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Friday Froth: March Madness...Beer News & Reviews

Ingredients Friday Froth Beer

James Gribbon March 22, 2013

March Madness has once again taken hold of America's mind, and I do not give a damn. I care about the tournament for exactly as long as the Huskies are still in it and, since they're out of the dance completely this year, I've been looking elsewhere for marginally productive entertainment. People like bracket-based tournaments, it seems, because there are a ton to be found on the intertron this month. Beer brackets, news and reviews follow in this week's Froth.

Paste magazine, which is a pretty good source for new music and movie info, has the superbly named Top Of The Hops IPA Challenge, in which their editors purport to whittle down a national selection of brews in the quest to find America's best IPA. The bracket falls utterly flat, though, having taken cues from every other "national" review in history and leaving Connecticut beers completely off the list, despite having a Northeast region to the tournament. NEB's Gandhi-Bot remains the best IPA I've had in my entire life, and should have been the '99 UConn in this particular madness, but this is what you get when people from Atlanta grasp at a college sport not named football.

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.

Friday Froth: Different Shades Of Green

Ingredients Friday Froth Beer

James Gribbon March 15, 2013

Welly, well, well, my drinking droogies - what's it going to be then, eh? Me? I'm going hybrid for the holiday, and downing a few pints of Black Velvet (I like to make it equal parts Guinness and champagne). It certainly does chase the grey away. But we can't rush into things, oh no. The sight of the crowds, of too much Kelly green, too fast - especially when contrasted with tanning bed orange - presents a shock to the system few mortals can bear. Thus it was that I decided to ease up and down and through a palette of greens in the Costa Rican jungle. To prepare myself for St. Patrick's Day, you see.

It's a strange feeling, while sipping a cold beer in a palm hut, to find you somehow have wifi. The distraction provided by the ability to check the score of the UConn game is occasionally a welcome one, though, since Costa Rican beers are nearly as indistinguishable from one another as they are terrible. They don't merit much expatiation, so on to the bullet points:

Too Little Thyme’s Pickles & Preserves: Pickling to Perfection

Ingredients Local Artisan Kid Friendly

Kathleen Atkins March 14, 2013

Jane Costello of Too Little Thyme has mastered the art of pickling to perfection. Based out of her home in Westport, Costello has been sharing her old family pickle and preserves recipes with Connecticut for the past 15 years. “I am a foodie,” says Costello. “I am always in the kitchen and I am happy to be turning this hobby into my career.”

Growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Costello spent her weekends browsing the rows of stalls at the Lancaster Central Market, America’s oldest operating farmer’s market. “I was used to produce not wrapped in cellophane,” says Costello. “My mother always had something fresh on the counter.” It was from her childhood days in the market and in her family garden that Costello developed her love for fresh ingredients. “It sounds like the old story, but everything I learned in the kitchen was from my mother and grandmother,” says Costello, “including my pickle recipe.”

Shares in Sport Hill Farm's Organic Summer CSA Now Available

Ingredients Local Farm Farm Fresh

CTbites Team March 12, 2013

Shares in Sport Hill Farm's Organic Summer CSA Now Available ORGANIC SUMMER CSA are Now Available at Wakeman Town Farm!

Interested in getting farm fresh produce while supporting our local farming community?

This is your chance to share in the local harvest from the verdant Easton fields of our favorite farm gal, Patti Popp. Many of you know already know and love Patti and her delicious, local organic produce from her stall at the Westport Farmers' Market. This is your chance to become a member in her organic, summer CSA program without having to drive up to Easton to retrieve your weekly goodies! Pick up your fresh-picked produce every Friday at Westport's Wakeman Town Farm. Register to Reserve Your Share! Deadline to register is March 31.

Winesday: When It Rains, It “Pours”... Wine & the Weather

Ingredients This Week In Wine Wine Tasting Winesday

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson March 06, 2013

“What’s going to come next- a sandstorm?” asked my friend as we stared out at the never-ending expanse of snow in front of us.

This season certainly has seen its share of weather anomalies from Hurricane Sandy to the recent blizzard that hit some parts of Connecticut with more than 30 inches of snow. As I assessed the damage and tried to get my daily routine back in order, I couldn’t help but consider how these extreme storms have affected the wine industry. A wine’s quality depends on a host of climate factors including the length of the growing season, temperature, and composition of the soil. Even a small deviation can alter an entire bottle. What happens to production in the wake of such monumental weather upheavals?

In order to find the answer to my question, I turned to Andie Martin, Tasting Room Manager, and Chris Moore, Vineyard Manager, at the Jonathan Edwards Winery.

Spring Workshops at Millstone Farm in Wilton

Ingredients Features Cooking Classes Education

CTbites Team March 01, 2013

Millstone Farm's spring workshops series has been announced. These events range from Pig Carving 101 with Chef Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse to Raising Backyard Chickens with Millstone’s Master Farmer, Annie Farrell. You'll want to check these out.

Pig Carving 101 with Chef Tim LaBant

Saturday, March 23: 12pm – 3pm

Cost: $50, RSVP to f2f@schoolhouseatcannondale.co

Back by popular demand! Join us for a hearty lunch and an up close and personal workshop on how to carve a whole pig, lead by Chef Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale. Read more...

Raising Backyard Chickens

Saturday, April 6: 1pm – 4pm

Knipschildt & Red Bee: Chocolate & Honey Tasting Event

Ingredients Events Local Artisan Specialty Market Dessert

CTbites Team February 28, 2013

Fritz Knipschildt of House of Knipschildt/Chocopologie and Marina Marchese of Red Bee Honey are teaming up for a very unique evening of tasting and pairings. Marina and Fritz will present tasting flights partnering Artisan Chocolate & Single-Origin Honey at Chocopologie's SoNo location. Sweet! This event includes hors d’oeuvres & Cava, in addition to the tasting flights seen below.

Tasting Flights Include:

Farmhouse Honeycomb Enrobed in 96% Dark Chocolate
Orange Blossom Honey Drizzled Over Cocoa Nib Brittle
Buckwheat Honey Ganache Truffles
Red Currant Honey Drizzled Over a Raspberry and Pink Peppercorn Bonbon
Goldenrod Honey and 71% Ecuadorian Single Bean Dark Chocolate Fondue
Creamed Honey Spread Over Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread

Mike’s Organic Delivery Brings Local, Organic Food to Your Door

Ingredients Delivery Service Farm to Table Local Farm Organic Special Dietary Needs

Deanna Foster February 26, 2013

Mike Geller likes that he can tell his customers stories about how the food he delivers is grown and about the farmers who grow it. Conversely, he states, “There are no stories to tell with big agricultural suppliers. No one wants to know about thousands of chickens crowded in a small space with no room to move and no access to the outdoors.”

Mike started Mike’s Organic Delivery in June 2010 with a mission to reconnect people in Fairfield and Westchester Counties to where, how, and when their food is grown. After careful research, he selected 12 farms from the Hudson River Valley, Westchester County and Western Connecticut to become the suppliers for his nascent farm to home delivery service. The farms all use practices many of us look for when supermarket label gazing: organic, sustainable, free range, pesticide-free, no added hormones, no steroids, and no antibiotics. While we may find some of these methods on supermarket labels, Mike guarantees that his produce is picked no more than 36 and usually less than 24 hours before it reaches your door. That is not likely the case with the produce we cart home from the grocery store.

Friday Froth: Beers to Sample While Waiting for Spring

Ingredients Friday Froth Beer

James Gribbon February 22, 2013

Between typing, I'm looking at surging whitecaps. The water glints with the stray sparkle of sunshine, but mostly it's the blue color of anodized chrome, evening off to a shallow green. It's cold, and the wind knifes into any exposed skin wherever it can, but there's that sunshine. Random patterns run across my chest and face, and I hold up a palm like a screen to see the fluid waves of light move on its surface. The Sun is starting to burn stronger - it's holding off the darkness for longer each night. I smile, sip a Whale's Tale, and try to remember where the hell I put my notes.

Spring beers are already starting to hit the market, it seems, like Magic Hat's Pistil, which has replaced the Vermont brewer's previous spring seasonal, Vinyl.

Victory looks ready to release several new beers this spring, including the K-Bomb and Ranch double IPAs, NATO IPA (made with American, English and German ingredients), and Swing Session Saison.

CTbites' Canned Film Festival: Food Movie Favorites

Ingredients Features Entertaining Food Movies

ellen bowen February 21, 2013

The Awards Season is in full swing! The Golden Globes, Sundance Film Festival are already old news…the Grammy’s just scored record ratings and now the anticipation builds for the “motherlode” of all awards… The 85^th Academy Awards for Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences (also known as the Oscar’s ) airing on Sunday 2/24 on ABC. And what better way to spend a winter evening than with Dinner and a Movie!

But, what if you don’t feel like braving the weather, the crowds or JUST can’t stand the smell of popcorn? How about staying in and watching a movie and ordering in or making dinner? Therefore, I offer you the CTbites, “CANNED FILM FESTIVAL" with tasty recomendations for food focused movies in 4 categories: Food Flick Classics, Watch With Your Kids, Food Education, and Flicks For Wine Lovers.

8 To The Bar Snack Bars: Raising the "Bar" in CT

Ingredients Gluten-Free Organic Special Dietary Needs healthy Kid Friendly Dessert

CTbites Team February 19, 2013

Finally, A healthy nutty snack that is doesn’t taste overpoweringly of high fructose corn syrup! I’m talking about the new 8 To The Bar snack bar that a pair of Connecticut cousins have recently brought to Fairfield county markets.

Made of a medley of eight different organic nuts, oats, dried fruit, honey and coconut, the bar has a great taste and texture. I particularly love the sour cherries that give the snack a tanginess, which, married with the sesame and coconut and the crunchiness of the nuts, translates to a taste that is deliciously more-ish.

The bar hits the mark for post exercise recharging. I tried my first bar after a five-mile run and found it both satisfying and energizing (not to mention delicious) – a fact that local fitness studios have cottoned on to. The bars are now available at Joyride, Kaia Yoga and the Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport.

Champagne: Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines Says "It's Not Just For Valentine's Day"

Ingredients Wine Chat Wine Shop

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 14, 2013

Flat screen TV: check. Afternoon game on: check. Matching jerseys: check. Champagne. Check?

If football conjures up images of greasy chicken wings, beer, and people shouting at the television, champagne is equated with glitz, elegance, and a touch of pretension. It seems impossible that the two would ever exist in harmony. Recently, Peter Troilo of Nicholas Roberts Fine Wine in Darien, CT proved otherwise. He and wine distributor Peter Slywka held a grower champagne tasting against a backdrop of Sunday afternoon football.

“Most people think they have to drink champagne for a special occasion. People should drink it all the time!” Troilo proclaimed. Slywka nodded. Then both turned their attention to the TV and let out a whoop as their team complete a play.

Don’t let the laid back demeanor fool you; these guys know their stuff. Just this year, the Wall Street Journal wrote an article on the boutique wine store, praising it for its carefully stocked shelves. Troilo’s knowledge has earned him widespread respect in the industry. Recently he joined forces with New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov to select wines for an event celebrating the launch of the commentator’s book at the Darien Library.

CTbites Invites Recap: Passover Cooking w/ Tabouli Grill

Ingredients Features CTbites Cooking Classes Holiday Invites Middle Eastern Recipe

ellen bowen February 14, 2013

With the snow piled so high in front on the Post Road, it could have been easy to miss Tabouli Grill in Southport… but I was determined to join a spirited group for CTbites Invites Passover Cooking, so maneuvered my way around to the side parking lot and entrance.

Chef/owner Judith Roll greeted everyone with hot coffee and her spongy homemade lemon cake as we were handed recipes for the morning's “hands on” cooking class in the Tabouli kitchen. (See Chef Judy's recipe for Bubbe's Brisket below.)

Chef Judy, who has traveled the world bringing authentic Middle Eastern cuisine to her two restaurants, in Stamford and in Southport, is passionate about what she prepares and had created a wonderful Passover menu for our entertainment and dining pleasure ( Passover is March 25-April 2 ).

Winesday: Don't Forget About The Glass

Ingredients Wine Chat Winesday

Emma Jane-Doody Stetson February 13, 2013

Wednesdays are my favorite day of the week! I know that I have the New York Times Dining Section and a new episode of Top Chef to look forward to. Now there’s one more reason to love them: our new weekly column, Winesday! This is your pass to all things wine from amazing bottles to local retailers to restaurant vino offerings.

For the first article, I thought that I would cover a slightly atypical topic: the glasses in which we drink wine. There are many articles about wine itself, but the vehicles in which we consume it is a less explored frontier.

I first encountered Bottega del Vino stemware at the Mohegan Sun Wine Fest and alluded to it in my article on the event. Since then, I had the opportunity to try it for myself. Some of you wanted further information, and now I can render my verdict!

Top Spots for Chocolate in Connecticut [updated]

Ingredients Holiday Dessert

Amy Kundrat February 11, 2013

For the traditional Valentines Day present, it's nearly impossible to beat the universal appeal of chocolate. And for those of us who could care less about the Hallmark holiday, consider this a great way to satisfy that sweet tooth. So without further ado, here is a short list of places across Connecticut to satisfy that craving and maybe score a few points with your sweetheart. A word to the wise: when buying chocolate, you'll want to stop in a few days before the holiday to strike the best balance between freshness and selection. And please comment below and share any favorite chocolate or sweet spots that we missed! [Originally posted in 2012, this has been updated for 2013].

Bridgewater Chocolate
What: Huge variety of chocolates, bars, cookies, toffee, etc.
Where: 559 Federal Road, Brookfield

Chocolate Lab at eleven14 Kitchen
What: Chocolate shop and café located inside the JHouse hotel
Where: 1114 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich

Friday Froth: Face Heater

Ingredients Beer Dinner Beer

James Gribbon February 08, 2013

The holidays are over, football is over, it's still cold, and meteorologists are gesticulating like Kermit the frog introducing the next act. It's time for strong drink.

The boys at Lagunitas Brewing in California screwed up their first try at making a barleywine ("Gnarlywine," natch) in the late 90's, but they were left with an interesting recipe wherein they threw in some brown cane sugar. The resultant brew wasn't what they were going for but... it was pretty good. Pretty damn good. They called it Brown Shugga, and it became a big hit for them when it was released every winter. In the winter of 2010-11 though, they hit a snag. The brewery was expanding, and construction forced the brewers to choose: do we make the time-consuming 'Shugga and cut production on our staple beers, or do we cut 'Shugga, and risk pissing people off? They went with option two.

Tutto Pasta in Fairfield: Fresh Pasta & More Made Daily

Ingredients Fairfield Italian Pasta Specialty Market

sherri daley February 07, 2013

When Harry’s Liquor Store and the Fairfield Cheese Shop decided to tear down the wall they shared between them, customers could wander back and forth, tasting wine and snacking on crackers and cheese. It was the perfect symbiosis of oenophiles and cheesemongers. It couldn’t get any better. But yeah. It could. And it did.

Brothers David and Andrew Tavolacci, who sold fresh pasta and sauces at their little and much- loved store in Georgetown, made a smart decision to move to Fairfield and share the parking lot with Harry’s. Now we can shop for the trifecta of food – wine, cheese, and pasta – without re-parking the car.

Tutto’s is where you go to purchase fresh pasta and home-made sauces, Wave Hill Bread, pesto, soups, and a variety of specialty foods.

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!