The Double L Rises Again! Ingredients Farmers Market Local Farm Westport Farm Fresh Christy Colasurdo June 24, 2010 My friend Lloyd Allen is crazy. At least that’s what people said years ago when he decided to go into the fashion business (yet wound up igniting a rage for trendy rain ponchos), publish a book about former neighbor Martha Stewart (despite the fact that she had just been indicted) and, two years ago, re-open his 1980s farm stand, the Double L (in a ramshackle red-barn structure in Southport). Still, when Lloyd gets an idea into his head, there’s no stopping him. Perhaps it’s his “just do it” quality that makes people root for him against all odds. So when the rickety red building that housed the Double L was finally too dilapidated to be useful, Lloyd teamed up with Michael Van Haaften and set out in search of a site where they could create a year-round indoor farm stand Read More
Cheese Wheels: Smile and Say, “CHEESE!” Ingredients Features Catering Specialty Market Sarah Green June 23, 2010 There’s something udderly amazing going down in Fairfield County. MOOOOVE over Pizza and Taco truck and make way for the new cow in town! For the sophisticated palate, Westport’s Mirabelle Cheese Shop is going portable with "CHEESE WHEELS." Andrea Itin, co-owner (with her husband) of the Fromagerie since 2008, has decided to go mobile, and she’s coming to a Farmers’ Market or private function near you. Here’s the (not-so!) skinny: No matter what you’re into, there’s curd for you! Headed to your favorite wine shop for a tasting? Don’t be surprised if you see a reproduction 1940’s Tear Drop Trailer parked in the lot. As you pass, wafts of delectable cheese caress your nostrils and you go inside for a glass. As you sip the wine merchant’s favorite red of the month, you will be treated to divine local cheese on top of Isabelle et Vincent’s (1903 Post Road in Fairfiled) crusty baguette. Paired perfectly, cheese and wine are a marriage made in heaven. Another wine, another cheese, and you are in the zone. Read More
This Week @ The Westport Farmer's Market Ingredients Events Farmers Market Liz Rueven June 20, 2010 Executive Chef, Erin Hunt, of Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant in Fairfield, is the guest chef at the Westport Farmers’ Market on June 24 between 10-2. Chef Hunt will be offering shoppers cups filled with two chilled Spanish soups: tomatillo gazpacho and Valencia gazpacho. During the warm summer months when local tomatoes are easily accessible and reliably flavorful, this summer staple often reappears as a refreshing, seasonal favorite. Highlighting the creative variations on this traditional dish, Chef Hunt will blister the tomatillos to bring out the slightly tart flavors of this tomato variety. These charred, bright green beauties are then combined with Spanish onion, garlic, shallots, cilantro, a drop of hot sesame oil and a splash of mild, rice vinegar. Read More
Dough Girl Baking Co: Rowayton's Sweetest Secret Ingredients Bakery Catering Farmers Market Dessert CTbites Team June 16, 2010 Any time I am invited to a birthday party, I offer to bring the cake. I have been completely won over by a local baker who creates the most artistic, delicious and personal cakes you could ever imagine. The first cake was for my brother's surprise 40th birthday party in New York City. The event caterer directed me to a patisserie on the upper east side, but I was determined to try a local baker, Laura Jayson, a.k.a. The Dough Girl of Rowayton, who works out of a small kitchen in Norwalk. When she offered to deliver the cake in a box fit for travel, the deal was sealed. For the party, Laura recommended her biggest crowd-pleaser: a super-moist chocolate cake (she shared her secret ingredient: coffee) topped with vanilla frosting. In the center, at my request, she created a molded figure of my brother kite-boarding. The art work was playful and the figure true to form Read More
Wine Chat: Summer Wine - A Bottle Full of Sunshine Ingredients Features Wine Chat JoAnn LoGiurato June 11, 2010 JoAnn LoGiurato is the founder of Dancing on Grapes, specializing in private wine tastings. Her passion is wine pairings with a focus on events tailored to women. Here are her picks for great Summer drinking with a buying guide for specific labels. The sun’s out, there’s music in the air, and you’re ready to throw an outdoor party. You might be thinking, “Should I serve Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Cabernet to my friends?” Well, why not drink something different? There are so many great wines that work with summer foods; some are just perfect for sitting by the pool or sipping at the beach. Others are perfect with seasonal picnic and barbeque foods — grilled meats, fish salads and veggies. Here is a list of sassy sippers that will get you out of your wine doldrums: Read More
This Week @ The Westport Farmers Market Ingredients Chef Talk Farmers Market Liz Rueven June 08, 2010 Tandoori Shrimp: Copyright 2010, Chuck Dorris, eDining.us June 10, Guest Chef: Prasad Chirnomula, Executive Chef/ Owner, Thali Westport Farmers Market, Imperial Avenue, 10-2 Throughout the Summer, shoppers at the Westport Farmers Market will have the opportunity to sample multiple dishes prepared by an outstanding group of guest chefs. As part of this exciting new program, every week a different chef will shop the market and prepare 2-4 dishes using vendors' ingredients and products. This is a tremendous opportunity for chefs, farmers and enthusiastic eaters alike. On June 10, hungry shoppers will have the opportunity to sample three creative dishes prepared by Thali of Westport's Executive Chef /Owner, Prasad Chirnomula. His quest for inspiring ingredients at this market prompted him to create three exciting dishes. Read More
Calling All Dads Cooking Class @ Sugar & Olives Ingredients Features Cooking Classes Education Holiday Norwalk Recipe Stephanie Webster June 08, 2010
Crave-Worthy From Trader Joe's Ingredients Specialty Market Dessert Stephanie Webster June 04, 2010 My husband hates shopping with me. It can take me a full 20 minutes to get down a "good" aisle as I'm always looking for new and interesting products. Trader Joe's is one of my favorite places for time-wasting as they are constantly coming up with unusual and unexpected grocery items with interesting ingredient combinations. Who didn't love the seaweed puffed corn balls, the chocolate covered edamame, or the 80 ways to use the Acai berry? If you roast an Acai berry in cayenne is it still healthy? On a recent trip to Trader Joe's I came across an item on the end-caps that had previously gone unnoticed…Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds with Sea Salt & Turbinado Sugar. The description was mouthwatering all by itself. I must admit I have a weakness for salted confections, or really anything with that sweet-salty combo that has become so popular of late. I dropped them into the cart, and now rue the day as I have been addicted ever since. Read More
Red Bee Honey Tasting Ingredients Events Recipe Dessert Stephanie Webster June 03, 2010 I've long been fascinated by honey bees, their caste systems, the remarkable dual functioning of their hives as both wax dwellings and sustenance, their vital role in pollinating our fruits, nuts, and flowers, and of course the liquid gold made and stored in their hives. Fresh honey has been both a delicacy and a natural medicine for thousands of years. It is beneficial for allergy relief, boosting the immune system and is a great source of antioxidants. Sure, there are big chain honey makers out there, but to truly reap the health and nutritional benefits of honey (not to mention experience the variety), you need to start buying the local unpasteurized product. CT residents are lucky to have a few small beekeepers right here in Fairfield County as these are the people who are keeping the tradition of pure honey production alive. One of these people is Marina Marchese of Red Bee Apiary in Weston. Not only is Marina an expert on everything related to a honey bees, but she enjoys sharing her vast knowledge with others. Marina has been keeping bees for 10 years, and is truly passionate about these docile creatures. When a CTbites reader emailed us to express interest in a "honey tasting," we knew who to call. Read More
Free Local Ice Cream Tasting Ingredients Kids Bites Education Events Local Artisan Westport Dessert Stephanie Webster June 01, 2010 What could make these glorious almost Summer days even better? Did you say "Ice cream?" Yeah…that's what we thought too, so we teamed up with The Whole Foods Market and The Fairfield Green Food Guide for a... Free Local Ice Cream Tasting!! On June 18th, please join us @ The Whole Foods Market in Westport as we sample some excellent ice creams, gelatos and sorbet from 12:00pm-2:00pm in the cafe. This sweet & creamy get ready for Summer event will feature LOCAL ice cream, gelato and sorbet (so even those who can't do dairy can still enjoy). Stop by to sample how good these summer treats can taste and chat about the local significance in our community. We will be answering questions about sustainability and why buying local is best for you, your family and your community. All of the samples are made with all natural or organic ingredients. Bring your appetite and your kids! Check out the frozen dessert lineup: Read More
What's Fresh @ The Westport Farmers Market Ingredients Features Ask Chef Nicole Farmers Market Recipe Farm Fresh Opening Stephanie Webster May 28, 2010 Chef Nicole and I have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the Westport Farmers Market all Winter, and finally the day had arrived. The weather held up, and under the new leadership of Market Director Lori Cochran, we were delighted to see some exciting new vendors in the mix. Chef Nicole made the rounds looking for ingredients for a Memorial Day market fresh lunch, and while gathering the goods we chatted with a few of the vendors who made this menu possible. Check out the video to hear about a new sustainable coffee roaster, buying your milk straight from the cow, backyard chickens, and a great reason to clean out your pantry every Thursday. Here are Chef Nicole's recipes from the market: Read More
Westport Farmers Market: Guest Chef Lineup Ingredients Farmers Market Organic Farm Fresh Opening Stephanie Webster May 25, 2010 You've waited all Winter. You've been patient. You've eaten produce flown in from countries far away, and had daydreams involving fresh blueberries. But now, your wait is over. It's time to rejoice with fresh local farm fare. The Farmers Markets are back in session! Throughout the season, we will bring you coverage from Farmers Markets around Fairfield County, but we wanted to make you aware of an exciting culinary opportunity that can only be found at The Westport Farmers Market this Summer. Under the new leadership of "market master" Lori Cochran Dougall, this year's great roundup of 30 farms and vendors will be accompanied by a weekly "Guest Chef," and wait till you see the lineup. Mark your calendars people. I don't know about you, but some of my favorite chefs in Fairfield County are on this list. Don't miss your chance to meet and greet the people who make your mouth water. The Westport Farmers Market will be held every Thursday from 10-2 at the Imperial Avenue Parking Lot adjacent to the Women’s Club through mid November. For more information about opening dates and vendors at the Farmers Markets near you, check out The Fairfield Green Food Guide. Read on for the complete Guest Chef Program Schedule: Read More
Whole Foods Market Opens in Darien Ingredients Organic Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Farm Fresh Opening CTbites Team May 20, 2010 On Monday night, I joined the 1,900 person throng that descended on the new Whole Foods store in Darien for a "Sneak Peak Party." My two boys and I were treated to dozens of tastings, all from local vendors, that spanned the perimeter of the store, from appetizers to desserts. First up was raw oysters, handed over by Captain Northrop, a local aquaculture farmer who informed us that the shellfish were pulled from the water in Westport just an hour-and-a-half ago. They were large, fresh and worthy of any reputable raw bar. Other raw offerings at the store include clams and other oysters, plus tuna, salmon, eel and shrimp sashimi. We sampled sashimi tuna steak, served Tataki syle with Whole Food's wasabi aioli Read More
A Tale of Two Roasters: Buying Beans in FC Ingredients Coffee Breakfast Amy Kundrat May 12, 2010 Coffee is ritualistic on many levels and if you worship it like many do, chances are you belong to one of its tribes. There are those who home brew, and those who prefer their local barrista. There are the "fast food drinkers" who worship daily at the counters of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, and those who will not deign to cross their "millions of customers served and counting" threshholds. This brings me to the "I only drink espresso and its gotta come from a very expensive machine" drinkers and their crunchy cousins who have been carefully polishing their chemex carafe for decades. Embracing simplicity in preparation and materials, the French press method has enjoyed a strong revival as many of us attempt to simplify and take back the brewing process to our own hands. Translate this method commercially and you have businesses like west coast favorite Philz and in our own backyard espressoNEAT who have elevated coffee to an art, brewing each cup, one by perfectly crafted cup, at a time. Read More
Cindi Bigelow on "How to Decaf Your Tea Naturally" Ingredients Education Fairfield Recipe Tea And Coffee Stephanie Webster May 10, 2010
Coffee Cupping (Tasting) @ espressoNEAT Ingredients Coffee Darien Events Stephanie Webster May 04, 2010 Have you ever wondered why coffee houses bother with options at the brew bar? Do you think you could tell the difference between a $3 cup and a $6 cup if you tasted them side by side? Yes, much like wine, coffee has different varietals, single origin beans, as well as organic options. EspressoNEAT would like to invite you into their coffee obsessed world for an afternoon of sniffing, sipping, slurping, and spitting. (Nobody can handle all that caffeine at once.) They will be using a few handy tools to help keep track of what you're drinking and your discerning palate will never approach a cup of coffee in quite the same way. Read More
The Farmer's Cow: Ice Cream Naming Contest Winners Ingredients Events Dessert Stephanie Webster April 30, 2010 This past February, The Farmer's Cow, a group of 6 CT family dairy farms, decided to hold a contest to name 10 flavors in their new line of premium ice cream. We posted it here on CTbites, and we worked hard on our entries, but alas, no Webster family winner below. If you were wondering who did win a Summer of free ice cream, check out the names and the new flavors below. They sifted through over 3,000 names for the various ice cream flavors. The winning names and their creators are: • “Hay! Hay! Hay! Vanilla” - Tracy Shortell, Wallingford• “Cow Barn Chocolate” - Sebastian Tonewo, Franklin• “Farm Stand Cherry Vanilla” - Karen Provoncha, Storrs• “Summer Meadow Strawberry” - Kip Kolesinskas, Manchester Read More
Green Food Tips To Reduce Your Footprint Ingredients Features Education Going Green Organic Seafood healthy CTbites Team April 29, 2010 One of the easiest ways to make Earth Day every day is to green your kitchen. Here are some delicious and fun ways to reduce your family's "foodprint" while eating well. You can also view some of Analiese's tips on this Channel 8 news segment. 1. Buy locally grown food from a farmers' market and learn to cook with the seasons. Michel Nischan's (of The Dressing Room) latest cookbook is perfect for anyone looking for inspirational ways to cook with the seasons Read More
Green Gourmet To Go: Healthy Eats in Bridgeport Ingredients Features Local Farm Organic Special Dietary Needs Vegetarian healthy Farm Fresh Liz Rueven April 28, 2010 If you discover sweet potatoes and spinach in your fudge brownies at Green Gourmet to Go don't be surprised. OK, you can keep that a secret from your kids because the veggies are not detectable in these moist, chocolatey bites or in the Blondies with a sweet potato base. The chocolate (anti oxidants a plenty!) masks the veggies and you will be better off for having added a few more to your daily intake. My fave desserts were the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and the almond oaties. They tasted most like what I would expect (read: crave) from a cookie. Imagine eating your veggies in your dessert! I didn't mean to jump to the end first but I was so enthralled by the ingredients list that I did exactly that! Linda Soper-Kolton has been open in Black Rock for only 5 weeks but she is well on her way to establishing herself as a resource for healthy meals and nutrient dense foods. Read More
