Go Local Magazine - October 2016 Issue

The October issue of Go Local Magazine is out! Go Local is a local lifestyle magazine promoting life around the Massachusetts/Connecticut line. The magazine features nearby businesses where you can play, shop and eat, and showcases the citizens who make the region a great place to live. The newest issue is filled with all the things that make this the best time of year, Autumn traditions such as corn mazes, marching bands, fall excursions, and more.  

Of particular interest to our foodie followers might be A Couple in the Kitchen's own recipe for Onyx Moonshine Apple Cake (page 39) and the feature on Foster Hill Farm in Stafford Springs. ACK fans may be interested to know that Amy wrote the article on Sue Muldoon, who is reviving the art of seatweaving in Enfield, CT with her business Redux for You (page 41), and also wrote the article on Ellington High School's Marching Band (page 11), who recently performed at The Big E.

In the October issue are also articles on a special Special Olympics coach in East Longmeadow, stone carving experts from Longmeadow, and a Monson family who is doing cool things with twisted wood. Included in every issue are the Go Local Picks, Local Snapshots, the Local Einstein quiz, and the Final Countdown (this issue's is 7 Places to Watch Football), and as always, so much more.

You can read the current issue online here, or pick up your FREE copy today and Go Local!

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.

Looking Back, Longingly (Maine Foodie Tours)

Stormy weather indeed. Two weekends ago, we shopped for supplies in the morning, then attended a costume party while Hurricane Sandy threatened, looming large into the week up through Halloween. Our area was unscathed, and we spent a couple of grateful days checking in with friends and family and watching news reports of people not quite as fortunate. With leftover candy still in a bowl on our table, we did our best to avoid the flurry of phone polls and campaign ads, voted with our hearts and minds, and watched as the nation re-elected its President. That political storm had barely passed when in blew Winter Storm Athena, dumping five inches of slushy snow onto our leaf piles, mums and jack-o-lanterns. It sure made us miss Maine.

Lobster Salad Pate a Choux and Wine Spritzers at the Cape Arundel Inn,

just across from the Bush Compound

The Cape Arundel Inn Wine Spritzer:

In an ice-filled wine glass, mix 1 part Italian dry white wine with 2 parts lemon-lime soda, and garnish with a lemon slice.

Yes, a mere eleven weeks ago, we were sunning ourselves on the shores of Goose Rocks Beach, just north of Kennebunkport. We ate pounds of lobster and steamer clams, rode around (Roman Holiday-style, natch) on a scooter, went out for ice cream, watched fire works, stargazed, got tipsy in the afternoon, met new friends from Montreal, and enjoyed the relative silence that a beach vacation with Amy's family offers. All that, and we went on a Maine Foodie Tour.

Blueberry Scallop Crostini and St. Germain Cocktails at The Colony Hotel

St. Germain Cocktail:

Mix two ounces Freizenet Brut with 1 1/2 ounces St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur and 2 ounces club soda. Serve with a twist.

How could we be in Maine for a week and not go on a Maine Foodie Tour? The Savor Kennebunkport Culinary Trolley Tour promised all we could ever want in a trolley tour - four glorious gourmet stops, all with tastings of food and liquor in some of K-port's finest historic restaurants and resorts. Sign. Us. Up.

Cheese and Fruit Platter with the Ocean Avenue Spritzer at The Nonantum Resort

Ocean Avenue Spritzer:

Fill a large glass with ice, then add 1 1/2 ounces Don Q Limon Rum and 2 ounces Honeymaker Blueberry Mead (made in Maine). Top with Green Bee Honey Soda. Garnish with a lemon twist, fresh blueberries and a sprig of rosemary.

We met our trolley at the agreed-upon location, were greeted by our gracious hosts and embarked on the tour. The ride was filled with fun foodie facts, historical information about the Kennebunk area, and Maine trivia. With gorgeous old mansions shaded by tall spruce pines on one side and bright blue sky with seaside vistas on the other, we were already enjoying ourselves and we hadn't yet had a single bite. As for the food and drink, the pictures here tell the story better than we can. We nibbled and sipped, chatted and listened, wondered and learned, strolled and relaxed. The drink recipes were emailed to us after the tour by the kind folks at Maine Foodie Tours. Next time you're in the area, we highly recommend taking one.

Raspberry Bars and Choco Noir Wine at The Captain Lord Mansion



Mini Upside-Down Lobster Pot Pies, or Celebrating New England for the Super Bowl

We'll be the first ones to admit that we aren't sports fans. ESPN has been deleted from our TV channel grid. We don't own any football jerseys or foam fingers or can koozies. Sports are simply not on our radar. But now and then, we are invited to a sports-viewing soiree. It is then that we take it upon ourselves to choose a side (usually based on any current or past residence, sometimes based on color of outfits uniforms), and make a dish that celebrates that particular city/state/region (see our recent LSU vs. Alabama post).

Which brings us to Super Bowl Sunday. When we got a text from our friends D and J inviting us to their Super Bowl party, we knew we'd have to represent New England, both of us being born and raised here. And what food is more quintessentially New England than Maine lobster? Unfortunately, there is no money tree in our yard, and it's tough feeding lobster to a crowd (even a small one), when live lobsters cost about $9.99 a pound, and much of that is the (heavy) shell. A little brainstorming was all it took to come up with a solution that pleased all involved: 12 mini upside-down lobster pot pies.


What makes them upside-down? They are served in a puff-pastry cup instead of a puff-pastry or pie-crust top. Fun, right?

Mise en place

Shallots softened in butter

Add a little brandy

And a little flour to make a roux

Saturday afternoon, we purchased four small lobsters, steamed them and picked them. We netted one pound of lobster in the end (accounting for the occasional picking while picking). As the lobster meat chilled, we made our own lobster stock by placing all the shells in a large stock pot, covering them with water and boiling them for an hour, then straining the stock and reducing it until we had about two cups of lobstery liquid. An hour before the party, we set out to make our pot pie mixture that we based on Emeril's recipe, slightly adapting it to suit our tastes. For the shells, we cut puff pastry sheets into squares and placed two squares in a regular muffin tin to form a cup. Pricking the bottom all over with a fork reduced the "puffage" and voila - puff pastry cups to fill with lobster pot pie mixture!

Pot pie mixture with milk, cream, herbs and spices

Forming puff pastry cups

Golden-brown, puffed-up pastry cups

Mini Upside-Down Lobster Pot Pies

Makes 12

Ingredients:

4 1 to 1 1/4-lb. live lobsters

water for stock

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup minced shallots

1/4 cup brandy

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

flour for work surface

cooking spray

To cook the lobster and make the stock:

Fill a large pot about two inches high with water. Add a small handful of kosher or sea salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and put in lobsters, one at a time. Cover tightly, return to a boil and steam for 8 minutes per pound, adding 3 minutes per pound for each additional pound thereafter (so about 17-18 minutes for four 1-lb. lobsters). Your lobsters are done when the outer shell is bright red and when the meat is white, not opaque; remove them carefully and discard the steaming water. Allow the lobsters to cool then remove the meat from the shell (pick them). Cut lobster meat into bite-sized pieces, set aside to cool completely, then refrigerate. Place all the shells back in the large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, then strain out and discard the shells. Return the stock to the heat and simmer for 2 hours until reduced to about 1 1/2 - 2 cups.

To make the pot pie mixture:

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the brandy and cook until almost completely evaporated. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the shallots, stir to combine well, and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups lobster stock and the milk, and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook until thickened. Add the heavy cream, green peas, salt, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and thyme, and cook for 15 minutes, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and the flavors have come together. Set aside until cooled. Add the lobster meat, chives and tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the puff pastry cups and assemble the pot pies:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put pot pie mixture in a saucepan over medium heat to warm through. On a floured work surface, lay out the puff pastry sheets and cut them into 3-inch squares. Spray a regular size muffin tin with cooking spray. Lay two puff pastry squares overlapping in 6 of the muffin cups (alternating every other), allowing room for the pastry to puff around the sides of the cup. Prick the bottom of each muffin cup all over with a fork, then bake at 400 for 18 minutes, until puffy and golden brown. Remove puff pastry cups to individual bowls and fill with warm pot pie mixture. Repeat the entire process to make a total of 12.