Maple Sugaring Activities in Connecticut for Winter 2023 (via CTVisit) Features Kid Friendly Local Farm kids activity Maple Sugaring CTbites Team January 23, 2023 This just in from CTVisit.comThe end of January and throughout March is the maple sugar season in Connecticut! Cold nights and warm, sunny days are necessary to provide good sap yields. Local sugar makers and their many loyal customers eagerly await this annual rite of spring. Visit a local sugarhouse or attend a maple sugar festival to see firsthand how maple syrup is produced! Adopt-a-Tree: Maple Syrup ProgramNew Canaan Nature Center, New Canaan; kicks off on February 4 and runs through March.All ages and families are welcome to learn about and participate in the entire syrup-making process.Tap-a-Tree Maple Sugaring ProgramAmbler Farm, Wilton; February 4, program runs through mid-MarchLearn the science and history of maple sugaring by being a hands-on part of the process. You can come out to the Farm to collect sap from your tree. See the sap get boiled down the sugar shack and then get your own bottle of Ambler Farm Dark Maple Syrup to bring home.Read the complete list of activities on CTVisit.comThis just in from CTVisit.com… Read More
Guide To 2022 Fall Cooking Classes in Connecticut Features Cooking Cooking Classes Education Guide April Guilbault October 12, 2022 You’ve gotten the kids settled in school so, hey, maybe there is some schooling to be had for you too. Maybe you are looking to spice up your girls’ night out or do something beyond-the-water cooler with office mates. Maybe you are wanting to try a new hobby with a partner or honestly, maybe you just need some You Time. Something for yourself that expands your mind, your curiosity and possibly your palate. Take a class. The possibilities are endless and you’ll learn some skills that follow you through your life. What is not to love about that? Read More
The Prospector Theater: Ridgefield's Mission Driven Movie Theater & Gourmet Popcorn! Features Ridgefield Movie Food kids activity Snacks Oliver Clachko June 22, 2022 “80% of adults with disabilities are unemployed,” cites Sam Burkhardt, manager of The Prospector Theater. “It’s really difficult for many of them to find work.” “And COVID only exacerbated that,” adds manager James Mase, “with 1 in 5 workers with disabilities being laid off, compared to 1 in 7 in the general public.” Thankfully, the Ridgefield movie theater offers a haven for developmentally and intellectually disabled adults seeking work, with a mission to provide “competitive and integrative employment” for adults with special needs.But that’s not all….wait till you try their homemade gourmet popcorn! Read More
Guide to Kids Cooking Classes & Camps in Connecticut (2022 Edition) Features Cooking Cooking Classes Kids kids activity Kids Cooking Classes Guide Education Highlight April Guilbault April 05, 2022 Feels like we were all just stuck home together and dreaming of getting OUT and low and behold, now we can! Let’s start with getting those kiddos some cool stuff to do once school lets out. Let’s hear it for cooking camps! To learn (in a fun way) about food, where it comes from, what the heck we can do with it, and yummm, how it tastes-what could be better? Follow it with some parent-kid trips to your local farms or farmers’ markets, and lookie there, you’ve just filled the calendar a bit for the summer months. Here’s to brilliant and tasty new discoveries! Read More
Guide to Cooking Classes for Adults in Connecticut (2022 Edition) Features Cooking Cooking Classes Education Best of CT Homepage April Guilbault March 23, 2022 Spring is in the air and everything is growing like a mother! Hey, that can include you too-how about learning a new skill, discover a new culture through its food, and explore new flavors and spectacular taste sensations this season. Wooo! Get out there with your besties, co-workers or just fly solo; cooking and learning is for everyone and anyone. Whether it’s laughing together, creating, or just the discovery of some new tricks and tips, this will be time well-spent. Ah, those are good words. Go for it.Get cooking with our 2022 CT Guide To Cooking Classes for Adults. Read More
Guide To CT Virtual (& In Person) Cooking, Cocktail, & Beer Classes Features Education Cooking Classes Cooking Virtual Cooking Classes Best of CT Homepage Kristin L. Wolfe January 19, 2021 How would you rank your cooking skills? Have you become a master baker or a serious mixologist at the bar? From baking or creating homemade pasta to perfecting classic cocktails, we have a list of VIRTUAL (& IN PERSON) COOKING & COCKTAILS CLASSES for you to get the creative juices flowing. Step up your kitchen and home bar chops now:Note to Readers: Many below who offer classes in person must adhere to strIct Covid guidelines, please heed protocols. That said, there are plenty of online options as well.Do you know of a cooking class spot we missed? Contact us. Read More
Millwright's Sous Chef, Jamie V. Bordonaro, Publishes "Pursuit of Passion" Cookbook Features Cooking Cookbooks Education Author CT Authors Chef Talk Stephanie Webster October 01, 2020 Chef Jamie Bordonaro’s “day” job is Sous Chef at Millwrights Restaurant in Simsbury Connecticut, but over the past six years, Bordonaro has been working on a project of his own, in all of that “free” time one has as a chef. Jamie recently finished the publication of a cookbook titled, “Pursuit of Passion,” and as you can imagine, he is more than a little excited to finally be able to share the fruits of his labor with the public.The cookbook is a personal narrative and compilation of Bordonaro’s cooking techniques, flavor profiles, and skills that he acquired throughout his culinary career. But it is so much more than that, and is grounded in purpose that relates to one’s own inner drive and the importance of creating opportunity within yourself to follow your passion. Read More
"Room at the Table; Recipes from the Heart" E-Cookbook By Silvia Baldini Features Cookbooks Education Cooking Stephanie Webster September 23, 2020 Chef Silvia Baldini of Strawberry & Sage has released a wonderful new E-cookbook, “Room at the Table; Recipes from the Heart.” The cookbook is a collection of family recipes donated by ‘New Canaan Democrats’ members, friends, community leaders, and legislators. It’s a cookbook about the joy and benefits of sharing delicious meals with others. It is also about building a bigger table that welcomes and includes our friends and neighbors, embraces our diversities, and celebrates our expansive attitudes and values of compassion and care for everyone.Contributors to the project include: Senator Kamala Harris—vice-presidential candidate, Chef Marcus Samuelsson— award-winning chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, philanthropist and food activist, judge on Chopped, Gloria Steinem— Activist, author, Feminist…and oh so many more. Read More
Wood Fired Food Launches Private Cooking Classes/Dinner Events at YOUR HOME with Chef Dan Sabia Features Cooking Cooking Classes Education Catering Caterer Grilling Private Party Stephanie Webster September 16, 2020 What is it about fire? For most of human history, cooking over an open fire was the only way to cook a meal. Now, fire is just one technique in a chef’s culinary toolbox, but is one whose process and taste feel nostalgic, beautiful, and pure.Enter the master of all things FIRE, Chef Dan Sabia, who established Wood Fire Food catering and events in 2018 with a desire to cultivate deeper connections between food producers and eaters by blending his passion for design, Argentinian open fire cooking, community, and localized food, to transform the dining experience. His mission has always been to create an immersive and interactive experience where diners cultivate connections to their food, the chef, and each other. And now Chef Sabia is taking it one step further.In the Covid era, where events and live cooking classes have been all but eliminated, and indoor dining remains at reduced capacity, Sabia is bringing a new dining experience to CT, with all the comforts of HOME. Read More
Cook The Book: Tune In On CTBites Instagram Live July 1st with Chef Emily Mingrone of Tavern On State Events Recipe Cooking Cookbooks Education Instagram Live Recipe Video Stephanie Webster June 28, 2020 Readers, Diners, New Quarantine Couch Potato-Turned-Chefs! Tune into our new IGTV Weekly Series COOK THE BOOK.On Wednesday July 1st @8PM, join trained chef and beloved Connecticut Cookbook author, Anna Francese Gass (Heirloom Kitchen 2019) & Guest Chef Emily Mingrone from award winning Tavern On State, as they cook Emily’s recipe for Chicken & Dumplings from our recently released CTBites e-cookbook: Connecticut Chef Recipes for Restaurant ReliefTune In on @CTBITES INSTAGRAM LIVE!! Read More
Chefs At Home: Chia Seed Pudding Recipe from Chef Anthony Rinaldi Recipe Features Recipe Recipe Video Chia Breakfast Kids Kid Friendly kids activity Stephanie Webster June 25, 2020 Episode #4 of our Chefs At Home series is here…and it’s a heathy, simple and delicious recipe you can make all summer long. Chef Anthony Rinaldi, formerly Exec Chef at Kawa Ni in Westport, currently the Chef for Greenwich Country Day School, has been having some fun in his kitchen with this recipe for the Chia Seed Pudding. This recipe has 15 grams of protein and is easy enough for any kid to make themselves! Get your kids cooking and enjoy! Read More
Cook The Book: Recipe Demos On Instagram Live Every Wednesday with Cookbook Author Anna Gass Features Events Cooking Cookbooks Education Recipe Recipe Video Celebrity Chef Kristin L. Wolfe June 20, 2020 Readers, Diners, New Quarantine Couch Potato-Turned-Chefs! Get Ready to tune into our new IGTV Weekly Series COOK THE BOOK.Join trained chef and beloved Connecticut Cookbook author, Anna Francese Gass (Heirloom Kitchen 2019), as she makes her way one through some of the most delicious recipes in the recently released CTBites e-cookbook: Connecticut Chef Recipes for Restaurant ReliefStarting this Wednesday June 24th @8PM Gass + a weekly featured Guest Chef will bring the book alive and further whet your appetite and drive to get in the kitchen. This weekSo, grab your aprons, your whisks, and the new e-cookbook (should we still plug here? for fun, great food, and to continue supporting our state’s wonderful restaurant industry. Read More
20+ Virtual Experiences and Cooking Classes for CT Food and Drink Lovers Features Cooking Cooking Classes Education Virtual Experiences Virtual Cooking Classes Homepage Emma Jane-Doody Stetson May 16, 2020 If you’re missing in person cooking classes or simply want to spice up your usual repertoire, Connecticut caterers, chefs, restaurants, shops, and bartenders have the perfect solution: virtual classes! Want to bake a cake? Mix up a cocktail? Cook a savory meal? Get private instruction? Do it as a group? There are opportunities for all of it! Here is a guide to virtual experiences in Connecticut. Read More
Barcelona Wine Bar Launches Wine Education Series in Partnership with Wine.com Features WIne Wine Chat Wine Tasting This Week In Wine Education CTbites Team April 24, 2020 Barcelona Wine Bar is launching a new, complimentary wine education series in partnership with Wine.com to bring a taste of Spain home. The best news…after the class, you can buy the wines on Wine.com.The first class, Iconic Red Wines of Spain will be released on April 28th, and will focus on Rioja, Bierzo, Ribera Del Duero, and Priorat wines. While there are specific wines that are available in a bundle on Wine.com for $89.99, Barcelona restaurants have an expansive range of wines from these regions and participants can call BWB to pick-up wine from one or all of these regions to taste along with the experts. The series was created for any Bierzo, Priorat, Rioja, or Ribera del Duero red wine to pair perfectly for the course. Read More
Chefs At Home: Ultimate Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Recipe from Chef Anthony Rinaldi Features Recipe Recipe Recipe Video Dessert Cooking cookie Kid Friendly kids activity Homepage CTbites Team April 22, 2020 Episode #2 of our new Chefs At Home series is here…and It’s a good one. Chef Anthony Rinaldi, formerly Exec Chef at Kawa Ni in Westport, currently the Chef for Greenwich Country Day School, has been having some fun in his kitchen with this recipe for the Ultimate Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie. This guy knows his way around a kitchen. Those kids at Greenwich Country Day are darn lucky….Enjoy! Read More
History Happy Hour Weekly Video Series: CT Bartenders Demo Vintage Cocktails Features Recipe Video Cocktails Bar Spirits Education Stephanie Webster April 12, 2020
Turning Sap Into Syrup At Ambler Farm's Tap-A-Tree Program Ingredients Features Farm to Table Local Farm Ingredients kids activity Kid Friendly Natalie Levitt February 24, 2020 It was a warm February morning and my son and I joined a group of families as we gathered at Ambler Farm in Wilton, CT to kick off the maple sugaring season. We were greeted by Program Director Kevin Meehan and received an introductory lesson on how to tap a maple tree. Most of us stood in awe as the sap started to drip out of the tree upon tapping it. Many cheered with excitement for what was about to begin was a fantastic winter farming adventure and a great lesson in farm-to-table. We then received our buckets from Assistant Program Manager Jennifer Grass and proceeded to carefully select our “Giving Trees” on the farm. We hung our buckets on the trees and captured photos to commemorate the day. (Our tree was number 42 and pretty far from the sugar shack! It was an adventure after all!) Then we waited. We waited a week. During that week, many of us wondered just how much sap we would find in our buckets when we returned to the farm. Read More
World-Class Chef Dan Giusti is Giving School Lunch a Gourmet Overhaul (Starting in New London CT) Features Kids Celebrity Chef Education News Connecticut Magazine January 24, 2020 Dan Giusti was not used to failing in the kitchen. At 29 years old he had been named the head chef at Noma in Copenhagen, making him a de facto high priest of fine dining. As the leader of the kitchen of one of the world’s most critically acclaimed restaurants, he was tasked with executing owner and executive chef René Redzepi’s vision and making sure the culinary dreams of those who had spent years and months planning their visit to Copenhagen to dine at Noma came true. Giusti was good at this. But three years into the job, Giusti walked away to tackle the seemingly never-ending enigma that is school lunch. With Redzepi’s blessing and investment, Giusti founded a new company called Brigaid that sought to put skilled chefs at the helm of cafeteria kitchens in schools across America. The idea was “getting chefs who would never choose to do this work to do this work,” Giusti says. Read More
Terrain Cafe & Amis Trattoria Teach Seasonal & Sustainable Cooking Class Series Features Ingredients Cooking Cooking Classes Education Stephanie Webster January 07, 2020 Join the culinary professionals that lead the kitchens of Westport restaurants Terrain Cafe and Amis at Stamford Museum & Nature Center as they show you the joys of sourcing and cooking with the best in seasonal and sustainable ingredients. From salads and appetizers to entrees, pastas and desserts, this six-part series (January 27 through March 9.) takes you through the methodology of creating show-stopping dishes as you also learn how to source the best ingredients right in your own backyard. Read More
BD Provisions Opens in Fairfield: Gourmet Bulk Food Shopping Features Specialty Market Grocery Store Bulk Shopping Openings Fairfield Newtown Tea And Coffee Education Shopping CTbites Team November 20, 2019 Bulk shopping isn’t exactly a new concept but bulk shopping that’s zero waste is something we get excited about. BD Provisions, with locations in Newtown, and now at the Brick Walk in Fairfield CT, takes this familiar concept and gives it a breath of fresh air with a new, environmentally friendly spin. Less is more, especially here. Less waste means more product which means greater savings and more fun, but you really need to head over to experience it yourself. Read More
