Author: Matt Ingersoll

Matt Ingersoll writes about all things food and drink, covering new restaurants and following the most delicious foodie trends in the state. Reach him at mingersoll@hippopress.com.

The Weekly Dish 22/02/24

News from the local food scene

• Last call for LaBelle Lights: LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111) is closing out its inaugural LaBelle Lights outdoor light display with a special Mardi Gras celebration on Friday, Feb. 25, and Saturday, Feb. 26, when there will be themed food and drink items available for purchase, as well as beads, Zydeco music and more. These will be the final two dates of the season that LaBelle Lights will be open on the winery’s golf course — the festive outdoor light show has been open since just before Thanksgiving and very quickly exceeded expectations with thousands of visitors in just the first month alone, owner Amy LaBelle told the Hippo in December. Plans are already underway to bring LaBelle Lights back to the winery next winter. Tickets to either of the last two dates this weekend are $15, and the hours are from 4:30 to 9 p.m. each evening. Visit labellewinery.com/lights to purchase tickets.

• Festival of wines: Speaking of Mardi Gras, there’s still time to get your tickets to A Mardi Gras Wine Festival, an event presented by St. Thomas Aquinas Church that’s happening at the Aquinas Center (26 Crystal Ave., Derry) on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. The evening is expected to include samplings and bottles for purchase from several New Hampshire-made wineries, including Zorvino Vineyards of Sandown, Appolo Vineyards of Derry and Flag Hill Distillery & Winery of Lee. There will also be live music, raffles, games, a door prize, food and more. Tickets are $40 per person or $70 per couple and can be purchased online or over the phone. Visit stthomasderry.org, find the event on Facebook or call the church office at 432-5000.

• Go Greek: Join St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover St., Manchester), for An Apokreatiko Celebration, another Mardi Gras-themed event, happening on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 7 to 11 p.m. inside the church hall. There will be a variety of hors d’oeuvres available, in addition to a cash bar, Greek and American dancing, and a live performance from Greek DJs The Salonica Boys. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased either in advance or at the door. Children under the age of 12 receive free admission. In the coming months, St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral has other upcoming drive-thru events planned, according to its most recent newsletter, including a lamb shank dinner on March 19, a fish dinner on April 17 and a gyro event on May 21. Visit stgeorgenh.org or call the church office at 622-9113.

In the kitchen with Reni Mylonas

Reni Mylonas of Danville is the owner of Agape Cakes and Confections (agapecandc.com, find her on Facebook and Instagram), a homestead business specializing in custom cakes, cupcakes and assorted Greek pastries using family recipes. A self-taught cake decorator, Mylonas started baking around the age of 9. She also gained experience working in a few local bakeries along the way prior to starting Agape, named after the Greek word meaning “love,” in 2020. In addition to custom-decorated wedding cakes, she accepts orders through her website for a variety of homemade Greek pastries for local delivery, from baklava to braided tea cookies, and she’ll usually offer specialty items around each holiday. Mylonas is also working toward opening a storefront in Raymond — Agape Cakes and Confections is on track to open in the Cozy Corner shopping plaza on Route 27 this April and will feature a weekly case of cupcakes, cookies, Greek pastries and other grab-and-go treats.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

It would probably be a precision scale. That’s like my best friend in the kitchen.

What would you have for your last meal?

Probably pasta. I can eat pasta in a million different variations, and I would never get sick of it.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Nick’s Place in Raymond. Everything that I’ve had on their menu is absolutely amazing, and their atmosphere is so warm and welcoming. … I love their fried seafood and also their roast beef sandwiches.

What is your favorite thing that you’ve made for a client?

I think my personal favorite thing … was actually my first very large wedding cake that I did. It was a huge three-tiered cake that was probably 80 or 90 pounds and it fed 150 to 200 people, which is a lot more than what I’m used to, and it was beautifully decorated with gorgeous orchids. … I’m always up for a challenge, and so it was really rewarding to execute their vision and make it a reality. I was beyond happy with how it came out.

What celebrity would you like to bake for?

I’m a huge sucker for cooking shows. I’d have to say Bobby Flay is my No. 1, and then Anne Burrell or Alex Guarnaschelli. … Their talent is just so amazing to me that it would make my entire life if they had something that I made.

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

Cake popsicles. They are a fun spin on cake pops, only a lot bigger and in a popsicle form, so decorating-wise you can do a lot more with them.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

For the past two years I’ve been learning how to do homemade pasta. I love the art and the technique behind it. … Working with the different shapes is almost like working with clay, just kind of building each individual piece.

Homemade chocolate ganache
From the kitchen of Reni Mylonas of Agape Cakes and Confections, agapecandc.com

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chocolate chips of choice

Pour the heavy cream into a small pot and let it simmer on medium heat. Place the chocolate chips in a metal bowl (do not use glass). Once the heavy cream has reached a boil, pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for three minutes without stirring. After the three minutes are up, whisk until the chocolate is incorporated. Set aside and let it cool before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and enjoy on fruit or for use in cakes or cupcakes.

Featured photo: Reni Mylonas. Courtesy photo.

African and Caribbean flavors

Gumaa’s Bar & Grill opens in Manchester

A new family-owned restaurant in Manchester is offering traditional African and Caribbean meals like oxtail stew, jerk chicken, goat meat and fried tilapia, in addition to all kinds of comfort options, from wing appetizers to burgers, macaroni and cheese and collard greens.

Gumaa’s Bar & Grill opened last month in the former Saigon Noodles space on Lincoln Street, just outside of downtown in the Queen City’s Kalivas Union neighborhood. The eatery serves lunch and dinner six days a week, according to manager Estella “Maya” Gumaa, whose mother, Aiesha Elmuhager, as well as her siblings and children, all have a hand in helping out.

“I come from a big family … and my dream was always to open a restaurant one day, because I’ve always loved to cook,” said Gumaa, who lives in Manchester but is originally from South Sudan. “I’ve been looking for a place for almost four years … and when this opportunity came along, I said, ‘You know what? Let me just jump in.’ My family has been very supportive.”

The restaurant’s menu incorporates dishes common across many African nations, as well as islands in the Caribbean. For plated entrees, there’s oxtail stew, curry chicken, goat meat, and whole marinated and fried tilapia. Each comes with a choice of two sides per order, like white or spicy rice, beans, fried sweet plantains, french fries, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens.

Harder-to-find options the eatery has served out of the gate include spicy okra stew and cow feet.

“The cow feet we prepare more like a soup … so we put it in a bowl and you can eat it just like that with a spoon, and some people like to have it with white rice on the side,” Gumaa said.

Beyond the traditional delicacies, Gumaa’s Bar & Grill does also have a variety of other familiar comfort foods available a la carte. The wings, for instance, feature several sauce flavors like Buffalo, barbecue and jerk, while other items have included chicken, beef or vegetable samosas, mozzarella sticks, barbecue ribs, chicken tender baskets, and shrimp, chicken or steak kebabs.

The restaurant has indoor seating and a full bar that Gumaa’s younger sister, Hillana Kodi, oversees. Gumaa said she hopes to add more items to the menu in the coming weeks and months.

“I’m starting slow right now, but gradually I’m going to add more … to make it a little bigger,” she said. “I want to add fried chicken, and maybe a lamb stew or fried lamb. … I also want to try to add things like spaghetti and meatballs and chicken alfredo.”

Gumaa’s Bar & Grill

Where: 342 Lincoln St., Manchester
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m., and Friday through Sunday, noon to 1 a.m. (closed on Mondays)
More info: Visit gumaas.com, find them on Instagram @gumaas603 or call 232-4154 to place a takeout order. Ordering is also available through DoorDash.

Featured photo: Chicken and shrimp kebabs. Photo courtesy of Gumaa’s Bar & Grill.

Bird’s eye brew

Feathered Friend Brewing Co. coming to Concord

Tucker Jadczak’s family ties to brewing trace back multiple generations — his great-grandfather, Daniel Reardon, founded the D.J. Reardon Co. in 1933 and, according to Jadczak, became the first licensed distributor of Budweiser products in Massachusetts after the repeal of Prohibition.

Reardon’s son — Jadczak’s grandfather — would later take over the reins of the family business. Visiting the warehouse as a kid growing up made a lasting impression on him.

“It was this massive building that was like a whole refrigerator, with all these kegs and beer racks and other things all stacked up, and I remember going down there with my grandfather and being like, ‘This is really cool. This is what I want to do for a living,’” said Jadczak, who grew up in Warner and now lives in Concord. “I was probably like 8 or 9 years old at the time.”

Through high school and college, Jadczak’s interests led him down other paths, from political science to the music industry, until a chance encounter in 2018 led him to pick up bartending shifts at Concord Craft Brewing Co. There he would advance to the roles of assistant brewer and marketing coordinator, also becoming friends with fellow brewer Ryan Connor along the way.

“I kind of started wearing a lot of different hats,” Jadczak said. “I found that I was really enjoying it, and I kind of just got that love back from what I saw going to the warehouse as a kid. … I loved talking to people about the beer, and taking pride in the work that we were doing.”

That passion is now coming full circle with the launch of Jadczak’s own craft brewery. Feathered Friend Brewing Co., on track to open in the former Taylor Rental space in Concord’s South End in the coming weeks, is more than a year in the making. Jadczak has recruited Connor to serve as his head brewer — Connor will oversee a seven-barrel electric brewhouse and a total of 24 taplines.

According to Jadczak, the brewery’s name stems from his love and appreciation of birds. He’s working on several unique bird-themed names for some of his beer releases.

Out of the gate, he expects Feathered Friend Brewing Co. to be pouring a red ale, a stout, a sour, and a double dry-hopped IPA with Galaxy and Citra hops called Second Sun. A lager will soon follow, and Jadczak and Connor also hope to start brewing barrel-aged beers.

Ultimately, they’ll be exploring the opportunities to distribute cans and kegs to stores and restaurants. But for the time being, Jadczak said, the plan is to pour their beers in house.

Including bartop seats, Feathered Friend Brewing Co. has an indoor capacity of about 70. An adjoining space next door to the brewery will soon be the new home of Smokeshow Barbeque Co., and while Jadczak and owner Matt Gfroerer aren’t business partners, he said both hope to find ways to make it as easy as possible to streamline access for visitors between each.

Gfroerer will nearly triple the seating capacity he currently has over on Fort Eddy Road once he moves into the new South Main Street space. His menu will include all of the same Texas-style barbecue favorites, along with a few different options and a bigger beer selection.

A covered outdoor seating area will likely be added in the rear of the building by the spring or summer months. Jadczak is also planning to offer video games, trivia nights and various other activities for the space, and said he hopes to host charitable events and initiatives.

“Concord is a really great area, and being in the South End is awesome, so whatever we can do to be part of the community, we’d like to,” he said.

Feathered Friend Brewing Co.
An opening date is expected in the coming weeks. Visit their website or follow them on social media for updates.

Where: 231 S. Main St., Concord
Hours: TBA
More info: Visit featheredfriendbrewing.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @featheredfriendbrewing or call 715-2347.

Featured photo: Head brewer Ryan Connor (left) and owner Tucker Jadczak. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

The Weekly Dish 22/02/17

News from the local food scene

• Flavors of Haiti: Join Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford) for A Taste of Haiti, a special five-course prix fixe dinner happening on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 5 p.m., to celebrate Black History Month. Each course features modern interpretations of flavors representing Haitian cuisine — items will include salade russe (Russian salad), soup joumou (pumpkin soup with braised beef and potato croquette and winter vegetables), macaroni au gratin, poule nan sós (braised chicken in Creole sauce with rice, beans and pikliz, a spicy cabbage slaw), and gâteau renversé (pineapple upside-down cake) with sweet plantain ice cream. Tickets are $95 per person and can be purchased online at greenleafmilford.com The next installment from Ansanm, meanwhile, a Haitian dinner series featuring scratch-made items from Greenleaf owner and chef Chris Viaud and his family, is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 27. Visit ansanmnh.com.

• Say cheese for a cause: Get your tickets now for a charcuterie board building class at the Cork N’ Keg Grill (4 Essex Drive, Raymond) on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. A special fundraiser for the New Hampshire Police K9 Academy and the Working Dog Foundation, the event includes participation in the class for up to two people per ticket. All supplies will be provided to create a charcuterie board that will feed two to six people, along with samples of several Wisconsin cheeses, meats, crackers and artisan popcorn, and a ticket redeemable for one serving of beer or wine. Tickets are $70 per person and must be purchased by Feb. 19 — the evening will also feature raffle prizes, giveaways and a silent auction. To view the event flyer, which includes a QR code to purchase tickets, find the Working Dog Foundation on Facebook or Instagram @workingdogfoundation.

• Farm fresh to your door: A Massachusetts-based initiative featuring freshly prepared chef-crafted dinners launched in the early months of the pandemic is now available in New Hampshire for the first time. WECO Hospitality is now offering meal deliveries to more than a dozen Granite State cities and towns, including Manchester, Nashua, Bedford, Goffstown, Hooksett, Amherst, Hollis, Londonderry, Derry, Milford and several others, according to a press release. The service features an always changing menu of family-style dinners, bowls and kids’ meals using ingredients from local and regional farms and purveyors, with a focus on seasonal availability and a balance of proteins, vegetables and starches. Dessert and mocktail or cocktail mixers are also featured. Ordering opens at noon on Thursday for that week’s menu and deliveries are made daily from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit wecohospitality.com.

• Frederick’s Pastries recognized: Amherst and Bedford bakery Frederick’s Pastries has been selected as a 2022 winner in The Knot’s Best of Weddings, an award representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples, according to a press release. This is the 11th consecutive year that Frederick’s Pastries has been named a winner by The Knot — the leading online wedding brand and app chose about five percent of hundreds of thousands of companies and industry professionals, from venues and caterers to florists, musicians and photographers. “We are honored to receive this award,” Frederick’s Pastries proprietor Susan Lozier Robert said in a statement. “It is truly our pleasure to create beautiful cakes inspired by the couples planning their very special day.”

In the kitchen with Steve Yurish

Steve Yurish of Amherst is the owner of Sherman’s Pit Stop (944 Gibbons Hwy., Wilton, 654-2600, shermanspitstop.com), as well as 603 Foods (603foods.com, and on Facebook), a line of homemade soups, chowders, cottage pies and other prepared comfort meals that he runs during the winter months. Menus of 603 Foods products are posted to its website and Facebook page early each week, with ordering available until 6 p.m. on Wednesdays — items are regularly rotated out but have included New England clam chowder, chicken pot pie, shrimp and sausage gumbo, shepherd’s pie, macaroni and cheese, Italian wedding soup and more. Pickups are on Fridays after 11 a.m., at the Amherst Garden Center (305 Route 101, Amherst) or at Sherman’s Pit Stop. Weekly home deliveries are available too — email 603foodsnh@gmail.com or message them on Facebook for details. Prior to starting 603 Foods in 2020, Steve and his wife, Diane Yurish, owned and operated Moulton’s Market in Amherst Village for 16 years.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I usually make the soups in five-gallon batches, so I need a good cast iron soup pot and a large wooden ladle to stir with.

What would you have for your last meal?

Cheeseburgers, medium rare, with pickles, onions and ketchup. I’ve always called them my desert island food.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I like Eric Griffin’s restaurant over in Milford, Grill 603. He’s got a good group of people over there and the food is always good.

What celebrity would you like to see trying something on your menu?

Elvis Presley.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

The vegetable beef barley soup. It’s got a base of tomato and red wine, and lots of mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions and peas. I just find it to be a great hearty soup.

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

Specific to New Hampshire, I think it would be the continued trend toward using more and more local products, grown here and produced here.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I like to grill outdoors as much as possible. I still grill pretty much through the winter.

Smoked Gouda and roasted red pepper bisque
From the kitchen of Steve Yurish of 603 Foods and Sherman’s Pit Stop

2 pounds freshly roasted red peppers or jar equivalent (rinsed and with all seeds removed)
1 stick and 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
2 onions, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 quart chicken broth
2 quarts water
3 Tablespoons Better than Bouillon chicken base
2 cups half-and-half
1 6 to 8-ounce package smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (or more, if desired)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in water
2 teaspoons liquid smoke

Saute the onions, garlic and thyme in the stick of butter until translucent (approximately 10 minutes). Add a little water to help along and not burn. Add the chicken broth and the cleaned roasted peppers. Add the water, chicken base, half-and-half and black pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Add shredded Gouda, remaining three tablespoons of butter and liquid smoke. Return to low heat and add cornstarch. Bring to just below a boil. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy (Hint: Add more chicken broth or water if soup seems too thick.)

Featured photo: Steve Yurish. Courtesy photo.

Soup’s on

Epsom soup/chili/chowder cook-off to return

If you think you make the best bowl of soup, chili or chowder around, you’ll have a chance to prove it at Epsom Central School’s annual cook-off. Now through Feb. 14, entrants are welcome to participate in the friendly competition, which is due to return for its ninth year on Monday, March 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. inside the school’s gymnasium.

“It’s been a huge event for us, and it’s a great community builder,” school business secretary and cook-off coordinator Stephanie Colvin said. “We try to get different people in from all over.”

Originally conceived as a much smaller fundraiser mostly among the school’s teachers and staff, the cook-off has grown over the years to now feature dozens of entrants across three judging categories: soups, chilis and chowders. After a brief hiatus in 2021, the event is returning with a few tweaks, Colvin said, such as additional seating in the cafeteria to allow for distancing.

There is no fee to register as an entrant — soup and chili makers can access the entry form through the event’s Facebook page. Each participant also receives three free sampling tickets.

For tasters, tickets will be sold at the door and will include access to up to 10 four-ounce sampling cups per attendee for adults and five sampling cups for kids ages 10 and under, along with sides of corn bread. Part of the fun is that you never know which different flavors of soups, chilis and chowder you may encounter at the cook-off in any given year.

“You have your typical seafood chowders or your tomato soups,” Colvin said. “We’ve had a Tuscan soup and a chicken bacon wild rice soup. One year we had a dill pickle soup, and then somebody also did a chocolate raspberry delight soup … I feel like the stranger or the more curious it is, the more people are going to go over to try it.”

Chilis, meanwhile, also usually include an eclectic mix of options, from chicken or turkey to a venison chili. Entrants like to give their soups, chilis and chowders all kinds of unique names.

A panel of nine judges — three for each category — gives entrants a score on a 10-point scaling system and adds them all up at the end of the night. Winners from each of the three categories receive a “Souper Bowl” trophy, and the top vote getter also wins a $50 Visa gift card. Two People’s Choice recipients from each category are awarded ribbons.

Proceeds from the cook-off help fund various student activities at Epsom Central School, from field trips to clothing needs.

9th annual Epsom Central School soup/chili/chowder cook-off

When: Monday, March 7, 5 to 7 p.m. (registrations are due by Monday, Feb. 14)
Where: Epsom Central School, 282 Black Hall Road, Epsom
Cost: $8 for adults and $6 for kids ages 10 and under (includes access to up to 10 four-ounce samples for adults and up to five samples for kids, plus cornbread). Tickets are sold at the door while supplies last. Registration as a soup, chili or chowder entrant is free.
More info: See “9th Annual ECS Soup/Chili/Chowder Cook-off” on Facebook, or email cook-off coordinator Stephanie Colvin at scolvin@sau53.org.
Entrants must provide at least one gallon or more of their soup, chili or chowder, along with a slow cooker, a large serving spoon or ladle, and a displayed list of its ingredients. Each entrant will also receive three free sampling tickets.

Featured photo: Three-time trophy winner Heather Brown will return to Epsom Central School’s ninth annual soup/chili/chowder cook-off on March 7. Courtesy photo.

Chocolate, cheese and more

Loon Chocolate and 603 Charcuterie join forces for new retail shop

Scott Watson was perusing Netflix one day in the winter of 2017 when he came across a documentary about a Southeast Asian coffeehouse. He tuned in to learn the shop also produced its own chocolate onsite — a catalyst for what would end up becoming his newest venture.

“It just triggered something in me and got me thinking, ‘How come I don’t know how chocolate is made?’” said Watson, who worked as a craft brewer during the mid to late 1990s at the now closed Nutfield Brewing Co. in Derry. “I started diving into it … and it brought me back to my brewing days. It fascinated me that there was fermentation involved, and that there seemed to be so many parallels to craft brewing. … It intrigued me enough to start making it at my house.”

Courtesy photo.

That was how Loon Chocolate, based in Manchester, was born — Watson sold his first chocolate bar in the spring of 2018. On Feb. 5, he opened his first retail shop, teaming up with Theresa Zwart of 603 Charcuterie to also feature New Hampshire-made specialty foods like cheeses, jams, hot sauces, crackers and mustards.

Watson and Zwart are the first commercial tenants of The Factory on Willow, a former Queen City shoe factory turned apartment and business complex. The new shop also has an adjoining chocolate production facility that is double the size of Watson’s former manufacturing space.

Loon’s chocolates are handcrafted in small batches from bean to bar, its cacao beans sourced from multiple growers across Bolivia, Belize, Uganda, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

“We get beans in and we’re roasting and doing every single step from bean to bar,” Watson said. “There’s no curtain hiding people in the back room that are opening up pallets of pre-made chocolate and melting them down into an Easter Bunny for you.”

In addition to offering a lineup of 12 flavored bars, Watson has since expanded his product line to include bagged cacao nibs, dark chocolate cocoa bombs and a do-it-yourself chocolate-infused elixir kit. All of these items are now available for sale out of his new storefront.

Courtesy photo.

Zwart, meanwhile, is utilizing the space as a one-stop shop for all of the New Hampshire-made products featured on her charcuterie boards, like cheeses from Bell & Goose Cheese Co. of South Hampton and Abbot Hill Creamery of Wilton, cured meats from Short Creek Farm of Northwood, and mustards from the Blackwater Mustard Co. of Contoocook. Even the boards themselves, built by Souhegan Wood Designs of Amherst, are sold in various shapes and sizes.

Since launching 603 Charcuterie in late 2020 as a small takeout ordering business, Zwart has gone on to teach charcuterie board-building classes at local breweries and wineries, and has also expanded into catering larger boards and grazing tables for weddings. She and Watson first developed a business relationship last year when she started purchasing Loon’s chocolates for use on her boards. They’re also commonly served samples at her classes.

“We’re going to have charcuterie boxes to go, so premade charcuterie boards that people can just pick up,” Zwart said. “I want to bring in some other stuff in the next few weeks too, so things like honeys, maple syrups, and maybe an olive oil for dipping bread.”

Other items in the store include loose leaf teas from 27 Teas of Candia, cooking salts from the Maine Sea Salt Co., and craft marshmallows from Nomadic Kitchen of Vermont.

Events are already being planned for the space, starting with a multi-course tasting menu centered around Loon’s chocolate by Dahlia Restaurant, a series of farm-to-table pop-up dinners across New Hampshire. They’ll be hosting limited seatings on Friday, Feb. 11, and Saturday, Feb. 12 — one at 6 p.m. on Friday and two at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

“We’re also planning on doing some sort of chocolate and wine tasting … just to take advantage of the space that we have and to give the wineries a chance to talk about their products and pair them up with some chocolate,” Watson said.

Loon Chocolate & 603 Charcuterie

Where: The Factory on Willow, 252 Willow St., Manchester
Hours: Friday, Feb. 11, noon to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 13, 8 to 11 a.m.; hours for future dates TBA
More info: Visit loonchocolate.com or 603charcuterie.com, or find them on Facebook and Instagram

Featured photo: Courtesy photos.

The Weekly Dish 22/02/10

News from the local food scene

• Romantic meals: Still haven’t made plans yet for Valentine’s Day? There may still be time depending on where you go. Check out our listings that ran in the Feb. 3 issue; they begin on page 22. You’ll find dozens of special menus and dinners at local eateries, as well as sweet gift-giving ideas at chocolate and candy shops and bakeries with their own special offerings. Since Feb. 14 falls on a Monday this year, some businesses are opening their doors on the weekday when they would normally be closed, while others are choosing to celebrate all throughout the preceding weekend. Go to issuu.com/hippopress and click on the Feb. 3 issue to read the e-edition for free — and be sure to contact each establishment directly for the most up-to-date availability on reservations and takeout items.

• More drive-thru 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, Feb. 20, from noon to 1 p.m. Now through Wednesday, Feb. 16, orders are being accepted for boxed meals featuring dinners of Greek meatballs, rice pilaf, Greek salad and a roll for $15 per person. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — email ordermygreekfood@gmail.com or call 953-3051 to place your order. The church is also planning a similar takeout and pickup meal featuring chicken and orzo, scheduled for March 13. Visit holytrinitynh.org.

• Get into the spirit: The New Hampshire Liquor Commission has a couple of special virtual events planned for this week. On Friday, Feb. 11, from 6 to 7 p.m., they’ll be helping you gear up for the Big Game — brand representatives from Crown Royal, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan will be tuning in for some game day cocktail recipes and ideas, which you can also access by visiting liquorandwineoutlets.com/diageosuperbowl. Then on Thursday, Feb. 17, from 5 to 6 p.m., the NHLC will hold a behind-the-scenes tour of Fabrizia Spirits in Salem, which has grown into one of the leading purveyors of limoncello in the United States. After the tour, co-founder Phil Mastroianni will be sharing a cocktail recipe using Fabrizia’s crema di pistacchio, the newest addition to his product lineup. Both events are free to sign up via Zoom, or you can watch them live on Facebook @nhliquorwine (click the “live” tab to access the videos).

• Make way for Mardi Gras: Save the date for A Mardi Gras Wine Festival, an event presented by St. Thomas Aquinas Church that’s happening at the Aquinas Center (26 Crystal Ave., Derry) on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. The evening will include samplings of several New Hampshire-made wines, along with live music, raffles, games, a door prize, food and more. Tickets are $40 per person or $70 per couple. Visit stthomasderry.org for more details, or call the church office at 432-5000 to purchase tickets.

In the kitchen with Donna Tammaro

Donna Tammaro of Derry is the owner and co-founder of Tammaro’s Cucina (469 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 377-7312, tammaroscucina.com), an eatery offering home-cooked Italian meals that she opened last July with her daughter, Lindsey Russo. Tammaro’s Cucina features a diverse menu of of dishes cooked to order, including chicken Parm, meat lasagna, stuffed shells, and chicken broccoli alfredo, plus hot subs, Sicilian pizzas, and a rotating soup of the day with flavors like Italian chicken or pasta fagioli. With 24-hour advance notice, half- or full-sized pasta trays can be ordered that feed about six to eight or 12 to 16 people, respectively — each comes with a loaf of garlic bread featuring a garlic butter Tammaro makes in house. Originally from the Boston area, Tammaro also lived in Manchester for several years.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

My Cuisinart food processor.

What would you have for your last meal?

Lobster, steamed with butter.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Ignite [Bar & Grille in Manchester]. My sister and her family go there all the time and that was how I started going. … I love to get a lot of different things there. Their steak tips are really good.

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

Adam Sandler.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

The Tammaro’s tortellini special. It’s a five-cheese tortellini with alfredo, and it’s got pancetta, spinach and mushrooms. It was my own creation.

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

Mexican food. I feel like I’ve seen so many Mexican places opening up lately.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love to cook hamburgers on the grill. I also really like to make American chop suey.

Italian mac and cheese
From the kitchen of Donna Tammaro of Tammaro’s Cucina in Litchfield

8 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons butter (plus extra for greasing)
1 pound cavatappi pasta
¼ cup breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, minced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add fontina, mozzarella, heavy cream, butter and half a cup of Parmesan and stir until combined. Cook for about four minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Bring a pan of water to a boil and cook the pasta. Drain and add to the cheese mixture. Mix well. Grease the dish slightly with butter and dust with the breadcrumbs. Pour the pasta and cheese sauce into the dish. Sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with basil.

Featured photo: Donna Tammaro. Courtesy photo.

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