Reheated: This Week's Top Food News in CT & Beyond Ingredients Road Trip Restaurant News Amy Kundrat September 21, 2010 Reheated is a twice-weekly round-up of bite-sized food news in Connecticut and beyond. In Connecticut... Don't miss this week's Westport Farmers Market will feature chefs Bill Taibe (leFarm), Nancy Roper (Boxcar Cantina) and Jeff Northrop (Westport Aquaculture) in a market fundraiser. Info CTbites.com. Free scoop at participating Carvel stores this Thursday. Via Dining A La Carte. Tasti D-lite tops the list of several restaurant openings in Stamford. Via Stamford Notes. Save the date to drink for charity with Cans & Cocktails on Sept.29, a fundraiser in Stamford we'll be supporting. Info CTbites.com. Wednesday night wine tastings at Sarah's Wine Bar in Ridgefield. Via SarahsWineBar.com. Read More
Reheated: This Week's Top Food News [weekend edition] Road Trip Cookbooks Events News Amy Kundrat September 17, 2010 Reheated is a twice-weekly round-up of bite-sized food news in Connecticut and beyond. In Connecticut... Taste! Organic CT is this weekend in Manchester. Info www.CTbites.com/TasteOrganic Celebrate the local garlic harvest this weekend in Mystic. Info OldeMistickVillage.com. In nearby Stonington, you can also check out the Harvest Food & Wine Festival at Stonington Vineyards. Info StoningtonVineyards.com. A Family Garden Tour at Ambler Farm this Saturday. Info AmblerFarm.org. Bier, lederhosen and mountains of brats (the meat, not the kids). Celebrate Oktoberfest at The Old Heidelberg this weekend. Info RestaurantHeidelberg.com. The first annual Hamden Restaurant Week starts on the 20th. Info HamdenRestaurantWeek.com Read More
Road Trip: Spa Sampler @ The Mayflower Inn Road Trip Restaurant Holiday Manchester Road Trip Travel Margie Treisman September 15, 2010 Photos: Courtesy of The Mayflower InnMy husband and I recently had the chance to spend a day at the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, CT. It was, in a word, sublime. It’s nestled in the Litchfield County countryside, with rolling hills, lush foliage and perfectly manicured gardens -- a New England picture-postcard paradise. The Inn itself is an elegant, magnificently maintained, five-star luxury spa resort. I could go on for hours about the place. But this is CTBites -- let’s talk about the food. Read More
Ambler Farms Announces Great Kids Programs for Fall Kids Bites Events Local Artisan Local Farm Stephanie Webster September 14, 2010 Attention Fairfield County families: Are you always looking for a great weekend activity? Why not get away from the burbs and head to the farm! Ambler Farms has some great fall family friendly event you will not want to miss, (plus they make for great holiday card photo opps). These activities are both fun and educational, and most programs run $10-$20 per family. Saturday, September 18th - Family Garden Tour Sunday, September 19th - Honey Harvest Saturday, September 25th - Sheep Shearing Sunday, October 3rd - Ambler Farm Day Read More
Meat & Music @ The 3rd Annual Blues & BBQ Festival Kids Bites Restaurant BBQ Events Beer Stephanie Webster September 13, 2010 Westport’s annual Blues, Views & BBQ Festival will take place on September 24th, 25th and 26th. This event celebrates food, music and family with an exciting line-up of bands, barbecue and cooking events, as well as fun for the whole family. This year’s fest, sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society, the country’s premier barbecue organization, features the amateur backyard Cookin’ For A Cause competition, in which teams of two to four participants compete in categories of chicken, ribs, and “chef’s choice.” At the same time, certified pit-masters will be grilling, smoking and barbecuing in the Pro Invitational competition. Both contests are followed by a Pro-Am Invitational “Throwdown” competition where amateur teams compete against the pros. The Pro-Am Invitational includes an “Iron Chef”-style twist where competitors must use three mystery ingredients. Our own contributor, Sarah Green will be there to help judge the Iron Chef event. Read More
CT Taste Organic Festival 2010 Ingredients Kids Bites Events Organic kids activity Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster August 09, 2010 Save the Date. Join CT National Organic Farming Organization to celebrate the 10th annual TASTE! ORGANIC CT 2010 on September 19th at Manchester Community College from 10 am to 4pm. Experience the only LOCAL & ORGANIC festival in Connecticut offering a farmer's market, fresh prepared food, live music, sustainable vendors, artisans, free workshops and free kids activities! Head Chef, John Turenne is busily sourcing the finest and freshest ingredients from Connecticut Farms to be on the event's menu. Three local celebrity chefs are designing recipes that will showcase our local and organic food. Chef John Turenne, fresh from his recent TV stint with “The Naked Chef” Jamie Oliver, will be cooking and running the NOFA Food Booth show. Read More
CT Berry Picking is On!! Ingredients Kids Bites Local Farm kids activity Farm Fresh Kid Friendly Dessert Stephanie Webster July 19, 2010
CTbites Shout Out: Where Do You Eat Out w/ Kids? Kids Bites Restaurant CTbites Shout Out Comfort Food Kid Friendly multiple Authors June 09, 2010 It's the age old problem. You want to go out for dinner with your family, but you simply can't bear the thought of the Diner again. Where can you eat out in Fairfield County where both adults and children will not just endure but enjoy their meals? To help us with this conundrum, I asked our contributors to share their suggestions in the latest CTbites Shoutout: What are your favorite places to eat out with kids? If you have favorite family restaurants, share them by posting a comment below! If my kids (10, 7, & 5) had their way, they would eat tacos, refried beans and rice every day of the week. 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
Kids Talk: The Under 10 Set Reviews Sunny Daes Kids Bites Restaurant Fairfield Stamford Trumbull Westport ice cream Kid Friendly Dessert Multiple Eaters April 14, 2010 When Ben & Jerry's closed in Westport this Fall, there were murmurs of discontent amongst the younger crowd. Where does one get homemade ice cream with solid mix-ins in this town? Fortunately help was just around the corner...literally. Sunny Daes opened just months later and now Westporters young and old don't have to drive to Fairfield to get their fix. This full service ice cream shop has 68 flavors of frosty desserts says owner, Sergio Keskin. Plus, it isn't shipped in on trucks; it's made right behind the counter. If this isn't enough to get you in the door, they also serve gelato, frozen yogurt, soft-serve ice cream, and ice cream cakes. Sure, I could tell you how good the ice cream is, but I thought it made more sense to let the kids tell it like it is... Read More
Kids Cooking Party With "Cindy's Sous Chefs" Kids Bites kids activity kids cooking party Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster April 06, 2010 It's not easy finding a unique kids birthday party activity in Fairfield County. Sure, there is My Three Sons and Pump It Up but what if your kid doesn't want to jump around or collect coins? What if you just want something with more food science and less bouncy castle? With the emergence of the Food Network's 24/7 culinary programming, kids have been acquiring valuable cooking tips during their sick days and developing an interest in all things related to food. In fact, so many of our readers are looking for "cooking themed birthday parties" we decided we had best do some research. What better way to acquire data than to host a cooking party for my five year old daughter chez moi. Read on for Cooking Parties for Kids, Part 1. Read More
Free For Kids: Mondays Just Got A Little Bit Better Kids Bites Norwalk Comfort Food Kid Friendly Burgers Stephanie Webster March 30, 2010
Kids STILL at home? Bake Up Some Pizza Pops Kids Bites kids activity Recipe Comfort Food Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster March 16, 2010
Kid-friendly Cooking Project for Stir-Crazy Adults Kids Bites Features Holiday kids activity Recipe Kid Friendly Jennifer Spaide March 15, 2010 For those of you with functioning ovens and kids home from school, here is a tasty time consumer. For creative great tasting "homemade" cookies in a pinch, try this shortcut from Jennifer Spaide of Greenchic.com. As a chef it’s important to know your weaknesses in the kitchen. And I am fully willing to admit that mine is baking. If it’s more complicated than emptying a mix into a bowl, cracking a few eggs, and whisking, don’t expect me to do it well. So you can imagine the panic that pulsed through me when I was asked to bake cookies for some gift baskets. What, me? Really?! But I was up for the challenge… or the cheat. Don’t tell, but I decided to pull a Sandra Lee and take some “semi-homemade” help from the grocery store by purchasing premade sugar cookie dough. I chose an all-natural brand because it’s a little healthier (no trans fats or high fructose corn syrup). With the basic batter under control, and a little stress off my shoulders, I was free to get creative with the flavors & fillings. I decided to make three different kinds of cookie: Chocolate Cherry Almond, Ginger Sesame Coconut, and Orange Fig Thumb Drops. These recipes are so simple it's genius (not to toot my own horn, but “Toot toot”). Read More
What's in Your Lunchbox? Kids Bento Kids Bites What's in your Lunchbox? Nicole Straight March 02, 2010
Road Trip: Old Lyme & Chester for Great Food and Fun Road Trip Restaurant Old Lyme Road Trip Shoreline East Elizabeth Keyser February 18, 2010 In these cold cabin-fever days of winter, a road trip to a country inn casts an alluring spell. Dreaming of a cozy dinner in front of a flickering fireplace, we hit the road to check out The Bee & Thistle Inn and Spa in Old Lyme. (100 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT) The Bee & Thistle has been an inn since 1930, but Linnea and David Rufo have breathed new life into the historic building since buying it 4 years ago. Linnea is a multi-talented, energetic and attractive woman with 20 years of experience in the hospitality business as a chef (she worked at Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Mercer Kitchen), innkeeper (The Inn at Stockbridge in Massachusetts) and award-winning events planner (too numerous to list). She’s the Bee & Thistle’s executive chef and hostess, and has created a cozy ambience filled with good food, art and music. Read More
IzzI B: Allergen Free Cupcakes Everyone Will Love Ingredients Kids Bites Bakery Norwalk Special Dietary Needs Kid Friendly Dessert Sarah Green February 07, 2010 Do you have a child with food allergies? I do. It stinks. It’s not the end of the world, I realize that, but it certainly makes everyday events (and I really mean just about EVERY day in this town!) like birthday parties a hassle. My son is allergic to dairy, egg, sesame, and tree nuts. OK, the sesame isn’t usually a cupcake issue. But there haven’t been a lot of options for dairy free or egg free desserts! And I have several friends whose children also need gluten-free food. ( Yikes!) There ARE products out there that you can bake yourself; Cherrybrook Kitchen has a whole line of boxed items that you can order on-line and even purchase in some grocery stores. But the cakes and cookies from Cherrybrook are just -ok. They are not particularly tasty, especially for the sophisticated and discerning taste buds of the seven-year-olds in Fairfield County! And, you have to bake them yourself. But there’s a new kid in town and she is singing my song- her name is Pam Nicholas and she is the owner and baker at Izzi B’s Allergen Free Cupcakes. I recently purchased Izzi B cupcakes for my son’s birthday party and they were a colossal hit! Delicious, ‘B’utiful, fun, and 100% allergen-free Read More
Farmer's Cow Ice Cream Naming Contest Kids Bites Organic Farm Fresh Dessert Stephanie Webster February 01, 2010 We found this little info morsel over at The Fairfield Green Food Guide. All of you aspiring branding gurus, young and old...get to work. The Farmer’s Cow is holding an Ice Cream Naming Contest for their 10 new flavors starting February 1 so start thinking of names! For those unfamiliar with this local brand, The Farmer’s Cow is a cooperative of six family-owned CT farms that supplies milk to retailers throughout Connecticut and parts of New York and Massachusetts. Contest Rules: You may enter up to 10 names, one per flavor, making sure that the names reflect something about farming and the benefits of local agriculture. Entries will be accepted online from 12:01 a.m. February 1, 2010. through midnight on February 14, 2010. Ice cream flavors are: Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, Strawberry. Cookies & Cream, Black Rasberry, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Cup, Cherry Vanilla, and Coffee. One lucky entrant will receive a summer’s supply of ice cream from Memorial Day 2010 until Labor Day 2010. Read More
Local Teen Chefs Get Fresh and Get Published Kids Bites Education Events Kid Friendly Deanna Foster December 04, 2009 If you have a teen chef at home, or if you are a teen’s chef, you’ll be well served to head to the Westport Barnes and Noble on Tuesday, Dec. 15th, at 7:00 pm. for a book signing and tasting to celebrate the release of Rozanne Gold’s latest cookbook, EAT FRESH FOOD: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs. For this venture Gold recruited a brigade of teens, six of whom are Westport residents: Danielle Hartog (15), Deanna Hartog (11), Gwen Beal (15), Andrew Miller (15), Caroline Foster (15), Margaux Stamm (15) who helped recipe test and taste many of the 80+ recipes in this book. FRESH stands for: farmer friendly, ripe-ready, easy-exciting, sustainable and honest-healthy and this book lives up to its name. Don’t think this is another cute kids’ cookbook. This is a book for teens, written by a James Beard award-winning chef and author who has teen’s interests, sensibilities and taste buds in mind. Gold has chosen recipes with few ingredients, 6-8 on average and that are easy to make, most take about 30 minutes prep. Only recipes the teen chefs and tasters loved and had a good time making are included in the book; those that made the cut are inspiring. Read More
