are a handful of returning champions from previous years’ hot dog cookoffs, and generally amazing people whom I’ve gotten to meet, like Nick Suarez (who went on to win a Throwdown with Bobby Flay for his hot dogs, Eugene Kim (a three-time competitor and place-winner), Noah Berland (of last year’s infamous ice cream dog), Erik Michielson, Laena McCarthy, and many others. Last year’s top dog winner Karol Lu will be making a special appearance, while not competing herself this year.

a crazy dog from ’07

co-host Melissa Sands tending to the grill

another good-looking bite

the “maki dog”

While I’m wondering what everyone else will make this year to top themselves from the last, I’ve got my own hot dog plan pretty much set. In the past four years (between co-hosting and competing in this event), I’ve made maki-sushi rolls with veggie dogs, “baked brie” hot dogs with buttery pastry and raspberry jam, dogs glazed with hoisin sauce and served in steamed buns, and last year’s creation, a hot dog served in a hollowed cucumber half, and smeared with green curry mayonnaise, chopped peanuts and cilantro. Clearly, I’m not a fan of using regular hot dog rolls.

My hot dog this year will be a doozy. The bun will be… a surprise that I’m not letting up until the day of. Hope to see you Saturday at the fest!

The six-generation family-owned farm is, as Anna’s father explains in the film, representative of what happened to a lot of farms in the area. It began as a diverse produce farm, growing fruits and vegetables that would be sold to its surrounding area for food. Nowadays, it only grows corn and soybeans for industrial uses, although one uncle of Anna’s has recently reinstated a livestock operation. What’s the future for Mumford Farms? Anna wonders, as her parents’ generation reaches retirement, and she ponders the possibility of growing real food on it again. The future of Mumford Farms is representative of what’s in store for our larger food system, too.

I had the pleasure of having my garden watered by Anna this morning, and got caught up on this project. Stay tuned as Anna completes the film, and become a supporter of the project if you’re a fan on its Kickstarter campaign. We were lucky to catch a sneak preview of an excerpt from Mumford Farms at the last Hungry Filmmakers screening, in April. You can see more excerpts from the film in progress here and here, too.

Back to urban gardening for now!

The multi-faceted event is deserving of its outdoor music festival-esque name: in a tented area of CookOut NYC, there will be a homemade kimchi contest, a cookoff with foods made with (his) kimchi (you get a free gallon to go crazy with), kimchi making demonstrations, and a possible kimchi-eating contest, perhaps. No word yet on whether Mama Oh will be making a special guest appearance, but you can count on Kheedim running the show.

This is where you guys come in: Want to enter either the homemade kimchi contest, or the cook-off where you can come up with any dish using kimchi? Time to sign up! And for that, you’ll get access to the entire fest, too.

Okay, more details. Kimchi isn’t quite as hard to make as it sounds. In fact, that and other lacto-fermented pickles, like sauerkraut, was the only way many cultures in cold, harsh climates stayed alive. It can’t be impossible! But it does take a little figuring out, and some finesse, if you’re up to impressing the judges on July 10. So, below I’ve gathered a few previous posts on my kimchi-making or cooking-with exploits, for a little reference. The rest (like, “Will I have a grill or just a table to work on at Governor’s Island?”) you can just ask Kheedim. Write to inquiries@kimchirules.com, or just check out the info on that site!

my soon-to-be kimchi

Just kim’d a head of napa cabbage yesterday, and will have at least five days to wait before checking it out!

Kimchee Roasted Potatoes (with homemade kimchee)

Kimchee, Spinach and Goat Cheese Frittata (with Mama O’s Kimchi)

and listen to Kheedim talk about Kimchipalooza on Let’s Eat In

And it’s one of the courses that will be served at a special dinner I’m hosting this Sunday, the Feast of 61 Local Ingredients. Yes, we’ll be feasting on this green gazpacho, and much more, to celebrate the start of a lush time of year for eating locally. Reservations for the event can be taken here, and we’ll start the night off with a few drinks in the bar joined by some of the local farmers and food artisans whose work will be used throughout the courses.

It might sound like a fantasy to throw 61 locally-sourced ingredients into one meal, or one of a very complicated and epic scale. But this dinner aims to prove how easy, delicious and actually practical it can be. For instance, this bowl of green gazpacho has no less than fifteen ingredients foraged from within the state. A lot of them are herbs — there are ten types of herbs in total for a nose-tickling taste — then it’s cucumber, stale bread, the stinging nettles, spring onions, spicy pickle brine and chopped green bean pickles, and creme fraiche to finish. Serve chilled with chunks of cucumber and the pickled green beans, it’s cooling, nutritious and packed with fresh, vibrant flavor. I think I just listed off more than fifteen ingredients come to think of it, and am hoping that there are enough nasturtium blossoms on my roof to garnish each bowl with on Sunday, too. But the point should be clear — it’s a cinch to pack sixty-one ingredients from the city into one meal, and it will be all the better for the food, too.

a handful of shiso and other assorted herbs are blended in

a healthy green roof garden in Brooklyn

Similar to a spicy, tangy chimichurri or salsa verde, this soup has a bright kick of vinegar thanks to all the pickle juice. It’s based on more classic green gazpacho recipes, but swaps in flavorful pickle brine (because it’s an oft-unused part of the jar) for red wine vinegar. Gazpacho is actually a peasant dish, which incorporates stale bread that’s soaked and mashed up to stretch it. Both red and tomato-less green versions of it traditionally have this, but it’s commonly forgotten nowadays. The stinging nettles are a liberal twist, but once blanched and smoothed into a puree, they add density and don’t distract in taste — and it seemed appropriate to the nature of the dish to use whatever needed to be used up, that was green.

This soup was tested out (and photographed, at top) with Josh Greenfield, of Y-I-EatN. His rooftop was responsible for the brunt of the herbs in this test-run, as his brother Mike has a small operation up there that looks like it could feed a dozen for the summer pretty soon. Thanks to an underutilized patch of blacktop on their roof, Mike’s gone greenthumb, loading up on heirloom seedlings at the Greenmarket each week (there are three unique types of mint in the mix). Sound familiar? See it happening on the neighboring rooftop or backyard, too? Yes, in addition to all the great farms upstate and in surrounding farmland, the city has become a valuable place to procure ingredients from, too. Just ask the farmers of Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm, who will also be contributing produce to the meal.

The rest of the menu can be found here as well, and all the contributing ingredients and farms/producers behind them will be listed at the event. I’ve gotten many requests for more vegetarian-friendly food events from readers and people I’ve met in person, and I’m listening to you guys this time, because there will be a definite vegetarian option at this meal that should be no less satisfying than the meat main course. Finally, why sixty-one ingredients in this? Well, because that’s the name of the bar this dinner is housed in, 61 Local, in Boerum Hill (its address is 61 Bergen St.). It’s a terrific place that testifies to the same theory as this meal, with a drink and food menu that focuses on the region’s best.

Hope you can join us, and if not, here’s that recipe for the gazpacho!

Green Gazpacho with Stinging Nettle and Pickle Brine
(makes about 4 servings)

2 large cucumbers, peeled
about 1 cup packed stinging nettle that had been blanched, drained and squeezed out, coarsely chopped
2 scallions, shallots or 1 large spring onion, coarsely chopped
small wedge of stale bread
1 cup spicy dill pickle brine (such as McClure’s)
1 cup packed fresh herbs including parsley, cilantro, dill, spearmint, and optionally including basil, oregano, marjoram, chives, peppermint, and other herbs as desired
3-4 pickled green beans (such as Rick’s Picks “Mean Beans”), finely chopped
about 1/4 cup creme fraiche
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the seedless ends off the cucumbers and finely dice into cubes for garnish. Chop the rest of the peeled cucumber in large chunks. Puree in a food processor along with the nettle, herbs, and pickle brine. Soak the bread in the mixture for a few minutes, then puree along with the bread.

Transfer to a blender to liquify mixture until frothy at top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide amongst four serving bowls. Garnish with a dollop of the creme fraiche each and sprinkle with the chopped pickled green beans and cucumber cubes.

So, you’ve helped put on a lot of food events, including two at Governor’s Island last year. How will Brewers PicNYC differ from those?

JC: It’s great to be back for another season producing events on Governors Island. Brewers PicNYC will have less chef focus, more about an introduction to summer! The food will be a mix of favorite street foods and great food trucks, and it’s family-friendly with a 12-and-under goes free rule. There will be picnic tables, quirky entertainment like ukelele players and bluegrass, PLUS — insider secret — there’s free admission with a ukulele or banjo! And of course, a wide selection of craft beer.

Wow, maybe I should buy that ukelele I’ve always meant to on eBay. What made you decide to hold the event over the course of two days?

JC: Fits with the Memorial Day weekend vibe! Also, this format is more flexible than a chef-driven event — we’re providing a wider variety of foods than just BBQ or grilling. Brewers PicNYC really aims to show off a great diversity of NYC food and craft beer.

a food station at Meatopia, July 2010

taking the ferry with fellow chefs to Pig Island in September ’10

You would know this best, as a founder of the Good Beer Seal and host of Beer Sessions on Heritage Radio, but what’s so good about beer that’s made in and around NYC?

JC: There is more and better craft beer in the NY region than ever (or at least since the 19th century!). Sixpoint, Brooklyn Brewery and Kelso are in the lead, along with Captain Lawrence, Greenport, and many others have been thriving in the past five years in the greater NYC region. (Stay tuned as well for “Cookout NYC” July 10 and for July Good Beer Month — we’ll really be celebrating the great NYC area beers!)

It’s terrific that the event will benefit Added Value community farm. Will attendees be able to check out the farm’s plot on Governors Island while they’re there?

JC: Added Value has been a long-standing community farm in Red Hook, but has had a growing presence on Governors Island the past 2-3 years. The farm is on the South end of the island, and will be open for visitors throughout the Memorial Day weekend.

pork butt gets sizzling on the outdoor grill

Jimmy taking a stroll with fellow Good Beer Seal chair Chris Cuzme, while Jeff Gorlechen of Sixpoint takes a chomp

What are you most looking forward to trying from the food offerings this weekend?

JC: Rickshaw Dumplings, PizzaMoto, DUB Pies (Australian meat pies), Luke’s Lobster, Jimmy’s No. 43 (pork tacos!), grilled cheese by Sourpuss Pickles, Orwashers Bakery bread, the “tequila” taco truck… and a full selection of savory sweets and Italian ices for kids! There will be 20 separate food stations!

And from the beer?

JC: Sixpoint will be back with their custom Governors Island beer, the Signal, a slightly smoked pale ale, plus the Crisp Pilsner; Greenport Harbor’s Harbor Ale; Brooklyn Brewery, and Blue Point will round out the NYC craft breweries. Then, Chicago is making a play with Goose Island and Two Brothers both represented!

Can you give us a sneak peek on what other events you might be brewing up next?

JC: In addition to bringing back “Pig Island II” on September 10 (80 pigs, 20 chefs, this year co-hosted by  PBS food show host Michael Colameco!), coming up next for July Good Beer Month events include: Cookout NYC on July 10 at Governors Island with Kimcipalooza (hosted by Mama O’s Kimchee) and custom craft beers; “Putting the Craft Back In Beer” on July 15, a webcast and live event at the WNYC GreenSpace; a third annual “Good Beer at BAM” on July 26th with Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn!

That’s a lot of good beer (and food) to look forward to! (And the photo at top of Jimmy was taken at last year’s Good Beer at BAM.) Cheers!

At Wong Vivant, Michelle made a gorgeously green lasagna, with Swiss chard, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and bechamel sauce, and her own pesto made from radish greens, arugula and walnuts. The radishes themselves she’d save for salads with most of the fresh, young arugula she’d bought. Michelle admitted she’d stocked up on more than she normally does at her farmers’ market in DC, but it was just that time of year when she’d begun to see more than just crates of apples. Major props to her for using those radish greens, and in such a delicious-sounding way.

photo courtesy of Wong Vivant

At Come Help Me Eat This, Jessica also made an unconventional pesto… with carrot tops! But that’s just the beginning; she also found asparagus and fiddlehead ferns and deep-fried them in batter, and made lamb and beet-studded burgers with mint, and served them with farmstead goat cheese, arugula and said pesto on a local bakery’s bun. But not only is lamb “springlike,” Jessica talks about how lamb tend to be more sustainably-raised than beef, and uses it in a comparable ratio to vegetables in the finished meal.

photo courtesy of Come Help Me Eat This

At Herbie Likes Spaghetti, Bryan, YiRan and Herbie went for the dessert category with a sustainably-sourced sundae. They made their own ricotta gelato, which in itself is quite an achievement, then went onto serving it with a local apple compote and buttery brioche toast. But the best part about the recipe post for me might just be reading about their burgeoning fascination with shopping at the farmers’ market — for the quality of the foods they find, and an appreciation for the thoughtful, hardworking farmers.

photo courtesy of Herbie Likes Spaghetti

Dave of Dave’s Kitchen clearly concentrated on what’s most sustainable, most springlike, as well. In the end, he came up with batter-fried fiddleheads, served with homemade aioli with fresh chives. No, I have never heard of frying fiddleheads in batter before either, and yet two contestants here made delicious examples of it. Great minds… Anyway, Dave gives tips on how to make a thin batter and dip the fiddleheads in order for their curlicue shape to remain visible after frying; he also says of making the aioli, “Making it was so easy I’ll think twice before picking up that next jar of flat-flavored mechanical mayo from the grocery store.”

photo courtesy of Dave’s Kitchen

So, who won the contest? First, what did they win? The prizes for this contest were offered up by Ger-Nis Herb and Culinary Center in Brooklyn, where I’ll be teaching a class. Only, the class that I had originally offered as one of the prizes for the winner (the second being a $50 gift certificate to any class there) no longer exists! Sorry to say, but “Food Blogging 101″ had to be cancelled on the center’s calendar. Regardless, I’ll be teaching a vegetarian dumpling workshop later on in July, using fresh summer veggies. And the winner of the Sustainable Spring contest will receive two $50 gift certificates to any classes at Ger-Nis, instead.

Finally, I didn’t judge the contestants’ blog posts above; that arduous task when to Nissa and Tina, organizers at Ger-Nis. They loved them all, but had to come up with a winner. And first place went to…

Dave! He gets vouchers for two classes of up to $50 in value, so he can go on to mastering other odd greens, hopefully.

But there’s a second place, too. Nissa and Tina just had to give another $50 class gift certificate to Jessica at Come Help Me Eat This for her smorgasbord of spring. I’m sure it’ll be well spent, too.

Thanks to the other entries, and hope you have a much better time finding (sustainable) spring ingredients from now ’til summer. I think you’ve all just inspired me to go make a lasagna with fiddleheads and lamb, and finish it with ice cream. Good day!

The beneficiary of the event was The Humane Society of New York, whose motto is, “Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty.” We thought they do such good work that they could use a little celebrating themselves. Staff from the non-profit were on hand with flyers, pictures of pets for adoption, and raffle prizes at their table.

donations being made for raffle tickets of pet prizes from the Humane Society

But the event’s main focus was all about the beer. Twenty-two small batches of experimental brews were poured, along with another sixteen Sixpoint “staple” flavors, including the Berserker Bock, a beer made with Stumptown Coffee. Many of these flavors were made with friends of the brewery, such as Knockout Punch, a pink, Hawaiian Punch-infused brew that Sixpoint’s video guru, Aaron Ekroth, collaborated on.

the main room at the Bell House, in full festival swing

Then there was the food. We gathered ’round our favorite Brooklyn food vendors to serve up what we thought were the quintessential beer pairings: tacos, pizza, sausages and smoked brisket. So, CalexicoCart, PizzaMoto, Prime Meats and Mile End were stationed outside the venue, serving up just that.

Prime Meats had weisswurst on a pretzel roll under control

Calexico served up three kinds of tacos: chorizo, chicken & veggie

some chopped liver & pickled onion munchies, among those from Mile End

PizzaMoto cranked out several hundred margherita & mushroom white pies in their wood-burning pizza-mobile

Brooklyn Soda Works also showed up with two refreshing new flavors

Anyone who’s been to the Bell House knows there’s a great stage in its main room, so we had to take advantage of that. For entertainment, Chances With Wolves spun records throughout the event, while performances from JerseyFresh Burlesque punctuated the atmosphere of excess.

BB Heart opens the act with flashy feathers

a backstage glance at some of New York’s finest burlesque performers: Cherry Pitz, BB Heart, Handsome Brad and Miss Mary Cyn

Our emcee for the evening, burlesque host and producer Peter Aguero, poked fun at me during the afternoon session for having the loudest laugh in the crowd. It was the kind of laugh, he’d said, that says, “How is this my life right now?” And I couldn’t agree more. I don’t even know what to write about all this anymore! But I’ll wrap up by answering some the most commonly voiced questions during the event. Got another one? Ask it in a comment here!

Commonly Asked Question at Beer For Beasts #1: When are these beers going to be available commercially, and where can I get some?

Answer: We’d made each of those twenty-two specialty beers exclusively for this event and don’t have immediate plans to make them again — but never say never! It’s all a learning experience, however, just like making any small batch or homebrew, and we’ll put what we learned in making them towards our big-batch beer flavors to be released in the future.

Commonly Asked Question at Beer For Beasts #2: What’s the connection with pets and beer? Why the Humane Society of New York?

Answer: We’d visited the Humane Society of New York and thought they were doing great things for the city in an incredibly efficient and hard-working way. We were touched. Plus, we’re all obsessed with our pets, who are often shelter or rescued animals.

Commonly Asked Question at Beer For Beasts #3: Why is it so cold outside?

Answer: I have no idea! It’s supposed to be the end of March. Better drink more and stay warm.

Commonly Asked Question at Beer For Beasts #4: Will you do this again, next year?

Answer: Yes! Sixpoint and BeerAdvocate plan on making it an annual event, with different surprises each year.

Commonly Asked Question at Beer For Beasts #5: Did you really put grapefruit in the Triphop Grapefruit IPA? Juice or peel?

Answer: Here’s your homebrew recipe! Again, this beer was a collaborative effort with my friend Robert Sietsema (Village Voice food critic), and I believe it was his idea first to use grapefruit in an already “citrusy” IPA. But we couldn’t have done it without the help of Sixpoint brewers Ian, Sam, Sean and Shane, who pointed us in the right direction for grapefruit-y hops, appropriate malts, and how to handle the bitter grapefruit peel. We eventually made a grapefruit peel tincture with high-proof grain alcohol that was added after fermentation. Here’s a photo recap of how it was made, followed by a homebrew recipe.

fresh grapefruits are squeezed, strained and boiled to reduce to about half

some of the peel is reserved and soaked in grain alcohol

a mash of Rawr, Crystal and Carahell malt begins to boil

also, three types of hops were used: Cascade, Citra and Warrior

we stir

the beer’s original gravity is about 15

Robert swigs the finished beer at the fest!

Triphop Grapefruit IPA
(makes a 20-gallon batch)

malt:
15 lb Rawr
12 oz Crystal
12 oz Carahell

hops:
1 oz. Cascade @ 60 minutes
1 oz. Citra @ 30 minutes
1 oz. Citra & Cascade @ 20 minutes (I think)
1 oz. Warrior @ 10 minutes

yeast: White Labs 007

Procedure: Juice and strain 2 dozen pink grapefruits (reserving peels). Bring to a boil in a pot with 1/2 cup sugar and let reduce to 2/3 of its original volume. You should have about 2 pints left, give or take. After the last round of hops (Warrior) has boiled for ten minutes, add the grapefruit reduction and remove from heat. Let ferment for 2-3 days.

Meanwhile, soak shaved grapefruit peels in 1 cup grain alcohol for a few minutes. Strain. Add tincture to beer before transferring to keg or carboy.

It’s a contest devised by Nissa and Tina at Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center and myself, and the prize is a couple classes at the center. (Perhaps polishing up on your skills plays into your vision of spring?) We thought it would be the perfect opportunity for a blogger to win a seat at my upcoming food blogging class on April 21st. In addition to that class, the winner will receive a gift certificate of $50 towards any other class at Ger-Nis. I’ve taken a class at this center, taught by chef Jacques of Palo Santo, and can vouch for its having been a delightful time. Also, I’m very excited to share with you a full night’s curriculum of food blogging skills at my class, and have some surprises in store.

The rundown: Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with a blog post with a recipe that tackles the theme, “Sustainable Spring.” The recipe should incorporate ingredients that were thoughtfully sourced with sustainable practices in mind, and are currently in season in your region. Please mention somewhere in your post the contest, and its prizes of classes at Ger-Nis. There are no strict guidelines to your post, but this is what Nissa and Tina will be looking for, as your judges.

The deadline to post this recipe on your blog is next Thursday, March 31st. Please write an email to me at cathy [at] noteatingoutinny.com to let me know that you did, and include a link to it. The winner, as determined by our esteemed judges, will be announced the following day, along with a round-up of the rest of the submissions.

I know it might be a tricky week for local produce in NYC, as we’re all holding our breath for big spring players like the ramps pictured above (from last year) to appear. But it should be an interesting one, and a fun challenge. I’ve been eating spinach that had wintered over in my garden lately, for instance. Good luck, and can’t wait to see what you all make of things!

Contest: Sustainable Spring
1st Place Winner’s Prize: 1 ticket to Food Blogging class on April 21, and a $50 gift certificate for any class at Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center (combined, a value of $125). Sorry, no exchanges.
Deadline to Enter: March 31st
How to Enter: Publish a blog post with a sustainable, spring-themed recipe and send your link to me at cathy [at] noteatingoutinny.com