Together, We Eat

It has been quite a couple of weeks for A Couple in the Kitchen. Namely, we were named as Grand Prize Winners of the IKEA Together, We Eat Contest, "Serving Up Spring" with our Spring Onion and Ricotta Fresca Tart.

See the announcement, our "Together, We Eat" story, the recipe, and some photos here: Together, We Eat. Soon we'll be heading to NYC for our video shoot with IKEA and our photo shoot for (wait for it...) Oprah Magazine! Woot!

As always, thank you for reading about our foodie adventures. Cheers!

A Couple in the Kitchen Featured in Go Local Magazine

Go Local Magazine is a local lifestyle magazine showcasing life around the Massachusetts/Connecticut line. Its mission is to improve the community by promoting the region (which includes Stafford Springs, Somers, Enfield and Suffield, CT; and Hampden, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow and Agawam, MA) as a destination to live, play, shop and eat, and to showcase the citizens who make it great. 

A Couple in the Kitchen is being featured in the current (December 2015) issue - Go Local's largest issue to date. You can get a free copy at many businesses around these towns (go here for a list) or check it out online (here). We are on page 36!

The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook: Q and A with Author Tracey Medeiros and Book Giveaway

The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook (The Countryman Press, May 2015), co-authored by Tracey Medeiros and Christy Colasurdo, skillfully celebrates and honors the various flavors and food traditions of the Nutmeg State. Connecticut has over 360,000 acres of farmland, and with dynamic communities devoted to it, it is one of the hubs of the farm-to-table movement in America. This is the book's focus, featuring 150 recipes culled from the state's own farmers, fishermen and chefs, and bringing a true taste of Connecticut to its readers. Along with each recipe, there are inspiring stories about the farms, individuals, and/or ingredients that created it with stunning photographs that grace nearly every page. The cookbook is a must-own, not only for CT natives, but for anyone passionate about making inventive seasonal food with locally produced ingredients. 

We had a recent Question-and-Answer with author Tracey Medeiros, a food writer, food stylist, and recipe developer and tester. She writes "The Farmhouse Kitchen: A Guide To Eating Local" column for Edible Green Mountains magazine, and is also the author of The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook (The Countryman Press, May 2013) and Dishing Up Vermont (Storey Publishing, April 2008), honored as 2010 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist and 2009 Best Books Award Finalist (USA Book News). She travels regionally as a guest cooking instructor sharing her commitment to the sustainable food movement while providing skillful cooking demonstrations. To learn more about the author go to: www.traceymedeiros.com or The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook’s YouTube Channel. Along with co-author Christy Colasurdo, an award-winning CT food writer, she now turns her attention southward toward the Constitution State in The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook:

Q.  Why did you decide to write this book?

A.  My inspiration for writing all of my cookbooks has always been the desire to promote community wellness through the process of growing food in a healthy, responsible way.  This has been my message in each of my books and a lifelong purpose. Every person that has been featured in my cookbooks has deeply inspired me by the work that they do. Their dedication and strong commitment to preserving their state’s agricultural way of life through the support of the local food culture is truly amazing.

I met my coauthor, Christy Colasurdo, at the Simon Pierce retail stores in Connecticut during a day of promotional touring. At that time I was hosting book signing events for my first cookbook, Dishing up Vermont. Christy was at the events promoting her business. She had contributed a recipe for my second cookbook, The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook, and thought it would be great if we both joined forces to collaborate on a cookbook that celebrated Connecticut. If not for Simon Pierce, The Connecticut Farm Table may not have become a reality. Thank you, Simon!

Q.  What exactly do you mean by “Farm Table,” or what types of recipes would you characterize as “Farm Table” recipes?

A.  For me, the term "Farm Table" embraces the various stages of food production before it reaches the consumer's table. It illustrates a direct link between the farm and the use of the freshest ingredients - highlighting seasonality, local availability, and a relative ease of preparation.

Q.  What was your favorite part of writing the book?

A.  Writing The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook has given me the joyous opportunity to connect with many of the Nutmeg State’s hardworking farmers, chefs, and food producers. Their passion for what they do shines through in their strong commitment to preserving Connecticut’s agricultural way of life by supporting the local food culture. Receiving deliciously creative recipes, which demonstrated how others use locally sourced ingredients, was the other favorite part of writing the cookbook.

Q.  Was it difficult to convince these restaurant chefs to “give up” their recipes?

A.   Due to the generous nature of the farming community, it was not difficult to convince farmers and chefs to contribute their recipes for the cookbook. These talented individuals believe in, and support, all that is Connecticut whenever possible.

 Q.  In what ways have you noticed the CT food scene changing over the last few years?

A.  The catch phrase, “Buy Local,” has become the mantra of both farmers and chefs.  Knowing that there is a conscious effort on the part of the consumer to maintain a healthier lifestyle, the Connecticut food scene is evolving, embracing the virtues of local, organic, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients. Because of its flourishing food community, Connecticut is the perfect place for the Farm to Table movement to grow and prosper. Its food and farm scene is alive and growing empowered by a mutual desire to bring together consumers, farmers, and food producers in a way that benefits all.

Q.  How can people in CT procure the best ingredients for home cooking, especially in the winter?

 A.  Of course, Farmers' Markets are a wonderful resource for procuring the best and freshest local ingredients for home cooking. Fortunately, these markets are held indoors during the winter where folks can buy a variety of root vegetables, winter squash, and an assortment of other produce that keeps well into the winter months.  In addition, canning and pickling are  fun ways to enjoy local ingredients during the winter months.

Q.  If you were to create the perfect CT Farm Table-inspired 3-course menu, what would it be?

A.  There are so many delicious recipes to choose from in the cookbook, which makes choosing just three a difficult decision.  However, if I had to create a winter inspired 3-course menu it would be:

• Baby Kale “Caesar” with Fried Capers, Anchovies, and Herbed Crostini found on page 42 in The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook
• Caseus Mac ’N Cheese found on page 156 in The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook
• Maple Bread Pudding found on page 282 in The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook

A few days ago, we took Tracey's suggestion and made the Caseus Mac 'N Cheese, perhaps the richest and cheesiest mac we ever had. Here are our photos:

The Book Giveaway: 

The Countryman Press, publishers of The Connecticut Farm Table Cookbook, generously provided us with an extra copy of the book to give away to our readers. 

To enter, leave a comment on this post and/or follow us on Twitter and/or like our page on Facebook (if you are already following us on Twitter or Facebook, tell us so in a comment).

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited by law. Open to legal residents of the United States only. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Winner will be chosen at random. Giveaway ends on Sunday, December 13 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. Winner will be contacted by email.

UPDATE: GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. CONGRATULATIONS TO CAROLSUE! 

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

Behold the day-after-Thanksgiving sandwich. Juicy turkey breast, a layer of stuffing (or dressing, if you're a Southerner) and a touch of cranberry mixed into the mayonnaise recreate the holiday dinner bite after glorious bite. However, you can only have so many turkey sandwiches before the glory subsides and it's just another plate of leftovers.

When you are at that point and you still, somehow, have turkey meat left, it's time to try something new. Soup? Been there. Pot pie? Done that. In the spirit of the "cronut," the "stuffle," and countless other hybrid foods, we give you (the not-so-cleverly-named) Turkey Pot Pie Soup.

A touch of flour and some half-and-half transports this concoction from mere soup to pot pie territory. Otherwise, the ingredients are the same. Why sage? Because it's still thriving in our garden. Dried herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme) or whatever you have on hand will work just fine. We made a homemade stock from our turkey carcasses, but go ahead and allow yourself to use store-bought turkey or chicken stock or broth.  If you're feeling creative, get out a cookie cutter and bake some puff pastry into festive shapes. Or be lazy like us and serve it with bread or biscuits.

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

2 carrots, peeled and diced

4 cups turkey stock

1 cup half-and-half

1 1/2 cups your favorite (or your leftover) vegetable (we used a can of peas, drained)

3 cups leftover turkey meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add onion and celery, and cook until onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in sage and carrots. Pour in broth and half-and-half, cover, and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes, until carrots begin to soften. Add the peas (or other vegetable) and turkey and cook about 5 more minutes until meat is warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Goodfellas, New Haven, CT

What is there not to love about a restaurant called Goodfellas that has a continuous loop of its namesake movie on various screens throughout the bar and dining room? Regardless of the punctuation in that last line, that is certainly not a question. Because, in fact, there is much to love about Goodfellas, a dependable Italian favorite located on State Street in New Haven.

At Goodfellas you will find beloved traditional Italian dishes thoughtfully elevated with locally sourced ingredients. For instance, there's the amazing starter, Fiore di Latte, which takes prosciutto and handmade mozzarella to new levels by wrapping it in escarole and drizzling it with aged balsamic. Or the Pork Chop Milanese, at many places served as a simple lightly breaded center cut chop, here it is topped with arugula, fresh mozzarella and tomato chutney with flavorful results. The myriad pastas are fresh and cooked al dente with stunning, savory sauces. At lunch, there are gangster-inspired paninis, such as the aptly named Lucabrasi, made with white albacore tuna, onion, and Swiss or American cheese. You know. Because he "sleeps with the fishes." Bah dum ch. Anyway...

The usual lunch and dinner menus are full of such surprises, but the special Restaurant Week menu is a steal, with three courses (appetizer, entree, and dessert) offered for the wallet-friendly price of $32. And there were ample choices, as compared to other, more limited Restaurant Week menus found in the Elm City.

I (Amy) dined at Goodfellas solo last week, before heading to my 5:30 Artisan Breads class at Gateway Community College. I was thrilled that they were open, as New Haven restaurants tend to close between lunch and dinner, making it difficult to find a decent meal before class. I sat alone at the bar around 3:45, and by the time 5:00 rolled around, the bar and most of the tables in sight were filled. The bartender, Bobby, worked alone, but he handled the business without leaving a lone diner like myself feeling ignored or unimportant. While I sipped my Chianti, I watched the muted screen, supplying the curse-laced dialogue of the movie in my own head. (As Goodfellas is in my top five movies of all time, I know every line. "Now go home and get your #!@$'in shinebox!")

For dinner, I decided to do my own play on surf and turf and ordered the Oysters Rockefeller and "Chef Gennaro's signature dish" the Filet Cognac. I was served three sea-salty oysters swimming in a vaguely sweet herby Pernod-laced bechamel sauce topped with bitter spinach, sharp cheese and crunchy breadcrumbs. They were beautiful and I was transported to my first Oysters Rockefeller, from Antoine's in New Orleans, where they were invented. The Filet was composed of two perfectly peppered medallions that were sooooo tender, I had one of those "Aha!" moments about how filets are tenderloins. Duh. There was enough lobster meat topping the steak to make me feel like I was getting a bargain. The side dish, silky mashed potatoes, were seasoned only to enhance the potato flavor itself, and the entire dish was finished in a velvety Cognac cream sauce that made me wish I had a spoon. 

And yet, there was still dessert to come. Bread class was beckoning, so I asked barkeep Billy what he would choose. Without hesitation he said, "The cupcake," and I said, "Sold!" I requested it to-go and enjoyed it later that night after class. The moist chocolate cake was layered with cannoli cream and covered with a sheen of dark chocolate glaze. Luscious.

All for $32?!?! What a meal. Oh, New Haven, please bring back Restaurant Week soon. Until then, I will be content to dine at Goodfellas no matter the price. ("For us to live any other way was nuts.") 

Goodfellas Restaurant is located at 702 State Street in New Haven, CT and further information, including hours, menus, events, and more can be found on their website.

Rooster Co., Newington, CT

Rooster Co.

It's Friday afternoon and the sun is shining through the fiery autumn trees. Cozy downtown Newington is quiet but for the chirping of a massive flock of birds, the rustling of leaves on the cobblestone sidewalk and the rumble of a few cars that roll by. Most people are still at work; it's barely 4 p.m. after all. The sun is warm on my face and I sit alone at the table outside, perusing the Rooster Co. menu, waiting for Chris to join me for an early dinner.

Gold Rush

I hear the potato-potato-potato sound of the Harley before I turn my head to see Chris approach. I know which drink he'd choose and point it out to him: the "Gold Rush," made with bourbon, fresh lemon juice and housemade honey syrup. I stick with a glass of Pinot Noir (Unconditional, Willamette Valley, OR), expecting that the medium body, light tannins and juiciness will pair nicely with the chicken dish I plan to order. (I'm right.)

Clams Casino

Chris had Halloween Buffet at his school today, so he's not starving like I am. I eat a teacher's lunch at 10:30 a.m., so by 4 I can start to feel "hangry." And since I've been here longer, I know exactly what I want. I order the clams casino appetizer while Chris gets the cheese plate. My six littlenecks are plated beautifully, resting on bright green rock salt, and the color has my curiosity piqued. While the clams themselves are slightly overcooked, I love the flavors - smoky bacon and crunchy garlicky breadcrumbs, with a pinch of lemon zest adding a citrusy zing that reminds me of summer steamers. The cheese plate, made with three local(ish) cheeses (VT cheddar, NY camembert, MA bleu), comes with thin, crispy breadsticks, and pistachio honey. Each cheese is packed with such pungency, each so different from the others, it's an intriguing selection. 

Cheese Plate

Chris orders some local oysters that are served with a brightly acidic pink peppercorn mignonette. Then my "Chef's Plate" of chicken arrives and I can't wait to dig in. It looks and smells like Sunday dinner, only a bit fancier - 1/2 rotisserie chicken, chicken leg confit (served on bruschetta), chicken pate (that's for Chris), and cracklin' (that's all mine). These are accompanied by a dollop of something akin to ginger-apple marmalade and a warm, crusty roll. The rotisserie is served with a choice of sauces, and the server suggests the walnut herb. Like nearly everyone on the planet, I love herbs with chicken, and this olive-oil based dipping sauce is definitely something I will attempt at home. The chicken itself is moist and juicy and the cracklin' shatters in my mouth. God, I love crispy chicken skin!

Chef's Plate

I'm so focused on my plate that it takes me some time to notice that the sun is barely peeking through the tree branches now, and without it, I'm getting chilly. The traffic will be bad if we wait much longer before we leave, so I ask for a box (they are biodegradable!) to take home what little is left of my platter. I'll heat it up for lunch tomorrow, I think, since Chris won't be home. I hope that the skin on the drumstick and that last cracklin' will crisp up in the broiler. (They do.) We pay the check, thank the server, and promise to return. For comfort food this interesting that's also happens to be made with local ingredients, who wouldn't?

Oysters

Rooster Co. is located at 1076 Main Street, Newington, CT. They serve lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, along with daily specials and a kids' menu. News, events, menus, and recipes can be found on their website: http://www.roostercompany.net/. 

Cozy Downtown Newington

(View from Rooster Co.)

Spooky Cookies

Chris came home with these cute Halloween cookies Friday. They were part of his school's culinary program's Halloween Buffet. What a cute idea! Wouldn't it be great to make these with the kids before they went trick-or-treating?

Here's what they are made of:
Chocolate cookies body, purple frosting guts, white chocolate chip teeth, googly eyes (you can buy these at most grocery stores or put a little chocolate frosting on a white chocolate chip), and a fruit roll tongue.  

Spooky!!!

Living Proof: Onyx Moonshine's Journey to Revive the American Spirit (Book Giveaway!)

BOOK GIVEAWAY: 
Living Proof: Onyx Moonshine's Journey to Revive the American Spirit

Update 10/28/15: Congratulations to Sheila - you can expect your book delivered directly from Amazon soon!

Connecticut native and New England moonshiner Adam von Gootkin failed out of college after one semester. His entrepreneurial nature drove him to start a business venture with his best friend, Peter Kowalczyk, and in 2011, the two founded Onyx Spirits, successfully introducing the world to the first ultra-premium American moonshine made in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Adam at the Living Proof Book Launch 

October 16, 2015

Now you can read Adam's incredible story in the recently-released book, Living Proof: Onyx Moonshine's Journey to Revive the American Spirit. In it, Adam wittily tells the story of Onyx through his own life's narrative, offering useful business lessons to every would-be entrepreneur along the way. Adam possesses a limitless vision along with an undying belief that everything he imagines is possible. This book is not only an inspiration but also an honest guide to the trial-and-error process of business-building. 

A Couple in the Kitchen has been moved by Adam's spirit (pun intended?) and business acumen since we met him and Pete in early 2012 (read about that meeting here). We've made recipes with Onyx, promoted Onyx to our friends, and have been good friends and supporters of the Onyx Spirits family. We even attended the book launch last week at the Mark Twain House in Hartford (great times!).

For all those reasons, we'd like to offer you a chance to win a copy of Adam's book. Follow this link for a chance to win Living Proof via Amazon Giveaways:

https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/09b8fb24ba67a3c3

One lucky winner will be chosen randomly from all entrants to receive a copy of the book shipped directly from Amazon. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends the earlier of October 28, 2015 11:59 PM PDT or when prize is claimed. See http://amzn.to/GArules for official rules. 

In the meantime, try one of A Couple in the Kitchen's recipes using Onyx Moonshine:

The Spicy Curb A-Peel Cocktail

Moonshine Sticky Wings
Salemme Pepper-Infused Onyx Moonshine Balls

Onyx Moonshine Apple Cake

Connecticut Moonshine Pecan Pie

For more on Onyx from A Couple in the Kitchen see also:

Onyx Pairing Dinner at The Hidden Still, Ellington, CT
Onyx Moonshine Cranberry Margaritas
CT Cheese Festival
Berry Picking
To the Moon, Onyx!
Onyx Spirits Company Wins Gold at the International Craft Spirit Awards
Local Food and Drink Takeover of Krust Pizza Bar, Middletown

Caramelized Onions Hack

We are hopping on board the hack train with a simple technique that will give you caramelized onions in 90 minutes of inactive cooking. 

Use. Your. Grill. 

Start by preparing your gas grill for "indirect cooking." Or, in Amy's terms, turn the front and back burners on medium heat and leave the middle one off. 

Put whole onions, skin and all, in the middle, where the burners are off. This will create a type of convection-style cooking that will slow-roast your onions to deep, roasty, sweetly caramelized perfection in 90 minutes of inactive time. Yep! Just set a timer for 90 minutes and go do something else. No "stirring frequently" necessary.

When the timer goes off, you'll open your grill and find onions that are gorgeously brown and mushy. Unpeel them carefully, like Chris does here, using kitchen shears to snip off the top:

Squeeze them out of the skin, cut them to size, and use them in your favorite recipe, like French onion soup or an onion tart. Toss them in a salad. Use them as a pizza topping. Drape them on a burger. Pitch them into a pasta. Fold them into a frittata. We could go on, but we think you get it.

Caramelized onions - hacked!

Holy Hasselbacks!

For some time now, Amy has been fascinated by Hasselback potatoes. They just look so fancy, so elegant, as if they took several hours, a few expensive gadgets, and a sous chef or two to create, when really all you need is a sharp knife and a steady hand. Careful patience and precise seasoning generates this rather impressive side dish that elevates even the simplest meat with which these potatoes are served.

Hasselback, or "accordion" potatoes, are so named because they were invented, way back in 1700's, at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Sweden. Medium-sized potatoes are sliced only most-of-the-way before being roasted, thus creating the unique look and wonderful texture (crisp on the outside, soft on the inside). 

We've served them drizzled with olive oil or butter and seasoned with only salt and pepper, maybe some garlic. But, this recipe from Serious Eats editor and The Food Lab author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt was recently featured in the New York Times food section, and it really intrigued. He describes it as "sideways potato gratin," and seriously, if those pictures are not food porn, we don't know what is.

Ours was not quite as lovely, and we think it's because we ignored the warning that we might not need all the cheese and cream mixture and threw it all in anyway. 'Cuz that's how we roll. Next time, maybe we'll listen. Maybe not.

Get the recipe here.