music festival winners!

Thank you all for entering to win tickets to the Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival and The Festy!  I used a random number generator to pick the winners, who are listed below.

The winner of the Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival tickets is...Greg!

The winner of The Festy tickets is...Jes!

Greg and Jes, please send me an email (bellaeats@gmail.com) with your full name and contact information, and I will pass it on to Stephanie who will make sure there are tickets waiting for you at Will Call! If I don't hear from you by the end of the day Sunday August 15th, I'll do another drawing to give the tickets to somebody else.

Thank you all for entering!

exciting news!

Hello Friends! Remember me mentioning how busy I've been lately? Well, I am here to tell you the main reason... I've launched a photography company, Andrea Hubbell Photography! I'd love to share my portfolio with you, and hope you'll subscribe to the AHPhoto blog I've started as part of my new website. You can also follow me on Twitter, if you'd like, for photography-specific tweets.

No worries, Bella Eats isn't going anywhere! In fact, we are in the midst of a big website and branding overhaul that will be revealed in the next two months. I even have a lovely lime and blackberry tart to share with you very soon... (see if you can find an image of it in my portfolio!)

Until then, I'd like to entice you over to the AHPhoto blog with a few teaser images of our recent trip to Chincoteague. Consider it an [almost] Wordless Wednesday.

And don't forget, if you're interested in winning tickets to The Festy or the Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival, leave a comment here by the end-of-day (eastern time) this Friday, the 13th!

celebrate summer with local beer, local music [giveaway!]

A few weeks ago I received an email with the subject “Does Bella like beer?”. Well yes, Bella does like beer, and so I opened that email and kept on reading. In it, a very nice woman named Stephanie asked if I might like to visit an award-winning local brewery for a complimentary tour and tasting. She also asked if I thought the followers of Bella Eats might be interested in reading about that visit, and then submitting a comment on that post for a chance to win a pair of tickets to two separate music festivals in Virginia. Well gosh that all sounded like a lot of fun and, while product promotion and giveaways aren’t very typical in this web space of mine, I really liked the idea of reviewing a local company and hosting a giveaway that supports local music.

And that is how, a flurry of emails later, Brian and I found ourselves driving west out of Charlottesville two Sundays ago. Our destination, Devils Backbone Brewing Company, was recently named Champion Brewery and Brewmaster in the small brewpub category at the 2010 World Beer Cup. They also earned one gold medal and three bronze medals for individual beers entered in the same competition, and last year brought home four medals from the 2009 Great American Beer Festival. With stats like that, the not-even-two-years-old brewery had been on our "things to do/see in/around Charlottesville" list for good reason.

The brewmaster, Jason Oliver, has over 14 years of brewing experience and 15 medals for beers he's brewed. We were lucky to have a semi-private tour of the brewhouse scheduled with Jason, who is incredibly knowledgeable about his craft and patient with those of us who are not. He took us through the entire process, from steeping barley in water to fermenting with yeast to flavoring with hops. We were able to try several types of barley from a handful of different countries so that we could see for ourselves how different grains influence the final flavor of the beer we drink. It was fascinating, and very enjoyable. If you live in central Virginia, or are planning to visit the area, I highly recommend scheduling a tour of the brewhouse at Devils Backbone Brewing Company.

[thank you Brian for the above pictures of Jason and me]

After our tour Brian and I found our way to a couple of stools at the long copper-clad bar. DB Brewing Company has 10 beers on tap at all times, 4 that are brewed year-round and 6 rotating seasonal beers that are created by Jason. We decided to split the sampler, and Jason lined up our ten samples alongside a menu with their descriptions. The beers ranged in color from the champagne-toned Azreal (my favorite) to the cola-dark Inspirado (Brian's favorite).

They were each unique, some were surprising, all were quite good. The Wintergreen Weiss, a Bavarian-style hefeweizen, had my attention, as well as the Gold Leaf Lager. But the Azreal...oh, the Azreal (aka Gargamel...a little Smurf reference for you). Fruity on the nose and the tongue, so easy to drink yet nearly 8% alcohol...that one is dangerous, and I loved it. Brian's favorite, the Inspirado, was also excellent with its deep, dark color and rich, fruity flavor.

If you're in the area, make the drive out to Nelson County to visit Devils Backbone Brewing Company. Take the tour, try the sampler, stay for lunch. And be sure to go home with a growler or two. DB Brewing Company beer is available on tap at a few restaurants around Charlottesville, but the only way to take it home with you is to get it straight from the brewery.

Many thanks to Jason and Devils Backbone Brewing Company for hosting us, and to Stephanie for setting it all up!

Music Festival Tickets Giveaway!

Devils Backbone Brewing Company is hosting two music festivals on their Concert Grounds at Devils Backbone, the Brew Ridge Music Festival and The Festy.

Bella Eats is giving away one pair of tickets to each music festival!

You have three opportunities to win tickets:

1. Leave a comment on this post specifying that you are interested in winning the tickets and which festival you would prefer to attend.


2. Become a friend of both BRTMF and The Festy on Facebook and leave a second comment on this post telling me you've done so. (Honor system here folks!)


3. Follow The Festy on Twitter and leave a third comment on this post telling me you've done so. (Again, honor system!)

Post comments by Friday, August 13th. I will pick the winners using a random number generator and announce them on Saturday, August 14th. Good luck!

Brew Ridge Music Festival: The second annual Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival is an all ages event featuring top musical artists and sixteen local beers on tap. Scheduled for Sat, August 21 at the Concert Grounds at Devils Backbone (Nelson County, VA, 45 miles from Charlottesville), Cerberus Productions, 106.1 "The Corner" and the Brew Ridge Trail members are thrilled that this year's festival will be headlined by Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk. Additional confirmed acts include Devon Allman's Honeytribe and William Walter & Co. For overnight accommodations, Wintergreen. Gates open at noon, rain or shine. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival.

One winner will receive two Taphouse Tent tickets, which include admission to the festival and (8) 4oz beer tasting tickets!

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The Festy: The Infamous Stringdusters, The Artist Farm, Cerberus Productions and Devils Backbone Brewing Company present The Festy Experience, a 2-day camping festival over Columbus Day weekend (Oct 9 & 10) at The Concert Grounds at Devils Backbone in Nelson County, Virginia (45 mi. from Charlottesville). Hosted and curated by The Infamous Stringdusters, The Festy Experience will celebrate and combine the best in live music, outdoor sports and lifestyle, craft beer culture and raging good times.

In addition to two nights with The Dusters, confirmed acts include Railroad Earth, Josh Ritter, Toubab Krewe, The Tony Rice Unit and a slew of musically diverse acts that embody The Festy Experience spirit.

Wanna festy, but don't wanna camp? Weekend day passes are available, but bypass couch surfing for the Wintergreen Resort Experience. All rooms booked at the Wintergreen Resort in association with The Festy Experience will receive an exclusive 20% off.

One winner will receive two tickets to The Festy!

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finally, a piece of NOLA

July.  What a busy month this has been.  I know I've said that a lot these last few months, remarked often about the quick passing of time and my inability to sit behind my computer to put words on this digital page of mine.  Are you tired of that yet?  I sure am.  So, rather than dwell on my mile-long 'to do' list I've decided to share with you one of my favorite places. A city that my mind escapes to when life gets hectic and all I want is a cool spot in a shady courtyard, an ice-laden cocktail in my hand and notes of jazz wafting on the breeze. Am I procrastinating? Maybe a little.  But "write a flippin' post for Bella Eats!" is definitely on my list, so I AM accomplishing something...

It is difficult to explain the draw that Brian and I have to New Orleans.  It just...is. We feel it as soon as we step off the plane, a bubbling of emotion from deep within, a giddy excitement that manifests itself as raised hairs along goose-bumped arms. Neither of us have ever lived in the city, we have no family in the area, our first visit together occurred just seven years ago. Yet after that initial stay in the Big Easy we were hooked. Completely and totally.

NOLA is so much more than Bourbon Street and Mardi Gras and frozen drinks in phallic cups. The city has soul, and to find it one needs only to spend a few hours walking slowly down her cracked sidewalks. Underneath the peeling paint, the sagging balconies, the leaning cottages, and the rusty ironwork is a humble elegance steeped in history and perseverance. She keeps her chin up and dances to her own soundtrack; a mix composed of melancholy notes from a jazz clarinetist on Royal, the rumble and clang of a street car on Saint Charles, the clink of an oyster shell tossed on a pile behind a bar, a “what can I getcha, baby?” from the busy woman behind a restaurant counter.

Her natives are loyal, devoted to the place they’ve called home for most, if not all, of their lives. They are drawn to her magic, held hostage by an appeal that keeps them coming home even after high waters threatened to wash that possibility into the Gulf. Sit down at a table in any well-established restaurant and learn that your waiter has worked there for 40+ years. He loves his job and has been well taken care of for all that time, because that's how they do things in the Big Easy. Filter in and out of shops and restaurants in the French Quarter and be thanked not only for visiting that particular address, but for visiting New Orleans. “Come back soon, y’hear? This city needs you.”

We do go back, as often as we can. With each visit we try to experience new places, new food, new music; but it is difficult to stray from those that have become favorites. It just wouldn’t be a weekend in NOLA without a black ham biscuit, beignets and cafe au lait at midnight, a muffaletta, blackened Louisiana drum, Fritzel’s, Doreen. Tell any lover of New Orleans that you’re planning a visit and watch their eyes light up as they rattle off their own list of places you must see, meals you must eat.  But most of all, they'll be excited that you're going to New Orleans, and that the city will have another set of fans to add to her list.

We last visited NOLA in May.  You might remember me mentioning our trip and making promises to share recipes inspired by the fabulous meals we had while there. Oh, and photographs...I promised those too. I also mentioned the stifling heat we experienced during our stay and my relief that we'd be spared from such temperatures in Virginia for another two-ish months.  Ha. If only I had knocked on wood after hitting 'publish' on that post...

The record-breaking temperatures have kept us from doing much cooking in our kitchen, as even the thought of turning on the stovetop raises a bead of sweat at my hairline. I'd just about given up on the idea of sharing red beans and rice with you anytime before October when I read this article on The Kitchn about slow-cooking in the summer. I know that it seems counter-intuitive to pull out the Crock Pot in the middle of a heat wave, but it actually makes quite a bit of sense.

For this recipe, which I adapted from a traditional stovetop variation, all of the preparation was completed in the morning before work when my house was cool and the setting sun wasn't blaring through the west-facing kitchen window. The ingredients were tossed in the Crock Pot, I turned the heat to low and out the door we went.  When we arrived home that night the house smelled amazing and dinner was ready without either of us laboring over a hot stove.  We ladled up the beans, poured ourselves cold cocktails, and settled into our dark den. Not exactly a shady New Orleans courtyard, but a respite all the same.

These beans were really fantastic; smoked and earthy with just a hint of spice.  My ingredients are very close to Chef Prudhomme's; it was really just the process and the color of the bell peppers that I altered. Also, Brian and I don't have quite the tolerance for spicy heat that most native New Orleanians do, so I knocked that back a bit as well.

Red Beans + Rice with Andouille Smoked Sausage
recipe adapted from Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen
serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried red kidney beans
• water
• 2 cups diced onion
• 2 cups diced celery
• 2 cups diced red bell pepper
• 2 large smoked ham hocks, about 2.5 pounds total
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
• 1 pound andouille sausage links
• salt to taste
• Basic Cooked Rice (recipe below)

Method

1. The night before, place the dried red beans in a large saucepan and cover with water 2-inches above the beans. Let soak overnight.


2. The next morning, drain the red beans and rinse thoroughly.  Refill the saucepan with fresh water to cover the beans by 2-inches.  Bring to a brisk boil and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove the beans from the heat and drain.


3. Place the boiled beans in a slow-cooker (crock pot) and add ten cups of water over top. Add everything but the andouille sausage, salt and Basic Cooked Rice to the pot and stir well.


4. Set the slow-cooker to the 'low' setting and let cook for 6 to 7 hours, until the beans are tender and just starting to break apart. (I came home for a late lunch to check on the beans, and turned the slow-cooker to the 'warm' setting for the remaining 4 hours of my work day).


5. Add the andouille sausage links (split in half or quarters, depending on the size of the links) to the slow-cooker and continue to cook for 1 additional hour.


6. Salt to taste.


7. Serve over Basic Cooked Rice.

***UPDATE***

Thank you to InternationalRoutier for bringing to my attention the fact that dried red kidney beans cooked in slow cookers have been known to cause food poisoning!  You can be protected from this possibility by soaking the dry beans for at least 5 hours, and then boiling the beans briskly for at least 10 minutes prior to adding them to the slow cooker.  I've modified my recipe above to reflect this change.

Basic Cooked Rice
from Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen
makes about 6 cups of rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked rice (I used brown rice)
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tbsp very finely chopped onions
• 1 1/2 tbsp very finely chopped celery
• 1 1/2 tbsp very finely chopped bell pepper (the recipe calls for green, I used red because I love them)
• 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• a pinch each of white pepper, ground red pepper (cayenne), and black pepper

Method

1. In a 5x9x2 1/2-inch standard loaf pan, combine all ingredients and mix well. Seal pan snugly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350º until rice is tender, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Serve immediately.*

* I made the rice the night before.  If you are planning to do the same, DO NOT use green bell peppers, as they tend to sour quickly. Reheat the rice in a skillet with a bit of melted butter.

We can't even begin to imagine the affect that the explosion of the DeepWater Horizon oil drilling rig will have on the Gulf, the coast, the country, the world. The stories and images are devastating. If you are able and would like to help the recovery, I've provided links below to organizations that would appreciate your contribution.

Greater New Orleans Foundation

National Wildlife Federation

International Bird Rescue Research Center

blueberry hill cupcakes, and a happy 4th to you!

The 4th of July is upon us already!  I'm not sure why 2010 is in such a hurry to rush on by, but I do wish that she would slow down just a bit.  I had big plans for this week, some favorite salads and cocktails and desserts to share with you before the holiday weekend ahead of us.  But, well, time flew.

I did manage to share one dessert with you, and here is a second.  The first was somewhat healthy, this one is not. Both are delicious, and either would make a nice addition to your picnic, bar-be-que, or party.  How to choose...

I am keeping things short and sweet today, because I have family in town!  That means wandering shops on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall, stopping for gelato, lunch on a patio, pampering with my Momma, vinho verde on the back deck, sausages on the grill.  And that's just today!  Oh, the weekend we'll have.

I hope that yours is just as lovely.  What are your plans?  (I really do want to know!)

Perhaps you could make these cupcakes?  Lemony and chock-full of bright bursts of blueberry, they absolutely scream summer.  You'll love them, I'm sure.

Blueberry Hill Cupcakes with Blueberry Glaze
cupcakes from bon appetit, glaze from bella eats

I've heard good things about the frosting that accompanies this recipe on bon appetit, but wanted something lighter and with a bit of color.  I bet a lemon buttercream or a lemon glaze would also be really delicious.  Also, my "glaze" originally started out as a full-blown buttercream frosting.  I frosted one cupcake, but found the very sweet topping to be very overpowering.  The cake itself is so delicious that you really want to let it shine.

Cupcake Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk or low-fat yogurt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries, frozen for 4 hours

Glaze Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons blueberry puree (about 1/2 cup blueberries, pureed and strained if desired...I did not strain)
• 4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350* F.  Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.  Sift flour and next 4 ingredients into a large bowl.  Whisk the melted butter and oil in a separate, medium bowl.  Add eggs; whisk to blend.  Whisk in buttermilk, milk, vanilla extract, and zest.  Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just to blend.  Stir in frozen blueberries.


2. Divide batter among liners.  Bake cupcakes until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 23-27 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to racks; cool.


3. Beat butter in electric mixer with whisk attachment until creamy.  Add about 1/2 the sugar slowly.  Add 2 tbsp of the blueberry puree and continue whisking to blend.  Add the last of the sugar and whisk to blend. Taste, and add more blueberry puree if desired.  You want the consistency to be like a loose buttercream; easy to spread but also easy to control (you don't want it running down the sides of your cupcakes).


4. When the cupcakes are nearly cool, brush them lightly with the glaze.  You will find that the glaze will harden nicely in about an hour.


5. Keep stored at room temperature in an air-tight container.