Perfect Shrimp Cocktail w/ Homemade Cocktail Sauce

Shrimp cocktail is the perfect holidays starter, but purchasing good ready-to-eat cooked shrimp can be a tad spendy. This classic appetizer is so simple to make at home, there is really no need to ever buy out again. There is just one trick to this dish. The shrimp must be boiled in court bouillon NOT water (unless you like your shrimp rubbery and tasteless). The key to the perfect shrimp cocktail lies not just in the quality of the seafood but in the boil. Here's how to do it right, complete with zesty homemade cocktail sauce. 

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Fairfield County Cooking Classes = Great Gifts

The holiday season is rapidly approaching (for some it has already past), and as we seek out the perfect gift for that special someone, I offer up the gift of culinary knowledge. Whether your recipe repertoire needs a little spicing up or you are just looking for some tips and tricks from a pro, these cooking events are both fun and educational. Plus, in Fairfield County we are lucky to have access to a variety of chefs with serious pedigree. 

Avoid the malls. These outstanding Fairfield County cooking classes are all you need: Sono Baking Co.'s John Barricelli, Match's Matt Storch, Chocopologie's Fritz Knipschildt, Barcelona or Brazilian, there is something for every cook--including some great holiday classes for kids. Your friends and family will thank you (and this year they'll mean it).

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Reheated: Crumbs Opens & New Canaan Food Scene Expands

Reheated is a twice-weekly round-up of bite-sized food news in Connecticut and beyond. 

In Connecticut...

A book signing & reception at Fairfield Cheese Company on Dec. 17 from 5 to 7 pm with Angela Miller, author of HAY FEVER: How Chasing a Dream on a Vermont Farm Changed My Life. Call for info: 203.292.8194.

Crumbs in Greenwich is finally open and will give away 1,000 cupcakes on Sat., Dec. 18 beginning at 8 a.m. Info The Feast.

Breaking food news in New Canaan includes a new fro yo joint, an expansion for Chef Luis and a new Italian market. Info Patch.com.

SoNo Baking Company's John Baricelli shares a grown up recipe for ginger snaps. Recipe via RidgefieldCTBlog.com.

The Stamford Advocate is reporting there will be a new grocery store opening soon in Stamford's Springdale section on Hope Street. Info Stamford Advocate.

There are lots of NYE bashes, but only Thali will celebrating with an Indian DJ, Bollywood Masala songs, and an Indian grand buffet dinner at $70 pp. RSVP @ Thali.

...and beyond.

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Match Restaurant in Sono: 11 Years...A Visual Journey

CLICK ON ABOVE IMAGE TO LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

This year marks Match's 11th anniversary, an honor and milestone that most restaurants can only hope to achieve. Instrumental in revitalizing SoNo and its thriving restaurant scene, Match has flourished throughout the years by providing diners with an immersive and engaging dining experience that delivers on all fronts.  The menu never disappoints, always featuring Match classics alongside daily and seasonally inspired dishes, never pausing to get tired or predictable. The friendly and competent wait staff, under the watchful eye of Managing Partner/Co-owner Scott Beck, sets the tone in the front of the restaurant, conversing knowledgeably about each dish's preparation as well as the expertly chosen wine list. 

Match marries the ingredients for success masterfully, but for my money, Match's success really lies in the kitchen. The secret to staying on top for 11 years and what really sets Match apart from the pack is Executive Chef/Co-owner Matt Storch's playful approach to cooking as well as his ability to constantly create and innovate in the field of new American cuisine.

With Match's numerous "best of" awards for both their menu and wine list, and a long list of accolades from the traditional media, we wanted to tell you a different story. In fact, we felt it most compelling to simply show you. The following represents some of our favorite selections from the Match menu, ones that highlight Chef Storch's ability to layer flavors, textures and truly varied ingredients with great success. One night...one long meal… This is not a CTbites review. This is food porn. 

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Monster B's "Hall of Foam" in Stamford

I have lived the vast majority of my life in Fairfield County, but one of the most important lessons in food I ever received happened in rural Georgia. A group of friends and I had taken a camping trip in the general vicinity of Vidalia, where the onions come from, and were in the midst of a long (and severely fire-ant-bitten, in my case) ride back home when we saw a rough, plywood sign appear on the side of the road, leaning against a stack of cinder blocks. The sign had three letters on its face in runny, black spray paint: “BBQ.”

What followed was, without any sort of doubt, the best BBQ I’d ever had in my life. We ate three times as much food as anyone should eat at one sitting without having previously drawn up a will. It was a great reward for taking a chance at an odd location 

Significantly closer to the reactor core of urban life that is the New York Metropolitan Area is Glenbrook Center in Stamford. Heck, there’s even a Metro North stop, and across from that stop on the New Canaan line is Monster B’s.

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Homemade Apple Chips c/o Fix Me a Snack

This easy recipe for homemade apple chips is a new favorite at our house. My kids love them. I love them. Everyone’s happy. It’s been a while since I made something so simple yet brilliant. Hooray Apple Chips!

Apple Chips Recipe via Fix Me A Snack

I use Macoun and Empire apples to make these and they didn’t require any measures to prevent browning. If you think your apples will brown excessively, dip them in a solution of 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice right after they have been sliced.

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Fairfield County Winter Farmer's Markets

The sounds of the Farmer’s Market change with the seasons. The “mmm’s” in June when the strawberries arrive; the “ooh’s and ahh’s” in July when the tomatoes make their entrance; finally, the sad, sighing “uh’s” in the fall as the weather chills and the markets draw to a close.

This year, thanks to the unabated demand for local produce and the persistence of some devoted market managers, we can enjoy a new season of sounds at our local Farmer's Markets. 

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Reheated: Fairway Wines, Top 25 Beers & More

Reheated is a twice-weekly round-up of bite-sized food news in Connecticut and beyond. 

In Connecticut...

A book signing & reception with Dorie Greenspan in Stamford tonight, Dec. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Info CTbites.com

Congratulations to Barcelona Restaurant Group’s Andy Pforzheimer and Sasa Mahr-Batuz with the Restaurateurs of the Year Award, awarded by the Connecticut Restaurant Association.

Fat Cat Pie Co & Fountainhead wines are hosting an Oregon Pinot Noir holiday wine dinner this Fri., Dec. 10 @ 730 pm. Call for res. 203.854.9138.

Connecticut restaurants are giving back during the holidays. Via CTnow's Dining A La Carte.

Fairway Market opens Fairway Wine & Spirits on Dec.15. Info CTbites.com.

Fairway Market will also be hosting a holiday catering menu tasting, this Saturday, Dec. 11 beginning at 11 am in their cafe.

Adventurous eating is alive and well in Fairfield County. Yours truly attended a cow head barbacoa (vegetarians may want to skip this).We'll post a gallery soon. In the meantime, here is a video intro on Lunch Break Chronicles.

...and beyond.

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Hot Cinnamon Apple Toddy

What's a hot toddy like you doing in a place like this? 

There is something about a steaming alcoholic drink that invites some of the best pick-up lines and conjures images of campy backdrops. Mix this warm and fuzzy-with-a-kick drink and I guarantee you'll be coming up with a few of your own lines. Hot tub and ski lodge not included.

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Fairway Wines & Spirits Opens in Stamford Dec. 15th.

As if the opening of the renown grocery mecca Fairway Market wasn't enough to make a foodie faint, Fairway Wines & Spirits (689 Canal Street), a 6,500 square foot store will open on Wednesday, December 15th next door to the new Fairway Market (699 Canal Street).

The shop will feature approximately 2,500 wines, more than 600 varieties of spirits from around the world and over 500 different specialty and traditional beers.  Need assistance? A highly qualified staff of specialists and sommeliers will be on the premises to help customers with their wine and spirit selections.

Let's talk wine:  Wine selections will include the large national brands, local wines, kosher wines, organic and biodynamic wines, sparkling and dessert wines and a variety of esoteric wines from smaller vineyards. Fairway also intends to carry wines from different parts of the world that will be exclusive to Fairway Wines & Spirits.

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