When you think about snacking, “healthy” may not be the first word that comes to mind. I understand that 100 percent. Quite often while I’m planning a menu of snacks for a Sunday afternoon I lean toward indulgence: appetizers that are full of calories and deliciousness. However, I also like to keep some balance in my eating, and that is where the healthy appetizer joins the menu.
One of the key mantras in my cooking is that healthy can be just as delicious as indulgent. It’s not always the fat and sugar that makes a dish taste great. You need to maximize flavors from your ingredients and cooking methods.
This spinach dip utilizes ingredients and cooking methods to provide a healthy and delicious snack. Rather than mayonnaise or sour cream, Greek yogurt is the base. It provides all the creaminess you want with a lot fewer calories and fat. If you want to be really healthy, use nonfat yogurt. It’s my go-to and makes for a creamy, thick dip.
To utilize cooking techniques to impart flavor, the garlic is roasted. Roasting garlic mellows the astringent bite of raw garlic while also providing a smooth garlic kick. Sure, you need to allow some time for the roasting and cooling, but it’s worth it when you taste the dip.
“Healthy” may not be the word of your snack menu dreams yet, but this recipe may convince you that it should be.
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.
Healthy spinach dip Serves 4-6
1 head garlic 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (whole, lowfat or nonfat) 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed & drained salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place garlic on an 8”x8” piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle garlic with olive oil and wrap securely with foil. Roast wrapped garlic for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow garlic to cool. When cool, squeeze individual cloves to remove garlic from skins. (Discard skins.) Combine yogurt, spinach and roasted garlic cloves in a small bowl, stirring well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving. Serve with crackers, pita chips, carrots or celery.
Photo: Healthy spinach dip. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.
Jordyn Hotchkiss of Weare is the owner of The Cat’s Pajamas ([email protected], and on Facebook and Instagram @catspajamasnh), a homestead business she runs with the help of her mother, April, offering freshly baked cookies, brownies and whoopie pies in multiple flavors. Her lineup of baked goods includes chocolate chip and sugar cookies, fudge brownies, classic or peanut butter whoopie pies and peanut butter fudge, all of which are available for sale at the Weare Real Food Farmers Market (65 N. Stark Hwy., Weare). Hotchkiss, who also occasionally takes on special orders, said The Cat’s Pajamas gets its name from her love of both 1920s culture and cat cafes, or cafes in which visitors can also play with cats that may be up for adoption. She hopes to expand her offerings to seasonal items this fall, like pumpkin whoopie pies.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
A KitchenAid mixer. I cannot function without my KitchenAid.
What would you have for your last meal?
For a full meal, probably steak with mashed potatoes, and a grasshopper pie ice cream sundae for dessert.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
I don’t go out to eat a whole lot, but one of my favorites is Putnam’s [Waterview Restaurant] in Goffstown. I’ll either get a chicken Caesar salad, or their steak and cheese. Their chicken tenders are good too.
What celebrity would you like to see trying one of your baked goods?
It makes me nervous, but I would love to have [Food Network’s] Duff Goldman. I would want to know what he would say.
What is your favorite product that you offer?
Either the whoopie pies or the brownies, because I like the way they come out. I have a special brownie pan that I use, so they all come out the same size.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
In the bakery world, I feel like cake pops are a really big thing. I’ve noticed them come up more frequently in different bakeries.
What is your favorite thing to cook or bake at home?
Chocolate chip cookies. We always have some cookies somewhere in the house for us, just as a family.
Homemade chocolate chip cookies From the kitchen of Jordyn Hotchkiss of The Cat’s Pajamas in Weare
½ Crisco stick (½ cup) 1 stick salted butter (½ cup) 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 2½ cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 12 ounces chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the Crisco and butter until creamy. Add in the brown sugar and white sugar. Mix until well-incorporated. Add vanilla and eggs, then gradually add in the flour until well-mixed. Mix in baking soda. Add chocolate chips. Scoop onto a cookie sheet and bake for approximately 12 minutes (baking time may vary depending on the oven and type of cookie sheet). Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a minute or two. Cool on a cooling rack and enjoy.
A year after its first cancellation in three decades, the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival returns to Ocean Boulevard Friday, Sept. 10, through Sunday, Sept. 12, with dozens of local restaurants and specialty food vendors offering an array of seafood options, from lobster rolls and fried clams to homemade chowders, bisques and more. The festival will also feature local crafters, live entertainment and a fireworks display.
“When we made the decision that we were going to move forward with the festival, we wanted to make sure that it would provide a lot of fun for people, but also make it very safe,” said John Nyhan, president of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce. “So the first thing we did was we redesigned the layout, primarily on the street, and we reduced the sizes of the tents to make more open space. … We also eliminated one of the major tents on the street, which was one of our two beer tents. So we’ve created a layout now where there is a lot more open space and people don’t feel like they’re crammed into these large tents walking side by side.”
Oysters from the Swell Oyster Co. Courtesy photo.
More than 35 food vendors are expected to attend, including many returning favorites as well as a few newcomers. The Old Salt Restaurant at Lamie’s Inn in Hampton, which hasn’t missed a single festival since its inaugural year in 1989, according to Nyhan, is back once again. Brown’s Lobster Pound of Seabrook, Petey’s Summertime Seafood and Bar of Rye, and the Boardwalk Cafe & Pub of Hampton are a few other past participants.
New faces to the festival include Swell Oyster Co., which has been harvesting fresh Atlantic oysters in Hampton Harbor since 2017. Last year, owners Russ Hilliard and Conor Walsh opened the Swell Oyster Shack, their first retail space, on the Hampton State Pier.
Many of the vendors will compete for titles in several categories, like Best Chowder, Best Lobster Roll, Best Fried Seafood and others, as determined by a panel of judges — the tasting contest begins at 2 p.m. on Friday, and winners are announced on the Main Stage that evening.
“We’ll hand out the ribbons for these food vendors, and then they can put them on their tents showing that they won the best prize in that category,” Nyhan said.
There are plenty of options for non-seafood-eaters too, like french fries, chicken fingers, hot dogs and barbecue items, plus specialty desserts. Always a draw during the festival, members of the North Hampton Fire Department serve breakfast sandwiches first thing on Saturday morning.
Throughout the weekend is a full schedule of live musicians, performing on one of two stages. More than 75 local crafters selling their wares are also participating.
A new feature of the festival, the Pine Hospitality Group of Hampton is sponsoring an art show, featuring local artists that will be painting murals all day Friday at the Beach Cabana Bar. Each artist will have the opportunity to win a People’s Choice award for their work.
Culinary demonstrations from NESN’s Wicked Bites are scheduled between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s special events will also include two cornhole tournaments, the second of which will have signup opportunities that day. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners.
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, local organizations will gather on the Main Stage for a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The New Hampshire Police Association Pipes and Drums, as well as six local school color guards, will be in attendance.
Saturday’s festivities will conclude with a fireworks display on the beach at 8:30 p.m. Sunday will kick off with a 5K road race that morning, held along Ocean Boulevard and ending at the Beach Cabana Bar. As the festival winds down, a lobster roll eating contest will take place at 2 p.m. on the Main Stage, with Gov. Chris Sununu as the honorary master of ceremonies.
5th annual NH Bacon & Beer Festival
When: Friday, Sept. 10, 1 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Ocean Boulevard, Hampton Beach Cost: $10 each day for adults and free for children ages 12 and under; all foods and drinks are priced per item Visit: seafoodfestivalnh.com No pets are allowed. Free shuttle services are provided in a variety of parking areas nearby, including at the Hampton Park & Ride (Timber Swamp Road) and at the Municipal Parking Lot (High Street) — see website for details. Masks are required while on board the shuttle buses.
Schedule of events
Friday, Sept. 10
• 1 p.m. Festival begins; all craft, food and beer tents will be open
• 1 to 9 p.m. Live music and entertainment on both stages
• 2 p.m. Food judging contest begins; vendors will compete for titles in a variety of categories, including Best Fried Seafood, Best Chowder and Best Lobster Roll
• 6:15 p.m. Contest winners will be announced on the Main Stage
Saturday, Sept. 11
• 10 a.m. All craft, food and beer tents reopen for the day, and live entertainment resumes
• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Culinary demonstrations with NESN’s Wicked Bites
• Noon to 4 p.m. Cornhole competitions in the Beach Cabana Bar
• 3 p.m. Sept. 11 20th anniversary tribute on the Main Stage
• 8:30 p.m. Fireworks display on the beach, presented by the Hampton Beach Village District
Sunday, Sept. 12
• 7:30 a.m. 5K road race begins, taking place along Ocean Boulevard and ending at the Beach Cabana Bar
• 9 a.m. All craft, food and beer tents reopen for the day, and live entertainment resumes
• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Culinary demonstrations with NESN’s Wicked Bites
• 2 p.m. Lobster roll eating contest on the Main Stage
Featured photo: Lobster roll from Rye Harbor Lobster Pound. Courtesy photo.
• Achieving grape-ness: The Hollis Grape Festival will return to the Hollis Town Common (Monument Square) on Sunday, Sept. 12, from 4 to 8 p.m. The event features gelato and other food options, local artisans selling their wares, face-painting, and photo opportunities in the grape stomping barrel. Live music will begin at 6:45 p.m., featuring Marco Turo performing the music of Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Dean Martin. All proceeds benefit the Hollis Police Benevolent Fund, the Hollis Fire Explorers and the Hollis-Brookline Agricultural Scholarship Fund. Visit fulchino-vineyard-inc.square.site.
• School Street Cafe expands: The School Street Cafe of Dunbarton has partnered with Banks Chevrolet (137 Manchester St., Concord) for its second location, which opened inside the building on Sept. 1, according to its website and social media pages. Like at its predecessor, you’ll find a variety of breakfast and lunch options, as well as coffees and freshly baked pastries. The School Street Cafe first opened in August 2020 in the former MG’s Farmhouse Cafe space (1007 School St., Dunbarton) and offers build-your-own breakfast sandwiches, pastries and yogurt parfaits. Visit schoolstreetcafe.com.
• A bacon lover’s dream: There’s still time to get your ticket to the NH Bacon & Beer Festival, set for Saturday, Sept. 11, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch Tour Center and Biergarten (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack). The fifth annual event returns for the first time since the spring of 2019, featuring uniquely crafted bacon-infused eats from more than a dozen local food vendors, in addition to beer samples and live local music throughout the afternoon. Hundreds of pounds of bacon provided by North Country Smokehouse are being distributed among the restaurants, food trucks and other vendors, each of whom has the creative freedom to incorporate it how they would like to in their featured dishes. General admission is $60 per person, which includes access to up to 24 beer tastings and food samples while they last. Designated drivers can receive access to the food samples only for $35 per person. All proceeds benefit the High Hopes Foundation of New Hampshire. Visit nhbaconbeer.com or check out our coverage of the festival in the Hippo’s Sept. 2 edition, on page 24
Editor’s note: Sometimes the essence of a drink can be summed up in short story. ‘Tis thus with this week’s cocktail.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, before opening them again and walking to the bar.
Friggin’ Sheila O’Brien
Elizabeth had spent the better part of a week making arrangements to get one evening to herself, to spend a couple of hours alone, drinking a glass of wine and reading. She’d grabbed a book from the middle of the pile on her nightstand. She’d even remembered an umbrella.
And then Sheila had been standing by the door inside the bar.
They’d gone to high school together; Sheila had always been able to smile and cut Elizabeth down with a sentence, to crush her effortlessly. From how easily she’d done it again tonight, it was almost like she’d been practicing.
But, Elizabeth thought as she settled herself at the bar, that was over for the moment. She caught the bartender’s eye. Raven, was that her name?
She started to order a glass of the house white, but Raven was a step ahead of her and deposited an espresso martini in front of her. This is absolutely not what Elizabeth would have remotely considered ordering, but it did look good…
It was dark and deep, and skull-shrinkingly cold. The coffee was rich and a little bitter, but there was a sweetness in the background that rounded it out.
Elizabeth looked up at Raven and started to speak, to thank her for reading her situation so well, but the bartender beat her to the punch.
“You have kind eyes, but I wouldn’t mess with you.” Then she walked away.
This was not what Elizabeth was expecting, but the more she thought about it, and the more of her martini she drank, the more she liked the sound of it.
She almost hoped Sheila was still by the door when she left.
Espresso martini
Ingredients:
2 ounces coffee-infused vodka (see below). Could you make this with regular, run-of-the-mill vodka? Yes, of course, but it wouldn’t contribute to the depth of the overall flavor. Using the infused vodka will deepen the finished drink.
½ ounce Kahlua
½ ounce simple syrup
1 ounce cold-brew coffee concentrate
Combine all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir gently but thoroughly with a bar spoon.
Strain into a chilled martini glass.
If you are drinking this at a bar, make direct eye contact with yourself in the mirror.
There is a lot of reverse nostalgic snobbery associated with an espresso martini. It is often too sweet, or creamy, and it doesn’t tend to get a lot of respect. Made very strong, very black, and only a tiny bit sweet, it is a force to be reckoned with.
Speaking of snobbery — there are a lot of cocktail purists who, given the opportunity, will lecture you at great length about how you should never shake a martini. It “bruises the gin” apparently. It is incredibly galling to admit that they are right. This drink will taste noticeably different if it is made in a cocktail shaker than if it is stirred. It’s got something to do with science. It’s worth the extra minute or so to mix this gently.
Coffee-infused vodka
Ingredients
10 grams whole French-roast coffee beans
6 ounces 80-proof vodka, probably not your best vodka, but not the bottom-shelf stuff, either
Using a mortar and pestle, or cereal bowl and the bottom of a drinking glass, crush the coffee beans. You’re not trying to grind them into a powder, but break them up quite a bit.
Combine the vodka and crushed coffee beans in a small jar. Shake them together, then store somewhere cool and dark for 24 hours, shaking periodically.
Strain and label the coffee vodka.
Featured photo: Espresso martini. Photo by John Fladd.
This week we will explore two Italian wines, both from the north of Italy, but decidedly different not only from each other but from other Italian wines.
One is from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in the very northeast of Italy, the other from the Piedmont region, the very northwest of Italy. Both regions are established producers of signature wines. The Friuli-Venezia Giulia region is well-known for producing pinot grigio and light-bodied rose wines. The wine we will profile in this column is not made from a grape that is well-established in this region, but instead is made from a French grape, a sauvignon blanc. The Piedmont is well-known for the production of nebbiolo wine, sometimes known as a barolo, but 55 percent of the grapes grown in Asti, a region within Piedmont, are barbera, a well-established, light-bodied red Italian grape.
What happens when you cross a large local vineyard operation owned by a well-known hotelier and restaurateur with a good amount of American capital generated by popular culture? Sun Goddess Friuli Sauvignon Blanc 2019, available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets and originally priced at $21.99 but reduced to $17.99.
Produced by the Fantinel Winery, managed by a third generation of owners of 450 acres, the wine transcends cultures. Spanning three denominations, or growing regions dictated by microclimates and terroir, the Fantinel family has planted several indigenous grapes as well as international varieties such as pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. The terroir of this region is rich in minerals that enhance the structure and complexity of the wines. The region is characterized by cool nights and very warm days. This enables the grapes to develop a significant acidity, which in the glass reveals fragrant aromas that turn to citrus notes for the palate.
The Sun Goddess label comes from Mary J. Blige, American singer and actress. She was introduced to Marco Fantinel, through her love of white wine, to promote the vineyard in America through the Sun Goddess label.
The wine has a straw-yellow color with a slight greenish tinge. To the nose it has notes of tropical fruit, banana and melon. To the tongue it is rich in citric notes, first among them grapefruit, but with strong mineral notes. Its acidity will cut through creamy sauces to fish and poultry.
Our second wine is Tenuta Garetto Barbera D’Asti 2017 (originally priced at $33.99 at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets and reduced to $16.99). It is made from the hardy, non-fussy staple grape barbera. It is known as the wine of the working people. It is respected less than nebbiolo, its haughty neighbor, and was frequently shunted to less-desirable locations. However, it is now grown in California, where a warm climate has produced some well-balanced wines.
Tenuta Garetto winery is a relatively small winery acquired in 2017 by the Gagliardo family. It is in Agliano Terme, known for not only barbera vineyards but its popular thermal springs. Coming from vines planted between 1937 and 1950, vinification takes place in concrete and wood casks before blending and bottling. Its color is dark red, accompanied by cherry notes that carry through to a light, dry feel to the tongue. This is a wine to go with vegetarian dishes, fish or risotto but lacks the body to accompany red-meat dishes. However, it remains complex and is a “self-promoter” among wines. We had the wine with a cheese souffle (thank you, Julia Child, for the recipe!) with a side of wilted baby spinach. Outstanding!
Try these two lesser-known but distinctive wines, a real departure from “standard fare” and a real treat to your palate!
