Welcome to Throwback Thursday...We brought this recipe out of the archives right in time for blueberry season. Enjoy!
Sweet! Berries are back in season and we've got the perfect way to celebrate the booming berry harvest: fresh fruit tarts. We asked John Barricelli of Sono Baking Company for his favorite recipe as he knows a few things about tarts.
Piled high with fresh blueberries, these individual fruit tarts offer a sweet, creamy custard surprise in the center. Try making these with raspberries or strawberries, or an assortment of berries. Each tartlet uses very little pastry cream, so you’ll have some left over, which can be used as a garnish and served alongside the tarts.
Wirt Cook isn’t interested in stardom. Sure, he was Alex Guarnaschelli’s sous-chef on this season’s Iron Chef America, but he did that just to help his former boss. What Cook loves to do is cook in the kitchen at the Redding Roadhouse.
He and his wife Karen, sister Colleen and her husband Ted Stonebly had just bought the Roadhouse last July when Guarnaschelli reached the last round of the Next Iron Chef competition. She chose two sous chefs for the final battle. Cook was joined by Ashley Merriman, who also had cheffed at Guarnaschelli’s restaurants Butter and The Darby in New York City.
Cook says the team was shocked when they won. In the stress of creating more than five courses, each using the secret ingredient, within the one-hour limit, they’d made mistakes. They thought they hadn’t had such a great day. But Guarnaschelli won. She was the Next Iron Chef. And Cook suddenly had an extra job he didn’t have time for.
That thick, sizzling steak you’re about to devour is amazing: Behold its marbled, mahogany crust framing a pink, juicy interior that slices like warm butter and literally melts in your mouth..
What makes this magnificent steak even more incredible is that you aren’t dining in a great, leathery New York chop house. You cooked this baby at home...
Think it’s impossible to duplicate a Peter Luger Porterhouse in your own kitchen? Read on.
After interviewing local butchers, chefs, and food scientists, we have uncovered some of the secrets, tricks and myths of cooking a perfect steak at home.
On any given day, Chef Geoff Lazlo can be found in his vegetable garden, with his young family, or in the kitchen atThe Whelk in Westport. After years of working at renown restaurants such as Blue Hill Stone Barns, Chez Panisse, and most recently Gramercy Tavern, Geoff came back to CT where he was born, to join team Bill Taibe. “I made an effort to work at the very best restaurants while I was in New York City,” says Lazlo, “but I was never really an urban person. When I was 5 years old I turned my sandbox into a garden.” As passionate locavores who care deeply about the integrity of each and every ingredient, Taibe and Lazlo would agree that this has been a perfect match.
After a few months at Le Farm which Geoff says “was a great opportunity to be in a small chef driven kitchen after Gramercy Tavern," Geoff took over the helm at The Whelk (recently voted Best Seafood Restaurant in Fairfield County). When asked about The Whelk, Geoff said, “I’m a really academic guy and I like the challenge of approaching seafood with multiple cooking methods.” “Bill and I have a similar spirit, but we come at food from two different angles. I cook clean and light, and Bill encourages me to add that last ingredient that pushes it further.”
Carey Savona is the Executive Chef of Heirloom at the Study at Yale in New Haven and the Head of Culinary Development for Study Hotels. Heirlooms's self-described "American-heritage" approach to cooking, leveraging small batch growers and neighborhood artisan suppliers, makes it one of our favorite New Haven haunts.
A tireless force in the Connecticut food scene, Chef Savona is passionate about seasonality and the city of New Haven. He earned his kitchen stripes working alongside some of the most talented chefs and restaurateurs in the country. Savona has lived and cooked in San Francisco, Connecticut, South Florida and in New York City where, with Drew Nieporent and the Myriad Restaurant Group he earned Two Stars from Frank Bruni of the New York Times for his work at Mai House in Tribeca.
If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up?
Spaghetti Carbonara. We always have pancetta, guanciale or bacon. Always eggs and good cheese and parmigiano or pecorino is part of that repertoire. Carbonara is great anytime. Better for breakfast or after a night of too much wine. Is there such a thing?
What is the last dish you cooked for yourself?
Last dish at work was spaghetti with olive oil, parsley, chilies and pecorino. Eaten out of a mixing bowl, quickly huddled next to a stove as we began to get hammered with dupes. Last dish I made at home was an egg and cheese sandwich for my wife (Alison Savona) and I that we shared over coffee before we both left for work. Best and saddest part of my day.
Despite the inclement weather this year, Memorial Day weekend always harkens the launch of grilling season. Chef McMillan, of The Bedford Post in Bedford, NY is no stranger to a fiery hearth, so we've asked him to ring in the season with a recipe from the restaurant.
Chef McMillan recently conducted a series of grilling themed dinners at The Bedford Post and as a locavore, he and his staff have taken to foraging the property for ingredients to use on their menu. Hence the use of Wild Mustard Greens and Nasturtium seen in this recipe for Pork Chops with Grilled Cherries, Wild Mustard Greens, and Nasturtium Leaves.
King of the Grilled Cheese, Jason Sobocinski is the owner and founder of New Haven's innovative cheese-centric gastropub and cheese shop Caseus Fromagerie Bistro. Here are his tips for the perfect Grilled Cheese sandwich.
The crispy and the melty are no more typified than in America's greatest culinary accomplishment, the Grilled Cheese! Who thought up such a wonderful combination, to put bread to butter then heat with cheese till melted? Pure culinary Genius.
The first signs of what we know as the Grilled Cheese sandwich surfaced around the 1940's. Sliced white bread was used often with cheese melted open faced called cheese toasties in England and was a popular dish to make in U.S. Naval galleys. These toasted melted precursors of what we now know where easy to make and super satisfying...did they come from the English Welsh Rarebit or the French Croque Madame? I'm not sure, but I do know that now more than ever this nostalgic sandwich has become increasingly popular and more and more refined. Is it because it's simplicity and comfort evoking qualities? Again, not sure but I know how to make a seriously great GC and here are some of my tips and stellar condiment suggestion to bolster your next crispy melty endeavor!
Want to start an argument…talk hamburgers. This simple grilled piece of ground meat is one of the most polarizing topics in the culinary world. Websites are fully dedicated to hamburgers, magazines run covers and full articles on hamburgers, super-chefs are sent to their knees if their hamburger is not on par with their foie gras, and the backyard griller will season and treat his hamburger like haute cuisine.
Why does a simple patty of cooked ground meat on a bun with toppings generate such love and vitriol, simultaneously?
Let’s start with the meat. There are currently numerous choices…local farm, commercial farm, grass-fed, grain-fed, dry-aged, wet-aged, medium grind, fine grind, single grind, double grind, so many permutations, and so little time. I reached out to Ryan Fibiger of Saugatuck Craft Butchery for some sage advice. His response, “come in and I can show you how our best burger meat is cut, blended and ground.” So one afternoon Ryan gave me a two-hour butchery course as he broke down the front quarter of a cow, combined and ground the cuts, and finally prepared and served two different hamburger blends.
CTbites has some big news for fans of James Beard nominated chef Bill Taibe and his Westport restaurants, Le Farm and The Whelk. Guests to both will find exciting changes and a couple of new faces in the kitchen at both of these Westport hot spots. Chef Arik Bensimon (The Spread, Napa) has already settled into Le Farm’s cozy chef's quarters, and Geoff Lazlo (Le Farm, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Hill Stone Barns) has moved from his post at Le Farm to head the busy kitchen at The Whelk.
CTbites sat down with restaurateur and chef Bill Taibe to discuss the new starting lineup, and get some insight into the future plans for these immensely popular dining spots.
When asked why Bill Taibe chose Arik for Le Farm, Taibe smiles and says "I’ve always been trying to get Arik over to Le Farm." Ever since Bill left Napa where Arik Bensimon worked as his sous, he knew he wanted to cook with him again. “We really clicked from day one,” says Taibe. "Arik has a beautiful elegance and rusticness to his food style. Our food just makes sense together." Having worked together before, the chef and owner already have a strong understanding of each others styles and expectations. Taibe went on to explain that, "sometimes the way I do things is the harder way, and Arik understands, it takes a long time to do things right."
New York Times food writer Mark Bittman will be appearing as part of WSHU Radio's "Join the Conversation" series on March 16 at 11 am at IKEA in New Haven. Bittman will give cooking tips from his new book, How to Cook Everything: The Basics. This event is $25 per person, including a copy of his new book. Learn more or register for this event.
One of the country's most widely respected food writers, Mark Bittman is also a champion of home cooking. He will discuss his new book: How to Cook Everything: The Basics (All You Need to Know to Make Great Food), revealingfundamental techniques and essential lessons from dicing vegetables and roasting meat.
Throughout the month of February, Klaffs Norwalk and Danbury’s beautiful home design stores will welcome some of Fairfield County’s talented chefs into their kitchen showrooms.To highlight this impressive appliance store and the many kitchens found at Klaffs, guest chefs will be demonstrating their cooking prowess with a series of FREE cooking demonstrations and food samplings every Saturday afternoon in February from 12-2 pm.
Want to cook effortless, mouthwatering dishes for your guests this holiday season or anytime? Then register today for White Gate Farm's series of Farm Kitchen cooking classes featuring the Dinners at the Farm Chef Jonathan Rapp on January 8, 9 or 10 -- Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday -- 3:00 to 9:00 pm. Chef Rapp will be coming down from his red truck where he orchestrates his magical dinners during the summers, allowing for a hands on cooking experience.
COOKING FROM THE GROUND UP, is Jonathan's simple fresh approach to cooking in season. Learn uncomplicated farm-to-table cooking by first heading out to the fields and greenhouses with Jonathan and White Gate farm manager Susan Mitchell. Gather beautiful organic produce for the evening's four-course menu that students and chefs develop together. Then it's back to the kitchen where the team will prep and cook. Finally, participants will sit down together with some exceptional wine and enjoy the "fruits" of their labor.
Mario LaPosta is the self proclaimed "pizza obsessed" Chef @ Tarry Lodge in Westport. Here are a few things you probably didn't know about this pizzaioli whoseMargherita pizza placed in the top ten of the world pizza championships.
Plus: Don't miss Mario's recipe for Mussels En Scapece. Marinated Mussels with wine, saffron and red wine vinegar (seen below).
If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up? I would make homemade sauce and meatballs. Sunday sauce is something that my family has been blessed with making exceptionally well; it is easy to make in an hour by substituting meatballs instead of slow cooking beef or pork.
What is the last dish you cooked for yourself?Turkey Chili, in an effort to lose weight so I can fit into a tux on my wedding day, and in honor to watching my Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
What are your guilty pleasures in terms of food?I dream about food 24/7 so everything tends to be a guilty pleasure for me, but I like the combination of sweet and savory; Pork Belly with Apple Mostarda at Tarry Lodge and Foie Gras with Cinco Cebollas at Casa Mono represent this best.
What is all that activity on the corner of Washington and Main Streets in SONO? CTbites has discovered that SBC Restaurant and Brewery will open its fifth location in the space formerly occupied by Wasabi Chi. Currently name NOLA, SBC's Bill Dasilva told CTbites that the new restaurant will be an Oyster bar with “twists on traditional seafood from New Orleans to Maine” in “a very casual, comfortable and cool” atmosphere. The opening is targeted for February 2013.
Overseeing the kitchen will be long time favorite to many in Fairfield County, Executive Chef Dan Kardos. Chef Kardos began his culinary career with SBC while a teenager and worked in several Fairfield County restaurants over the last few years including Napa & Co., Harvest Supper, @Bar Rosso, and most recently with Chef Bill Taibe at The Whelk.
Chef Scott Quis has been the Executive Chef at Barcelona Restaurant in Stamford since 2010. His credentials go like this: Culinary Institute of America; Executive Sous Chef @ Café Boulud; Chef @ Picholine in New York City...not too shabby. He lives in Norwalk, has a wife, and a baby, and loves coming in to work every day. Here are some things you may not know about the guy in the kitchen who cooked up those delicious Black Truffle Croquetas and Chorizo w/ Sweet & Sour Figs you enjoyed last weekend. Don't miss his recipe of the moment; Snapper Ceviche, seen below.
If you had unexpected guests arriving at your home for dinner in 1 hour, what would you whip up?I have a fire pit in the backyard of my home so I'd probably roast a chicken or make a paella with a side of seafood risotto.
Chef Leticia Schwartz is the author of The Brazilian Kitchen, the cookbook that made Brazilian cooking accessible to the masses. She has appeared on The Today Show and teaches cooking classes in Fairfield County and NYC.
Welcome November! With the aftermath of hurricane Sandy and the elections behind us, I think we all want to move on to Thanksgiving, just around the corner, and the perfect occasion to be thankful for what we have. This is my favorite American Holiday and truly the biggest gourmet feast on the calendar year.
As a Brazilian living in the US, it took me a few years to understand the deep meaning of Thanksgiving— especially the repeated menu every year. On the other hand, the chef in me loves to see the whole country talking turkey and cooking this one giant meal.
One of my favorite desserts from the Thanksgiving picture is Pecan Pie. Over the last few years I have tried recipes from magazines, newspapers, cookbooks, and web sites. They are all good but in every recipe I wish something was different. There are just so many variables that impact the end result of a pecan pie.
GIVEAWAY: WIN 2 pairs of tickets to "Chef Robert Irvine LIVE" @ The Ridgefield Playhouse!
HOW TO WIN: CTbites will randomly select 2 winners who comment on ANY article between Nov 7-Nov 22nd. You must be a registered user of the site, and include your email address to be considered.
On Sunday, December 2nd @8PM celebrity chef and Food Network's "Dinner Impossible" star Robert Irvine will appear at The Ridgefield Playhouse for an interactive cooking demonstration, "Chef Robert Irvine LIVE!"
It's that time of year again! Head on over to a Holiday Open House here at the Schoolhouse at Cannondale Restaurant. Get inspiration for your upcoming holiday and dinner parties with a few signature ideas of Chef LaBant's. The Schoolhouse will be featuring several workshop stations starring some of their favorite Hor D'oeuvres, Desserts & Pies (also available for pre-order), a Prosecco and Italian Soda Bar, and a Floral Arrangements & Decorations workshop.
The Open House will go from 7 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday, November 20th. Take home an original recipe book by Schoolhouse's own, included in the cost. Tickets are $65.00 per person. To reserve tickets, please contact: openhouse2012@schoolhouseatcannondale.com with your name, number of reservations, and a telephone number should we need to contact youdirectly. We will confirm your tickets via email.
elm is Awarded One of the Best New Restaurants in America 2012 by Esquire Magazine
Chef/Owner Brian Lewis’ restaurant, elm has been named one of the best new restaurants in America 2012 by Esquire magazine. Now in its 28th year, Esquire’s annual list features the best restaurants as selected by its restaurant features writer John Mariani. elm is Lewis’ first solo venture, featuring inventive Modern American cuisine, rooted in tradition and inspired by the seasons.
“We are thrilled and so proud for elm to be awarded as one of Esquire’s best new restaurants,” says Lewis.“It is quite the honor.”
