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 [email protected].

In the kitchen with Jeremy Guyotte

Jeremy Guyotte is the head chef of Rambling House Food & Gathering (57 Factory St., Nashua, 318-3220, ramblingtale.com), which opened in early March just a few weeks after its adjoining sister establishment, TaleSpinner Brewery. Both are owned and operated by the Gleeson family, who also run 2nd Nature Academy (formerly known as The Nature of Things) in Nashua. With an overall focus on sustainability, the eatery’s dinner and bar menus feature a diverse offering of scratch-cooked meat, seafood and vegetarian options that rotate with the seasons, with ingredients sourced from purveyors all over New England in addition to the Gleesons’ own farm. A native of Gloucester, Mass., Guyotte has extensive experience working with seafood, most notably during culinary stints he spent at Captain Carlo’s Oceanfront and at Passports Restaurant in Cape Ann.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Radio. Music is an inspiration throughout the day. Oftentimes, music will spawn ideas in the kitchen and those ideas turn into delicious creations.

What would you have for your last meal?

To me, food is about the people, places, stories and traditions. That may mean crossing camel kabsa off my bucket list, but it has to be in Saudi Arabia on the sands with a Bedouin family. Or, it may be that I am with my family on the Sicilian coast during a beautiful Mediterranean sunset.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I unfortunately haven’t explored the local scene as much as I would have liked to yet, since half my time in New Hampshire thus far has been during Covid. That said, I love our downtown neighbors in Nashua. Stella Blu and CodeX have been highlights for my family.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Rambling House?

Tom Brady. We both married women named Giselle and we’re the same age. Clearly, we’d be best friends.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

As of today, monkfish puttanesca, or the house-smoked salmon. We also serve some of the best ice cream I have ever tried in my life and I’m not alone in that opinion. God bless [Rambling House president and co-founder] Erin Gleeson, who makes it from scratch.

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

There is an increase in an understanding and appreciation for local producers. … At Rambling House, we are in a unique scenario, because we are building and expanding, and we are trying to source as much locally and from our own farm as we can. There is a lot of growth yet to come, but getting involved in the local community is showing us how much of a passion and demand there is out there from our guests, and the like-minded mission from our fellow restaurateurs and farmers.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Burgers [and] barbecue. … My children really love “mayonnaise chicken.” … It’s mayonnaise, Parmesan [and] spices, spread on chicken [with] bread crumbs and more cheese, baked. Unreal and not my personal favorite, but they love it.

Fresh fish papillote
According to Rambling House head chef Jeremy Guyotte, papillote is a classic French technique of sealing seafood with aromatics and baking or grilling it, trapping all the flavors and natural essences inside its own little “oven” of paper or foil.

1 whole fish or fish filet (any fresh fish will do)
2 Tablespoons compound butter

Compound butter (combine following ingredients):
Butter
Shallots
Capers
Basil
Parsley
Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
White wine
Olive oil

Combine compound butter ingredients, mixing well, then set aside. Place your fish on a piece of foil large enough to fold up over it. Smother with two tablespoons of compound butter. Starting at one corner of the foil, fold it into a triangle and seal it up by pinching the sides. Throw it in the oven on 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or on the grill for 8 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then open and enjoy with your favorite summer sides.

Featured photo: Jeremy Guyotte. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 22/06/23

News from the local food scene

• Last call for your Jewish feast: This is the final full week to order online for Temple B’Nai Israel’s 25th annual New Hampshire Jewish Food Festival — now through June 30 you can visit tbinh.org and order from the temple’s menu of traditional Jewish-style foods, most of which feature recipes that have been handed down multiple generations. Offerings include sandwiches with corned beef, pastrami and tongue from Evan’s New York Style Deli in Marblehead, Mass., served on seeded and unseeded rye bread from Laconia Village Bakery. They’re available for individual orders as well as in custom deli sandwich “picnic packs” with coleslaw, pickles, deli mustard and rugelach, a sweet crescent-shaped cookie. New this year are two Middle Eastern items — halva, a sweet treat available in vanilla, marble or pistachio flavors, and a homemade Israeli salad with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a lemon dressing. Other featured options are matzah ball soups, crispy potato latkes, homemade strudel, New York-style knishes and hamantaschen (triangular-shaped filled cookies), which are available in three flavors. All online orders will be available for pickup by appointment at Temple B’Nai Israel (210 Court St., Laconia) between Friday, July 22, and Sunday, July 24. Visit tbinh.org.

• Edible landscapes: Join Chef Liz Barbour of The Creative Feast in Hollis for her next open garden tour, to be held rain or shine on Sunday, June 26, from noon to 4 p.m. on her property at 5 Broad St. in Hollis. Visitors are welcome for a self-guided tour of Barbour’s edible gardens to learn about how she incorporates various herbs, vegetables, fruits and edible flowers into her own home-cooked meals. Barbour, who is known for her various cooking classes and demonstrations, oftentimes using her own freshly grown ingredients, is also the author of the 2017 book Beautifully Delicious: Cooking with Herbs & Edible Flowers. Some of her other upcoming events include virtual appearances on behalf of the Baker Free Library in Bow on Monday, June 27, at 6:30 p.m., and the Amherst Town Library on Wednesday, June 29, at 7 p.m. — during each Feasting from the New England Seaside program, Barbour will share tips about buying, storing and preparing seafood at home and will demonstrate two recipes. Visit each library’s website to register and receive a Zoom link.

• Brews for a cause: Get your tickets now for the third annual Kingston Brewfest, happening on Saturday, June 25, from 2 to 6 p.m. on the Kingston town plains (148 Main St., Kingston). The event will feature a variety of craft beers and ciders being poured throughout the afternoon from nearly 40 area breweries, along with live music, games, and food options from more than a half-dozen local food trucks. Tickets are $40 per person, which grants you access to unlimited five-ounce pours. Designated drivers receive $7 admission (21+ admission only for all attendees, including designated drivers). Donations are also welcome to the Kingston Volunteer Fire Association, a beneficiary of the festival. Visit kingstonbrew.com.

In the kitchen with Dan Lloyd

Dan Lloyd of Hillsborough is the owner and founder of the Big Dog Sauce Co. (bigdogsauce.com, and on Facebook and TikTok), a producer of all-natural barbecue sauces that launched earlier this spring. Originally from the Denver area, Lloyd moved east about five years ago. The company, which currently offers three bottled products and has a fourth on the way, stemmed from Lloyd’s longtime interest in barbecuing and making his own sauces at home. Big Dog Sauce Co.’s lineup includes a maple barbecue sauce, a mango habanero barbecue sauce, and a green chile barbecue sauce made with Anaheim chile peppers — the latter, Lloyd said, was inspired by his desire to bring an authentic taste of the Southwest to New England. A blackberry ginger barbecue sauce is also in the works, likely to be bottled and available in the coming weeks. Find 12-ounce bottles of Big Dog Sauce in multiple stores and farm stands across the state, including at the Osborne’s Agway locations in Hooksett (16 Cinemagic Way) and Concord (258 Sheep Davis Road), as well as at Lull Farm in Milford (615 Route 13), Goffstown Ace Hardware (5 Depot Road, Goffstown) and several others.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I have to have an emulsion blender. It’s absolutely crucial for me to make sure that my sauces are blended properly.

What would you have for your last meal?

I would have to go with a really good Coney Island hot dog, with chili, onions and mustard.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Locally, I think it would be Taco Beyondo [in Hillsborough], hands down. I think [owner and chef] Adam [Mosher] does a great job over there. … I love the stuffed chimichanga, extra crispy, with a queso sauce that they put over the top of it.

What celebrity would you like to see trying one of your sauces?

Guy Fieri [is] the person I would really like to have try my sauces. … He would be very down to earth and humble, and I think my sauce would be well-received.

What is your favorite sauce that you offer?

I like our mango habanero. It’s hands down our No. 1 seller. You have the sweetness of the mango, then all of a sudden you get a little bit of the heat and you get the flavor of the habanero. It’s not spicy, but it’s just enough to give you that zing that you need, and then as soon as it comes it goes away and you get more sweetness on the back of your palate. … I love to marinate it in some chicken and then cook it on the grill.

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

Popping up all over is ghost kitchens. They are a great way for people to introduce their product without having the overhead. … The other thing is it allows businesses that they rent from to be able to generate revenue.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love a good rack of ribs.

Pork belly burnt ends
From the kitchen of Dan Lloyd of Big Dog Sauce Co.

1 whole pork belly (about 8 to 10 pounds)
1 stick cold butter
2 cups of your favorite seasoning
1 bottle Big Dog Sauce Co. mango habanero sauce

Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees. Slice the pork belly into 1½-inch cubes and place into a large gallon zip-lock bag. Pour your seasoning into the bag and coat the pork belly liberally. Take pork belly and place on a wire rack about a half-inch apart, then place inside the smoker for three hours. Remove from the smoker and place all of the pork belly pieces in a deep aluminum pan. Take one stick of cold butter and cut into slices. Place inside the pork belly and then take the bottle of mango habanero sauce and a sprinkle of brown sugar over the top, and mix it together in the pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook for an additional hour and a half.

Featured photo: Dan Lloyd of the Big Dog Sauce Co. in Hillsborough. Courtesy photo.

Popping the cork

LaBelle Winery unveils new sparkling wine barn in Derry

Last year was quite a busy one for LaBelle Winery — in 2021 alone, the company introduced a farm-to-table restaurant, a retail market, performance and event spaces and even a golf course, all on a 45-acre property on Route 111 in Derry acquired the previous December. The expansions have continued in the form of an on-site sparkling wine tasting barn and vineyard wedding ceremony space, brand new additions that recently began welcoming visitors. Following a June 8 ribbon cutting with the Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, a grand opening celebration is planned for Wednesday, June 22, and will include a cocktail reception, hors d’oeuvres, tours of the new property, an interactive sparkling wine display and more.

Construction on the 3,448-square-foot barn broke ground last October. A short walking path from the northeast end of the parking lot leads to the front doors of the tasting room.

Amy LaBelle, who founded LaBelle Winery in 2005, said building the barn was always part of the plan since she and her husband, Cesar Arboleda, took over the Derry property. Its chief purpose will be a production facility for new sparkling wine varieties created via Méthode Champenoise, a classic French technique only a few New England area wineries are known for.

“We have all these interesting businesses now under the LaBelle umbrella, but we can’t ever forget that the core of LaBelle is wine,” LaBelle said. “Real French-style Champagne is something that I’ve always wanted to make but just didn’t have enough production space for. … So we’ll be able to do that, and I’m really excited to use New England grapes for that process.”

The wines

Plans are currently underway to soon begin producing red, white and rosé sparkling wines out of the new barn. The building features a retail area and tasting room in the front and a production space in the back, plus a covered outdoor patio and an open-air terrace overlooking the vineyard.

Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines are characterized by a second fermentation inside the bottle during the production process. Bottles are intentionally filled with a lower percent ABV wine before yeast is added, as well as a dosage, or a new small amount of wine and sugar, for the yeast to eat. The bottle is then secured with a crown cap for the yeast to go to work.

“It starts breaking down the sugars, creating that extra one or two percent alcohol from what you’ve put in, and creating carbon dioxide as a byproduct,” LaBelle said. “So that’s how that wine gets bubbly. It’s created in the bottle that you’ll eventually drink from. … It also adds these beautiful bread-y notes, which is one reason why I love this method.”

The yeast eventually causes a residual substance called lees to form at the bottom of the bottle. After the second fermentation, LaBelle said, the next step of Méthode Champenoise involves removing the lees through a gradual process known as riddling.

“There are A-frame riddling racks and we place the neck of the bottle into them so that they’re at an angle … and then we turn those bottles every week, maybe just like an eighth of a turn, and that causes the lees to eventually make its way all into the neck,” she said. “That takes a long time, and I never had the space for all these racks before now. I could’ve put them out, but I would’ve had to move them too many times, and that would’ve disturbed the whole process.”

When the lees reaches the bottleneck, it’s flash frozen with nitrogen so it can be removed.

“When the plug goes out, [the bottle] gets a little low, so we fill it back up, pop in the cork and we’re off to the races,” LaBelle said.

LaBelle’s new sparkling wines created using this method will join its dozens of other wines and handcrafted artisan products available for sale out of the barn’s retail area, which include everything from jams, jellies and infused syrups to cooking oils, seasonings and more.

The vineyard

At about 3 acres, LaBelle’s newly planted vineyard in Derry is roughly the same size as its Amherst predecessor. It spans across a former golf course driving range adjacent to the wine barn, with a direct path from there to a central wedding ceremony space among the vines.

“In the middle of the vineyard, we’ve created an arbor built largely out of wine barrel materials,” LaBelle said. “So the idea is that if you want to get married in the vineyard, that space is available to you, and then you would recess up the path to the terrace, which fits 200 people for your cocktail hour. … Then you can go over to our ballroom for your dinner.”

Three grape varieties that have been planted in the vineyard — known as itasca, petit pear and cayuga — are all cold-hardy varieties suitable to withstand the cold winter climate. It will take about two years for the new vines to produce fruit that can be used for winemaking, LaBelle said, and until then the winery is expected to use grapes grown by local farmers.

“We’ll also be planting at the other side of the barn … so when you stand in the tasting room, you’ll literally be surrounded by vineyards, and you won’t be able to see the outside world,” she said. “We really wanted to give people that sense of being transported to wine country.”

The celebration

If you missed last week’s ribbon cutting ceremony for the wine barn, a ticketed grand opening celebration on June 22 will feature a uniquely intimate opportunity to experience the new space.

Attendees will get a chance to tour the property and learn more about the Méthode Champenoise process of making sparkling wine, as well as enjoy hors d’oeuvres and hear future plans for the barn. All ticket holders will also receive a complimentary signed copy of With a Twist, LaBelle’s own cocktail recipe book. The evening will even feature an interactive sparkling wine display.

“We have a performer coming who has a Champagne dress, so you’ll be served Champagne glasses from her dress, which is a whole thing,” LaBelle said. “It will be a lot of fun.”

LaBelle Winery Derry sparkling wine barn
A grand opening celebration is happening on Wednesday, June 22, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased online.

Where: 14 Route 111, Derry
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. (the barn stays open an hour later on Thursdays, until 6 p.m., during LaBelle Winery’s concert nights)
Cost: Tastings are six for $14 or 10 for $20
More info: Visit labellewinery.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram or call 672-9898

Featured photo: Sparkling wines are placed on riddling racks during the production process to remove excess yeast. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

The Weekly Dish 22/06/16

News from the local food scene

• Greek for a day: Join St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (1160 Bridge St., Manchester) for the return of its annual lamb barbecue and food festival on Saturday, June 18 — the deadline to pre-order online may have passed, but walk-ups will still be welcome beginning at noon and while supplies last. As with previous barbecues, the lamb is prepared using a recipe from the late George Moulis, one of the co-founders of the church. It will be available as a dinner with rice and a Greek salad, while other items will include marinated Greek chicken, Greek-style meatballs, pastitsio (Greek lasagna with a bechamel sauce), dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) and spanakopita (spinach pie). For sweeter indulgences, there will be baklava, as well as koulourakia (butter cookies) and kourambiethes (powdered sugar cookies). Admission and parking is free and all foods are priced per item. Visit stnicholasgreekchurch.com.

• Strawberry fever: J&F Farms (124 Chester Road, Derry) will hold a strawberry festival on Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring pick-your-own strawberries, free samples, a petting farm, food trucks, live music and more. Farm-fresh strawberries over vanilla ice cream will be available from noon to as long as they last. Parking is $10 per car. Visit jandffarmsnh.com. More local strawberry festivals are also being planned in the coming weeks, including the Hollis Strawberry Festival, returning on Sunday, June 26, from 2 to 4 p.m.

• Outdoor barbecueing: Farm-a-Q: A Juneteenth Celebration returns to Tuckaway Farm (36 Captain Smith Emerson Road, Lee) on Sunday, June 19, from noon to 5 p.m. The event is a collaboration celebration with the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Indonesian Community Connect, the Cowasuck Band of the Penacook Abenaki People and other local community groups, and features foraging walks, craft brews, barbecue options and more. The cost is $35 per person, $25 for students and seniors and free for kids under 5. Find Tuckaway Farm on Facebook @tuckawayfarmnh.

• Tapas and wines: A new eatery now open in Salem features a wide array of wines and locally sourced tapas, along with lounge seating, live music and comedy shows. Luna Bistro, which opened June 10 in the Breckenridge Plaza on North Broadway, is the brainchild of owner Kori Doherty, whose goal is to create a space with a relaxing vibe with good drinks and quality shareable plates. “It’s … more of a night-out type of experience as opposed to just somewhere you would go to eat and then leave,” Doherty told the Hippo earlier this year. “I really want it to be a place where you can have a good glass of wine or a beer and a bunch of really good appetizers, maybe watch a show or listen to a band, and just not feel rushed.” The food menu features everything from meat and seafood options to dips, spreads and flatbreads, and there is also an extensive wine list and craft beer selection. Visit luna-bistro.com.

In the kitchen with Meredith Thomas

Meredith Thomas of Derry is the owner and founder of Mimi Rae’s Gluten Free Bakery (mimiraesglutenfreebakery.com, and on Facebook and Instagram), a producer of small-batch handcrafted gluten-free items like cookies, scones, breads, bagels, cinnamon rolls, cake pops and more. Originally from the Chicago area, Thomas moved to New England about three years ago. She first got into making gluten-free treats shortly after her husband was diagnosed with Celiac disease — eventually, after a period of developing and mastering her technique, Thomas started selling her treats at the encouragement of her family. Find Mimi Rae’s Gluten Free Bakery at the Salem Farmers Market (Tuscan Village, 10 Via Toscana, Salem) on Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the Derry Homegrown Farm & Artisan Market (1 W. Broadway, Derry) on Wednesdays, from 3 to 7 p.m. Thomas’s gluten-free treats can also be ordered online.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

My No. 1 thing is my mixer. I have two mixers — one for making some bigger, heftier doughs and then one for frostings.

What would you have for your last meal?

Risotto is my favorite. I like the versatility of it.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

We love Sabatino’s [North] in Derry. Their risotto is amazing.

What celebrity would you like to see trying something that you’ve baked?

I follow a lady named Tara Thueson. She’s an Instagram influencer and she’s gluten-free.

What is your favorite gluten-free item that you offer?

The chocolate chip cookies. As basic as they are, I love to just take a regular cookie and then add a little flair to it. … For example, in the wintertime I’ll add in peppermint M&Ms.

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

I see a lot of bakery storefronts now with these huge jumbo cookies. People get so excited for them.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Honestly, dinner is my favorite thing. We have four kids [and] we are so busy with activities and sports with the family, so it’s super important for me to always have a dinner prepared and ready to go. … My kids also love fettuccine alfredo, and the Barilla gluten-free pasta is our favorite that seems to hold up the best.

Gluten-free fettuccine alfredo
From the kitchen of Meredith Thomas of Mimi Rae’s Gluten Free Bakery

1 box Barilla gluten-free fettuccine pasta
2 room temperature eggs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup cooked bacon

Fill a pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta. After five minutes, pull out one cup of pasta water. Whisk the eggs and slowly add the pasta water. Drain pasta and place back in the pot. Add egg and water mixture to the pasta and mix thoroughly. Add Parmesan cheese, peas and bacon (optional: if pasta is too thick, milk can be added to make it creamier).

Featured photo: Meredith Thomas. Courtesy photo.

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