Category: Food

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 sudi.lett@gmail.com 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.

Fresh peach slump

Last week I wrote about fresh peach scones, which are a delicious way to start your day. Now I have a recipe for fresh peach slump — a delectable way to end your day. At the height of peach season, there’s really no better way to start and end the day than with peach-centric dishes.


Slumps are newer to my cooking repertoire. Typically when I am making a fruit-based dessert, I lean toward crisps. I enjoy the combination of brown sugar and oats that top them. However, I was asked by a friend if I could create a slump, and from that, this recipe was created. Just as with a crisp, the focus is on the gently cooked fruit. However, instead of oats and brown sugar, there’s a tender, sweet biscuit coating.


Served with some freshly made (or straight from the can) whipped cream, it’s the perfect ending to a summer meal.

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.

Fresh peach slump
Serves 8

For the filling:
4 cups peaches, pitted and diced
½ cup granulated sugar
2½ Tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt

For the dumplings:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup cold butter, diced
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup water

Place the peaches in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
In a small bowl combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt; sprinkle over the peaches.
Place the Dutch oven (or skillet) on a burner over a medium heat until the peaches begin simmering.
Stir occasionally and gently, simmering for 10 minutes; remove from heat.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
Add the butter and combine using a pastry blender, two forks or your fingers until butter is reduced to the size of peas.
Add the milk and vanilla, and stir until just combined.
Divide the dough into eight pieces and place evenly over the peach mixture.
Add 1/3 cup water, pouring between dumplings.
Return the pot to the stove and bring to a low simmer.
Cover fully with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until dumplings are puffy and cooked through.
Uncover and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
If desired, sprinkle the top of each dumpling with cinnamon and sugar or serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Photo: Peach slump. Courtesy photo.

Lynne Donnelly

Lynne Donnelly of Litchfield is the owner of Bittersweet Bake Shoppe (272 Derry Road, Litchfield, 978-649-2253, bittersweetbakeshoppe.com), a small-batch bakery offering a wide selection of sweet and savory items. A longtime Litchfield resident, Donnelly moved her operations to a new storefront last December after being in Tyngsboro, Mass., for about 16 years. You’ll find everything at Bittersweet Bake Shoppe from cookies, cake pops, pies and cakes to quiches, stuffed croissants and soups and stews in the fall and winter. The shop also carries various retail items, such as sauces, jams, mustards and chocolates, and accepts custom cake orders with a preferred advance notice of a week to 10 days.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A spatula, specifically a frosting spatula.

What would you have for your last meal?

It would have to be something with ketchup.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

The Bedford Village Inn. I usually look at the chef’s specials. I always try to venture out from something that I couldn’t cook at home.

What celebrity would you like to see visiting your shop?

Steven Tyler. He probably doesn’t even eat sweets, but I’ve just always been a big fan of his.

What is your personal favorite thing that you offer?

If I had to narrow it down, I would have to say all of the celebration cakes, with the crazy artwork. Little kids’ birthday cakes are always fun. They are stacked like wedding cakes with all these different characters sticking out of them.

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

My savory baked croissants are really popular right now. I would say those, and also whoopie pies.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Anything Italian. I like to do different forms of from-scratch pasta with sauces from tomatoes in my garden.

Apple cheddar squares
From the kitchen of Lynne Donnelly of Bittersweet Bake Shoppe in Litchfield

1½ cups flour
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup soft butter
6 ounces cheese
2½ cups sliced apples (about 3 medium apples)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup nuts, chopped

Mix together flour, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, baking soda and butter. Press half of the mixture into a 13×9-inch pan. Layer the cheese, sliced apples (tossed in the sugar) and nuts. Top with the other half of the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Featured photo: Lynne Donnelly

Capital City pies

Lucky Moose Casino & Tavern opens in Nashua

More than a decade after he brought Dos Amigos Burritos to downtown Concord, Joel Harris is introducing an all-new concept just a few blocks up the street: a full-service dine-in restaurant featuring brick-oven artisan pizzas, appetizers and other items made with local ingredients.

The New Hampshire Pizza Co., opening soon in the former Crazy Goat space on North Main Street, will also have selections of local craft beers and specialty cocktails, as well as a selection of salads and multiple flavors of its own ice cream made on site.

“I’ve really come to love Concord … and I felt like full-service family-friendly brick-oven pizza would be a great addition to the city’s dining scene,” said Harris, who opened the first Dos Amigos location in Portsmouth in 2003 before coming to the Capital City four years later. “The goal for the restaurant is to really make it a showpiece for the state of New Hampshire. Being in the capital, we want to serve New Hampshire beers and liquor. The decor is going to be New Hampshire-focused, [and] we want to use local ingredients as much as possible on our pizzas.”

Harris, along with his head chef, Rylan Hill, said the pair traveled to several iconic pizzerias and restaurants in the Brooklyn, New York, and New Haven, Connecticut, areas to try out some of the best pizzas they could find. Hill had also worked a stint at Luigi’s West End Pizza in Portsmouth, which Jay McSharry, Harris’s partner at Dos Amigos, is also part owner of.

Harris described the pizza’s style as “a hybrid between New York and Neapolitan,” with likely at least two sizes and both traditional and specialty pies available, from a classic cheese to an eggplant pizza, a sausage and smoked ricotta pizza and a Hawaiian pizza with grilled pineapple and prosciutto. Gluten-free crusts and vegan pizza options are in the works, too.

Among the featured appetizers will be Buffalo-style wings served three ways: traditional chicken wings, pork “wings” (pork shank) and a vegetarian option with cauliflower. There will also be charcuterie board options highlighting local meats and cheeses, and likely three or four varieties of both individual and family-sized salads.

For dessert, Harris said the plan is to begin offering homemade ice cream, from classics like vanilla and chocolate, to more inventive flavors, like basil or Parmesan ice cream.

The New Hampshire Pizza Co. will operate mostly as a sit-down restaurant with wait service, an open kitchen and a full bar. Harris said he also expects to utilize the eatery’s back door alleyway for pickup orders in order to eliminate the need for parking downtown.

“I’m really excited for this. This is definitely going to be a new venture for me, going from counter service to the sit-down full service,” Harris said. “I feel like we’re going to be able to provide Concord-area residents and visitors with a different experience … and we hope people will embrace us as we try to present the best of our state.”

New Hampshire Pizza Co.

An opening date is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Visit their website or follow them on social media for updates.

Where: 76 N. Main St., Concord
Hours: TBA
More info: Visit newhampshirepizzaco.com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @nhpizzaco

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.