Ultimate Guide to Making Ice Cream: A Recipe (of Sorts) Features kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert Chris Grimm August 11, 2011 Nothing says “Summer” like ice cream. I make a lot of ice cream – more than we can eat. I make really great ice cream, if I do say so myself. So when my sister-in-law asked for an “award winning” ice cream recipe, to use in her local agricultural fair, I was happy to oblige. I haven’t won any actual awards, but if you follow my instructions, you’ll appreciate my confidence. Although Eleanore skipped the contest, she said she wished she had entered, if only because the entries all required detailed recipes and, as you will see, mine is nothing if not detailed. The key to a great ice cream is its base. I almost always make fruit ice creams. While different fruits require different treatments and benefit from different supplemental ingredients, the base doesn’t vary. I use a basic Cuisinart one-and-a-half-quart ice cream maker that only costs about $50. If you like ice cream, it’s the best $50 you will ever spend Read More
Asian Treats at Pacific Food in Fairfield Ingredients Restaurant Asian Fairfield Specialty Market Vietnamese Emily Sackett August 10, 2011 Every once in a while something new comes to town that we just have to explore! This time, it’s Pacific Food on the Black Rock Turnpike that adds a little bit of Asian flavor to the shopping options in Fairfield. We visited Pacific Food recently to see what kind of eclectic goodies we could fill our shopping carts with. After all, it’s about time we started using our wok pans for something worth wok-ing! Pacific Food is a unique Asian market open almost three months in a small shopping center just as Blackrock Turnpike splits into Tunxis Hill. The small footprint of the grocer packs a punch – offering counter-style favorites such as Vietnamese sandwiches, Japanese-style smoothies in a rainbow of flavors and a decided-upon favorite, traditional Chinese Bubble Tea. Read More
Peace Tree Desserts in Westport: Give Peace A Chance Ingredients Features Westport Dessert Margie Treisman August 09, 2011 Contented goats frolicking in green meadows, giving fresh, naturally homogenized milk. Local, sustainable, organic ingredients. The leafy Bohdi Tree, symbol of Buddhist enlightenment. Lovely images to associate with . . . dessert. Yeah, yeah, kumbayah, you may say. Get to the good stuff -- the treats, not the trees. But they go hand in hand at Peace Tree Desserts, according to owner and chef Robyn Eades. The Peace Tree, inspired by her dog Bodhi, is a fitting symbol for Robyn’s approach to sourcing and creating delicious desserts. Even the Peace Tree labels are eco-friendly, made from soy ink and recycled paper. Read More
Food, Friends & Fun at New Canaan Farmers’ Market Ingredients Restaurant Farmers Market Local Artisan Local Farm New Canaan Farm Fresh CTbites Team August 04, 2011 The past few years have seen a spike in the amount and popularity of Farmers’ Markets, and the New Canaan Farmers' Market is no exception. Every Saturday morning from May through November vendors and townspeople crowd into (and around) the Municipal Parking Lot across from the town library. They come here to shop for local produce, pick up breakfast or lunch, and mingle with family, friends, acquaintances and strangers. The market is still small compared to others in the area, but the number of vendors and buzz around it is on the rise as more and more people seek quality, fresh food and want to know where it comes from. Read More
Main Course Catering @ Westport Farmers' Mkt Aug 4 Ingredients Catering Farmers Market Westport Recipe Liz Rueven August 03, 2011 Cecily Gans, Chef and Owner of the Main Course Catering Company, will have the rapt attention of salad enthusiasts at the Westport Farmers’ Market this Thursday August 4th, as she introduces two new dressings to liven up those farm fresh greens. Starlight’s greens will share the spotlight with Beltane Farm’s goat cheese as she turns to fresh herbs, stone fruits and berries to accentuate the summer theme. Chef Gans describes her favorite cheese vendor’s cheeses as “ a muse for my dressings.” Talk about inspiration springing from one ingredient! Gans’ two dressings are virtual opposites, with the ASIAN THAI (see recipe below) utilizing Thai Basil and rice vinegar as a base for a spicier salad. Read More
Saugatuck Grain & Grape in Westport Ingredients Cocktails Entertaining Specialty Market Westport Beer Marina Giannangeli August 02, 2011 Vintage gated tables lined with tequilas and rums, while bourbons and whiskeys are abundantly shelved nearby. I am especially drawn to Jeff Marrons’ corner display of tequila bottles—both of the consumed and collected variety—gathered on a custom riddling rack table. The presentation makes the space feel personal and homey, as if this could be someone’s personal collection. So, I am not surprised to learn that fiancée and owner Mimi McLaughlin has a background in interior design and fashion retail, evidenced in her attention to the smallest details, down to the charming tags, framed signs and chalk drawings at the entrance. Read More
Saugatuck Craft Butchery Opening in Westport Ingredients Specialty Market Butcher Stephanie Webster July 27, 2011 Ryan Fibiger, a recent graduate of Fleisher’s Grass Fed and Organic Meats’ whole animal butchery program, is bringing his skills to Westport...Saugatuck to be exact. Coming this September, Saugatuck Craft Butchery featuring pasture raised & organic meats will be open for business. Analiese Paik of the Fairfield Green Food Guide recently spoke with Ryan about the shop as well as his meat CSA which will launch before his retail doors officially open. Here is the concept in Ryan's own words... "Our mission is to bring back the neighborhood butcher with an emphasis on whole animal butchery, education, and the creation of community. We will provide locally raised meats, prepared foods, restaurant wholesale, catering, instructional programs, and an exceptional shopping experience to customers in Fairfield County." Read More
Ridgefield Farmers' Market Ingredients Farmers Market Local Farm Amy Kundrat July 27, 2011 The Ridgefield Farmers' Market has returned this year in a new location adjacent to the Ridgefield Boys and Girls Club just off Governor Street. Open for the past month, this year the market has beefed up their presence with guest chefs and a growing list of regular vendors, that takes place weekly throughout the summer on Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m. Read More
10 Things You (Probably) Don't Know about Olive Oil Ingredients Specialty Market Stamford Lou Gorfain July 26, 2011 Steve Jenkins is exultant. "I landed it for five bucks a bottle!" After 6 harrowing years of International hustle and heartbreak, the self proclaimed Rock Star of Olive Oil has finally brought his plunder home. Liquid sun fills the Fairway bottle he victoriously holds aloft: a robust Baena from Andalucía. It's identical to the oil produced for six generations by Spain's celebrated Nuez de Prado family. "I won't buy it from them." Jenkins pauses for effect. “The importer is a robber." He offers a sip. The ride starts smoothly enough on the tip of my tongue. By the time the oil reaches the back of my throat, I'm on a roller coaster through a fruit orchard. Jenkins grins, "Love that finish." Steve doesn't just love, he ravishes olive oil. Indeed, he's more of a curator than a retailer, offering over 100 different varieties of olive oil on his shelves, priced from 10 dollars a liter to over 40. For the past decade, Fairway's legendary grocer/explorer/buyer has been foraging the groves of the Mediterranean basin all around, trudging its hills and climibing its 400 year old trees, consumed by his quest for the planet's finest olives and oils. Read More
Friday Froth: Hop Heaven Ingredients Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon July 22, 2011 Holy Mother of God, do I love IPAs. Hops are as important an ingredient of beer as water, in my opinion. Without any hops you may as well put a plate of dry barley and yeast in front of me - I guess I could do something with it, but it's not really worth the effort. Hops are the spice of beer, I've said it before, and as such India Pale Ales occupy the same space in the temple of my mind as Thai and Mexican food. I will shoulder your grandmother out of the way if she comes between me and a kaeng phet. This week we're going to roll around in IPAs like a freshly bathed dog in a questionable pile of dirt. My tongue's already hanging out, but don't worry, hop-shy readers: there's something for you, too. Read More
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak via Chef Emilie Features BBQ French Recipe CTbites Team July 21, 2011 Fire up the grill tonight ... your outdoors will get great with the flavors and the aromas of Grilled Marinated Flank Steak ! Whether you're cooking chicken, burgers, steak, fish on the grill, a tasty marinade gives taste and tenderness to every meat. You can use almost everything you have in your kitchen to make your own marinade. Today, I decided to buy a piece of Flank that I marinated with : Olive Oil, Garlic, Onions, Basil, Thyme, Parsley, dried Herbes de Provence, Barbecue Sauce and few drops of Tabasco. Check out the recipe below. The result: a serious crowd pleaser. La recette de Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Read More
Blueberry Season Opens TODAY @ Bishop's Orchards Ingredients Local Farm healthy kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster July 13, 2011
“Hot” Wine Picks for the Summer Ingredients Features This Week In Wine JoAnn LoGiurato July 12, 2011 JoAnn LoGiurato is a Certified Wine Specialist and the owner of Dancing on Grapes. Deck parties, outdoor picnics, grillin’ and chillin’…. summer is definitely upon us, and so is the summer wine dilemma. What to drink now? Hmm, many people believe that summer is all about white—au contraire! Here are 11 of my favorite wine sips for summer, including a couple of delicious reds and a rosé for those not afraid to “drink pink.” All of them are available at one of your favorite Fairfield County wine shops. If you can’t find the exact wine you’re looking for, ask the merchant to show you something similar—heck, it’s just fermented grape juice. Taste, experiment, and have fun with it! Read More
Friday Froth: Bats, Balls, Pils and Hops Ingredients Friday Froth Road Trip Beer James Gribbon July 08, 2011 Does everyone still have all their fingers after Monday's festivities? You do? Great, because we should really play some catch. Baseball's midsummer classic is coming up, and those of us so inclined are by now completely engrossed in America's pastime. Even those who don't like the game can't escape the news of Derek Jeter's impending 3,000th hit, and everyone should go to Cooperstown: home of the baseball hall of fame and Brewery Ommegang. Ommegang is an American brewery which specializes in Belgian style beers. They're pretty damn good at it, too, having taken top awards from Belgian brewers in Belgian beer contests in Belgium. Read More
Cocktails: Sangria Flora c/o Barcelona's Gretchen Thomas Features Chef Talk Cocktails Entertaining Recipe Gretchen Thomas July 07, 2011 We are pleased to introduce a new CTbites contributor, Gretchen Thomas, the Wine & Spirits Director for the Barcelona Restaurant Group. She supervises the largest Spanish wine program in the United States, managing 200 labels from 11 countries, and acts as the lead mixologist for The Barcelona Restaurants. Summer months bring lots of outdoor cooking opportunities. As an avid BBQ host, I know that the simpler the menu, the easier it is to relax and enjoy the fun. Firing up the grill and throwing on the hotdogs and burgers is always a cinch, but planning the beverages can often be a frustrating element. An extremely simple and delicious recipe for Sangria Flora crossed my desk a year ago and it has become a necessary staple at all my backyard gatherings, right up there with the yard games and bug spray. It was introduced to me by the founder of St. Germain, an Elderflower liqueur that is prominent at every real cocktail bar in the country. The recipe was created by the company and its simple – St Germain, dry white or rose wine, and chopped fresh fruit. Read More
Headbanging Hostess: Dinner on a Stick Night Features Entertaining Recipe Kid Friendly Vanessa David July 05, 2011 Vanessa David has been throwing dinner parties as the "Headbanging Hostess" for over a year, feeding some of Fairfield County's hottest bands and featuring their music in her food porn. She recently recieved a Culinary Arts Certificate from Norwalk Community College. ‘Tis the season to be social - summer is here, the sun is shining, the grill is going, is there a better time to throw a dinner party? Well, if you ask me, anytime is a great time to throw a dinner party. I’m the Headbanging Hostess, throwing dinner parties is what I do. But if you’re new to entertaining at home Dinner on a Stick Night just might inspire you to give it a go. Read More
Connecticut Wine Festival 2011 Ingredients Restaurant Events Wine Chat Wine Tasting Amy Kundrat July 05, 2011 Explore then the best of Connecticut’s wineries under one "roof" at this year's Connecticut Wine Festival on Saturday, July 30 and Sunday July 31 at the Goshen Fairgrounds. Included in the $25 price of admission ($20 in advance) are wine tastings, a commemorative festival wine glass and tote bag, specialty food samples, a craft fair and live music. Read More
CTbites Shout Out: What's Your Favorite Grillable? Features BBQ CTbites Shout Out Holiday Amy Kundrat July 01, 2011
Friday Froth: Loud and Proud Ingredients Features Friday Froth Beer James Gribbon July 01, 2011 "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. ... It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." - John Adams to Abigail Adams, July 2, 1776.That's right, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence two days before they voted in favor of the profoundly important Declaration. Our national celebration should actually be held two days before it is. Friday Froth: come for the beer nerdery, stay for the history dorkism. Feel free to bust both out at your cookouts on this king of three day weekends. Read More
Mango Avocado & Quinoa Salad c/o Healthy Living Blog Features healthy Recipe CTbites Team June 29, 2011 Today I decided to whip up a Mango Avocado Black Bean Quinoa Salad, a vegetarian/vegan salad with fruits, grains and beans. I got the idea as I was staring at the bowlfuls of mangos and avocados that have been sitting on my kitchen counter the last several days. For those of you who are not familiar with quinoa, quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain, and is a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. It is sometimes referred to as an ancient grain as it was once considered to be the “gold of the Incas.” Quinoa is a “complete protein,” meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. In addition, quinoa is a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, folate, and fiber. Read More
