Food Porn: Apple Tart Recipe

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Tina Rupp is a professional food photographer who works with Food & Wine Magazine and Weight Watchers and also photographs many cookbooks and national print ads. 

Today just after this tart came out of the oven, I FINALLY realized why I bake and don’t really cook.  I burned applesauce. Who does that? The running joke between me and my husband is that I can burn just about anything I cook: eggs, toast, fishies for my daughters and then today it was applesauce made from all of the extra apples I sliced for the shoot.  It finally hit me.  When I bake, I have a timer!  When I cook on the stovetop, no timer!  Eureka moment for sure. Thankfully, my husband is an amazing cook, beef bourguignon, the works. Nice balance with all the baking I do and fortunately I can also make a mean salad. No timer needed.

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Food 411: Name the Restaurant That Served This...

Where did we eat this oh-so-much-more than just a pizza? 

(Winner will receive CTbites swag)

One guess per person please. 

Miya's Sushi in New Haven

Bun Lai is the curator and chef behind the sensational experience that is an omekase meal at Miya's Sushi in New Haven. Of course you can dine a la carte but that's no fun when you have Bun Lai pulling the culinary strings, now is it? Known for a long narrative list of dishes that transcends it's sushi moniker, a group omekase meal has to be eaten to be believed. It's a spirited and liberating way to dine. Enter, find your seat and wait for course after course to appear, some better than others but as a whole an unforgettable meal.

My picks? The round of Hibiscus Floats, mugs filled with sake and ice cream that greeted us as we arrived; the Sakura Sashimi, fresh water fish infused with beet juice and a squeeze of lime, served partly frozen, inuit style; and finally the Kanibaba, asian crabs topping a jumbo soft-shelled crab roll with toasted havarti & dill sauce. The Kanibaba was intense, and each tiny crab popped in your mouth like a crab-flavored M & M.

But don't just take my word for it. Dig in to the photos!

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

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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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Hartford's ON20

Sometimes, it's better to let the photos the talking. Nick Caito captured our meal from a recent and decadent evening out with CTbites readers and food bloggers at Hartford's ON20, and fellow blogger Leeanne recapped our decadent evening on her blog Fun With Carbs. Enjoy!