Behind The Bar: 3 Winter Cocktails from Mixologist Adam Patrick Ingredients Recipe Cocktails Bar CTbites Team February 03, 2016 Egg Nog (Jeffrey Morgenthaler version) Behind The Bar is a new column from bartender Adam Patrick who has graced the bars of venues such as Walrus & Carpenter, Luxe, Match and Can Tiin. He will explore trends, recipes and the cocktail culture from both the front as well as behind the bar. One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is, “I won’t tell the story the way it happened, I’ll tell it the way I remember it.” It’s from the late-nineties film adaptation of Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. Ethan Hawke delivers the line in the opening monologue. There’s something about nostalgia that adds a touch of humanity to our lives. The real world, the world we exist in day to day, can be overwhelming and unforgiving. Take your job, your family obligations, traffic jams, mortgage, credit card bills, your dog destroying your new carpet, and view it all in aggregate, and things can steam roll out of control quickly. And yet, when we look at the past, we find it difficult to remember the mundane, the run-of-the-mill, even though those experiences dominate our lives. Sure, we can generally recall tragedy, or loss, but more than not it’s memories of our childhood, or a long lost love, or a favorite pet, that we gaze back at longingly. Read More
Cake Box Bakery Opening in Westport: Delicious Baked Good + Gluten & Nut Free Desserts Kids Bites Recipe Bakery Gluten-Free Special Dietary Needs Westport CTbites Team January 22, 2016 This just in from Westportnow. Cake Box, a bakery offering cakes, cookies, cupcakes and coffee as well as nut-free and gluten-free baked goods, will open Feb. 2 in the lower level of 10 Bay St., behind the former Post 154 Restaurant, according to Robert Byrnes, a Ridgefield resident, who co-owns the business with his wife, Jordan Gregory. The couple also own two bakeries in Ridgefield, Cake Box at 1 Big Shop Lane since April 2010, and Swoon, a nut-free, gluten-free bakery at 109 Danbury Road. Read more about Cake Box Bakery here. Read more about Swoon Gluten Free Bakery here. Read More
Lemon Miso Soup Recipe from Green & Tonic Recipe Recipe Soups healthy CTbites Team January 21, 2016 As the weather cools down, soup season heats up. Winter is also a great time to nurture your body with nutrient rich healthy ingredients that will keep your immune system in fighting form. The chefs from Green & Tonic in Greenwich have build their brand creating recipes with a strong plant based foundation and this recipe for Lemon Miso Soup is no exception. This soup is simple to make and satisfying to eat. Read More
Stuffed Ricotta and Spinach Agnolotti Recipe via Basso Cafe Recipe Chef Talk Pasta Recipe Comfort Food CTbites Team January 07, 2016 Let's be real people. When the cold weather rolls in, it's time to dig into some serious comfort food. For us, this generally means braised meat and carbs, preferably pasta. Chef Renato Donzelli of Basso Cafe in Norwalk makes beautiful housemade pasta for his guests, and now you can make it in your own house. Enjoy his recipe for Stuffed Ricotta and Spinach Agnolotti. Read More
Cooking Classes w/ Chef Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse = Great Gifts Recipe Cooking Classes CTbites Team December 23, 2015 The holiday season is coming fast. The search for the unique gift for that special person can be easier this year. Give them a memorable experience that is both fun & useful. Sign them up for a cooking class at The Schoolhouse at Cannondale Restaurant in Wilton CT. Chef Tim LaBant & his staff will be sharing their years of experience each Tuesday evening beginning in February, through March. You'll also savor the finished culinary delights with wine pairings after the class. Classes range in topic from Winter Braising to Fish Cookery to Knife Skills. The schedule and focus for each evening is as follows: Read More
Heavenly Homemade Gifts for the Holidays via Marcia Selden Catering Recipe Recipe kids activity Kid Friendly Dessert Marcia Selden Catering December 15, 2015 We love making homemade treats for our friends and family, especially at the holidays. They’re the perfect way to show our love and joy for the season. Package them in cellophane bags tied with ribbon or raffia and pair them with a nice bottle of bubbly and you’ll be good to go. We love this brittle because it’s super easy to make and yummy to eat. Check out our recipe for "Kitchen Sink Brittle." Read More
Lost Restaurants of Fairfield: A History & Cookbook By Patti Woods Recipe Book Cookbooks CTbites Team December 15, 2015 Looking for a great locally inspired holiday gift? Author, Patti Woods has written a book, featuring stunning images and recipes, outlining the culinary history of Fairfield, Connecticut, Lost Restaurants of Fairfield. The culinary history of Fairfield, Connecticut, brims with bygone and beloved eateries and watering holes. Discover some of these lost classics, from the Sun Tavern—where George Washington enjoyed a few victuals—to the Scenario, where local celebrities always had a seat reserved at the bar. The best doughnuts in town were at the corner of Post and Beaumont at Devore’s, while Art Green served up his famous chocolate cream pies at the Pie Plate. Read More
Gretchen Thomas of Barcelona Wine Bar Launches “Gretchen’s Selections” Ingredients Recipe Wine Bar Wine Chat Wine Shop Emma Jane-Doody Stetson December 06, 2015 Exciting news from Barcelona Wine Bar and Barteca Restaurant Group! Selections from their award-winning wine list, recognized by publications like Wine Spectator and The Wall Street Journal, are now available online. Newly unveiled “Gretchen’s Selections” features approximately 25 wines that are directly imported and offered to Barcelona’s guests. Each wine was hand-selected by Gretchen Thomas, acclaimed Wine and Spirits Director for Barteca Restaurant Group. “I’m always looking for great wines for the Barcelona wine program, whether they are sold through my trusted suppliers or not,” says Thomas. Sometimes she comes across amazing bottles here at home. Vineyards will ship wines to her or she will be introduced to someone in the area doing something new and exciting. Other times, her quest takes her overseas. Read More
Friday Froth: It's Porter Season...Here's What To Drink Recipe Beer CT Beer James Gribbon December 04, 2015 I won't be mad if you tell me you don't like porters, but I will be disappointed. This is mainly because it robs me of the opportunity to order taster samples of this imperial, and that oatmeal version, and - oh man, you have to try this sour Baltic one... until you are half drunk from slamming six two ounce servings of 9% alcohol beer in four minutes, and the bartender hates us both. I am enthusiastic in my love for porter beers, and I want to share that joy. Being a pasty Irish dude, I am a natural ally of the darker, colder months, and the necessary extra layers of clothing work well in disguising the extra layers of me which come from downing 500-calorie pints two at a time. You may notice something funny going on with the names of several of the beers we're looking at this week, after that intro so, first, a quick bit of knowledge: all stouts are porters, but not all porters are stouts. If you'd like to do a deep dive on the subject, you can do worse than this. Read More
Shout Out: What's Your Most Essential Kitchen Gadget? Recipe CTbites Shout Out Kitchen Gear CTbites Team December 02, 2015 Whether you're a chef or a home cook, I'm sure you have an arsenal of kitchen tools and gadgets you simply can't live without. Alton Brown favors multi-taskers. Some favor a broader approach of single use gadgets (my favorite being the cherry pitter). We've posted some of our favorites over in our Gadget Guru section, but we want to hear from you. What is the one kitchen gadget you can't live without? Post your comment below! [This shout out was first posted in 2010. A lot has changed in 5 years...or perhaps not so much.] Read More
Sufganiyot (Cream Filled Doughnuts) Hanukkah Recipe from Roia Restaurant Recipe Holiday Recipe Stephanie Webster December 01, 2015 The first night of Hanukkah is December 6th. The miracle of Hanukkah is that only one vial of oil was found with just enough oil for one day, and yet it lasted for 8 full days. And so, we celebrate the holiday by paying homage to an ingredient no cook can do without...oil. Roia Restaraunt in New Haven has shared a wonderful recipe to enhance any true Hanukkah celebration Sufganiyot (Cream Filled Doughnuts). Pay tribute to the oil that lasted 8 days while enjoying one of America's favorite desserts. Happy Hanukkah! Read More
2015 CT Food Lover's Holiday Gift Guide Restaurant Recipe Gift Guide Holiday Kitchen Gear Specialty Market April Guilbault November 29, 2015 “At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” said the incomparable Maya Angelou. Well, we couldn’t agree more! So this holiday season, we know that when you give some of these gifts that we have found (along with a wide smile, a big hug and happy greetings!), the lucky recipients will surely be feeling the love. Happy them, happy you. Happy holidays, everyone! Here are 16 creative and delicious local CT gifts for the food lover in your life. Read More
Great Cakes & Cupcakes at Forever Sweet Bakery Ingredients Recipe Bakery Catering Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team November 24, 2015 Forever Sweet Bakery is celebrating its third anniversary as one of the most creative bakeries for cupcakes, cake pops, and special occasion themed cakes. Located off the beaten path in a strip mall on New Canaan Avenue in Norwalk, CTbites visited on opening day several years ago and over the last three years the bakery has received numerous accolades including the 2014 & 2015 Best of the Gold Coast Cupcakes. CTbites recently returned to Forever Sweet to confirm the original impression and taste the expanded offerings of cupcakes that owners Sky and Frances Mercede have created. Over the years, their cakes have been featured at many political victory parties and charity events including the Connecticut Food Bank, the Westport Little League and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Sky and Frances believe in giving back to the community as often as possible. Read More
Holiday Recipe: Autumn Old Fashioned by La Zingara in Bethel Recipe Cocktails Holiday Recipe CTbites Team November 24, 2015 Although we all love the Thanksgiving holiday, there comes a time in any family gathering where one simply requires a cocktail or two. La Zingara in Bethel is here to help you in your time of need with a classic drink. Their Autumn Old Fashioned cocktail recipe will drown out any trying relative, and just make the dinner that much better. Read More
Holiday Recipes: Scandinavian Caramelized Potatoes & Mushroom Toast via Community Table Recipe Holiday Recipe Thanksgiving CTbites Team November 23, 2015 One of our favorite Litchfield County restaurants, Community Table, has contributed these deceptively simple but absolutely delicious appetizers for the upcoming holidays. Chef Marcell Davidsen's recipes for Scandinavian Caramelized Potatoes & Mushroom toast will delight even the most discerning guest. You may want to add this one to your virtual recipe box. Read More
Holiday Recipe: Chef Carey Savona's Heirloom Kale Salad Recipe Holiday Recipe Thanksgiving CTbites Team November 21, 2015 "By far our most requested recipe (I get at least three a week) is for our kale salad. I know that kale has jumped the shark, but this recipe was featured in the CT Farm to Table Cookbook and it fits well on the holiday table; healthy, but still very flavor forward," says Chef Carey Savona of Heirloom in New Haven. Enjoy this recipe for Heirloom's Kale Salad. Read More
Holiday Recipe: Black Truffle & Leek Bread Pudding from elm restaurant Recipe Holiday Recipe Thanksgiving CTbites Team November 18, 2015 Executive Chef Luke Venner, of elm restaurant in New Canaan, has a decadant and delicious Thanksgiving recipe for our CTbites readers. If you want to make your guests extra happy this season, go beyond traditional bread pudding with his recipe for Black Truffle & Leek Bread Pudding. We are quite certain it will elicit praise all around. Of course, personally I'd rather have Chef Venner cook it himself, but if you can't get to elm restaurant, try this recipe at home this Thanksgiving season. Your guests will thank you. Read More
Thanksgiving Recipe: Match Restaurant's Maple Braised Squash + Wine Pairing Recipe Holiday Recipe CTbites Team November 17, 2015 It's time to get ready for our favorite holiday here at CTbites...Thanksgiving. Chef Matt Storch has a recipe to consider as you get your Thanksgiving menu organized, Maple Braised Squash. Our wine expert, Emma Doody, has also chimed in with some suggestions for wine pairings to enhance this dish. The sweet flavors from the maple and the squash call for a wine that imparts sweetness of its own. At the same time, I would stay away from a true dessert wine. They tend to have syrupy, thicker bodies and the maple will already have that texture. The wine should have a touch of acidity to cut through the decadence.An ideal bottle to complement this is Robertson Winery’s 2015 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer. It retails in Connecticut stores for around $9.99. The wine, which comes from South Africa, hovers on the brink of dessert wine. The late harvest makes it sweet without being rich. One could also pair an Italian Muscato with the dish. Read More
Holiday Recipe: Cauliflower & Apple Soup via Marcia Selden Catering Recipe Holiday Recipe Soups Marcia Selden Catering November 16, 2015 We are days away from Thanksgiving, and the menu planning has kicked into high gear. Marcia Selden Catering has shared one of their favorite fall soups. This recipe for Cauliflower & Apple Soup with Curry Drizzle, can be served both hot and cold, with equally delicious results. Happy holidays and enjoy. Read More
Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese via Watson's Catering Recipe CTbites Team October 07, 2015 What says fall comfort food better than Mac N' Cheese? Kids and adults will both love this classic recipe. Really...what's not to love? Cheddar...Gruyere...Ummmm. Try this simpe recipe at home from Watson's Catering and let us know what you think. Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese YIELD: Serves 4 INGREDIENTS: 1/2 pound mini shells 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour Read More