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).
The Wine Mapp, a unique wine and spirits boutique, recently opened its doors in Greenwich. The store is nicely sized, cozy and intimate. There’s a feeling of warmth at The Wine Mapp that eludes the larger competitors.
The store is owned by Allyson and Charlie Do of Norwalk. It was Charlie who first had the idea of opening up such a shop after visiting a restaurant in New York City where a waiter came out with a list of wines that were stored on an electric tablet of some sort. He knew, at that moment, that he was going to open a wine shop that would incorporate technology - more specifically, he knew he was going to incorporate the iPad to give customers the best possible shopping experience.
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.
Nearing the end of the summer, I always crave what’s ahead in the coming Autumn. I’m dying for some butternut squash, I’m researching fall fashion trends, and I’m assembling my line-up of brooding red wines to pour by the glass. Every now and then something shows up on my desk that brings me back to the present, and most recently it is this amazing white wine that can combat every humid day we have left in this season. Truly, it was a tough summer; I found it hard to reach for a glass of anything other than water on some days, but I have found the solution in the 2010 Grüner Veltliner (pronounced GREW-ner VELT-lee-ner) made by Gustav Winery in Austria.
If you are new to this varietal, here’s the scoop: Grüner Veltliner has been the darling white wine of nerdy sommeliers (like myself) for about 5 years now.
Master ChocolatierFritz Knipschidlt, owner of Café Chocopologie in South Norwalk uttered these words that inspired his upcoming October 20 class at Clarke Culinary Showroom.
"This is the time of year that everyone starts thinking about pies and baking. The holidays are coming, and thoughts turn to Thanksgiving and what to make for dessert to serve after the turkey," continues Knipschildt, who will share his secrets of creating fabulous pies during his class at the The Clarke Culinary Center on Thursday, October 20th from 6-8PM.
Pre-registration for this and Clarke's impressive fall class line-up are required and can be done online at www.clarkeculinarycenter.com or by calling 800-842-5275, ext. 206.
The Silo, one of the region’s preeminent Cooking School, is offering area residents a chance to meet and learn from one of the culinary world’s greats – Celebrity Chef Sara Moulton. She’ll be teaching two demonstration classes at The Silo on Friday evening, November 4 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and on Saturday morning, November 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Silo Cooking School is located at Hunt Hill Farm, 44 Upland Road in New Milford, CT.
The Friday, November 4 evening class, Friday Family Dinner with Sara Moulton, will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The menu will consist of Panko Scallops, Breakfast for Dinner Pizza, Celery and Parsley Salad, and Grape Crumble.
The Fall/Winter schedule for Barcelona Restaurant Group's wine and cocktail events has been released. You'll find it complete with education on wine pairings, tasting menus, and mixology 101 "Cocktail Classroom" evenings. These unique events allow guests to experience Barcelona more intimately in small groups designed to inform and tantalize. Get up close and personal with one of the many talented Barcelona chefs as well as Gretchen Thomas, Barcelona's Wine and Sprits Director. Check out the line up below:
Summer is winding down and school is nearly back in session. With that sobering news I decided to take it upon myself to reprogram the negative connotation with this time of year and embrace the classroom.
Clarke Culinary Showroom has a terrific line-up beginning late summer and into fall with new classes and a couple of new yet familiar faces such as Prasad Chirnomula of Thali and Michel Nischan.
Clarke's classes are known for their small class size which encourages an intimate atmosphere and the ability for guests to get up close and personal with the chefs. For a chance to win two tickets to a class of your choosing vote in Clarke's contest called "Vote for your Favorite Chef." The full list continues to change daily, so check-back soon as Clarke add classes, chefs and details:
Ice cream and Lollipops with Fritz Knipschildt on August 25; Tuna: Head to Tail with Matt Storch on September 1; Scandanavian Cooking with Fritz Knipschildt on September 15; Hors d'oeuvres with Chef Rui Correia on September 14; A Lesson in Spice with Prasad Chirnomula on September 29; A Special Night with Michel Nischan on October 6; Fritz's Favorite Pies With a Twist with Fritz Knipschildt on October 20; A Night with Chef Rui Correia and Portugese Cooking on October 27; The Freshest Ingredients with Michel Nischan on November 3; The Bounties of the Fall Market with Matt Storch on November 10; and A Winner's Class: The Art of Cooking with Root Vegetables with Fritz Knipschildt on November 17.
Camp Fine Dining is a two week camp for teenagers that will run this August led by Paul Desiano, Chef and Owner of Cello (formerly Plate) located in Copps Hill Plaza in Ridgefield.
In the first week, Camp Fine Dining will focus students on basic skills including knife cuts, butchering, sauces, and pasta making. By the second week, the students and Chef Desiano will brainstorm a 5-course tasting menu. The class will spend the first week preparing and the program will conclude with the students cooking that menu for their families.
Dates and time: August 16 -18, August 23 – 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Explore then the best of Connecticut’s wineries under one "roof" at this year's Connecticut Wine Festival on Saturday, July 30 and Sunday July 31 at the Goshen Fairgrounds. Included in the $25 price of admission ($20 in advance) are wine tastings, a commemorative festival wine glass and tote bag, specialty food samples, a craft fair and live music.
Rose seems to be the buzz word on every wine menu this season. Trendy? Who cares...there are some really great labels out there doing Rose right.
You can sample a few of these at The Boathouse on Tuesday the 5th of July at their weekly "Wine on the Water" wine tasting series.
Those of you who already drink rose will find exciting new examples of this category and those who don't will be introduced to some truly amazing summer wine.
The Wine: The tasting will include a Bandol under the label "Mas de la Roviere", a Cerasoulo under the label "Torre dei Beati", a Provencål called "Le Ferme St Pierre" and a Venetian sparkler by "Le Colture."They will also be throwing in an oddball or two in the mix.
Award winning local chef and long time CTbites contributor, Nicole Straight,has just published her second cookbook, "More Time to Eat! Delicious recipes from a busy kitchen," which aims to teach families how to streamline time spent in the kitchen, as well as make delicious meals in 15 minutes.
The new cookbook is an evolution of Straight’s lengthy experience as a cooking instructor who has taught thousands of people how to bring their families back to the table and simplify the nightly 6 o'clock dinner time dilemma.
Her new book comprises a plethora of easy recipes, such as BLT Tortellini, Provencal Braised Chicken Thighs, Asian Quinoa Salad and Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies. She teaches you how to simplify meal preparation while minimizing time spent in the kitchen for both family meals and entertaining friends.
Ambler Farms is hosting a 2-part Cooking Series with Chef Brian Lewis, Wednesday, July 20th and August 17th.
Ambler Farm's popular 2011-12 cooking series resumes in July with Chef Brian Lewis making his debut in the Carriage Barn kitchen. Chef Lewis' kitchen credentials include Lutece, Oceana and The Sign of the Dove. His most recent venture was at The Bedford Post Inn which he co-created with Richard Gere. His new restaurant is due to open on Elm Street in New Canaan. Chef Lewis will work with Farmer Ben Saunders at the time of the dinners to select and harvest seasonal ingredients to create his menu.
Attendees will receive recipes, hands-on instruction and a fully serviced four course menu. Prices: $100/course for Ambler Farm members and $115/course for non-members.
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center will be celebrating 75 years as an educational and cultural treasure on Friday, June 3 at its 75th Anniversary Celebration Wine Tasting. The celebration will begin at 7 pm with fine wines paired with signature dishes and specialties from top local caterers and restaurants.
Participating caterers and restaurants include: A Dash of Salt; A•S Fine Foods; Becca Catering; Butterfield 8; David’s Soundview Catering; Frank & Julio Complete Event Planning; Illy Coffee; Marcia Selden Catering & Event Planning; Napa & Co.; On the Marc Events; Outdoor Cookers; Shelly’s on the River; Susan Kane Catering; Vin’s Delights; and Wave Hill Bread/Chiappetta Olive Oil. The wines will be provided by BevMax.
Local Chef Preeti Sikri has made Indian cooking accessible to the home cook with her ongoing series of classes, CurryOmCurry. Indian cuisine seems daunting to prepare due to the number of seemingly exotic ingredeints, but Preeti recommends just a few basic spices to get started. These are: Cumin seeds, ground coriander, cayenne powder, Garam Masala, Turmeric and Salt. All of these are available (and then some) at Norwalk's new Indian Grocery Superstore, Patel Bros. Enjoy this recipe for Keema Saag or Lamb Mince with Spinach in your house.
I don’t remember any of my peers taking cooking classes when I was a kid, but the world is different now, what with the Food Network and all the other TV cooking shows, websites, special events and the general blossoming of our foodie culture. At the same time, it’s no longer a given that a child learns to cook at home with Mom or Grandma, soa little outside instruction is often welcome. Whatever the reason, cooking classes for kids are a phenomenon of our times, and Fairfield County has many options for kids who are so inclined.
This will be an occasional series on opportunities for kids to learn to cook (mostly) in the Fairfield County area. Because right now is the time to think about summer camp, let's start there...
Whether you are a hopeless Francophile or just a lover of confections, macarons are the pinnacle of dessert perfection. A cross between a tiny cake and a cookie, macarons boast smooth and delicately crisp exteriors that give way to light and pillowy interiors and are filled with sweet and occasionally savory fillings. In the right hands, they can be the miraculous result of a few deceptively simple ingredients of almond flour, eggs and sugar.
Get your sparkle on! Now that the holiday season is in full swing, what better gift to bring to a party than a sparkling wine? Any occasion becomes a celebration when you open a bottle of bubbles! Not only that, sparkling wine is extremely food-versatile, pairing well with most hors d oeuvres, from foie gras to pigs in a blanket. And for those of us hoping not to overindulge this month, at only
95 calories per flute (compared to 250 calories in a Vodka Martini), sparkling wine allows you to have fun AND behave all at the same time! Here are three ideas I believe might ring your holiday bell:
The holiday season is rapidly approaching (for some it has already past), and as we seek out the perfect gift for that special someone, I offer up the gift of culinary knowledge. Whether your recipe repertoire needs a little spicing up or you are just looking for some tips and tricks from a pro, these cooking events are both fun and educational. Plus, in Fairfield County we are lucky to have access to a variety of chefs with serious pedigree.
Avoid the malls. These outstanding Fairfield County cooking classes are all you need: Sono Baking Co.'s John Barricelli, Match's Matt Storch, Chocopologie's Fritz Knipschildt, Barcelona or Brazilian, there is something for every cook--including some great holiday classes for kids. Your friends and family will thank you (and this year they'll mean it).
As if the opening of the renown grocery mecca Fairway Market wasn't enough to make a foodie faint, Fairway Wines & Spirits (689 Canal Street), a 6,500 square foot store will open on Wednesday, December 15th next door to the new Fairway Market (699 Canal Street).
The shop will feature approximately 2,500 wines, more than 600 varieties of spirits from around the world and over 500 different specialty and traditional beers. Need assistance? A highly qualified staff of specialists and sommeliers will be on the premises to help customers with their wine and spirit selections.
Let's talk wine: Wine selections will include the large national brands, local wines, kosher wines, organic and biodynamic wines, sparkling and dessert wines and a variety of esoteric wines from smaller vineyards. Fairway also intends to carry wines from different parts of the world that will be exclusive to Fairway Wines & Spirits.