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
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
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
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
Farm Fresh Summer Sandwich Recipe Features Ask Chef Nicole Recipe Farm Fresh Nicole Straight July 03, 2009 I recently accompanied Chef Nicole Straight from Time to Eat to the Westport Farmer's Market where she helped me navigate (and identify) some interesting and unique local ingredients. I was looking for a great sandwich to bring to my 4th of July picnic. Her beautiful Summer Sandwich was the perfect answer, and can be seen below. Read More
Why Backyard Chickens? How to Start Your Flock Features Going Green Recipe Farm Fresh Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster June 30, 2009 It seems that recently more and more people in Fairfield County are putting up chicken wire…and it isn’t to keep the deer out. If you have always wanted a “pet” and are tired of paying $4 a dozen for free-range organic eggs, why not buy yourself some chickens? We recently spoke with a local chef on the benefits of backyard chickens, and she offers some compelling reasons to raise these pecking “pets”. Then, we’ll take the work out of starting your own flock, and help you source your CT birds, and build your very own coop. It requires less work than you think. Read More
CT Berry Picking Season is ON Features healthy kids activity Recipe Farm Fresh Nicole Straight June 24, 2009 One of the things I look forward to every summer is heading out to the local farms to pick berries. There are a couple of great farms in Southern CT that are not over run with the NY crowd, and I will share them if you promise not to tell the others… Read More
For the Busy Chef: Asian Watercress Pesto Features Recipe Farm Fresh Nicole Straight June 22, 2009 Local chef Nicole Straight, of Time to Eat, is dedicated to good, healthy food and the techniques that make it easy for parents and busy people to enjoy cooking and eating 15-minute meals. Here is her recipe for Asian Watercress Pesto inspired by a trip to the local Farmer's Market. It freezes beautifully if you happen to have a run on watercress. It's delicious tossed in with udon noodles, smeared on salmon then roasted or even used as a thinned out sauce for steak. Read More
Chef Watch: Maria Marchetti...The Real Thing Features Pauline Rhoads June 19, 2009 Maria Marchetti, chef/owner of Columbus Park Trattoria in Stamford, who is known for her restaurant’s homemade pasta, had just prepared fresh tagliatelle for our lunch, which she had just made a few minutes earlier. Maria makes all of the pasta for Columbus Park Trattoria, along with the family’s two other restaurants, Osteria Applausi in Greenwich and Tarantino's in Westport. In addition to making all the pasta by hand for the family’s three restaurants, Maria does private parties in people’s homes and teaches cooking classes in the upstairs dining room of Columbus Park Trattoria, which has its own kitchen. Read More
Homemade Pasta – You'll Never Go Back Features Pauline Rhoads June 19, 2009 Years ago, a friend gave me an Imperia hand-cranked pasta machine as a housewarming gift. It sat in my kitchen cabinet gathering dust because, truth be told, I was afraid of it. Flipping through food magazines one day while in line at the grocery store checkout, I came across a “how to make your own pasta” article in Cooking Light. Instead of skipping over the subject as usual, or telling myself dry pasta will do just fine thank you, I paid attention to the easy to follow photographs and simple ingredients and wondered, could it be this simple? I felt especially daring and decided to make fresh ravioli with ricotta and spinach. Read More
