Catering Melbourne Blog

A fashionable party is not complete without its chocolate fountain. Gone are the days of the ice sculpture, now, it’s all about the chocolate fountain. Imagine what looks to be a three or four tiered chocolate wedding cake but is in actual fact warm smooth chocolate. Used at weddings, parties and even corporate events, a chocolate fountain is guaranteed to make a lasting impression on even the most diet conscious.
The fountain comprises two units, the heater base and the holding basin and the auger (which is a large corkscrew). The heater must be turned on 15-20 minutes before the use and the solid chocolate put into the basin. The unit melts the solid chocolate which takes around 30-45 minutes to begin to flow. If you are new to chocolate fountain use it is recommended that you melt the chocolate prior to putting it in the basin. Chocolate fountains do not pump the chocolate to the top; instead they use a corkscrew motion which brings the chocolate to the top. This means that the life expectancy of the unit is increased and cuts down on unnecessary repair costs.

Any type of chocolate can be used in a chocolate fountain however chocolate with around 30% or more cocoa is preferred. This creates a silkier look and smoother taste; any other type of chocolate used will need a small amount of vegetable oil added.

If the unit is to be used on and off on a regular basis melted chocolate can be stored in the heated part at the bottom of the unit and the corkscrew/auger turned off when not in use. It is a good idea for hygiene reasons to cover any melted chocolate with a mesh of some sort which allows heat to escape but prevents anything contaminating the chocolate.

1 chicken/ hen (3 to 6 lbs) 1 BBQ grill gas or charcoal 1 pizza pan 2 cups water 1 potato 1/2 can of beer (your favorite will do fine)

Take you chicken or hen a baste it with butter or your favorite seasoning and spices. Add salt and pepper to the inside of the chicken or hen. Pre-heat the BBQ grill to 350 degree. Take the pizza pan and in it pour the 2 cups of water. Place the half fill can of beer in the butt end of the chicken or hen (care no to spill the beer out of the can). Carve the potato to the size of the chicken or hen’s throat. Place the potato in the throat of the chicken or hen. Sit the chicken or hen in the pizza pan upright. Make sure that the beer doesn’t spill out when placing the chicken or hen on the pizza pan. Open the grill lid and place the pizza pan with chicken or hen upright on the grill. Close the lid of the grill. Set your watch and do not open the grill lid for one hour. When the hour is done, open the grill lid and serve the chicken or hen. It will be tender, moist and great! Easy to do! Great tasting!

Imagine this–you are seated at an upscale restaurant with one of your best clients and then handed a wine list thicker than a college textbook. You want to pick out the “perfect” wine to impress your client but everything looks like it is written in a foreign language. After only a few minutes the server asks if you have made your selection, so you decide to order the most familiar thing on the menu. You are not sure your selection will coordinate with your meals, and it costs more than your boss will tolerate for a client dinner. By the time the bottle arrives, you have broken out in a cold sweat and are ready to take a big gulp! The good news is that understanding the three main ways wine lists are organized is the first step to preventing this from ever happening to you.
There are three primary types of wine lists - those organized by the grape varietal, by geography (or where it is made), and by flavor profile (progressive). Keep in mind that some lists blend several of these methods. Let’s explore each of these three types of wine lists:

By Grape Varietal. Organized by the main grape variety used to produce the wine, this type of list definitely appeals to our varietally conscious culture. It may be further organized by country or state. Thinking of the grape varietal first and the origin second is an American trend. Many European countries are now trying to focus more on the grape varieties despite regulations that ban the top rated wine from listing them on the label. Sections for the popular varietals, e.g., Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, are usually listed, as well as an “other varietals” category for white and red. These lesser known varietal sections can often be more interesting, and is where many bargains can be found!

By Geography. This wine list is organized by countries of origin and often has the more specific subcategories, like the regions or state, which is the traditional type of wine list. If you love French wines, this type of list makes it easy. Flip to the French section and then look at what regions or wines are offered. The grape varietal used may (or may not) be listed next to the wines in this type of list. This is not an issue for most wine from the US since the wine is usually labeled by grape varietal, e.g., Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. The European wine industry, however, tends to focus on the region where it is produced and assumes we know what grapes are grown. Even though the principal grapes of Burgundy are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they won’t appear on the bottle of Burgundy’s finest wines.

Progressive. This type of list is a relatively new approach that is organized by the flavor and body profile. A typical category might be dry-light-bodied whites, and the wines in that category may be ordered from mildest to fullest. This allows diners to look for the type of wine they enjoy and then order options in the same flavor and body category. Your favorite grapes or countries may be located in many different categories. Once you get the hang of these lists, they are tons of fun. They don’t require any special knowledge of geography or grapes–just a knowledge of what you like.

Hopefully you a have a better understanding of the three most common ways restaurants will organize their lists. The geographic and grape varietal lists will account for 80% of the lists encountered, but the progressive list may be a growing trend for the future. Hopefully the next time you take an important client (or that special someone) to dinner they will be impressed with your ability to find the right wine in no time!

Well, let’s see. According to the British Coffee Association, its research shows that drinking three cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of fatal liver disease by up to 40 percent. But, that is the Coffee Association! Could they be just more than a little biased? In my quest to find out if coffee really is good for you, I discovered some interesting facts.
In 2006 Data gathered on 88,259 women in a Nurses Health Study found that coffee drinkers lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by 13% if consuming 1 cup per day, 42% for 2-3 cups per day, and 47% for 3 cups per day, compared to non-coffee drinkers. Interestingly, coffee’s beneficial effects were not due to caffeine; these reductions in disease risk were similar for those drinking decaffeinated as well as caffeinated, filtered, and even instant coffee.

As well, research has found that drinking coffee is in no way associated with increasing a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Nor is there any conclusive evidence that coffee/caffeine consumption increases the risk of ovarian cancer.

A study in the January 2006 issue of the Journal of Nutrition found that among premenopausal women, consumption of regular (caffeinated) coffee, but not black tea, was associated with linear declines in breast cancer risk. A 40% reduction in risk of breast cancer was seen in premenopausal women drinking at least 4 cups of coffee a day.

Although caffeine can be found in breast milk, it is present in very small quantities, and normal coffee drinking women do not put their infants at risk. In any case, a moderate intake does not constitute any risk. Then I read a thing in “You, The Owner’s Manual” that moderate consumption (2-4 cups per day) appears to have significant benefits, including improved memory, and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s by 25% and Parkinson’s by 50%!

The National Osteoporosis Society in the UK states that, `We have yet to see any conclusive evidence that moderate coffee consumption is a significant risk factor in the development of osteoporosis.

Note: apparently this does not apply to women receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT)! Other aspects of the diet and lifestyle, such as stress, smoking habits and obesity, are however, well established risk factors.

Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones are weakened or demineralised, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of fractures occurring. A two-year study of 92 post-menopausal women by researchers at Pennsylvania State College of Medicine has confirmed that any apparent relationship between caffeine consumption and bone mineral content completely disappears if known risk factors are controlled. You can help reduce that risk by following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking calcium, vitamin D and antioxidant supplements.

In summary, while it might not be great for people with nervous stomachs, irritable bowel syndrome, or acid reflux, some studies have shown that coffee has quite a few health benefits, including lowering the risk of many diseases by 20-25%, including Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, liver cirrhosis, and colorectal cancer.

The bottom line is that the coffee bean is the fruit of the coffee plant, which is comprised of antioxidants! Personally I do not believe that it’s the coffee itself, or the caffeine, but the antioxidant qualities!

I do NOT suggest, therefore, that you increase your coffee consumption or even start on a “coffee kick” just because it may have antioxidant benefits! The best and most potent antioxidants are specially formulated, concentrated whole fruits in their own natural juices for optimum consumption and benefits.

At the same time I am happy to reassure the coffee lover that most evidence suggests that regular consumption of coffee has no significant relationship with the risk of cancer at any site.

However, you know your own body best. If you get the jitters every time you so much as look at a cup of coffee, then you know it’s not for you!

As in everything: Moderation and common sense is the key! And remember: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

A cup of tea can help you get your morning started or aid in relaxation after a long and stressful day. You can warm up on a cold winter day with a steaming mug of your favorite tea, or you can cool down on a summer afternoon with a tall, refreshing, glass of iced tea. Not only does it taste great hot or cold, but it can also help you stay healthy. Witha variety of tea that seem to come in ever color of the rainbow and every flavor possible, walking down the tea aisle at your local grocery store can be a perplexing event. The truth of the matter is that there are basically four groups of tea and most of your favorite will fall into those categories.

Black Tea: The process of making Black tea is a long process that eventually results in the oxidation and fermentation of the tea leaves. This fermentation process results the darkening of the tea leaves to a deep red or black color. Black Tea is one of the more common flavored teas. Under the umbrella of black teas are some common flavors such as Darjeeling and an assortment of breakfast teas.
Benefits: It is believed that black tea can help digestion, improve cholesterol, and possibly reduce tooth decay. While there is caffeine in black tea it’s not as potent your morning cup of coffee and can often give you that needed boost without the jitters.

Green Tea: Green tea is made from leaves that do not go through oxidization. They are picked and then steamed or pan fried to prevent any fermentation. Although it doesn’t sound extremely appetizing this popular tea is often described as tasting earthy like grass. It has a light and refreshing flavor and depending on the type, can range from sweet to a little bitter.
Benefits:Green tea is credited with helping your body fight off cancer, some types of arthritis, and high cholesterol. It also can be a great boost to your immune system.

Oolong Tea: Oolong Tea is less oxidized than black tea but does go through some oxidation unlike green tea. Most tea drinkers describe oolong as having a earthy/grass taste similar to Green tea, however it’s slightly stronger.
Benefits: While it’s not yet proven, there is some research being done into the impact oolong tea has on weight control. Besides that, oolong tea is credited with aiding digesting and cleansing the body from the inside out.

White Tea: White tea can be thought of the unripe fruit of the tea world. Made from young or immature leaves that have yet to undergo oxidation, white tea is probably the most expensive and rarest form of tea. Although it recently has become more available in the United States, it was originally hard to find anywhere else besides China. White tea is often said to have a smooth sweet flavor.
Benefits: The flavor alone isn’t a reason why white tea is becoming so popular in the US. This tea is credited with being the healthiest form of tea because it’s so close to its natural state. Some of the benefits of white tea come from the high amount of cancer fighting anti-oxidants as well as its ability to aid your immune system in fighting off bacteria and viruses.

Quite often when you research information into the various cultures and cuisines that make up countries it is quite possible to find a common theme common name for the food of that country. Such as French food, Italian food etc but with the regards to Spanish food or more accurately described as recipes that originate from the country of Spain it could be argued that it is not quite that simple.
The reason for this is that you could quite easily argue that technically there is no such thing as Spanish food and the reason being for this is that Spain is an amalgam of its constituent parts that is to say it could be described as a political construct which is made up of disparate groups with their own languages, cultures, cuisines etc. The various autonomous regions that comprise Spain have been slowly pulled together through a variety of different processes some by force, some by choice but they all have one thing in common and that is they have kept their own individual features.

The number of autonomous different regions that form what we would nowadays refer to as Spain is 17; they all have their own linguistic variations of the language, in some cases it’s a different sub language entirely and as well as their own cultures most definitely have their own individual cuisines.

One of those autonomous regions comprises the north-western province of Galicia. Galicia is surrounded on two sides by the Atlantic Ocean and it is pretty understandable to think that for a region that has such an involvement with the sea, its cuisine would also be heavily influenced by the sea.

The above having been said not all of Galicia’s finest recipes are all seafood based and the region can lay claim to quite a variety of dishes all of which are most definitely worth investigating further.

Lets top talking about the food and get down to business. Let’s eat!

The ingredients for four people with this dish are as follows:

1 Octopus of about 2 kg in weight. 1 Onion 2dl of Olive Oil 2L Water 1 Spoonful of Sweet Paprika 1 Spoonful of Hot Paprika Coarse Salt

Basically this dish is all about preparation. Clean the Octopus carefully first, remove the ink sac, and the beak that it has between the tentacles and empty the head. Beat it with a mallet and wash it in plenty of water.

Put the Octopus into a tall pan with boiling water and the onion, and then take it out with the help of a skewer roughly three times. The aim of this exercise is to actually scald the meat rather than cook it at this stage.

Once this exercise has been repeated then put the Octopus back into the pan and then continue to cook it until the meat is tender. The time that this would take does really depend upon the quality of the Octopus that you are cooking.

Once the meat is tender enough then remove from the pan making sure that at all times that the skin doesn’t disintegrate. Remove the octopus from the pan with the aid of a skewer and this way your fingers are less likely to end up being seriously scalded!

Dry the cooked octopus and cut into 2 or 3 centimetre pieces. Put the hot octopus pieces on to wooden plates and season with salt and sprinkle with the two kinds of paprika and the olive oil.

This would make an ideal first course or a light snack!

Quite often when you research information into the various cultures and cuisines that make up countries it is quite possible to find a common theme common name for the food of that country. Such as Indian Food, Chinese Food but when you refer to Spain or to put it possibly more accurately food and recipes that originate from the Country of Spain it is not that straightforward.
The relatively recent unification of Spain as a single political entity is really the main driving force that lies behind this theory as the country is an amalgamation of the various autonomous regions that lie within it. These autonomous regions have been slowly amalgamated through a number of different processes throughout history but have all kept their own distinctive features.

The number of autonomous different regions that form what we would nowadays refer to as Spain is 17; they all have their own linguistic variations of the language, in some cases it’s a different sub language entirely and as well as their own cultures most definitely have their own individual cuisines.

One such extremely distinctive autonomous region is Galicia which is Spain’s most north-western province. Spain’s most westerly autonomous region it is surrounded on two sides by the Atlantic Ocean and as you can imagine for a region that has so much rugged coastline a lot of Galician cuisine is very much based on seafood and seafood based recipes.

That having said not all of Galician cuisine is all seafood based and the region can lay claim to some quite gorgeous recipes and provincial dishes and are all well worth trying out.

The particular recipe that we are looking at today is a nice mix of both cultures within Galatia i.e. we are using sardines which obviously come from the sea but we’re also mixing them with boiled potatoes which obviously represent the agricultural side of the food economy

Lets top talking about the food and get down to business. Let’s eat!

This particular dish makes a delicious second course to a meal and doesn’t actually take too long to prepare. We are going to provide the dish for four people and therefore we will need the following ingredients:

Two dozen Sardines Coarse Salt 6 Potatoes 1 Bay leaf

Preferably if you can, several hours before you cook this dish if you can take the coarse salt and spread it over the Sardines and leave then it will add a nice touch of pre seasoning to them before you can start cooking the dish.

While you have been doing take the unpeeled potatoes, cut in half and add into a pot of water half covering the potatoes and add some salt and the Bay Leaf.

When the potatoes are almost cooked, drain off the water and finish cooking them either in an oven, on a barbecue or in a flame grill preferably alongside the Sardines. Take the sardines that have been prepared earlier and add them to a barbecue grill or a conventional flame grill and cook.

When the sardines are ready which shouldn’t take too long the potatoes will be ready, mix and you have a delicious meal.

“He proudly shows us the branches of the coffee trees, bent under the weight of their crop. He touches them tenderly, as a father would his children . . . his eyes shining with happiness. ‘Do you know, doctor, why these branches curve so toward the earth? They are grateful to the farmer, and bow before God.’” José Corvetti, describing a visit to the farm of Italian immigrant T. Malavasi,Tres Ríos, 1935 Coffee and Costa Rica were meant for each other, and they have grown and prospered together, complementing each other in the pursuit of excellence. Costa Rica repealed the death penalty in 1870 and abolished the army in 1948, and coffee supported those reforms with its high productivity and environmentally friendly disposition. In a country which has enacted laws protecting 21% of its territory in order to preserve the 5% of the world’s biodiversity it shelters, Costa Ricans are encouraged by their environment to love what they do, and to do it well. In its desire to protect the environment, Costa Rica has carefully tended the soils and climate that are best suited to coffee production. As Costa Rica’s soils have been enriched by volcanic ash, they contain a slight degree of tropical acidity. They are also rich in organic matter, which makes for good distribution of the coffee plant’s root system, enabling them to retain humidity and facilitating oxygenation. This combination of factors invigorates the coffee plants and is one of many elements contributing to the quality of Costa Rican coffee. Over 70% of the country’s coffee is produced in the mountains, which vary in altitude from 3,280 to 5,580 feet above sea level. Mountain temperatures range from 63 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Sunlight is stable, and precipitation levels are ideal. All this makes for as dependable and high-quality a coffee crop as any produced in a greenhouse. Costa Rica is the only country in the world which has issued an executive order (N°19302-MAG, 4 December 1989) banning the production of any variety of coffee other than Arabica. This standard is made possible by the expertise, experience and favorable physical conditions which converge in this remarkable land. The story of Costa Rica’s coffee is the story of the nation that saw it come to life over two centuries ago. Throughout the years, it has been the yardstick by which the country’s life and economy have been measured. Our grandparents tell us… Coffee was first brought to Costa Rica during the last decade of the eighteenth century. So we are told in a letter sent by Panamanian trader Agustín de Gana to the Governor of Costa Rica, Don José Vásquez y Téllez, announcing that he was sending two pounds of coffee.
The history books tells us that Father Felix Velarde was the first Costa Rican coffee grower; his will, dated 1816, refers to a plot of land on which coffee had been planted. Tradition has it that he bequeathed the seeds to his neighbors, inviting them to plant them. His suggestion must have taken hold, because the first recorded export of Costa Rican coffee, a one-hundred pound shipment to Panama, took place in 1820. By 1832 coffee was also being exported to Chile by Jorge Stiepel, a German businessman living in Costa Rica. In Chile, the coffee was repackaged and sent to England, where it was sold as “Valparaíso Chilean Coffee”. Meanwhile, a group of forward-looking coffee producers, including Mariano Montealegre, who was the main promoter of the crop between 1830 and 1840, decided to take on the task of exporting it directly to England. The first shipment was made in 1843 thanks to the efforts of the captain of an English ship, The Monarch, which transported 5,505 one-hundred-pound sacks to Europe. The first two Heads of State of Costa Rica, Juan Mora Fernández and Braulio Carrillo, strongly supported the coffee trade, as they sensed that it could generate economic growth and enhance Costa Rica’s position on the international market. As coffee production developed further, the country’s economy, society, and culture flourished. But that is another story . . . The story of Costa Rica’s coffee is the story of the nation that saw it come to life over two centuries ago. Throughout the years, it has been the yardstick by which the country’s life and economy have been measured. Coffee bears fruit . . . What does coffee have to do with the theater? What does the tax year have to do with the coffee harvest? In Costa Rica such relationships are essential, and are part of the benefits obtained from the “Golden Grain”, as it is called in Costa Rica. Coffee exports to Europe during the mid-nineteenth century brought many opportunities for Costa Rica, opening a window to the Old World that would eventually bring in railroads, a postal service, printing presses, the country’s first university, and what is perhaps the region’s greatest architectural treasure: the National Theater. Designed as a miniature copy of the Paris Opera House, the National Theater, located in the center of the capital city of San José, became a symbol of coffee-driven prosperity because it was initially financed by coffee taxes. Coffee did not simply transform the Costa Rican economy and its landscape, it also changed consumer behavior and working patterns. The development of a taste for coffee was, perhaps, a reflection of the democratic society that was being forged. In the words of historians Peters and Samper, “Drinking coffee became a ritual of Costa Rican society, a society that was free of economic and social distinctions; everyone drank it, from the simplest farmer or laborer to the most prominent politician.” And, just as Costa Rica lives and breathes democracy and peace, it also lives and breathes coffee. It is no coincidence that per capita consumption of this drink is the highest of all coffee-producing countries in the world. The close relationship between coffee and daily life led Costa Ricans to plan their calendar around the harvesting, processing and sale of coffee, to such an extent that the Costa Rican tax year is based on the coffee trade: it begins in October and ends in September of the following year. For a long time, in fact, even the school year revolved around the coffee harvest. But that did not prevent education in Costa Rica from becoming in 1886, what it still is today: free and mandatory. Textbooks and teachers arriving from Chile during the early years of the coffee trade, and later on, from Europe, became part of a tradition which also included a unique land ownership structure, in which small and medium-sized properties have remained a part of the rural landscape to this day. That landscape has changed over the years. What has not changed is Costa Rica’s continuing love affair with coffee.

Maybe you’ve been following my column on our blog, Your Weekly Libation, and my tapestry of booze has enticed you. Maybe you’re a drink-fixated foodie looking to move from smoothies and teas into a more exciting area. Maybe you saw the word ‘beer’ and started drooling like one of Pavlov’s dogs. Whatever the reason, you’re here and eager to make your own beer!
How easy or difficult is the process? That depends entirely on how much you want to influence the outcome. Whatever the method, prepare to commit some cash; at least $40 for an all-in-one kit, or up to $150 to make things from scratch. It’s worth the costs, however, when you finally crack open a bottle of your own personal beer and down it with glee.

The first option for the amateur brewer is to pick up an all-in-one beer kit. Mr. Beer, the most well-known, offers four different kits, from the $40 Deluxe Edition all the way up to the $150 Ultimate Edition. Another brand to consider is the $130-150 Starter Home Brewery set (which uses a glass carboy and organic ingredients). These sets don’t do all the work for you, but they do cut down on use of raw ingredients or jerry-rigged equipment. By using a kit, you’ll possibly save money and definitely ensure consistency. But all the ease of production comes at a price: good luck customizing the flavor of your beer using a pre-made brewpack.

For the truly discerning brewer-to-be, it may seem necessary to do everything yourself. This allows for much more experimentation and creativity; it also has a much smaller margin for error. It’s best to buy a brewkit first, experiment with it, and move on to custom beers once you’re comfortable. If you are, and you’ve made sure to properly sterilize all your equipment (via steam dry in the dishwasher or a diluted bleach soak and rinse) there are three broad phases to beer creation:

Brewing For this, you’ll need a brewpot, a recipe, a kitchen strainer, at least 2.5 gallons of water (most brewpacks and recipes call for 2.5-3 gallons), and a rolling pin (to crush your grain ingredients). What ingredients you need depends on what kind of beer you’re making. A Simple Ale, for example, might contain:

3 lbs. light dried malt extract 8 oz. crushed crystal malt 1 oz. Northern Brewer pellet hops 1 pkg. brewers yeast 3/8 C. sugar, for bottling

But different beers require different amounts of even the most basic ingredients. The brewpot is where you prepare the beer ingredients–the “wort”–for fermentation. Use a large (at least 4 gallon) metal pot, ideally stainless steel or ceramic-coated. Using an aluminum pan will work, sort of, but your beer will end up tasting funny. And with a process as long as this one, the final result had better be good! Once you’ve prepared the wort, you’re ready for the second phase.

Primary fermentation For this, you’ll need a serious fermenting container. No skimping with a two-liter bottle, here. Some sites suggest you use a fermenter made specifically for brewing, with a stopper and spigot; others show how to employ things like water cooler bottles. Whichever kind you use, pour in (”pitch”) your brewer’s yeast. Here is where the the infant beer shall remain as the yeast parties down inside, chowing down on the sugars within the wort and giving off carbon dioxide. To prevent the the whole thing from going kablammo like an oversized Wort Grenade, you’ll need an airlock, a simple little plastic doodad which constantly releases the building CO2. It forms an airtight seal between the fermenter’s stopper and the outside world. You can make one fairly easily, but plastic airlocks generally go for about $1, and I’d say that’s a dollar well spent. Place the container in a dark, cool place, and prepare for the hardest part of your brewing experience: waiting.

After feasting for 10-14 days, the yeast should be done with all the sugar. It’s time for your beer to go into the third phase . . .

Secondary fermentation What? But we already fermented it once! True, but we’ve been letting out the CO2; secondary fermentation takes place in sealed bottles, trapping the CO2 and giving the beer its foamy, fizzy carbonation. But since the sugars from the wort are all gone, you’ll need to add some “primer” sugar before bottling. Prepare a primer by boiling 3/8 a cup of sugar in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes, then pouring it into another container large enough to hold your beer. Siphon the beer into this new container carefully; your goal is to leave behind as much of the sediment as possible. From here, pour/siphon/spigot the beer into bottles and . . . wait some more. Argh! Let the beer age for another 7-10 days in that same cool, dark area from before; finally, pop open a bottle and have a taste.

If it’s nectar from the gods, great! Let it continue aging and drink as necessary; start on your next batch, too! Time it right and you’ll constantly enjoy homemade beer in your fridge. Play around with recipes; add ingredients to the malt like honey or molasses; have fun like the brewmaster you are!

Luscious Lemon Chicken

6 chicken thighs

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp. coarse ground black

2 T. oil

pepper and salt to taste

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can water

1/2 tsp. crushed tarragon leaves

5 T. real lemon juice

hot cooked rice

Lightly coat chicken pieces in the flour (to prevent excessive splattering). In a skillet, brown the chicken; discard the oil. In a bowl, mix well the soup, water, lemon juice, paprika, pepper, salt, and tarragon leaves. Pour over chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook 40 minutes. Stir and turn chicken occasionally. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with parsley tops and thin lemon slices.