Category: Food

Frosted apricot biscotti

This week is Recipe No. 2 in my three-week biscotti series. Last week was all about maple syrup season; this week is an any-time-of-year recipe. The focal flavor in the biscotti is apricot. What makes it a year-round recipe is that it uses dried fruit.

You may think to yourself, “Let’s be creative and use fresh apricots!”

That is the one caveat to this recipe. You must use dried apricots. Biscotti are meant to be fairly dry cookies. If you use fresh fruit, it imparts too much moisture, which negatively affects the structure of the dough.

Speaking of the dryness of biscotti, I have met a person or two who prefers a slightly softer cookie. There is a simple way to remedy that. In the second phase of baking, when the biscotti are cut into slices, you can reduce the time by a minute or two per side. The only tricky part is to make sure the slices are fully baked. You want some softness, not raw treats.

Whether you like your biscotti traditionally dry or slightly softer, this recipe produces a nice apricot-centric snack.

Frosted apricot biscotti
Makes 28

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced dried apricot
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on speed 2 for 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth.
Stir in vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and blend until fully combined.
Stir diced apricots into dough.
Divide dough in half.
Shape each half into a 10″ x 3″ rectangle, using floured hands.
Set loaves 4 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is set.
Leaving the oven on, remove the biscotti loaves and cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet.
Using a butcher knife, cut the loaves into diagonal slices, 1/2″ thick.
Place the slices on the baking sheet with the cut sides down.
Bake for 9 minutes.
Turn over slices, and bake for 8 to 9 minutes more.
Remove biscotti from the oven, and allow to cool completely on a baking rack.
Place powdered sugar in a small bowl, and add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until a thick glaze is formed.
Coat each biscotti slice with glaze.
Allow glaze to set, placing in the refrigerator to speed the set, if desired.
Store in a sealed container.

Featured Photo: Frosted apricot biscotti. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Matt Romano

Matt Romano of Manchester is the owner of Grace’s Kitchen Pizza Truck (find them on Facebook @graceskitchen603), which launched last fall. Named after Romano’s paternal grandmother, a major influence on his life and cooking, Grace’s Kitchen Pizza Truck features a menu of specialty pizzas available in a variety of flavors, as well as other items like hand-breaded chicken tenders, loaded Tater Tots, french fries and fried Oreos. The truck has parked at multiple spots across southern New Hampshire, like J&F Farms in Derry and Over the Moon Farmstead in Pittsfield, as well as in the Merrimack Valley and North Shore areas of Massachusetts. Romano is also booked to appear at several upcoming festivals this spring and summer, including Intown Concord’s annual Market Days Festival this June. Weekly posts on the truck’s whereabouts are updated on its Facebook page. Grace’s Kitchen Pizza Truck is also available to book for private events and parties.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I would say a ladle. Especially with pizza, a ladle is very important when it comes to spreading on the sauces, and then I also use it for other menu items, whether it’s covering chicken tenders in Buffalo sauce or teriyaki sauce, or covering tater tots in cheese or gravy.

What would you have for your last meal?

My mom’s macaroni pie. It’s a recipe that’s been passed down a couple of generations, starting with my nana, down to my mom, and now I’ve been tweaking it.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

The Crazy Noodle [House] in Londonderry. The food there is awesome, it’s always so fresh, and the service is always great. … I take my niece and nephew there usually about once a month or so, and they love it.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your truck?

Jon Favreau. He had that movie, Chef, which revolves around a food truck, and he’s got a great TV show on Netflix too that’s based off of that.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

That would be one of our specialty pizzas, which is called the Mac 10. It’s a spinoff of a fast food favorite with a little bit of a kick. … We do 19-inch round pizzas and we sell them by the slice.

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

I don’t know if it’s just me being new to the market, but it seems like food trucks are on fire this year. … The reason why I got into them was because I love how they give people a chance to really show off their menu to a large crowd in a small area. You go to a food truck festival and you can choose from 20 to 30 different types of food … and each chef is homing in on whatever they want and making it the best that it can possibly be.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love making my own Greek marinated chicken and making some sort of kebab or healthy salad with it from scratch.

Easy chicken broccoli alfredo casserole
Courtesy of Matt Romano of Grace’s Kitchen Pizza Truck

1 pound chicken breast, cut into one-inch pieces
2 broccoli crowns, chopped
1 pound penne or similar pasta
3 cups alfredo sauce
2 cups ricotta
2 cups mozzarella
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Boil pasta to al dente. Saute chicken in a pan. Combine chicken, pasta, broccoli, alfredo sauce and ricotta in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add mixture to a casserole dish. Layer mozzarella and then Parmesan on top of the casserole. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top begins to brown.

Featured photo: Matt Romano. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 22/03/03

News from the local food scene

• Make it maple: 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. At Ben’s Sugar Shack (83 Webster Hwy., Temple), for instance, maple sugaring tours start the weekend of Saturday, March 5, and Sunday, March 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free tours of the premises beginning every 15 minutes. Samples will be provided and items will be available inside the gift shop, including everything from maple syrup to maple cotton candy, fudge, roasted nuts, doughnuts and more. For a walk back through time, check out one of the sugar camp hiking tours being offered at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road) on Saturdays, March 12, March 19 and March 26, at 1 p.m. Local land surveyor Mark Stevens will lead guests on a tour to the Shakers’ remote sugar camp, where they produced maple syrup each year. A full list of local sugarhouses participating in New Hampshire Maple Month (including New Hampshire Maple Weekend, set for Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20) can be found on the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association website at nhmapleproducers.com.

• Bowlfuls of deliciousness: The ninth annual soup/chili/chowder cook-off is happening at Epsom Central School (282 Black Hall Road, Epsom) on Monday, March 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. Dozens of local soup, chili and chowder makers will participate in this friendly competition to raise money for various student activities at the school. 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. The cost to attend the cook-off as a taster is $8 for adults and $6 for kids ages 10 and under, and includes access to up to 10 four-ounce sampling cups for adults and up to five samples for kids, along with sides of cornbread. Tickets will be sold at the door while supplies last. For more details, see “9th annual ECS Soup/Chili/Chowder Cook-off” on Facebook, or find our story about the event on page 25 of the Hippo’s Feb. 10 issue.

• New date for Amherst chili cook-off: A new date has been set for the Amherst Lions Club’s annual Fire & Ice chili cook-off and ice cream social, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 4 but postponed due to rising Covid numbers. Amherst Lion Joan Ferguson said the event will now be held on Friday, March 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Amherst Middle School (14 Cross Road). This will be the first in-person cook-off in two years following last year’s pre-recorded “virtual” event. Local restaurateurs and community members compete for the title of the best chili in one of three categories, and winners are awarded an engraved trophy and bragging rights for a year. Admission is $8 for adults and free for kids under 5, or $25 per family of four, with proceeds benefiting local charities selected by the Lions Club. Visit e-clubhouse.org/sites/amherstnh or follow them on Facebook @amherstnhlionsclub.

• Spring into healthy eating: Local Baskit (10 Ferry St., Suite 120A, Concord) is offering its next Instant Pot series, a seven-week program featuring various pressure cooker meals, from the week of March 7 through April 18. The theme is “spring and speed,” with quick and healthy options designed for those with busy and active lifestyles. The seven-week series includes all of the pre-measured (and, in some cases, pre-chopped) ingredients for each meal, along with complete instructions and a tested recipe serving three to five. Meals include teriyaki chicken, butternut squash farro risotto, lemon mustard chicken with potatoes, vegan white bean stew, cashew chicken, curried spring vegetable potato chaat, and fig and pig quiche. The cost is $64 for the full seven weeks. Dinners can be picked up at Local Baskit or can be delivered to select towns on Tuesdays or Wednesdays — visit localbaskit.com for the full list of drop-off locations.

• Tastes from the trucks: Tickets to this year’s Great Bay Food Truck Festival will go on sale beginning Monday, March 7. The second annual event will return for the first time since 2019 on Saturday, May 7, from noon to 5 p.m. at Stratham Hill Park (270 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham). The rain-or-shine festival is being organized by the Stratham Parks and Recreation department in conjunction with the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce, and will feature dozens of food trucks and vendors, as well as lawn games, live music and more. Admission starts at $5, while all available foods and drinks are priced per item Visit greatbayfoodtruckfestival.com.

Beer, slopeside

Beer and skiing: Yeah, they go together

I’ve snowboarded, or well, known how to snowboard for, I don’t know, 15 years, even if there’s about a 10- to 12-year gap in that window where I didn’t even look at my snowboard.

I’m not good at it and I still get stressed out about getting off the chairlift — and even if I manage to stay upright, I’ll probably knock over whoever is next to me. A three-seater? Forget it.

I met some friends at Pats Peak last year for an evening on the slopes. It reminded me of why it’s such a literal high to experience the rush of the mountainside.

The thing is, hitting the slopes is tiring, and if you’re on the mountain for an extended period of time, a beer or two to break up the day is just a winning move.

You do have to be careful. After you’ve taken a few runs, whatever beer you choose is going to taste very, very good. You’re going to want another. But don’t do it.

Let’s develop a game plan together so you can experience the mountain and have your beer.

Start your morning — without any beer. Let’s be real. Have a cup of coffee, have breakfast and get out there. The morning is going to be your longest stretch skiing or snowboarding. Give yourself a solid two to three hours to embrace the cold.

At lunchtime, grab something light and refreshing, such as the Czech Pilsner by Moat Mountain Brewing Co., which is crisp, light, bright and yet still flavorful, or Tuckerman Brewing Co.’s Pale Ale, which gives you a little fix of hops, a little bitterness and a nice, smooth finish. A tart Berliner weisse, such as Pulp Up the Jam Vol. 11 by Kettlehead Brewing Co., would be another nice choice.

At this stage, anything heavier like an IPA or a stout is just going to bog you down, and you have more skiing to do.

Now, you’ve had lunch and a beer, and you’re staying hydrated because you’re responsible. You felt the rush in the morning, explored some trails, and maybe challenged yourself a little bit. The afternoon can be a little less aggressive. Don’t worry about pushing your limits. Take in the scenery. Cruise some easy trails. Offer some pointers to beginners as you glide by because they always love that.

After a couple more hours of relaxing skiing or snowboarding, it’s time to take a break with something that packs a little more of a punch and a little more hop character, like the Mountain Haze New England IPA by Woodstock Inn Brewery, a beer that is still pretty easy to drink but with a little more in-your-face flavor. Another nice option would be a Stoneface Brewing Co. IPA — you just can’t go wrong with that. The Combover IPA by Schilling Beer Co. would be another game winner.

At this stage you may be feeling a bit tired. Get over it. You need to get back out there one more time, just for a couple more runs. This is your last chance to take it all in. Maybe you can time it right to catch the sun setting.

Take those last couple of runs, embrace the moment, and then close out the day with something rich, dark and decadent, like a Meltaway Milk Stout by Breakaway Beerworks, which is a just a creamy bomb of roasted malt and smooth chocolate-coffee sweetness. Another tremendous option would be to grab a Gunner’s Daughter milk stout by Mast Landing Brewing Co., which rewards you for going back out a third time with a luscious brew bringing together big flavors of chocolate, coffee and peanut butter.

You did good today.

What’s in My Fridge
Shipping Out of Boston Amber Lager by Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (Framingham, Mass.) This easy-drinking amber lager is the perfect change-of-pace beer, particularly when you’ve had enough of IPAs, and when you aren’t in the mood for something super heavy or something super light. With a welcoming malty character, it’s incredibly drinkable, flavorful and just simply enjoyable. Cheers!

Featured photo: Gunner’s Daughter by Mast Landing Brewing Company. Courtesy photo.

Maple walnut biscotti

It is almost maple syrup season. Why not celebrate that with a batch of biscotti infused and coated in maple syrup?

This recipe is about as straightforward as can be for a baked good. There are no hard-to-find ingredients or caveats for the directions. Simply gather all the needed items and let the baking begin.

From the time you start mixing until the glaze sets is about an hour and a half. Plan accordingly when making these treats. Keep in mind the bulk of that time is spent waiting for baking to finish or biscotti to cool. At the end you will have a batch of treats that can be eaten right away or can be stored for weeks.

Maple walnut biscotti
Makes 28

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1/3 cup maple syrup
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1½ cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1½ Tablespoons skim milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer for 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.
Add maple extract and 1/3 cup maple syrup, beating until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and blend.
Stir walnuts into dough.
Divide dough in half.
Shape each half into a 10″ x 3″ rectangle, using floured hands.
Set loaves 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 28 minutes or until the dough is set.
Leaving the oven on, remove the biscotti loaves and cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet.
Using a butcher knife, cut the loaves into diagonal slices, 1/2 inch thick.
Place slices on cookie sheet with the cut sides down. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
Turn over slices, and bake for 8 to 9 minutes more.
Remove the biscotti from the oven, and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. (Save parchment-lined baking sheet.)
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and milk; stir well to combine.
Using a spoon, coat one side of each biscotti with the glaze. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining biscotti.
To quicken the setting of the glaze, place the tray of glazed biscotti in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Featured Photo: Maple walnut biscotti. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Matt McCormack

Matt McCormack is the new executive chef of the Granite Restaurant & Bar (The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9005, graniterestaurant.com), which reopened in late October after an 18-month hiatus. Born and raised in Nashua, McCormack got his start in the industry early as a teenager — he worked his way up the ladder across several local eateries, like MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar in Nashua and the Mile Away Restaurant in Milford. When the Granite Restaurant reopened, McCormack was part of a team that worked under then executive chef Charlie Lavery, serving all new globally inspired and locally sourced dinner, dessert and brunch menus. He took over as executive chef shortly after Lavery’s recent departure and has now introduced his own menu — highlights include lamb Bolognese with handmade pappardelle and house lemon ricotta; red wine-braised short ribs and spaetzle with a black garlic sour cream; and mandilli di seta (“silk handkerchief” pasta) with Genovese pesto sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

My go-to item, and my favorite thing to have in the kitchen, is definitely the KitchenAid. … It has a very high capability to do a lot of different things.

What would you have for your last meal?

My last meal would be a raw beef salad. They do a raw beef salad at Central Provisions up in Maine, and I’ve gone there and ordered two for myself. It’s to die for.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Surf in Nashua. Their sushi program over there is fantastic. It’s the best in the city for sure, and it would compete with a lot of others in New Hampshire.

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

Growing up, I always watched Giada De Laurentiis, and I may have a crush on her. … She is amazing, so if I could have anybody come in to eat at my restaurant, it would be her.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

I would say my favorite item … is the red wine-braised short ribs. It’s a dish that I’ve really kind of homed in on as a chef in the last few years, and it’s one that I know people are going to respond well to.

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

I would say farm-to-table and the locality and seasonality. … Using local farms is so cool because I think it’s a great engaging point for the servers to talk with the customer … so they get to know where their food is coming from, but they also feel like they are putting value into the economy in their area.

What is your favorite thing to make at home?

Making a cheesecake at home is the best. … My mom’s recipe is an Italian cheesecake that has ricotta and sour cream.

Halibut with saffron Israeli couscous
From the kitchen of executive chef Matt McCormack of the Granite Restaurant & Bar in Concord

For the halibut:
Maldon salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh squeezed lemon to finish

Sear halibut filets. Heat a large skillet on high for two minutes, then add extra virgin olive oil. Introduce the fish (in a single layer; do not overlap) and sear for three to four minutes. Gently flip over filets using a spatula and continue to sear for another two to four minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Finish with fresh lemon.

For the couscous:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup minced shallot
⅓ red bell pepper, diced in small pieces
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
⅛ teaspoon saffron
1½ cup Israeli couscous
2 cups vegetable broth (more if needed)
1 Tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Introduce shallot, red pepper, garlic and saffron. Cook while stirring gently for two to three minutes, until the onions and garlic are translucent (not brown). Stir in couscous and stir for one minute longer, until evenly coated with oil. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, decrease heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes, until tender.

Combine zest, lemon juice, basil and extra virgin olive oil with the couscous, and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for two minutes while stirring — couscous should be tender and fluffy, not brothy and wet. If it is too dry, add two tablespoons of butter or broth.

Featured photo: Matt McCormack. Courtesy photo.

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