AWC Regional Conference

I recently did appetizers and desserts for the American Womens Club regional meeting. The menu was simple but elegant

Smoked salmon crepes of herbs & fresh cheese

Pork filet, roasted potatoes, feta, cukes, ruccola

Wild mushrooms on puff pastry hearts

Goat cheese, sundried tomato pesto

Gateau Basque ( Cherries & rum in vanilla bean cookie dough)

Auteuil  ( White chocolate-anise mousse, genoise biscuit, raspberries)

Strawberry Napoleon

I got a wonderful comment from Kara Fairchild after the party I'd like to share

Hi Jeff,

I just had to send a note to you about your food at the regional. I have been member o f the AWC of Malmö for about a year, but  didn't get to a club event that you catered. Then, I moved back to Göteborg. So, the regional was actually the first time I tasted your cooking. It's...CRAVABLE. I am a foodie. I am also a vegetarian. The canapes and the desserts (I didn't try the white chocolate cake because I suspected gelatin (could be wrong, of course. Hope not though because it looked to die for and I would hate to think I missed out on it!) were some of the best foods I have ever had in Sweden. Suburb. Someone across the table from me said that the pork canape was the best thing she had even tasted. The smell of meat doesn't do much for me anymore, but even *I*, a seasoned veggie, have to admit that the smell and sight of the pork was making me salivate. Then I took a bite of my own food and the pork was a mere memory! =)  More than anything, and I can not stress this enough, I walked away feeling totally satisfied with the food that I had been served. Anyway, that is all I really wanted to say. You did such a fabulous job on the food!

Kara

A Brief Summary and The South Plains Project

A lot has happened since I wrote my last blog. My partner who I had planned to open my microbrewery backed out because he was worried it was too risky. I however felt I had a superior product and felt quite confident that my beer could sell. So I decided to do it by myself. I added a bifirma, a second company under my existing business and called the company 'South Plains Brewing Company', the region I'm in , söderslätt, means south plains in English, anyway, I liked the sound of it. I have arranged to rent a small workshop on a farm, it's set up like a kitchen, previously used to smoke fish so it's a perfect place for me to set up equipment, fermenters & tanks.However, I needed a way to finance my equipment so I took a full time job running a company's restaurant, Icopal, located in the port of Malmö, doing a international/Swedish menu daily. I do breakfast & lunch for 30-60 people everyday. It's been working out great for me. Since then I've been purchasing equipment every month. This month I'm purchasing two 600 liter fermenters from Germany, they are very cool with a floating lid that hermetically seals.
Here's a photo... It looks small but is actually pretty large, 72x150 cm.

 So I expect to be producing 1200 liters  a month by Christmas, and I am

very excited about it. Last month I entered a competition for microbreweries
and Artisan craft brewers here in southern Sweden, and I had been sick and didn't think I would be able to go but ended up going anyway. I had a booth with two kegs, my Pale Ale & my Imperial IPA. I gave out about 200 10ml
samples and at the end of the night, much to my surprise, I won.My IPA took the bronze medal. I know everyone always liked it but I never expected

to win the competition. Here's the label I made for the competition. The IBU figure is the level of bitterness, this amber ale is very bitter, a fairly high alcohol percent, 8%, with a wonderful floral hoppy aftertaste, very well balanced, completely organic, a absolutely fabulous beer!