Author: Matt Ingersoll

Amherst chili cook-off and ice cream social returns

Although initially postponed a month due to pandemic concerns, last year’s Amherst Fire & Ice was able to return in person to resounding success, drawing more than 200 attendees to taste scratch-cooked chilis from local restaurateurs and home cooks. Now the friendly chili cook-off and tasting — which also features live entertainment, a kids’ coloring contest and a table of make-your-own ice cream sundaes — is back for a seventh year, returning to Amherst Middle School on Friday, March 10.

The Amherst Lions Club organizes the competition as a fundraiser for local charity organizations. Following a pre-recorded “virtual” cook-off that took place in 2021, in which viewers could purchase chili recipes from each entrant, last year’s event marked the return to its traditional format.

“You get to taste a lot of different varieties of chilis, and then you also get to make your own ice cream sundae if you want one,” Amherst Lion and cook-off publicity coordinator Shirley Flowers said. “All of that is included in one entry price.”

Chili makers compete in three categories: individuals, restaurants and Lions Club members. Winners of the individuals category will be determined by cook-off attendees, while a panel of judges deliberates on those in the restaurant and Lions Club categories. They’ll rate each entry on a scale of 1 to 5 on criteria such as taste, smell and heat. Dan DeCourcey, pitmaster of the Merrimack-based Up In Your Grill barbecue food truck, is returning as a judge, as is David Mielke of Smokehaus Barbecue, himself a 2019 Amherst Fire & Ice champion.

This year’s restaurant contenders include Moulton’s Kitchen & Market of Amherst as well as Union Street Grill and Cafe On the Oval, both of Milford. Flowers noted that there is a greater than normal number of participants in the individuals category.

“When we first started Fire & Ice, it was just [Lions] Club members, and then we started inviting community members to come in,” she said. “So that’s one thing that’s different this year.”

While it’s usually a surprise to see what types of chilis the entrants come up with, Flowers said attendees can expect a diverse showing of traditional and non-traditional options. Moulton’s, for instance, took home last year’s restaurant award for its tri-tip steak and portobello mushroom chili, while Bill Swift, a multi-year champion in the individuals category, made a Cincinnati-style chili, with spaghetti as an added option. Flowers said at least one meatless chili is also available, one that she usually makes herself, in addition to hot dogs for non-chili eaters.

Judging will be completed by 6:30 p.m., with the winners announced around 6:45 p.m. Entrants with the most points in each of the three categories receive bragging rights for a year, in addition to a special traveling trophy.

After sampling chilis, attendees can head to the make-your-own ice cream sundae table, choosing from vanilla, chocolate or cookies and cream-flavored ice creams. Additional toppings like strawberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, cherries and sprinkles will also be available.

Other ongoing happenings during the evening will include live performances from members of Amherst Middle School’s music department, animal balloon demonstrations from Amherst’s Krickey the Clown, and free eye screenings offered by the Amherst Lions Club. A kids’ coloring contest is also returning, with prizes awarded to winners in three brackets: ages 11 to 15, 6 to 10 and 5 and under. Flowers said the coloring pages can be downloaded in advance online and entered into the contest on the night of the event, or kids can color them onsite.

Seventh annual Amherst Fire & Ice
When: Friday, March 10, 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Amherst Middle School, 14 Cross Road, Amherst
Cost: $8 per person or $25 per family of four. Children under 5 receive free admission. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the door. Cash, credit or debit payments are accepted.
Visit: e-clubhouse.org/sites/amherstnh

Featured photo: Contestants from last year’s Amherst Fire & Ice. Courtesy photo.

News from the local food scene

• Mixing it up: Join Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana, Salem) as it debuts a new four-week mixology and food pairing series, starting on Thursday, March 9, from 6 to 8 p.m., and continuing with class installments on March 23, March 30 and April 6. The first class will cover the world of syrups and how to create them from scratch, as well as which flavors and herbs pair well together. Participants will make their own cocktails using their syrups and have the opportunity to taste them with Tuscan Market’s chef-inspired artisan Italian food. The second class, on March 23, will cover how to infuse and smoke different ingredients from fruits to juices in your drinks, while classes on March 30 and April 6, respectively, will go over how to mix their cocktails and put the final touches on them with garnishes. The cost is $280 per person and includes access to all four classes in addition to food pairings, a bartender’s kit and a technique manual. Visit tuscanbrands.com.

• Bunny campaign: The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is selling chocolate Easter bunnies made by Granite State Candy Shoppe now through March 31 as part of its Bite Out of Hunger Campaign. The cost is $8.50 for an eight-ounce solid milk, white or dark chocolate bunny. Proceeds benefit The Salvation Army’s Kids’ Café program, which offers evening meals and recreation activities to local children and teens four days a week. Call Sylvia Crete at 490-4107 to order a bunny, or visit nne.salvationarmy.org/manchester to download the bunny order form. Bunnies may be picked up at The Salvation Army’s Manchester Corps (121 Cedar St.) during their business hours, any Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

• Cheers to 100 years: Due to inclement weather on Feb. 23, Gibson’s Bookstore’s (45 S. Main St., Concord) author event featuring longtime New Hampshire radio personality Mike Morin has been postponed to Tuesday, March 14, at 6:30 p.m. Morin will present his newest book, If These Walls Could Talk: Celebrating 100 Years of the Red Arrow, America’s Most Beloved Diner, which details various stories and anecdotes that contribute to the original Red Arrow’s lasting legacy in Manchester’s culinary scene, from connections to celebrities like Adam Sandler and Kevin Costner to its reputation as a spot for presidential hopefuls over the past four decades. No admission to the event is required, and for those who can’t make it, signed copies of If These Walls Could Talk may be ordered online at gibsonsbookstore.com. For additional details on the Red Arrow’s 100th anniversary, check out our cover story that appeared in the Sept. 29, 2022, issue — go to issuu.com/hippopress.com to find the e-edition. The story starts on page 10.

• When life gives you lemons: Salem limoncello producer Fabrizia Spirits has established its own lemon grove in Sicily, Italy, according to a press release. “Considering our humble beginnings, peeling lemons in the garage of our parents’ home, this is a monumental achievement for the company,” Fabrizia Spirits co-owner and co-founder Phil Mastroianni said in a statement. “These lemons are grown in a perfect microclimate in southeastern Sicily near Europe’s largest active volcano, Mt. Etna. … We now control the fruit from orchard to bottle, and can ensure the highest-quality finished product.” According to the release, the lemons are hand-picked, cleaned and shipped directly to Fabrizia’s Salem facility before they are processed. The zest from the lemons are then infused in pure alcohol, while the remainder of the fruit is juiced to form the foundation of Fabrizia’s canned cocktails. Launched in 2008, Fabrizia Spirits has grown to become a leading purveyor of limoncello in the United States. Visit fabriziaspirits.com.

Annual tasting benefit moves back indoors for its 14th year

For one day only, Concord’s Bank of New Hampshire Stage will turn into a prime tasting destination for area soups, chowders and chilis. It’s time for SouperFest — the event, one of the chief fundraisers for the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, returns on Saturday, March 4.

This will be the first SouperFest to take place indoors since 2019, and also the first time in its history that it’s happening inside of the concert venue. After the pandemic forced its cancellation in 2020, SouperFest transitioned outdoors to a mostly takeout format the following two years.

Unlike with those events, which encouraged pre-ordering your soup online, this year’s SouperFest will offer soups on a first-come, first-served basis at $5 each while they last.

“The pre-orders made it very, very difficult, because we had a lot of individuals that didn’t pre-order that were walking up … and we’d have to count how many outstanding orders there still were,” said Greg Lessard, CCEH’s director of housing initiatives. “I always like to have extra but you just never know how many folks will turn up that day, and how hungry they are.”

Eleven Concord establishments have donated a soup, chowder or chili to be served by volunteers during the fundraiser. The flavors are diverse, ranging from a vegetarian split pea soup courtesy of O Steaks & Seafood to beef and turkey chilis from The Common Man and Georgia’s Northside, respectively. There’s also going to be a turkey pot pie soup from The Red Blazer and a butternut squash soup from The Centennial Hotel’s Granite Restaurant & Bar, among others.

“We encourage them all to make something different,” Lessard said. “Every one of the restaurants that had done it for the last two years stepped up, and we actually picked up a few.”

Attendees can get their eight-ounce cups of soup to go — along with complimentary rolls and water — or grab a seat at the venue to listen to RoZweLL, a rock cover group set to perform.

“The thought is that they will come and see acquaintances, have some soup and listen to the band,” Lessard said. “The lounge area upstairs is open for our guests as well.”

As soups will be served until they sell out, Lessard said getting to the event early is a good idea.

“We anticipate that most folks will be there … right at opening,” he said. “Some soups will be more popular than others. … If folks are getting hungry and there’s a line that’s taking a few minutes, they will have the opportunity to select from two soups while they’re in line inside.”

The Coalition has already raised more than $60,000 through its dozens of business sponsorships, and all SouperFest proceeds will go directly toward its programs.

14th annual SouperFest
When: Saturday, March 4, noon to 2 p.m.
Where: Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord
Cost: $5 per soup (no pre-orders); soups are available first-come, first-served while they last
Visit: concordhomeless.org/souperfest
Cash and credit cards will be accepted at the door, in addition to donations benefiting the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness.

Featured soups

• The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern (beef barley soup)
• The Common Man (beef and bean chili)
• Concord Food Co-op (clam chowder)
• Concord Hospital and Karner Blue Café (broccoli cheddar soup)
• Georgia’s Northside (Santa Fe turkey chili)
• Granite Restaurant & Bar (butternut squash soup)
• Hermanos Cocina Mexicana (creamy mushroom soup)
• O Steaks & Seafood (vegetarian split pea soup)
• Revival Kitchen & Bar (mushroom beef and barley soup)
• The Red Blazer Restaurant & Pub (turkey pot pie soup)
• The Works Cafe (lentil soup)

Featured photo: Concord’s SouperFest tasting benefit returns on Saturday, March 4, moving back indoors after taking place outside the last two years, as pictured above. Photos by Mulberry Creek Imagery.

News from the local food scene

• Liquid gold: It’s New Hampshire Maple Month, and several farms and sugarhouses across the Granite State will once again be welcoming visitors for multiple weekends of tours, demonstrations, tastings and family activities, all revolving around local maple syrup production. A full list of local sugarhouses participating inthe month (which includes New Hampshire Maple Weekend, set for Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19) can be found on the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association website at nhmapleproducers.com.

• Let the Guinness flow: Join The Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua) for its annual Guinness beer dinner on Wednesday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. The meal will feature multiple food courses with Guinness beer pairings, like salmon rillettes (poached and smoked salmon combined with house mayonnaise and Guinness brown bread); free range eggs with sage sausage and panko crumbs, and Guinness-braised short rib of beef with a forest mushroom saffron risotto. Branded Guinness souvenirs, raffle prizes and giveaways will also be featured. Tickets are $65 per person and can be purchased online at Eventbrite. Be on the lookout next week for more St. Paddy’s Day-related happenings at area bars and restaurants in our annual listings.

• Get your Greek eats: Join Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St., Concord) for its next boxed Greek dinner to go, a drive-thru takeout event on Sunday, March 12, from noon to 1 p.m. Now through Wednesday, March 8, orders are being accepted for boxed meals featuring dinners of vegetarian dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) with spanakopita (spinach pie) and a bread roll for $20 per person. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — email [email protected] or call 953-3051 to place your order. You can also pay online by clicking “Contribute to Holy Trinity” on the church’s website and following the prompts. The revival of the church’s annual Greek food festival, meanwhile, remains tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30. Visit holytrinitynh.org.

• Turning up the heat: Portsmouth hot sauce maker The Spicy Shark recently announced the launch of the latest addition to its “6-Fin” series — the Mako Snake. According to a press release, the new sauce became available Feb. 15. The Indian-inspired Mako Snake is a masala-based sauce, made with ghost pepper, Carolina reaper and habanero. According to the release, the sauce’s name and creature, a mythical half shark, half snake, were chosen to represent the “unique and intense” levels of heat and flavor. See thespicyshark.com to find out where you can find the company’s sauces.