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Sprout Creek Farm, Sixpoint Brewery & Whole Foods Launch "Point of Origin" Cheese

Features Cheese Beer

Amy Kundrat

Beer and cheese can make an ideal pair. Sipping a quality brew with the right cheese can elevate and complement the respective flavor profiles as any cheesemonger or brewer would tell you. But Beer IN cheese? Leave it to Sprout Creek Farms, Sixpoint Brewery and Whole Foods Market to create this perfect symbiosis in the ale-washed “Point of Origin” cheese. 

Conceptualized by Chris Manca, Specialty Products Coordinator for Whole Foods Market's Northeast Region, "Point of Origin" is "grassy, with a whiff of malt that does not announce its presence too boldly," explains Manca, who also helped name the cheese "Point of Origin."


Aux Delices Opens in Westport: Great Food for Busy People

Features Restaurant Prepared Food Specialty Market Westport Breakfast Take Out Lunch Kid Friendly

CTbites Team

Back in Greenwich it was more than 10 years ago that I first walked into Greg Addonizio and Debra Ponzek’s tiny yellow-and-blue striped jewel of a café, Aux Delices. I went there almost every day, unable to resist their lemony ginger tea, inspiring desserts and gourmet take-out items. After I moved to Westport, I literally dreamed about their unbelievably decadent chocolate cake. Now, at long last, my dreams have come true. Aux Delices, which in French means “all the delicious food in life,” has opened a new location...in Westport, centrally located at 1035 Post Road East. With an airy, relaxed French brasserie ambience of copper fixtures, colorful chalkboard menus, and an outdoor patio, it’s the perfect instant getaway. And, while the service is quick and easy, the food however, is anything but fast food-like. With the exception of a few imported specialty items, drinks and cheeses, all foods and pastries are baked on-site, prepared by culinary institute-trained chef Ponzek, who describes her own cooking as “quality, healthy food for busy people.”  

 


Taste and See Cupcakes in Milford

Features Restaurant Bakery Milford Kid Friendly Dessert

Cindy Hartog

Is Taste and See Gourmet Cupcakes in Milford worth a 30-minute drive from Westport? The answer is a resounding “yes”! Recently, I’ve diagnosed myself as cupcake obsessed. There are worse obsessions, right? Through mail order, vacation excursions, and day trips, I estimate I’ve tried more than 50 cupcake purveyors. With complete honesty, Taste and See is my winner.  


Video: Matt Storch Demos Pea Carbonara w/ Poached Egg

Features Chef Talk Entertaining Recipe Video Recipe

CTbites Team

When eggs and bacon come together with pasta, it's all good. When Chef Matt Storch of Match Restaurant demos said dish, it's even better. This is exactly what went down during a recent video shoot, where Storch did a trial run for his entree selection at the CT Chefs' dinner at the James Beard House. Storch's carbonara has a seasonal twist that sets it apart from the classic dish. Instead of mixing the eggs into the pasta, he uses fresh peas and pea shoots to create a puree that serves as the sauce, while gently resting a poached egg atop before serving. This is a great entree to make at home. Watch and learn...


Rizzuto’s: A Day of Italian Food, Wine & Cars, June 10th

Kids Bites Restaurant Events Italian kids activity Kid Friendly

CTbites Team

On Sunday, June 10, 2012, NOON – 4 PM, Rizzuto’s, located in the Saugatuck community of Westport, has teamed up with The Ferrari Club of America and FIAT of Larchmont for a day-long event filled with Italian food, wine, and cars. 

The event takes place during the Formula 1 Grand Prix Du Canada race, which will be shown on 2 large screen HD TVs. Race car fans can take a virtual lap around the track in a GoSimRacer Race Car Simulator. Kids feeling the need for speed can race through an on-lot GoGo-Kart track presented byGrand Prix New York Racing. Rizzuto’s is pulling out all the stops with classic Italian dishes and an Italian wine tasting. San Pellegrino will be keeping things cool and Rizzuto’s will be grilling outdoors this year, preparing sausage and pepper wedges and meatball sliders.


Sticky Balsamic Ribs via The Parsley Thief

Features Entertaining Recipe

katie vitucci

Looking for a great recipe for your Memorial Day BBQ?  No joke, these are the best ribs ever! After asking my husband what he thought of them, he swallowed his bite & replied, "This may be the best thing I've had in my entire life". But, this is coming from a man who loves him some ribs...anyway, anyhow.

Like all good ribs, these require time, but very little effort. Once they are done marinating & slow cooking in the oven, the grilling part takes about 5 minutes. The perfect thing when you are having company & don't want to be in the kitchen when your guests are there.

This recipe will be a summer regular for us.


Kids Review: Cadiz Tapas in Bethel

Kids Bites Restaurant Bethel Gluten-Free Spanish Special Dietary Needs Kid Friendly

CTbites Team

Most of the time at restaurants, I have no idea what to order because there are so many great choices. At Cadiz, however I can choose many different dishes. I can even order ten and share with friends and family.

Cadiz is a place where you order several tapas and share among the group. Don’t be fooled though. It is located in the Bethel movie theater but that doesn’t mean it's cheap diner food. Plus, there are some great gluten-free options. 

My family started out with a basket of bread, a small plate of hummus with baked pita chips, and a bowl of Greek olives. The bread had a crunchy and flaky crust with a soft and warm inside. It tasted amazing; a great way to kick off the meal.


The Naptime Chef: Local Chef Fits Great Food into Family Life

Features Cookbooks Recipe Kid Friendly

Jessica Ryan

When Kelsey Banfield became a mother she quickly learned that organization was necessary to successfully run a household. Babies are unpredictable in their needs and they can easily wreak havoc on the day’s plans. A fussy baby needs tending to.  Clutter piles up, as does laundry as well as those lists of things we need to accomplish. Many of us have been there and our babies are much older. While we can better organize our days, we’re still incredibly busy and there never does seem to be enough time in our day. So while Kelsey utilizes her daughter’s naptime to get things done, those of us without napping children can carve out some time during the day where we can do the same, whether it be morning, afternoon or evening.  Whether we have newborns, active toddlers or busy teenagers with heavy schedules, Kelsey’s approach to fitting great food into our lives is one that can be adapted by us all, and you can share her secrets in her new cookbook, "The Naptime Chef, Fitting Great Food into Family Life." 

Sweet & Simple® Cookies...Baked Locally, With Love

Features Restaurant Local Artisan Fairfield Kid Friendly Dessert

Margie Treisman

Cookies are, by definition, hard to resist.  Fairfield resident Michelle Jaffee has made resistance even more difficult with her new line of cookies, Sweet & Simple, adorable in their individual cellophane wrappers, brown and white labels and retro daisy logo.  What’s more, the label proclaims, they’re “baked with love.”

We at CTBites like to support the local, entrepreneurial spirit. (Plus – let’s face it -- we don’t hate eating cookies.)  So we set out to sample the sweets.


First Annual Wakeman Town Farm Chicken Coop Tour

Kids Bites Education Local Artisan Local Farm

CTbites Team

Wakeman Town Farm is giving local backyard chicken fans something to cluck about! Announcing the First Annual Wakeman Town Farm Chicken Coop Tour, in which local chicken coop owners in Westport and lower Weston will open their unique henhouses to the public.

Wakeman Town Farm threw down the gauntlet to local chicken-keeping aficionados. We asked: Who wants bragging rights for building the Hautest Henhouse...the Cadillac of Chicken Shacks...the Coop De Ville? The result is Wakeman Town Farm's First Annual Chicken Coop Tour, Saturday, May 5 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., a fun-filled afternoon touring approximately 15 chicken coops in Westport and Weston and enjoying a casual After-Tour Sundae back at the farm, with ice cream generously provided by The Farmer's Cow!


MOM 100 Cookbook Author @ Westport Public Library

Features Author Cookbooks Education Kid Friendly

CTbites Team

Katie Workman, author of the new hit cookbook The Mom 100 Cookbook is coming to the Westport Public Library on Thursday, May 10 at 10:00 a.m. 

Katie Workman is the founding editor in chief of Cookstr.com and a mother of two. In The Mom 100 Cookbook she delivers solutions to the 20 most common cooking dilemmas that every modern mom faces, providing recipes and tips for parents who are so baffled by their kids’ food preferences that mealtime has become a minefield.

Katie Workman will talk about her new cookbook The Mom 100 Cookbook, answer questions from the audience, and give a book signing. 

Ok mothers...here's what people are saying about this new compendium:

“One of the best cookbook authors of her generation.” — BOBBY FLAY

“These are the 100 recipes everyone needs!” — INA GARTEN


Lamb Bacon with Chef Paul Desiano

Features Ridgefield Recipe

Amy Kundrat

A fixture in Ridgefield's marketplace, Cello Restaurant seems to be in a perpetual state of experimentation. The last dining experience I had there was at an East meets West Sake dinner (Paul is Italian and his wife is Japanese) where their mult-course menu blended their native cuisines, pairing them with wine and sake. Running into Paul at The Marketplace (a group of artisan gourmet food and craft shops) in Ridgefield one afternoon, the conversation turned to his latest passion for the interesting cuts of meat he is procuring from Craft Butchery in Saugatuck. Although I was intrigued to share a 36-hour Confit of [Pork] Jowel, it seemed a bit ambitious for the majority of home cooks who may not yet have sprung for a sous vide supreme. So we settled on sharing his recipe for lamb bacon. Paul pairs this to the jowl dish which is served with a rosemary parsnip puree and braised red cabbage.

Chef Paul Desiano's Lamb Bacon Recipe


AMG Cooking School in Wilton: Learn While You Eat

Features Cooking Classes Education Wilton kids cooking party Recipe

ellen bowen

It must have been good karma to take over the former Wave Hill bread kitchen in Wilton, because the AMG Cooking School, which opened it’s doors in July, has truly found the right ingredients for success. 

Alison Milwe-Grace and her partner, Olivia Savarese, are not new to cooking having run a catering and event planning business for years. When the professional kitchen space at the old Wave Hill Breads came on the market, they saw an opportunity and jumped at the chance to open a cooking school. They have been hosting both adult and kids classes ever since.

The good friends added their own personal touch to the space. Gone are the wooden bread racks and flour dusted floors. A cozy candlelit living room and dining area serves as the entrance, while the kitchen features a huge work area complete with famous chef quotes on chalkboards to serve as inspiration. 


Video: Chef Matt Storch Demos Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs w Pea Puree

Features Chef Talk Entertaining Recipe Video Recipe

Stephanie Webster

Live from CTbites global headquarters, Chef Matt Storch of Match Restaurant launches the CTbites Chef Demo Video series. Watch and learn people.

Matt Storch's recipe for Pomegranate-Orange Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs With Pea Puree takes a classic winter dish and re-imagines it for spring with vibrant fresh peas. Get great tips as you watch Chef Storch review the basics of braising in this beautiful dish. 

If you have a chef or recipe you would like to see on CTbites, let us know. 


HUGE WUSTHOF Inventory Sale in Norwalk

Features Kitchen Gear

Chris Grimm

For cooks and home cooks looking for great deals on fine cutlery, the Wüsthof Outlet in Norwalk is having their bi-annual inventory sale, from Thursday, March 22 to Saturday March 24.  You’ll find knives, knife sets, and accessories. 

At last Fall’s sale, I fell for the Culinar line of stainless steel handled knives – basically forged from a single piece of steel – as beautiful as they are high-quality.   

Be careful while checking things out.  Despite a dozen signs warning customers to be careful amongst the hundreds of sharp knives, I, of course, speared myself and had to deftly pay with a single hand while keeping a sliced finger in my pocket, rather than bringing embarrassment upon myself, in the store. 

Selection was great in the Fall (if you’ve never been to the outlet, it’s worth a stop under any circumstance).  Regular discounts on the store models, overstocks, and discontinued models are 40% to 70% - with an extra 20% for the sale. 


Giada De Laurentiis Signing Books at Stew Leonard’s

Features Cookbooks Norwalk

CTbites Team

Giada De Laurentiis, famed Italian chef, New York Times bestselling author and Food Network star, will greet fans and sign 1,000 copies of her brand new cookbook WEEKNIGHTS WITH GIADA: Quick and Simple Recipes to Revamp Dinner (Clarkson Potter; on sale March 27, 2012) at Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk on Wednesday, March 28 starting at 5:00 p.m.                            

Providing an intimate sneak peek into Giada’s day-to-day family life with husband Todd and daughter Jade, and chock-full of gorgeous color photographs, WEEKNIGHTS WITH GIADA will be a new favorite for longtime fans—and a new kind of handbook for home cooks everywhere.

Stew Leonard’s is offering the cookbook at a special book signing price of $29.99 or two for $50.00.  Please note that customers are asked to purchase at least one copy of WEEKNIGHTS WITH GIADA at Stew Leonard’s in order to get in line for the book signing.

RAFFLE: Ten lucky fans will win a free copy of WEEKNIGHTS WITH GIADA and a reserved place at the front of the line to have their book signed. 


Short Rib Ragu via The Parsley Thief

Features Entertaining Recipe Comfort Food

katie vitucci

It's been a long time since I've made a winter stew type of meal...the sort of thing that takes all day to cook & permeates your house with the smell of something good cooking. This past Sunday seemed like the perfect day to make a little Short Rib Ragu, and I'm so glad I did.

I served it the same day & it came out great. Although, I would imagine it would be even better made ahead. I couldn't resist making some creamy polenta to go with it but it would be delicious served with egg noodles, or some buttery mashed potatoes.


Nothin' But Bars: Best Granola Bar in CT?

Ingredients Features Brunch healthy Breakfast Kid Friendly Dessert

Christy Colasurdo

In a world all about “grab and go,” I was happy to stumble upon “Nothin' But” snack bars after a spinning class at Joy Ride in Westport recently. That same week, we spotted them at the Westport Farmers’ market and the Village Market in Wilton. Seems that the chewy little bars, packed with ‘nothin’ but’ organic oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruits and hand-mixed with organic cane sugar, olive oil and honey have found a cult following in Fairfield County. Not only are these the tastiest and most nutritionally dense snack bars we’ve tried (not too dry, not too sweet, loaded with fruits, nuts and all-natural ingredients), they’re also packaged in re-sealable Ziploc bags so that you can eat half in the morning and save the other half for a midday pick-me-up (if you have the willpower).