Brewing Beer With Jon Vaast Of Dressing Room

In 2006 Dressing Room restaurant was created as a collaboration between actor Paul Newman and chef Michael Nischan. Both men could fairly be called food policy activists, and their desire was to create what they called a Homegrown Restaurant, focusing on American heirloom food made from local, organic ingredients. Dressing Room's name stems from its location, adjacent to Newman's Westport Country Playhouse, but one of its staff, chef Jon Vaast, was kind enough to invite CTBites into his home instead to show us how the 21st century gent practices the ancient art of home brewing.  

[A note before we begin: as much as I enjoy beer, I had never before actually made it. I enjoy driving, but if I attempted to build an overhead valve engine there would inevitably be sundry and possibly vital bits left lying on the garage floor when I was done. Luckily, brewing has significantly fewer chances to produce flaming wreckage, but I apologize ahead of time to for anything I may leave out.] 

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Bombay Chile & Cilantro Chicken via Jeanette's Healthy Living

Lately, I’ve been craving the warm spices of Indian food, and so this week, my kids were treated to a new chicken dish – Bombay Chile and Cilantro Chicken, marinated with lots of warm spices, including coriander, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne. 

This is definitely a dish that can be started early in the day or the night before, then thrown on the grill or broiled just before dinnertime. I marinated the chicken in the morning, cooked everything before I headed out the door to pick my son up from school, and just reheated it as soon as we walked in the door an hour later. Served with a bright Cilantro Sauce, this is a unique, flavorful chicken dish that I will be making again. To go with this spicy chicken dish, I made some Indian Lemon Rice using brown rice, and Spinach Thoran (I had picked up some leafy green vegetables from the local Indian supermarket that were labeled “phoi leaves”, that looked like New Zealand Spinach).

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Glazed Buttermilk Meatloaf via The Parsley Thief

This past summer I was engrossed in a reality cooking competition on the Food Network called The Next Food Network Star.  I haven't seen every season of the show, but typically once I begin watching I get sucked in up until a winner is declared.  

Anyway - a few weeks before this past season began, a friend of mine from high school  contacted me to let me know a fellow graduate from our school would be competing in the upcoming season.  Her name is Mary Beth Albright. Of course I wanted her to win - not just because we share the same hometown, but because after watching the season I was easily convinced she would indeed make a great food television show host.  

While the show was airing, Mary Beth would simultaneously post her personal take on the developments of each week's episode on her blog - occasionally also posting one of her recipes from the competition.  The recipe of Mary Beth's that sparked my interest most was for this meatloaf. I think what sets this recipe apart from the rest is the use of panko breadcrumbs and buttermilk {full fat, if you can find it!}. 

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Latkes Recipe c/o Tabouli Grill's Chef Judy Roll

Making latkes is a potentially messy undertaking but there is nothing better than a home made latke.  I like to make and freeze so I don't greet my guests feeling like I just stepped out of a vat of oil.  Of course, you can just fantasize about making them and let us (Tabouli Grill) make them for you instead.  $22/dozen through Chanukah.

Judy Roll's Latkes Recipe

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Napa & Co's Kale Salad w/ Bacon, Dried Cherries & Egg

I don't normally beg, and definitely not for kale. However, since consuming the Kale Salad w/ Bacon Vinaigrette, Dried Cherries & Poached Egg at Napa & Co. I've been begging Stephanie to get me the recipe...literally. 

Why all the begging you ask? Chef Arik Bensimon's Kale Salad is simply a superior way to eat kale and I now want to eat it every day. It's the perfect balance between super healthy (the kale) and indulgent (tiny morsels of bacon and dried cherries). It's both crunchy (pistachios) and smooth (the dressing is like crack) It's sweet and salty. A perfectly cooked poached egg sits right on top and makes it a complete and satisfying dish...not just salad. On a recent trip to Napa, every person at the table who ordered the kale salad wanted to order it again. Need I say more? When was the last time you begged for kale?

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Chocolate, Pecan & Orange Biscotti c/o Nicole Straight

Holiday cookie time is just around the corner, so if you are starting to gather recipes like we are, you will want to add this one to the "virtual" stack. Chef Nicole Straight likes to keep it simple for all those busy cooks out there. This recipe is no exception. Get some decorative boxes and give the gift of cookies this holiday season. 

Chocolate, Pecan and Orange Biscotti

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Baking Holiday Cookies c/o The Cookiepedia

Pies are to Thanksgiving as cookies are to the December holidays. So without futher ado, we are officially kicking off the cookie-baking season with this set of recipes from Stacy Adimando, a Trumbull, CT native and author of the recently published and irresistible, The Cookiepedia. From Almond Biscotto to Mint Thins, more than 50 cookie recipes fill her book and Adminando has graciously offered to share a few of her recipes with us as we get ready to break-out those mixers and dust-off those measuring cups.

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Kids Review: Aux Delices Cooking School

And now a word from our 10 yrs old food critic....

Cake, bacon, and cinnamon; these are the words that my nose told my brain as soon as I walked into the kitchen at Aux Delices. I was so delighted that I was going to be cooking a scrumptious meal and not trying something that a professional chef created.

The cooking class that I went to was instructed by Lynn Manheim. She is also the cooking school director. The first recipe that we made was scones. Most of the ingredients were out on the table but the sugar and the flour were in two big bins. Mrs. Manheim shows everyone exactly how to do each step and how much of each ingredient to use. She will wait for everyone to finish one step before she goes onto the next, and if you need some help Mrs. Manheim will always give you a hand (especially if you’re grating butter like I was). 

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Bumper Crop: Cauliflower Risotto

Cauliflower is a tough sell at my house. My husband is a reluctant vegetable eater at the best of times, and I’ve tried to get my boys to try it under clever marketing names like “brain vegetable.” But alas, little success. As a risotto pusher, however, I’ve been victorious. If its on a menu, hubby will always order it, and if I cook it for dinner (which admittedly isn’t often), it will vanish. So I thought, Why not combine the two and see what happens? 

Lovely, almost petite heads of cauliflower abound in the greenmarket now, so buying it is an easy temptation. Once home, I separated the cauliflower into florets and roasted them--and if you don’t know my stance on roasting, I strongly advocate it for bringing out the best in vegetables. The cauliflower caramelizes in a hot oven, with yummy, toasty browned edges. Folded into a creamy risotto, it’s one of the best vehicles imaginable for cauliflower, and over at my house, one way it will always get eaten. 

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Thanksgiving Holiday Smokin’ w/ Corinne Trang

Corinne Trang, author of The Asian Grill, and local Fairfield County resident, is back with some holiday recipes that will get you eating out of the traditional Thanksgiving box. 

Thanksgiving is a holiday my family adopted when we moved from France to the U.S. in 1978. And eating turkey on that day meant that the bird would never be seen again at our Christmas table as tradition dictated in the past. Our new American holiday quickly became another excuse to get together with family and friends and eat all day until our stomachs would burst.  In that way, we were no different than other families joyfully eating their way through a 20-pound plus bird, side dishes, and desserts, except that…

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Match's Jack Daniels Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Thank you to Chef Matt Storch of Match Restaurant in South Norwalk for this next Thanksgiving recipe, Jack Daniels Whipped Sweet Potatoes w/ Brown Butter, Maple Syrup & Goat Cheese.  Excuse me...I think I may have just drooled on my keyboard.

If you're looking for a less boozy side dish (Lord knows why this would be), check out Matt Storch's recipe for MATCH's Luscious Whipped Potatoes.  Light and creamy, these are sure to please guests of all ages...even that sister-in-law who never smiles.  

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Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

leFarm's Cider Braised Turkey Legs

Roasted Pumpkin & Squash Soup via The Dressing Room

MATCH'S Luscious Whipped Potatoes

Napa & Co's Chestnut Corn Bread & Foie Gras Stuffing

Butter & Herb Roasted Turkey with Madeira c/o Fine Cooking

Bread Pudding w. Bourbon Pecans & Butterscotch

Thanksgiving Shout Out: Best Dish? Worst Dish?

The Boathouse's Autumn Harvest Apple Contorno

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Roasted Pumpkin & Squash Soup via Dressing Room

Everyone's favorite winter harvest holiday is soon upon us and it's time to start lining up those Thanksgiving recipes. While some have tried and true favorites passed down from generation to generation, my family is slightly more A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder) about the whole affair. Every year becomes an "exciting" opportunity to test out new dishes (some savored...some spit out) and pave the way for new traditions. We have however found that the best recipes often come from our local chefs. Hence, CTbites brings you the first in a series of Thanksgiving recipes from the Fairfield County chefs you know and love, starting with Executive Chef Jon Vaast of The Dressing Room. Enjoy! 

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Bread Pudding w. Bourbon Pecans & Butterscotch

When I saw this recipe in the November issue of Bon Appétit I knew I would make it.  I thought maybe as a Thanksgiving dessert.  But, it turns out I couldn't wait that long and made it the day after it arrived in my mailbox.  Of course the fact that it was a bread pudding comprised of pecans, and bourbon, and butterscotch sold me.  More than all that though, I was intrigued by the use of poppy seeds in this dessert.  Poppy seeds in bread pudding?  Well, yes.  And - they work.  The little bits of black splattered among all the other rich, creamy goodness add a nice crunch and texture.  

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Butter & Herb Roasted Turkey with Madeira c/o Fine Cooking

Opening up the latest issue of Fine Cooking, we found it impossible to take our eyes of the cover. So who better to kick off our series of Thanksgiving Day recipes than the good folks at Fine Cooking who came up with this amazing-looking recipe and have let us share it with you. So if you've got the bird in your sights but are lacking inspiration, here is one recipe you may want to consider. 

Butter & Herb Roasted Turkey with Madeira

Serves 10 to 12, with a good probability of leftovers

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