Category: Food

In the kitchen with Cheri Coco

Cheri Coco of Londonderry is the owner of Feed Your Fitness (feedyourfit.com, and on Facebook @feedyourfitnessofficial), a meal prep business she launched last October that offers a rotating menu of locally sourced options. New meals are posted to her website on Sunday night and usually feature dishes with chicken, beef and fish, as well as a breakfast item like overnight oats. Recent meals have included Buffalo ranch chicken stuffed peppers with brown rice; a barbacoa beef burrito bowl with rice, beans and homemade salsa; and pistachio-crusted salmon with broccoli and quinoa. Everything is made fresh out of Creative Chef Kitchens (35 Manchester Road, Unit 9, Derry), with online ordering available from Monday through Wednesday at 2 p.m. In addition to curbside pickups at the commercial kitchen space, meals can be delivered on Thursdays within a few-mile radius.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I would have to say my pressure cooker, or my garlic press.

What would you have for your last meal?

Pizza. Probably just a plain cheese pizza, a garden salad with Italian dressing, and definitely a nice red wine.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

It depends on the meal. If it’s breakfast, then it’s Talia’s [Breakfast & Eatery] in Londonderry, and if it’s dinner, it’s Sabatino’s North in Derry.

What celebrity would you like to see trying one of your meals?

I would have to say Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

What is your favorite meal to make?

I don’t offer anything I don’t like to eat myself, but I think right now the chicken cacciatore is my personal favorite. I serve that with zucchini and brown rice. I rotate it out — it pops up probably every five weeks.

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

Not necessarily just right now, but in the last couple of years, food trucks have been huge. I’d love to have one myself.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Definitely marinara sauce, [with] meatballs, sausage or pasta and Italian bread.

Pumpkin spice overnight oats
Courtesy of Cheri Coco of Feed Your Fitness

½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup almond milk (or own preference, dairy or non-dairy)
3 ounces Greek vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
¼ cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar or bowl with a lid. Refrigerate overnight. When you’re ready to eat it, give it a good stir and enjoy either cold or warm.

Featured photo: Cheri Coco. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/09/23

News from the local food scene

• Crushing it: Join Black Bear Vineyard & Winery (289 New Road, Salisbury) for its annual Harvest Weekend, happening the weekend of Saturday, Sept. 25, and Sunday, Sept. 26. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about how the vineyard’s grapes are destemmed and crushed before its juices are used to make the wines. Food trucks will also be on site, as well as live music performances outside between 1 and 5 p.m. each day. Reservations are not required, but bringing your own chairs is recommended. With seven wine varieties grown on site — four reds and three whites — and about 18 acres of rolling hills, Black Bear is one of the largest vineyards in the Granite State. Visit blackbearvineyard.com.

• Italian festivities: Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana, Salem) will host Passeggiata: Walk of Wine, an annual festival, at its newly unveiled location on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. The event will feature more than 40 Italian and world wines available to taste, along with several stationary and passed appetizers and live music. Bottled wines of featured selections at the festival will also be available for purchase. Tickets are $30 per person. Tuscan Market will also be holding its annual Toscana Fest on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring local food vendors, face painting, pumpkin painting, carnival games and raffles, with all proceeds to benefit Lazarus House Ministries in Lawrence, Mass. Visit tuscanbrands.com.

• Brothers Cortado coming to Concord: True Brew Barista recently announced the sale of its shop at 3 Bicentennial Square in Concord, which will reopen under new ownership as Brothers Cortado. Brothers and Loudon natives Ian and Chuck Nemiccolo plan to open by October, and their shop will feature a variety of coffees and espresso drinks. Renovations are currently underway — follow their progress on Facebook and Instagram @brotherscortado.

• WineNot Boutique reopens: Specialty wine retail shop WineNot Boutique reopened on Sept. 15 in its new space at 25 Main St. in Nashua, it recently announced. The newly renovated location is less than a half mile up the road from its former storefront at 221 Main St., with all of its weekly complimentary wine tastings and special events transitioning there. WineNot’s temporary hours are Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 7 p.m. Visit winenotboutique.com.

• Brews for a cause: Red, White & Brew, a craft beer and wine festival presented by Veterans Count, returns to Funspot (579 Endicott St. N., Laconia) on Saturday, Sept. 25, with a VIP hour from noon to 1 p.m. and general admittance from 1 to 4 p.m. In addition to multiple craft beer and wine options, the festival will feature local food vendors, a classic car show, raffles, an auction and live music from The Bob Pratte Band. General admission is $35 and VIP admission is $50. Admission for all attendees includes sampling tickets and a commemorative glass while supplies last, and proceeds benefit local service members and their families. Military discounts are also available. Visit vetscount.org/nh/events.

Boxes and cans

Eye-catching packaging, tasty wines

Traditionally grapes were picked, vinified, sometimes aged, and then bottled and sealed with a cork and foil or wax. The bottles were finished with simple labels identifying the vineyard or blender, grape varietals and vintage. The bottles were loaded into cardboard boxes or wooden crates and sent off to distributors for sale.

While the bulk of the wine industry still operates this way, the marketing of wine has evolved to appeal to a larger and younger market. There was a huge outcry when vintners started to put screw caps on bottles. There were claims that the screw tops would fail; they would not keep the wine from spoiling. Fact is that screw tops have replaced corks on many wines. Next came “box wine” — the wine that can be loaded onto the shelf of a refrigerator and tapped when one wants a glass of chardonnay. Then came “wine in a can.” A can is a perfect way to keep a carbonated beverage; why not make that beverage a wine?

The packaging and marketing of wine has become an industry unto itself. Several years ago, some vineyards commissioned artists to create labels for them. The label of the 2019 Navigator Sauvignon Blanc of Napa Valley (originally priced at $32.99, reduced to $14.99 at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets) is a fine example of graphic artistry. The front label is very simple — just the wine’s name. The back of the bottle has an array of constellations, printed in white, with a sailing ship, printed in black, above blue scrolling ocean waves. This entire image is meant to be viewed through the bottle, magnified by the straw-colored wine. What a marvelous idea! The wine has a slight fruit nose, along with herbal lavender. To the mouth it is citric — a favoring lemongrass. A perfect wine to pair with seafood.

Another direction in marketing is to appeal to basic pleasures. The label of the 2018 Michael David Winery Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel (originally priced at $15.99, reduced to $12.99 at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets) is an example of simplicity. The label refers to “Zinfandel grapes sustainably farmed in Lodi, California.” Modestly priced and presented, this wine is bold. The dark purple, opaque color and fruit-laden nose lead to notes of black raspberry, vanilla, some cinnamon and a touch of pepper. This wine is designed and marketed for a “kick-back” barbecue with friends.

Australian Thomas Angove invented boxed wine in 1965. Improved upon in 1967, with the creation of an air-tight tap welded to the plastic bag, his invention became salable. The science behind this packaging is simple; the wine is removed from the bag without adding air, thus removing the potential for oxidation of the remaining wine. The original large box containers have evolved into single-serve sizes. The Woodbridge Limited Edition Mondavi California Chardonnay (originally priced at $4.99, reduced to $3.99 at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets) is packaged in 500 ml boxes. This results in three and a half 5-ounce servings. The packaging notes this has been proclaimed the “Official Wine of Major League Baseball.” The color is the classic gold color of a California chardonnay, with aromas of apple and pear. The nose carries through to the tongue with a toasty finish, perfect for pairing with roast chicken, eaten on a picnic.

Wine in a can? Why not? Beer has been put into cans since the mid-’30s! The House Wine Limited Edition Rosé Bubbles, 3.75 ml (originally priced at $5.99, reduced to $4.99 at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets), was conceived in 2004 by ex-rock ’n’ roll manager and wine maker Charles Smith in Walla Walla, Washington. It is marketed as a “serious wine made by not so serious people.” The wine has a pale pink color and aromas of fresh berries with lively citric notes on the tongue. This is a light wine that can be paired with soft cheeses or enjoyed by itself on a warm afternoon.

19 Crimes 2019 Red Wine (priced at $11.99 at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets) appears at first to be a novelty. Each bottle in the miniature four-pack is 187 ml, or a six-ounce serving. Produced in Australia by Treasury Wine Estates, it is a blend of mostly shiraz, with traces of other grapes. This is a bold red wine with a dark red color, dark cherries to the nose carrying through to the tongue, with firm tannins on the mid-palate. The packaging is novel, as it identifies the 19 crimes punishable by transportation from the U.K. to 19th-century Australia. Several criminals and their crimes are identified on the packaging!

The packaging and marketing of wine have indeed evolved with our changing world of marketing. Try some of these alternatives.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

De-simplifying tomatoes

You kind of knew what you were letting yourself in for in February when you started all those tomato plants.

You knew you were supposed to get Darwinian by May and cull the weaker plants, but you let yourself get attached, and yes, in retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to let the kids name them, so instead of planting the five strongest tomatoes, you got guilty about killing off Trixie and Leon, and planted all of them.

And as the summer went by, you’d invested so much into each of the plants that you fell into a sunk-cost fallacy situation and you didn’t want all that work and worry to be for nothing, so here it is September, and the upshot of all this is that you are up to your eyebrows in tomatoes.

If you really wanted a simple solution to the Tomato Situation, you’d make a lot of bloody marys. They’re simple, elegant, you know you like them, and you can make them in bulk.

So clearly, simplicity is not what you’re after.

Let’s redefine what you’re really looking for: some sort of cocktail that is new and interesting. It has to use up some of these tomatoes, yes, but it also needs to be something that you can kick back with on the deck, day-drinking, but not feeling like you’re day-drinking. Remember, if you really wanted something simple you’d be bloody mary-ing it up, so realistically, you’re willing to put up with a bit of a project and some complications.

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered.

A tomato spritzer.

Yes, I know; it doesn’t sound that promising. I think you’ll be pleased with it, though. The good news is that each step gets easier.

Step 1 – Making cucumber-infused gin

Ingredients:

Cucumbers

Gin

Wash and weigh your cucumbers.

Place an equal amount, by weight, of cucumbers and gin in your blender. Don’t bother to peel the cucumbers.

Blend them on your lowest speed for a minute or two, until everything is chopped up and it looks like hot dog relish. You aren’t looking to puree it, just chop it up finely enough for the cucumbers to have a lot of surface area to interact with the gin.

Pour this slurry into a wide-mouthed jar and store it somewhere cool and dark for a week, shaking it once or twice per day. I like the laundry room in our basement, because I find myself there a couple of times per day and I can shake the jar and ask, “How ya doin’, buddy?”

After a week, strain and bottle the gin. If you’d like a very clear gin, you can run it through a coffee filter.

Step 2 – Tomato shrub

Ingredients:

128 g. roughly chopped cherry tomatoes

125 g. sugar

3½ ounces white wine vinegar

¾ ounce raspberry vinegar

1½ ounces dry vermouth

1½ ounces sweet vermouth

Over low heat, simmer the tomatoes, sugar and vinegars until the sugar is dissolved and the tomatoes have softened, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Blend with a regular blender or an immersion blender.

Add the vermouths, and chill the mixture.

Strain and jar the mixture.

Step 3 – Juicing your tomatoes

Wash as many tomatoes as you want to get rid of use up.

Cut out the stem and any suspicious-looking cracks or welts. (It should be pointed out here that the objectively uglier the tomato, the juicier it is likely to be. Just sayin’.)

Throw the tomatoes into the blender. Actually throw them, if it makes you feel better.

Blitz them at any speed you like. You’ll get more juice out of them if you really go to town, but if you use a lower speed, your final juice won’t be as thick.

Strain your tomato glop.

The glop will turn into beautiful juice.

The actual cocktail – Tomato Spritzer

Ingredients:

1 ounce cucumber gin

2 ounce dry vermouth

1½ ounces fresh tomato juice

½ ounce tomato shrub

2 ounces cold prosecco

2 ounces cold, extra bubbly club soda — I like Topo Chico

Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass.

Pour into tall glasses.

This cocktail has a surprising complexity. A lot of spritzers have a watered-down sweetness to them. This one is very light, but it has a savoriness that will make you raise an eyebrow as you drink it. The key to it is the cucumber gin; the background flavor of cucumbers highlights the tomato/vinegar acidity. This drink starts out a delicate pink color but after a few minutes will separate into two layers, with the tomato layer rising to the top. It is complex and a little hard to wrap your head around, and very nice to spend time with.

Much like you.

Featured photo: Photo by John Fladd.

Sweet potato biscuits

As much as the end of summer means the disappearance of long days and warm weather, it also means it’s the start of the baking season. Yes, I still enjoy cookies, homemade bread and more during the summer, but it’s so much nicer to have a toasty kitchen when it’s cooler outside.

Let’s kick off fall baking with a multi-purpose recipe: sweet potato biscuits. Not only is this a fairly simple recipe to use, these biscuits work well at various times of day. Lazing around the house on a weekend morning? These biscuits make a great part of an indulgent brunch. Want to serve warm bread with soup or stew? This is the recipe you need.

These biscuits are pretty easy to make, especially if you already have cooked sweet potato ready. Please note that while you need to mash the sweet potato, a few small lumps are fine. In fact, they add a nice burst of flavor and a little texture to the final product.

Welcome back, baking season!

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.

Sweet potato biscuits
Makes 10

1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, stir together the sweet potato and 1/4 cup milk.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add the butter to the flour mixture, and blend with a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers until the butter is the size of peas.
Add the sweet potato mixture, folding to combine.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time until the dough is combined but not moist. (You may not need to use all of the milk.)
Sprinkle a work surface with flour.
Place the dough on the lightly floured work surface.
Using floured hands, pat it into a rectangle about 3/4″ thick.
Fold the dough into thirds (like you’re folding a letter); turn the dough 90 degrees and fold it in thirds again.
Sprinkle a little flour over the dough, and roll with a floured rolling pin until the dough is a 3/4″ thick rectangle again.
Cut into 10 to 12 rectangles.
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, and bake until light golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.
Serve warm.

*Buttermilk can be replaced with a combination of 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and enough milk to equal 3/4 cup. Allow to stand at room temperature for a couple minutes before using in the recipe.

Photo: Sweet potato biscuits. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Jessica Radloff

Jessica Radloff of Wilton is the owner of Granite State Cakes (find her on Facebook and Instagram @granitestatecakes), a homestead business offering custom cakes and cookies for all occasions. Her inspiration for founding Granite State Cakes began when she made a cake for her firstborn son’s first birthday and friends and family started asking if she could make cakes for them. Children’s birthday parties are among what she most commonly receives requests to make custom cakes or cookies for, but Radloff has also fulfilled orders for occasions like baby showers and weddings.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A bench scraper. It just really helps you get super-clean edges on the cake and make it look nice and clean.

What would you have for your last meal?

Tacos. We used to live in Londonderry and we would frequent the B’s Tacos truck. Their shrimp tacos are my favorite thing ever.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I love B’s Tacos, but there’s also a place I love in Londonderry called Bangkok Thai. They have the most delicious basil fried rice. My mother-in-law lives in Londonderry, so we still do visit there often.

What celebrity do you wish could try one of your cakes?

Anthony Bourdain, just because he was so real and genuine.

What is your personal favorite custom cake that you’ve ever done?

I don’t even think it was near Halloween, but I did a cake that looked like a brain. … It was just a really clean white cake, with another cake on top of it and raspberry preserves. It looked gruesomely awesome in a super-clean way. [It was] probably one of the most fun and realistic cakes I’ve ever made.

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

I think food trucks are really big right now. One of my dreams is to have a truck. I would do both sweet and savory options if I could.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I think tacos are my favorite things to make. I like to do shredded pork tacos with my own hard taco shell.

Marshmallow cutout sugar cookies
From the kitchen of Jessica Radloff of Granite State Cakes

1 cup butter
150 grams (or about 1 cup) powdered sugar
75 grams (or about ½ cup) brown sugar, packed
1 egg
450 grams (or about 3½ cups) flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons marshmallow flavoring

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with sifted powdered sugar and brown sugar until well-combined and mixture is slightly fluffy. Add egg and mix again until well-combined. Sift flour and cornstarch, and add half at a time to prevent a flour dust cloud. Once mixture is nicely combined, add vanilla, almond extract and marshmallow flavoring. Chill dough for about 30 minutes and roll out to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut and chill cutout cookies for about 5 to 10 minutes before baking on parchment paper until just golden around the edges and the tops no longer look shiny. Decorate with royal icing (optional).

Featured photo: Jessica Radloff. Courtesy photo.

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