Hosting a Kids Cooking Party: Tips & Kid-Friendly Recipes via Marcia Selden Catering Kids Bites Features Kids kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Marcia Selden Catering September 10, 2015 Marcia Selden Catering & Event Planning, a top caterer in Stamford, CT, loves kids and enjoys teaching them all about food. They host cooking parties for kids and adults in their commercial kitchen space and they know a thing or two about cooking and partying at the same time. Kids cooking parties have become a super popular birthday party theme, and it’s easy to see why. Children love to be part of the action especially when they get to ‘help out’ in the kitchen. Food is one of life’s pleasures, and preparing it is tons of fun too. Here are some of their top tips for having a fun, interactive party for kids between 6-12 that won’t leave your kitchen looking like a war-zone. Read More
10 Questions w/ John Barricelli @ Sono Baking Company's 10 Year Anniversary Ingredients Interview Bakery Chef Talk Stephanie Webster August 18, 2015 This summer marks the 10 year anniversary for Sono Baking Company. To celebrate the milestone of this beloved local bakery, we sat down with owner, John Barricelli, to talk about the business of baking and his plans for the future. What made you decide to launch Sono Baking Company? We launched Sono 10 years ago because we found that the need for baked goods and breads were hard to find in this area....everything was being brought up from the city....I always wanted to bake bread in a big oven early in the morning with no days off! Has the business of baking changed in the past 10 year? How? The business has not changed, but competition has grown a little....we still think we are superior to anything out there...we bake fresh everyday....bake locally, distribute locally. Read More
Michel Nischan: Connecticut’s Humanitarian Chef Interview Westport CTbites Team May 12, 2015 As we go to print on this article, chef, CEO and humanitarian Michel Nischan is in Chicago receiving another James Beard Award, as Humanitarian of the Year. This honor has been bestowed on few, including Art Smith, Emeril Lagasse and the late Charlie Trotter. The award signifies Michel’s commitment to making a difference in how and where we buy food, food education, and Wholesome Wave programs that offer affordable access to all consumers, especially the food insecure. As a longtime Westport resident, I have fond memories of The Dressing Room next to the Westport Country Playhouse. The buzz surrounding the restaurant when it opened in 2006 was driven by the friendship and collaboration between the co-owners, Paul Newman and chef Michel Nischan and their shared beliefs about food. Together they contributed to Connecticut’s nascent farm-to-table movement, not only sourcing from local farms and purveyors, but also listing their products as part of the menu. Paul could be found there many evenings with his wife Joanne, and family and “sightings” were always a treat to patrons. Read More
Meet Walrus + Carpenter's Pitmaster, Ben McCrea, The Man Who Makes The Meat Interview Restaurant American BBQ Bridgeport Lunch Sarah Green May 06, 2015 Ben McCrea is a gentle-giant of a man, but don't let his warm, friendly facade fool you. Underneath that kind-hearted shell is a mean, Auss-een, grilling machine. In the WAY back of the lot on Fairfield Ave in Bridgeport that Walrus + Carpenter calls home, is the perch where Ben keeps watch. His job... smoking all types of meat to perfection. But what makes the man that makes the meat?Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Ben gained his skills from watching his grandfather grill on the "barbie," but becoming a grill master wasn't his first passion. Ben came to the States as a boxer and did very well in that 'arena.' However, boxing is a short career and Ben knew something more awaited. What he didn't know was that it would be a smoker with a 500 gallon propane tank, commissioned by Walrus co-owner Joe Farrell (along with Adam Roytman.) Read More
Women's Business Council Hosts Amy Kundrat of CTbites & Sneaky Chef Author Missy Chase Lapin Interview Restaurant Events CTbites Team April 08, 2015 The Women's Business Council of Danbury is hosting their fifth annual Conversations with Extraordinary Women on April 23 at 5 to 8 pm at the Matrix Conference Center in Danbury, including CTbites' Executive Editor Amy Kundrat and best-selling author of Sneaky Chef Foods, Missy Chase Lapine. Read More
Three Interviews with Connecticut James Beard Award Semifinalists Interview Chef Talk Washington Amy Kundrat February 21, 2015 Chefs Tyler Anderson, Bill Taibe, and Joel Viehland were recently recognized by the James Beard Foundation as semifinalists in the 2015 Best Chef: Northeast category. On the occasion of their nomination, we asked each of them to answer a few questions, from the serious (key influences and mentors) to the hypothetical (a CTbites blank check to open a new restaurant). Want to know where Chef Tyler Anderson's next restaurant could be, who Chef Viehland would love to cook for, and who is one of Chef Taibe's biggest influences (hint: he is a chef in one of his kitchens)? Read on for this and more from three of Connecticut's best chefs. Read More
Award-Winning Author & Food Critic Mimi Sheraton in Conversation with Chef Matt Storch Interview Author Westport CTbites Team February 12, 2015 Mimi Sheraton, award-winning author and former restaurant critic for The New York Times, will be at the Westport Public Library on Saturday, February 28 to discuss her new book, 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List. Sheraton's appearance will be a conversation with Matt Storch, chef and owner of Match Restaurant. About Mimi Sheraton Mimi Sheraton is a journalist, restaurant critic, lecturer, IACP and James Beard Award–winning cookbook author, and the woman about whom famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten declared, “Her knowledge knows no bounds, her glossary of flavors is ultimate. Her opinion is like gold.” The former restaurant critic of the New York Times, Read More
Kids Bites: Snow Ice Cream Dessert Recipes Kids Bites kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Dessert CTbites Team January 26, 2015 Every year, CTbites pays homage to the first storm of the season with this classic recipe. If you're in the house with your kids and things are getting ugly...why not put that white stuff falling out of the sky to good use and make dessert ? Remember, only use clean snow. Stay away from the yellow stuff. Ick. Grab your mittens and a spoon and head outside while the snow is still fresh for some "Snow Ice Cream" and "Frosty The Snowman Ice Cream Delight." Read More
Meet The Whelk's New Chef de Cuisine, Anthony Kostelis Interview Restaurant Chef Chef Talk Westport Stephanie Webster November 19, 2014 How does it feel to be hired as the new Chef de Cuisine for one of Fairfield County’s most successful restaurants? Chef Anthony Kostelis, of The Whelk in Westport, would say it is like a dream come true. In fact, ever since Kostelis started working with Bill Taibe in 2010, he knew he didn't want to be anywhere else. Kostelis’ love of food began at the ripe age of 15 when he started work in a Manchester pizza restaurant. Half Greek, half Italian, and the son of a food purveyor for high end ingredients, Anthony seemed fated to head down a culinary path. By age 20, he was working in New Haven as a server and bartender at Ibiza, when he decided to leave college and pursue his real passion, cooking. Working his way through the CIA, he was mentored by Executive Chef Jeff Caputo of Scoozzi, also in New Haven, who took him under his wing and “set me up for success,” says Anthony. Read More
An Interview w/ Adam Richman via CTbites' & Serendipity Blogger Lounge Interview Celebrity Chef Chef Talk Greenwich Wine + Food Festival Stephanie Webster October 15, 2014 Good times were had at this year's Greenwich Wine + Food Festival as National and local celebrity chefs sat down with Chef Matt Storch and Serendipity Editor, Danielle Manion at the CTbites & Serendipity Blogger Lounge. Here is the first installment, our interview with the formidable Adam Richman, made famous with his hit show "Man V. Food" on The Travel Channel. Adam even has some great local restaurant recommendations! Read More
Halloween Recipes Kids & Adults Will Love, via Marcia Selden Catering Kids Bites Features Holiday Recipe Marcia Selden Catering October 09, 2014 Halloween is around the corner, and in honor of this ghoulish holiday, Marcia Selden Caterers have created the perfect menu plan for your Halloween party. These dishes are both adult and kid-friendly, and are simple time-saving delicious meals that will leave you plenty of time for dress-up. This is the first in our series, and really... what defines the real joy of Halloween more perfectly than eatable severed body parts? Enjoy receipes for: Bloody Brains (Dumplings with Sesame Chili Oil); Bat Sh*t Crazy Wings- Honey BBQ Glazed Chicken Wings; Bloody Fingers in a Blanket; Devil on Horseback (Bacon Wrapped shrimp Skewers with Blue Cheese Dip); & Worms in Dirt- Hijiki Salad. Read More
CTbites' Summer Intern on "Chopped Teen Tournament" via Food Network Kids Bites Kids CTbites Team July 15, 2014 CTbites is pleased to introduce you to our summer intern, Hannah Bukzin. Hannah is a 14 yr old Staples high school student with a passion for cooking. Hannah has her own blog "Small Chef in a Big World," and is a contestant in the 2014 Chopped Teen Tournament on The Food Network. Please welcome Hannah to CTbites and watch her episode on July 29th! Sixteen talented teenagers bring their extreme energy and ambition to the Chopped kitchen, with Chopped Teen Tournament premiering Tuesday, July 15th at 10pm ET/PT on Food Network. In this special, five-part stunt, sixteen culinary whiz kids are aiming for perfect appetizers, entrées, and desserts, as they navigate through three rounds. The teen cooks are given ingredients that could stump even top professionals, with a rotating panel of the Chopped judges, including Amanda Freitag, Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy, Chris Santos, Geoffrey Zakarian and special guest judge Alex Stupak determining who gets chopped each round. Watch Hannah's episode: Premiering Tuesday, July 29th at 10pm ET/PT Read More
Ridgefield High School Student Christopher DiFabio Spins Pizza Pies for a Cause Kids Bites Restaurant CTbites Team June 24, 2014 Ridgefield High School Junior Christopher DiFabio will take over the pizza kitchen at ReNapoli in Old Greenwich on June 28 at 3 pm for an hour-long pizza-making competition to raise money for the charity Full Courts Peace. DiFabio will will race the clock, making as many pizzas as possible within the hour. He is asking for sponsors to pledge a dollar for each pizza produced. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Christopher is the son of six-time world pizza champion Bruno DiFabio, owner of 10 pizzerias around the country including ReNapoli and Pinocchio pizzerias in Wilton and New Canaan. Proceeds from the fundraiser will support the building of a basketball court in Havana, which he plans to visit in the fall. He is asking for sponsors to pledge a dollar for each pizza produced. Connecticut residents interested in supporting the cause can contact christopherdifabio@aol.com or Bruno@pizzascience.com, or drop by ReNapoli to submit a pledge. All pledgers are invited to attend a pizza party reception at 7pm, where Christopher and Bruno DiFabio’s award-winning pizzas will be served. Read More
Guide to Kids Summer Cooking Camps & Classes in Connecticut Kids Bites Features Restaurant Cooking Classes Education Kids kids activity kids cooking party April Guilbault May 22, 2014 Is May about the newly arriving crocuses (crocii?)? Or about the greening of our lawns after the longest winter ever? Nah. Let’s get down to business-it’s about finding camps for your kiddos before the summer hits and all of those spots are filled! The emails have begun flying and the scramble is beginning. What’s new? What’s fun? How about forgoing the traditional Camp Gitchigoomee canoes and bonfires and, instead, fan the flames of summer creativity in some area kitchens with cooking camps for kids! Here is a list of 8 Kids Cooking Classes & Summer Camps for 2014: Read More
A Conversation with Tim and Nina Zagat Interview CTbites Team March 27, 2014 Co-Founders Nina and Tim Zagat of the indespensible dining guide, the Zagat Survey, will be visiting the Yale School of Management this Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 11:45 am. The event is open only to the Yale community but luckily for us, they will be broadcasting it live. Zagat has been an essential resource guiding diners on the best places to eat, drink and shop for over three decades using crowd-sourced diner reviews, their own editors, and their well-known 30 point scale. Read More
CTbites Speaks With Lidia Bastianich Ingredients Interview Features Celebrity Chef Chef Talk Cookbooks Italian Lou Gorfain December 12, 2013 Like Oprah or Madonna in pop culture, Lidia is one-name-famous to foodies, a television star (Lidia's Italy -- PBS), renowned restaurateur (Felidia, Eataly, Delposto, Becco), a worldwide brand (Lidia's Sauces and Pasta), bestselling author (Lidia’s Commonsense Guide to Italian Cooking is her latest), mom, grandmother, whew, one name so many roles. So CTBites was delighted that Lidia carved out time from her hectic schedule to chat with us prior to her book signing this Saturday at Stamford's Fairway Market (details below.) Incidentally, Lidia is no stranger to Connecticut. Her son Joe and his family live in Greenwich, she tapes her PBS show in Norwalk, and of course the Bastianich clan is associated with Tarry Lodge in both Westport and Port Chester. We began the conversation, wondering what Lidia the little girl would think if she could peer into a crystal ball and see the famous Lidia of today. “When I was nine years old we had fled from Communist Yugoslavia and my family was in a refugee camp,” she told us, “I think that little girl, her mouth would be open at what I’ve accomplished.” Then Lidia thought about that youngster for a moment and resolutely stated, “But you know, I always had confidence I was going to amount to something And food was so very important to me, because we didn’t have much.” Read More
10 Questions with the "Singing" Chef Neil Fuentes Interview Chef Talk Amy Kundrat December 06, 2013 Chef Entertainer Neil Fuentes (a.k.a. "The Singing Chef") was recently featured on the Food Channel giving audiences a tour of one of his favorite New Haven spots. Rubamba. We sat down with Neil to discuss his favorite ingredients, kitchen nightmares, and go-to dishes. 1. If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in one hour, what would you whip up? One of the most effective recipes I like to make when I am in a rush is my Mustard Chicken, It’s fast, with deep flavors and really quick. I grab whatever I have in the freezer, chicken breast, chicken thighs, a whole chicken or whatever. I place the chicken in in a large soup pot! I put water until it’s covered with water. Put on the stove on high and covered. To that I add a 3/4 cup of good old yellow mustard. 1 tbsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. I let the chicken boil covered for 15 minutes. Then I uncover the chicken and keep it on high. The liquid will start reducing creating a super delicious sauce. One the sauce is thick I shut the stove off. At that pout I take the chicken off the pot and place it on a baking sheet with a rack and put it older the broiler in the oven until is nice and brown. I serve this chicken with a simple rice and sweet fried plantains. 2. What is the last dish you cooked for yourself? Read More
Elm Restaurant's Lil' Foodies Event w/ Chef Brian Lewis Kids Bites Education Farm to Table kids activity Kid Friendly CTbites Team December 05, 2013 Asher is an 9th grader at Fairfield Country Day School. He has a true passion for food and started his blog, AsherZeats, in September of 2012. “A little chocolate a day keeps the doctor at bay” I recently had the absolute pleasure of being a part of a unique experience called Lil’ Foodies. During this special event, Brian Lewis, the chef/owner of well regarded restaurant, Elm, and his wife Dana, guided a group of children from the age of 8 to the age of 16 through a culinary extravaganza. All for the fantastic price of… nothing! Our first stop on the journey was the New Canaan Farmers Market. During this time, Chef Lewis generously bought for us the freshest ingredients the market had to offer. We obtained fresh, crisp, juicy apples (of all varieties), a heap of straight from the ground fingerling potatoes, brightly vivid purple cauliflower, and much more. Chef Lewis taught the group about the importance of supporting local organizations and also about picking the freshest foods from the stands. Read More
10 Questions with Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Scott Vaccaro Interview Chef Talk Beer Amy Kundrat November 07, 2013 Barcelona Wine Bar in SoNo recently hosted a beer dinner with Captain Lawrence Brewing Company founder and brewmaster Scott Vaccaro. The four course dinner paired a spanish inspired menu designed by Chef Freddy Chimborazo, with four of the brewery's beers (and at $45 per person, this felt like a dine and dash). The meal went from light to heavy, beginning with a first course paired a grilled shrimp with lemon aoili paired with Liquid Gold, a Belgian Style ale, to a fourth course pairing smoked short ribs with a smoked porter. In addition to the four well-matched courses, the highlight of the evening was getting to know Vacarro, Captain Lawrence's amiable founder and brewmaster himself. 1. How did you go from drinking Schaefer to brewing your own beer at the age of 17? I stumbled upon home brewing at a friends house my junior year in high school. I was amazed that you could actually brew beer at home. I was given the green light by my parents and with the help of my friends father I brewed my first batch in November of 1995. 2. You studied brewing at UC Davis, and worked at a few breweries including Sierra Nevada. Are you inspired by a particular style or brewery when brewing your beers? 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
