Category: Food

The Weekly Dish 23/05/18

News from the local food scene

• Taco Tour winners announced:The Greater Manchester Chamber recently declared the winners of this year’s Taco Tour, which took place in downtown Manchester on May 4. For the second consecutive year, Firefly American Bistro & Bar was crowned the winner for “Best Taco,” this time for its “Chewbacca chicken and cheese” tacos, while BluAqua Restrobar received the “Most Creative Taco” award for its alligator tacos. According to the announcement, Firefly received $1,000 to donate to Granite United Way, their local charity organization of choice. Through its VIP ticket sales, the Greater Manchester Chamber was also able to raise $500 to be donated to the New Hampshire Food Bank. Read the full announcement on the Chamber’s Facebook page @grtrmanchester.

• A bite of the apple: Get your tickets now to Concord Hospital Trust’s inaugural Apple Blossom Social, featuring an upscale farm-to-fork dinner that’s scheduled to be served on Sunday, May 21, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Smith Orchard (184 Leavitt Road, Belmont). The four-course meal will include an appetizer tasting plate and apple-paired offerings from the team at Laconia Local Eatery, which sources its products locally throughout New Hampshire and other New England states. Tickets start at $125 per person and are available online — according to a press release, all proceeds will support the replacement of a new echocardiogram machine at Concord Hospital’s Laconia facility. Visit ch-trust.org or call 227-7162 to purchase tickets.

• Whiskey business: The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is giving away some of the world’s rarest Scotch whiskies to one lucky prize-winner. According to a press release, the NHLC’s “Allies for Animals” raffle features a prize package of nearly three dozen Scotch whiskey bottles, including The Macallan 25-Year-Old, Balvenie 25-Year-Old Single Barrel, Johnnie Walker King George V and Orphan Barrel Muckety Muck 26-Year-Old. Tickets can be purchased for $100 each through June 30, or until 1,500 of them are sold. Proceeds will support the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire, the Friends of Manchester Animal Shelter and Back In the Saddle Equine Therapy Center. See liquorandwineoutlets.com/alliesforanimals.

• “Lost” episodes: Early episodes of the long-running PBS cooking series Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito are now available to view online via the membership-driven content platform Patreon. Ciao Italia: The Lost Recipes launched earlier this month on the platform, giving members full access to view more than 500 episodes of the popular cooking show featuring chef and University of New Hampshire graduate Mary Ann Esposito, which made its debut back in 1989 and recently broadcast its 30th season. Many of the featured episodes, according to information at ciaoitalia.com, have not previously been available to view since their first airing. Visit patreon.com/CiaoItalia_TheLostRecipes to view the content for $3.99 per month and also receive on demand recipes, cookbook discounts and more.

The Musketeer

In my youth, in the late 18th century, I watched a television show about stunt performers. One of the things that stuck with me was a stunt man getting ready to be thrown off a roof, and after going over all his safety protocols, the last thing he did before the fall was to make sure he had his “buddy” with him — in this case, a tiny, dog’s squeaky toy. Apparently, many stunt people have a superstition about carrying a small toy with them during a stunt, so they have a friend with them and don’t have to go through something harrowing alone.

Most driving is somewhat harrowing for me, so for many years I’ve carried a “buddy” with me. In my case he is a 2-inch-high figurine of a musketeer, holding a sword in his right hand and a dagger in his left. Having him with me has always made me feel slightly cooler. I like to imagine myself raising an eyebrow, twirling my mustache with one hand and nonchalantly placing my other on the hilt of my sword. In my daydream, an alley full of street toughs — or, more likely, a clerk at the DMV — would scuttle away, completely intimidated.

Apparently I’m not the only one to feel that way. For three cars and several mechanics, I’ve dropped my car off to be serviced, only to find my musketeer on the dashboard waiting for me, obviously placed there when the mechanic was done playing with him.

Last week, my teenager asked me to drive them to school. It was the morning of the AP Literature Exam, and the apprehension was palpable. When I pulled into the parking lot of the school, we just sat in silence for a moment or two. Eventually, lacking any practical advice, I pulled my musketeer from his spot under my dashboard and held him out.

“Would you like to take The Musketeer with you?”

A moment’s silence.

“Yes, please.”

I’ve been facing down a few challenges lately, and I for one, could stand a little more insouciance in my life, right now.

The Musketeer

This is a riff on a cocktail called The Aramis, after one of the title characters in The Three Musketeers. Apparently there already is a drink called The Three Musketeers, but it is a sweet, ice creamy, after-dinner affair named after the candy bar. That’s not really what I’m going for here, so I’ve adapted something a bit more specific.

  • 2 ounces very cold gin — I put mine in the freezer for several hours
  • 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
  • ¼ ounce simple syrup
  • ½ ounce blue Curaçao

Combine the gin, lime juice and simple syrup over ice, in a cocktail shaker. Shake until the shaker starts to frost over.

Pour into a cocktail glass.

Using a spoon, touching the inside of the glass, slowly pour the blue Curaçao down the side of the glass. Because it is denser than the rest of the cocktail, it should sink to a puddle in the bottom.

Ask your digital assistant to play the William Tell Overture at volume 9. Sip your drink like a boss.

In theory, blue Curaçao is orange-flavored. The reality is that it just tastes blue. The gin and lime juice are pretty bracing, but the hint of syrup and the Curaçao round it out. It will help you feel like a musketeer named after a Greek philosopher.

Featured photo: The Musketeer. Photo by John Fladd.

Handheld tarts bursting with blueberries

It isn’t quite blueberry season in New Hampshire, but there’s no reason to delay planning. Never mind that you probably can find some decent berries that were grown elsewhere available in the produce department of your grocery store.

These tarts are easy to make; the cooking portion is done in under 20 minutes. The longest part of the recipe is chilling the finished product. You could eat them right away, but the chilling time allows both fillings to set up a bit more firmly. No judgment if you want to eat them as soon as they are done!

For the ingredients, there are three notes. First, you want phyllo tart shells, which I did have to search for. My local grocery store didn’t carry them, but my Walmart superstore did. Fresh blueberries are the ideal ingredient for this recipe. You can use frozen, but I would start with just one tablespoon of water when making the sauce. Finally, for cream cheese, be sure to use full fat. Do not buy Neufchâtel; it has a slightly grainy texture, which you’ll notice. You want these tarts to be ultra creamy.

Feel free to make these now, but keep the recipe handy for blueberry season. They make a perfect dessert to bring to a cookout this summer.

Handheld tarts bursting with blueberries
Makes 15 tarts

15 phyllo tart shells
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 Tablespoons water
½ Tablespoon lemon juice
1½ cups blueberries
4 ounces cream cheese
⅓ cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place tart shells in the cups of a mini muffin pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for 4 minutes.
While shells bake, combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan, whisking until smooth.
Stir in the blueberries, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the blueberries release some of their juices and the sauce thickens.
Remove the sauce from the heat, and allow to cool to room temperature.
Remove tart shells from the oven.
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk in a small bowl.
Stir until smooth, adding the additional tablespoon of milk if needed.
Divide cream cheese mixture evenly among the cups.
Top with a layer of blueberry sauce.
Store tarts in a sealed container for at least 4 hours before serving.

Featured photo: Handheld tarts bursting with blueberries. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Maggie Josti

Maggie Josti is the owner of Maggie’s Munchies (magmunch.com), a business offering scratch-baked goods like whoopie pies, cupcakes and cookies that she runs with her husband, Trevor. Originally from Malden, Mass., Josti has been cooking and baking her whole life, and worked in the restaurant industry for more than a decade prior to starting Maggie’s Munchies. Since launching last August, Maggie’s Munchies has participated in fairs, festivals, shows and other events across the Granite State. Find them next at one of two events set to take place on Saturday, May 13 — one member of the couple will be serving their sweet treats during Kids Con New England at the Douglas N. Everett Arena (15 Loudon Road, Concord), while the other will be attending the Great New England Mother’s Day Craft & Artisan Show at the Merrimack Premium Outlets (80 Premium Outlets Blvd., Merrimack).

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A cookie scoop. I use it for the fillings, for the whoopie pies themselves [and] for the cookies.

What would you have for your last meal?

A boneless rib-eye steak, homemade mac and cheese and a coffee frappe.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Parker’s Maple Barn in Mason is definitely my favorite place to go.

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

Duff Goldman from Charm City Cakes would be cool, because I’d love to get his feedback.

What is your favorite item that you offer?

Our cinnamon roll whoopies are the best. … It’s two homemade cinnamon rolls with the whoopie pie filling in the center, and then our cinnamon icing on top. We serve it with a fork and a knife because it gets a little messy.

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

What I absolutely love is when I go out to a restaurant and they offer something different that’s a unique take on a classic recipe.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Homemade mac and cheese is always the go-to. I never love it any less when I make it, and my kids don’t either. I can switch up the cheeses for something new and add so many different toppings.

Second annual Vine & Hops at The Hil
From the kitchen of Maggie Josti of Maggie’s Munchies

3 medium overripe bananas, peeled and mashed
⅓ cup melted salted butter
¼ can pure pumpkin
Pinch of salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups all-purpose flour
Optional: chocolate chips, nuts, spices or dried fruits

In a bowl, add the bananas and butter and mix with a spoon or stand mixer until well combined. Add the pure pumpkin, salt, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon and baking soda and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix until combined. Add any optional desired ingredients such as chocolate chips, nuts, spices or dried fruits. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes, depending on your oven. You should be able to stick a toothpick into the center and it will come out clean. If it’s browning too much but not done in the middle, place tin foil over the top loosely and bake until fully cooked. Let it cool for a few minutes in the pan, then flip upside down onto a wire rack and continue cooling.


Featured photo: Maggie Josti of Maggie’s Munchies. Courtesy photo.

Sips by the slopes

Vine & Hops at The Hill returns

Just before it reopens for a fourth season later this month, The Hill Bar & Grille at Manchester’s McIntyre Ski Area is inviting attendees ages 21 and up to partake in a night of food, beer and wine samples, along with live music and silent auction items to support local charities.

Vine & Hops at The Hill, happening on Thursday, May 18, is a joint partnership with Rock 101’s Greg & The Morning Buzz. Returning for a second year, the event will feature more than 300 craft beers and wines available to taste, alongside eats from local restaurants. Proceeds generated from the silent auction will go toward Lend a Helping Can, a nonprofit whose beneficiary organizations include 12 New England-area agencies combating hunger and homelessness.

“Last year was our inaugural event, and it was a good turnout, but we are definitely expecting a larger turnout this year,” McIntyre Ski Area marketing director Aly Coakley said. “We have a big tent scheduled to come in and be set up outside so we can utilize the indoor and outdoor space. We have such a great opportunity to use The Hill in the summertime now.”

The entry fee allows attendees to sample food and drinks from vendors that will be set up both inside the restaurant and out on its patio. A full list of participating breweries, along with the available selection of options they will be pouring, can be viewed online at the event’s website.

“One cool thing to note … is that we have a new partnership that we’re doing with 603 Brewery. They created The Hill Bar and Grille’s Down Hill IPA, which is an exclusive beer for us,” Coakley said. “We’re going to have samples of that available, and have that for purchase during the summer. … We’re also going to have five different tables of a variety of wines, from lower-end ones to some higher-end wines that are worth trying out.”

Passed hors d’oeuvres and a chef’s carving station from The Hill Bar & Grille will be featured at the event, while about half a dozen other local eateries are expected to serve options of their own, including barbecue from KC’s Rib Shack and seafood from Hooked Restaurant. During the evening, everyone will have a chance to bid on a variety of prized items, from tickets to an upcoming Boston Red Sox game to a tour with the Manchvegas Brew Bus for up to 10 people. McIntyre will also take bids on skis, a snowboard and a 2023-2024 season pass.

“Typically there’s a starting bid, based on the value of that item. By the end of the night, whoever has the highest bid wins, and then we would just cash them out from there,” Coakley said. “They take their item home and then that money would go directly to Lend a Helping Can.”

Since 1990, Lend a Helping Can has raised more than $2 million, including a record $382,000 raised in the year 2022. Beneficiaries include the New Hampshire Food Bank, Families in Transition, My Friend’s Place and multiple local and regional branches of the Salvation Army.

The Hill Bar & Grille, meanwhile, is expected to reopen for the season on May 30, Coakley said, with events scheduled throughout the summer before it closes for ski season around the end of October.

Second annual Vine & Hops at The Hill
When: Thursday, May 18, 5 to 8 p.m.
Where: The Hill Bar & Grille (McIntyre Ski Area), 50 Chalet Way, Manchester
Cost: $50 per person; ticket includes food, beer and wine samples, as well as access to bid on the featured silent auction items. Tickets are available in advance online and on the day of the event.
Visit: mcintyreskiarea.com/activities/vineandhops
Event is 21+ only.

Participating food and beverage vendors

  • 603 Brewery (Londonderry, 603brewery.com)
  • Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. (Merrimack, ableebenezer.com)
  • Backyard Brewery & Kitchen (Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com)
  • Buena Gave Tequila Cocktails (buenagave.com)
  • Canteen Spirits (canteenspirits.com)
  • Chuck’s BARbershop (Concord, find them on Facebook @chucksbarbershopnh)
  • CodeX Books. Antiques. Rarities. (B.A.R.; Nashua, codexbar.com)
  • Contoocook Cider Co. (Contoocook, contoocookcider.com)
  • CrowBar Hardware Store (Claremont, find them on Facebook @crowbarhardware)
  • Downeast Cider (downeastcider.com)
  • Feathered Friend Brewing Co. (Concord, featheredfriendbrewing.com)
  • Great North Aleworks (Manchester, greatnorthaleworks.com)
  • The Hill Bar & Grille (Manchester, mcintyreskiarea.com/the-hill-bar-and-grille)
  • Hooked Seafood Restaurant and Ignite Bar & Grille (Manchester, hookedonignite.com)
  • Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (jacksabby.com)
  • KC’s Rib Shack (Manchester, ribshack.net)
  • Lawson’s Finest Liquids (lawsonsfinest.com)
  • Mast Landing Brewing Co. (mastlandingbrewing.com)
  • Northwoods Brewing Co. (Northwood, northwoodsbrewingcompany.com)
  • Rockingham Brewing Co. (Derry, rockinghambrewing.com)
  • Samuel Adams (samueladams.com)
  • Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton, schillingbeer.com)
  • Sole’s Bar (Keene, find them on Facebook)
  • Tamworth Distilling (Tamworth, tamworthdistilling.com)
    Five tables of select wines will also be available for sampling. See the event website for the full list.

The Weekly Dish 23/05/11

News from the local food scene

• Prost! Join To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St., Manchester) for its inaugural SpringFest, scheduled for Saturday, May 13, from 1 to 9 p.m. According to a press release, SpringFest — or Frühlingsfest, as it’s known in Germany — is an annual spring celebration in Munich. To Share Brewing Co. is holding its own festival in that spirit with a special release of its German festbier for the event, in addition to bratwursts, sauerkraut, pretzels from The Hop Knot and strudel from Bearded Baking Co. Stein-hoisting competitions will be at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., and dressing in traditional lederhosen is encouraged. Reservations are not required, but parties of six or more can reserve now by emailing [email protected].

• A taste of Lithuania: Rodgers Memorial Library (194 Derry Road, Hudson) is welcoming back local chef Oonagh Williams, who will resume her popular Lithuanian cooking demonstrations on Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to noon., followed by similar events at the library scheduled for June 10 and July 8. During each demonstration, Williams teaches attendees how to make new Lithuanian dishes and gives them the opportunity to sample them. Featured dishes during the May 13 event will include cold cherry soup and a garlicky farmer’s cheese spread with walnuts, and full recipes will be provided. Williams also brings along some of her Lithuanian cookbooks and scrapbooks from her time studying at Vilnius University. A regular guest on WMUR-TV’s Cook’s Corner, Williams is also known for her online blog of gluten-free recipes (glutenfreecookingwithoonagh.com) and has given talks on behalf of the National Celiac Association in Boston. Admission to her demonstrations is free, but registration is required. Visit rodgerslibrary.org.

• May the best cakes win: There’s still time to get your ticket to the second annual Franco Foods Fleur Délices challenge, an amateur bake-off and fundraiser for the Franco-American Centre happening at Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) on Saturday, May 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. The theme this year, challenge organizer and FAC office manager Nathalie Hirte said, is French fairy tales. Contestants will be tasked with creating a cake that is decorated to represent the story of their chosen fairy tale in some way. There will be a panel of judges voting on each cake in a variety of criteria, but attendees can also vote for their own favorite cake based on appearance and have access to samples. The cost is $25 per person and $20 for FAC members. See facnh.com/fleur-delices-challenge, or check out our coverage of the event, which ran in the May 4 edition of the Hippo. The story is on page 25.

• Fresh catch: The Merrimack County Conservation District (10 Ferry St., Concord) is taking orders for a trout sale for fish lovers looking to restock their backyard ponds, offering New Hampshire-raised disease-free rainbow and brook trout in 6- to 8-inch or 10- to 12-inch sizes. Orders are due by Sunday, May 14 — bagged 6- to 8-inch trout can be picked up at the Conservation District’s Concord center on Sunday, May 21, from 1 to 1:30 p.m. The fish must then be released to your pond immediately. Visit merrimackccd.org to fill out an order form, or call the Conservation District at 223-6023 for more details.

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