I had this beer from the tap last night at the Tap & Mallet on Gregory St., and it is about as good an IPA as I could ever ask for. The aroma is hoppy, powerful, and swirling. The taste has the crisp bitterness of the hops up front, like any good IPA will, but the finish is sweet, lingering, and complex. There is some heat in the finish, too, from the high alcohol content. Some raisin, pale malt, and rich fruit-like flavors crawl under the weight of the hops, giving it a great balance and fullness.

It amazes me how creative American microbreweries are these days. I don't even bother drinking imports anymore. I recommend this beer to all beer drinkers, and especially those who love IPA.

My band, the Varnish Cooks, won the Juried Music Competition for the International Arts Movement Conference this year. We play Saturday, March 1st at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City. It is an amazing honor and I am very excited.

When I first went to the festival in 2005, I remember telling myself that I wanted to perform at the festival in the next couple years. But I imagined that I would perform original music at the festival, not old-time American traditional music. In the application to the competition, I quoted the minimalist composer John Adams: "Whenever serious art loses track of its roots in the vernacular, then it begins to atrophy." The International Arts Movement Jury accepted the Varnish Cooks not only for the quality of our collective voices, but because we play music that lives outside of money-driven industry and grounds us to the aesthetic wisdom of our cultural ancestors. It is truly independent music that by nature transcends our individuality as artists.

My friend Lisa posted this on her blog, and it resonated with me so strongly I want to repost it here:

Music rots when it gets too far from the dance.
Poetry atrophies when it gets too far from music.

- Ezra Pound

"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having."
- V, V for Vendetta

What I really enjoy about this quote is that it means you should dance while London is blowing up. What revolution is can really justify itself without the arts? Maybe that's why Gabriel blows that trumpet at the end of the bible. While all the sinners are being destroyed by the wrath of God, hey, what a nice tune!

And happy Valentines day! May your chest cavity be impaled by the bolts of a fat flying toddler.

For Superbowl Sunday, my church had the game on the big screen and a chili cook-off. My housemate Dan and I won the competition! Below is our winning recipe, Ben and Dan's Bittersweet Pirate Sludge. When we went up to accept the silver ladle award at halftime, I made the big mistake of mocking all the Giants fans in the room and pumping up my hometown Patriots. At least the chili was pretty good...

3 slices of bacon, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-large white onions, chopped
2 bulbs garlic, chopped (approx. 15-20 cloves)
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, cubed
1 pound ground pork
1 bag kidney beans (must be soaked overnight beforehand)
1 bag black beans (must be soaked overnight beforehand)

2 bottles of dark beer (we used Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter)
2 cups of strong coffee (expresso grounds preferred)
1 can petite-diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 can beef broth (12-15 oz.)
4 - 5 fresh jalapeño peppers, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander

1/2 - 3/4 cup ground chili paste
4 - 6 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 - 3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 - 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 - 3 teaspoons salt, to taste (you may want more)
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaves

Cook the bacon on medium-low heat until all the fat is out of the bacon. Remove the bits of bacon and leave the fat in the pan. Increase the heat to medium and brown the sirloin and ground pork in the bacon fat. When the meat is browned, remove and set aside.

On medium heat, deglaze the pan then add the olive oil. Cook the onions and garlic until the onions are clear. Add the meat, beer, coffee, tomatoes, and beef broth and increase heat to medium-high. Just before it begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Add all the dry spices, jalapeño peppers, and half of the chili paste. Mix well and simmer uncovered for three hours, stirring frequently. The chili should reduce significantly.

Add the rest of the chili paste, all the beans, and the coriander. Simmer for another hour, covered or uncovered depending on how thick the chili is. The chili should be thick, not watery at all, but not to a paste.

If you decide to make this, let me know how it turns out!