The Weekly Dish 21/02/25

News from the local food scene

More drive-thru Greek meals: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St., Concord) will hold its next boxed Greek dinner to go event on Sunday, March 7, from noon to 1 p.m. Now through March 3, orders are being accepted for boxed meals, featuring Greek beef stew with orzo, Greek salad and a dinner roll, for $15 per person. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — email [email protected] or call 953-3051 to place your order. The church has a few other similar upcoming events planned, like a baked haddock dinner on April 25 and a chicken souvlaki meal on May 16. Visit holytrinitynh.org.

Bite Out of Hunger: Now through March 25, the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is selling chocolate Easter bunnies, made by Granite State Candy Shoppe, as part of its Bite Out of Hunger Campaign. The cost is $8.50 for an eight-ounce solid milk, white or dark chocolate bunny. Proceeds benefit The Kids’ Café, which offers children and teens meals and recreation activities four evenings a week. To order a bunny, call Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary publicity chairwoman Sylvia Crete at 490-4107.

B’s Tacos expands to Manchester: Londonderry-based food truck B’s Tacos has opened a new brick and mortar location on Manchester’s West Side, at 372 Kelley St. According to owner and founder Ken Spilman, who has operated B’s Tacos since 2013, the new location has allowed him to expand his menu offerings. You can still get six-inch tacos, in crispy corn or soft flour tortillas, as well as 12-inch burrito and rice bowls, in a variety of fillings, like slow-cooked pork, ground beef, pork and chorizo sausage, grilled chipotle garlic steak, fried chicken tender and more. There are also taco salads, quesadillas, and sides like beans, chicken fingers and avocado fries. While it is now open in Manchester Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., B’s Tacos will continue to operate as a food truck at the BP Gas Station (2 Mohawk Drive, Londonderry) from May to October. Visit nhtacotruck.com.

LaBelle taps new culinary chief: LaBelle Winery recently announced the addition of industry veteran Peter Agostinelli to its culinary team, according to a press release. A 1998 culinary arts graduate from Newbury College in Brookline, Mass., Agostinelli is no stranger to the local food scene — his resume includes stints at the Bedford Village Inn, the Exeter Inn, Grill 23 & Bar in Boston and many other acclaimed eateries. He will oversee all of LaBelle’s food and beverage operations at its Amherst and Portsmouth locations, as well as its newest spot due to open in Derry later this year. “Peter’s expertise in the industry and depth of knowledge and experience will allow him to continue to elevate LaBelle’s culinary-related programs to a place we’ve always envisioned them going — and then some,” winery owner and founder Amy LaBelle said in a statement.

Jason Duffy

Jason Duffy is the executive chef of Bistro 603 (345 Amherst St., Nashua, 722-6362, bistro603nashua.com), which opened last August. Born in Brighton, Mass., and raised on Cape Cod, Duffy got his start in the industry at the age of 14 as a dishwasher at the Chart Room restaurant before moving up the ranks there over the course of a decade. He and owner Jeff Abellard are also part of a close-knit restaurant team that has run Bistro 781 on Moody Street in downtown Waltham, Mass., since 2015. Like its predecessor, Bistro 603 features an eclectic menu of items out of a scratch kitchen, ranging from small shareable plates to larger meals with optional wine pairings.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Tongs, a side towel and a knife. You can get most things done as long as you have that stuff on hand. … The tongs are like extensions of my hand. I do a million things with them.

What would you have for your last meal?

Probably a big crab boil, with corn on the cob and whatever shellfish I can get.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

In N Out Burritos [in Nashua] has great aguachile. It’s basically heavily marinated citrus-spiced shrimp. We also recently went out to Michael Timothy’s [Local Kitchen & Wine Bar] for my birthday, which is a really cool place.

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

I am a book nerd at heart. I would love to have Stephen King in here.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Our braised short ribs. It has tender fall-apart beef, our house made gnocchi, truffled mushroom cream sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts. It’s one of our biggest sellers. Every part of it just always comes out great and consistent.

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

Scratch-made comfort food with a twist. … We can spend all day coming up with all sorts of intricate stuff, [but] I try not to use all sorts of terms on the menu that people wouldn’t recognize. We’ve noticed that the recognizable stuff sells tremendously at the outset, but as you build a client base and people know who you are then they start to trust you more.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love all kinds of soups. I’ll spend a couple of days making a really nice chicken stock.

Smoked tomato chimichurri
From the kitchen of Chef Jason Duffy of Bistro 603 in Nashua

1 cup smoked tomatoes (halved and smoked at 200 degrees for two hours)
1 tablespoon raw garlic
1 tablespoon raw shallot
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ tablespoon dry oregano
½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything but the oil in a blender and puree. While running the blender, trickle in the oil to emulsify it all together. According to Duffy, the chimichurri is great as a sauce or a marinade for meats.

Featured photo: Jason Duffy

Tastes of Africa and beyond

Mola Foods to open new tasting room and kitchen

Since launching Mola Foods in 2016, Jeannette Bryant of Nashua has opened a retail store, established a culinary scholarship program and published a cookbook offering ideas on how to best utilize her globally inspired spice blends and chili relishes into one’s meals. Now Bryant is expanding her “culture in a bottle” theme even further in the form of a new space, which will serve as a combination store front, tasting room and commercial kitchen.

Set to open on Saturday, Feb. 20, the new Mola Foods location is much more than a larger retail spot for Bryant’s products.

You’ll also be able to order traditional meals from her home country of Cameroon in Central Africa as well as other nations, prepared fresh in the kitchen and available weekly through a grab-and-go model.

Bryant, who has been offering a similar meal service at Creative Chef Kitchens in Derry, known as Jals Cuisine Bantu, said the transition to Nashua allows her to do everything under one roof.

Although she expects meals to be available on the first day for visitors stopping in to the store, orders going forward will be accepted by 10 a.m. every Thursday, for pickup on Saturdays, either fresh out of the oven or out of a refrigerated case.

“People can experience Cameroonian cuisine right here in Nashua,” she said. “[Meals] will be from other countries too, so you’ll be able to taste different things from different countries, but you’ll always find at least one Cameroonian meal that you can try.”

One such meal is ndole — because it’s a dish made with a plant that’s indigenous to Cameroon, Bryant said, she uses spinach as a substitute, stewed together with peanut sauce, shrimp and beef, and served with boiled plantains.

A vegan version of ndole will also be available.

Other options will include a black bean and mango rice bowl with cilantro vinaigrette and red bell peppers; a Cameroonian peanut soup, made with tofu or beef and served with basmati rice; and a blackened sauce, known as mbongo, that will be cooked with bone-in pork.

New menus will be updated on Sundays for the following week. All of them will be used with Mola Foods spice blends, each of which is inspired by a different country, from African nations like Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Morocco to those in Asia, like India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

“Everything here is made fresh. There will never be meat in here that is conserved or frozen,” Bryant said. “That’s why we have people place the orders on Thursday. It gives us time to go to the market, purchase everything and start cooking.”

In the front of the retail store, small standing tables will be set up for designated tasting events of Mola Foods products, and the space can be used for private tastings for larger parties too.

Bryant said the concept of her company started when she was experimenting with a hot sauce recipe made from a Cameroonian ghost pepper.

The feedback she received from it was so positive that she began working with other world-inspired spice blends, sauces and marinades, and she has continuously expanded her product line ever since.

Most recently she has introduced hibiscus and golden milk turmeric tea, as well as a new sweet and spicy wing sauce.

Mola Foods
Where
: 9 Simon St., Suite 103, Nashua
Hours: Retail store hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Order meals by 10 a.m. on Thursdays for pickups on Saturdays
Visit: molafoods.com or jalscuisinebantu.ecwid.com

Featured photo: Cameroonian ndole (spinach cooked with peanuts and served with boiled plantains). Photo courtesy of Mola Foods.

May the best chilis win

Amherst, Merrimack Lions Clubs to host “virtual” chili cook-off

If a hot bowl of chili has been one of your favorite go-to at-home meals, you’ll be able to showcase your creation during a special “virtual” cook-off. The event, a collaborative effort of the Amherst and Merrimack Lions Clubs, will be video recorded on Tuesday, March 2, at the former Buckmeadow Recreation and Conservation Area Clubhouse in Amherst.

“Covid has taught us to be very creative,” Amherst Lion and event co-captain Joan Ferguson said. “We said, ‘What can we do to continue the tradition?,’ and we kind of got more creative with it as we went along. There were a lot of combined resources to make this fall into place.”

One of the first tasks in organizing this event involved recruiting local chefs and restaurateurs to serve as “celebrity” judges, a significant change from the people’s choice voting of previous cook-offs. Merrimack Lion Adam Jump, who has been a participating chili maker in the past, helped select the three judges — Jay Smith, executive chef of the Copper Door Restaurant in Bedford; Dan DeCourcey, owner of the Up In Your Grill barbecue food trailer in Merrimack; and Alan Frati, owner of Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee Eatery in Andover, Mass.

Now through Feb. 24, anyone can register their chili by filling out an entry form on the Amherst Lions Club’s website and emailing a copy of their recipe. Chili cooks will then be invited to the March 2 taping at a designated time. Submissions will be divided into three categories for judging: individuals, restaurants and Lions Club members. Smith, DeCourcey and Frati will rate each chili on a scale of 1 to 5 in a variety of factors, like taste, smell, creativity and presentation.
“They’ll be judging everyone from each category at one time frame,” Ferguson said. “The entrants will get to receive constructive comments from these chefs, which is another thing that’s different this year and can be valuable as well.”

To promote social distancing, participants will be given a time within the two-hour event window for when their presentation will be recorded. Tables, napkins, spoons and gloves will be provided, but you must bring your own bowls, serving ladle, electrical cords and heating elements, in addition to at least one quart of your chili.

Among the restaurant contestants is Smokehaus Barbecue in Amherst — last year’s winner in the Restaurant category — as well as The Common Man of Merrimack, Tomahawk’s Butchery and Tavern in Merrimack, the Alamo Texas Barbecue & Tequila Bar in Brookline and Bobby and Jack’s Memphis Barbecue in Tewksbury, Mass.

Shortly after its taping, the recorded video of the cook-off will be uploaded onto the Amherst Lions Club’s website and social media pages. Viewers will be given the opportunity to purchase recipes from each of the cook-off entrants, with all proceeds going to the Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation of New Hampshire. Winners of each cook-off category will receive an engraved trophy and bragging rights for a year.

“Virtual” Chili Cook-off
When
: Tuesday, March 2, 5 to 7 p.m. (open to chili registrants only, with recorded video of the cook-off to be posted online soon after; enter your chili by Feb. 24 to participate)
Where: 30 Route 101A, Amherst (former Buckmeadow Recreation and Conservation Area Clubhouse)
Cost: No cost to register; participants’ recipes will be sold online ($5 for one recipe, $12 for three recipes and $25 for 20 recipes), with proceeds going to the Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation of New Hampshire
More info: Email [email protected], or visit e-clubhouse.org/sites/amherstnh

The Weekly Dish 21/02/18

News from the local food scene

Local Greek eats: Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road, Manchester) will host its next drive-thru food fest on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring a half-roasted chicken dinner or a pastichio (Greek lasagna) dinner. Both are $15 per person and come with rice, a Greek salad and bread. Rice pilaf and Greek salads are also available a la carte, as well as spinach petas, kataifi (nut rolls with shredded phyllo dough and honey lemon syrup) and koulourakia (crisp braided butter cookies). Orders are online only and must be placed by Feb. 23. The event is pickup only (no walk-ins). Visit foodfest.assumptionnh.org.

Beach Plum coming to Salem: The Beach Plum, a local eatery known for its wide array of fried seafood and ice cream options in addition to lobster rolls, burgers and chowders, is due to open a new year-round location in Salem’s Tuscan Village plaza (72 Rockingham Park Blvd.) by mid to late April, director of marketing Lorraine Petrini confirmed. This will be The Beach Plum’s fourth location — the others are in Epping and Portsmouth, both of which are open year-round, and in North Hampton, which is open from March to October. Visit thebeachplum.net or follow them on social media for updates.

Taco Time restaurant opens in Milford: A new eatery offering authentic Mexican cuisine and cocktails is now open in Milford. Taco Time Cocina & Cantina Mexicana opened at 11 Wilton Road, in the former space of the Rivermill Tavern, on Jan. 27. Rosana Vargas and her husband, Reymundo “Rey,” launched Taco Time, specializing in tacos, taco salads, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, chilis and other fresh Mexican options, in 2018. The new and expanded menu also features items like fajita plates, carne asada plates and a line of specialty margaritas, as well as desserts, like churros and tres leches cakes. Taco Time is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit tacotimenh.com.

Doughnuts by the Docks: The Town Docks Restaurant (289 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith), normally closed for the winter season, announced the launch of The Common Man Doxside food truck earlier this month, according to a press release. The truck can be found in the Town Docks’ parking lot on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., serving a menu of homemade doughnuts, like the Flying Monkey (banana cream pie filled doughnut topped with vanilla icing and bruleed banana) and the Chocolate Wasted (chocolate cake doughnut filled with brownie batter and finished with chocolate ganache). Other menu items include breakfast tacos, sandwiches, loaded fries and hot or iced coffees. Visit thecman.com/town-docks.

Corayma Correa

Corayma Correa’s family launched the Tropical Food Truck (tropical-food-truck.business.site, find them on Facebook) last October, its primary location at 80 Elm St. in Manchester. The truck’s menu combines authentic options native to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, where Correa’s mother and stepfather respectively are from. Among the most popular items are appetizers like beef and chicken empanadas; alcupurias, or fritters stuffed with beef or crabmeat and veggies; and the french fry supreme, featuring fries loaded with beef, cheese sauce, sour cream, light ketchup and bacon bits. After taking a month off in January, Correa said, the Tropical Food Truck will return to 80 Elm St. on Feb. 18, where you’ll find them most Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings. The truck is also available to hire for private events.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I would say a nice solid spatula, just because I’m always turning things.

What would you have for your last meal?

A burger, cooked medium, with caramelized onions, barbecue sauce, an egg over easy, American cheese, lettuce and tomato.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Puerto Vallarta Mexican Grill on Second Street [in Manchester].

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

I’d be flattered to have Adam Sandler stop by, just because he’s from New Hampshire.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Our chimis. It’s a Dominican dish that’s similar to a burger. We do them with your choice of beef, chicken, pork or all three, and then they are topped with cabbage and a special chimi sauce.

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

Birria tacos. It’s basically a taco with slow-cooked tender meat, melted cheese … and a sauce that you use as a dipping sauce. I’ve seen it in an empanada too.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

We are huge steak lovers at home. A nice warm and juicy steak is all we need.

Pernil (pork roast)
From the kitchen of Corayma Correa of the Manchester-based Tropical Food Truck

1 (8- to 10-pound) bone-in pork shoulder
1 head of garlic, peeled
4 tablespoons sofrito
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons adobo
2 packets sazón

Rinse pork shoulder with vinegar and water, then pat dry. With a knife, make ½-inch stabs all over the pork. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix together. Fill each slit in the pork with about a teaspoon of the paste. Sprinkle all sides of the roast with the adobo and sazón and rub pork with the spices. Place in a roasting pan that has sides at least two inches deep, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight for the best results. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Leave the roast covered with foil and bake for four to five hours (approximately 30 to 45 minutes per pound). Pork should read 180 degrees on an internal thermometer and shred easily with a fork. Uncover roast and bake for 15 to 20 minutes to crisp up the fat, or broil at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, watching carefully not to burn. Let cool and serve. The pork can also be refrigerated and used the next day on a panini.

Featured photo: Corayma Correa and her stepfather, Victor Rodriguez. Courtesy photo

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