Vegan Desserts, Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season Features Cookbooks Special Dietary Needs Vegetarian Recipe Liz Rueven May 11, 2011 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. Read More
CurryOmCurry's Lamb Mince With Spinach (Keema Saag) Features Cooking Classes Recipe Indian Stephanie Webster May 04, 2011 Local Chef Preeti Sikri has made Indian cooking accessible to the home cook with her ongoing series of classes, CurryOmCurry. Indian cuisine seems daunting to prepare due to the number of seemingly exotic ingredeints, but Preeti recommends just a few basic spices to get started. These are: Cumin seeds, ground coriander, cayenne powder, Garam Masala, Turmeric and Salt. All of these are available (and then some) at Norwalk's new Indian Grocery Superstore, Patel Bros. Enjoy this recipe for Keema Saag or Lamb Mince with Spinach in your house. Read More
La Paloma: A Cinco de Mayo Cocktail c/o Boxcar Cantina Features Chef Talk Cocktails Recipe Amy Kundrat April 28, 2011 If anyone knows about how to celebrate the upcoming Cinco de Mayo, it's Boxcar Cantina in Greenwich. We asked the New Mexican restaurant, whose commitment to local & sustainable food brings them as both vendor and customer to weekly farmers' markets, to share a recipe for the holiday. Not only did they give us the recipe for the tempting cocktail seen here, but also a bit of a history lesson. Read More
Mango Sorbet via The Parsley Thief Features Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert katie vitucci April 20, 2011 This time last year I posted about my addiction to Champagne mangoes..also known as Ataulfo mangoes. These differ from traditional mangoes in that they are brighter yellow in color, have a smoother texture & are sweeter. I love mangoes in general, but this variety is truly something special. They have a super smooth texture & are very sweet. I saw them at the grocery store last week, in season once again & I bought a bunch. I bought so many that I couldn't eat them all before they became overly ripe...so soft I had no idea what to do with them. I was going to dice & freeze them to add to my "smoothie bag"--My smoothie bag is where I add fruit that has ripened too much to eat, but will still be great in smoothies. But, this time I decided that these mangoes needed something special. I decided to make some mango sorbet. Read More
Harvest to Heat Cookbook: A Farm-to-Kitchen Journey Ingredients Features Cookbooks Farm to Table Farmers Market Recipe Deanna Foster April 19, 2011 Cookbooks used to be written for those who loved to cook or for those who needed to cook. Today’s food-centric culture has added breadth and depth to the genre. Food lovers and home cooks look to chefs not just for instruction, but for inspiration. “Harvest to Heat, Cooking with America’s Best Chefs, Farmers, and Artisans” by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer goes one step beyond, showcasing the local farmers, ranchers and artisans who serve as muse to those esteemed chefs. The result is a celebration of the symbiotic relationship between farmers and chefs and the masterpieces created by their combined efforts. Read More
Easter & Passover Eats in Fairfield County, CT Ingredients Features Restaurant Holiday Breakfast Dessert Stephanie Webster April 12, 2011 Easter & Passover are just around the corner, and we've been vigilantly scoping out interesting holiday sweets & savories, restaurant reservations, and catering tips to share with you. Here are a few nibbles to get you started on your holiday planning, but this is just a sampling. If you have come across an holiday event or product find, please let us know by posting a comment below. What's Easter Without Chocolate? Belgique Chocolatier in New Canaan is Easter central with 3-feet high chocolate rabbits weighing in at approx. 23 pounds. They also make smaller sizes, as well as chocolate nests with chocolate/hazelnut speckled eggs, chocolate hens and chicks, chocolate eggs to fill with chocolates, bunnies pulling carts with chocolate eggs, etc. Read More
Homemade Matzo c/o Tabouli Grill's Judy Roll Features Holiday Recipe Judy Roll April 12, 2011 Chef Judy Roll of Tabouli Grill has been making matzo for her family for years because nobody should be made to suffer through the "cardboard-y" boxed brands. This recipe differs from the classic version as she brushes the matzo with olive oil and then sprinkles with sea salt and za'tar. Hey..why not? It's amazingly simple. Try it in your home this Passover. Read More
Chef Talk: Lolita Cocina's Blanco Sangria Features Chef Talk Cocktails Amy Kundrat April 07, 2011 The Blanco Sangria is a take on the classic red sangria with citrus and brandy. From Lolita: "We start with white wine and build up all the flavors we imagined would be present in the ‘perfect white sangria’. A little vanilla from vanilla vodka, a nice floral- honeyed component from Lillet Blanc and a touch of citrus from Citronage – a bracing orange liqueur. To play up our summertime ideal, we add ripe peaches, lychees, pineapple and grapes. Over ice, it makes you forget you are in CT, but rather on the Mexican Riviera, feet in the sand." Read More
Chef Nicole: Thai Meatballs with Dipping Sauce Features Ask Chef Nicole Thai Recipe Kid Friendly Nicole Straight April 04, 2011 I made these Thai Meatballs with Dipping Sauce last week for my family and they were devoured in record time. Served in a lettuce leaf or over rice, they are big on flavor, but are not overly adventurous for little palates. These are perfect for busy families as the prep time is minimal. Try them in your house, and let us know what you think. Read More
Dressing Room's New England Lobster & Mussels Features Chef Talk Seafood Recipe CTbites Team March 29, 2011 This classic New England dish is featured on the Dressing Room's dinner menu and is one I've always wanted to make in my own kitchen. Aromatic and satisfying, Chef Vaast's New England Lobster & Mussels is a great recipe for spring entertaining. The Dressing Room uses Wave Hill Bread for dipping, but The Flaxette would do the job nicely as well. Read More
Last Chance for Bishops Orchards CSA Ingredients Features Local Farm Farm Fresh Stephanie Webster March 24, 2011 Bishops Orchards is 30 spaces away from hitting their maximum number of CSA sharholders this year. If you have been contemplating being a part of the Bishop's Orchards CSA this year, don't miss your opportunity. They will be taking registrations online through this Sunday, March 27. There are 3 CSA options for you to choose; a Full Share, a Half Share and a Flower Share. The flower share is one you can either add onto a Full or Half Share, or participate buy into alone. Click here for more information. What is a CSA? CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture" and refers to a program where yourlocal farmer (Bishop's Orchards) offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Each share entitles members to a weekly box of fresh-picked produce, discounts & specials Read More
Napa & Co's Sea Bass w/ Artichokes & Blood Oranges Features Chef Talk Seafood Recipe Stephanie Webster March 23, 2011 For my money, there is nothing better than being a fly on the wall in a top notch kitchen. Watching a talented chef doing what they love is akin to a trip to the opera (or maybe that's just me). I had such a experience when I asked Arik Bensimon, Executive Chef at Napa and Co. to share a recipe from his current repertoire. And what's a recipe without a proper beauty shot? For this, we had to make the dish. Join us in the kitchen for Chef Arik's Black Sea Bass with Chickpeas, Artichokes and Blood Oranges. Read More
Chickens For All @ Audubon Greenwich Ingredients Features Events Local Farm Stephanie Webster March 22, 2011 Raising your own chickens is getting more popular each year and getting easier, too. For anyone who has had the pleasure of eating a fresh poached egg, still warm, straight from the coop, it's akin to the richest of savory desserts. Bright yellow yolks, firm whites...makes you think it's worth investing in some chickens. If you're nodding your head, read on for a great event we caught on The Fairfield Green Food Guide: On March 27th, get inspired to start your own coop and learn the basics of how to get started when Melina Brown, founder of the Southern CT/Westchester Backyard Poultry Meetup, and Derek Sasaki and Traci Torres, local experts and owners of Norwalk-based My Pet Chicken LLC, visit Audubon Greenwich to discuss the how-to of raising your own chickens. This event will include a short presentation, a screening of the acclaimed film, 'Mad City Chickens', and ample time for Q&A. Read More
Coffee Cupping (Tasting) @ espressoNEAT in Darien Ingredients Features Coffee Events Stephanie Webster March 20, 2011 Have you ever wondered why coffee houses bother with options at the brew bar? Do you think you could tell the difference between a $3 cup and a $6 cup if you tasted them side by side? Yes, much like wine, coffee has different varietals, single origin beans, as well as organic options. EspressoNEAT would like to invite you into their coffee obsessed world for an afternoon of sniffing, sipping, slurping, and spitting. (Nobody can handle all that caffeine at once.) They will be using a few handy tools to help keep track of what you're drinking and your discerning palate will never approach a cup of coffee in quite the same way. What: 1 hour cupping tutorial and coffee tasting Where: espressoNEAT 20 Grove Street, Darien When: DATE CHANGE!!! Saturday April 2nd @ 1PM Read More
Cherry Pecan Granola via The Parsley Thief Features Recipe Breakfast katie vitucci March 18, 2011 I've been going through a granola obsession lately. I eat it for breakfast, sprinkled on low-fat Greek yogurt, with some agave syrup over the top. I was intrigued by this recipe from the new cookbook, Power Foods, (published by the people of Whole Living magazine), because it's packed with healthy ingredients...I love the addition of ground flaxseeds. I did adjust it quite a bit, because as written, it was a bit flat. I think they were going for a more healthy, low calorie take on granola & of course, I made it a bit less healthy. This is my take on it. Read More
Lucky Corned Beef Hash via Sugar & Olives Features Holiday Recipe Breakfast Stephanie Webster March 14, 2011 If you can't make it out for St. Patty's Day, why not try enjoy a taste of the Irish in the comfort of your own home. Jennifer Balin of Sugar & Olives knows her way around a simple but tasty Corned Beef Hash, and what better to serve up on March 17th? Bonus: This recipe also features her "secret" for extra delicious overnight shredded hash browns. Check it out: Read More
Macarons with Chef Emilie Ingredients Features Cooking Classes French Dessert Amy Kundrat March 09, 2011 Whether you are a hopeless Francophile or just a lover of confections, macarons are the pinnacle of dessert perfection. A cross between a tiny cake and a cookie, macarons boast smooth and delicately crisp exteriors that give way to light and pillowy interiors and are filled with sweet and occasionally savory fillings. In the right hands, they can be the miraculous result of a few deceptively simple ingredients of almond flour, eggs and sugar. Read More
Fat Cat Pie Co.'s Butterscotch Pudding Features Chef Talk Recipe Dessert Stephanie Webster February 28, 2011 Chef Robert Herlihy, Chef at Fat Cat Pie Co., puts out a darn fine thin crust pizza, but if you've never tasted his Butterscotch Pudding, you are missing out. This dessert has garnered a cult-like following amongst those in the know. Personally, the obsession stems from a subtle saltiness hiding under the smooth sweet pudding. I thank Chef Herlihy for sharing this recipe with us. If you sample this dish at Fat Cat Pie Co. or in the comfort of your home, let us know what you think. Read More
Chili Con Carne via The Parsley Thief Features Recipe Comfort Food katie vitucci February 24, 2011 I was given my first French oven {a.k.a. a Dutch oven, or an enameled cast iron pot} about 10 years ago, by my mother-in-law. For years now, a smaller version has been on my wish list...something more practically suited for a family of four & everyday cooking. So, when I recently won a gift certificate to a cooking store, I finally took the plunge & bought myself one! It's been sitting on my stove for a week now...bringing a smile to my face every time I look at it. I christened the pot with a lovely, Sunday roast chicken. Next up, I wanted to make some kind of stew, pot roast, or chili suitable for the cold, winter days we've been having. This Chili Con Carne recipe is what I decided on. Read More
LeFarm's Spaghetti with Braised Veal Leg Features Chef Talk Recipe Bill Taibe February 15, 2011 On New Years eve we came across a a dish for Spaghetti with Braised Veal Leg on leFarm's dinner menu. My husband (A.K.A the braise-master) decided to sample the slow-cooked meat to compare it to his own braised meat explorations. The analysis proved positive. Bill Taibe's braise had kicked our "you know whats," and layered atop fresh spaghetti, the dish was richly comforting. When winter weather abounds, it's time to hunker down and get cooking. Read More
