Fairfield Cheese Company classes are back in session and school has never been this delicious. Whether you are a cheese novice looking for a anintroduction to the basics, or a cheese-aficionado seeking to expand your knowledge on a specific variety, they've got the class for you.
I jumped at the chance to attend one of these sessions back in October and spent some time with owners Laura and Christopher who lead these entertaining and informative evenings. If you would like some background on Fairfield Cheese Company, check out our review, "Cheese 101."
With wine pairings from Harry's Wine & Liquor, this is the perfect way to break out of that dinner-and-a-movie date night rut.
What to do with your overly bountiful harvest? Millstone Farm has a few ideas. How about canning, pickling and preserving those gorgeous veggies and fruit? Seems daunting? Not at all. Just sign up for one of the workshops below...
Canning & Preserving Tomatoes Sat. Sept. 27: 10am – 1pm Join Annie Farrell and others at Millstone Farm and learn how to preserve yoursummer tomatoes so they can last you all winter long. Learn the basics of canning, freezing, and methods of storing tomatoes. Come prepared to chop, cook, can, and taste. We will use water bath method, and discuss pressure canning. We will tour the farm if time and weather allow. Up to 20 participants. $30 per person.
August, some would say, is the best month of summer. By August you’ve finally, gotten into your summer “groove”, and with produce at its best, why not have a beach party? No, not the Annette Funicello kind, but the cool, laid back, great food and drink kind.
Simply pack up some cute disposable plates, napkins and silverware, and you’ll be good to go! Friends want to bring something? Let them take care of drinks and dessert! Here’s Marcia Selden Catering’s ultimate beach party menu…
Try out these simple receipes for: Quinoa Tabouleh, “Peachy” Red Beet and Tomato Salad, & Jerk Chicken Skewers. Party menu ... done and done!
Craft Butchery is an old-fashioned shop with modern-day ideals (not to mention beautiful new digs). It carries only pasture-raised, organic meat from small farms located within a 150-mile radius of Westport. They sell premium beef, pork, lamb and poultry from animals that have never been given antibiotics, hormones, steroids or animal by-products. These guys know a thing or two...or three...(well, actually Ryan has 5 tips here), about grilling.
Owner and head butcher Ryan Fibiger helps us make the most of his offerings with tips on grilling perfectly.
1. Keep it simple. When it comes to grilling high-quality, pasture-raised meats, less is more. Stick with just a salt rub on our steaks and burgers. Pepper, garlic, spice rubs and oils can burn, so use only if you’re cooking at a lower temperature.
Time to celebrate your special Dad (June 15th ~ Father’s Day) or your fabulous Grad! There’s no better time to fire up the grill and throw a party. We've got a great salad to start… our grilled romaine with a blue cheese and bacon vinaigrette.
Another one of our favorites things to make, at Marcia Selden Catering, are grilled pizzas. The varieties are endless. It’s a little different and who doesn’t love pizza! This is a rare treat.
As for the pizza, if you don’t want to make your own dough, most stores sell great pre-made dough to make it real simple. Buy (from a good salad bar) or make lots of the toppings.
The best way to set yourself up for success is to arrange all of the toppings in bowls on a table by the grill. Guests can simply choose their toppings and grill up the pizzas on the spot.
Is May about the newly arriving crocuses (crocii?)? Or about the greening of our lawns after the longest winter ever? Nah. Let’s get down to business-it’s about finding camps for your kiddos before the summer hits and all of those spots are filled! The emails have begun flying and the scramble is beginning. What’s new? What’s fun? How about forgoing the traditional Camp Gitchigoomee canoes and bonfires and, instead, fan the flames of summer creativity in some area kitchens with cooking camps for kids!
Here is a list of 8 Kids Cooking Classes & Summer Camps for 2014:
Monday March 24, Plan B in Stamford presents “Distill it with Willett.” Five courses will be paired with bourbon and bourbon cocktails… and they’ll use bourbon in every single course! 6 pm. $75pp, tax and tip included.
Also on the 24th, Napa & Co in Stamford presents “A look at Sauvignon Blanc the hot white grape!” They’ll guide you through a global look at the varietal in New Zealand, Sancerre, Russian River, Napa Valley, South Africa and Washington! $45pp. 6:30pm.
Brewery Ommegang comes to Harlan Social on Tuesday, March 25th for a 5-course menu paired with their beers. $70 plus tax and tip. 6:30- 9:30pm. Call 203.883.8000 to reserve seats. Event Menu:
Tuesday March 25, Barcelona in West Hartford presents “New England Beers & Tapas.” In celebration of March Madness, Chef Eric is going to prepare some savory tapas to pair with some of New England’s thirst-quenching beers. $29 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations: 860.218.2100
March 25 is “Good Meats! An Evening with Charcuterie” at Fairfield Cheese Co. 7-9pm. Call 203.292.8194 for more information.
The Whelk in Westport will start serving LUNCH on January 15th! Lunch will be served Wednesday, Thursdays, and Fridays 12pm-2:30.
Saturday January 11 is Step Out at Stepping Stones Museum.The wine and food tasting supports the museum’s educational initiatives. It includes the Melting Pot, Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines, The Brewhouse, and more. 7-9:30pm. $40 and up per person. More info here.
Sundays are ½ off bottles of select wines at many local restaurants, including The Spread, Bar Sugo, and Bistro Latino.
On Tuesday January 14, learn how to braise at Barcelona Fairfield. Join Chef Helton and learn the art of braising and complementing it with a few vegetable side dishes. 4-7pm. $35pp plus tax and gratuity. http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/calendar.htm
Also on Tuesday, Caseus Fromagerie in New Haven is offering a class called “Relishing the Rind.” The class will explore categorizing cheese by types of rind. You will get to taste bloomy, ash, wash-rind cheeses ...and more! 6-7:30pm. Approx $37pp. Buy Tix Here.
It's that time of year again. Sign up for Ambler Farms immensely popular, Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree program. Sign up quickly...these classes fill up fast.
Maple Syrup Tap-a-Tree program Training sessions (choose only ONE): Sat., Feb. 8th at either 10-11am or 1-2pm. Learn the science and history of maple syruping by being a hands-on part of the process. We will send regular updates on the running of the sap so you can come to the Farm to collect sap from your tree. We will boil down the sap in our sugar shack and send each family home with their very own bottle of Ambler Farm maple syrup.
The season runs from early February to mid-March (a typical season is five weeks long). If you are traveling during February or March, we will collect sap for you. Contact Kevin Meehan.
Enrollment Limited to 110 families. This program sold out quickly in previous years, so please do not wait to sign up. The number of trees at the Farm is limited, so we are unable to accommodate late requests or wait lists. $65 per non-member family/$60 per member family.
On Friday December 6, join 109 Cheese and Wine and Jim Morrison from Artisan Wines for some exceptional Italian red wines including Barolo, Brunello, and a few others. The event will take place in Ridgefield, CT and costs $55pp. 7-9pm. http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/507053
Saturday December 7 from 4:30– 6:30pm Amity Wines and the CT Craft Brew Guild will have a beer tasting. It will include Down East Appe Cider, Breckenridge Regal Pilsner, Green Flash Saison, Wachusett Larry IPA, Six Pints Global Warmer, Andechs Dopplebock, and more. Please RSVP to Kim or Tony directly at 203-387-6725 or tony@amitywines.net. Amity Wines Tasting Room: 65 Amity Rd, New Haven, CT 06515. http://www.amitywines.net/events/
Bishops Orchards in Guilford, CT conducts wine tours every Saturday this month at 2:00pm. Tasting and Tour combo for $10pp. http://www.bishopsorchards.com/index.php
Monday December 9 at 7pm, Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market, 55 degrees Restaurant, and Vias Imports present a “Piedmont Holiday Wine Dinner” with guest host Michael Petrizzo, Northeast Brand Manager. $89 plus tax and tip. 5 courses with wine pairings. http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/508378
Tuesday December 10, Barcelona New Haven will hold a “Spanish Holiday Dishes” cooking class. Guests can join Chef Frank as he demonstrates how to prepare Barcelona-inspired holiday and New Year’s dishes. 7pm, $25pp. http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/calendar.htm
Ever wondered how the chefs come up with the seasonal menus and specialty dishes at your local Barcelona Restaurant? The Barcelona Cooking Class series can shed some light on everything from "Seasonal Veggies" to "Spanish Stews,""Braises," and "Holiday cooking." These classes are held in the kitchens with Barcelona's Executive Chefs. Check out the great list of Cooking Classes at your favorite Barcelona Restaurant. Cooking classes make great gifts!
Stamford Classes
Where: Stamford When: 10/26/13 @ 2:00 PM Fall Vegetables Cooking Class $45 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Enjoy the beginning of Fall and join Chef Scott as he shows off some of his favorite ways to cook up the great vegetables that Connecticut has to offer!
Listen up food lovers. CTbites has rounded up some of the area's top chefs for two full afternoons of live cooking demonstrations, recipe tasting and general good times. Last year's CTbites Chef Demo Tentwas such a success we've added a second day!
On Saturday, August 31st & SundaySeptember 1st from 11:30-5pm come on down to Westport's Blues Views & BBQ Festival to meet:
A lesson in spice, a lesson in life - a cooking class with Prasad Chirnomula is both. Purely charming and ridiculously modest, Chef Prasad (of the Indian restaurants THALI and THALI TOO and of the former Oaxaca in Westport) recently taught a group of eager foodies some very important secrets regarding the art of cooking Indian at Norwalk's prestigious Clarke Culinary Center. Clarke offers the best in high end kitchens and top quality appliances as well as wonderful cooking classes where top notch chef Gods let a small groups of mortals watch and learn. So we came, we saw, we watched and we ate. But it wasn't just food that Chef Prasad cooked up- it was more like the creation of a warm, breezy sunset. Chef Prasad created a palate of color.
Wondering what to do with all those extra vegetables from the garden? Don't let them go to waste. Instead, come to the Wakeman Town Farm on August 10th and learn how to can and preserve your harvest. During this 2 hour workshop, you'll learn the basics of canning as you make delicious homemade jam, tomato sauce, and salsa. There will be tastings, and participants can take home a jar of their choice! The Preserving the Harvest Canning Workshop will take place on Saturday August 10th, 10am - 12pm.
Ridgefield's best source for artisinal cheese and wine, 109 Cheese & Wine has recently expanded its footprint and education offerings. The shop, located at Ridgefield's Marketplace, has posted an impressive and fun line-up of events throughout the summer. Classes include: Red Bee Honey Pairing, Home Brewing and a Bar B Cue, The Champagne Diet, East Coast Craft Brews and Artisan Cheese & A BBQ Throw Down Wine vs. Beer. See complete listings below. Advance reservations are recommended as class size is limited, call 203-438-5757.
Give a man a fish and he eats for one day, but TEACH him to how to bone, saute and dress up that fish, well, that’s another story. The school year has come to a close for our under-21s but we know that you hunger (pun totally intended) to learn something new...in the kitchen. Cooking classes abound in our area; some will teach you how to make the perfect french macaron (not to be confused with the American macaroon with two “o’s”), cooling summer soups or regional delights that transport you without standing in pesky security lines. Don your best apron, raise a spatula and proclaim this the summer that you learn some rockin’ cooking skills and new recipes! Summer school has never looked so good.
Here is CTbites' Guide To Cooking Classes For Adults & Kids for 2013...
Ridgefield's best source for artisinal cheese and wine, 109 Cheese & Wine has recently expanded its footprint and education offerings. The shop, located at Ridgefield's Marketplace, has posted an impressive and fun line-up of events throughout the summer. Advance reservations are recommended as class size is limited, call 203-438-5757.
Exploration into Italy: Cheese and Wine
Friday, May 17 @ 7pm, $55 Explore a great evening of Italian Cheese and Wine, their relationship and how to pair them. Class will start with some wonderful small bites and a glass of Prosecco, then continue with a tasting and comparison of 5 cheeses and wines. Something sweet will end this evening.
Sarah Wine Bar & 109 Cheese and Wine Dinner Sunday
May 19 2013 at 5:30 pm Special Guest Henryk Teraszkiewicz, Director of the Woodcock Nature Center Menu
Everyone has their favorites, and Espresso NEAT is definitely one of our favorite coffee places here at CTbites. Now with two locations (Darien, and a small shop in Greenwich), their devotion to the craft of caffeine delivery is bar none.
In addition to fueling their customers, they are also offering a series of educational classes for the month of May.
From macrobiotics to cooking the perfect brunch for Mom, Six Main restaurant in Chester has announced their class line-up for the month of April. Each class is $65 per person and includes recipes, demonstration by the chef instructor, and tasty samples of everything made in class. Call 860-322-4212 to reserve your seat, reservations are required.
Asian Fusion Wednesday April 10th 11am-2pm
The menu and recipes you'll learn for this class, includes: Spicy Mushroom Spring Roll, Veggie Pad Thai with crispy tofu, and Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream.
Intro to Macrobiotics Wednesday April 24th 11am-2pm
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...
