Learn While You Lunch @ Sport Hill Farm Features Restaurant Cooking Classes Education Organic healthy Farm Fresh Lunch Stephanie Webster September 19, 2009 Sometimes as Fairfield County residents, it is easy to get wrapped up in the daily suburban grind, a world of strip malls and meals on the go. Given all the white noise of routine life, it is nice to occasionally escape from the carpools and commuting…and head to the farm. With its open space, beauty, and serenity, you can be transported...nourished. Many of us journey to the fields as an annual Fall ritual to pick pumpkins and apples, drink cider, or get lost in a hay maze, but the beautiful farms of rural CT can offer much more than just kid-friendly fun. Last week I attended a "Meet Me at the Farm" lunch on the Sport Hill Farm in Easton. Read More
Chef Nicole: Sweet Potato, Yukon Gold & Carrot “Chips” Features Ask Chef Nicole healthy Recipe Kid Friendly Nicole Straight September 17, 2009 These ingenious little 'chips" double as a healthy side dish and a kid-friendly guilty pleasure. Because they are baked, not fried, and include a trifecta of delicious root vegetables, they are a healthy alternative to their traditional greasy cousins. If your kids are begging for French fries (as mine often do), why not just give them what they want. Try Chef Nicole's recipe for Sweet Potato, Yukon Gold, & Carrot Chips. Watch Chef Nicole's step-by-step video for this great recipe. Read More
5PM is the New Tea Time: Bigelow Does Happy Hour Ingredients Cocktails Recipe Tea And Coffee CTbites Team September 15, 2009 Tracy Holleran is a local blogger and founder of The Secret Ingredient Cooking School. She has taken tea to a whole new level with these innovative cocktails. Read on... Some like it hot. Others prefer it iced. But tea as a mixer for cocktails? When I teamed up with Fairfield-based Bigelow Tea to develop recipes using their many brews, that is exactly what we had in mind. Sure, I developed a wide variety of dishes, both sweet and savory, but these cocktails with a twist seemed to garner most of the attention. There are two important steps to making your tea infused cocktail: 1. For maximum flavor, prepare a super-concentrated brew using several tea bags. 2. Once the tea is lightly sweetened with some sugar, put it into the freezer to chill for about 30-45 minutes. In no time, you’re ready to start shaking, stirring, and sipping! Mix up a batch of these cocktails and this will be one tea party no adult will want to miss! Here are two of my favorites: Read More
Easy Fall Fruit Picking @ Bishops Orchards Farm Ingredients Guilford Local Farm Shoreline East kids activity Farm Fresh Kid Friendly Deanna Foster September 11, 2009 When I reluctantly moved to Los Angeles at the beginning of this decade, I missed our annual fall apple and berry picking trip so much that I dragged a posse of ex-East Coasters and their small children to the closest orchard (two hours into the desert) to pick apples one hot October Sunday. To put it mildly, apple picking in California is a sad facsimile of the real deal here in New England. The air was heavy, we were sweaty and the only ones enjoying the adventure were the children– they didn’t know any better. Being back in New England, where there really is a fall season and apples taste like, well apples, we recently took advantage of the pick your own trifecta: September peaches, apples and raspberries and visited Bishops Orchards in Guilford, CT. Read More
Ask Chef Nicole: Tortillas = Quick Kid Friendly Dinners Features Asian Ask Chef Nicole Mexican Kid Friendly Nicole Straight September 08, 2009 There is something about serving dinner in a tortilla that instantly turns an everyday meal into an event. Children everywhere enjoy wrapping up and assembling their own entree without an assist from Mom or Dad. It is empowering and fun, and these multi-tasking flour or corn shells have many healthy and delicious possibilities. Chef Nicole Straight of Time to Eat! has two great 15 minute recipes your kids will love; Moo Shu Pork and Baja Fish Tacos. I've sampled both. Your kids will love them...and you will too. Watch Chef Nicole's step-by-step video for Moo Shu Pork Read More
Suckerborne Suckers...This Ain't Your Ordinary Lolli Ingredients New Canaan Dessert Sarah Green September 08, 2009 Photo c/o Suckerborne THESE SUCK!!! and they say there’s a SUCKERBORNE every day. Turns out, it's true. Read on.... Finally, a sophisticated and spectacular lollipop designed for adult palettes. Using nothing but sugar, a stick, and some outrageously decadent yet all natural ingredients, Darien resident Megan Ferrell has entered the candy market with chic and style. These lollipops have the power to transcend. For every day a sucker is born, there is a Suckerborne: Monday- you are in your mini van on one of the endless schelpps from one soccer game to another ballet class. Where do you want to be? Under a blanket with your lover, real or imaginary, watching the waves pound the Vineyard shore. It seems a long way from reality to fantasy. But there is hope. One lick of Suckerborne’s “Dark and Stormy” and you’re there! From the first taste, the ginger beer nips at your tongue. Then, quietly, the dark and moody Premium Black Seal Rum comes from behind to bathe your mouth in a delicate splash of fire. Monday is boring. “Dark and Stormy” is inspiring! Read More
Spice Up Movie Night with Penzeys (Popcorn) Spices Ingredients Norwalk Specialty Market Spices Recipe Stephanie Webster September 01, 2009 Recently my husband brought home a spice from Penzeys Spices in Norwalk. It looked harmless enough. It was the Smoky Penzeys 4/S, where the so-called "4S's" stood for special seasoned sea salt. Sure, I've had smoked sea salt before, and yes, they do add great flavor to chicken, beef or fish, but this "all purpose smoky salt" touted one more tasty possibility. Upon reading the words "…even popcorn" my husband and I decided to give it a try for the Sunday night line-up. We popped up a large batch on the stove top - the old school way - sprinkled on a generous amount of the 4/S while the kernels were still hot, and raced over to the TIVO. After the first bite, I could no longer focus on the screen. I had to run downstairs to add more spice to the crunchy corn and only then could I carry on. The salty smokiness of this seasoning is absolutely wonderful, and really turns your average bowl of popcorn into a gourmet treat. I've had a lot of seasoned popcorn, but with ingredients like smoked paprika, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme, this spice was a winner, and it's reasonably priced at $2.95 for 4 ounces. Given the unexpected joy in this little brown canister, I went back to Penzeys to inquire about other popcorn possibilities. Read More
Ask Chef Nicole: Easy Back to School Breakfast Features Ask Chef Nicole Recipe Breakfast Kid Friendly Nicole Straight August 31, 2009 As a kid I viewed back to school with both excitement and trepidation. As a parent, I can relate to the Staples commercial where the father gleefully skips down the "back to school" aisle while the kids trudge forlornly behind. I both welcome the structure of the school year and feel overwhelmed by its rigidity. I have, however, come to find that the more organized I am with my kids' lives, the less stressed out my life is. Breakfast has historically been the most difficult meal in our household, because my children are not early risers (nor am I) and I feel perpetually rushed to provide a wholesome, nutritious meal, while ensuring hair is brushed, shoes are ties and lunches are packed, all before 8 a.m. Here are some delicious recipes we make in our house to both de-stress mom and ensure the kids start their day on the right foot. Read More
Fabulous Fish Finds @ Fjord Fisheries Ingredients Features Cos Cob Seafood Specialty Market Westport Deanna Foster August 25, 2009 I can deal with tomatoes that aren’t as good as I had hoped - there’s always tomato sauce; an inferior cut of meat can lead to a great stew. But fish that isn’t the highest quality or supremely fresh? That is just unacceptable in my book. Fortunately, we have a number of fish market options in Fairfield County, many of which are very good. Markets like Pagano’s in Norwalk, and Superior Fish in Westport certainly have their followings, but after doing a thorough sampling, I have found that one stands apart from its peers: Fjord Fisheries. Fjord gets my vote on two counts: quality and selection. I recently spoke with Jardar Nygaard, Fjord’s owner, who shared the secret to his outstanding product. Read More
Home Made Indian Fare in a Flash Ingredients healthy Recipe Indian r2d2 August 20, 2009 As I walked into my house the other day, distracted with thoughts of what to make for dinner for our houseguests, I was greeted by a sweet scent of ginger and curry wafting through the door. I was famished after a long day and was downright tickled to find a delicious terrine of spinach, chickpeas, and Indian spices stewing on my stovetop. I sighed, thinking how pleasant it was to have houseguests after all! My dear friend Jackie and her Indian husband, Habib, were staying a few nights on their way up to Maine. As I lifted the lid and took in the tantalizing aroma, I was transported back to Jackie and Habib’s wedding in a Tribeca loft, where Habib’s mother had seemingly spent weeks preparing the most sumptuous Indian fare for their wedding reception. I had heard from Jackie that Habib had inherited his mother’s cooking skills as well as their old family kitchen secrets, but I had never experienced it firsthand. Turns out, anyone can enjoy this home made Indian fare without spending hours in the kitchen. Read More
A Better Bread: Wave Hill Breads in Wilton Ingredients Bakery Special Dietary Needs Wilton healthy Breakfast Stephanie Webster August 11, 2009 My first experience with Wave Hill Breads was at The Dressing Room in Westport. Ordinarily, when the "bread course" arrives, I sample but only pick as I like to save my appetite for the main event. That evening, however, when the waiter strolled to the table, the smell of freshly baked bread immediately altered the dining plan. It was warm to the touch, had a strong crunchy crust, and the kind of dense spongy inside that has great mouthfeel. It required no spread. It was perfect all by itself... although the sweet creamy butter slathered on sure didn't hurt. When asked where this resplendent loaf had whence come, they answered Wave Hill Breads. Googling Wave Hill Breads from the restaurant, I found to my great excitement, that these lovely loaves were made locally in Wilton, in a small bakery right off Route 7. I was there the following day. I had to find out more. Read More
Ask Chef Nicole: Perfectly Grilled Fish Features Ask Chef Nicole Chef Talk Recipe Video Seafood Recipe Nicole Straight August 10, 2009 Chef Nicole Straight of Time to Eat! has all the answers when it comes to simple preparations for healthy delicious meals. This week she brings us a great recipe for Grilled Fish with Herbed Sauce. We used Branzino, but any white fish fillet will work just fine. The key to enhancing the fresh taste of this beautiful dish is the use of herbs. Sure, if you have a garden, you can pick your own, but if herbs are out of season, you can still capture the summer fresh taste with frozen processed herbs (Here's Nicole's recipe). Of course, you can also swing by Trader Joes and grab their frozen herb cubes in a pinch. Enjoy Chef Nicole's "How to make perfectly grilled fish". Watch chef Nicole's step-by-step video below for additional tips and tricks. Read More
Curry Om Curry: Home Schooling...New Delhi style Features Cooking Classes Education Indian Stephanie Webster August 04, 2009 If you’re like me and think that cooking authentic Indian food requires a Tandoori oven, a trove of exotic spices and years of apprenticeship with your Indian grandmother, then put away that Bombay takeout menu because local chef Preeti Sikri is unlocking the secrets of Indian cooking with her ongoing series of classes called CurryOmCurry. I attended her latest group class covering “Indian Breads” at a Westport home this week with two friends. We learned to prepare all those yummy breads I love to order but never thought I’d make at home Read More
Ask Chef Nicole: How Do I Spice Up My Summer Corn? Features Ask Chef Nicole Recipe Farm Fresh Nicole Straight July 27, 2009 There is nothing quite as fresh and sweet as summer corn. It seems to define the season, and the act of shucking provides hours of entertainment for children young and old. Although corn requires very little to bring out it's farm fresh flavor, sometimes you want to dress up this sunny side dish with a little kick. Here is a quick recipe for Lime, Cayenne, Cilantro Compound Butter over Grilled Corn from chef Nicole Straight that will impress your dinner guests, and delight your taste buds. Read More
A Taste of Greece in CT: Beltane Farm Goats Milk Yogurt Ingredients Greenwich Organic Farm Fresh Cheese Deanna Foster July 26, 2009 A few years ago, I tasted yogurt on the Greek island of Paros and it changed my life. Well, maybe not my life, but definitely my mornings. I now start every morning with a bowl of greek yogurt topped with fruit and granola. It’s routine, but never boring and it satisfies my subconscious craving to be back in Greece. I’ve enjoyed Fage, which is also made in Greece, is thick, creamy and has a slight sweetness to its tang. Trader Joe’s makes a Greek-style yogurt, and I give him points for trying, but his is farther removed from the real deal. I thought I was happy alternating between these two brands until I recently tasted Beltane Farm Goat Milk Yogurt, which is delicious and with just a little imagination nearly transported me back to Paros. Read More
Local Gelateria Brings Milan to Your Market Ingredients Italian Dessert Stephanie Webster July 25, 2009 I always enjoy walking into Whole Foods, but last week the trip was extra sweet. A representative from Gelato Giuliana, a local authentic Italian gelateria, was handing out samples of their handmade frozen dessert. Never one to turn down anything sweet, I raced over for their signature LaGiuliana (made with expresso, marscapone, and chocolate) and a personal favorite, coconut. Both were creamy, intensely flavorful, and had that "made that morning" freshness. Here comes the best part...This local Gelateria (with a storefront in Glastonbury), has been for years selling primarily to restaurants like Aqua (Westport), and Mediterraneo (Greenwich), but is now making their artisan gelato available in pints at many local markets including Whole Foods, Garelick & Herbs, A & P Fresh in Greenwich, and Stiles Farmer's Market in Westport. I walked out with containers of Tiramisu and Poma Di Currant, excited to share my find with our dinner guests that evening. Read More
Ask Chef Nicole: Easy Recipe for Freezing Fresh Herbs Features Ask Chef Nicole Recipe Farm Fresh Nicole Straight July 24, 2009 Summer offers a bounty of wonderful fresh herbs, but when summer is over, how can you continue to enjoy that garden fresh flavor? Many of us purchase herbs from the market during the off season, use the few sprigs required for a recipe, and let the rest grow old in the fridge. Another option is buying frozen herbs (like the cubes from Trader Joe's) that you can drop into recipes, decreasing cooking time, but maintaining taste. Chef Nicole Straight has been using these frozen herbs for years, but recently decided she wanted to make her own processed herbs from her summer crop. Processing herbs is a simple 5 minute project, and it's a wonderful way to preserve the fresh taste of your summer garden (recipe below). Read More
Tart Wars...The Final Frontier Ingredients Dessert Sarah Green July 17, 2009 Come to the dark side, the tart wars have begun! I recently reviewed the delectably naughty “tart” frozen yogurt from Robeks in Westport. But it seems that frozen-treat warriors from across Fairfield county are trying to use the force to take over Robek’s extra-terrestrial powers! Trader Joe’s now has its own brand of the tangy frozen dessert and Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk is mounting its own battle against the cosmic powers of Robek’s supremacy. The question is, does either foe stand a chance at tart superiority? I think not. Read More
Ask Chef Nicole: Thai Coconut Steamed Mussels Features Ask Chef Nicole Recipe Farm Fresh Nicole Straight July 16, 2009 Join Chef Nicole Straight at the Farmer's Market, and learn how to make an amazingly simple and delicious recipe with fresh local mussels: Thai Coconut Steamed Mussels. This beautiful dish takes 10 minutes from start to finish, but it like looks like you've been cooking for hours...perfect for simple summer entertaining. Read More
Crispy Kale Chips & Other Lovable Leafy Greens Features Recipe Farm Fresh Nicole Straight July 11, 2009 While I’ve known about the health benefits of leafy green vegetables for years, I often find myself shying away from these great greens for lack of proper cooking knowledge or inspiration. One of our readers felt the same, so we called in Nicole Straight, our Time to Eat chef, to demystify these power veggies. Join her as she selects her ingredients at the local Farmers Market, and then goes back to the kitchen to whip up some great quick recipes (there's even one that kids will eat). But first...a little background on this nutritional powerhouse. Read More
