Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

This is a great way to serve fish, it has TONS of good flavor and a great sauce that goes well over rice... you have to at least try it! For the record, it's one of my all-time favorite meals!

Ingredients:

4 (6oz) Mahi Mahi Steaks ( I get 'em frozen at Trader Joe's)

Marinate ingredients:

3 TBSP honey

3 TBSP soy sauce

3 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 tsp ginger (comes in a jar already pureed, at Trader's or any grocery store)

1 clove garlic

2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

Mix all the "Marinate Ingredients" together in a shallow dish, season the mahi mahi steaks with a little s & p, then lay them in the dish to marinate for 15- 20 minutes in the fridge. When ready, put 1 TBSP olive oil in a frying pan and let it heat up, then lay the steaks in the pan and cook for 4-6 minutes over med.-high heat until they are slightly browned. Use the remaining juice that the steaks were marinating in- put it in a small sauce pan and let it cook over medium heat until until it reduces to a glaze. You will use this as your sauce to spoon over your fish. * For the record, mine never gets super "glazey" just so you know :)

Serve with: My favorite thing to serve over is a bed of brown rice. I put a serving of brown rice, a steak of fish, and then a few spoonfuls of the fabulous sauce on top of it all. I will also serve it with artichokes, asparagus, or a crisp, green salad.

BOTM NOVEMBER NOW AVAILABLE FOR PICKUP

BOTM NOVEMBER IS HERE! DRINK, YOU DRINKERS!

cheers,

dave

BEER: OLD VISCOSITY AND GIFT OF THE MAGI

2 arriivals from Port Brewing today.

1. Old Viscosity- bourbon barrel aged imperial stout.
2. Gift of the Magi-Winter release Biere de Garde with brettanomyces and spices

I'd say more, but I assume you're already on your way.

cheers,

dave

Cocky Chocolate Chip Cookies...

These cookies got their "Cocky" name because they are really that delicious- even they know it! I also need to clarify, these are not healthy and nutritious, they are down right scrumptous! The original recipe is from this William Sonoma cookie cook book with a few tweaks!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chocolate chips

**2/3 c shredded coconut (optional, not so much for flavor, but for chewiness!)

Directions:

 Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt) in a bowl. In a second bowl, beat the butter on high until it is light and fluffy (don't skip this step, it's what makes the cookies so cocky!). Then add both sugars, egg, and vanilla to the fluffy butter. Beat again with hand mixer. Add the dry mixture to the bowl slowly and continue to beat until it is all mixed together.  Last, add the chocolate chips and coconut. Hand mix one last time. Scoop 1 inch balls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Take cookies off sheet and let cool on a wire rack.  Serve with a class of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Crisp Chicken Casear Salad

This is a quick and easy dinner that you can make in a pinch! You can cook the chicken how ever you like- brown it on the stove top with S & P, grill it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder- or give it a little kick with this quick marinate that's got great flavor! 

Ingredients for the Quick Chicken Marinate:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic (I use the frozen cubes from TJ's)

2 TBSP grill seasoning (I use Lawry's Seasoning Salt)

2 tsp. hot sauce

3 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

** Marinate chicken breasts or strips in this and grill it, or bake it- I like it grilled best!

Ingredients for Salad:

Hearts of Romaine (pack of 3 from TJ's will feed 4 people)

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Croutons or Parmesan Crisps (from TJ's)

Caesar Dressing (refrigerated section in TJ's)

**optional: baby grape tomatoes

Chicken- either 2 breasts or a package of chicken tenders

Directions:

Take care of your chicken first, brown it or grill it depending on what you choose or what time allows. Obviously wash your lettuce, sprinkle on the parmesan cheese, chop the chicken into bite size pieces, toss on the tomatoes, then pour on the dressing and toss all ingredients. Serve in individual bowls with 2-3 parmesan crisps tucked on the side.

530 bottles of beer on the wall

That's right. 530 bottles. For now. There are at least 100 more coming in the next 3 weeks. Some people say that makes us the store with the largest selection of beer in the Bay Area. I would tend to agree with them.
Mix-A-Six is a whole new beast now, with nearly 100 domestic 12 oz. micros to choose from (in addition to 430 other bottles. We have 530 in stock, by the way). Mix any six beers and save 10%.
-----------------------------------------------------
FYI: HEALTHY SPIRITS WILL BE OPEN UNTIL 2 AM THIS HALLOWEEN.

-cheers!

dave

SAN FRANCISCO BEER+CHEESE TASTING EVENT

The SAN FRANCISCO BEER AND CHEESE TASTING group is having a tasting on November 2nd. If you would like to attend, sign in to Beer Advocate and follow this link to RSVP:

http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/21023

The theme is dark strong ales. Bring a few bottles, and/or some interesting cheese.

cheers,

-dave

Turkey Chili....

This is a fabulous and hardy meal for a cool, fall day. Compliments of my momma... Debs!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 28 oz. can undrained tomatoes (diced or whole)

2 cups tomato juice

1 TBSP mustard

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained

* 1 16 oz. can white kidney beans, drained (optional, to make it a little hardier)

Instructions:

*Pull out your big pot for this guy, you can saute and cook all in one pan. *First, chop your onion and bell pepper and throw it in a hot pan with a drizzle of olive oil and your garlic (I use the frozen cubes from Trader Joe's, they are great to keep on hand!) and let saute for a few minutes. Then add in your ground turkey and cook until browned. (Here's a helpful hint, when you first put your turkey in, break it up with a spoon or spatula, and then leave it to brown on one side, don't go turning it over and over, it won't ever get that good brown color that way. Once one side it browned completely, then turn it over for the next side to do it's thing). Next add your tomatoes and tomato juice, seasonings, and mustard. Give it a good mix-a -roo. Bring that to a boil, cover it up, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 1 hour. Last, stir in the beans (drained of course) and let it simmer for 15 more minutes. After that, it is ready to serve and your whole house is full of the delicious smell of homemade chili!

Serve with: I would like to recommend my favorite corn bread that is NOT homemade, heck, you just made the chili homemade, so give yourself a break already! It's from Trader Joe's and it comes in a box, you add an egg, oil, and water, and wha-la! it's done! It does take 35 minutes or so, so don't wait until the last minute! If you are feeling green, you could add a salad or some asparagus to go with it!

Simple Asparagus

Ingredients...

Asparagus (as many as you need to feed the fam)

Grape Seed Oil

Sea Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

Wash your asparagus, trim off the bottoms, and if you have an extra minute, use your peeler to peel the last inch of the asparagus so that it stays tender. After they are prepped, drizzle grape seed oil over them (I put them in a bowl or shallow dish, and roll them around so they all get a light coat of olive oil) then lay them flat on a roasting pan and sprinkle the sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your liking and pop them in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, test them with a fork, if they are close to your liking for tenderness, sprinkle on a handful of shredded parmesan cheese, put them back in the oven for 3-5 minutes to let the cheese melt. Delicious!

Options to serve with:

They are a great compliment to any meal as the veggie dish, I personally like them along side of the sweet potato fries!

Sweet Potato Fries...

h

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes (anywhere from 2-5)

Grape Seed Oil

Sea Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly wash the sweet potato skins, cut them into slices (cut them in half or thirds depending on how big they are, then cut them in half again, then slice them into wedges). Put them in a bowl, drizzle grape seed oil, sea salt, and pepper and toss. Pour them out onto a roasting pan or cookie sheet (for easy clean up use parchment paper). Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on how brown you like them. To test them, poke them with a fork, until desired softness. Enjoy!

Options to Serve with:

Chicken or fish with a green veggie or salad. (See Mahi Mahi recipes)

CUSTOMER REQUESTS?

As some of you may know, I'm working on bringing in a hundred or so new beers over the next month or two. I have alot of ideas, but I want to know what YOU want. More IPAs? An entire shelf of Russian Imperial Stouts? Gruit ales? Meads? Let me know.

cheers!

-dave

2 DE PROEF SIGNATURE ALES NOW IN STOCK

NOW IN STOCK:
1. DE PROEF SIGNATURE ALE (Tomme Arthur Port Brewing Collaboration)BATCH 2
2. DE PROEF"LES DEUX BRASSEURS SIGNATURE ALE (Jason Perkins Allagash Brewing Collaboration) BATCH 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Les Deux Brasseurs is a Golden Ale fermented with multiple strains of brettanomyces yeast.
------------------------------------------------------------------
No need to reserve bottles for now. I have a decent amount of both.

-Cheers!

dave

MIX-A SIX

Don't let the economic crisis get in the way of your drinking.
Come in and mix a 6-pack. You'll save 10%.
Over 350 bottles to choose from!
(6-pack deal is for 6-packs with no more than 2 of the same bottle. Deal does not include cans.)
___________________________________________________________________________________
ALSO:
Look out for a major expansion of our beer selection in the next few weeks!

cheers,

-dave

I'm doing okay

After some back issues I have started working my way back into exercise!  I did 30 minutes yesterday- and I have been watching what I eat as well.  However, today- I feel like a slug- so, not too sure what's up with that.  Hope everyone out there is doing well!

Watching the Biggest Loser!

BEER: NEW ARRIVALS

WET...STICKY...PUNGENT...HOPS!

Today, I recieved not one, but TWO fresh hop ales!

1. Port Brewing High Tide Wet Hop IPA
2. Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale

The Harvest 08 is one of the best hoppy beers is the best yet in the Harvest series. Its light piney hop character and surprisingly malty backbone form a serendipitous balance. I think my bottle lasted about 5 minutes.

OTHER NEW ARRIVALS:

1. Lost Abbey Avant Garde Ale
2. Port Brewing Wipe Out IPA
3. Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper (at brewer's request, not for sale until October 15. No need to reserve, I've got loads;)
_________________________________________________________________________________
OTHER NEWS
I'm working on bringing in alot more beer. We currently stock around 350 bottles at a time. We re-arranged the store today to accomadate alot more bottles, so expect some interesting new additions in the near future.
ALSO:
In case anyone missed my message, BEER OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER IS NOW READY FOR PICK-UP!!!

cheers,

dave

It's been a while

I have been slacking in the dept. of keeping up with this blog.  I'm trying to watch what I eat and have good days and bad days.  However, I try to shake off the bad days and start fresh the next day.  I'm trying to keep myself more accountable- in the food dep. and the exercise dep.   Right about the time I was getting ready to go back to the gym, my back went out.  I wasn't allowed/released to exercise for over a week.  And, since then I haven't had time.  I know a lot of people make that excuse and it really shouldn't be one.  I am struggling with prioritizing my time- especially in this area which I know is so very important!  I'll work on it- I promise!  I am going to be very detailed in this because I have to type it up to give to someone and it's just easier to put it in one place!

Breakfast:

1 low carb- 100% whole wheat tortilla- 70 calories, 7 g total carbs, 3 g fiber

1 TBS peanut butter- 95 calories, 3.5 g total carbs, 1 g fiber (this is half a serving- which I had the other half later)

1 SB cereal bar (I don't get any time for a snack between 7 and my lunch at 11)-

Lunch:

Grilled chicken salad with lettuce, spinach (I think- usually it does), half a hard-boiled egg, broccoli, cheese, 3 TBS Ranch dressing, grilled chicken, cucumbers (usually).  It's a decent sized salad

s-f jello

10 mini carrots

Snack- SB snack bar (at 2:00)

Snack- 17 100% whole wheat wheat thin crackers and 2 oz. of 2% colby jack cheese (around 4:30)

Dinner: 

grilled chicken patty/filet from McD's-no bread, condiments, JUST the chicken.  My SB dining guide states that at their press time it had 180 calories, 7 g fat, 2 g carbs, 0 g fiber

Fruit and Walnut salad with no nuts- SB dining guide states- 170 calories, 1 g fat, 38 g carbs, 4 g fiber

snack after church- SF pudding, 1 TBS peanut butter (same stats as above)

Water- 24 oz. before 7:30, another 20 oz. by 11, 12 oz., plus 20 oz. plus the 12 oz. I'm drinking right now.  I think that's it.  I also had a 20 oz. diet mountain dew and about another 20 oz. of diet mtn. dew.  

Starting on Thursday I'll try to keep up with it as I eat!