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Kids Bites: Stew Leonard’s Cookbook, Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs via Sunday Diners

Kids Bites Recipe

Sunday Diners March 22, 2013

This article first ran on Sunday Diners, a kid's guide to the best diners and breakfast joints in Fairfield County, Connecticut and beyond. Written by 4th Grader Alex (with a bit of help from his dad).

For any one who doesn’t know, Stew Leonard’s is The World’s Largest Dairy Store,and I’m so lucky that it’s right here in Norwalk, CT. I’ve been going to Stew’s since I was a baby. They sell great bagels, fruits & vegetables, fried chicken, and of course… lots of dairy products. Their milk comes from their own cows, on their own farm – you can even see them on live video in the store… and sometimes in Stew’s Little Farm right in the parking lot. My favorite at Stew’s is the ice cream! Stew’s is super fun for kids – there’s lots’ of great displays and there’s always new things to try and taste!

Today, instead of going out for breakfast, Dad and I decided to make breakfast at home. There’s a great recipe from their “Winning Recipes Cookbook” that’s written right on the back of their Cage-Free Egg carton label… “Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs”. It’s really easy to make, with some help from an adult… it’s delicious and healthy. It’s also a lot of fun to cook!

5 Ways Kids Can Help Fight Hunger in CT

Kids Bites Volunteer kids activity Kid Friendly

Stephanie Webster March 18, 2013

People often write in to CTbites asking how their kids can get involved in helping the hungry in our local community. We decided to go to the source, Connecticut Food Bank, to see how best to assist in their efforts. It turns out there are quite a few ways kids can get involved. Here are some places to begin:

Organize a Team to Walk Against Hunger. We just opened Registration for the 2013 Walk Against Hunger, www.ctfoodbank.org/walk. There are now four dates to choose from. There also may be opportunities for young people and families to volunteer at the walk. It’s truly a fun family event.

Organize a food drive at school, with a sports team/club or the neighborhood, here’s a link to the info. on our site, http://www.ctfoodbank.org/how-to-help/donate-food

Volunteer. Contact Kim Damien, our Volunteer Coordinator to learn about volunteer opportunities for young people and families. There’s volunteer information the CT Food Bank's volunteer page, or you can contact Kim at kdamien@ctfoodbank.org, or call 203-469-5000.

THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE: Gabriele's Italian Steakhouse, Greenwich.

Interview Restaurant Entertaining Greenwich Italian Steakhouse

Lou Gorfain March 08, 2013

Though CTBites traditionally reviews the food created by gifted chefs in the Back of the House, we thought a story about the talent at the Front might be in order. So who better to feature than Tony Capasso, the celebrated maître d of Gabriele’s Italian Steakhouse in Greenwich and unquestionably the biggest personality on the Connecticut restaurant scene? Actually, Copasso may be more MC than Maitre ‘d.

"My mother tells me that when I was five, I was already meeting, greeting and introducing people to each other in my apartment house," he told us. "I've always been a people person. President of my high school. Captain of the football team, I like people, they like me, and that's what this job is all about."

Kids Review: Greenleaf Organic Bakery & Café in Wilton

Kids Bites Restaurant Bakery Organic Wilton Lunch Kid Friendly Dessert

Sunday Diners February 06, 2013

Usually, at this time of the year, many people make resolutions to eat healthier or not eat junk food all of the time. One of the ways that you can do this is by eating more organic foods which are healthier for you. Today, we went to Greenleaf Organic Bakery and Café, in Wilton, where everything is organic, fresh and TASTY!

The first thing I noticed when I walked in were the displays of amazing pastries, croissants, cupcakes, tarts and the BIGGEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever seen. The second thing you notice, is how good it smells! The walls are decorated with photos of food and fruit, and it is a good place for kids and adults too.

I looked at the menu before we left the house and already knew what I wanted — The Fruit Explosion - Fresh organic cream, layered with organic strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, yogurt, granola, all topped off with chocolate hazelnut spread. It was beyond good and… healthy at the same time. It was also BIG! Do you know what else was BIG? The Organic Hot Chocolate – which is made with real melted organic chocolate and whipped cream – it was GIANT! Bigger than our cereal bowls at home – now that’s BIG!

Interview & Recipe with Slow Cooker Author Dina Cheney

Interview Cookbooks

Amy Kundrat February 05, 2013

Dina Cheney is a Connecticut-based food writer and author of Year-Round Slow Cooker, published in 2013 by The Taunton Press. I recently chatted with her about her latest book, what makes Connecticut a special place for dining out, and her inspiration for fellow food writers.

As a CT resident, what do you think makes CT a special place for food and dining culture? I love living in Connecticut! We moved from Manhattan nearly 10 years ago, and I haven't felt at all deprived from a culinary perspective. Being on the coast, the seafood is terrific! I also think CT residents are educated and discerning, so the restaurants and shops that cater to them are top-notch, many quite sophisticated.

As a mother of two, what are some of your favorite family-friendly places to eat out? So many! We love City Limits and Coromandel. This sounds strange, but—being part Syrian—I love exposing them to Middle Eastern food. So, we enjoy taking them to Safita in Fairfield (plus Shiraz in Elmsford, which is in Westchester County). Other Connecticut favorites are SoNo Baking in South Norwalk for breakfast and The Bedford Post Inn in Bedford (also for breakfast) and ReNapoli Pizza in Old Greenwich.

Little House Molasses Snow Candy via "Fix Me A Snack"

Kids Bites Features kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert

Fix Me A Snack January 01, 2013

The other day, we finally made Molasses-On-Snow Candy from The Little House Cookbook. And let me tell ya that nothing enlivens a snowy New England day like playing with molten sugar!

Last winter, books from the Little House series dominated our bedtime reading. I don’t recall reading them as a child so I was enjoying them as much as the kids were. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s retelling of her childhood transported us back in time.

Given our heartfelt connection to the Ingalls family, it’s unclear who likes the whole idea of making foods out of the Little House Cookbook more, me or the girls. Either way, they did a spectacular job making molasses candy. Nobody had to go to the hospital with third degree burns. Another successful day of parenting!

10 Questions w/ Chef Mario LaPosta of Tarry Lodge

Interview Restaurant Chef Talk Italian Pizza Westport

CTbites Team December 27, 2012

Mario LaPosta is the self proclaimed "pizza obsessed" Chef @ Tarry Lodge in Westport. Here are a few things you probably didn't know about this pizzaioli whose Margherita pizza placed in the top ten of the world pizza championships.

Plus: Don't miss Mario's recipe for Mussels En Scapece. Marinated Mussels with wine, saffron and red wine vinegar (seen below).

If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up? I would make homemade sauce and meatballs. Sunday sauce is something that my family has been blessed with making exceptionally well; it is easy to make in an hour by substituting meatballs instead of slow cooking beef or pork.

What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Turkey Chili, in an effort to lose weight so I can fit into a tux on my wedding day, and in honor to watching my Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

What are your guilty pleasures in terms of food? I dream about food 24/7 so everything tends to be a guilty pleasure for me, but I like the combination of sweet and savory; Pork Belly with Apple Mostarda at Tarry Lodge and Foie Gras with Cinco Cebollas at Casa Mono represent this best.

Visions of Gingerbread @ The Stamford Museum Opens Nov 17

Kids Bites Education Holiday kids activity Kid Friendly

Sarah Green November 10, 2012

CTbites is proud to be the media sponsor for Stamford Museum and Nature Center's “Visions of Gingerbread: The Sweetest Architects” exhibition.

Every year, I buy one of those boxed gingerbread house kits and my kids and I go at it. We glop it together with that glue-like petroleum by-product substance that they call icing, we decorate with the stale jelly beans and mini gum balls they provide, and we call it a day. It’s fun and the kids enjoy it. Do yours? If so, head to the Stamford Museum and Nature Center (SM and NC) this month and next to see how the pros do it. “Visions of Gingerbread: The Sweetest Architects” is the name of the exhibition that the museum is presenting as both a showcase for local bakers and as a fundraiser for the SM and NC.

Octoberfest On The Meadow & Harvest Fest @ Stamford Museum

Kids Bites Restaurant Beer Kid Friendly

CTbites Team October 09, 2012

A fall family tradition returns to the Stamford Museum & Nature Center on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21 with the 35^th Annual Harvest Festival Weekend. This year, the weekend will be kicked off with a new event for adults-only – Octoberfest On The Meadow at 6:30 pm on Friday, October 19 @ 6:30 PM with proceeds supporting the Stamford Museum & Nature Center. The evening will feature seasonal Oktoberfest brews, as well as Octoberfest favorites including kielbasa with sauerkraut and cherry beer roasted pork shoulder. Guests will be entertained by live music from The Bavarian Boys.

The weekend will continue with the Harvest Festival Weekend, an annual family event celebrating the fall season, from 11 am to 3 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

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

Kids Bites Restaurant Events Italian kids activity Kid Friendly

CTbites Team May 30, 2012

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.

Kids Review: Cadiz Tapas in Bethel

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

CTbites Team May 23, 2012

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.

First Annual Wakeman Town Farm Chicken Coop Tour

Kids Bites Education Local Artisan Local Farm

CTbites Team April 27, 2012

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!

10 Questions w/ Dressing Room's Chef Jon Vaast

Interview Chef Talk

Stephanie Webster April 17, 2012

Jon Vaast is the talented chef at Dressing Room in Westport. He may be young but he has been in the kitchen for most of his adult life. Here are a few things you likely didn't know about this Fairfield County chef.

If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up? I would run to the store and grab some strip steaks, some vegetables in season, got to make some mashed potatoes either roasted garlic or caraway, along with a few bombers of craft beer.

What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Made some duck ragout with spinach linguine after lunch service today.

What are your guilty pleasures in terms of food? I’m a sucker for a burger and fries.

What ingredient could you not live without? Farm fresh eggs

10 Questions with Chef Arik Bensimon of Napa & Co.

Interview Restaurant Chef Talk Stamford

Stephanie Webster February 02, 2012

Chef Arik Bensimon started cooking at the age of 11 at his Aunt and Uncle's restaurant, Pasta Prego, on 45th and 5th Avenue in New York City. He has been in the kitchen ever since and there's no place he'd rather be (other than a yoga studio). As Napa and Company's Executive Chef he has created a menu that spans the culinary globe while staying close to the farm. Passionate and surprisingly understated, Chef Arik recently sat down with CTbites to answer a few questions about what makes him tick.

If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up? Pasta. I always have really good buccatini in the house and a can of really good tomatoes. I'd probably do a salad to go with it…with fresh greens and I love shaved fennel.

What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Whole grilled Bronzino with olive oil and lemon juice. I was cooking at my mother's house.

What are your guilty pleasures in terms of food? Cereal. Kashi (any kind) with almond milk is da' bomb.

Kids Review: The Melting Pot

Kids Bites Darien Lunch Kid Friendly

Lily Schaeffer January 13, 2012

Lily Schaeffer is one of our junior reporters. She in the sixth grade and lives in Darien.

How many times have you wished you could try something new and different for dinner but you didn’t know where to go or what to get? The solution is fondue! You can get freshly grated and melted cheese fondue or rich delectable chocolate fondue for dessert at a restaurant right in Darien, The Melting Pot is located at 14 Grove Street. At The Melting Pot, you will arrive to a beautiful flowing fountain right outside the door and enter the restaurant to find a welcoming modern atmosphere perfect for a chilly fall night. The friendly staff will greet you and fill you in on the menu options (we chose lightly spiced cheddar fondue). Another exciting feature is after you have ordered, your food will be thrillingly made right before you eyes at your table. You can sit back and dip delectable tidbits in strategically made melted cheese. Did I mention the dippable items come in a bottomless supply?

CTbites Holiday Wish List

Interview Holiday

Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster December 18, 2011

What kitchen gadget or appliance, cookbook, hard-to-find food or spirit are you coveting this holiday season? We put this question to bloggers, writers, chefs and foodies hoping to get some inspiration to tackle our holiday shopping list in the hopes of finding that perfect present for the food-obsessed person in your life.

What's at the top of your holiday wish list to give or receive?

Liz Dorney
Blogger, Twilight at Morningside

Gift: An Illustrated Guide to Cocktails by Orr Sthuhl and Elizabeth Graber

"In our home, Dale DeGroff is the final word on cocktails. The Essential Cocktail is our bible, but if you're looking for a bit of whimsy with your drink, Orr Sthuhl and Elizabeth Graber's self-published book pairs charming illustrations and back-story (full of intrigue) with each recipe."

Chef Jeff Borofsky
Chef, Skinny Pines

Gift: A yearly subscription to Fine Cooking's website. Giving the cook access to the magazine's vast collection of recipes. Gift for a vegetarian: We always turn to Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. This is a go to cookbook with great tips for all things vegetable.

Kids Review: Aux Delices Cooking School

Kids Bites Cooking Classes Recipe

CTbites Team December 01, 2011

And now a word from our 10 yrs old food critic....

Cake, bacon, and cinnamon; these are the words that my nose told my brain as soon as I walked into the kitchen at Aux Delices. I was so delighted that I was going to be cooking a scrumptious meal and not trying something that a professional chef created.

The cooking class that I went to was instructed by Lynn Manheim. She is also the cooking school director. The first recipe that we made was scones. Most of the ingredients were out on the table but the sugar and the flour were in two big bins. Mrs. Manheim shows everyone exactly how to do each step and how much of each ingredient to use. She will wait for everyone to finish one step before she goes onto the next, and if you need some help Mrs. Manheim will always give you a hand (especially if you’re grating butter like I was).

Visions of Gingerbread Opens Saturday, Nov 12

Kids Bites Events kids activity Kid Friendly Dessert

Stephanie Webster November 04, 2011

A holiday tradition returns to the Stamford Museum & Nature Center on November 12th with Visions of Gingerbread III: The Sweetest Architects exhibition. Visions of Gingerbread is a tribute to architectural confections that truly make your jaw drop. Created by some of the area’s finest bakers, these edible wonders will display the chefs’ extraordinary creativity and gingerbread skills. It is the Museum’s desire to elevate these creative structures to the art form they so truly are, and put them on proper display. Last year, CTbites jumped on board and created an entry (much sleep was lost). This year, CTbites will help judge the winner.

11 Questions w/ Chef Matt Storch of Match Restaurant

Interview Chef Talk

Stephanie Webster October 27, 2011

If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up? Grilled Ribeye or Chicken Thighs with sautéed veg and caramelized onions or possibly a garden salsa of some sort, avocado, plums, jalapeño, toasted corn…always some nice crusty bread

What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Lunch is a pasta with sour cream and cottage cheese..(old family favorite) My wife and I had (see above) for dinner the other night

What are your guilty pleasures (in terms of food)? Hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries

What ingredient could you not live without? Salt, Bacon, Olive oil, Eggs...sorry couldn’t decide

An Interview w/ Westport's Own Ramin Ganeshram

Kids Bites Cookbooks Cooking Classes Kid Friendly

Jessica Ryan October 19, 2011

I recently had the pleasure to sit down with Ramin Ganeshram to talk about her cookbook; her newly released Stir it Up! a novel written for young adults, as well as her involvement in the community.

But before you start reading...In Stir It Up! heroine Anjali Krishnan enters a video cooking contest for a shot at a reality cooking competition show on Food Network. She does such a good job she makes it to the finals. If you have a young aspiring chef in your family, check out Ramin's video contest below.

Ramin, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, was greatly influenced by the cultures of her Iranian mother and Trinidadian father. The marriage of two different heritages and lifestyles would result creating in new traditions; food was one of them. Ramin explained, “We had access to Middle Eastern markets growing up, but all Middle Eastern ingredients are not the same.