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
Beach Street Sandwiches: Celebrity Chef on Wheels Restaurant Catering Farm Fresh Lunch Stephanie Webster June 17, 2010 On June 19th, BEACH STREET SANDWICHES, the Shoreline’s first gourmet sandwiches truck, operated by Chef Gregory McCarty, ex- Nobu and Jean Georges Chef, opens for business during Madison CT's Flea Market on the Green. Beach Street Sandwiches is Chef Gregory McCarty’s latest project, a shop on wheels serving sandwiches, because everything is better on bread." The chef is best known for his menu development and execution at Nobu 57 and Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Bahamian outpost, Dune. For the next month, Beach Street Sandwiches will be running truck-less, setting up a table at various shoreline events, the first of which is June 19 ’s Madison Lions Club Flea Market, taking place from 9am-3pm on the Madison Green. Read More
Asian BBQ & Grilling w/ Corinne Trang: Part 1 Features BBQ CTbites Team June 17, 2010 Corinne Trang is an award-winning cookbook author, Asian food historian, radio and TV personality. Lucky for us, she also recently moved to Westport. She is very serious about her BBQ…Asian BBQ that is, and she will be sharing her grill tips and recipes with us all summer. Here is her first installment including recipes for Five-Spice Soy Sauce Marinade, Grilled Bok Choy, and Mushroom Fried-Rice with Shitakes. I’m excited that grilling season is finally here. For me, it marks the end of a harsh Winter and wet Spring, and the beginning of the bright hot Summer ahead. It also means firing up the grill just about everyday from now until Fall. I think it’s fair to say that BBQ is all the rage these days. It’s been in the news for the last several years in a big way, and touted as a culinary tradition that can be as complex and refined as French or Chinese cooking, for example. I’ve tasted, seen, and engaged in lively and passionate conversations, and agree that barbecue is no small subject with regional variations to satisfy just about any palate. 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
Food Network Star Daisy Martinez Comes to Westport Features Cookbooks Events Recipe Stephanie Webster June 15, 2010 On June 22nd, Daisy Martinez—star of the Food Network’s Viva Daisy!— is coming to Fairfield County! She will be at Barnes & Noble is Westport on Tuesday, June 22nd at 7pm with her new book, DAISY: MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT. Bringing Your Family Together with Everyday Latin Dishes. Daisy has been a “Foodie” from a very young age. She grew up cooking alongside her mother and grandmothers. On her 40th birthday, her husband surprised her with a gift of attending the French Culinary Institute. Her idol, Jacques Pepin, welcomed her personally. After a stint as a private chef, she hosted Daisy Cooks! on PBS. In early 2009, she teamed up with Rachel Ray and her production company to ramp up the Latin flavors of the Food Network. A launch pad to explore the food of Latin America, the second season of Viva Daisy! premiered in July 2009. In the introduction to her fresh and inviting new cookbook, Daisy says, “To say that I am a bit obsessed when it comes to Latin food Read More
Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar: Hip Mexican Hangout Restaurant Byram Cocktails Greenwich Mexican Lunch Amy Kundrat June 13, 2010 Lolita Cocina is not just a restaurant, it's a scene. From the endless rows of tequila lining the bar to its hopelessly sexy digs, it's hard not to feel as if you've stumbled upon a modern Mexican speakeasy complete with a mouth-watering menu. One doesn't dine at Lolita as much as escape and feel as if they've discovered a slightly hipper version of oneself. Located on Mill Street in Byram, Lolita Cocina's personality reflects its zip code, an up-and-coming neighborhood sandwiched between Port Chester, known for an abundance of south of the border restaurants, and the posh town of Greenwich located literally at the southern tip of Fairfield County. The hipster Mexican vibe begins as soon as you cross the threshold into a roughly elegant space punctuated with striking red glass Murano chandeliers and swaths of brick and black leather banquettes. Dim lighting, fun music and the din of the near-nightly crowds that flock to Lolita fill the space to complete its inimitable scene. But don't let the carefully cultivated cool throw you, this place can throw down some serious food. Read More
This Week @ The Westport Farmer's Market Farmers Market Liz Rueven June 13, 2010 June 17: Guest chef, Bryan Malcarney of Blue Lemon, Westport. Bryan Malcarney of Blue Lemon, Westport will be offering his cold, cucumber dill soup to shoppers at the Westport Farmers Market on Thursday, June 17. He has sourced firm, sweet cukes from Roses's Berry Farm in South Glastonbury and plucked his dill from another farmer's stall. His soup is composed of these local cucumbers supported by a few white potatoes, some stalks of celery, a splash of tarragon vinegar, fresh dill and squeezed lemon juice. Malcarney loves to roam this market. In response to what he finds there, he creates a weekly market special at Blue Lemon every Thursday evening. 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
Harvest Supper Chef Moonlights @ Ambler Farm Stephanie Webster June 09, 2010 Enjoy a celebration of all things local at Ambler Farm's New England Summertime Supper. On Saturday, June 26th, you can savor the scrumptious fare prepared by local food champion and brilliant chef Dan Kardos of Harvest Supper, live music from The Westgate Duo, cellist and violinist from the Ridgefield Symphony, and a Silent Auction featuring an array of “locally-grown” items, as well as the always popular Hay Ride, Horseshoes and Trebuchet. Our menu will include: • Slow Roasted Country Pork Shoulder + Herb Roasted Chicken • Local Summer Corn with Butter, Paprika and Honey • Heirloom Tomato + Watermelon Salad with Mozzarella + Summer Basil • Freshly picked salad greens and herbs direct from Ambler Farm’s gardens. • Wax beans and snap peas with ramp butter • Warm Homemade Cornbread • Dessert • Organic Wines + Beer Read More
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
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
Cooking w/ Match Restaurant's Matt Storch Features Chef Talk Cooking Classes Norwalk Recipe Farm Fresh Amy Kundrat June 07, 2010 The home cook versus a trained chef. There are thousands of reasons that separate these two knife-wielding gourmands in the kitchen. And I'm not even talking about dicing technique, the battle scarred hands or the colorful vocabulary. I'm thinking more about the dozens of small things that only chefs can learn from years spent in kitchens developing and preparing dishes hundreds of times under the pressure of executing them perfectly for customers, that forces insight and knowledge. The Clarke Culinary Center in Norwalk is giving us entree into the world of the trained chef, allowing voyeuristic home cooks throughout southern Connecticut the chance to watch, smell, taste and touch alongside some of the best chefs in the area. This series launched in September 2009 and features some of the most talented and well-known chefs in our area including Matt Storch of Match in Norwalk; Read More
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
Chef Talk: Lolita Cocina's "Crack" Cornbread Features Chef Talk Greenwich Mexican Comfort Food Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster June 04, 2010 Executive Chef, Juan Manuel Reyes, of Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar in Greenwich, came to Byram by way of Mexico City and several prestigious restaurants in Manhattan. His passion for the bold bright flavors of Mexican cuisine is felt throughout Lolita’s menu, and he has a unique ability to create comfort food with a kick. When we recently dined at Lolita Cocina (review coming soon) we couldn't help but audibly kvell over his delicious cornbread. The version on the menu is bathed in garlic butter, but I think it's fair to say that if you drizzle a little melted butter or honey over this side dish, you'll have some happy guests. Enjoy. Lolita Cocina Cornbread Recipe 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
Chef Nicole is Going To The White House Stephanie Webster June 03, 2010 CTbites' own Time to Eat! chef Nicole Straight is heading to the White House on Friday to participate in First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign to help bring about healthier choices to local schools. "I am so thrilled to be a part of this, it's about time people begin taking our children's health seriously." Chef Nicole has been teaching busy parents in the tri-state area how to prepare delicious and healthy meals for their families for the past 9 years. We at CTbites have been lucky enough to sample many of her quick and tasty meals, and we hope she has shown all you busy parents out there how easy it is to make great 15 minute meals for your families. As a working mother of 2, Chef Nicole sees the types of foods that kids are eating at school. "We live in one of the wealthiest towns in the country, I can not understand why our kids are being offered such unhealthy lunches at school, this has to change." I couldn't agree more. We wish her luck. Here is the official press release from the White House. Read More
Get "Baked"... The Perfect FC Clambake Features Catering Holiday Seafood Sarah Green June 01, 2010 It’s that time again, isn’t it? The moon is in the 7th House, and Jupiter is aligned with Mars. Summer’s comin’, dude. Relax, crack open a cold one and get “baked” - Clam Baked, that is. Invite your friends over for a typical New England summer culinary experience. Or head down to the beach and get “baked” by the shore. (Penfield 2 in Fairfield allows it, Compo Beach in Westport also, some others too!) A clam bake is a great way to enjoy the best of New England and the perfect way to entertain. Birthdays, rehearsal dinners, anniversaries, graduations, start of summer, middle of summer, end of summer, because it’s a Thursday, the list goes on and on. There is always a good reason for a clam bake and there are several great seafood suppliers in Fairfield County. Here are some of your options: Read More
