My newest kitchen gadget: Draftmark Tap System - Fresh Draught Beer At Home

Among my hobbies and habits and pursuits, I have been a product tester for the BzzAgent company for many year. The most recent Bzz campaign I am involved in is to test and review the Draftmark Tap System.

After chilling the beer, you install it in the Draftmark Tap System.  For picture purposes, we left the gadget on the counter, but afterwards it lives in the refrigerator.
It comes with three double sided magnets with beer names on them to be used on the pouring lever. It also comes with a rechargeable battery that gets installed into the back of the unit.  The beer, once tapped, lasts for 30 days. More information can be found on the BzzAgent and the Draftmark Tap System site (links below).

I have posted some pictures and a video of my husband enjoying and using the beer and this system. I can see us enjoying this kitchen gadget for years to come.

The Draftmark Tap System would make a great gift for Father's Day if you have a Dad that loves beer.

 We were able to find both the system and the refills easily at a local liquor store.  If your liquor store doesn't carry it, ask for it.  The Draftmark Tap  System is a product of Anhueser-Bush. The beer you can get for this system are Bass; Shock Top; Michelob Amberbock; Goose Island.

The official site for Draftmark Tap System:
http://www.draftmark.com/public/agegate.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fdefault.aspx&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Here is how easy it is to assemble:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOa1m0NWgfY

Taken from the BzzAgent home page:
(If you are interested in becoming an agent, check out their site or their Facebook page.)
https://www.bzzagent.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BzzAgent?ref=br_tf

FRESH DRAUGHT BEER AT HOME

There’s nothing better than cold, fresh draught beer poured straight from the tap. Except cold, fresh draught beer poured straight from the personal tap system in your fridge. The Draftmark tap system is an entirely new way to enjoy the experience of your favorite draught beers, right from your personal draught system.

Just place the home draught system in your fridge, insert a 3.8 liter (128 oz.) refill bottle of great-tasting varieties like Budweiser, Shock Top Belgian White, Goose Island Honker’s Ale, Michelob Amber Bock or Bass Pale Ale and always have a chilled, relaxed evening on tap. Congrats — your house just became a home.

The first pour will have a big "head" but then
goes down.

A full glass of cold, draught Bass Ale beer.

Mr. Beer in what we like to call his "comfy clothes".
Beer shirt, Guinness pj's and a cold draught beer in hand.

I apologize for the video. I took it with my iPhone. Hopefully you'll get the idea of how this gadget works. 

Please leave any questions or comments you have on this Draftmark Tap System below.

Chicken Marsala with Fettuccini. Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, Roasted Garlic & A Cotton Candy Gadget.

Three fun and delicious kitchen projects using some usual and unusual kitchen gadgets. Thrown in, just for fun, a skirt hanger that doubles a recipe holder.

One:    Cotton Candy
Two:    Chicken Marsala with Fettuccini - recipe courtesy of Allrecipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Marsala/Detail.aspx
Three:    One Minute Roasted Garlic

I bought this fun gadget for my niece, Nina & my nephew, Mike for Christmas.
During a recent visit, I thought I'd give it a try.

Machine is heating up. Heat for five minutes.
In the package: directions (not shown) the machine,
a measuring spoon for the sugar and some long picks for spinning the sugar.
The food coloring is not included. I was going to add it to the sugar, but
decided against it. I used plain white table sugar.

After five minutes have passed, using their spoon, add a measure of table sugar (1 1/2 tsp.) in
the center of that black ring. The sugar immediately flies out and around to the edge;
begin turning the stick around the outer edge of the machine while twirling the spun
sugar around the stick. See the little clump already forming above.
The process doesn't take long, but only produces a little bit more
than what you see above. To make another batch, you must shut
the machine off, wait until the extractor head (the black circle) comes to a complete stop,
 then you can pour another measure of sugar in the extractor head and begin again.
So much fun for kids or grown up kids like me!

Chicken Marsala recipe on a makeshift kitchen gadget: "recipe holder",
a/k/a skirt hanger!

Ingredients for the Chicken Marsala.  I did not have regular sherry,
a cooking site advised that Sweet Vermouth could be used in it's place.
Chefs recommend using real Marsala wine and real sherry and
 advise against using  the products sold in grocery stores for a
restaurant quality Chicken Marsala.

(Missing from photo: olive oil.)

Gadgets uses: Eight Inch Lodge Cast Iron Skillet;
pounding tool and mallet.

Place chicken breasts between wax paper or plastic wrap.
Pound until chicken is 1/2 inch thick.  Pound from the
center of the chicken towards the outside using
a sliding motion.
After using both, I prefer the mallet to the pounder.

For easy clean up, I used a Ziploc for my flour mixture.
I also doubled the recipe as I was cooking for six people
who just love Chicken Marsala.

With so much chicken to brown, I did it in small batches adding butter & oil if needed.  Be sure to bring
the butter/oil up to temperature before adding the next batch so it doesn't soak into
the chicken instead of frying it. The two cloves of garlic are about to be used in the gadget below.

After completing the recipe, I found that I had too much chicken to add
back into the cast iron skillet. I put the Marsala broth with the mushrooms
into a stock pot, then added the browned chicken.
In a smaller saucepan, I duplicated the broth recipe so we
could enjoy our Chicken Marsala over fettuccini pasta.

A cute gadget: Garlic Baker.
This gadget belongs to my sister in law, Gezilla.
Believe it or not, I don't own one but after trying this, it's
on my list of gadgets to get.

I used the microwave method. I didn't have anything else
to bake, and didn't want to heat the entire oven just for the garlic.
I did not use the pat of butter, but did put a scant sprinke of
Kosher salt on top of the garlic bulb.

Using Gezilla's Victorinox Chef Knife, I cut the top off the garlic bulb.

Place the bulb in the center of the baker, microwave for
35 seconds at a time so as not to overcook. The cloves
should look transparent when cooked thoroughly.
Pick or squeeze out; eat them as is or spread
the the cooked cloves on Italian bread or toasted
Italian bread. Delicious with bruschetta.
After I made this one, it was devoured and
I had to make two additional which also
were gobbled up in no time.
A fast easy way to use up bulbs that might be getting a little old.

Apple Pie for Easter & Beyond! Sure! Tale of Two Apple Peelers.

Easter is just around the corner.  How about serving a delicious apple pie to your Easter guests?

This is one of my favorite apple pie recipes that I can always count on to taste delicious.

I've used the Apple Pie Recipe that can be found on the side of the Crisco can.  Even though I don't make my crusts all of the time, I still like their pie filling recipe listed below:

• Double Crust Classic Crisco Pie Crust
• 6 medium Granny Smith apples
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. 1.
   PREPARE recipe for double crust pie. Roll out dough for bottom crust. Place in 9-inch pie plate. Press to fit without stretching dough. Trim even with pie plate. Do not bake.


2. 2.
   HEAT oven to 400ºF.


3. 3.
   PEEL, core and slice apples. Toss with sugar, flour and cinnamon. Pour into unbaked pie crust; dot with butter. Cover with top crust; seal and flute edge. Brush with egg white. Cut slits for steam to escape.


4. 4.
   ROLL additional crust to 1/8-inch thickness. With small 1/2-inch star cookie cutter, cut 20 to 25 stars. Place 1 star on rim of top crust; brush with egg white. Repeat until rim is covered.


5. 5.
   COMBINE cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over crust. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until pie is golden brown and apples are tender.

If you would like to try making your own crusts, here is the link to the entire recipe:
http://www.crisco.com/Recipes/Details.aspx?recipeID=450


I tested two brands of apple peelers and found that only one was up to the task.

Progressive Apple Peeler

Even after making adjustments, the Progresso peeler
didn't work consistently.

It cut the slices, but didn't peel the apple.

This one is made by Green Mountain in Vermont,
but Amazon has the comparable version
made by Victorio shown below in red.

The top apple was done on the
Progressive peeler. The other apple was
done with the Green Mountain peeler.
Amazon carries a comparable Victorio model.

Pillsbury premade pie crust.  I sprinkled a generous
amount of Cinnamon Maple sugar on to the crust and
pressed it into the pie crust.

I mixed the sliced apples with all the seasonings in a big bowl ,
put them into the raw pie crust, topped the apples
with 1/4 cup of butter cut in "pats".

Cover apples with the other premade pie crust.
Brush with scrambled egg & water (egg wash).
Sprinkle Cinnamon Maple sugar on top.
Cut an "X" on the top of the crust to let out steam.

The finished pie came was devoured before I
could get a picture of it.  Next time I make an apple pie, I'll be
sure to take a picture and post it here!

Turkey & Black Bean Crock Pot Chili

This was my first attempt at making turkey chili. When I make traditional chili I sometimes use a shortcut and buy a packet of chili seasoning mix.  Today I was visiting my brother and sister in law. They had all the necessary ingredients for me to try making the chili from scratch.

Gadgets used: Cast iron skillet, Crock Pot, Kitchenaid hand grater.

Ingredients:
One pound of ground turkey; cooked and drained.
three 15 oz. cans of black beans (they prefer black beans to kidney);
 two 6 oz. cans of tomato paste
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground celery seed
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup chili powder
Four cups of water

Add all the above to the crock pot, stir until the paste is dissolved. Cover and set on low for at least two hours to get all the flavors to incorporate into the meat and beans.  Serve with shredded jack or cheddar cheese; dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.   Feel free to experiment with other ingredients such as hot sauce; cut carrots, kidney beans, lean hamburg - make it how you think your taste buds might like it.

If you have any leftover, it'll taste even better the next day!

As always: 

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 http://kitchentoysmakecookingfun.blogspot.com/

Time for Super Bowl Snacks: Make Your Own Spiral Chips & Onion Strings with the Turn of a Crank!

Try this fast, simple technique for seasoned, crispy potato strings & ribbons the next time you want a salty, tasty snack.

You can change up the seasonings to be more spicy to your liking.  This spiral slicer is one of two I own. The other is a smaller version with only two slicing options, but it is worth having in your gadget collection.

They both work on manual power....you have to hand crank.

Paderno Spiral Slicer (see Amazon link below)

Place a washed potato onto the corer end to left of the machine.
Then slide the other end of the potato onto the gripper teeth  on the side with the turn handle.

One of three blades.

Thin slice blade; good for string potatoes or string onions that
can be battered and fried.

Today though, I am going to bake  these string potatoes.
Halfway through slicing I took the potato off to show you the core that
will be left after you have spiraled the potato.
 

The box shows the ways you can use this gadget with other blades
with different vegetables.

Thicker slices of the same potato.

I placed the two sized spiral slices in a bowl.
Added 1/4 cup olive oil and coated them.
 In a small bowl I added 1/4 tsp. chili powder,
1/8 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. kosher salt.
Add these seasonings to the oiled potatoes.

Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Spread the seasoned potatoes evenly (even the cores).

Bake for 20 - 25  minutes in a pre-heated 400 degree oven.

Comes apart for easy cleaning. Blades can be stored
right inside of the gadget..

Twenty minutes, golden brown.

Twenty five minutes, a little more brown and a little more crispy.

Serve warm with ketchup.

How To Make Your Own Ground Chicken for Chicken Stuffed Peppers Mexican Style

My daughter, Cassandra (Bargain Birdie Blog), and I thought we'd put a twist on traditional Italian hamburger stuffed peppers by making them with ground chicken and some Mexican flavorings.

When checking the per pound price of ground turkey: $6.99 lb. and making your own ground chicken $1.99 lb. it makes sense to do this on your own. If you prefer ground turkey, and can get a good price on a whole turkey, have the supermarket butcher cut a turkey in half for you. Take the breast of each half, and freeze them along with the remaining turkey. Partially thaw breast when you are ready to make this recipe.

Gadgets used: Food Processor, Crock Pot, Cutting Board, Victorinox Knife, Kitchen shears, Fork Food Thermometer. (See links below to gadgets.)
Most of these gadgets are Cooks Illustrated approved.
If you don't have a good chef's knife, I highly recommend the Victorinox Knife. It will make your cutting chores enjoyable.

4 Partially frozen chicken breasts, perfectly trimmed.
2 14 oz cans of enchilada sauce
(or make your own from scratch or with powdered packets to equal 24 oz.)
2 10 oz cans of Original Rotel diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. cumin (if you like it hotter, add 1 tsp.)
10 medium peppers washed, tops cut, center cleaned. (8 to stuff, 2 to dice) red, yellow or green.
1 egg
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Begin by cutting the partially frozen chicken breast into cubes. Add two cubed breasts to food processor  along with one of the diced peppers, pulse until the chicken looks a bit thicker than hamburger.
Remove and reserve in a large mixing bowl.  Add the other two cubed breasts and repeat.
Add the egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Mix together. Use this mixture to stuff the peppers. You may have extra ground chicken, I made chicken patties and cooked them in a skillet. You could also make some mini meatballs and add them to the Crock Pot to cook with the stuffed peppers.

If you want to put your own spin on the seasonings, this is much like a meatloaf or meatball recipe, use what you think you like.

In your Crock Pot, add the enchilada sauce and the Rotel diced tomatoes and cumin. Place the peppers into the Crock Pot, cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours.
Serve with white rice.

Some of the ingredients

Diced pepper reserved, to be added to the chicken mixture,

Garbage bowl with discarded chicken fat, leaving perfectly trimmed chicken.

Partially frozen chicken chunks.

Partially frozen chicken breasts almost ready to be cubed.

The consistency you are looking for .

Eight chicken stuffed peppers with some chicken leftover.

Eight medium stuffed peppers fit perfectly in the large, oval shaped Crock Pot.
Halfway through cooking time, I rolled each pepper over on it's side to absorb some of the sauce flavors.

Chicken patties in Calphalon non stick. I did use a light spray of  Pam.

Started cooking the patties on med-high heat to get them browned, then turned heat to medium.
I used a kitchen fork thermometer to test for doneness in both the patties and peppers.

Chicken stuffed peppers, with rice and sauce.
They are delicious!