Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned Recipe via Saugatuck Grain & Grape Features Cocktails Entertaining Recipe Jeff Marron November 15, 2013 The "cocktail" found its place in literary history in 1806 in the May 6 issue of The Balance and Columbia Repository being defined to a confused reader by the editor as "Cock-tail, then is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters. It is vulgarly called a bittered sling...". Over the next thirty years or so, this definition became the "Old Fashioned" cocktail and was more of a way to make a drink than just a name for one. Taken by definition, if you use just those ingredients, you can make a Gin Old Fashioned, a Tequila Old Fashioned and so on. There was never any fruit or club soda involved in the original definition. That version seemed to pop up somewhere after Prohibition. Being the "back to basics" kind of guy I am, I don't use fruit or club soda in my Old Fashioned either. Read More
Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro, Coming to Greenwich via Serendipity Magazine Features Restaurant Bakery Celebrity Chef Greenwich Dessert Serendipity Magazine November 06, 2013 A Slice of Cake Boss via Serendipity Magazine. Buddy Valastro, the star of TLC’s Cake Boss and owner of the famous Carlo’s bakery, is opening shop in Greenwich, CT, this fall. He talks to Serendipity about the sweet life and what to expect at the new site: delicious pastries, over-the-top cakes, and maybe even tv cameras! Why did you choose Greenwich for your first Carlo’s Bakery out of New Jersey? I love it here, it’s a great town. I’ve really enjoyed the time I’ve been able to spend here. There’s so much to do on Greenwich Avenue, and so many families in the area. I knew it would be a great fit for the first Carlo’s Bakery outside of New Jersey. I have friends who live in the Westchester area, so I’ve been able to get to know the area better when I visit them. Everyone wants to know — will you be working at the new bakery? Of course, I’m going to be there as often as I can. I’m a hands-on person, and it’s very important for me to make sure that our Greenwich location will meet the same standards I’ve built for Carlo’s Bakery. So, I’ll be here to make sure we’re running smoothly. Read More
Easy Football Party Recipes via Marcia Selden Features Catering Entertaining Recipe Kid Friendly Marcia Selden Catering November 06, 2013 At this time of year the internet is teeming with turkey recipes- brined birds, fried birds, bacon wrapped birds. November also signals an equally important time, football season! We wanted to share our favorite game day, “hangin’ with friends” snack foods. You know the “what you eat on the couch all day long, watching the game in your sweatpants” meal. The trick to a successful game day with friends is to use make-ahead recipes, so all you have to do is invite your friends, grab the remote, and a seat on the couch. We’ve taken the classics and added our Marcia Selden Catering touch. Keep it simple, use paper plates, have lots of napkins on hand, and use fun serving pieces. This will keep the feel casual, and most importantly, make clean up a breeze. Enjoy 3 great recipes: Mexican 7 Layer Dip, "Da Bomb" Chili Potato Skins, Michael's Maple Chicken Wings & Sausage Bread. Oh yeah!! Read More
The Skinny on Thinscotti: Wafer Thin + Gluten-Free Option Features Special Dietary Needs Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team November 01, 2013 Milla Pospisil won’t say how she gets her biscotti wafers so thin! All she’ll say is that it’s a family recipe she learned from her Ukrainian grandmother – a secret technique that allows her to slice them paper-thin and turn them into what she and her business partner Carissa Gulyas call Thinscotti. These “deliciously addictive” (that’s the warning on the packaging) baked treats have been on the market since January, but have been baked in Milla’s family for generations. Now the duo, who both call Connecticut their home, have taken space at a commercial kitchen in Westport and are mixing and baking and slicing and packaging them up for local stores and coffee shops in Fairfield county. Because they’re made with only a handful of ingredients – all natural, and no preservatives - there is something a little nostalgic about Milla’s Thinscotti. They taste a little like the cookies your own grandma would have made, just a little crunchier, a little nuttier, a LOT thinner, and just as more-ish. And because they’re sliced so thin – “the thinnest on the market,” Carissa says, each piece packs a mere seven calories, so you can go ahead and eat half the package – and you ‘ll only have 110 calories to enter into your calorie counting app. Thinscotti comes two flavors, Toasted Almond and Dark Chocolate Almond, with plans for a Toasted Pecan Thinscotti in the works. Both flavors come in both regular and gluten-free wafers. It’s hard to tell the difference between the two! Read More
Michele's Pies New Cookbook, Perfect Pies & More, Available Today! Kids Bites Features Cookbooks CTbites Team October 22, 2013 One of the perks of living in Fairfield County is the proximity to Michele's Pies two locations in Norwalk and Westport. I've been around the block when it comes to pie, and Michele's are simply the best. When Michele Stuart first got into pie-making, she burned out three ovens in her ski condo in Vermont supplying local farmers’ markets with pies made with “love and fresh fruit. ”Those days are long gone. Now, with her second cookbook, and 27 National Pie Contest Championships, Michele is poised to take over the pie eating world. If you can't get to one of her stores, and would like to bring some of her culinary magic into your own kitchen, check out her new cookbook: Perfect Pies & More. After the success of Perfect Pies, Michele Stuart went back into the kitchen—the same kitchen in Vermont where she first dreamed up the award-winning creations that inspired her to open the popular Michele’s Pies shops. Read More
Marcia Selden's Contest Winners Throw Down "Chopped" Style w/ Ron Ben-Israel Kids Bites Features Catering Sarah Green October 19, 2013 Last Wednesday night, the 3 finalists of the CTbites/Marcia Selden Ultimate Dinner Party contest met for a "CHOPPED"-style cook-off at the GORGEOUS Marcia Selden headquarters in Stamford. Marcia and daughter/partner Robin along with celebrity chef and "Sweet Genius" host Ron Ben-Israel were the judges and...Oh, what a night! The three lucky finalists were Lisa Eppley of Darien, Krystle Ang of Stamford and Hannah Bukzin of Westport, aged 13...no, really! They came, they saw (by way of a thorough tour of the facility by Jeff Selden, son/partner of Marcia and the ever-fabulous Chef Nicole Straight) and they made their way to the kitchen with high hopes of conquering that grand prize - a Gourmet to Go meal delivered to the winner's home, some cool Marcia Selden swag and, most importantly, the honor of the win! So the timer was set for one hour, the contestants were told the rules - open the baskets to find the three mystery ingredients, make any dish you like as long as all three ingredients are present and have the dish presentable for the judges in exactly one hour - and the challenge began. And for the mystery ingredients? Drum roll please!!! Ritz Crackers - Chick Peas - Strawberry Pop Rocks Candy Read More
Brooklynite Cocktail Recipe via Saugatuck Grain & Grape Features Recipe Cocktails Recipe Jeff Marron October 15, 2013 This is an older cocktail I modified during my research of local honey. Other than the Bee's Knees cocktail, I wanted to find another "staple cocktail" to use with honey from Red Bee Apiary. This is a delicious adaptation on the classic Daiquiri. Instead of using simple syrup, orange blossom honey syrup is used. I have used many rums in this recipe and I keep falling back on Ron Zacapa 23 year old from Guatemala disregarding the recommended Jamaican rum. This particular rum is soft and subtle with a rich molasses sweetness that finishes with notes of light caramel outlined in Madagascar vanilla bean. The flavor profile of this rum is just a perfect balance between the acidic lime juice and the floral orange blossom honey. Read More
Muffin Tin Meals: Chicken Pot Pie, Turkey Meatloaf & Zucchini Leek Baked Noodles Recipes Features Recipe Kid Friendly Marcia Selden Catering October 12, 2013 Crisp fall days are upon us, and if you’re like most people, you’ve let go of that lazy end of summer vibe and are now into full-on rush mode. Too busy for dinner? Think again… We have you covered with these delicious, warm, could-even- be-eaten-for-breakfast muffin tin meals. These tasty little bites are a snap to make, freeze beautifully, and are the perfect dinner or snack for your hungry posse: Chicken Pot Pie, Zucchini & Leek Baked Noodles, and Turkey Meatloaf. Your family will thank you. Read More
5 Reasons Why Wolf Convection Ovens Will Change Your Kitchen (sponsored post) Features Kitchen Gear CTbites Team October 04, 2013 Every day when customers come into Clarke - New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen - in South Norwalk, we get questions like these about Wolf's Convection Ovens: "Why is convection cooking better?" "How does convection cooking work?" "Is convection cooking faster?" "Why is convection baking energy efficient?" So here are five reasons why using a Wolf Convection Oven will change your kitchen in a dramatic way and save you time and energy. Read More
Saugatuck Craft Butchery Moves in Westport w/ New Take-Out Menu & Kitchen Features Restaurant Butcher Prepared Food Westport Take Out Lunch Sarah Green September 17, 2013 Just a quick hop, skip and a purely sustainable, pasture-fed jump across Riverside Ave is the spankin' new Saugatuck Craft Butchery, now re-opened for business in Westport! Owner Ryan Fibiger and crew are ready and waiting with a crisp, clean, larger locale complete with a larger retail space as well as a complete, working kitchen where fresh, prepared foods are being made for purchase. Head Chef Mark Heppermann and his sous chefs have begun with sandwiches and salads, all made with the freshest ingredients. Meat from well...that's obvious, veggies pulled straight from the earth of the edible gardens - courtesy of Homefront Farmers - that surround the shop, and breads delivered daily from ELI's and Balthazar in NYC. The day we visited, we were pleased to find a Lamb Meatball Sandwich with pickled red onions and house made hummus as well as a gorgeous "Beets Me" salad with Quinoa, watercress and goat cheese. Read More
Book-a-Cook: Bringing Culinary Excellence to YOUR Kitchen Features Catering Chef Talk Entertaining Kathleen Atkins September 11, 2013 The best life has to offer often happens around the dinner table. Mealtime moments shared with family and friends over good food and good drinks. However, making a meal that will impress your guests is a time consuming feat, one that takes you away from those life-well-lived moments at the table. That’s when Book-a-Cook steps in, relieving you of any stress and work involved in planning a family meal, dinner party or culinary event. There is so much culinary prowess in Fairfield County, and with Book-a-Cook you can book a chef’s table right in your own kitchen. Book-a-Cook was founded by Westport native and Fairfield resident, Ashley Hart. Hart, an Institute of Culinary Education graduate and former New York City and Hamptons personal chef, wanted to provide intimate access to some of the great chefs in this area. Many cities offer similar services, but the suburban market had yet to be tapped. “We live in a very social community and it seemed like the perfect fit,” says Hart. With the help of business partner Amy Strife, Book-a-Cook launched in January. “Our goal is to take a restaurant experience into your home and make the experience as seamless as possible,” says Strife. “You are able to have a much more personal experience with the chef.” Read More
CTbites is on Instagram! And We Want To See What You're Eating Features Instagram Stephanie Webster September 08, 2013 More CTbites food shots to love: CTbites is now on Instagram and we want to see what you're eating! Follow us on Instagram and tag #CTbites on your favorite food shots in & around Connecticut. We may just repost them, or include them in a weekly Instagram roundup on CTbites.com. Go forth and be artsy. Click here to follow CTbites on Intagram. Read More
Culinary Gifts @ Clarke Culinary Center in South Norwalk (sponsored post) Ingredients Features Gift Guide Holiday Norwalk SONO CTbites Team September 06, 2013 Culinary Gifts? No Problem. Tucked inside Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test kitchen in South Norwalk, is a culinary boutique that every foodie will want to visit - Savoir Fare. This is the perfect place to purchase unique holiday gifts or a new set of champagne flutes for entertaining in your own home. With a name that is creatively based on the French for "knowledge of food," Savoir Fare offers an evolving collection of cookware, bakeware, stemware, cooking tools and fine French linens. With an impeccably curated assortment from these fine brands, you are assured that only the highest quality items are in this collection: Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Staub Riedel Le Jacquard Francais Read More
Chimichurri Burger with Roasted Sweet Potato Fries via Marcia Selden Features Catering Recipe Marcia Selden Catering September 03, 2013 September might feel like the beginning of fall to some, but to many others it means the return of the nightly back to school dinnertime dilemma, and the sentence that sends chills through many parents; the dreaded “I’m hungreeeee, what’s for dinnerrrr?!” Our mouth-watering chimichurri burgers are a sure-fire way to please everyone at the family table. If you can’t wrap your arms around making home-made sweet potato fries, use the frozen ones, we won’t tell! Enjoy this perfect weeknight recipe for Chimichurri Burger with Roasted Sweet Potato Fries. Read More
Front Porch Cocktail Recipe via Saugatuck Grain & Grape Ingredients Features Cocktails Entertaining Recipe Jeff Marron August 28, 2013 I like making (and drinking) this cocktail. Maybe it's because that you can't tell how bitter the Sibila Amaro is. It adds just the right amount of complexity to cut through the sweetness of the preserves. The Domaine Canton adds an underlying ginger spice while the Plymouth Gin and Carpano Antica Vermouth tie everything together. I like to call this kind of cocktail a "think or drink" cocktail. You can either think about every sip, analyze it and pull the flavors apart or just sip it on your front porch on a beautiful Summer day while watching the grass grow. Read More
The Chelsea: Gazpacho Meets Mozzarella & Tomatoes Recipe Ingredients Features Entertaining Recipe Matt Storch August 20, 2013 The Chelsea in Fairfield boasts a vibrant pub scene and some pretty tasty fare. Chef Matt Storch who oversees the kitchen with Jeff Spence (also from Match Restaurant) says, "There's a lot of love in every dish." Given the season, we were feeling the love for this classic mashup: Gazpacho meets Classic Mozzarella & Tomatoes. Enjoy this dish while tomatoes are still in season, because unless you are canning those beauties, the harvest time for local vipe ripened tomatoes is coming to a close in September. Enjoy a little bit of The Chelsea in your kitchen. Read More
Recipe: Late Summer Tomato Tart via Marcia Selden Features Catering Entertaining Recipe Marcia Selden Catering August 15, 2013 Late summer offers some of the best produce of the season! For those of you who garden, you may be finding yourself with a bumper crop of plump sweet tomatoes. Here’s our recipe for a delicious tomato tart. Don’t let the word tart intimidate you, it’s deceptively easy to make, and absolutely perfect for a picnic at the beach or at home with friends. Read More
Thali's Chef Prasad: A Lesson in Spice @ Clarke Culinary Center Features Restaurant Cooking Classes Education Kitchen Gear Sarah Green August 06, 2013 A lesson in spice, a lesson in life - a cooking class with Prasad Chirnomula is both. Purely charming and ridiculously modest, Chef Prasad (of the Indian restaurants THALI and THALI TOO and of the former Oaxaca in Westport) recently taught a group of eager foodies some very important secrets regarding the art of cooking Indian at Norwalk's prestigious Clarke Culinary Center. Clarke offers the best in high end kitchens and top quality appliances as well as wonderful cooking classes where top notch chef Gods let a small groups of mortals watch and learn. So we came, we saw, we watched and we ate. But it wasn't just food that Chef Prasad cooked up- it was more like the creation of a warm, breezy sunset. Chef Prasad created a palate of color. Read More
Gazpacho Recipe: South End In New Canaan Features Chef Talk Recipe CTbites Team August 01, 2013 Gazpacho is one of those summer treats that allows a chef to combine vibrant seasonal flavors with a unique personal touch. Every bowl of gazpacho is different, and Chef Nick Martschenko of South End in New Canaaan does a wonderful job marrying texture, taste and a little heat. This sweet and spicy version combines the sweetness of the tomatoes with a little spiciness from finely diced jalepeno peppers. He then finishes this delectable recipe with grilled shrimp. Enjoy! Read More
Best Places to Grab a Picnic or To-Go Meal in Fairfield County CT Features Restaurant Picnic April Guilbault July 25, 2013 A tisket, a tasket...a lovely picnic basket. Or possibly just a simple, perfect, brown bag lunch. A lunch wrapped to eat by the seashore (sand not included), one to eat while lounging on a blanket in the grass listening to an outdoor, evening concert or one stuffed into a backpack for your long, summer hike. What is it about eating en plein air that is so fabulously enjoyable? Whatever your destination, here are a few suggestions for acquiring the perfect to-go meal.... Share your favorite To-Go spots by leaving a comment below: Read More