Craft Food: From NYC to Oakland

I've long been a fan of hand crafted goods... with etsy.com being a bookmark in every browser I've ever used. I love that people in my age group are trying to keep old school crafts alive. We have to, of course before all crafts die out. We can't let our grandparents be the last of the true pioneers.

So we forge on into the known and unknown to find better ways of making things... and in smaller more specialized batches we have succeeded. With the old adage of "less is more" 20 and 30 somethings throughout the good old USA are forging a path for greatness that would make our fore-fathers proud.

Whether it be wooden i-pod cases, home-made scarfs, or craft beers and ice-cream we have made sure that the technology of today does not make the arts of the past obsolete. Cheers to my lovely generation!

I'll start off by mentioning a few of my latest finds from a small town named Brooklyn(ha).

For chocolate lovers... or maybe even those, like myself who aren't really fans, check out Mast Brothers Chocolate. Rick and Michael have made a hobby into a day job. Making amazing chocolate such as these:

Grand Cru: This dark chocolate is crafted using beans exclusively farmed and harvested for Mast Brothers. From under the forest canopies in Patanemo, Venezuela, this prized cacao reigns supreme. Look for buttery notes of cinnamon and spice. Simply elegant (81% cacao). 

Fleur de Sel: The original salted chocolate, this has become a New York classic. Our sea salt is hand harvested by the Guerande paludiers in the traditional method. This finishing salt melts in your mouth whilst putting a magnifying glass over the already complex berry forward cacao.


They even make a chocolate with Serrano Peppers! Check out their site here. Oh, and did I mention they are both quite adorable?

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And for craft beer geeks who like to pair their chocolate with great beer there is Brooklyn Brewery.

Brooklyn Brewery offers many brews ranging from Pilsner to Stout and everything in between. Some of my favorites are their Black Chocolate Stout and the Cuve De Cardoz. Delicious! Check out the rest of their offerings here.

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And to keep up with my own new obsession... BEER FLOATS!!! I offer up the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. 

I apologize for always mentioning ice cream and beer in the same blog post... but what can I say? When I find something good I become a little bit of a fanatic. The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory offers cups and cones of all of your old time favorites like Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee, and Butter Pecan. Oh and don't forget the epic view. Check out their site here.

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And if you thought that chocolate, beer and ice cream weren't enough... check out this new recipe posted on the Oakland, CA based Drake's Brewery site.

Hopocalypse Shake n’ Bake Hop Fried Chicken

 Oh, and don't forget that, like wine, beer in a recipe means the same beer should be in your glass. So grab a pint of Drake's Hopocalypse IIPA and start cooking.

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Happy Thursday!!!