Sustainable Dark Chocolate Tasting: 21 Bars, 12 Tasters... Ingredients Holiday Organic Dessert CTbites Team February 11, 2010 Last week, Analiese Paik, Editor of the Fairfield Green Food Guide, walked the CTbites staff through a sustainable dark chocolate tasting. We managed to consume (in very small pieces) 21 different varieties of chocolate...it was a very productive morning. Here's what you should buy for your loved one... If someone had told me there were more than 20 different companies that made premium, organic and fair trade chocolate bars, I might have doubted the veracity of that statement. But there I was in Whole Foods Market in Westport, in chocolate heaven, scrutinizing the sustainable labeling on beautifully wrapped bars of Dagoba, Equal Exchange, Newman's Own Organic, Kallari, Divine and 15 more chocolate companies, each just begging to be chosen for the sustainable chocolate tasting I was holding with the help of CT Bites. I couldn't choose; they all had to come home. It was only fair. Read More
Chef Nicole: Chocolate Ganache Cake w/ Hazelnut Praline Features Ask Chef Nicole Chef Talk Recipe Dessert Nicole Straight February 09, 2010 Ok people...there are tons of delicious recipes on CTbites, but this is hands down my favorite to date. Chef Nicole won an award for this Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Hazelnut Praline, and after your first bite, you'll know why. We used dark chocolate left over from the "Sustainable Dark Chocolate Tasting" we had earlier in the week, so it was truly outrageous. (More on that later). Bonus: The extra ganache can be used to dip fruit into resulting in a beautiful accompaniment to this decadent treat. Forget flowers this Valentine's Day...just make cake. Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Hazelnut Praline Read More
IzzI B: Allergen Free Cupcakes Everyone Will Love Ingredients Kids Bites Bakery Norwalk Special Dietary Needs Kid Friendly Dessert Sarah Green February 07, 2010 Do you have a child with food allergies? I do. It stinks. It’s not the end of the world, I realize that, but it certainly makes everyday events (and I really mean just about EVERY day in this town!) like birthday parties a hassle. My son is allergic to dairy, egg, sesame, and tree nuts. OK, the sesame isn’t usually a cupcake issue. But there haven’t been a lot of options for dairy free or egg free desserts! And I have several friends whose children also need gluten-free food. ( Yikes!) There ARE products out there that you can bake yourself; Cherrybrook Kitchen has a whole line of boxed items that you can order on-line and even purchase in some grocery stores. But the cakes and cookies from Cherrybrook are just -ok. They are not particularly tasty, especially for the sophisticated and discerning taste buds of the seven-year-olds in Fairfield County! And, you have to bake them yourself. But there’s a new kid in town and she is singing my song- her name is Pam Nicholas and she is the owner and baker at Izzi B’s Allergen Free Cupcakes. I recently purchased Izzi B cupcakes for my son’s birthday party and they were a colossal hit! Delicious, ‘B’utiful, fun, and 100% allergen-free Read More
Super Bowl Soup, Skins, and Chili 2 Ways Features Ask Chef Nicole Chef Talk Recipe multiple Authors February 06, 2010 If you are doing a little last minute Super Bowl menu planning, you need to look no further. Here are a few recipes you can make for the masses that are tried and true delicious group pleasers. Don't miss the Trader Joe's shortcuts in Ronit's Lentil Soup recipe. Everyone should have these in their back pocket for simple soup prep. Chef Nicole brings us healthy recipes for Vegetable and Meat Chili, and of course the ever-popular...Mini Potato Skins. Enjoy the game and the food. Read More
Granola 3 Ways: Let Them Eat Oats! Ingredients Features Ask Chef Nicole Recipe Breakfast multiple Authors February 01, 2010 If you spend any time in any grocery store these days you can't help but notice a serious proliferation of high end granola. Everyone and their grandmother is packaging their "one-of-a-kind" recipe for this oat-some breakfast treat. Many of these are high in fat, loaded with sugar, and quite frankly, not that good. We decided to consult our experts for their takes on this perennial favorite. All of these recipes are highly customizable and have an endless array of add-on possibilities. Here is 'Granola 3 Ways." At long last...three reasons to wake up in the AM. Read More
Chef Talk: Chef Rob Troilo, Nicholas Roberts Features Chef Talk Norwalk Recipe Stephanie Webster January 28, 2010 Many of us at CTbites are loyal followers of Chef Rob Troilo and the inventive fare served up at Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro. His food is creative, yet not overdone, and always exceptionally delicious. Last week I had the pleasure of dining with him for lunch and encountered this special; Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Roasted Fennel & Caramelized Pear Stew. The fennel in this dish is very subtle, and the squash and pear work nicely together to create a richness that does not come from 2 sticks of butter, but from the depth of the ingredients themselves. Rob's preparation of these Winter fruits and vegetables almost makes you forget about missing Summer. Now if I can just get ahold of the recipe for Rob's Maker's Mark Mac-n-Cheese... Read More
Beautiful Baked Goods @ CakeSuite Ingredients Bakery Specialty Market Westport Dessert Liz Rueven January 26, 2010 Westporters have had their cake prayers answered with the recent opening of Michelle Klem's designer cake boutique and bakery storefront CakeSuite. Actually, given CakeSuite's proximity to I-95, pretty much everybody in Fairfield County should be feeling pretty lucky. CakeSuite opened just before Christmas but launched officially last week with a festive tasting event. Eager to sample the goods at this new sweet shop, we arrived hungry. The retail space is a bright, pristine, white tiled bakery with a glass case filled with trays of cookies and other elegant treats. The work area of this bakery is in full view for all you cooking voyeurs. For this celebration, Michelle had prepared a generous variety of miniatures to taste. Supporters and cake lovers mingled in the bakery, sipping champagne and nibbling on the irresistible cookies and cakes. The tiered trays were piled high, but S. and I managed to taste everything. Read More
The Flaxette: There's a New Artisan Loaf in Town Ingredients Bakery Breakfast Comfort Food Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster January 21, 2010 Attention bread lovers. There's a new artisan loaf in town…"The Flaxette," a beautiful crusty, nutty bread featuring organic ground flax seeds and a marvelous chewy tender interior. The bread is made by a Michael Mordechai and his startup, The Fairfield Bread Company. A few months ago, we attended a gypsy dinner where we sampled "The Flaxette" for the first time. It accompanied a bread and cheese platter, and while the cheese was very good, it was the bread I couldn't stop eating. When I heard he had taken his bread on the road, I raced over to The Pantry in Fairfield to purchase the delicious loaf. Moments later I was ripping off the ends and hoping there was some left once I got home so I could sample the product with butter. Mind you..it's not a long drive. Read More
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with White Truffle Oil Features Ask Chef Nicole Soups healthy Recipe Comfort Food Nicole Straight January 20, 2010 Uh....It has white truffle oil in it. Need we say more? Roasted Cauliflower Soup with White Truffle Oil ½ onion finely chopped 2 Tbs. olive oil 1½ C. cauliflower florets 5 C. (40 oz.) chicken stock 1 Tbs. smoked salt (Penzey’s in Norwalk sells one and Whole Foods sells a delicious Chardonnay smoked fleur de sel) cracked black pepper ¼ c. chives for garnish truffle oil Read More
Health in a Hurry: Fast Food That's Good for You Features Restaurant Fairfield Organic Special Dietary Needs Vegetarian healthy Farm Fresh Liz Rueven January 15, 2010 Entering Health in Hurry in Fairfield is like entering a close friend's kitchen after she has prepared fragrant dishes for you all day. Owner, Sue Cadwell, greets customers while literally standing in the kitchen of her 275 Sq. foot storefront tucked away off the Post Road. There is nothing but a short counter to separate you from the simmering pots and a couple of dedicated cooks chopping and packing healthful, mightily flavored dishes to go. Sue's philosophy is simple. She provides a welcome alternative to fast-food for busy people using organic, whole foods, seasonal produce and ethnic flavors from around the world. What she does in this tiny kitchen is remarkable, and even while working she is always ready to pause and greet her customers with a welcoming smile and a hug. She will ask if it is your first time there and gladly explain as much or as little as you would like to hear about each dish and its ingredients. Food allergies? Food sensitivities? No problem. Sue caters to all dietary needs and to her loyal following. This may be a small, intimate operation, but Heath in a Hurry has a big heart and big intentions. Read More
Maine Shrimp Are Coming to Norwalk! Ingredients Norwalk Seafood Specialty Market CTbites Team January 14, 2010 The season for sweet, Maine shrimp is here but not much, if any, makes it to Fairfield County. That’s about to change. Yesterday’s New York Times had an article about Maine shrimp that said the season is so bountiful this year that “the State Department of Marine Resources has extended it to May 1.” How crazy are foodies about these shrimp? According to the same article Community Supported Fisheries programs where consumers sign up to receive “frozen hand-peeled shrimp in five one-pound bags once a month for five months” are popular but the closest drop sites are in Brooklyn. The article’s end note states that the shrimp are sold “fresh in the shell in Manhattan for $9 a pound at Wild Edibles at Grand Central Market.” Don’t go to Manhattan or ask your spouse or friend to do you a favor and pick some up at Grand Central, because you can get them at 1/3 the price of their Manhattan brethren this Saturday from 10-2 at the new Norwalk Indoor Winter Farmers’ Market at 61-65 Wall Street. Read More
Chef Talk: Beat the Winter Blues With Booze Ingredients Features Chef Talk Cocktails Holiday Norwalk Recipe Stephanie Webster January 12, 2010 When asked to share a recipe with our CTbites readers, Jennifer Balin of Sugar & Olives went right for the drink. If you have been to an event at her great retail/party space you already know that she mixes a mean cocktail loaded with organic infusions and flavorful syrups. Here are two cocktail recipes you can try at home, including directions for her wonderful ginger syrup. Whip up one of these "Sugar & Olives Martinis" or "Bourbon Marries Ginger" drinks on a cold winter's night (when you aren't carpooling) and you'll barely feel the cold. Read More
Fairfield Cheese Company: Cheese 101 Ingredients Features Catering Education Fairfield Specialty Market Farm Fresh Stephanie Webster January 11, 2010 Have you ever walked into a cheese shop, and been utterly confused by the array of choices in front of you? For those of you who just nodded your heads, let me introduce you to Fairfield Cheese Company. Their bright beautiful retail space, right next door to Harry's Wine and Liquors, serves as a canvas for carefully chosen specialty foods and an impeccable selection of artisinal and locally produced farmstead cheeses. When Laura Downey and Christopher Palumbo opened their doors in May of 2009, they did so with a purposeful dedication to demystifying the daunting process of buying cheese and introducing their customers to the range and craftsmanship of artisan cheeses. "Cheese stores can be intimidating. We wanted to take away the mystique….It's not rocket science" says Laura. Read More
What The Heck Is A CSA? Ambler Farms Event Tells All Ingredients Features Education Local Farm Organic Wilton healthy Farm Fresh Stephanie Webster January 05, 2010
Behind the Scenes @ The SoNo Baking Company Ingredients Restaurant Bakery Catering Education Norwalk Breakfast Dessert Deanna Foster January 03, 2010 It is still really dark at 4:30 AM , but the pre-dawn hours hold transformative powers. Darkness will turn to light and the promise of a new day will be realized. Sometimes, both happen sooner than you expect. When we arrive at the SoNo Baking Company for a behind-the-scenes tour, it's shortly before 5:00 a.m., but the aroma of warm yeasty bread has transformed two half-asleep writers into bakers in training. Owner, John Barricelli, welcomes us in through the still dark café, chairs resting upside down on tables; display cases standing empty. Our eyes have to adjust as we walk through the sleepy cafe into the brightly lit kitchen. Suddenly awake, we are immediately caught up in the rhythm of the bakers at work. Read More
Winter Comfort Food: Lamb with Leeks & White Beans Features Ask Chef Nicole Recipe Comfort Food Nicole Straight December 31, 2009 On a snowy day, there is nothing like slow cooked meat and savory beans. Braising (where the main ingredient is seared, or browned in fat, and then simmered in liquid on low heat in a covered pot) is a low-effort way to get that great tender fall-off-the-bone meat we all crave. If you are still stalling on your New Year's Eve menu, this is an easy recipe to make for both a dinner party or a cozy quiet night at home. Hmmm..I may need to go pick up some lamb shanks and whip up a pot right now. Lamb with Leeks and White Beans Read More
Stay At Home Sushi: A Dinner Party Primer Features Japanese Seafood Specialty Market Recipe Stephanie Webster December 29, 2009 Ok…Seriously…How good does that look? Given the widespread adoration for sushi these days it has always amazed me that more people don't attempt to replicate this Japanese meal in the comfort of their own homes. What could surpass the pleasure of creating your own maki combinations with an endless supply of fish? Just think of the possibilities. My suspicion is an overarching belief that some meals are better left to the experts. The precision and foreignness of Japanese cuisine feels daunting to most. Surely there is some trick to obtaining the stunning entrees that arrive tableside when we eat out. Where in the world would one even get all of the ingredients, not to mention sushi grade fish? It was with all this culinary baggage that I received an email from a CT Bites reader. "I'm hosting a sushi dinner…where in Fairfield County can I get sushi grade fish?" Aha..a brave soul. I led her to the appropriate fish market (Spolier alert: Fjord Fisheries) but now feeling implicated in this fish-fest, I had to see how this sushi dinner unfolded. I invited myself to dinner. Here is how it went down, and how you can replicate this sushi smorgasbord in your own home. Read More
Entertaining: Shrimp, Mango & Jalapeno Lettuce Cups Features Ask Chef Nicole Holiday Recipe Nicole Straight December 26, 2009 Need a menu item for your New Year's Eve party? Why not try these elegant and easy to prepare lettuce cups filled with shrimp and mango? They have a great subtle kick, and can be made with slightly un-ripe mangoes so you don't have to drive all over town looking for the perfect fruit. Here is the real beauty of this dish. You can prepare almost all of this recipe ahead of time so you can actually enjoy the party instead of slaving away in the kitchen while your guests party on without you. Check out my directions for pre-prepping below: Shrimp with Lime, Mango and Jalapeno in Lettuce Cups Read More
Chef Talk: LeFarm's Bill Taibe-Slow Roasted Pork Belly Features Chef Talk Holiday Recipe Stephanie Webster December 23, 2009 For Chef Bill Taibe of LeFarm, a holiday is not a holiday without a little pork belly. Here is his amazingly decadent yet simple preparation for Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Apple Pulp, Fresh Horseradish Root & Arugula. I'm already drooling... Read More
