Creamery Brook Bison Farm, Brooklyn, CT

Amy: "What do you want to do today?"

Chris: "I don't know. What do you want to do?"

Amy: "I don't know. What do you want to do?"

Chris: "I don't know..."

Amy: "Okay, enough. Let's just go for a drive and see what happens."

Chris: "What direction?"

Amy: "I don't know..."

Chris: "I think it's time for the magic nickel of indecision."

It was a sunny fall day, just a few weeks ago, and we had nowhere to be but couldn't seem to decide what we wanted to do. So we flipped a coin (the aforementioned magic nickel) and when it turned up heads (heads = east, tails = west), we turned up the radio and headed east on CT Route 6. We thought for a minute that we might end up in Providence, perhaps hit up the ole' Federal Hill neighborhood for some Italian chow, but that was not meant to be. For when we saw the sign announcing that we were entering the little haven of Brooklyn, Connecticut, a glimmer of recognition went through Amy's head.

Amy: "I think there's a bison farm around here. How big can Brooklyn, Connecticut be? Let's find it and buy some bison meat!" 

We stopped at Brooklyn Beef and Fish, thinking that if they didn't sell bison, they would know where the farm was. In fact, they did. And so it was we ended up at the Creamery Brook Bison Farm. Following the butcher's directions and then, the signs to the farm, we passed a long gated pasture where we stopped and watched the buffalo roam.

Yes, bison is buffalo. They are one and the same, and it's thanks to farms like Creamery Brook that the bison population continues to be on the rise. Here, they feed them corn and grass, no hormones or antibiotics, and the result is a flavorful, slightly sweet, not-at-all-gamey, tender meat with fewer calories and less cholesterol than beef, chicken or turkey. The healthier red meat!

We made our bison purchases and stepped out to enjoy the sunshine and visit the animals. One of the younger bison had stealthily entered the emus' home. The emus, therefore, were chillin' by the fence, far from young Mr. Bison, curiously checking us out as we did them.

A rooster crowed, a peacock ambled by. It was quiet and peaceful and perfectly New England. That magic nickel sure comes in handy.

Wondering what we did with our bison purchase? Come back tomorrow and find out.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza with #FranksRedHot

It's almost time for the Big Game, so we thought we'd share our recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pizza made with Frank's Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. This is one of our favorite pizza recipes because of its many flavor nuances - vinegary spiciness from the pepper sauce, creamy tanginess from the bleu cheese, and well-seasoned tender chicken, all on a crisp, chewy crust (purchased from our local grocery store). Cut into small squares, this would be a nice addition to any Super Bowl party!

Note: The crust crisps best when done on a pizza stone.

Ingredients:

1 store-bought pizza dough

flour to sprinkle on dough and on surface

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 tablespoons Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup bleu cheese salad dressing

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Sprinkle dough with flour and place in a bowl; allow dough to come to room temperature. Heat oven to 500 degrees and place pizza stone inside the oven. Heat a skillet to medium-high on the stove top. Season chicken breasts with salt, papper and cayenne and place in hot skillet. Cook chicken four minutes each side, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a small saucepan, put butter, a dash of black pepper, the garlic powder and the hot sauce. Place over low heat and stir until butter melts, making sure the sauce does not overheat and separate. Working on a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough and work it with your fingers or a rolling pin to form a circle the size of your pizza pan or stone. Carefully remove the stone from the oven and lay the crust on the stone. Brush the crust with a very thin layer of olive oil, then with a thin layer of bleu cheese dressing. Scatter the chicken pieces over the pizza crust, top with shredded cheese, and pour the hot sauce over it. Place in oven and cook at 500 for 10-15 minutes.