Year: 2021

Bryan Leary

Bryan Leary has been the executive chef of the Oak & Grain Restaurant (Inn at Pleasant Lake, 853 Pleasant St., New London, 873-4833, innatpleasantlake.com) since early 2016. In addition to indoor dining open to the public, the Oak & Grain is now offering seasonally inspired a la carte takeout meals. Its menu options change every two to three weeks but often include locally sourced steaks, seafood, soups and appetizers. Three-course brunches are served on Sundays. A New Hampshire native, Leary has amassed experience in all kinds of cooking styles over the course of his career. He graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and later accepted a culinary position at the Scottsdale Fairmont Resort in Arizona. Before coming to the Inn at Pleasant Lake, he worked as a chef at The Grill Room in Portland, Maine.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Either [a pair of] tongs, or my two-pound meat cleaver.

What would you have for your last meal?

My wife’s enchiladas with charred grilled chicken, and a Coke slurpee.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I like The Coach House in New London. I also love The Black Trumpet [Bistro in Portsmouth]. Evan [Mallett] is an incredible chef there.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at your restaurant?

Probably [New York chef] Dan Barber. He’s one of my favorites. He’s incredibly smart in terms of food and expanding our horizons into what we should be eating.

What is your favorite thing that you’ve ever featured on your menu?

I really like being able to use product to create something that’s multi-faceted and just unique and different. … So, for example, we’ve done our own Tahitian buttermilk panna cotta from butter we make from local cream.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

Switching to more of a family-friendly aspect in fine dining. We were strictly French service my first year here … [but] now the atmosphere is more easygoing and approachable.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Barbecue food, because there’s a lot of complexity that goes into it. I love ribs especially.

Seared Canadian sea scallops and citrus-braised pork belly, with yellow curry yogurt, burnt leek puree, herbs and chicken kombu grains

From the kitchen of Bryan Leary of the Oak & Grain Restaurant, at the Inn at Pleasant Lake in New London

For the burnt leek puree:

Split a full leek down the middle. Rub with oil and burn on the grill or saute pan until black. Chop each side into quarters and place on a sheet tray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove leek from the oven. Place it in a blender and puree with olive oil just until it is a smooth paste. Season with salt and a little bit of lemon juice. Set aside for plating.

For the yellow curry yogurt:
½ cup Greek yogurt
½ tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon yellow curry
juice of half a lemon

Mix all ingredients together until incorporated. Set aside for plating.

For the chicken kombu:
1 quart chicken stock (pre-bought or homemade)
2 tablespoons tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
1 sheet kombu seaweed
1 cup mixed grains (quinoa, sorghum, millet or other grain of choice)

Pour chicken stock, soy sauce and kombu seaweed into a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes.

For the pork cure:
Juice and zest of 1 lime, 1 orange, 2 lemons and 1 grapefruit
½ cup salt
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup bourbon
Pork belly

Mix ingredients together and rub on both sides of the pork belly. Place in a hotel pan, wrap and refrigerate for two days. After removing the cure, line the same hotel pan with foil and parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for an hour and 45 minutes. Let it rest for 20 minutes, then cut up into 1-by-1-inch cubes. Set aside for plating. (Optional: For quicker time, you can use a few strips of bacon and bake at the same temperature for 17 minutes.)

Clean scallops under cold water, then pat dry. In a small mixing bowl, add a little oil and seasoning. Let the scallops sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Add ½ tablespoon of oil to the pan. Carefully place scallops into the pan until golden brown, then flip and remove pan from heat. Let them sit in the pan for two minutes.

Add a small pile of the kombu chicken stock grains in the center of the plate, followed by a few dollops of burnt leeks puree. Place a few pieces of pork belly on top of the puree. Scatter the scallops around the plate, adding a dollop of curry yogurt on top of each. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Featured photo: Bryan Leary of Oak & Grain Restaurant in New London

Soup it up

Order now for outdoor SouperFest

Roasted Red Pepper & Butternut Squash Bisque from O Steaks & Seafood, Hungarian Mushroom Ale from the Concord Food Co-op, Smoked Brisket Chili from Georgia’s Northside — those are some of the soups on the menu for the 12th annual SouperFest, and you can only get them if you order ahead.
The event, hosted by the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, will be held Saturday, March 20, at White Park in Concord.
In the past, Souperfest was held inside a school and brought in 800 to 1,000 attendees. Thirty-five soups were prepared mostly by home chefs and served to hungry patrons.
“People just had as much soup as they wanted,” said Greg Lessard, board vice chair of the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness.
This year, eight local restaurants will be preparing the soup, which must be pre-ordered on the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness’s website, concordhomeless.org. Anyone placing an order will select a half-hour window of time to pick up their soup.
With last year’s SouperFest getting canceled in March, Lessard said, soup orders are already pouring in for this year. The other five options are Pumpkin Apple Bisque from The Barley House, Clam Chowder from The Common Man, Vegetarian Chili from Hermanos Cocina Mexicana, Lentil Soup from The Works Cafe and Miso Noodle Soup from Col’s Kitchen.
“It’s a wonderful selection. You’re hard pressed to say ‘I’m only taking two of these,’” Lessard said. “The choices are so great you just can’t say no.”
Col’s Kitchen is a new face in Concord’s restaurant scene, having just opened in August. O Steaks & Seafood, meanwhile, has been participating in SouperFest since home chefs made up the bulk of the competition.
All proceeds from SouperFest will benefit the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness.
“[The Coalition] has a number of different programs that support people that are experiencing homelessness,” Lessard said.
These programs include an emergency winter shelter, a resource center and more.

SouperFest: Hosted by Concord Coalition to End Homelessness
When: March 20, 3 to 5:30 p.m.
Where: White Park, 1 White St, Concord
More info: concordhomeless.org/souperfest-2021

Featured photo: Hungarian Mushroom Soup from the Concord Food Co-op. Courtesy photo.

West Side comfort

Hotbox to open soon in Manchester

chicken wrap
Chicken teriyaki wrap. Courtesy photo.

Like many Granite Staters at the onset of the pandemic, Pedro Gonzalez of Manchester started cooking at home more often. Fast forward nearly a year and now he and several of his family members and friends are about to open their own eatery on the West Side, focusing on Latin soul and street foods with a New York City bodega-style storefront.

The concept of the Hotbox — fondly referred to by Gonzalez as simply “The Box” — began on a whim last spring with positive feedback for his family’s home-cooked Spanish meals.

“Restaurants were closed … and so our friends would come over and they’d be like, ‘What are you guys cooking? Can I grab a plate?’ We didn’t expect money or anything, so of course we were like, ‘Sure!’” said Gonzalez, a native of Bronx, N.Y. “Then we started showing our plates on social media, and it just took off after that, like wildfire.”

Gonzalez and his wife Kelli, daughter Ally, mother Sonia and family friends Kelley Richard and Kalley Mihalko all now have a hand in cooking or baking different items for the Hotbox. The original plan, he said, was for them to expand their newfound catering venture into a food truck before that later shifted to a brick-and-mortar restaurant. They found their current spot, most recently occupied by Rita Mae’s Restaurant, last August.

Hotbox’s menu will feature a variety of Latin soul and street food items, some of which will be available all the time, others on a rotating basis. Options may include chicken, beef or pork guisado, or a tomato-based sauce, with servings of rice and beans.

“Guisado is very popular in the Spanish community,” Gonzalez said. “We can do a Jamaican-style jerk chicken guisado, or we can do a hot Mexican guisado with spices. … We can do guisado with any meat, but the most popular one we have is our chopped chicken, which we cook in a sauce with onions and peppers.”

You’ll also find several types of empanadas and burritos, as well as Cubanos and fresh pressed sandwiches called “bobos” — the name, Gonzalez said, is a reference to Joseph “Bobo” Benedetti, who founded Benedetti’s Deli in Haverhill, Mass., in the early 1960s.

“I grew up literally five minutes from Benedetti’s Deli,” he said. “We’ll have massive subs, just like the ones I grew up eating.”

But Hotbox will offer more than just Spanish food — an ever-changing a la carte menu Gonzalez calls the “flip-flop” will be available to those who walk in, where you might find everything from pasta dishes to fried pork belly, half-chicken or shrimp. Once one “flip-flop” option is gone, he said, a new one will take its place.

Gonzalez said all kinds of unique dessert creations are expected too. One of the most popular options among their catering customers has been a layered “Oreo lasagna” cake.

Takeout and curbside pickup will be available, while between four and six tables will be set up in the eatery’s dining room by reservation only. Up to six people per party can reserve a table.

“We’re not trying to rush you out of here. We want to have it be a very intimate experience with your party when you come in to eat,” he said. “Our plates are big, too, so there will be leftovers.”

The front of the store will look similar to that of a bodega in New York City, with a few small grocery and household items for sale, as well as marinated meats, cold cuts and more.

Hotbox will be open for lunch and dinner to start, but Gonzalez said the plan is to branch out to serving continental breakfasts, omelets, breakfast sandwiches and other similar options.

Hotbox
An opening date announcement is expected in the coming weeks. Follow them on social media for updates.
Where: 280 Main St., Manchester
Hours: TBA
More info: Find them on Facebook @hotboxlfe or email hotboxlfe@gmail.com

Feautred photo: Jerk chicken plate with white rice and marinated onions. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/03/11

News from the local food scene

• Green cuisine: If you’re still wondering where to get your plate of corned beef and cabbage this year, visit hippopress.com for our annual St. Patrick’s Day listings at local eateries. Many are offering single or family-sized boiled dinners to go, for pickup on or around Wednesday, March 17, while others are taking the festivities a step further with options like bangers and mash, Irish soda bread, green beer, Guinness cake and sticky toffee pudding. For the most up-to-date availability, check participating restaurants’ websites or social media pages, or call them directly.

• Clam Haven to reopen for the season: Derry’s Clam Haven (94 Rockingham Road), a seasonal takeout eatery known for its fried seafood plates, will reopen for the season on Wednesday, March 17, owner Lisa DeSisto confirmed. DeSisto, who took over ownership of Clam Haven last year and who has also owned Rig A Tony’s Italian Takeout for two decades, told the Hippo that several new menu items are in store for this season, including homemade fish tacos on Tuesdays and clambakes on weekends, in addition to old favorites like fried haddock, clams and scallops, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken fingers and ice cream. Clam Haven will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week through the end of October. Visit clamhaven.com.

• Make it maple: It’s New Hampshire Maple Month and to kick off the annual production season Gov. Chris Sununu will perform the ceremonial maple tree tapping on Saturday, March 12, at 9 a.m. at Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm (140 Webster Hwy., Temple). He’s also expected to recognize the 75th anniversary of New Hampshire County Conservation Districts by signing a proclamation honoring 2021 as the Year of Conservation, according to a press release. Throughout Maple Month many local sugarhouses welcome visitors to partake in maple sugaring tours, view demonstrations and try all kinds of maple-flavored goodies. Visit nhmapleproducers.com to find a participating sugarhouse near you.

• Tastes of France and beyond: Office manager Nathalie Hirte of the Franco-American Centre in Manchester has recently launched Franco Foods, a how-to YouTube series dedicated to French-inspired foods and recipes. New videos are expected to be posted every Tuesday, with each focusing on a different recipe from France or Quebec. Beginning in April, Hirte said, she hopes to branch out to other regional recipes across Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States. A native of Quebec and an avid cooker and baker, Hirte said she originally started Franco Foods last year as a virtual recipe swap among Franco-American Centre members. Visit facnh.com/news/franco-foods to subscribe to her channel.

Kiddie Pool 21/03/11

Family fun for the weekend

Photo courtesy of the NH Audubon Society.

Enjoy the (likely fleeting) warm weather

New Hampshire’s Audubon centers are still closed, but their sanctuary trails are open for families who want to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather. There are miles of trails at the centers in Concord (84 Silk Farm Road, 224-9909) and in Auburn (26 Audubon Way, 668-2045). The trails are open from dawn until dusk. Don’t forget to wear appropriate shoes, as trails may be snowy or muddy. Visit nhaudubon.org.

Love your library

Many local libraries are closed or have limited hours and services, but they’re still offering plenty of fun for kids and families. The Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., 589-4600, nashualibrary.org) has virtual story times posted on its website, along with monthly interactive virtual activities — March’s is “The Great Flood.” The library also offers age-appropriate craft projects on the second Saturday of each month; materials can be picked up curbside.

At the Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., 624-6550, manchester.lib.nh.us) kids can find a new Messy Art project online each Wednesday afternoon. The projects can be done at home with items around the house. There’s also a weekly virtual storytime for kids ages 1 to 5, with a new video posted every Monday morning at 10 a.m. on the library’s Facebook page, with a craft kit based on the weekly theme available for curbside pickup. And each Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m., the library posts a new Lego challenge on Facebook for kids and families.

And at the Concord Public Library (45 Green St., 225-8670, concordpubliclibrary.net) parents can pick up craft kits for their kids; this week’s kit is a St. Paddy’s Bear, available at the library through Friday, March 12, or until supplies are gone (call ahead to see if there are any left before coming to the library). The library is also hosting a St. Patrick’s Day themed virtual storytime on Wednesday, March 17, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Register online to attend.

To discover the virtual events and activities that are happening at your local library, visit its website — most town and city libraries have revamped their programming to offer safe, at-home fun for families.

Art club

Middle school and high school youth are invited to Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com) each Tuesday after school from 3:30 to 6 p.m. for a free art club. KJ Art Lab meets each week and teaches art skills, project planning and community development. There is no cost for attendance or materials. New participants are always welcome, though a commitment to regular attendance is requested due to the collaboration on many of the art projects.

Dream Big

Make a wish list of trees you want

I was recently thumbing through my first book, Notes from the Garden, looking for inspiration for yet another winter article. In it I read that I had planted my Merrill magnolia in 2001. I had forgotten that I planted it just 20 years ago this spring — it feels like it has always been there!

Looking out the window at that handsome tree that blooms each April with a thousand large, lightly fragrant double white blossoms made me think: How many of us plant a tree with a vision of what it will be like in 20 years? I had mainly hoped it would survive to bloom modestly, but it has been a magnificent tree for a decade or more.

I invite you to draw up a wish list this winter. Think of big, majestic trees that you wish to have and figure out where you could plant them. Dream of flowering trees. Think of native trees that will feed the baby birds with the thousands of barely noticeable caterpillars that feed on their leaves. Imagine a recliner in the shade of a tree you have planted. Picture grandchildren playing in its shade.

I think it’s important to realize that trees get to be of a good size fairly quickly. Most grow two to three feet per year, some even more than that. So what if you are 60 or 70 or 80 years old? Even if you never live to see it bloom or drop nuts on the lawn, you are improving the environment, now and in years to come.

Years ago I visited author, illustrator, eccentric and well-known recluse Tasha Tudor at her home in southern Vermont. She was in her late 80s at the time but still was planting trees. She asked me if I could help her find two specific crabapple varieties that she had planted 30 years before but was unable to find anywhere.

One variety I found at EC Brown’s nursery in Thetford, Vermont. The other I could not find, so I asked her where she had purchased it. She told me that she bought it at Weston Nurseries, and I called them. The woman who answered the phone remembered her, and the fact that she traveled with a rooster under her arm. Amazingly, she also remembered the fellow who waited on her that day; he still worked there, and he was brought to the phone. He explained that the variety was no longer in production. End of story.

Actually, it was not. I saw Wayne Mezitt, the owner of Weston Nurseries, at a trade show, and told him the story of his people remembering Tasha. He said he would make her some of the trees she wanted by grafting branches onto root stock. And he did. Three years later, Wayne and I met and presented Tasha with the trees she wanted. By then she was past 90 but still planting trees. Did she ever get to see them blossom? Unlikely, but I love the idea of someone her age planting trees. I hope to do the same.

If you plant trees over a long period of time it is hard to keep track of when you planted them,and the variety planted. Keeping track takes real discipline. In my experience, tags are fine for a few years, but eventually they get lost or the writing fades until it is unreadable.

If you are linked closely to your phone or tablet, that might be one way to keep track of what you plant — until the phone dies or gets replaced. I don’t have a cell phone, so I cannot advise how to keep records on it. But I do take lots of photos and they are in my computer by date, so I should be able to find most anything I plant — so long as I label well — and the computer doesn’t eat things, which mine does from time to time.

I like writing things down, using a real pen, sometimes even using my trusty fountain pen. Years ago I bought a 10-year Gardener’s Journal from Lee Valley Tool Co. They still sell them, and at about the same price: $32.90. It is hard-covered and durable. The only thing it lacks is a search function. It has a page for every day of the year, and 10 sections per page — a few lines for every day. In principle I would write the weather, what I planted or pruned or dug out every day. But life gets in the way of even the best of intentions.

I like old-fashioned “3×5” cards for making lists: to-do lists, grocery lists. They fit nicely in a pocket and good ones are quite sturdy. My Winter Resolution (like a New Year’s resolution, but made after Groundhog Day) is this: I will fill in a note card every time I plant something. I have an old-fashioned wooden box designed for 3×5 cards, and I will use it to keep track of my plantings this year.

So what will go on the cards? First I have to decide if I will use common names or scientific names for alphabetizing the plants. I will use the scientific names, as that is how I think of most of my plants. But I will also include common names. Date planted, source of the plant, where planted, perhaps soil amendments added or any other details that might be useful. If plants die, I will keep the card, but place a black dot on the upper right corner of the card.

Last fall I wrote up a list of woody plants I have planted here in Cornish Flat since I bought my house in 1970. I listed nearly 80 species or varieties. I think I’ll fill in a card for each tree on the next raw, gray, wet day.

Featured Photo: Wayne Mezitt presents Tasha Tudor a White Weeper crab apple. Photo courtesy of Henry Homeyer.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!