Category: Food

Abbey Morrison

Abbey Morrison of Manchester is the owner and founder of The Fresh Chef Meal Prep (freshchefmp.com, and on Facebook @thefreshchefmealprepllc and Instagram @the_fresh_chef), a business she started last year specializing in lunch and dinner items with fresh ingredients delivered to your door. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, Morrison first got an associate’s degree in culinary science, followed by a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and product development. She also completed an internship with Great New Hampshire Restaurants, working at the Copper Door’s new location in Salem in 2018. Each of her meals features ingredients that are in season, always containing a protein like chicken or steak, as well as at least one vegetarian option for both lunch and dinner. Everything is cooked the same day it’s delivered. Recent popular items have included salmon burgers, Mediterranean pizzas and fresh guacamole, while during the wintertime she’ll cook beef stroganoff, stuffed sweet potatoes and other heartier dishes. New menus are dropped each Monday, with ordering open until Friday afternoon for the next week and delivery times from either 3 to 5 p.m. or 5 to 7 p.m.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

It would be a French knife, hands down. If that was all I had, then I’d still be able to get the job done. It’s like an extension of my arm.

What would you have for your last meal?

My favorite dish, which is a treat to myself, is fresh sea scallops in a cast iron skillet with homemade pesto and gnocchi from scratch.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Republic [Cafe in Manchester]. … Their curried cauliflower is my go-to every time.

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

I’m a die-hard basketball fan. It would be an absolute honor if I could cook for Skylar Diggins. She’s a WNBA star who currently plays for the Phoenix Mercury. I’ve followed her journey since she played at the University of Notre Dame. She’s a role model.

What is your personal favorite thing on any of your menus?

Since we’re in the summer, I would choose between either the salmon burger or the prosciutto pizza. The salmon burger is also a customer favorite.

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

Keto is a big one, and also fasting. I feel like those are the two biggest trends, not only in New Hampshire but all around the world.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love grilled pizza in the summer. I’ll throw a pizza dough on the grill, let it char right up within five minutes on each side, then put mozzarella cheese on top, with vegetables and a balsamic glaze. It’s super quick, easy and healthy.

Blackened salmon with mango salsa
From the kitchen of Abbey Morrison of The Fresh Chef Meal Prep in Manchester

1 8-ounce fillet fresh Atlantic salmon
3 tablespoons blackened seasoning
¼ cup mango salsa
1 cup cauliflower rice
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
2 lime wedges

Remove skin from the salmon with a knife, then use tweezers to pull the fin bones out. Wash the salmon and pat it down dry. Place the salmon in a bowl and add the blackened seasoning, making sure all corners of the fillet are covered. On a medium-sized flat top over medium to high heat, add salmon with one tablespoon of oil. Cook for five minutes on each side, or until the desired temperature is reached. Measure cauliflower rice and place in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside. Cut lime wedge, then take cauliflower rice and place at the bottom of a disposable meal prep container. Place cooked blackened salmon on top of the rice and finish with mango salsa and a lime wedge.

Featured photo: Abbey Morrison

Highway eatery

Sherman’s Pit Stop opens in Wilton

Inspired by the idea of what you might encounter across famous highways like Route 66, a new restaurant is serving up everything from specialty burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs to fried seafood, barbecue and ice cream.

Sherman’s Pit Stop is the latest venture of owners Steve and Diane Yurish, who formerly ran Moulton’s Market in Amherst for 16 years. The eatery arrived on Route 101 in Wilton last month, its menus and walls adorned with pictures of the family’s beloved pitbull, Sherman.

taco wraps and french fries on a black and white checkered napkin
Courtesy of Sherman’s Pit Stop in Wilton.

“To us, this is kind of like a highway pit stop, or any mom-and-pop place that you’d find on the side of the road anywhere,” Steve Yurish said. “So we thought the name kind of worked out in that regard, and then you have the reference of a barbecue pit in there too.”

While there isn’t any one particular style of barbecue that Sherman’s Pit Stop specializes in, Yurish said the eatery has begun serving all kinds of Southern-inspired options. The Louisiana Lightning, for example, features Cajun blackened chicken breast with pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeno and chipotle mayonnaise, while the Raleigh, a reference to North Carolina, has pulled pork that’s topped with coleslaw on an onion roll.

Each of the hot dogs — also known on the menu as “barkers” — is available a la carte using the Sabrett natural casing brand. Some are baseball-themed, like the Sweet Caroline, a Fenway Park-style dog with mustard, ketchup, relish and onion; and the Bronx Bomber, which has sauerkraut, mustard and red onion and is a reference to Yurish’s stomping grounds in New York.

“The Sabrett hot dogs are what you’ll find on all the hot dog pushcarts in New York City,” Yurish said. “I actually have to drive down to New York to get them. … Anyone who’s a transplant from New York, Connecticut or New Jersey will definitely recognize them.”

The fried oysters and the whole belly clams have been among some of most raved about seafood options, according to Yurish, while others include shrimp, scallops, lobster rolls, and fried haddock tacos with chipotle cream, lettuce, tomato and fresh mango pineapple salsa.

For drinks, you’ll find cold brew coffee from A&E Coffee & Tea of Amherst, as well as six beers on tap and a line of cocktails. Out of an adjoining takeout window, there are around a dozen ice cream flavors sourced from The Ice Cream Machine of Cumberland, Rhode Island, for cones, sundaes, frappes, freezes and floats.

The back of Sherman’s Pit Stop has spacious outdoor dining overlooking Blood Brook, a connecting stream to the Souhegan River. Several live local music acts are planned for the space.

While the eatery is starting out with options reflective of a seasonal summer menu, Yurish said the goal is for Sherman’s Pit Stop to operate year-round. For decades, the building housed the original Gary’s Harvest Restaurant and was a popular spot among local diners for breakfast.

“People still pull up in the morning looking for breakfast,” he said. “We’d like to try to start with Saturday and Sunday breakfast, or even just breakfast on Sundays.”

Sherman’s Pit Stop

Where: 944 Gibbons Hwy., Wilton
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (hours may be subject to change)
More info: Visit shermanspitstop.com, follow them on Facebook and Instagram @shermanspitstop or call 654-2600

Featured photo: Courtesy of Sherman’s Pit Stop in Wilton.

Italian traditions

Rig A Tony’s expands to Bedford; new Windham and reopened Derry spots on the way

Lisa DeSisto was gearing up for a 20th anniversary celebration of Rig A Tony’s Italian Takeout — and had just opened a second location in Windham — when the pandemic hit, followed by a fire in May 2020 that forced the closure of the downtown Derry Rig A Tony’s.

“I wasn’t going to close during Covid because I wasn’t going to let it defeat me,” said DeSisto, who is also in her second season as owner of Clam Haven in Derry. “Then when the fire happened, it made me say, ‘OK, I have an opportunity to rebuild my restaurant. What else can we rebuild and do differently?’ It made me start to think about what was next.”

A year later, DeSisto and her team are hard at work on reopening the original Rig A Tony’s on West Broadway in Derry, and the Windham location is moving into a larger space four doors down. Both are on track to open later this year. Meanwhile, a new Rig A Tony’s in Bedford opened last month, and while a third location hadn’t been part of DeSisto’s initial plans, she couldn’t pass up the chance to purchase the space that was previously home to Table 8 Pasta.

DeSisto has teamed up with longtime industry professionals Rich Vellante and Jason Berkman, who each now serve as business associates of the company. Vellante is the former executive chef and executive vice president of restaurants for Legal Sea Foods, a role he held for two decades. His and DeSisto’s families also happen to hail from the same region of Italy.

close up of hands holding sandwich
Uncle June’s Garden sandwich. Photo courtesy of Rig A Tony’s.

“With Jason and Rich, I was [introduced] to all these elevated products that I didn’t even know existed,” DeSisto said. “I feel like they’re here helping me carry on the family legacy.”

All three Rig A Tony’s locations have the same takeout and catering menus, which are filled with new options. Appetizers include wood-grilled Tuscan wings with lemon, rosemary and Calabrian pepper sauce; a whipped feta cheese dip with roasted pepper puree, garlic and parsley; and seared broccoli rabe with white beans, garlic, red chili flakes and white wine. Notable additions to the entrees menu are beer-braised boneless short ribs with a mustard glaze and stewed vegetables, and a spit-roasted porchetta with roasted carrots and apricot pesto.

“Porchetta is something you don’t see too often that we’ve introduced,” Vellante said. “It’s a highly seasoned pork that we do as a meal and on a sandwich as well. … We use fennel pollen, which gives it a more aromatic and floral flavor and smell to it.”

You’ll still find lots of Rig A Tony’s favorites on each of the menus too, from chicken or eggplant Parmesan to spaghetti and meatballs, Sicilian pan pizzas and other Italian staples. Even the pastas and the tomato sauces have received upgrades of their own.

“We chose to use the De Cecco brand pasta. They dry it in a very slow process, and also cut it with a bronze die, so what it does is it holds up a lot better and just complements the sauce,” Vellante said. “We tested a lot of different tomatoes, and what makes them taste so good is the soil. … These tomatoes that we have are actually grown at the base of Mount Vesuvius, and so it’s that volcanic soil that makes the difference.”

There are also new selections of savory salads, like pesto burrata and Sardinian couscous, and sweet treats from cannolis and Italian cookies to tiramisu and whoopie pies. Inspired by Vellante’s 2-year-old dog Barbuto, there is even a section of the takeout menu that is dedicated to man’s best friend, featuring homemade dog treats and hearty bowls, like chicken with sweet potato and peas, or beef with brown rice and carrots.

Rig A Tony’s Italian Takeout & Catering

Bedford: 254 Wallace Road (now open); current hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Derry: 38 W. Broadway (reopening; coming soon)
Windham: 13 Rockingham Road (coming soon)
Visit rigatonysitalian.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @rigatonysitalian or call 488-2877

Featured photo: Chicken marbella. Photo courtesy of Rig A Tony’s.

Pavlovas with (or without) berries

Just under a year ago I shared a recipe for double strawberry pavlovas. Today’s recipe is its more simplistic sibling. Sometimes I want a pavlova that is bursting with strawberry flavor, and other times I want a pavlova as plain as can be.
When I was first working on this recipe, everything seemed to shout, “Since they’re vanilla, you’ll need to top them with berries.” So I made my first batch of pavlovas, macerated some berries, and served them together. The result was quite delectable.
Looking at the leftover pavlovas, I decided to eat one just as it was. I fell in love. Sure, it was just a simple vanilla pavlova, but there’s a lot of deliciousness in that. There are the great pavlova textures — crispy and chewy — plus all of the sweetness.
Make these pavlovas whichever way you prefer. You can’t go wrong no matter what you decide.
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.

Pavlovas with (or without) berries
Makes 8

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup blueberries
1 cup diced strawberries
1 Tablespoon sugar

Heat the oven to 250 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Blend sugar on high in a food processor for 15 seconds.
Measure sugar again. (You need 1 cup)
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the processed sugar.
Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk on medium-high speed until foamy peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Gradually add plain, processed sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the egg whites, whisking until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.
Add cornstarch and sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until whites are stiff and glossy, about 1-2 minutes.
Add vinegar and vanilla; whisk for 1 minute.
Using a spatula, spoon meringue into 8 mounds on the prepared baking sheet.
Using a butter knife, spread each into 3-1/2″ disks.
After that, using the back of a spoon, make an indent in the center of each.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Turn off the oven, and prop the door open, placing a wooden spoon in the opening.
Let pavlovas cool in the oven for an hour.
Meanwhile, combine blueberries and strawberries in a small bowl; sprinkle with sugar.
Stir well; allow to sit for at least an hour
Transfer the pavlovas from the baking tray to a cooling rack.
To serve, top with berries, if desired.

Photo: Pavlovas with (or without) berries. Courtesy photo.

Fireworks and beer

Celebrate the Fourth of July with the perfect brew

Do you remember what you had planned for the Fourth of July last year? That’s a trick question. We both know you had absolutely nothing planned. The 2020 Fourth of July took a hit just like everything else last year.

Actually, that said, my family was preparing for my dad’s 70th birthday, as he was born on July 5. It was supposed to be the first time we got together as a family, albeit outside and socially distanced, since the world came to a halt in March 2020.

I was looking forward to having a beer with my dad, and it was off to a good but very brief start when the skies opened up and thunderstorms took over. Hey, we tried. But Covid-19 won in the end. In hindsight, I suppose it was predictable.

This year, we’re all overdue for a party. I know my dad is.

With last year behind us and a light visible at the end of the tunnel, this year feels different. I don’t think people are going to be attending the same old Fourth of July cookout this year. This is the year to take things up a notch.

I mean, bring the burgers and dogs, but let’s also throw a couple T-bones on the grill in honor of what we missed out on last year. I think we should all be allowed to have an extra-large ice cream sundae on the Fourth this year too, or maybe an ice cold root beer float.

That goes for beer too. Don’t hold back on your beer choices this year. This is the year to wait in line for the beer you want. There. I said it.

Here are three beers that will help you celebrate the Fourth of July.

Combover IPA by Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton)

You should probably just go to Schilling for the Fourth and have some delicious pizza by the river as you drink amazing beer. You can’t beat the view. You can’t beat the pizza. And you can’t beat the beer. This is your quintessential American IPA: supper hoppy, bursting with notes of citrus and pine, and, maybe surprisingly, a little hint of strawberry. I would wait in line for this beer.

Seize the Bean Coffee Milk Stout by Throwback Brewery (North Hampton)

I know, it’s super hot and who wants a rich, creamy stout when the sun is cranking? Well, sometimes when the sun goes down on the Fourth of July, people light fires and then enjoy toasted marshmallows and smores. And I think this brew would go absolutely perfectly with a summer bonfire on the Fourth. This is rich, decadent and full of chocolate and coffee flavor but relatively low on alcohol, which makes this just slide right down.

Tie Dyed Dry-hopped Pale Ale by Great North Aleworks (Manchester)

I’m legitimately scared you are going to drink too much of this. It’s got the hop character that beer drinkers these days love but in a package that is just so much more palatable and drinkable. I hadn’t had one of these in a while and cracked one open recently, and I said to my wife, “I could drink a million of these.” I didn’t and I’m not going to, but I think you’ll appreciate how this beer combines big hop flavor with an easy-drinking brew.

What’s in My Fridge
Naughty Nurse by City Steam Brewery (Hartford, Conn.)
I went to my cousin’s wedding a couple weeks ago and it was just so hot and humid. It’s the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been in a suit — and I didn’t even wear a tie. It’s an understatement to say I was thirsty. The Naughty Nurse is an amber ale — and can I just say amber ales are underrated as a style — and this was both refreshing and flavorful. It’s got a little caramel sweetness and a little bitter spice in a very sessionable package. Cheers!

Tim and Amy Dally

Tim and Amy Dally of Milford are the owners of Tim’s Drunken Sauces & Rubs (967-4242, timsdrunkensauces@gmail.com, find them on Facebook), a food trailer they launched in the spring that specializes in barbecue items like ribs, pulled pork and beef brisket, in addition to other options like burgers, tacos, Philly cheesesteaks, loaded fries, fresh-squeezed lemonades and fruit smoothies. They also offer their small-batch sauces and rubs, many of which will incorporate alcohol, like their signature maple bourbon sauce. Find them at 244 Elm St. in Milford most Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tim’s Drunken Sauces & Rubs also appears at local breweries like Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. in Merrimack and Spyglass Brewing Co. in Nashua, and has a few public events scheduled this month, including Ashland’s Independence Day Celebration on July 3 and the annual Twilight at the Currier block party at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester on July 17.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Tim: My probe thermometer.

Amy: My burger spatula. It’s a nice wide one, so you can get right under there. If I don’t have that, it’s not coming out right.

What would you have for your last meal?

Tim: Hibachi.

Amy: Definitely Italian. Something with cheese and sauce and pasta, [like] chicken Parm or eggplant Parm.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Tim: Jade Dragon and Golden Koi [in Milford].

Amy: Pastamore [in Amherst]. It’s family-owned, and probably the most authentic Italian food that we have found since moving here, other than in Boston. They’re really great people and their food is great.

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

Tim: J. Lo [Jennifer Lopez].

Amy: For me, it would have to be Gronk [former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski].

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Tim: The brisket. We’re doing both plates and sandwiches, and we sell it by the pound.

Amy: Mine is the pulled pork macaroni and cheese burrito, and I dip it in the maple bourbon sauce. It’s fantastic.

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

Amy: In all honesty, I would say food trucks, just from all of the people that have reached out to us. … There are so many places in New England where food trucks are a thing, and New Hampshire is finally getting on that bandwagon.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Amy: Lasagna. I do a meat lasagna with Italian sausage in it, and my kids love it. It’s their favorite.

Tim: Hibachi. I make my own teriyaki sauce and everything.

Smoked baked great northern beans
Courtesy of Tim and Amy Dally of Tim’s Drunken Sauces & Rubs

1 bag great northern beans
1 red onion
1 pound bacon
3 garlic cloves
¾ cup maple syrup
¾ cup bourbon
½ cup molasses
½ cup apple cider vinegar
5 cups barbecue sauce
6 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons tomato paste
7 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Pork belly (cut into 1-inch cubes; about 5 to 10 cubes)
5 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne powder

Rinse beans. Add six to eight cups of water to a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Drain beans and rinse. Add six cups of water to the saucepan. Add beans and simmer on low to medium heat with lid tilted until desired tenderness. Cook the bacon and set aside. Drain the grease out and add the pork belly. Dice the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the diced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 6 cups of water, along with the maple syrup, bourbon, molasses, apple cider vinegar, barbecue sauce, Dijon mustard, ketchup, tomato paste, paprika, dry mustard and cayenne powder. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cooked bacon and place in smoker for 3 to 5 hours at 250 degrees.

Featured photo: Tim and Amy Dally – Tim’s Drunken Sauces & Rubs

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