Acorn Squash Salad with Maple Vinaigrette Recipe via Marcia Selden Recipe Recipe Marcia Selden Catering November 30, 2016 Fall is the right time to get your squash on, and acorn squash is one of our favorites. Choose acorn squash that is heavy for its size, with a hard skin free of blemishes. Marcia Selden pairs this with the sweetness of a little maple vinaigrette, bringing out the flavor in the already desert-like squash. Enjoy this recipe for Acorn Squash Salad with Maple Vinaigrette. Read More
Chef Susanne Berne's Ginger Cake with Poached Pears, Dark Rum Zabaglione and Cinnamon Whipped Cream Recipe Features Recipe Homepage Dessert CTbites Team November 20, 2016 In our ongoing hunt for the perfect Thanksgiving dessert, we sought out Chef Susanne Berne, who is, quite simply, one of the finest pastry chefs around. When she is not imagining treats for Match Restaurant, she is developing new ideas for Donut Crazy's doughnut lineup. She has shared her recipe for Ginger Cake with Poached Pears, Dark Rum Zabaglione and Cinnamon Whipped Cream. Enjoy! Read More
14 Places For Great Holiday Pies in CT 2016 Restaurant Recipe Top 10 Eats Best of CT Dessert April Guilbault November 19, 2016 Holiday season is heeeere, with its feasts and parties, and let’s be honest, you can’t really have too much pie, now can you? Note: with the brief exception of a kooky aunt who, after a post-Thanksgiving bout on the tread mill, did wearily proclaim “Too....Much....Pie!” but that’s another story for another time. So where to go for the best pies with the flakiest crusts, sweetest streusel toppings and the most flavorful fillings? We’ll be happy to tell you. Get those dessert plates ready and, um...you might want to loosen that belt. Here are 14 places to buy great holiday pies in CT. Read More
Behind the Scenes at Chop Shop Cooking School (sponsored post) Recipe Cooking Classes Education kids cooking party CTbites Team November 16, 2016 About six years ago, I began teaching cooking classes out of my home in Westport. Long after culinary school, a couple of years catering at Abigail Kirsch and many years catering on my own, the classes became a perfect way for me to share my love of food and cooking. Initially it was mostly friends and acquaintances but word quickly spread and before I knew it I was booking 2-3 classes a week from people all over the tri-state area. Here is a behind the scenes look at Chop Shop Cooking. A cooking class usually starts with an email: “I’m interested in a cooking class in December… “ Sometimes they have already done some homework and looked at my demonstration class schedule and it’s very straightforward: “I have 2 people and want to sign up for the Holiday Bites class on Thursday the 8th.” Easy! Great! Done! But more often, people like to create their own, tailored experience. Read More
2016 Local and Heritage Turkey Guide via Fairfield Green Food Guide Ingredients Recipe Holiday CTbites Team November 09, 2016 Are you looking to celebrate Thanksgiving with a locally grown, Heritage breed or Broad-Breasted white turkey? Supplies are limited, so order your turkey as soon as possible following the instructions given by each farmer or retailer. It feels good to support our farmers this time of year, give thanks for those who feed us, and opt out of buying an industrial turkey, which doesn’t taste like much anyway. View the complete list of local CT Heritage breed or Broad-Breasted white turkey here. Read More
An Interview w/ Chef Zac Young, PieCaken Creator + more! Ingredients Recipe Chef Talk Dessert Emma Jane-Doody Stetson November 01, 2016 Last Thanksgiving, the PieCaken took the world by storm! A sweet tooth’s twist on the “turducken,” the all-in-one dessert includes Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Apple Upside Down Cake layered together with cinnamon buttercream. Kelly Ripa loved it so much that she featured it several times on her show. CNN and The New York Times quickly followed suit. This year, the PieCaken is upping the ante with nationwide shipping! https://www.foodydirect.com/restaurants/the-piecaken-shop/dishes CTBites had the opportunity to sit down with the mastermind behind the PieCaken, Chef Zac Young. Creative and outgoing, it’s fitting that he came up with such a whimsical idea. Young appeared on Top Chef Just Desserts, was named a “Top Ten Pastry Chef in America,” and currently serves as Pastry Director of Craveable Hospitality Group. Here are excerpts from our conversation. Read More
Nibble: CT Food Events & Happenings for Week of Oct. 30 - Nov. 6 Restaurant Recipe Events Emma Jane-Doody Stetson October 28, 2016 EMBODY Fitness Gourmet is now open at the new Heritage Square complex on Forest Street in New Canaan! Embody offers a fitness inspired menu, a 14-foot community table, and easy plug-in and charging stations for guests. This is Embody's third location in Fairfield County, CT. You can also visit them in Darien and Westport. New Haven Restaurant Week lasts until November 4. Popular restaurants like 116 Crown, Miya’s Sushi, Shell & Bones and Olea are participating. On Thursday November 3, Fjord Fish Market, Greenwich Cheese, and Fleishers, will host the 2nd annual "Monger Mingle.” This year, guests can get in the holiday spirit by sampling holiday-inspired food from all three. It will take place THE HUB (160 E Putnam Avenue) from 7-9. On Sunday, November 6 from 11am-1pm, blogger, photographer, chef, and author Gina Homolka will sign her newest cookbook and #1 New York Times Bestseller, Skinnytaste Fast and Slow: Knockout Quick-Fix and Slow-Cooker Recipes, at Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk. Read More
Fall Flavor Pho Recipe via Marcia Selden Recipe Recipe Marcia Selden Catering October 25, 2016 It’s ‘pho’ sure that we love a big bowl of pho, especially now that it’s getting cold. You can add just about any ingredient or flavor profile you like. Our version is full of yummy fall flavors filled with roasted root vegetables and spices that pack a delicious punch. Enjoy! Read More
Garelick & Herbs Opens in Southport: Prepared Food, Eat In, Smoothies, Noodle Bar & More! (sponsored) Restaurant Recipe Prepared Food Southport Specialty Market Lunch Take Out CTbites Team October 19, 2016 Garelick & Herbs Southport have opened the doors at 3611 Post Road. After 23 years of happy success in the original flagship store in Westport, G&H opened their entirely unique space a few steps up the Post Road at the Westport/Southport border. Owners, Jason and Paola, have always had the philosophy that good food creates a good mood, but now Garelick & Herbs is adding good space – Vaulted ceilings, and a light filled atrium designed to look like a barn made of glass, set the tone that the G&H Southport location will be THE destination for daily gourmet good food. The modern-industrial eclectic vibe lends itself to Fairfield County aesthetics. It is almost 10,000 square feet on 2 levels, more than double the size of their former flagship store. The marketplace is accented with an exciting new juice and smoothie bar, an antipasto bars to graze in or take out and expanded breakfast and lunch options. Our noodle bar adds a wonderful spice and flavor. The in-house bakery will be downstairs at this location, so be prepared for the wonderful aroma of signature items like ruggalach and soft black & white cookies. “We are excited to have the bakery right under our noses”, said Paola Garelick. Read More
10 Questions with Fjord Fish Market's Jim Thistle Ingredients Interview Recipe Chef Talk Fish Seafood Specialty Market April Guilbault October 18, 2016 Oh so many fish in da sea! And that’s only the beginning....what kind of fish do you want to prepare? Do you know how to prepare it? Oh, yeah, and where should you go to get this fish, short of heading out into open waters yourself? And wait, and here’s the $100,000 question: is the fish you are buying everything it says it is? Good grief. It’s almost easier dating and looking for *those* fish in the sea. Well, fear not, CTBites sat down recently with one of the Big Fish out there, Jim Thistle of Fjord Fish Market, and he helped guide us through seemingly murky waters... Read More
Bring the Outside In for the Perfect Al Fresco Meal via The Local Vault (sponsored) Recipe Design Outdoor Dining CTbites Team October 06, 2016 Every year we eagerly anticipate the joy of great summer weather and dining al fresco but considering some of the complications that come with the territory (irritating insects, aggressive bees and the heat!) it comes as no surprise that the term ‘al fresco’ is borrowed from Italian and actually means "in the cool air." And what better time to dine in the cool air than during the fall season? Here at The Local Vault we have paired up with CTbites to trade tips on the best way to enjoy the rest of the crisp fall air before we all head inside for the winter. So grab your cashmere sweater and a glass of Chianti and follow along! In the world of interior design the term “bring the outside in” is well known and well advised in order to create a beautiful and serene home. Read More
Brick + Wood’s Mobile Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Restaurant Recipe Catering Entertaining Fairfield Pizza CTbites Team October 05, 2016 There's a new pizza "truck" in town, one with built-in street creds. Brick + Wood Pizza in Fairfield has set its pizza making in motion with a mobile wood-fired pizza oven, custom designed by acclaimed fourth generation pizza artisans, Acunto Forni, and imported from Naples, Italy. The mobile Acunto pizza oven mirrors the wood-burning one in-house, ensuring the same tasty pizza is available no matter where it is prepared. The oven reaches over 1,000 degrees in temperature in a short period of time with an overhead flame cooking the pizzas in 90 seconds or less. The surface is made of volcanic brick, which is more porous and prevents the crust from burning. Read More
Butternut Squash Bruschetta with Pomegranate Recipe via Marcia Selden Recipe Catering Recipe Marcia Selden Catering September 30, 2016 Nothing screams fall more than butternut squash! Try our new twist on bruschetta featuring the delicious flavors of this fall favorite. #YUM Read More
It's The Challah-Days at Garelick and Herbs (sponsored post) Ingredients Recipe CTbites Team September 28, 2016 Garelick & Herbs is the place to go for all holiday celebrations. For Rosh Hashanah we have our family recipes of Briskets, Our Chicken Soups are made with organic chickens, and simmered with organic vegetables. Served of course with our fluffy matzoh balls and all the sides that you need. We have traditional holiday foods such as Gefilte Fish and Chopped Liver, and have lightened up the classics with our Turkey Stuffed Cabbage with our golden raisin sweet sauce. We are known for our Potato Pancakes and make a wonderful Sweet Potato Pancake as well Our philosophy is to celebrate deliciously and our goal is to make your holidays special and easy. Read More
West Yarmouth Cocktail Recipe via The Whelk's Jeff Marron Recipe Cocktails Bourbon Jeff Marron September 27, 2016 When I was a kid, my family had a vacation home in West Yarmouth, Cape Cod. Just east of Hyannis, West Yarmouth is a small town on the south shore of the Cape. It was only about four hours from where we grew up in Connecticut. So, it was an easy trip to make if we wanted to just zip up there for the weekend. My brother and I had a small group of 10-15 friends all around our age that all seemed to go to the Cape the same weeks every year. Sometimes, we all used to sneak out at night to go sit on the beach and look for satellites or shooting stars. When we got a little bit older, maybe there was a beer or two involved. But, I beg of you, don't tell my mother. She'll ground me for a week! There was a large overgrown field with a radio station tower in our neighborhood. Well, just as kids do, we explored it. During one of our reconnaissance missions, we stumbled upon someone's secret stash of liquor. I can only assume it was some kids from other weeks in the summer that we had not met yet. Here is where I had my first taste of Bourbon. Again, don't tell my mother, please. Read More
Autumn Apple Cherry Crisp Recipe via Westport Farmers’ Market Recipe Recipe Dessert Lynn Felici-Gallant September 20, 2016 Apples are the darlings of autumn, and this year we especially cherish them. For while peaches and nectarines and even some pears succumbed to the cruelty of a late frost, most of Connecticut’s apple crop emerged relatively unscathed. And this week Westport Farmers’ Market shoppers are in for treat: the tables of Woodland Farm and Rose’s Berry Farm will be full of this tasty harbinger of fall. Fortunately, Elise Meyers is also right on schedule with a recipe for apple crisp you won’t want to miss. As Elise notes, “fall means apples, and apples mean apple crisp.” Her crisp recipe below is, according to Elise, “the best I have ever tried. The addition of dried cherries (or cranberries or apricots, if you prefer) makes it unique.” Savor it alone, with a scoop of Nutty Bunny vanilla frozen dessert, or fresh cream from your favorite vendor. Autumn Apple Cherry Crisp Read More
Friday Froth: Half Full Brewery, Oktoberfest & Other Fall Beers Ingredients Recipe Beer Brewery CT Beer Friday Froth James Gribbon September 16, 2016 You may have noticed we've been playing around with the structure of Friday Froth for the past several months. This space has been everything from event coverage, to brewpub openings, to a travel diary, but this week we're going back to something more like a classic Froth. I began writing this column way back in ye olden days of 2009 with the idea of expressing a renaissance. The growth of American craft brewing was every bit as compelling as the culinary scene in terms of new ideas, personalities, and dedication to ingredients and flavors, but most people were still pretty lost when it came to picking out something new to try. Glance at the patrons in front of the craft case at the rare well stocked liquor store at the time, and they'd be wearing expressions like someone at MoMA trying to decide if what they were looking at was the intentional work of an artist, or construction debris. I started Froth just to give people a heads up. So, without going on too long I hope, that's what we're doing today. Read More
Clarke Introduces Wolf Induction Range for the Quickest Way to Delicious (sponsored) Recipe Kitchen Gear CTbites Team September 13, 2016 There's a whole new alternative to gas in a high-performance range and you can explore it at Clarke, your Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen in South Norwalk. The new Wolf Induction Range (which will be available in Clarke's authorized dealers later this fall) gives you a cooktop with incredible speed, control and energy efficiency. It boils water faster than gas (really - with almost instantaneous temperature response!) It gives you precise high end to low end control. Imagine control steady enough to simmer sauces and melt chocolate without scorching. A Wolf Induction Cooktop also means you'll never have to worry about children burning themselves on a flame or about forgetting to turn off the cooktop (when you remove the pot or pan all you're left with is a cool surface.) Read More
Summer Corn Chowder with Grilled Vegetable Confetti via Marcia Selden Recipe Recipe Soups healthy CTbites Team August 24, 2016 It's that time of year, the time when fresh sweet corn is at its best. This is the season for homemade corn chowder, and Marcia Selden makes it easy. Go swing by your local farmers' market and grab some corn. Summer Corn Chowder with Grilled Vegetable Confetti Read More
Back to School with Kohlrabi & Radish Salad from The Whelk and Westport Farmers’ Market Recipe Recipe Lynn Felici-Gallant August 19, 2016 It might be back-to-school season, but it’s still summer at the Westport Farmers’ Market. Thirty vendors plus guests, including many favorites and a few new faces, brave every sort of weather each week to bring us the very best in fresh vegetables, cheese, meat, fruit and berries, coffee, tea, pasta, pet food, flowers, prepared foods, and artisan crafts. Before saying so-long to the kids for the season, stop by the market to stock up on fresh ingredients for hearty breakfasts and healthful lunches. Anthony Kostelis of The Whelk, offers this refreshing salad to pack in the kiddo’s box or serve at dinner. Read More
