Louis Jadot is one of Bourgogne’s (Burgundy) most important wine producers and négociants (merchants who buy grapes, juice, and wine to blend and produce under their label). Most Burgundian estates are small and premier and grand cru holdings can be tiny, so négociants play an important role in the distribution of their wine. Louis Jadot has a portfolio that covers everything from inexpensive Bourgogne and Beaujolais to several grand cru wines. The grapes grown in Burgundy are principally chardonnay and pinot noir.
Louis Jadot has become a force within the wine industry in the Burgundian region and beyond. So wide is the array of wines produced by Louis Jadot that there is a standout vineyard or site in every vintage. New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets alone carry 12 distinctively different pinot noirs, eight different chardonnays and three different gamays.
Our first wine, a 2019 Maison Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé (originally priced at $25.99, and on sale at $22.99 at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets), is produced in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy. It has a light straw color and aromas of apples and honey. To the mouth there are nuts, along with some citrus. This win is partially barrel-fermented with six months of aging in French oak, which imparts complexity. This wine is ideal for pairing with roasted salmon, shellfish, or creamy cheeses. For those who shy away from chardonnay, this is a wine to try, as it comes from vines planted in clay-limestone soils. It is incredibly different from a typical chardonnay.
Our second wine, a 2019 Maison Louis Jadot Marsannay Blanc (originally priced at $33.99, and on sale at $31.99 at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets), is produced in the Côte de Nuits region of Burgundy, the farthest northern extent of Burgundy. Created in 1987, Marsannay la Côte is the most recent AOC to the Côte de Nuits. It is straw in color, with just a touch of orange that comes from a slightly pigmented chardonnay grape. To the nose there are aromas of pears and almond; to the mouth there is a slight minerality with orange pith and a citrus bouquet that opens in the glass, akin to a good Chablis, another wine derived from the chardonnay grape. This wine can be paired to foods beyond shellfish and soft cheeses to include pasta dishes with a fresh, light tomato sauce, or a charcuterie platter.
Our third wine, a 2019 Maison Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir (originally priced at $20.99, and on sale at $14.99 at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets), is a blend of pinot noir coming from Jadot’s relationships with wine growers from vineyards across the Côte d’Or and Côte Chalonnaise, surrounding Beaune, the wine capital of the Burgundy wine region. This is an exceptionally elegant pinot with complex aromas of plums. Raspberries and cherries carry through to the tongue, joined by a slight earthiness of mushrooms, along with mineral notes and a balanced acidity. Paired with chicken, pork, or grilled fish, this wine is an excellent bargain, not to be missed!
Try a bottle of Louis Jadot. There is so much to choose from! You will welcome the new experience.
We’ve reached the point where the nights are still cold but the days are warm — not Las Vegas warm, but warm enough for people like us, who have been looking at our own breath since Thanksgiving. In other words: maple sugaring season.
So let’s make something mapley. A quick internet search will turn up any number of cocktails that use maple syrup, but we’re smart.
Most of the time.
OK, some of the time.
Anyway, we can almost certainly come up with something delicious on our own, last week’s pasta experiment notwithstanding.
My first step in working up a recipe around a particular ingredient is The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg.
This isn’t a cookbook as such. It’s a reference work that discusses which ingredients go well together. Karen Page has interviewed a large number of chefs and picked their brains for which flavors go well with which other ones, and annotated their suggestions so that the reader can tell which flavor combinations are classics, and which ones are outliers with one or two passionate chef-advocates.
In our particular case, let’s look up “maple syrup.”
OK, this is interesting — Jerusalem artichokes. That’s worth remembering for another time, but I don’t think any of us have the patience right now to figure out a Jerusalem artichoke cocktail.
Moving on.
Oh. Bananas. This seems to be a popular combination with chefs. And, as it turns out, I just made a bottle of banana-infused rum. Let’s make a little checkmark in pencil next to that. What else? **mumbling** “Buttermilk, figs, mascarpone, winter squash ….” Oh, hey — chiles. And, as it turns out, I’ve got a bottle of Fresno pepper-infused rum downstairs, too.
So it looks like we’re going with a rum drink.
I don’t know about you, but I think I’d like to go with something fairly simple and straightforward this time, something that will let the maple shine through but give it another flavor to play off.
Something like a daiquiri.
Daiquiris, margaritas, gimlets — these all use a similar set of recipes — a base alcohol (in this case rum), something sweet (the maple syrup) and lime juice. The Flavor Bible doesn’t list limes in maple’s complementary flavors, but at least one chef suggests lemons, which would give us the same acidity as the lime juice. I say we go for it.
So, let’s make two different versions of our Maple Daiquiri, one with the Fresno rum and one with banana rum.
Verdict: The Maple/Chili Daiquiri is sweet and spicy. The lemon juice was a good call; it adds the acidity we were looking for, without elbowing its way to the front of your palate and distracting from the maple. It might be just a little too spicy, though. The maple syrup definitely adds sweetness, but its specific flavor gets a little lost.
The Maple/Banana Daiquiri comes across as a bit sweeter, but the maple definitely shines through. The banana is the first flavor that hits you, but you are left with a mapley feeling that makes you 8 percent less likely to scream in traffic.
Wait a second. I wonder …
** Pours about ¼ of the chili daiquiri into the banana daiquiri glass, then swirls it around pretentiously.**
Yup. This:
March Maple Daiquiri
Ingredients
1½ ounces banana rum – see below
½ ounce Fresno rum – see also below
¾ ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
½ ounce amber maple syrup
Combine ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake.
Strain into a martini glass.
Infused rums
Banana rum – Muddle one very ripe banana (the type you might use for banana bread) in the bottom of a large jar. Add two cups of white rum. Put the top on the jar, then shake well. Store in a cool, dark place for seven days, shaking once or twice per day. Strain, filter, and bottle.
Fresno rum – Roughly chop four fresh Fresno chilies and add them to the same type of large jar. Top the jar off with the same type of white rum. Store and shake, as above. Taste after four days, then every day thereafter, until it is spicy and flavorful enough for your taste. Strain and bottle.
Featured photo: Maple Daiquiri. Photo by John Fladd.
Last week might have been the end of my three-part biscotti series, but it was not the end of my baking theme. As we head toward spring, we know there is still some winter weather in our plans. Why not ward off the chilly feel with a homemade baked good to start a weekend morning? That is where these blueberry and white chocolate scones come into play.
What makes these treats a wonderful start to the day is the small amount of time and effort required. From gathering ingredients to taking your first bite is about 45 minutes. Better than driving to your local bakery, you can make these in your pjs and enjoy the amazing aromas as they bake!
A few cooking tips for this recipe: If you use frozen blueberries, expect your dough to have a blue hue. It’s just aesthetic, not a big deal. You don’t have to buy buttermilk to make these scones. It can be hard to find a container that small. Check the bottom of the recipe for my shortcut. Finally, if you have salted butter, it will work. Just reduce the salt from 1/2 to 1/4 teaspoon.
Let the baking continue!
Blueberry and white chocolate scones Makes 8
2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 Tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, diced 3/4 cup white chocolate chips 3/4 cup blueberries fresh or frozen 3/4 cup buttermilk* 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add butter. Combine dry ingredients and butter using a pastry blender (or two forks) until the butter is reduced to the size of grains of rice. Add white chocolate chips and berries to flour mixture, tossing gently. Whisk buttermilk, egg yolk and vanilla in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Add liquids to dry ingredients, stirring until the dough forms a ball. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and press into an 8-inch round, using well-floured hands. Cut into 8 wedges. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Transfer wedges to a rimmed baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the scones are crusty on top and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
*In lieu of buttermilk, you can combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice and enough milk (I’ve used both cow and almond milks with success) to equal 3/4 cup. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.
Featured Photo: Blueberry and white chocolate scones. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.
Megan Kurs is the owner of The Yolk Grill (116 Bridge St., Pelham, 635-0992, theyolkgrill.com), a family restaurant that opened in the fall of 2019, offering breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Originally known as Alicia’s Diner, the eatery was first owned by Kurs’s stepsister’s dad, Roger Chagnon, and she worked there when she was younger. Benedicts, omelets, burgers and sandwiches are all part of the menu, while other items have their own unique twist, from Oreo cookie-filled pancakes and Captain Crunch French toast to Tater Tot nachos and Buffalo chicken and waffles. The Yolk Grill is also known for its monthly rotating freakshakes: flavored milkshakes stacked with all types of candies and baked goods.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
Definitely a spatula, no matter what position on the line I am in.
What would you have for your last meal?
It would be a filet with asparagus and mac and cheese. That’s my favorite meal, and it’s my go-to when we go out to eat.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
We enjoy going to the Old School Bar & Grill in Windham. It just has a really good atmosphere.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
We like to cook chicken Parm. Just a regular ziti with some hand-breaded chicken.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
If I’m looking for something sweet, then it’s the Captain Crunch French toast, but if I’m really hungry I’ll have the rib-eye and eggs with loaded home fries.
What celebrity would you like to see eating in your restaurant?
Sandra Bullock or Ryan Reynolds. Either one of them. My favorite movie is The Proposal, which they are both in, but I love watching any of their other movies.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I feel like right now what’s super trendy are the sampler-style [items]. Right now, we have four different alcohol flights, like a mimosa or bloody mary flight, and then I’ve seen a couple of other places do food flights. … People like to have different things they can take pictures for and post them on social media and tag us and things like that.
Homemade brown gravy From the kitchen of Megan Kurs of The Yolk Grill in Pelham
1 pound unsalted butter 2 cups white all-purpose flour 1 container beef base 1 can beef broth Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce (optional)
Melt butter in a pot. Once melted, whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook roux on low heat until simmering. Whisk frequently. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Add two tablespoons of beef bask and whisk frequently. Continue cooking on low heat while your gravy thickens. For a darker color, add a splash or two of Kitchen Bouquet.
Beau Gamache has spent the last several years mastering the art of pizza-making. In 2017 he started an Instagram account called “ThePizzaGram,” where followers could watch his journey creating dough, sauces and cheese blends. Eventually it became known as Ray Street Pizza (named after Gamache’s Manchester street), and in early 2020 he made the leap to host a series of pop-ups at what was then Brookstone Park in Derry.
“That was the first real kind of movement toward this becoming an actual business,” Gamache said. “I believe it was in March of that year when I moved to the ghost kitchen at Bayona [Cafe in Manchester] … and it kind of blew up from there, so I quit my day job.”
Meanwhile, the pop-ups continued — Gamache branched out to other locations across New Hampshire with a mobile setup, notably at breweries like Concord’s Lithermans Limited. But he knew that with his growing popularity came the need for a larger, permanent space.
Enter Ray Street Pizza on Main, now open in the former Vikster’s Pizza storefront in Goffstown. With the help of chef Jon Talbot, whom he has worked with on pop-ups and catering events, Gamache now has a regular brick-and-mortar spot where you can try many of the pizza recipes he has spent years perfecting. Even though it’s technically on Main Street, Gamache said he decided to keep his existing name simply because “too many people knew about it” by that point.
“Everyone thinks my name is Ray too, which is pretty funny,” Gamache said. “Someone would be like, ‘Hey, where’s Ray?’ so eventually I was just like, ‘It’s OK, I can be Ray.’”
Since the space was a turnkey operation, Gamache ended up inheriting some equipment, including the conveyor oven, which he said was different from the Ooni ovens he was used to.
“We had to adjust a few things in the dough … [by] just updating the recipe enough so that it cooks well and it looks nice,” he said. “We had to change the type of pans they were cooked on, and the proofing process is different now because it’s cooked at a different temperature.”
Aesthetically, Gamache described his pizza as being similar to a New York-style, while the dough itself more closely resembles a New Haven-style, due, he said, to its wet and soft texture.
The menu mostly combines pies Gamache had been dabbling in at the ghost kitchen with newer versions of some non-pizza items that had previously been available at Vikster’s.
“I wanted at least a majority of the menu to still be available for the folks who come in for lunch but don’t get pizza,” he said. “It’s just been updated in terms of quality, and quantity too. We add more steak in the steak and cheese [and] more chicken in the grilled chicken sandwich. … We’ve also upped the small size for pizzas. They used to be 10 inches, and they are 12 now.”
Slices of cheese and pepperoni pizza can usually be ordered Monday through Friday until about 4 p.m. A lineup of domestic and local craft brews is available, and Gamache is currently working toward implementing a full-service bar, which will additionally have wines and cocktails.
For the long term, Gamache has his hopes set on opening a flagship restaurant in a larger city.
“I want to do something kind of like Roberta’s in Brooklyn, where you walk in and you see this giant pizza and you can watch people make the pizza,” he said. “The menu would be tiny, just a handful of pizzas and maybe some small appetizers or salads and a nice big bar. … I think there’s something to be said about making pizza that’s so good that you don’t serve anything else and yet it’s busy, and Roberta’s is incredible.”
Ray Street Pizza on Main Where: 23 Main St., Goffstown Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (hours may be subject to change) More Info: Visit raystreetpizza.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @raystreetpizza or call 497-8211 Local deliveries are available within about a five-mile radius.
Rambling House and TaleSpinner Brewery open in Nashua
Since Debbie and Denis Gleeson founded The Nature of Things (now known as 2nd Nature Academy) in 1997, the South Nashua school has evolved to have a multi-faceted curriculum focused on sustainability — the Gleesons also operate a sister farm where they raise their own eggs, lamb and cattle. Twenty-five years later, the couple has a new locally sourced restaurant with a seasonally rotating menu, along with an accompanying craft brewery onsite.
Rambling House Food & Gathering opened March 4 on Factory Street and it’s a true family affair — all three of the Gleesons’ daughters, Erin, Kerry and Meghan Ayer, are co-founders, while TaleSpinner Brewery is spearheaded by their uncle Dave, a longtime avid homebrewer.
Multiple connections to the family’s farm or school are present, from spent beer grains going back to feed the cows, to baked goods sourced directly from the campus’s commercial kitchen. It’s a concept that’s been several years in the making, said Erin Gleeson, who serves as president.
“When I was graduating college, I had it in my mind that I wanted to run my own business [and] I was interested in food, craft cocktails and farming,” she said. “I think what we were finding was that there were places around to eat and drink, but they felt like just that, places to just eat or just drink. … What we’re trying to be … is more of a community gathering space. That was our goal, and I think luckily since the time we started thinking about this, a lot of that has been popping up in Nashua. It’s growing in that way, which I definitely think is the right direction.”
In addition to the Gleesons’ own farm, the eatery’s dinner and bar menus feature ingredients sourced from purveyors all over New England, and an in-house cafe with locally roasted coffee and grab-and-go items is expected soon. Here’s a closer look at each core part of the business.
Rambling House
Erin and Kerry’s paternal grandfather, Maurice Gleeson, immigrated to the United States from Ireland as a teenager. Growing up on a farm in the small village of Glenflesk in County Kerry, Maurice would visit a traditional “rambling house,” an informal inn of sorts that was known by all the locals as the family home to come gather and share stories, play games or listen to music.
Crohan craft cocktail. Photo by Donna Desimone Photography.
“It was just the spot where everyone knew in the community to be almost like that safe harbor, and it was also the place where a weary traveler was always welcomed in by the fire to lay their head for the night,” Kerry Gleeson said. “He’d tell us all the time about how when he was young he would go visit the rambling house that was up the street from him. … He had such fond memories of it, and we just loved that sentiment, so that was a no-brainer for us for the name.”
Today, the Gleesons remain very much connected to their Irish heritage. Framed photographs taken by Maurice throughout the 1950s and early ’60s adorn the walls, and a small plaque by the door heading out to the upstairs balcony proclaims the “Margaret Mary Martha Murphy Mezzanine,” an inside joke and reference to their cousin overseas, with whom they are close.
But despite the strong family influences, Rambling House is not an Irish pub — rather, what you’ll find here is a diverse offering of meat, seafood and vegetarian options that will change every few months based on product availability and seasonality.
“We’re going to start with four menus a year, but that will probably grow to six menus a year, because our seasons are a little quick,” Erin Gleeson said. “We’ll keep a lot of the skeleton of the menu, so for example we’ll always have a burger on it, but the toppings will be different. We’ll always have a chicken [dish] on it but it might not be the lemon roast chicken we have now.”
The Gleesons have brought on Jeremy Guyotte to serve as the eatery’s head chef. A native of Gloucester, Mass., Guyotte has extensive experience working with seafood, notably during culinary stints he spent at Captain Carlo’s Oceanfront and at Passports Restaurant in Cape Ann.
Out of the gate, seafoods at Rambling House include a pancetta-wrapped Atlantic monkfish loin; pub mussels sourced from Blue Hill Bay in Maine with tasso ham, onion and herbs; and a bouillabaisse, featuring shrimp, scallops, mussels, littleneck clams and whitefish.
“When Jeremy first started making us seafood samples, we were like, ‘Oh, my gosh, who have we brought on?’” Kerry Gleeson said. “He is an artist, and our sous chef, Karyn [Polley], is fantastic too. She has been with us even longer, working at the school.”
Other menu items, like the porchetta and the shepherd’s pie, have so far received rave reviews. The latter is a traditional version made with lamb, veggies and house herbed gravy.
Baker Angel Lopez is an ardent bread maker and Erin Gleeson herself even makes her own small-batch ice cream, passion projects that are now part of Rambling House’s menu respectively in the form of desserts like brioche bread pudding and house brownie sundaes.
The restaurant’s main dining area features a unique post and beam layout with a bartop and shelves all designed by Erin and Kerry’s brother-in-law, Kyle Ayer of Green Building & Consulting Group. Once it gets a little warmer, an outdoor rooftop deck with additional seating areas will open, offering panoramic overhead views of the Nashua River.
“Our favorite thing so far is that when you’re up on that top deck, that skyline is where you can see the fireworks on the Fourth of July,” Erin Gleeson said.
A full bar features TaleSpinner brews on tap, in addition to a menu of craft cocktails, hard ciders, wines, non-alcoholic beer and hard kombucha. The cafe, meanwhile, is at the front of the restaurant and will soon be offering coffee from Bedford’s Flight Coffee Co., as well as various takeaway items like baked goods and breakfast sandwiches.
TaleSpinner Brewery
On the first level below Rambling House, TaleSpinner Brewery can be accessed through the opposite end of the building, on the Water Street side. The tasting room is at the top of a short flight of stairs from the entrance, and overlooks its full production area.
The brewery, which opened a few weeks earlier than its restaurant counterpart, was similarly named with Erin and Kerry Gleeson’s grandfather — described by Kerry as “a consummate tale spinner,” or storyteller — in mind. Their uncle Dave works closely with head brewer Scott Karlen to create TaleSpinner’s lineup of brews, which currently include a few New England-style IPAs, in addition to a Belgian blonde ale, a raspberry sour, a German-New Zealand Pilsner lager, and a Belgian strong ale. They’re also working on a peach apricot sour and an Imperial brunch stout with maple syrup, cacao nibs, vanilla bean and coffee from Flight Coffee Co. There are a total of 24 taplines: a dozen each in the restaurant and brewery.
“My uncle … made great stuff as a homebrewer and had a passion for it, and it became part of a conversation that it would be really fun to open a brewery,” Kerry Gleeson said. “So it was a natural sort of thing where the two concepts just fit into each other like puzzle pieces.”
A small bar menu is available out of the tasting room, featuring some items you’ll find upstairs at Rambling House, as well as others mostly exclusive to that space, like the fish and chips, the poutine and the duck confit flatbread. Those items, while not on the regular dinner menu at the restaurant, do become available upstairs as well after 9 p.m., Kerry Gleeson said.
Guyotte will sometimes cross-utilize TaleSpinner’s products with his food, notably a beer gravy for the poutine and spent grain waffles for the chicken and waffle sliders.
“There’s definitely a cycle with everything, and we want to build on that and make it as close to coming full circle as we can,” Kerry Gleeson said.
Rambling House Food & Gathering and TaleSpinner Brewery Where: 57 Factory St., Nashua, Suites A and B Current hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. (extended hours likely coming soon) More info: Visit ramblingtale.com or follow them on social media (@ourramblinghouse and @talespinnerbrew on Facebook, and @ramblinghouse and @talespinnerbrew on Instagram) TaleSpinner Brewery’s entrance is accessed at the opposite end of the building on Water Street.
Featured photo: Winter charcuterie. Photo by Donna Desimone Photography.
• Franco Foods challenge: Join the Franco-American Centre for its inaugural Fleur Délices Challenge, an amateur baking competition happening on Saturday, April 9, at 6 p.m., at Anheuser-Busch Tour Center & Biergarten (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack). Contestants are welcome to bring a cake of their own representing a country that’s part of the International Francophonie (or where French is among the most commonly spoken of languages). Winners will be chosen by a panel of local judges who will follow a grading criteria – they include pastry chef Alexandre Waddell of Cremeux French Patisserie in Merrimack and chef Matt Provencher of Red Beard’s Kitchen, a two-time winner of the New Hampshire PoutineFest. The cost is $20 and registration forms are due by March 18. See facnh.com for details.
• Bunny campaign: The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is selling chocolate Easter bunnies made by Granite State Candy Shoppe now through April 1 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 Salvation Army’s Kids’ Café program, which offers evening meals and recreation activities to local children and teens multiple days a week. Call Sylvia Crete at 490-4107 to order a bunny, or visit nne.salvationarmy.org/manchester to download the bunny order form. Bunnies may be picked up at The Salvation Army’s Manchester Corps (121 Cedar St.) any Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Between the vines: LaBelle Winery owner Amy LaBelle has partnered with Kerri Zane of KZ Enterprises to produce a lifestyle show based on her life. According to a press release, The Winemaker’s Kitchen Show will feature both of LaBelle’s restaurants in Amherst and Derry, as well as their vineyards, event centers and other amenities that were unveiled last year, like the Derry property’s onsite golf course and artisan food market. The show will also provide various culinary tips, tricks and recipes commonly covered in her regular cooking classes and seminars. LaBelle has hosted televised cooking shows previously, when she partnered with New Hampshire PBS last year to produce a series of interactive classes geared toward kids. In a statement, Zane, an Emmy Award-winning television executive producer, said LaBelle is “poised to unseat Martha Stewart as the reigning queen of all things kitchen.” Visit labellewinery.com.
• New spots for beer and barbecue: Concord’s newest craft brewery has landed — after more than a year of planning, Feathered Friend Brewing Co. (231 S. Main St.) officially opened last week in the former Taylor Rental space in the city’s South End. Owner Tucker Jadczak told the Hippo in February that the brewery’s name stems from his love and appreciation of birds. He has worked with head brewer Ryan Connor to create a lineup of craft beers that includes a red ale, a stout, a sour and a double dry-hopped IPA with Galaxy and Citra hops called Second Sun. Barrel-aged beers are also in their planning stages. An adjoining space next door to Feathered Friend Brewing Co. is the new home of Smokeshow Barbeque Co., which also recently opened its doors. Smokeshow owner Matt Gfroerer said the space triples the seating capacity of what he had before and allows him to build on his menu of Texas-style barbecue favorites. Visit featheredfriendbrewing.com or smokeshowbbq.com for more details on each.
I’ve said this before but walking into your local beer store is downright overwhelming these days. How are you supposed to make a decision?
Even when I know exactly what I want to buy as I walk in, I inevitably get sidetracked. Just going to pick up a six-pack of this or that, but really, who knows what I’ll walk out of there with and how long it will take me to make a decision? I certainly don’t. I don’t have a clue how it’s all going to unfold.
Sometimes it’s helpful to just have someone tell you what to do because thinking is hard. Your life is hard enough and your mind deserves a few minutes without needing to make critical decisions.
I just don’t want you to be that poor, lost soul in your beer store, floundering around from aisle to aisle, shelf to shelf like a rudderless boat. You’ll probably be saying “excuse me” one million times and maybe bumping into others as you start to sweat from your inability to make a decision. No one wants that. It’s depressing to see, honestly.
You deserve a break from thinking, so here are three New Hampshire beers I think you should drink:
Coffee Porter by Northwoods Brewing Co. (Northwood)
I’m falling in love with this brewery; let me start there. The Coffee Porter is silky and smooth and sweet and rich and decadent — it’s just a wonderful beer drinking experience for those of us who appreciate the coupling of beer and coffee. It’s not just a coffee beer, though, as there are pronounced chocolate flavors as well. It comes in at just 4.7 percent ABV, which is tremendous news, as I hereby give permission to have more than one. Random, but Northwoods also has a beer called Magnetic Sense, which is a dry Irish stout, and I guess what I’m saying is, maybe have one of those on St. Patrick’s Day.
Citrillia by Great Rhythm Brewing Co. (Portsmouth)
This double dry-hopped double IPA is a quintessential example of this style: hazy, hoppy and delicious with big tropical fruit flavor — think grapefruit and mango, and maybe a touch of lime. At 8 percent this packs a bit of a punch, but this is what your taste buds want so you should give it to them. Plus, there is just something about a super hoppy brew that brightens up what can, well, kind of be a bit of a dreary month. This doesn’t disappoint at all as the flavor just explodes in your mouth.
Erastus by Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton)
I saw a recent piece in the Boston Globe calling Schilling’s brew Alexandr, a Czech-style Pilsner, the best beer in New Hampshire (while also lauding its pizza). Tough to disagree because the brew is tremendous (and so is the pizza). But, if you’re going all the way to Schilling, you would be a fool not to give Erastus a try. This Belgian tripel is just packed with fruity, spicy flavor. It just seems to hit you with layers upon layers of flavor and complexity and just begs for another sip. Situate yourself alongside the Ammonoosuc River, order up some pizza and dive into this brew. I literally have goosebumps as I write this.
What’s in My Fridge Peroni Nastro Azzurro by Peroni Brewery (Vigevano, Italy) Honestly, I’ve probably had this before but I have no recollection of having it previously. It’s light, crisp, bright and refreshing — pretty much exactly what you want when you are craving something lighter. The brew has some delightful citrus and spice notes as well that make it interesting. There are so many IPAs and so many big, rich stouts, it’s definitely worthwhile to be able to turn to some quality lighter brews. Cheers!
Featured photo: Coffee Porter by Northwoods Brewing Co.
It’s the third and final week in my biscotti series. This week’s recipe is meant to remind you of summer. By March we are all hoping winter is nearing its end but know that summer is far away. These strawberry-filled biscotti are the perfect escape from the cold, at least for a few bites.
Like all biscotti recipes, these sweet treats require two rounds of baking: first as loaves, then as individual slices. This does mean that the recipe takes over an hour from beginning to end, but the majority of that time is spent waiting for the biscotti to bake. It really is a simple-to-make dessert.
As for ingredients, the freeze-dried strawberries are key. Just like with last week’s recipe, you don’t want to use fresh, as they have too much moisture. Another important reason to use freeze-dried is the strong pop of flavor they have. For the white chocolate, chips are what I use, but you also could buy a bar of white chocolate and chop it into little pieces. Either will work just fine.
As we muddle through March with its possibly snowy, rainy, chilly weather, why not make some biscotti to make everything season so much more pleasant?
Sweet strawberry biscotti Makes 28
1/3 cup butter softened 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups freeze-dried strawberries 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer; mix on speed 2 for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Add vanilla extract, mixing until blended. Add baking powder, salt, and flour, mixing until combined. Chop strawberries into a medium dice. Add strawberries (and any dust that accumulates on the cutting board) and white chocolate chips, stirring until evenly distributed. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a 10″ x 3″ rectangle, using floured hands. Set each loaf 4″ apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is set. Leaving the oven on, remove the biscotti loaves and cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet. Using a butcher knife, cut the loaves into slices, 3/4″ thick. Place slices on the prepared baking sheet with the cut sides down; bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Turn slices over, and bake for 8 to 9 minutes more. Remove biscotti from the oven, and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Can be stored in a sealed container for several weeks.
Featured Photo: Sweet strawberry biscotti. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.
Bradley Labarre of Manchester is the new executive chef and program manager of the Recipe for Success culinary job training program at the New Hampshire Food Bank (700 E. Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, 669-9725, nhfoodbank.org), having assumed the role in early January. The free eight-week program helps people suffering financial hardships gain work in the food service industry in the state — students learn various skills such as nutrition, proper use of kitchen instruments and equipment, safe food handling and meal presentation. Labarre’s role with the Food Bank also involves coordinating food donations and managing its regular inventory of products, and he’s currently working on getting the Recipe for Success program accredited through the American Culinary Federation. A Queen City native, he’s been involved with the Food Bank as a volunteer for more than eight years, including as a participant in its annual Steel Chef Challenge.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
A very sharp knife.
What would you have for your last meal?
A perfect bowl of mushroom risotto, topped with an unctuous slab of nicely seared foie gras. … Of course, it would have to be followed by something sweet, so perhaps a nice slice of wild blueberry cheesecake or Blake’s brand Moose Tracks ice cream.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
At the top of my list right now is Greenleaf in Milford, with chef Chris Viaud. They are totally killing it over there. Every time we go there, our heads are exploding. … We love that place, and we love Chris too. He’s a super, super nice guy.
What celebrity would you like to cook for?
[Chefs] Alice Waters, Peter Hoffman or Dan Barber. I’ve been inspired by their farm-to-fork approach with food for years. … Cooking for any one of them would not only be an honor, but it would teach me so much about my deep-seated approach to cooking.
What is your favorite thing that you’ve ever cooked for the NH Food Bank?
One that really sticks out to me was the first meal we ever made for the Steel Chef challenge back in 2016, which was a beef tenderloin. Although it wasn’t the most difficult thing I ever made, it was one of the most memorable. Not only did I get to do this with my then future wife and a few friends, but this plate of food made such a difference in so many people’s lives.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
Plant-based cooking. I’m noticing that more and more chefs are focusing more of their energy on plant-based foods made with care.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
Anything in my outdoor wood-fired oven. Specifically, though, I love a crisp, airy pizza topped with a few slices of fresh mozzarella, some spicy arugula and thinly sliced prosciutto. You can’t beat it. … [The oven] is handmade in Portugal and it weighs 1,300 pounds. I actually had to have a crane put it in my yard.
Wild mushroom risotto From the kitchen of Executive Chef Bradley Labarre of the New Hampshire Food Bank
1 pound wild mushrooms 8 Tablespoons butter 2 small shallots, minced 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 fresh thyme sprigs ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper ¾ cup dry white wine 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1½ cups arborio rice 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Fresh parsley, minced (optional)
Warm broth over low heat in a small saucepan. In a heavy skillet, melt half of the butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute until tender, about eight minutes. Add garlic, thyme sprigs, salt and pepper and stir for an additional minute. Remove mushroom mixture from pan and set aside. Add remaining butter to pan over medium heat. Once melted, add rice and stir until rice begins to look translucent. Add dry white wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Add mushroom stock or one cup of vegetable broth and stir until almost all of the broth is absorbed. Continue adding the broth one cup at a time and stir until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add mushroom mixture into the rice and stir to combine. Gently stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and cook for an additional five minutes on low heat. Transfer risotto to a serving bowl and top with freshly ground pepper, shaved Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.
Featured photo: Bradley Labarre. Photo by Bruce Luetters of 3Sixty Photography.
