Friday Froth: Out Of The Black Ingredients CT Beer Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon December 13, 2013 I watched the International Space Station arc overhead last night at about half past five. Six crewmen from the U.S., Russia and Japan traced a fast arc overhead - a bright golden light from the hidden Sun, long since fallen below the horizon, reflected off their solar arrays and into my retinas, hundreds of miles below. I wondered if anyone was looking back, right at that moment. The station, five and half thousand days in Earth orbit at the time, faded away, long since over the north Atlantic, and I was left looking at stars like scattered grains of salt on a black sky. My throat burned from breathing the cold air. I headed inside, into light and warmth. Winter beers are a different breed. That's what they're meant to do - bring you in out of the cold, if only figuratively, and supply a bit of metaphorical light in this darkest of months. Cold isn't an object - it can't be added to something the way we add a layer of clothing or a memory. Cold is the lack of energy, of heat. It's like when we say we want to make a room darker, but that's impossible, too. What we're really doing is taking away the light. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Features Restaurant CT Beer Wine Dinners Wine Tasting Beer Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 13, 2013 Thursday December 12 at 7:30, Ancona’s in Ridgefield will host a high end wine tasting. Cost is $30/person. To RSVP please call (203)544-8958 or e-mail monica@anconaswines.com. On Friday December 13 from 7:30-10pm, try out a class at Muse Paintbar, a combination between a painting studio and beer & wine bar in downtown Manchester, CT. 10 beers & 12 wines will help bring out the artist in you… and you’ll go home with a painting. $39pp. View more info here. Every other Friday, Half Full Brewery holds an “Open House.” From 5:30-8:30pm, the taps are open and guests can try their hand at bags, life-size jenga, draw on the chalkboard wall, and hang out. $15pp. Details here. Lidia Bastianich will be spending some time in Stamford on Saturday, 12/14 at Fairway Market. From 1-3 pm you can meet her at the store and she’ll sign your copies of her brand new book, Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking: 150 Delicious and Simple Recipes Anyone Can Master. While there, you’ll be able to try out and buy some of Lidia’s pastas and sauces, too, with demos and tastings. Read More
CTbites Speaks With Lidia Bastianich Ingredients Interview Features Celebrity Chef Chef Talk Cookbooks Italian Lou Gorfain December 12, 2013 Like Oprah or Madonna in pop culture, Lidia is one-name-famous to foodies, a television star (Lidia's Italy -- PBS), renowned restaurateur (Felidia, Eataly, Delposto, Becco), a worldwide brand (Lidia's Sauces and Pasta), bestselling author (Lidia’s Commonsense Guide to Italian Cooking is her latest), mom, grandmother, whew, one name so many roles. So CTBites was delighted that Lidia carved out time from her hectic schedule to chat with us prior to her book signing this Saturday at Stamford's Fairway Market (details below.) Incidentally, Lidia is no stranger to Connecticut. Her son Joe and his family live in Greenwich, she tapes her PBS show in Norwalk, and of course the Bastianich clan is associated with Tarry Lodge in both Westport and Port Chester. We began the conversation, wondering what Lidia the little girl would think if she could peer into a crystal ball and see the famous Lidia of today. “When I was nine years old we had fled from Communist Yugoslavia and my family was in a refugee camp,” she told us, “I think that little girl, her mouth would be open at what I’ve accomplished.” Then Lidia thought about that youngster for a moment and resolutely stated, “But you know, I always had confidence I was going to amount to something And food was so very important to me, because we didn’t have much.” Read More
Wine Pick: Michael Keenan of Keenery Winery Talks Shop Ingredients Chef Talk Wine Chat Wine Shop Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 11, 2013 Michael Keenan spent about half of our time together describing his wines. He spent the other half apologizing for his colorful language. “Once in San Diego I participated in an elegant dinner- 10 wines with 10 courses. I found out later there was a secret contest to see how many times I would drop the f bomb during it,” he admitted with a look of mischief in his eye. When our giggles subsided, someone asked, “So how many times were there?” “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “At least 18.” If a stereotypical winemaker is arty and even a touch pretentious, Keenan proved anything but. His spirited attitude and knack for lively storytelling won me over immediately. The story of his wines begins when his father, Robert Keenan, purchased 180 acres of abandoned land in 1974. The property on Spring Mountain in Napa used to be a well-established vineyard called the Conradi Winery. Unfortunately, it fell into disrepair during prohibition. Robert saw hope in it though and hired a contractor to begin the ambitious task of breathing new life into the land. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Features Restaurant Cooking Classes Education Wine Tasting Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 06, 2013 On Friday December 6, join 109 Cheese and Wine and Jim Morrison from Artisan Wines for some exceptional Italian red wines including Barolo, Brunello, and a few others. The event will take place in Ridgefield, CT and costs $55pp. 7-9pm. http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/507053 Saturday December 7 from 4:30– 6:30pm Amity Wines and the CT Craft Brew Guild will have a beer tasting. It will include Down East Appe Cider, Breckenridge Regal Pilsner, Green Flash Saison, Wachusett Larry IPA, Six Pints Global Warmer, Andechs Dopplebock, and more. Please RSVP to Kim or Tony directly at 203-387-6725 or tony@amitywines.net. Amity Wines Tasting Room: 65 Amity Rd, New Haven, CT 06515. http://www.amitywines.net/events/ Bishops Orchards in Guilford, CT conducts wine tours every Saturday this month at 2:00pm. Tasting and Tour combo for $10pp. http://www.bishopsorchards.com/index.php Monday December 9 at 7pm, Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market, 55 degrees Restaurant, and Vias Imports present a “Piedmont Holiday Wine Dinner” with guest host Michael Petrizzo, Northeast Brand Manager. $89 plus tax and tip. 5 courses with wine pairings. http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/508378 Tuesday December 10, Barcelona New Haven will hold a “Spanish Holiday Dishes” cooking class. Guests can join Chef Frank as he demonstrates how to prepare Barcelona-inspired holiday and New Year’s dishes. 7pm, $25pp. http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/calendar.htm Read More
Foodie Gift Guide: CT & Beyond...Part II Ingredients Features Gift Guide Holiday Specialty Market Wine Shop Emma Doody & Gina Cunsolo December 04, 2013 The turkeys are gone and the radio stations have started playing seasonal tunes... The holidays are officially here! If you're looking to gift friends and family with awesome foodie presents and local treats, we've compiled some of our favorites for your perusal. We also enlisted the help of a prominent local chef, Mario LaPosta of Tarry Lodge in Westport, CT who offered his picks. Here are a few more gifts for your foodie loved ones. [See our Ultimate CT Gift Guide Part I here]. Happy holidays... And happy shopping! Cranberry Walnut Olive Oil, New Canaan Olive Oil For that one foodie in your life that seems to already have everything – consider shopping at newly opened New Canaan Olive Oil. Their wide assortment of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Vinegar flavors will entice even the most spoiled cooks, specifically their Cranberry Walnut Olive Oil. Great for salads or sautéing veggies, this seasonal flavor will add a toasty and tangy taste to any dish. And for our beloved bacon lovers, try their Bacon Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil – an easy way to add bacon flavor to almost anything! Read More
Shearwater Coffee Roasters: Bringing Organic Coffee to Fairfield County Ingredients Coffee Specialty Market Trumbull Kathleen Atkins December 03, 2013 Americans have a loving obsession with coffee. We crave our daily fix, whether it is black, iced, with extra cream and sugar, or a shot of espresso. We crave the aroma, the taste and how coffee brings people together. However, coffee is so much more than just a beverage; it is a huge global business. Ed Freedman of Shearwater Coffee Roasters is in the thick of this global business, but is marking his own stamp on it. Shearwater Coffee Roasters, headquartered in Trumbull, Connecticut is the first and only USDA certified organic coffee roaster in Fairfield County. Shearwater bases its business on the three core principles of organic, artisan and altruism. They pride themselves on being committed to the integrity of organic roasting. “Organic is not a product line,” says Freedman. “It’s a way of life and what we do. “ The coffee plant is often grown with harmful chemicals, pesticides and herbicides. Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Restaurant Beer Dinner Events Wine Shop Wine Tasting Beer Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 29, 2013 Celebrate Black Friday with Val’s of Greenwich! Barhill Gin will be hosting a tasting to get us geared-up for the holiday season. This complimentary event will take place from 3-7pm on Friday November 29. On Monday December 2, Buon Appetito Restaurant will partner with Super Cellar Liquors for a 4 course wine dinner. It begins at 6:30 at the restaurant in Canton, CT. $75 pp. For the menu and reservation information, see https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs126/1102509927877/img/1248.jpg . Get an introduction to homebrewing beer on Tuesday December 3. The free event takes place from 6:30-8:30pm at Yale University’s International Center. Learn more and claim a seat at http://eventful.com/newhaven/events/introduction-homebrewing-beer-/E0-001-063499321-0 On Tuesday December 3, Luca Wine Bar and Visco Wines will partner with Harry’s Wine & Liquor to present a wine dinner called “The 4 Big B’s of Italy.” It will feature four of Italy’s coveted wines: Barbera, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, and Barolo. They will be paired with 4 courses including homemade crepes, ravioli, veal shank, and poached pear for dessert. $98 pp, all inclusive. Please call Luca Wine Bar for reservations: (203) 286-5617. Read More
Friday Froth: The Little Pub Chooses Wisely Ingredients Restaurant Beer Dinner CT Beer Beer James Gribbon November 29, 2013 A quick bit of news to start this week's Froth: it turns out The Little Pub in Branchville has been aging kegs of a select few high gravity beers for the past year, and has started tapping one per Monday night. Issuing forth from the specialty tap on Monday, Nov. 25 will be Dogfish Head Olde School - a 16% ABV barleywine fermented with dates and figs. High alcohol, minimally hopped beers make the best candidates for aging, and tend to relax as they undergo further conditioning over time, so these beers will taste different from when they were first bottled in 2012. The robust duo of Green Flash Double Stout and New England Brewing Imperial Stout Trooper are scheduled for the first two Mondays in December (be absolutely sure to try that second one, on Dec. 9, if you're at all able), followed by Ovila Abbey Quad, Sierra Nevada Narwhal, Dogfish Head 120 Minute, and the second generation of the Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada collaboration ale, Life&Limb. Read More
Ultimate CT Foodie Gift Guide 2013 Ingredients Features Coffee Entertaining Gift Guide Specialty Market April Guilbault November 27, 2013 This year, Thanksgiving is coming late, Hanukkah is arriving early and the Christmas holiday almost seems shortened before it has even begun. Have no fear, though, your holiday shopping will not bear the brunt of this crazy calendar...not with some of our suggestions. From unique food products, photographs, jewels and books, there is just about something for all the folks on what seems to be your never-ending list. How could so many people have been so good this year? Buy them some of these goodies and they’ll know...oh, they’ll know.... Read More
The Weekly Nibble: Upcoming Food News & Events Ingredients Restaurant Beer Dinner Wine Tasting Beer Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 21, 2013 Mama’s Boy Southern Table & Refuge in Sono hosts a blues brunch on Sundays from 1-4pm. On November 24 and December 1 you can enjoy the Walter & David Blues Duo. More information here. On Monday November 25, Barcelona in West Hartford will offer a Thanksgiving Prep cooking class. Guests can learn to make chorizo stuffing, red chimchurri for the turkey, and more. The class starts at 7pm and costs $35pp, plus tax and gratuity. The Spread in Sono will have a pre-Thanksgiving Party on Wednesday November 27. Get the details here. Tuesday, November 26 Fairway Market will partner with Fox Radio to hold a food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County. 8am-7pm. On November 30, Breckenridge Beer Company is partnering with the Craft Beer Guild of CT for a wine and cheese class. The class is $20/person, limited to 12 people due to size. Class begins at 4PM at Grand Vin Fine Wines of New Haven 28 E. Grand Ave. More information here. Red Stone Pub in Simsbury, CT will host a Beer Festival on November 30th from 1-9pm. There will be live music and a wide selection of craft beers. http://www.redstonepubs.com/1/post/2013/11/beer-festival.html Read More
Guide to Catering Thanksgiving in Fairfield County Ingredients Features Catering Entertaining Holiday Thanksgiving CTbites Team November 20, 2013 Thanksgiving is the most anticipated and sometimes the most daunting meal of the year. But, in the end, it is all about food, friends and family. Depending on the number of guests in your party, there are several options for celebrating the holiday that don't involve slaving away in the kitchen for days. Here are a few resources for those who would prefer to get a little assistance. (Readers: If you know of other Thanksgiving catering resources, please add them.) Rosie in New Canaan can handle all your Thanksgiving needs. A full menu of classic sides such as Rosie’s homemade herb gravy, haricots verts with shitakes, & celery root apple fennel soup. Call (203) 966-8998. Le Farm/ The Whelk will be closed on Thanksgiving, but will be offering LeFarm's Whipped Chicken Livers with bacon marmalade and/or The Whelk's Smoked Trout Dip to serve your family and friends for the holidays! Call to order: (203) 557-3701 Aux Delices in Greenwich and Westport can prepare your entire Thanksgiving meal. They will be open from 8:00 am - 6:30 pm Wed., November 27th and offer everything from turkeys in varying sizes, soups, sides and dessert. View the full Thanksgiving menu here. Sugar & Olives: Everything but the turkey...but everything is REALLY tasty. Fig and Apple Stuffing Muffins, Pecan and Bourbon Turkey Glaze, Brussels Sprouts w/ Pomegranate Molasses + Duck Bacon. Call for more information: (203) 454-3663 Read More
CT Food Bank's "Virtual Food Drive" Ingredients Events Holiday CTbites Team November 09, 2013 It's that time of year again, and Connecticut Food Bank has launched its 2013 "Thanksgiving for All" campaign, a series of events and food drives which help Connecticut Food Bank make Thanksgiving special for thousands of our neighbors in danger of going without a holiday meal. This year, however, if you can't make it to a food drive or event, you can still help by supporting our Virtual Food Drive. Just click here and you can buy a turkey or some of the trimmings to help out another family in need. It doesn't get any easier than this, and it can make a world of difference for a family who may otherwise go without a turkey this year. Donation amounts range from $14 for a Thanksgiving turkey, to $22 for 24 cans of cranberry sauce to a $100 multi-family bag of groceries. There is a price point to suit almost everyone. A $30 donation can serve 130 meals! IF YOU CAN...PLEASE GIVE. Read More
Henri's Reserve: Curating France's Finest Boutique Champagnes...in CT Ingredients Entertaining Specialty Market Wine Chat Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 05, 2013 Did you know that October 25 was actually Champagne Day? So we don’t get the day off and the postal service still delivers, but it is, in fact, a holiday celebrated worldwide. In honor of the occasion, Ruth Frantz of Henri’s Reserve hosted a champagne tasting at Southport Galleries in Southport, CT. She invited an assortment of clients, friends, foodies, wine enthusiasts, writers, and bloggers to try some of the beautiful champagnes she carries. Henri’s Reserve is an interesting concept. While many of us are used to going to stores to pick up a bottle of wine, all of Ruth’s sales are done online. She represents small, family owned champagnes. Many of her offerings are relatively unknown; she advocates them because she believes in them. Interestingly enough, Frantzgot her start dealing with larger champagne houses. One of her first restaurant jobs was with Eleven Madison Park. Read More
Friday Froth: Age Of Exploration Ingredients Brewery Beer James Gribbon September 14, 2013 Due to the relativistic effects of recent travel Friday Froth only APPEARS to have posted on Saturday. Adjust your perceptions accordingly.We are explorers in this place. Early people trudged or sailed the natural world to see what had never been seen before, as far as they knew - to discover just what was out there. Incredibly daunting missions had deceivingly simple directions: Sail to India. Find the north pole. Go get spices. Head west. When the pilot on the conquistador Francisco Pizarro's ship was asked by another navigator how to find Peru when sailing from Mexico's Pacific coast he answered "Sail south along the coast until you no longer see trees. Then you are in Peru."Like most people from the 19th century on, it's easy to think we've seen everything. There is only so much to the surface of the Earth, and the natural world often changes too slowly for us to see. Go to Hawaii or Iceland and you can see new Earth being made, but it seems we've already mapped out or looked down on the rest of it, right? The Earth may remake itself slowly, but its people gush creativity. We produce what is new under the Sun. The world of craft beer is a particularly fertile valley.Evil Twin is the label created by one Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, of Denmark. Read More
The Best Gelato Shoppes & Store Brands in CT: A Roundup Ingredients Specialty Market ice cream Best of CT Kid Friendly Dessert Lou Gorfain September 13, 2013 In September, as fresh flavors fill in the garden, berry patch, and orchard, it seemed a perfect time to hunt for the best Gelato. “Flavor is what Gelato is all about,” says Guy Chandonnet who buys Fairway’s frozen foods and deserts, “Unlike ice cream,” he told us, “low fat gelato doesn’t coat the taste buds with butterfat. So its full flavors can really burst through. As we tasted our way though both store-bought and shop-scooped Gelato in Southern Connecticut, we were dazzled with the invention and intensity of flavors. Because it's slow churned, Gelato is denser and silkier than ice cream, making it a superior platform for flavor. And since Gelato melts more quickly in the mouth, it delivers that flavor quickly and dramatically. That's why most gelato masters delight in imaginative, often unexpected flavor adventures, mixing sweet, savory, salty and tart, and incorporating fruits, vegetables, herbs, cheeses, and even meat flavors into their frozen creations. What’s in season often translates to what’s in Gelato. Here are some of the spectacular flavors we recently tasted in Southern Connecticut’s supermarkets and gelato shoppes. Read More
Friday Froth: Beer...Served Fresh Ingredients Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon September 06, 2013 Welcome back to another edition of CTBites’ own beer column, this time with a subtle aroma of pigskin. Tastes start to turn a little bit more to brown liquor as we transition from summer to fall but, back yard table or car bumper at a tailgate, it’s a sad hand that can’t reach for a beer. We have stone, metal and a miracle down below as we match the days and keep it crisp. So fresh and so green, green: Stone Brewing in California brewed up a double IPA just for us this August and shipped it over for those who were paying attention. The brew is called Enjoy By 9-13-13 – (I gave a heads up in the last Froth here, and originally mentioned the series the first time we got a batch back in April) – and I finally got a chance to have some. Let me tell you: it was worth the wait. Enjoy By pours a clear gold with a thick head and tons of sweet citrus on the nose. Tip up the glass and there is so much floral, citrusy hop taste you could almost chew it. It is immediately and strikingly apparent why the brewers at Stone made such a point of the degree of freshness. There is no small amount of bitterness, but it’s held in check by a sturdy malt base. At 9.4%, the alcohol may be cutting through the other ingredients to some degree, but it’s not noticeable in the flavor. The flavor, though, is delicious. It somehow gets better as the level of beer goes down and the number of sticky rings it has left on your glass goes up. Rare is the beer that can pull off that feat. If you love hops, you need to go out and find this beer. Read More
Culinary Gifts @ Clarke Culinary Center in South Norwalk (sponsored post) Ingredients Features Gift Guide Holiday Norwalk SONO CTbites Team September 06, 2013 Culinary Gifts? No Problem. Tucked inside Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test kitchen in South Norwalk, is a culinary boutique that every foodie will want to visit - Savoir Fare. This is the perfect place to purchase unique holiday gifts or a new set of champagne flutes for entertaining in your own home. With a name that is creatively based on the French for "knowledge of food," Savoir Fare offers an evolving collection of cookware, bakeware, stemware, cooking tools and fine French linens. With an impeccably curated assortment from these fine brands, you are assured that only the highest quality items are in this collection: Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Staub Riedel Le Jacquard Francais Read More
Front Porch Cocktail Recipe via Saugatuck Grain & Grape Ingredients Features Cocktails Entertaining Recipe Jeff Marron August 28, 2013 I like making (and drinking) this cocktail. Maybe it's because that you can't tell how bitter the Sibila Amaro is. It adds just the right amount of complexity to cut through the sweetness of the preserves. The Domaine Canton adds an underlying ginger spice while the Plymouth Gin and Carpano Antica Vermouth tie everything together. I like to call this kind of cocktail a "think or drink" cocktail. You can either think about every sip, analyze it and pull the flavors apart or just sip it on your front porch on a beautiful Summer day while watching the grass grow. Read More
The Chelsea: Gazpacho Meets Mozzarella & Tomatoes Recipe Ingredients Features Entertaining Recipe Matt Storch August 20, 2013 The Chelsea in Fairfield boasts a vibrant pub scene and some pretty tasty fare. Chef Matt Storch who oversees the kitchen with Jeff Spence (also from Match Restaurant) says, "There's a lot of love in every dish." Given the season, we were feeling the love for this classic mashup: Gazpacho meets Classic Mozzarella & Tomatoes. Enjoy this dish while tomatoes are still in season, because unless you are canning those beauties, the harvest time for local vipe ripened tomatoes is coming to a close in September. Enjoy a little bit of The Chelsea in your kitchen. Read More
