Category: Food

The Weekly Dish 23/09/14

News from the local food scene

Fall fest: 603 Brewery (42 Main St. in Londonderry; 603brewery.com) will hold a Fall Fest today from noon to 8 p.m. The day will feature food trucks, live music, a stein-holding contest, a cornhole tournament, ax throwing, 603 kitchen specials and more, according to a social media post by the Brewery.

Cooking with wine class: Next up in The Winemaker’s Kitchen Cooking Class series at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) is Greek recipes on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The recipes include a Greek greeting cocktail, whipped feta dip, briam, which are roasted vegetables in a parchment paper pocket, Greek meatballs, tzatziki sauce and baklava. Chefs will demonstrate and share tips throughout the process. You will also be given a recipe card for each item to make them yourself at home. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at labellewinery.com or via eventbrite.

603 BBQ at Lithermans: Don’t miss 603 BBQ at Lithermans in Concord (126B Hall St.) on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Manchester Brewfest: The ninth annual Manchester Brewfest on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Arms Park on Commercial Street in Manchester will benefit Waypoint, a human service and advocacy group. Vendors include The Rugged Axe, Draughtpick, Darbster Rescue, Rage Cage NH, New England Steel Fighters and Granite State Freeze Dried Candy, and there will be music by the Shawna Jackson Band. General admission hours are 1 to 4 p.m. and VIP admission is from noon to 4 p.m.

Cold Cucumber Soup with Pistachios

Ugh. We’ve been walking for days.

Half an hour, actually.

HONK!!

Yeah! Same to YOU, buddy!”

Actually, we probably just made his day; being able to honk at clueless tourists has to be a treat for him.

Sweet leaping Moses, could it GET any hotter? Whose idea was this trip?

OK, mine, but why did they agree to come to the city during the hottest weather of the year?

Sigh. Because I’m so charming. Curse my charm!

Wait. Is that it, up there at the end of the block? That guy on the subway said to look for people sitting outside, eating soup. Seriously, who would eat soup in this weather?

No, they’re definitely eating soup. Is it COLD soup? Is that a thing? That actually sounds really good right now.

“Yes, hi. Three of us for dinner. Could you please bring us some beer and whatever that cold soup is? You are a kind and beautiful human being.”

Cold Cucumber Soup

Like gazpacho, this is a cold summer soup. It’s light and creamy and very, very refreshing. Unlike gazpacho, this is cucumber-based.

Seriously — try it.

  • 2 English cucumbers – the long, skinny, individually wrapped ones. Alternatively, four regular-sized conventional cucumbers
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2½ cups (36 ounces) cold buttermilk
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) half & half
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup roasted, salted pistachios

Peel the cucumbers. Leave a few small ribbons of peel, to help color the soup. If you are not using seedless cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

Set one fourth of the cucumbers aside, and put the rest into the jar of your blender.

Add the garlic, dill and buttermilk. Blend until smooth.

Chop the remaining cucumber into small dice. Put it in a large bowl.

Pour the blended cucumber mixture into the bowl, then whisk in the cream, salt, pepper and mustard. Season to taste.

Chill for one hour, or until very cold. Just before serving, stir in the pistachios.

Garnish with more fresh dill. It’s easy to take cucumbers for granted. In normal circumstances, they are secondary characters at best, giving texture and a tiny amount of flavor to a given dish. In this soup they get to be the heroes.

The cream, appropriately enough, adds creaminess, and the garlic and mustard do what they do, and the pistachios give the operation some crunchiness, but the heavy lifting in this soup is done by the cucumbers and the buttermilk. Most of us use buttermilk from time to time in baking, but it is good to be able to actually taste it in a dish that lets it shine.

As I say, though, the hero of this dish is the cucumber.

Featured photo: Cold Cucumber Soup with Pistachios. Photo by John Fladd.

In the kitchen with Kerry Fay

Originally from the Detroit area, Kerry Fay, owner of Kerry’s Culinary Creations & Curb Appeal Meals Food Truck, moved to New Hampshire to attend the former Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts at McIntosh in Dover. After further schooling and internship opportunities in Italy and working off the coast of Maine, she returned to New Hampshire, and has since called Salem home. Seven years ago she started her food truck, figuring she could go to where the people are instead of waiting for them to come to her as would be the case with a traditional restaurant. While the menu is always changing, tacos, sliders and paninis are usually served.

What is your must-have kitchen item?
Definitely the chef’s knife. Aside from your hands it’s your No.1 tool. There’s a chef instructor who used to say the best tools in the kitchen are your two hands but after that comes your chef’s knife for sure.

What would you have for your last meal?
Authentic carbonara or maybe some duck confit with mashed potatoes.

What is your favorite local eatery?
It depends on what I’m hungry for. … If I want sushi I like Wasabi, which is in Salem, if I want Indian food I like Kashmir, which is also in Salem. I’m also a huge fan of Street in Portsmouth.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant?
Anthony Bourdain would have been fun but he’s not with us anymore, so I’d probably go with Alton Brown.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?
The slow-roasted pulled pork, which I make into a taco or I add on top of fries or nacho fries or sometimes I [make] a Cuban panini with it.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I think probably [the] focus on plant-based [food] is pretty popular right now and seems to be the trend. When I have a fried avocado on my menu … or a falafel wrap [those are] … really popular. Farm to table is pretty popular around here [too].

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I like to cook slow and low at home, so things like short ribs and collard greens and corned beef. I also really like doing pasta because I can pretty much make a meal with pasta out of almost anything.

Chipotle Aioli
From the kitchen of Kerry Fay.

1 quart mayonnaise
Half of a 7.5-ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo with some of the sauce (if you like spicier food, use the whole can)
1 teaspoon dry cilantro or 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped
1 Tablespoon sugar

Put half the mayo in the bowl of a food processor, then add the chipotle in adobo. Process on high for two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula every 30 seconds until no large chunks of pepper remain. Add the cilantro and the sugar and process for another minute scraping down the bowl halfway through. In a mixing bowl, put the remainder of the mayo and then add the contents of the food processor bowl. Whisk the mixture until fully incorporated. It will be a light orange color with no light or dark streaks running through it.
Use as a dip for fries or veggies, serve on tacos, sandwiches, avocado toast etc.

Off the hook

Seafood Festival returns to Hampton Beach

By Curt Mackail
news@hippopress.com

The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival keeps reaching higher. Now in its 34th year, the event has an all-time high of more than 50 food purveyors scheduled to line Ocean Boulevard, reports the Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce. And a high-in-the-sky air show by New Hampshire›s own Rob Holland, a star pilot from Thunder Over New Hampshire, will have you looking up.

“We’re also bringing in more than 70 local artisans to showcase their crafts and products,” said Colleen Westcott, marketing director for the Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Bands are booked for continuous performances on two stages, and the festival boasts what it says is New England’s largest outdoor drinking establishment — albeit serving beer only under temporary tented cover.

Other entertainment includes a lobster roll eating contest, two cornhole tournaments, fireworks on Saturday at 8 p.m., the Harvard Pilgrim Seafood Fest 5K Road Race on Sunday, and a pop-up art gallery all days.

At the gallery site on the sand near the bar, you›ll be able to observe and greet painters creating new works. The artists’ paintings will be judged for prizes and auctioned on Sunday.

Seafood stars come out

Fresh seafood abounds with awards for the best bisques, chowders, lobster rolls, fried food and desserts, and best non-seafood dishes.

“This is the 20th year Rye Harbor Lobster Pound will be participating in the Hampton Seafood Festival,” said Lobster Pound owner Sylvia Cheever. “If you want award-winning soups and lobster rolls, we are your first stop.”
Their most famous dish is their award-winning fluffy chowder, a New England-style creamy clam chowder topped with lobster in a butter sherry sauce. This year they will offer a lobster quesadilla as well.

Last year Rye Harbor Lobster Pound took top prize for its chowder and was first runner-up in the lobster roll category. Winning the 2022 best lobster roll and best non-seafood item prizes, Pat’s World Famous, a self-proclaimed beach hot dog joint, returns this year with its eyes again on the prizes.

“Our seafood chowder is to die for and has been in the family for more than 50 years,” owner Pat Sullivan, who cheffed professionally before opening his beach food stand at 3 D St

Pat’s World Famous lobster rolls and their unique award-winning LobDog — a
hot dog topped with lobster, cheese sauce, potato sticks and scallions — will again be served along with other beach food at Pat’s festival booth.
Perennial local favorites also include the North Hampton Fire Department, serving breakfast sandwiches for early goers, and Hampton’s Saint James Masonic Lodge #102, a former champ in the fried seafood category.

Swell Oyster Co., a mollusk farming operation with its harvest area in Hampton Harbor, will be dishing oysters on the half-shell, shucked to order. Co-founder Russ Hilliard said the Swell suspended aquaculture system produces consistent, deep, easily shucked shells with plump meat.

“We’re very excited to be participating in the seafood fest again this year. In addition to fresh oysters, our menu includes two types of grilled oysters, classic Rockefeller style and a tasty chipotle bourbon sauced half-shell fresh off the fire. We’ll have extra-large shrimp cocktail too,” Hillyard said.

More than seafood

There are plenty of options if you’re not a seafood fan. Roast beef sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, barbecue, gyros, french fries, pizza, pastry and desserts promise deliciousness too.

Shane’s Texas Pit BBQ, a past winner in the non-seafood category, is one vendor to look for if your taste runs to Austin-style smoked fall-off-the-bone meats and classic southern fixin’s on the side.

Mexican food is showcased at Lupe’s 55 Cantina booth. But don’t overlook its seafood. Last year Lupes 55 Cantina picked up a winning blue ribbon for its fried seafood and runner-up awards in the bisque and dessert categories.

“We always pride ourselves on bringing a unique vibe to the New England seafood scene with fresh, vibrant flavors of traditional Mexican ingredients fused with new ideas,” Lupes 55 Cantina owner Nicole Leavitt said.

“We’re taking some of Mexico’s favorite street foods and bringing them to Ocean Boulevard. We’ll be featuring classic elote served in a creamy cotija,” she said. “We also will serve lobster chowder topped with more lobster, corn and Mexican spices.”

Ronaldo’s Ristorante, an Italian dining room in North Hampton, makes its debut appearance at the festival this year.

“This year, Ronaldo’s Ristorante is excited to showcase an array of ravioli varieties at the festival,” said proprietor Paula Stanca.

Ronaldo’s Ristorante will also serve up homemade cannolis.

“Our homemade cannolis are prepared with a delicate, crispy shell and a velvety ricotta fillingt,” Stanca said.

Hampton Beach Seafood Festival
When: Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10. Hours are Friday noon to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Ocean Boulevard, fanning out from the center of Hampton Beach.
Tickets: $10. Tickets are available at the entrance gates or online at seafoodfestivalnh.com/tickets. Tickets do not include the cost of food and drink from vendors.
Parking and shuttle finder: First Student bus company offers free parking and shuttle service to the festival from in-town satellite parking lots. Organizers say shuttle service is the fastest, safest, and cheapest way to get to the festivities. Shuttle hours are Friday, Sept. 8, 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last shuttle departs the festival at 10 p.m.
Satellite parking lots:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Town Hall Parking Lot, 100 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton
Municipal Parking Lot, High Street, Hampton
Hampton Park & Ride, Timber Swamp Road, Hampton
Friday after 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
Center School, 53 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton
Hampton Marston School, 4 Marston Way, Hampton
Saturday and Sunday only
Winnacunnet High School Student Lot, 1 Alumni Drive, Hampton
Merrill Industrial Drive, Street numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10, Hampton

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 23/09/07

News from the local food scene

Launch party for Botanica #9: Manchester Distillery (284 Manchester St., Manchester) launches Botanica #9 with a Gin & Jam launch party on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with an official toasting at 9 a.m. There is no cost to attend.

Meet Austrian winemaker: Stop by Wine on Main (9 N. Main St., Concord) on Friday, Sept. 8, between 5 and 7 p.m. to meet Austrian winemaker Paul Direder and try his wines.

Decorate cookies and drink wine: Get your tickets now for fall cookie decorating and wine tasting at Wine on Main (9 N. Main St., Concord) on Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. Kate, from Confections by Kate, will teach you techniques for cookie making and how to pipe icing and will provide all materials and step-by-step instructions. Each baker will get four cookies, sprinkles and four icing colors and will also be able to try four wines from around the world.

Wine at the museum: Vintage & Vine fine wine and food festival, a fundraiser for the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, will take place Saturday, Sept. 9, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. (with a VIP admission at 4 p.m.) on the museum’s grounds. Enjoy wines along with appetizers created by Seacoast area chefs, according to strawberybanke.org, where you can purchase general admission tickets for $95, $35 for designated drivers.

Wine and doughnuts: LaBelle Winery in Derry (14 Route 111; 672-9898) will pair doughnuts and wine at a tasting on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $40 per person.

Glendi: Don’t miss the 44th anniversary celebration of the Glendi Greek festival at the St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester (650 Hanover St.) from Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17. Immerse yourself in the culture and enjoy Greek cuisine and treats like pastichio, dolmathes, lamb shanks, spinach pita, koulourakia cookies and baklava, live music and traditional dancing. Enter raffles, shop at the Aegean Market and stop by booths showcasing Grecian imports and jewelry. Glendi is free to attend and open to the public.

Labor Day refreshments

You promised your therapist that you would try to take better care of yourself. And you really meant to. But the kids had camp, and then your sister had a fight with her boyfriend and showed up at your house with three suitcases. And then the weekend you thought you might actually get away, the dog came down with food poisoning, and then all the water in the faucets turned rusty.

With one thing or another, you never got to sit in a cabaña, sipping umbrella drinks and making small talk with attractive strangers.

And now summer is over. This is deeply unfortunate.

I hesitate to give you unsolicited advice, but your sister is still here and there are at least three movies that the kids want to see, so maybe:

1. Do what you have to do to grab two or three hours to yourself. Spring for movie theater popcorn, if you must.

2. Put on a playlist of Harry Belafonte and Don Ho.

3. Drink one — or both — of these Decadent Vacation Cocktails:

Rum Runner

  • 1 ounce white or silver rum – Because this is a strongly flavored drink, you probably won’t want to use your best rum for this; any subtle nuances will be overwhelmed. Don’t use the ultra-discount-bottom-shelf stuff, but you don’t need to sweat finding really good rum for this. Captain Morgan or Bacardi would be fine.
  • 1 ounce dark rum – Again, don’t let this stress you out; I like Myers’ Dark for tropical drinks.
  • 1 ounce crème de banana
  • ½ ounce blackberry brandy
  • 2 ounces pineapple juice – I like to buy the little 6-ounce cans of juice for this; you don’t end up with a giant, half-empty can slowly going bad in your refrigerator.
  • 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
  • ½ ounce grenadine

Pour all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker, then shake thoroughly. Strain over fresh ice in a large glass. Garnish or not, depending on your mood; too many cherries might be nice. Again though, the key here is to avoid stressing out over sub-crisis decisions.

This is a classic fruity, boozy Attitude Adjustment Tool. The rums play well with pineapple juice — why would they not? Pineapple juice gets along with everyone. The lime juice adds a touch of acid, and the grenadine — which is pomegranate syrup, if that’s weighing on your mind — adds color and rounds off the juices, keeping them from being too acidic.

Bahama Mama

  • 1 ounce coconut rum – the sweet kind
  • 1 ounce dark, overproof rum – the kind you remember from college as “151”
  • ½ ounce coffee brandy
  • 2½ ounces pineapple juice
  • ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

Again, pour all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into another large glass — or the same one; there’s no one around to make pointed comments — over fresh ice.

On the face of it, these ingredients do not seem like a great match. Pineapple juice and coffee? But I stand by my previous comment about pineapple juice going with anything. Rum — the friendliest alcohol — has already been making sustained eye contact with the lemon juice and trying to organize a limbo contest.

Either — or both — of these drinks will improve your attitude. When your children return from the movies, call them Lola and Sergio regardless of what their actual names are. This will freak them out enough that you will be able to demand that they bring you Cheetos®, and they might actually do it.

Featured photo: Rum Runner and Bahama Mama. Photo by John Fladd.

In the kitchen with Heidi Piotrowicz

Heidi Piotrowicz created 603 Perfect Blend, a loose-leaf tea and spice company, two years ago with her husband, John, when they wanted to find healthy alternatives to soda and sugary drinks for their three kids, who also have roles in the business. They started by offering 15 teas and have expanded to more than 40 different tea blends, flavored sugars, rubs and spice blends. The blends change depending on the season but include flavors like alpine apricot tea, classical creme brulee tea, ginger snap and apple fritter sugar. You can find them at the Milford, Bedford, Candia, Hooksett and Church Street (Deerfield) farmers markets. They will also be at the Deerfield Fair from Thursday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 1.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Our must-have kitchen item is our glass mason jar steeping pitcher for hot and iced tea. We love to cold-steep iced tea and you can always find several of these pitchers steeping in our refrigerator.

What would you have for your last meal?

A nice rib-eye steak with Big Fripp Coffee Rub and fresh pasta with our Italian Pesto Blend Seasoning served with a big glass of sangria.

What is your favorite local eatery?

We are a huge breakfast family and hands-down Tucker’s is our favorite local restaurant to visit for breakfast. When we travel we always find ourselves comparing other breakfasts to them.

Name a celebrity you would like to see trying your blends?

Martha Stewart and of course Snoop Dogg. We would love to serve them up some tea-inspired cocktails and a sangria using Snoop Dogg’s wine.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Our family’s favorite tea blend is Wicked Pissah Supa Tea, which has notes of acai, elderberry and blackberry. This tea is delicious both hot and iced, but we prefer it as iced tea.

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

In the tea industry, boba has become a huge trend alongside the popularity of mocktails.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

John is the cook in our family. When we’re not at an event or market, he loves to make big pots of chili and comfort foods. He has an award-winning chili recipe from our chili cook-off days that is unique and very delicious.

603 Perfect Blend White Tea Sangria
From the kitchen of 603 Perfect Blend

4 Tablespoons loose-leaf white tea
4 cups boiling water or cold water
1 bottle white wine (750 ml)
2 cups white grape or white cranberry juice
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

In a teapot or mason jar, cover the tea leaves with 4 cups of boiling water and steep for 4 to 7 minutes. Strain tea leaves and let tea cool. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
OR
Cover tea leaves with 4 cups of cold water and steep in the refrigerator overnight. Strain out tea leaves or remove tea steeper.
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Add the fruit of your choice. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours to let all the flavors combine. Serve over ice and add fruit from the sangria for garnish.

Food truck Fridays

Intown Concord sponsors food trucks for First Friday

This past May, Intown Concord started a new tradition with First Friday. On the first Friday of every month, businesses in downtown Concord are encouraged to stay open until 8 p.m. or later. Each month, Intown Concord sponsors one food truck to attend, previously Wicked Tasty Food Truck and The Sleazy Vegan. Next up, on Friday, Sept. 1, is One Happy Clam.

“In the past, people have made comments about Concord closing up early and how there wasn’t much to do in the evening here, so we thought to focus on an effort to get the businesses to do something special once a month to encourage people to come downtown,” said Jessica Martin, the executive director for Intown Concord. “We have been sponsoring a food truck to come … and we’re hoping long-term that more food trucks will come down.”

Derry native Rick Metts, who has been in the restaurant business for 50 years, established One Happy Clam in September 2021. He started out at McDonald’s in 1974 and worked there through high school and into college. Twelve years later Metts, along with a friend, bought Clam Haven in Derry, where he worked for 33 years along with his wife, daughters and grandson.

“I had always dreamed of owning a diner, and the food truck craze was starting [around] 2015, 2016, so I put that in the back of my mind to maybe pursue when I got out of Clam Haven,” Metts said.

In 2020 when he sold the restaurant, that’s exactly what he did with his wife, daughters and grandchildren. He bought a pre-built truck in August 2021, bought and sold the necessary equipment, and a month later, One Happy Clam was on the road. Along with seafood, they also serve hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and more. Due to his time at Clam Haven, he already had a reputation in the community.

“They knew what we served at the restaurant, so I try to use the same suppliers and the same menu items,” he said. “There’s a consistency, so they know if it’s me this is what they’re going to get.”

Unable to attend First Friday in July because the truck needed a new transmission, Metts is eager to be involved in September.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s a little different market. They don’t know who I am up there, some might, most don’t, so we get a chance to make a good first impression.”

Martin says there’s been a great response from the downtown businesses, Gibson’s Bookstore, Homebody and Achromatic being among the ones that have taken part in the later hours.

Revelstoke has been having a DJ, Wine on Main has done a free wine tasting and Spruce Home has even given out free iced coffee and doughnuts.

“It’s been a little bit of a slow burn but we’re gaining momentum,” Martin said. “We’re trying to put some sort of musical act near the food truck so it’s kind of a nice vibe, people get their food, they can sit there and eat and listen to some entertainment at the same time.”

First Friday
When: The first Friday of every month. The next event is Friday, Sept. 1
Where: Downtown Concord
Cost: Free
This month’s First Friday is being billed as “Dogapalooza” highlighting the dog-friendly nature of downtown, according to an Intown newsletter which include a list of businesses that allow dogs either inside the business or outside leashed as well as which businesses offer treats or water.
Also this Ryan Deachman (pictured bottom right) from 6 to 7 p.m. at Bicentennial Square.

Featured photo:Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 23/08/31

News from the local food scene

• Try gourmet kettle popcorn and handmade wine: Visit Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline) between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1, and Saturday, Sept. 2, for gourmet popcorn paired with handcrafted wine. From mango maple moscato, strawberry zinfandel and black currant wine to sweet caramel and brown sugar and garlic pepper and rosemary popcorn, there is a combination for everyone. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased through eventbrite.

• Bourbon, wine, golf: Stonebridge Country Club in Goffstown (161 Gorham Pond Road) hosts Bourbon, Wine & Nine on Friday, Sept. 8, from 2 to 9 p.m. Sample wines, bourbons and scotches and enjoy food from Drumlins Restaurant. Festivities include a nine-hole scramble tournament, a putting contest, live music and chances to raise funds for The Liberty House Charity for Veterans and win prizes. Golf registration starts at 2 p.m. and tee-off is at 3 p.m. The tasting tent opens at 5 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $60 and can be purchased via eventbrite.

• Meet Austrian winemaker and try his wines: Stop by Wine on Main (9 N. Main St., Concord) on Friday, Sept. 8, between 5 and 7 p.m. to meet Austrian winemaker Paul Direder and try his wines.

• Launch party for Botanica #9: Enjoy brunch, gin cocktails, music, a flower steam bar and more at Manchester Distillery’s (284 Manchester St., Manchester) Gin & Jam launch party for Botanica #9. The free event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with an official toasting at 9 a.m.

• Medium reading and wine tasting: Psychic medium Jessica Moseley will hold a group medium reading at Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline) on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. Guests 21 and older will be offered a complimentary wine tasting flight of four vintages or a single glass of wine. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased on exploretock.com.

• Hampton Beach Seafood Fest: Don’t miss the 34th Hampton Beach Seafood Festival from Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10. More than 50 local food vendors and 70 local artisans will be displaying and selling their products, such as home decor, honey and hot sauce. More than 15 performances will take place over the course of the weekend on two stages, featuring The Great Escape, Maddi Ryan, Being Petty and Brandy Band among others. Festival events include a cornhole tournament, a 5K, a lobster roll eating contest, live culinary demonstrations, a mini air show, an art gallery and auction, and fireworks. Tickets are $10 per day. Visit seafoodfestivalmh.com.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

A lot of people seem to be deeply suspicious of my cooking.

I like to cook interesting — and yes, sometimes experimental — dishes. When I try to share them with others, my friends and coworkers suddenly surprise me with previously unknown lactose or gluten intolerances. Worst of all is when I try to give food as a gift:

“Here. Please accept this token of our friendship that I baked especially for you. It was hard work, but I wanted you to have it, because I like you so much.”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

If this has happened to you, try this.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

  • 2 sticks (200 grams) salted butter
  • 8 ounces (230 grams) extremely good dark chocolate. Chocolate chips would work for this, but it will be better with your favorite eating chocolate. Because this is a dense, decadent cake, if you have a hidden stash of Very Dark Chocolate hidden somewhere, that would be a good choice for this.
  • 1¼ cups (250 grams) brown sugar
  • 1½ cups (125 grams) unsweetened cocoa. If you have Dutch process cocoa, that would be even better; it is less acidic.
  • 2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla paste – a tablespoon of good vanilla extract will work for this, too.
  • ¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) kosher salt
  • 6 whole eggs

Heat your oven to 350º (175º C)

Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan, and cover the bottom with parchment paper. (Easy “cheat” method for cutting a round of parchment paper to size: Fold a square of parchment paper into quarters, then in half, diagonally, to make a triangle. Fold the triangle in half, to make a sharper angle. Keep doing this until you can’t fold the paper anymore. Measure out half the diameter of your pan from the tip — in this case, four and a half inches — then cut across the triangle. Unfold the sharp end, and it will be an almost perfect circle the exact size of your pan. Actually, it will be a pentacontagon — a 50-sided polygon — or something, but close enough to a circle for our purposes.)

Over low heat, brown the butter in a small saucepan until it is the color of a tweed coat and smells nutty. Set it aside.

Break your chocolate up into small pieces, and place it in a plastic or glass mixing bowl. Melt it in your microwave, stirring it every 20 seconds.

Whisk the brown butter into the melted chocolate. Normally, adding a liquid to melted chocolate will make it seize up, but browning the butter has not only added flavor to it but also cooked off its water content.

Whisk in the brown sugar and vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the cocoa powder into the mixture, and whisk to combine. Cocoa powder, like cinnamon and some other dry ingredients, is hydrophobic, which means that it doesn’t like to mix with wet ingredients. Even though there isn’t any water in your mixture anymore, there was a small amount in the eggs. You will have to force the issue with your whisk.

Bake for 40 minutes, remove from the oven, and let it cool for at least half an hour before unmolding it. Your house will smell amazing.

Serve with a truly injudicious amount of whipped cream.

This is a very, very dense and decadent chocolate cake. It is earthy with cocoa flavor, but the brown butter and brown sugar give it a subtle butterscotch background. A small slice at a time will be perfect. For what it’s worth, anyone who normally gets out of trying your cooking by suddenly claiming to have a gluten intolerance will have to find another excuse. For anyone who actually has a gluten sensitivity, this will be a special treat.

Another up-side of this cake is that because it is not very sweet, you might be able to avoid having to share this with young children. Your husband or girlfriend is another matter.

Featured photo: Photo by John Fladd.

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