Great Wines for $15 & Less: Uncorked Event + Contest

After a successful Restaurant Week, the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce is preparing for their next event, The Chamber-Uncorked, A Food and Wine Experience taking place on March 25th @6pm.  

The concept for this wine focused event will be “Great Wines for $15 and Less,” proving that fabulous wine does not need to break the bank. Wine enthusiast and shop owner Robert Appell of Westport's new Bottles Wine & Spirits, will be acting sommelier for the evening, lending his expertise to the tasting. 

Naturally, where there is wine – there is food! The cuisine for the evening is a virtual tour around the world, and will complement the diversity of the wine. There will be sushi presented by Matsu Sushi, BBQ from Bobby-Qs, Indian cuisine from Bombay, Caribbean dishes by Blue Lemon, an Italian bounty table by Collyer Catering, and sweet treats by CakeSuite.  

Here comes the fun part: Testing one’s wine knowledge, a pricier wild card bottle of wine will be poured among the many others for folks to see if they can taste the difference. Plus, a common food ingredient will be used by all of the restaurants/caterers – again, challenging one’s palate.  Guess the wine, and receive the bottle. Guess the secret ingredient and receive a basket full of all things delicious! 

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Ask Chef Nicole: Latin Roasted Pulled Pork

I don't know about you, but in my family, the one meal that is unanimously savored is pulled pork. With three kids, it's a minor miracle if nobody turns their nose up when we sidle up to the table, but everybody loves the shredded, juicy, tender "other white meat." Sweet, spicy, savory...any way you make it, it's good. We traditionally go BBQ style, but eager for a change from the vinegary sweetness of this recipe, I asked Chef Nicole to come up with an alternate version. She suggested this spicier cousin, Latin Roasted Pulled Pork. 

What I like about this recipe is that it requires almost no work and you don't need a slow-cooker to make it. Sure, you can use yours if you own one, but when we taste-tested this recipe I quickly realized I didn't miss the equipment. If you are cooking for kids, just leave out the jalapeno. It still tastes great.

Note: If you are looking for a quick BBQ pulled pork recipe, check out the Screamin' Meanie Pulled Pork Bites from our Halloween party snacks post. 

Latin Roasted Pulled Pork

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CT Bites Lunch Event @ The Dressing Room

Wednesday, March @24th, come join CTBites and SuzySaid for a special lunch event at The Dressing Room. This 3 course prix fixe menu is only for our readers, and a great value at $18. $6 Specialty cocktails and wine will be offered. If you haven't sampled their new menu, this is the perfect opportunity.

Check out the custom menu below.

Diners will get FREE goody bags with eatable treats from local vendors as well as special value coupons.

Call NOW to reserve your spot and tell them CTbites sent you. (203) 226-1114. Lunch will be served from 11:30-3. 

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Flavorful Lunch Bargain @ Thai Pearl in Ridgefield

If you're looking to give your brown bag a break or if you just can't face another sandwich, you'd be hard pressed to find a better and more affordable lunch alternative than Thai Pearl in Ridgefield. With a prix fixe lunch menu featuring ten traditional Thai dishes and three courses starting at just $8.95, I'd say it's easily one of the most affordable and most satisfying lunches in town.

On a recent snowy afternoon, I began with the shumai as a warm and savory amuse bouche to start the meal. A combination of shrimp, tofu and vegetables fill three wonton wrappers. I presume these are steamed and then pan fried given their chewy exterior and crisp edges, and then finished with a chili and soy sauce. The other lunch appetizer options include soup, salad or spring roll. One course down, two more to go.

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School is Back in Session @ Fairfield Cheese Company

Fairfield Cheese Company classes are back in session and school has never been this delicious. Whether you are a cheese novice looking for a an introduction to the basics, or a cheese-aficionado seeking to expand your knowledge on a specific variety, they've got the class for you. 

I jumped at the chance to attend one of these sessions back in October and spent some time with owners Laura and Christopher who lead these entertaining and informative evenings. If you would like some background on Fairfield Cheese Company, check out our review, "Cheese 101."

With wine pairings from Harry's Wine & Liquor, this is the perfect way to break out of that dinner-and-a-movie date night rut. If you attend any of the classes below, let us know what you think!

Cheese School Class Schedule-Spring  2010

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Breakfast Solution: Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro

Before I met my husband, I gave nary a thought to the most important meal of the day. I’d rather sleep. But since becoming enlightened to the art of eating this meal, weekend breakfasts have become sacrosanct to my family.  One of our houses of worship is Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro, located in an indistinct shopping center in Norwalk.  The food snob in me has learned that you cannot judge a restaurant by its geography.  Such is life in suburbia – some restaurants are in strip malls.  They are not all as transporting as this one.  Robert Troilo, owner and chef, was schooled at the French Culinary Institute in New York and it shows, both in his inspired cooking and its artful presentation.   Equally impressive is that he seems to always be there, greeting customers warmly, cooking in the open kitchen, serving and waiting on tables.  

Last summer, at a friend’s suggestion, I ventured to the strip mall at 75 Main Street for a Saturday night dinner (read our review). The food was so outstanding, we asked the requisite question of each distinctive restaurant in Fairfield County: “Are you opened for breakfast?”

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Taste Testing the NEW Sono Baking Co. Cookbook

A good cook book is like a map. It takes you to places in the kitchen you couldn’t have gone with out it. A great cook book is like a navigation device. It not only gives you the maps, but shows you points of interest along the way and tells you how to get back on track if you veer off course.  The Sono Baking Company Cookbook is a great cookbook and it's on sale March 9th! From its thick, glossy pages to its gorgeous photos and instructive recipes, this book is an inviting and engaging kitchen travel companion.  

The first thing you notice about the Sono Cookbook is its beautiful photos. Much credit to Ben Fink, who makes the food pop off the page and look so stunning and real you’re surprised you can’t reach into the book and pick up the pastry brush to glaze a tart on the Table of Contents page. When we decided to do a tasting as part of the book’s review

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CTbites Shout Out: What's Your Guilty Food Pleasure?

 

Ok CTbites readers, we all have our guilty food pleasures... a secret stash you hide in the back of the pantry, or a fast food stop you make mid-day when your kids aren't in the car? 

Here's what our contributors have hankerings for.

What do you crave?

Stephanie Webster:  I've got a serious problem with S'mores. I make them in the toaster oven with dark chocolate...Also anything with bacon and grilled onions. 

Marcy Shinbaum:  SALT SALT SALT! A great piece of artisan bread, well toasted, lightly buttered, and heavily salted. Perfection.

Jennifer Spaide:  My guilty pleasure is Fish Filet sandwiches from McDonalds... extra tartar sauce please!  They are one of the worst things on the menu to order, and I don’t do it often, but they have a magical way of making me feel like a kid again.  Damn you Micky D!!! 

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Chef Talk: Barcelona's Spicy Lobster Salad

Here is our second installment from the Barcelona Cookbook, Spicy Lobster Salad. This recipe will have you craving those Summer lobster runs to Massachusetts. It is simple, fresh and delicious, but has a little kick giving it that signature Barcelona flair. 

Spicy Lobster Salad

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Local Artisan: Making Maple Syrup with Mark Harran

Neil Gluckin is a writer, communication consultant and local food advocate who lives in Wilton, CT. He explores the links between food, self and community in his blog at forageprimeval.com.

After firing up the generator that runs the vacuum pump, Mark Harran watches intently as liquid begins to flow through plastic tubing connected to a sleek spout protruding from the trunk of a tree. We are a long way from wooden buckets, tanks of sap on horse-drawn sleds and rustic smoke-filled sugar houses, but Harran is aiming at the same result: maple syrup, the addictive nectar that Americans have been distilling from the sap of the sugar maple since the legendary Chief Wokis first struck a tree with his tomahawk and made it weep sweet tears.

A 30-year veteran of the food industry, Harran, now retired, has returned to his roots. He grew up on a farm in upstate New York that hung buckets from 5,700 taps, and he lives on one now, in Litchfeld, where he does the same thing albeit on a smaller scale. In addition to being a private farmer, he also serves as President of the Maple Syrup Producers Association of Connecticut.

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