The Food Experiments: Austin TX Smoke Experiment TICKET GIVEAWAY

ZestyBeanDog Blog is giving away a FREE ticket

to The Food Experiment’s ATX Smoke

Experiment !

Need a lunch break during SXSW? Last year Matt Lillard ate our Taco on his lunch break…

Want to try  several badass dishes prepared by Austin’s top amateur chefs and drink Brooklyn Beer while your at it!? Join us this Sunday at Clive Bar from 1-4pm. Things may get a little crazy (they always do) but we try to keep it weird and crazy here in ATX so come witness the delicious culinary madness in person! We’ll be waiting for you!

#teamZBD has placed each year:  2011 3rd place judges pick : 2012 1st place judges pick: 2013 WE SHALL SEE! This year we have put so much love into our dish it’s sickening, in a juicy, fatty, goodness kind of way! We know it’s all going to be damn good and a great time so cheers to that! Let the fires get started!

Ways to win:

Spread the word by sharing this post on/and:

• Facebook, linking us in the post. via https://www.facebook.com/Zestybeandog
• Twitter  #zestybeandog
• Leave a comment here telling us your favorite smoked dish

We will pick a winner by Friday March 8th at 10pm CST. Your ticket will be available by pick up at will call using your name!

Good luck and CHEERS!

ZestyBeanDog Has Been Deep In The Test Kitchen…

Sorry I haven’t been around much, I’ve been experimenting as you may already know. This is my second year to be involved in The Food Experiments Culinary Battle. I cannot wait for my husband and I to compete against Austin’s best amateur chefs!  This stuff isn’t easy but it sure is FUN. Last year I was not on top of my game at all, this year I’m more than ready- so look out! 🙂

Last weekend we went to the Houston Experiment because my friends Lori and Dave were competing. It was a great time and we tried so many great dishes and some not so great dishes 😉 They made an awesome beer braised pork belly on a bed of drunken slaw. They didn’t place this time but I’m sure next year they will bring the heat  x100! The winner of the Houston Experiment were actually our table neighbors at the Austin Pork Experiment on 2011: Magic Hops / Pork & Grits Under the Influence. They had a great dish, and the public thought so as well! They will be coming to Austin to root on the Taco Experimenters as well as going to Brooklyn to compete! My friends Lori and Dave and my parents will also be coming up from Houston to support the ZBD, among many others in Austin! Much love to them!

Evan and I have been experimenting for the last month and half and I must say we are quite happy with our taco! It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser-no doubt! Tomorrow we will meet at the Gingerman for our “Meet and Greet” (aka sizing the competition up) with the other chefs. The grand prize is a trip to Brooklyn to compete with all of the other winners from around the world.

I wonder what’s in that smoker… You will find none of our secrets here so stop looking! 😉

If you live in Austin/or are going to SXSW this is the place to be on Sunday buy tickets in advance. You pick the winner, enjoy 25 sweet sweet samples of topnotch food and beer from Brooklyn Brewery. See you there! Now back to the kitchen (and work).

Brooklyn Black Ops Russian Imperial Stout Cheesecake

This cheese cake is sinfully good without the Brooklyn Black Ops Chocolate Sauce, when the two meet it’s ridiculously… dangerously good. Be sure to have some friends around when it’s done or you may just end up eating the whole cheesecake!

I know some of you may be thinking why would she waste a rare delicious beer on cheesecake… okay well it was only 4 oz and I live in Texas it’s already 98 degrees outside- I wanted a pint of Black Ops and I also wanted to try a sauce with it… solution was a win win- I had my pint and made this cheesecake in 98 degree weather. Would you expect anything less from a Food Experiments Pork Experiment 3rd place winner, I think not 🙂

Ingredients

-15-20 graham crackers, crushed
-2 tablespoons butter, melted
-4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
-1 1/2 cups white sugar
-3/4 cup milk
-4 eggs
-1 cup sour cream
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-4 oz Brooklyn Black Ops, (good luck finding it, I won this at The Food Experiments : Pork Experiment for third place…3 bottles…) in that case use a stout that you love. Drink the rest of the beer with the cheesecake or dinner.
-1 C. Semi-sweet chocolate chips, get some good ones!

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour-cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking.
5. Melt chocolate in a double boiler and then add the stout and blend until fully mixed. Let cool down for about 20 min.
5. Pour the stout chocolate sauce on top and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Enjoy, Cheers!

The Food Experiments Pork Experiment Was a Huge Success: Team Zestybeandog Won 3rd Place Judges Pick!

TEAM ZESTYBEANDOG 3rd PLACE WINNERS: JUDGES VOTE

POCO CUBANO SLIDERS

Evan and I served these little bites of goodness to the public.  What went into the dish:

Homemade mustard, made with yellow and black mustard seeds, Brooklyn Lager, tarragon vinegar, white vinegar, shallot salt and spices smeared on sliced baguettes layered with a slice of black forest ham, Jarlsberg  baby swiss, slow roasted pork shoulder raised right outside of Austin Texas at Peach Creek Farms that was marinated in hand juiced citrus, herbs, jalapeno, and spices, topped with homemade pickles, and a pork fat infused mojo sauce to die for!

It was a great competition and I was thrilled to have great friends splurge on a ticket to come out and support me and the event!  I’d like to mention some thank you’s since my speech on stage was short and sweet: “Winning” -Charlie Sheen

A special thanks to: Danny and Lori for saving my butt and bringing the box of bread I forgot, cant make sliders without the bread (also, Lori sewed the ZBD felt letters on my tablecloth I made)!!!  Thanks to Hannah for volunteering at the event and taking pics!  Thanks to Liz for entering into the competition, her tamales were AMAZING!  Thanks to Kyle for taking my camera and getting some good shots.  Thanks to all that came over Saturday night and entertained me in the kitchen (probably stayed up a little too late and had a few to many beers) 🙂  AND finally a huge thanks to my husband, Evan- I couldn’t have done it without him, he helped me tremendously: trying all of my concoctions for the last month, designing my cuban cigar themed menu sign, a little constructive criticism, helping me serve the hungry guests, helping me get inspired when I had “foodie block”, and lastly believing in me even when I didn’t at times…

There were so many great dishes, I’m more than happy with winning 3rd from the professional judges out of 22 chef-testants!  This was my first real cooking competition (not counting the ZBD chili cook-off) and I can’t wait to enter into many more!  The first place winners were the Holy Smokers Team, they did a great job and are awesome personable people!

The Goodies Team Zestybeandog Won:

• An AWESOME Le Creuset 3 1/2 Qt Braiser (more than ecstatic to use this tonight and forever)
• 3 Limited Edition Bottles of Brooklyn Black Ops, only 1,000 cases were made. WIN!
• Some pig nose aviators
• Brooklyn Slate Co. Coasters
• Chameleon Cold Brew
• Pig Vicious Survival Kit
• A my very own “The Food Experiments” Chef Jacket
• A Tin Brooklyn Brewery Sign, didn’t really win it, I asked for it 🙂
• Cheese paper and a cheese diary
• Unlimited Brooklyn Lager at the event!
• BRAGGING RIGHTS 🙂

Forgive Me I’ve Been Experimenting… With Pork

Sorry the blog has come to a screeching halt for the past two weeks, there’s a PERFECTLY good explanation I promise.  I’ve been endlessly experimenting with foods for my “Pork Experiment” dish in the evenings instead of blogging!

It’s been fun and I’m just tweaking little details here and there to get ready for the big day, SUNDAY.

What I’ve got in the fridge:

• 15lbs of pork shoulder from a local farm in Bastrop TX, Bershire Pork!
• Homemade pickles, that are increasing with flavor as we speak.
• Homemade mustard that’s almost done.
• Some delicious baby swiss…
• Some other secrets that I cannot divulge at this time!

About the Event:

Cookoff pros Nick Suarez and Theo Peck are excited to present Austin’s first ever Pork Experiment, an amateur cookoff involving Austin’s finest home chefs. Dishes will range from savory to sweet and will feature our favorite ingredient – Pork. Sharpen your knifes, this is a call to all home chefs looking to be named Austin’s next cookoff king or queen.

Winners will not only achieve culinary glory, but will be flown to Brooklyn, NY to compete in the National cookoff title, the super-bowl of cookoffs held at Brooklyn Brewery.

Prizes:

• A free Trip to Brooklyn!

Franklin’s BBQ – 10 Person “Pork Party” – The winner would receive a party for 10 people to include…
• 1 whole pork butt to be eaten at Franklins.
• Also includes pork vinegar sauce, slaw and potato salad, bread and a reserved table for you to “shred” the pork.
*Also include 1 draft beer per person 21 or older.

• Foreign and Domestic $100 gift certificate

• CASH CASH CASH

• Chameleon Cold Brew – Great Product and Cash Bounty

• Foodie Cards – Discount dining card with $30 credit on them

• Le Creuset Cookware

• Crif Dogs one of a kind skateboard

• Brooklyn Slate Beverage Coasters

Come out and support Evan and I, we will be working as a team and would love to see you there!  GET TIX HERE