Six Main in Chester: Mother's Day Brunch Class & More

From macrobiotics to cooking the perfect brunch for Mom, Six Main restaurant in Chester has announced their class line-up for the month of April. Each class is $65 per person and includes recipes, demonstration by the chef instructor, and tasty samples of everything made in class. Call 860-322-4212 to reserve your seat, reservations are required.

Asian Fusion
Wednesday April 10th 11am-2pm

The menu and recipes you'll learn for this class, includes: Spicy Mushroom Spring Roll, Veggie Pad Thai with crispy tofu, and Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream.

Intro to Macrobiotics
Wednesday April 24th 11am-2pm

Click to read more ...

Westport Farmers' Mkt Cabbage Recipe Contest Winner

With 15 entries and some stiff competition, the judges Nancy Roper and Bill Taibe ate their way through traditional and not so traditional cabbage dishes. After careful consideration and much deliberation, a winner was announced with two dishes tied for second place. 

Drumroll.....Chef Selma Miriam and Noel Furie, owners of Bloodroot Vegetarian Restaurant, were winners with their S'chee (Russian cabbagesoup) recipe. Their soup was delicious topped with a dollop of sour cream and pinch of dill. The women of Bloodroot have been supporting local and organic before these terms were even considered part of our daily lingo. Check out their winning recipe below:

Click to read more ...

Six Main: Elegant Raw & Vegetarian in Chester CT

Elegantly prepared, nuanced preparations of vegetarian, vegan and raw food dishes are the expert domain of Six Main Restaurant in Chester, CT. Housed in the former Chester Savings Bank, a stately 100-year old landmark situated at the center of this quaint central Connecticut town, Six Main helps to usher in the slow momentum of “contemporary plant-based gourmet cuisine” into the state.  

Open since summer 2012, Six Main is the result of a serendipitous collaboration between owner Bill de Jonge and award-winning raw chef Rachel Carr. Looking for a chef who would hold the same passion for healthy food, de Jonge hired Carr who happened to find herself in the Northeast after many years on the West coast at the helm of the well known Los Angeles raw vegan outpost, Cru. Their partnership also led to the cultivation of de Jonge's Old Lyme home, Upper Pond Farm, for produce specifically raised for the restaurant they were building.

Click to read more ...

The Stand Juice Company Opens in Fairfield

Liz Rueven is a CTbites contributor and the founder of a new blog, Kosher Like Me.

The Stand Juice Company opened a second location in Fairfield , CT five weeks ago and they are rockin’ already.  Carissa Dellicicchi and Mike Hrizdo, the dynamic husband and wife duo behind the Stand in Norwalk (opened in 2006), complement each other perfectly.

Carissa is the cook and creative force and Mike is the organizer and funny man. They first met in Miami at a raw foods market and bonded over their love for organic vegetarian eats and their passion for exploring the connection between better eating and healing the body.

Click to read more ...

GMonkey: Sustainable Vegetarian Food Truck

I'm no food diva- sure I love a fine dining experience. I enjoy white tablecloths- and the particularly high-end places that scrape the crumbs from your table between courses. But there is a time and a place for this sort of event. 

Though I love a great restaurant, I am equally satisfied by a well made sandwich, burger, or just about anything from a greasy spoon diner. When I worked in Boston I frequented the street meat kabob purveyor, and enjoyed a couple visits to Clover- a vegetarian food truck. Cheap, hearty, and satisfying, I miss these lunch options more than I miss Barbara Lynch.

So when Gmonkey mobile, a sustainable & vegetarian food truck, began tweeting their presence in Hartford earlier this month, I knew I had to try it.

Click to read more ...

Vegan Desserts, Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season

Perhaps one of the keys to the bold flavors and exciting range of vegan desserts presented in Hannah Kaminsky’s latest cookbook, VEGAN DESSERTS, SUMPTUOUS SWEETS FOR EVERY SEASON, is that she insists that there aren’t any disclaimers about her recipes.  “Each dessert must be delicious, bold and beautiful,  not just for a vegan dessert but for ANY dessert.”  It is for that reason, that Kaminsky’s latest book will appeal to a wide range of home bakers including those concerned with reducing fat and sugar, vegans and vegetarians, and Kosher bakers  (always on the prowl for non-dairy desserts)  alike.

Click to read more ...

Middle Eastern Home Cooking @ Safita

Overlooking the Mediterranean sea, nestled among 3 hills and their valleys, is the beautiful, old town of Safita, Syria. Only a few miles from the long island sound, nestled between Westport and Fairfield proper, is the beautiful, month old middle eastern restaurant, SAFITA. It is the "Tale" of two Safitas, both with their charm, beauty, and authenticity. And it is just this authenticity that Kheder Hassoun and his family bring to this brand new Middle Eastern restaurant, situated where the old Chat 'N Chew used to be. Tiny in size but big in hospitality, Safita, at 2217 Post Road in Fairfield is pulling in the crowds, night after night. This is middle eastern at its finest, with "Ummu" ("mother" in Arabic) Amal in the kitchen, cooking up all her own recipes from scratch. This ain't your roadside Shawarma.

Click to read more ...

What's New @ The Westport Farmers Market

Too early to start planning your Thanksgiving menu?  Think again. Stop by the market this Thursday November 4th as BLOODROOT RESTAURANT presents vegetarian stuffing fit for your holiday table or any really any table. Their CHESTNUT STUFFING with shitake mushroom gravy starts with their own bread crumbs (don’t even think of NOT eating their bread when dining there) from the previous day’s choice of house baked potato rye, oatmeal sunflower or whole wheat loaves. They combine those precious crumbs with chopped and roasted chestnuts, bright orange squash, pumpkin seeds and gently sauteed onions and shallots.  This combo would be perfect on its own or alongside your holiday entree.

Celeriac apple puree is the base of the luscious filling in BLOODROOT’S FILO PASTRY SHELLS.

Click to read more ...

Navaratna: Vegetarian Indian in Stamford

Given the "Worth It" rating from the NY Times, it was easy to rally a group of hungry enthusiasts to join me at Navaratna for lunch last week. Navaratna is the newest Indian restaurant in the ever expanding dining scene in downtown Stamford. This packed lunch spot is unique in that it features Southern Indian cuisine that is strictly vegetarian (and certified Kosher).  As a lover of Indian food, I was intrigued, and we descended upon Navaratna to explore its distinctive menu.

Click to read more ...

Green Gourmet To Go: Healthy Eats in Bridgeport

If you discover sweet potatoes and spinach in your fudge brownies at Green Gourmet to Go don't be surprised. OK, you can keep that a secret from your kids because the veggies are not detectable in these moist, chocolatey bites or in the Blondies with a sweet potato base.  The chocolate (anti oxidants a plenty!) masks the veggies and you will be better off for having added a few more to your daily intake.  My fave desserts were the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and the almond oaties.  They tasted most like what I would expect (read: crave) from a cookie. Imagine eating your veggies in your dessert!  I didn't mean to jump to the end first but I was so enthralled by the ingredients list that I did exactly that!

Linda Soper-Kolton has been open in Black Rock for only 5 weeks but she is well on her way to establishing herself as a resource for healthy meals and nutrient dense foods.

Click to read more ...