Category: Food

Lots of lemon whoopie pies

Although so much of my summer cooking and baking revolves around local produce, this lemon recipe is a summertime favorite of mine. There is something about the bright flavor of lemons that makes me think of hot summer afternoons.

These whoopie pies are all about lemon flavor. Both the cake and the filling are lemon-centric with the addition of lemon extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. What is key to this recipe is to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Although I keep a bottle of lemon juice in my refrigerator, you really need freshly squeezed for this recipe. It makes the flavor so much brighter.

If you’re hungry, make these full-sized whoopie pies. If you have a smaller appetite, make the scoop about half as big, and you’ll have 20 delightful mini whoopie pies to enjoy.

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Lots of lemon whoopie pies
Makes 10

For the cakes:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tablespoons milk
Yellow food coloring, if desired

For the filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract

To make the cakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place butter and sugar in stand mixer, and beat with paddle attachment on speed 2 for 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated on speed 2.
Add extracts, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mixing well on speed 2.
Use a spatula to scrape down the sides, and add lemon zest and 1 cup of flour.
Mix on low; scrape sides with spatula, add lemon juice, and mix until fully blended.
Add remaining cup of flour, mix.
Add milk and food coloring, and mix until fully combined.
Scoop approximately 1 1/2 Tablespoons batter, spaced evenly, onto baking sheets.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cakes spring back when touched.
Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets.
Transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.

To make the filling:
In a stand mixer combine butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon extract; mix on low speed until combined.
Spread the flat side of 10 cakes with the frosting.
Top each with another cake.
Serve or store in a sealed container.

Photo: Lemon whoopie pies. Courtesy photo.

JoJo Paquin

Chef JoJo Paquin of New London oversees all kitchen operations at Peter Christian’s Tavern (195 Main St., New London, 526-2964, peterchristiansnh.com), an eatery on the first floor of The Edgewood Inn in New London that has been around for more than four decades. The tavern is open to the public and serves everything from appetizers, burgers and sandwiches to artisan pizzas and plated steak and seafood dishes. Prior to joining Peter Christian’s late last year, Paquin held multiple kitchen jobs, including at The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille in New London for more than a decade, as well as at The Copper Fox and the Social House, both in Vermont.

What is your must-have kitchen item?
A marker, because we have to label and date everything. … I always like to have a thermometer on hand too.

What would you have for your last meal?
Probably a burger. It would be medium-rare and would have some Sriracha, cheddar cheese, bacon and peanut butter on it. I used to make my own cashew butter for burgers.

What is your favorite local restaurant?
The Flying Goose [Brew Pub & Grille in New London]. It’s actually my wife’s family’s restaurant.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at your restaurant?
Tech N9ne [rapper and record producer Aaron Yates]. … I’ve already fed Steven Tyler a few times. I’ve cooked for Sully [Erna] from Godsmack too. He’s a super nice guy.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?
I like the steak tips. They are bourbon-marinated with onions and peppers.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I would say specialty pizzas, and also chicken sandwiches. We switched the menu over last summer … [and] our chicken sandwich is probably our best-selling item.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I fire up the grill outside. Pork tenderloin with a romesco sauce is probably one of my favorite things that we have at the house.

Peter’s Favorite Fantasy pizza
From the kitchen of JoJo Paquin of Peter Christian’s Tavern

Store bought thin pizza crust of choice
Shredded mozzarella, provolone and cheddar cheese blend
Banana peppers
Diced tomatoes
Pulled beef
Arugula, tossed in 1 Tablespoon of lemon and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Balsamic glaze
Grated Parmesan

Homemade Boursin cheese sauce:
1 clove garlic
1 package cream cheese
½ cup butter

Layer pizza with cheese, Boursin, beef, banana peppers, tomatoes and balsamic glaze (amounts dependent on preference). Cook at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and finish with a handful of arugula tossed in lemon oil.

Featured photo: JoJo Paquin. Courtesy photo.

Make way for Mahrajan

Annual three-day Middle Eastern food festival returns

One of the few local church food events that was not canceled or postponed in 2020, the Mahrajan Middle Eastern Food Festival went ahead as scheduled thanks in part to the introduction of advance online ordering, a first for the decades-long tradition.

Following the scaled back event last year, the three-day festival of authentic Lebanese foods will return to Manchester’s Our Lady of the Cedars Melkite Catholic Church from Friday, Aug. 20, through Sunday, Aug. 22. Several features that didn’t happen last year are scheduled to come back this time around, including the dancing opportunities, the petting zoo and the children’s games.

“We’re not quite back to where we were before, but it’s definitely bigger [than last year’s event],” Rev. Thomas Steinmetz said. “We found that online ordering for takeout was actually very popular, so that’s going to be available again.”

Mahrajan co-chair Marylou Ashooh Lazos said this year’s menu will be slightly limited compared to those from previous events. As with last year’s event, the beef skewers have been eliminated, but you’ll still be able to order marinated lamb or chicken kebabs, available as meals with rice pilaf, lubyeh (green beans cooked and served in a tomato sauce) and bread. There will also be a kibbee dinner (Lebanese meatloaf), and other a la carte items like warak arish (stuffed grape leaves) with lamb and rice, cooked in a lemon broth; lamb or chicken shawarma; fatayar (meat or spinach pie); and tabbouleh salad with cracked what, parsley, tomato, lemon and spices.

“The lines are not very long anymore because we have the online ordering,” said Lazos, whose daughter, Nikki Lazos, is the head of the festival’s planning this year. “We’ll still have a tent with tables under it, where you can go sit and relax.”

Dessert options will include a lighter version of baklava known as baklawa, as well as maamoul (date cookies), ghrybe (almond butter cookies) and coosa pita, a custard Lazos makes herself.

“It’s a light-skinned zucchini and we make a custard out of it … in between layers of the phyllo dough,” she said. “It’s very sweet and light.”

Beginning the first day of Mahrajan, on Friday, Aug. 20, attendees will have the option to either pre-order in advance for pickup or order their food at the festival the day of.

Mahrajan Middle Eastern Food Festival

When: Friday, Aug. 20, 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 21, noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 22, noon to 5 p.m.
Where: Our Lady of the Cedars Melkite Catholic Church, 140 Mitchell St., Manchester
Cost: Free admission; food is priced per item
Visit: bestfestnh.com
Advance online ordering will be available beginning Aug. 20.

Featured photo: Scenes from previous years at the Mahrajan festival. Courtesy photo.

World flavors

We Are One Festival celebrates 20 years of multicultural food and performances

A celebration of the state’s Latin-American, African and Caribbean communities, the We Are One Festival features authentic food, live performances, crafters and more. The free event will celebrate its 20th year at Veterans Memorial Park in Manchester on Saturday, Aug. 21.

Scenes from previous years at the We Are One festival. Courtesy photo.

The festival as it is known today first came together in 2013, after two separate events that were held in the Granite State from 2001 to 2012 — a Latino Festival organized by Latino Unidos de New Hampshire, and an annual African-Caribbean celebration organized by Ujima Collective — each combined their resources. Last year’s event was reorganized as a community health fair, with limited attendance and a greater emphasis on education about the pandemic’s impacts.

“We’re excited about having it. … I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to have the festival as close to what we’re used to having,” said Sudi Lett, who is co-chairing the We Are One Festival’s planning committee with Shaunte Whitted. “At the same time, we know that Covid is still very much a factor, so we’re just trying to take that into account as well.”

One of the biggest draws to the festival each year is the food, and you’ll find a diverse array of options available throughout the day. Local vendors include both restaurants and community members, with usually every cuisine from Dominican, Colombian and Puerto Rican to Congolese, Sudanese and Liberian represented. Featured dishes will often run the gamut from beef or pork to vegetarian options, and other ethnic staples like chivo (goat), rice and beans or stewed chicken. Don Quijote Restaurant in Manchester, for example, is a longtime participant of the festival that will be returning as a vendor once again with Caribbean options, Lett said.

“We’re looking to add more people to participate, even leading right up to the festival,” he said.

While there won’t be a large performance stage at the park as in years past, Lett said there are a few local musicians due to return to the festival this year, including African drummers and R&B and soul artists. The We Are One festival often also features local vendors selling their wares, from handcrafted jewelry to artwork, clothing and more, as well as a back-to-school giveaway featuring backpacks stuffed with school supplies for kids.

A health fair hosted by the NH Black Women Health Project will also be a part of this year’s event. Lett said there will be onsite Covid-19 testing and vaccinations at the park.

We Are One Festival

When: Saturday, Aug. 21, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Veterans Memorial Park, 723 Elm St., Manchester
Cost: Free admission; food is priced per item
More info: Email festival co-chair Sudi Lett at [email protected] or search “We Are One Festival 20 Year Celebration” on Facebook
Event is rain or shine. Masks or face-coverings are optional.

Featured photo: Scenes from previous years at the We Are One festival. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/08/19

News from the local food scene

• Greek deliciousness to go: Join Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road, Manchester) for Greekfest Express, a revised drive-thru version of its annual Greek food festival, on Saturday, Aug. 28, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Now through Aug. 22, orders are being accepted for a variety of fresh Greek foods prepared by church members and volunteers, like dinners featuring your choice of half-roasted chicken, pastichio (Greek lasagna) or homemade meatballs in tomato sauce, each of which comes with rice, Greek salad and bread. Other options include an open-faced ground beef and lamb gyro plate with tzatziki sauce and french fries; tossed Greek salads topped with either grilled chicken or gyro meat; and a la carte items, like spinach or feta cheese petas. Desserts are also available from traditional baklava to finikia (honey walnut cookies) and loukoumades (fried dough balls). This event is pickup only (stay in your car; no walk-ins). Visit foodfest.assumptionnh.org to place your order.

• Food truck frenzy: The Town of Windham’s Recreation Department is organizing a food truck festival, set for Sunday, Aug. 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Windham High School (64 London Bridge Road). The festival will feature more than a half dozen area food trucks specializing in their own unique options, like Buxton’s Pizza, a mobile brick oven pizza truck based in Derry; The Sandwich Monstahh, a Derry food trailer specializing in gourmet Italian sandwiches; the Walking Gourmet, featuring the scratch-made gourmet sandwiches and burgers from chef Adam Wactowski of Windham; and B’s Tacos, based in Londonderry. In addition to the trucks, the festival will have live music from All Day Fire from noon to 4 p.m. and a cornhole tournament that will start around 1 p.m. Admission to the festival is free but foods are priced per item. Visit windhamnh.gov.

• Local eats at Market Days: Intown Concord’s annual Market Days Festival is back, and several area eateries and other businesses along Main Street are expected to have their own booths set up, including Revelstoke Coffee, Col’s Kitchen, Live Juice, Puppy Love Hot Dogs and the Holiday Inn Concord Downtown. Other local vendors offering all kinds of food options are expected to attend, like Canterbury Kettle Corn, Holly’s Fried Dough, and Sillie Puffs with its gourmet cotton candy. Market Days will return for its 47th year from Thursday, Aug. 19, through Saturday, Aug. 21, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, featuring live entertainment, local vendors and shopping, a kids zone and more. Visit marketdaysfestival.com.

• WineNot on the move: WineNot Boutique will move to a new spot later this month, at 25 Main St. in Nashua, the specialty wine shop recently announced. The newly renovated location is less than a half mile up the road from WineNot’s current storefront at 221 Main St., and all of its weekly complimentary wine tastings and special events will be transitioning there. Wine classes have been paused until September as WineNot completes its move, according to its email newsletter. Established in the spring of 2010, WineNot Boutique has grown over the last decade into one of the largest independent wine retailers in the state. Visit winenotboutique.com.

• Barbecue benefit: Get your tickets now for the annual “celebrity” waiter cookout and auction, an event to benefit the Franklin Opera House that’s happening on Thursday, Aug. 26, at Mojalaki Country Club (321 Prospect St., Franklin). The event will begin with a social hour at 5 p.m., followed by a barbecue dinner that will feature your choice of a beef burger, boneless chicken or vegan burger. Each comes with an appetizer plate, potato salad, corn, coleslaw, Caesar salad, fresh rolls, and cheesecake and cookies for dessert. The cost is $25 per person and Hawaiian attire is encouraged. Visit franklinoperahouse.org.

Summertime gose

Tart and refreshing for your taste buds

Whoa, it’s mid-August. When did that happen?

That can only mean one thing: Pumpkin-flavored beer is right around the corner.

Honestly, I’m kidding. It’s not right around the corner. It’s already on the shelves.

But let’s forget about pumpkin beer for a moment, shall we?

We’re still very much in the thick of summer. The temperature supports me. You still have time to get to the beach or the pool. It’s hot and it’s humid and there’s no reason to turn the page to fall. Pumpkin can wait.

I’ve found myself drinking a lot of session IPAs and a lot of Pilsners over the past month or so and decided I needed to shake things up. When it comes to beer, nothing shakes up your taste buds quite like a sour brew. And within the sour realm, nothing screams summer quite like a gose: tart, salty and refreshing.

A style the German Beer Institute says is about 1,000 years old, it is perhaps most defined by its saltiness. Food & Wine wrote in a 2016 article the brew’s name stems from the river Gose in Germany and that the beer’s original saltiness was probably a product of “mineral-rich aquifers” in the town of Goslar, where the brew originated. Today, though, brewers just, you know, add salt.

That characteristic tartness and salinity of a gose just wakes you up and kind of whacks you around — sometimes you need that, especially when it’s still blistering hot out.

In terms of summertime sours, it’s awfully difficult to beat Dogfish Head’s SeaQuench Ale, which is a session sour. The combination of bright and tart lime and sea salt just refreshes right to the bone and leaves you begging for another sip (or can). Paste Magazine refers to it as tasting “like a margarita without all the sugar and it makes me want to go straight to the beach.”

That is just a winning description and the beer really epitomizes what I’m looking for from a sour during the summer months: bright, tart, refreshing, flavorful and unique. Also, the gose style is typically brewed with a very low ABV, allowing you to enjoy a few without getting bogged down.

Here are a few gose brews to bring with you as you savor the remaining beach days.

Margarita Gose by Great Rhythm Brewing Co. (Portsmouth)

Apparently I have a thing for that lime-sea salt combination. This one also blends in orange flavor in an extremely light, very, very drinkable package. A perfect summer brew.

Poppy’s Moonship on Blackberries by Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton)

This is just an exciting brew. The pour is a bright red, and the blackberries add extra layers of richness and tartness. Despite the added richness, this is very sessionable.

Love is Love Gose by Great North Aleworks (Manchester)

There’s that lime-salt combination again. This “slightly tart” wheat beer is brewed with sea salt, coriander and lime. The brew screams refreshing. The super low ABV makes it OK to have a couple.

Sour Lime Ale by Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth)

This is another gose that relies on lime juice — and zest — to produce a thirst-quenching and tart brew. At just 3 percent ABV, well, I’m not going to tell you how many you can have.

E09 Blueberry Lemon Gose by 603 Brewery (Londonderry)

As much as I love the flavor of lime in a gose, the blueberry-lemon combination here works really well. This is a fun brew that will delight your palate.

What’s in My Fridge

Lemongrass Lager by Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (Framingham, Mass.)
I had one of these after a particularly frustrating round of grass cutting on a hot day, and yeah, this was a winner. With fresh lemony flavor, this just slides right down your throat so easily, it’s a little scary. Great summer beer; great anytime beer. Cheers!

Featured photo: Summer in a can. SeaQuench Ale by Dogfish Head Brewery. Courtesy photo.

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