21st Century Pioneer

Needle and The Damage Done

2011-12-04T19:33:00.000-05:00

Microwave Pralines

2011-12-03T05:15:00.000-05:00

1-1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup half and half
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. butter, melted
1-1/2 cup pecan halves

Combine sugar, half and half and salt in a deep 3 quart casserole; mix well. Stir in butter. Microwave on High for 7 to 9 1/2 minutes or until mixture reaches soft ball stage (235 degrees), stirring once. Stir in pecans; cool about 1 minute. Beat by hand until mixture is creamy and begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. Drop by tablespoon on wax paper. Let stand until firm.

Corn Chowder

2011-12-02T19:54:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

6 ounces bacon
4 cups potatoes -- diced
2 cups onion -- chopped
2 cups fat-free sour cream
1 1/2 cup 2% low-fat milk
1 cup fat free half-and-half
2 cans (10 3/4 oz size) fat-free cream of chicken
soup
2 cans (15 1/4 oz size) canned corn, undrained
Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click]

Directions:

Cut bacon into 1-inch pieces. Cook for 5 minutes in large skillet.

Add potatoes and onions and a bit of water. Cook 15-20 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to slow cooker.

Combine sour cream, milk, half-and-half, chicken soup, and corn. Place in slow cooker.

Cover. Cook on low for 2 hours.

Source: CDKitchen

Shady Grove

2011-12-01T05:50:00.000-05:00

Performed by:Gretchenman

My spin on an old favorite. DAD tuning with capo on the first fret (E minor).

My dulcimer is a Clemmer w/wormy chestnut top and black walnut back and sides.

Easy Barbecued Beef Recipe

2011-11-30T20:16:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

3 pounds lean beef chuck roast or similar pot roast
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 can beer (12 ounce size)
1 bottle ketchup (14 ounce size)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click]

Directions:

Place roast in crockpot. Combine sugar, beer, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce; pour over the pot roast.

Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 12 hours, or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until it is very tender and easy to shred or chop.

Serve shredded or chopped barbecue beef on fresh split buns, warmed or toasted.

Serve with coleslaw and barbecue sauce on the side, along with salads of your choice and vegetables or baked beans.

Source: CDKitchen

New England Hard Cider

2011-10-02T09:05:00.000-04:00

Found this photo on a blog called The Field Guide. Really good example of fermenting cider.

5 GALLONS
Ingredients:

5 gals. fresh-pressed sweet cider, emphasis in the blend on acidic (as much as 40 percent) and astringent apples (8 to 10 percent)
4 cups cane sugar
1/2 tsp. acid blend
1/2 tsp. yeast nutrient
7 grams wine yeast
1/3 cup corn sugar

Step by Step:

Add sugar, acid, and nutrient to cider and ferment with yeast. Rack after five weeks. Bottle in 16-oz. beer bottles at about 20 weeks, priming with corn sugar. Bottle condition for 10 to 12 weeks.

source byo

Molasses-Kissed Vanilla Porter

2011-10-01T08:52:00.000-04:00

James Spencer's Molasses-Kissed Vanilla Porter
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain). OG = 1.065 FG = 1.020, IBU = 24 SRM = 43 ABV 5.8%
Ingredients:

11.75 lbs. (5.3 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (90 °L)
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) chocolate malt
2 tbsp. molasses (10 min)
5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (60 min)
(1.0 oz./28 g of 5% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Hallertau hops (15 min)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Hallertau hops (5 min)
5 whole vanilla beans (secondary)
splash of bourbon (or your favorite substitution)
Safale S-04 dried yeast

Step by Step:

Infusion mash at 153 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Raise to 168 °F (76 °C) for 15-minute mashout. Boil for 60 minutes, adding molasses at last 10 minutes of boil. While beer is in primary fermentation, split vanilla beans and chop in to 1/2-inch sections. Soak for at least three days in enough bourbon to cover beans. Rack beer on top of vanilla beans and bourbon in secondary. Condition for a week.

--

(5 gallons/19 L, partial-grain) OG = 1.065 FG = 1.020, IBU = 24 SRM = 44 ABV 5.9%

Ingredients:

1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (90 °L)
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) chocolate malt
3.0 lbs. (yy kg) Munton’s Light dried malt extract
4.5 lbs. (yy kg) Munton’s Light liquid malt extract (late addition)
2 tbsp. molasses (10 min)
5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (60 min)
(1.0 oz./28 g of 5% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Hallertau hops (15 min)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Hallertau hops (5 min)
5 whole vanilla beans (secondary)
splash of bourbon (or your favorite substitution)
Safale S-04 dried yeast

Step by Step:

In a kitchen pot, steep crushed grains at 153 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes in 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water. Bring 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. After steeping, rinse grains with 1.0 qt. (~1 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water. Add “grain tea” and dried malt extract to brewpot and bring to a boil.
Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated and molasses at last 10 minutes of boil. While beer is in primary fermentation, split vanilla beans and chop in to 1/2-inch sections. Soak for at least three days in enough bourbon to cover beans. Rack beer on top of vanilla beans and bourbon in secondary. Condition for a week.

source byo

Roasted Garlic Soup

2011-09-30T05:45:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 large garlic heads, whole, unpeeled
1 clove(s) garlic, minced
3 tablespoon(s) olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
2 cup(s) onion, minced
1 cup(s) carrots, minced
1 large (1 1/4 cups) potato, peeled and cubed
4 cup(s) chicken stock
1/2 cup(s) dry white wine
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper
1/4 cup(s) heavy cream

Directions

Roast the garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, cut the top off each garlic head so that the tip of each clove is exposed. Place the garlic heads on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the bay leaves and fold the foil to form a packet. Place the packet in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Cool slightly. In a small bowl, squeeze the garlic head until all of the roasted flesh is released. Discard outer husks and bay leaves.

Make the soup: In a large heavy-duty saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil and butter, add onions, and cook over medium heat until translucent--about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the potato, chicken stock, white wine, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 35 minutes.
Finish the soup: Using a blender, purée the soup in small batches until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the heavy cream. Heat until warmed. Do not boil. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Cheddar Cheese

2011-09-29T14:33:00.000-04:00

Photo by Wikipedia

Ingredients

1 Gallon Fresh Milk
1 oz. Mesophilic Starter Culture
1/4 tab Rennet
1 Tablespoon Salt

Instructions

Using a double boiler, warm the milk to 90 F (32.25 C).

Add 1 oz of mesophilic starter culture and mix thoroughly with a whisk, the culture must be uniform throughout the milk.

Allow the milk to ripen for one hour.

Dissolve 1/4 tab rennet into 3-4 tablespoons COOL water. Hot water will DESTROY the rennet enzymes.

Slowly pour the rennet into the milk stirring constantly with a whisk.

Stir for at least 5 minutes.

Allow the milk to set for 1-2 hours until a firm curd is set and a clean break can be obtained when the curd is cut.

With a long knife, cut the curds into 1/4 inch cubes.

Allow the curds to sit for 15 minutes to firm up.

Slowly raise the temperature of the milk to 102 F (39 C). It should take as long as 45 minutes to reach this temperature. During this time, gently stir the curds every few minutes so they don't mat together.

Cook the curds at 102 F (39 C) for another 45 minutes. During this time, gently stir the curds every few minutes so they don't mat together.

Drain the whey by pouring through a cheesecloth lined colander. Do this quickly and do not allow the curds to mat.

Place the curds back into the double boiler at 102 F (39 C). Stir the curds to separate any particles that have matted. Add the tablespoon of salt and mix thoroughly.

Cook the curds at 102 F (39 C) for one hour, stirring every few minutes.

Carefully place the curds into your cheesecloth lined mold.

Press the cheese at about 20 lbs. (9 kg) for 45 minutes.

Remove the cheese from the press and flip it.

Press the cheese at about 40 lbs. (18 kg) for 3 hours.

Remove the cheese from the press and flip it.

Press the cheese at about 50 lbs. (22.75 kg) for 24 hours.

Remove the cheese from the press. Place the cheese on a cheese board and dry at room temperature for 3-5 days, until the cheese is dry to the touch.

Wax the cheese and age it in your refrigerator for 3-24 months. The longer the cheese is aged the sharper the flavor it will develop. Be sure to flip the cheese every few days.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2011-09-28T05:09:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken
3 quart(s) low-sodium chicken broth
6 carrots, peeled
4 stalk(s) celery, ends trimmed
3 medium onions, peeled
5 black peppercorns
1 clove(s) garlic, crushed
10 sprig(s) parsley
2 sprig(s) thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
4 leeks, tops and root ends removed
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper
3 cup(s) (5 ounces) medium egg noodles

Directions

Make the stock: Place the chicken and chicken broth in a large stockpot and set it over medium heat. Roughly chop 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, and 1 onion and add to the broth. Add the peppercorns, garlic, 2 sprigs of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is very tender -- about 1 1/4 hours -- skimming the surface periodically. Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl. Strain the broth through a very fine sieve into a large, clean bowl or stockpot. Discard the vegetables.

Make the soup: Skim any fat off the top of the strained broth and discard. Slice the remaining carrots, celery, onions, and leeks into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and set aside. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken, cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and set aside. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until the onions are translucent -- about 7 minutes. Add the chicken, the reserved broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender -- about 1 hour. Stir in the egg noodles and parsley and cook until the noodles are tender -- about 10 more minutes. Serve hot.

Pork Chops and Apples

2011-09-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

* 6 pork loin chops, about 1-inch thick, trimmed of visible fat
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* Salt, to taste
* 6 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, cored and thickly sliced
* 1/4 cup currants or raisins, optional
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions

1. Over medium heat on stove, brown chops in oil.
2. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
3. Place pork chops in the crockpot; combine remaining ingredients and pour over the pork chops.
4. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 9 hours, or on high heat 3 to 4 hours.

Source: LoveToKnow Recipes

Cheese Soup

2011-09-26T05:36:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 ounces small diced onion (approximately 1 cup)
5 ounces small diced carrot (approximately 1 cup)
5 ounces small diced celery (approximately 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt for sweating vegetables, plus more if needed at end of cooking
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart chicken broth, heated to a simmer
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream
10 ounces Fontina, shredded
1 teaspoon Marsala wine
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Directions

Melt butter in large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and salt. Sweat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Sift the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Gradually add the chicken stock and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and add the garlic and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Remove bay leaf. Turn off the heat, add the heavy cream, and then puree with an immersion blender or in a conventional blender*. Gradually add the cheese, 1 small handful at a time, and stir until melted before adding next handful. Stir in the Marsala, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and white pepper. Taste and add additional salt if desired. If soup is not hot enough, return to a low heat until warmed through.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Clam and Corn Chowder

2011-09-25T05:34:00.000-04:00

2 medium or one large onion, chopped

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 cups diced potatoes

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp celery salt

2 can (aprox 7 oz) minced clams (I use baby clams)

1 can (16oz) creamed corn

2 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

In a pot large enough to hold 3 quarts, cook onions in butter until soft (but not brown). Add broth, potatoes, seasonings, and clams. Cook covered 15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked. Add corn, milk and heat. It can be made richer by using a mixture of cream and milk. Serves aprox 8.

Old Man

2011-09-24T19:32:00.000-04:00

Homemade Butter

2011-09-23T05:44:00.000-04:00

Photo by: Terry Ballard

Ingredients

1 pint pasteurized heavy cream or whipping cream
1/2 cup cold water
Cheese Salt (optional)

Procedure

Let cream set at room temperature for several hours to ripen

Pour into a 1-quart canning jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake viqorously

After 5-10 minutes,when the butter has formed,pour off the liquid buttermilk and spoon the solids into a bowl

Add the water and press with the back of the spoon to help expel more buttermilk. Pour off the excess liquid and continue adding cold water and expelling buttermilk until the liquid runs clear.

Add salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight. This butter will keep for up to 1 week.

Yield is about 8 ounces

I like to use 1 pint jars instead of the quart jars. Also, do not use ultra-pasteurized cream. If you do, use a cheese starter and let the cream ripen for about 18 hours.

30 Day Wine

2011-09-22T06:26:00.000-04:00

A quick and easy recipe for making a batch of wine that you can enjoy during the summer months.

* 24 oz Welch's frozen concentrated grape juice, thawed
* 3 cups sugar
* water to make up one gallon
* 1/2 tsp dry yeast
* 1 1-gallon glass jug.

Mix all ingredients together well with water filling jug to about an inch below the shoulders. Cover with a clean rag secured with rubber band. Keep in a dark place about 70 degrees. About 2 weeks later replace rag with a good thick piece of plastic wrap. After 30 days from starting date, siphon wine off from sediment in bottom and drink. For a good old "Mad Dog 20/20" type wine, add a pint of cheap blackberry brandy to the mix before drinking.

Dried Cranberry Wine

2011-09-21T00:08:00.000-04:00

* 1 lb dried, unsulfited cranberries
* 2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
* 1 tsp pectic enzyme
* 1 tsp yeast nutrient
* 1/8 tsp tannin
* 1 crushed Campden tablet
* water to one gallon
* 1 pkt Lalvin RC212 (Bourgovin) wine yeast

Chop the cranberries or run them through a mincer.

Place in primary and add one quart warm water.

Stir in crushed Campden tablet.

Cover and set aside 12 hours.

Add pectic enzyme, recover primary and set aside another 12 hours.

Meanwhile, bring remainder of water to boil and stir in sugar until completely dissolved.

Cover sugar and allow to cool to room temperature.

When 12-hour pectic enzyme treatment is complete, combine remaining ingredients in primary and add sugar water.

Stir well and cover primary.

Stir twice daily for 7 days.

Strain out cranberries, rack liquid into secondary and fit airlock.

Rack every 60 days for 6 months, topping up and refitting airlock each time.

Stabilize, sweeten to taste, wait 10-14 days, and rack into bottles.

Store in cool, dark place for additional 6 months.

Source: Jack Keller

Cinnamon Wine

2011-09-20T07:16:00.000-04:00

* 12 six-inch cinnamon sticks
* 3 lbs granulated sugar
* 7-1/2 pts water
* 1 tsp yeast nutrient
* 1/8 tsp tannin
* 3 tsp acid blend
* 1 crushed Campden tablet
* Champagne wine yeast

Put cinnamon sticks and one quart water in a pot with a tight-fitting lid.

Bring to a simmer and hold for 10 minutes with the lid on, turn off heat, and let steep for two hours.

Strain the water into a secondary and discard the cinnamon sticks.

Add sugar to remaining water and bring to a boil.

Turn off heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Add all remaining ingredients to secondary except Campden and yeast and then pour in the sugar-water.

Cover with a napkin held in place with a rubberband and allow to cool.

Add Crushed Campden, stir, and allow to sit 24 hours covered.

Add activated yeast and recover.

Ferment 5-7 days, or until specific gravity falls below 1.030.

Fit with airlock and continue fermentation 30 days.

Rack into sanitized secondary, top up, and refit airlock.

Ferment another 3 months, rack again and ferment additional 3 months.

Stabilize, sweeten to taste, and let sit under airlock additional 10 days.

Rack into bottles and store in dark place.

Old Bay Beer Braised Shrimp

2011-09-18T08:22:00.000-04:00

Pairing Beer With Food Series

This recipe was inspired from the Great Food, Great Beer cookbook. Their recipe can be found on page 194 and has shrimp paired with an American lager. This recipe I found on Gracebeforemeals.com and it uses a light beer recipe which can be found here.

can of light beer
4 teaspoons of Old Bay
4 tablepoons of Butter
Shrimp - peeled, devined, about 1/2 pound (apx 10 medium sized shrimp) Parsley (Fresh flat leaf if possible)
1 small baguette, or 1 or 2 small crusty dinner rolls
Fresh parsley, mineced
Saute Bitter, garlic and olive oil in a pan, Season shrimp with salt, pepper and Old Bay and add to hot pan. Add beer to pan, enough so that foam covers the shrimp and add more old bay. Braze for 3-5 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pinkish white. Slice bread and put in a bowl. Add shrimp and sauce over the bread. Top with fresh parsley as garnish and extra flavor.

English Hard Cider

2011-08-28T19:27:00.000-04:00

This recipe makes 5 gallons

Ingredients:

5 gals. fresh-pressed sweet cider
4 cups cane sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups honey
1/2 tsp. yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp. acid blend
7 grams wine yeast

Step by Step:

Add sugars, honey, nutrient, and acid to cider and ferment with yeast. Rack after four weeks, bottle in corked wine bottles at about 20 weeks. Age in wine-cellar conditions for six months.

source byo

Roasted Pepper Tomato Bisque

2011-08-27T07:51:00.000-04:00

Basic Equipment for Making Wine or Beer

2011-08-26T22:16:00.000-04:00

Most people think that you need a lot of equipment and spend a lot of money to get into making your own beer or wine. Not true. I use a lot of stuff from my kitchen. There are a few inexpensive items you will need to purchase.

Items you need

6 gallon food grade bucket with a lid that has a hole to fit airlocks

hydrometer

stainless steel pot (12qt to 20qt)

funnel

airlocks

thermometer - floating one is great. I use an electronic because it is easier.

rolling pin - to crush grains

This basic equipment assumes that you are using juices to make wine and either liquid or dry malt to make beer. In other words, real simple techniques. As you advance in either one, you will want to pick up more equipment, but this should get you started.

18th Century Wine and Beer

2011-08-26T07:27:00.000-04:00

When I visited Monticello several years ago, I was fascinated by Jefferson's farming techniques. I was also fascinated how that just about every family during that time period made their own beer and wine. Just think how cool it would be if everyone now made their own wine and beer. Millions of varieties to taste and enjoy. Well if you want a little background about that period, check this out from Colonial Williamsburg.

This is an old time wine recipe. I'm not sure if the powder sugar means regular sugar or powdered sugar since terms were a wee bit different than.

WINE-RAISIN or STEPHONY, may be thus made: Take two pounds of Raisins of the Sun dried, a pound of good Powder-sugar, the Juice of two Lemmons, and 1 whole Peel: Let these boil half an hour in 2 Gallons of Spring-water; and then taking the Liquor off from the Fire, pour it into an earthen Pot, which is to be cover’d close for 3 or 4 days, stirring it twice a day, and adding a little Sugar.

For you beer drinkers, here is a recipe for spruce beer.

Spruce Beer Recipe from Pioneer Thinking.
5 gallons of water
1/8 pound of hops
1/2 cup of dried, bruised ginger root
1 pound of the outer twigs of spruce fir
3 quarts of molasses
1/2 yeast cake dissolved in 1/2 cup of warm water or 1/2 cup
of liquid homemade yeast
In a large kettle combine the water, hops, ginger root and
spruce fir twigs. Boil together until all the hops sink to the
bottom of the kettle. Strain into a large crock and stir in the
molasses. After this has cooled add the yeast. Cover and leave
to set for 48 hours. Then bottle, cap and leave in a warm place
(70-75 degrees F) for 5 days. It will now be ready to drink.
Store upright in a cool place.

Lastly, if you want to know what kind of beer George Washington drank, check out this feature from National Public Radio.

Kegging Wine

2011-08-25T22:05:00.000-04:00

Here's an idea that I have been advocating for the past couple of years. Basically, because I usually don't have as much time as I would like to make or bottle wine. Just think how easy it would be to just dump 5 gallons into a keg, slightly pressurize it, and voila. Wine on tap.

This article if from Winemaker magazine.

Kegging Wine: Techniques

Feb, 2006

by Chris Colby

Tired of corking bottle after bottle? Learn about the 5-gallon (19-L) "bottle" that holds the equivalent of 25 standard (750 mL) wine bottles -- the Cornelius keg.

Sparkling wine usually comes packaged in either standard-sized wine bottles (750 mL), half-bottle-sized splits or Magnums, which hold the equivalent of two standard wine bottles. However, less common, larger bottle sizes include Jeroboams (which hold 4 standard bottles of wine), Methuselahs (8 bottles), Balthazars (16 bottles) Nebuchadnezzars (20 bottles), Melchiors (24 bottles) and Sovereigns (34 bottles). There is also a size between Melchior (18 L) and Sovereign (25.5 L) that you may never have heard of — the Cornelius (18.9 L).

Read More

Calibrating Thermometers

2011-08-24T22:50:00.000-04:00

Calibrating Thermometers: Techniques by Chris Colby

How hot was it? Without calibrating your thermometer, you have no idea. Learn how to use the physical propertes of water to get your thermometers properly adjusted.

Homebrewers make a variety of measurements every brewday. We weigh out our malt and hops and perhaps malt extract. We take the mash or steeping temperature. We either boil down to or top up to our target batch volume and then we take the original gravity. If you haven’t calibrated your measuring devices, however, all these measurements could be off, perhaps by a fairly large margin. In this installment of Techniques, I’ll show you how to calibrate your “master” brewing thermometer and your working thermometers.

Read More at Brew Your Own