Category: Food

The Weekly Dish 23/02/23

News from the local food scene

• African eats at the library: Join the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) for a Taste of Africa on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m., featuring LaFortune Jeannette Djabea of Mola Foods. Attendees will have the chance to immerse themselves in African culture and cuisine, sampling small plates of food hailing from different parts of the continent while enjoying music and meeting Djabea. A native of Cameroon, Djabea founded Mola Foods in 2016, and expanded her brand of globally inspired spice blends and chili relishes in the form of a retail store front, tasting room and commercial kitchen, which opened at 9 Simon St. in Nashua in February 2021. Since debuting them last April, her Taste of Africa lunch and dinner series has been wildly successful, with events continuously selling out at her shop. The Feb. 25 event is free and sponsored by the Friends of the Nashua Public Library, but registration is required. Vegan options are also available for attendees. Visit nashualibrary.org.

• Almost time for ice cream: Brookline soft-serve ice cream stand Sundae Drive (346 Route 13) will hold its opening day of the 2023 season on Saturday, Feb. 25, according to a recent post on its Facebook page. Since 2018, the Route 13 ice cream stand near the Brookline and Milford town line has been known for its rotating flavors of soft-serve, in addition to its seasonally inspired themed sundaes — last year, for instance, they offered a special “red, white and blue” strawberry shortcake sundae for Memorial Day weekend, featuring vanilla soft-serve with fresh strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream and sprinkles. According to the post, Sundae Drive is also now booking events for the 2023 season, like birthday parties, weddings and work gatherings. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @sundaedrivenh or call 721-5209 for details on their specials.

• Drink wine, win a prize: There’s still plenty of time to participate in the New Hampshire Winery Association’s annual Wine Trail for a chance to win prizes. Through April, participants can visit 10 or more Granite State locations on the trail and collect “stamps” in their passports. Each year, the Association holds a drawing to select prize winners. Available prizes include a $250 gift certificate redeemable at any of the member wineries; a one-night stay at RiverCrest Villas in Epping, and two tickets to a wine tasting at neighboring Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee; and a $50 gift certificate to Fire & Spice Bistro in Newfields. Passports are available at any of the wineries on the tour, or they can be downloaded at nhwineryassociation.org. Mail them no later than May 15 at Squamscott Winery (P.O. Box 1050, Newfields) to be included in the drawing.

The remedy for February

“Hi,” the lady in the apron says to me.

I look up from a pile of tangerines. “Hey. How are you?”

“I’m good. You?”

I fall back on my stock answer when I don’t really want to think too much about how I actually am: “You know how it is — the power, the money, the respect, the women. Frankly, it would crush a lesser man.”

“I can imagine. Are you finding what you want?”

And that’s when it hits me: What do I want? I have no problems that a rational man would complain about. And I realize that she’s almost certainly talking about my produce needs, not my emotional ones.

And yet—

What do I want?

I’m overwhelmed by an image. I’m on a bamboo veranda, overlooking the dark cyan* waters of the South China Sea. (*I looked it up later on a paint chip.) An overhead fan whooshes. A gentle breeze carries the scent of salt and white ginger. I’m reclining on something made out of teak.

This is all a bit much to lay on my new friend of 35 seconds, so I ask her where the macadamia nuts are.

Sill distracted by my tropical vision, I end up buying pineapple juice and paper umbrellas. It’s February. It’s time for pancakes and tiki drinks.

The pancake part is easy.

Pancake batter should be thinner than you think, as should the pancakes themselves. Fluffy pancakes are a false standard put forth by Big Pancake; go with the thin ones. You absolutely will not regret it.

The syrup is up to you, but there should be a small pitcher of melted butter. As for the cocktail —

Singapore Sling

  • 2 ounces dry gin
  • ½ ounce kirsch (cherry brandy)
  • ¼ ounce cognac
  • 2 ounces pineapple juice
  • ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1¼ ounces cherry syrup from a jar of maraschino cherries
  • 1 to 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  • 1 to 2 dashes orange bitters
  • 2 ounces plain seltzer

Add all ingredients except the seltzer with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until the ice starts to break up.

Pour, with your now-cracked ice, into a tall glass — the type is up to you. A tiki mug would work well. So would a Pilsner glass. You could make a case for a clean peanut butter jar.

Top with the seltzer and stir gently. Garnish with at least five maraschino cherries.

The first sip of a proper Singapore Sling is deceptive. You will wonder if you forgot an ingredient. Considering the pineapple and cherry juices, you’d think it would be sweeter. Should it be this pink?

Do you know what puts negative thoughts like that in the front of your brain?

Stress and anxiety. Also, February.

By your third sip, do you know what are losing their grip and slipping down your cerebral cortex? The Negativity Triplets.

This is what you need.

Featured photo: The Singapore Sling. Photo by John Fladd.

In the kitchen with Justin O’Malley

Justin O’Malley is the chef de cuisine of Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com), a seasonally inspired farm-to-table restaurant that opened in May 2019. O’Malley grew up in Lowell, Mass., getting his start in the restaurant industry at age 16 as a dishwasher. It was while working at Papa Razzi in Burlington, Mass., that he first met Greenleaf owner and founder Chris Viaud. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America — and completing an externship cooking in the owners’ suite of Fenway Park in Boston — O’Malley worked at North Andover Country Club for about a year before coming to New Hampshire to join the staff of Greenleaf in August 2021. There he worked his way up the ranks, assuming the role of chef de cuisine in January.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

It’s probably the Vitamix [blender], with all of the purees and different things that I like to do.

What would you have for your last meal?

I would go with a traditional omakase, which is basically like a chef’s table for sushi.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Probably the Nashua Garden. Every time I’ve been there, they make a solid sandwich.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Greenleaf?

Kid Cudi [rapper Scott Mescudi].

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Duck in general is one of my favorite things to mess around with. It goes really well with sweeter flavors.

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

I think I’ve seen a short rib [dish on] every menu [at every restaurant] that I’ve been out to.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Usually something pretty simple. Fried rice is always nice — it’s quick and easy, it’s just kind of tossing everything in a pan.

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
From the kitchen of Justin O’Malley, chef de cuisine of Greenleaf in Milford

For the roasted garlic:
1 bulb garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pinch each salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off the bulb of garlic, exposing the cloves. Place the bulb on a sheet of aluminum foil and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb tightly in foil and roast in the oven until soft and well browned (about one hour).

For the mashed potatoes:
2 pounds russet potatoes
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 cups warm milk
1 bulb roasted garlic
Salt and white pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place the potatoes into a pot with enough cold water to cover. Season the water with a heavy pinch of salt and place on the stove set to high heat. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until soft (about 15 minutes). Strain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Place the pot back on the stove over medium-low heat to dry the potatoes (about one to two minutes). Add the butter and roasted garlic. Mash using your favorite method (a potato masher or fork will work). Slowly add the milk until your desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


Featured photo: Justin O’Malley, chef de cuisine of Greenleaf in Milford. Courtesy photo.

Local pours

Mardi Gras wine festival returns to Derry

Early in the fall of 2021, the Rev. Chris Gaffrey of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Derry attended a wine tasting at LaBelle Winery — and he left feeling inspired.

“The next day I was talking to some parishioners about it and one of them said, ‘Oh, we should do a wine tasting here,’” Gaffrey said. “I said, ‘Even better: why don’t we get a whole bunch of wineries [to] come together and do a wine tasting here? We can turn it into a fundraiser.’”

The idea sparked so much interest among the church community that they would end up celebrating Mardi Gras the following February with an inaugural wine festival. The event was a resounding success. Two of the five participating wineries, Gaffrey said, would sell out of product before the night was even over.

“Every one of the vendors said to us afterward, ‘Are you doing this next year? Please invite us,’” he said. “We had food, music, prizes [and] games. … Everybody seemed to have a good time.”

Indeed, the festival, set to return for a second year on Saturday, Feb. 18, will feature all five of the wineries from the first event, in addition to a few new faces. It’s happening inside the church’s Aquinas Center and will include a night of wine sampling along with a variety of home-cooked food options, raffle and door prizes, games, live music and more.

“It’s just a great wholesome cultural event … that also highlights our blossoming New Hampshire wine industry,” Gaffrey said. “I’m really excited that it’s basically a pretty good cross-section of New Hampshire winemaking. … We’ve got two from the Lakes Region that are coming down and then one that’s coming from the White Mountains.”

Tickets are available both in advance online and at the door. If you buy them online you also have various add-on options, from Mardi Gras beads and masks to up to four wine glasses. If you like what you try during the evening, there will also be the option to buy bottles of it on site.

“The attractive thing about this for the wineries … is that unlike [at] some other fundraisers or church events, we’re actually able to offer them the capacity to sell,” Gaffrey said. “So if somebody makes a purchase in the wine festival area, either one of the wineries will have a runner or we’ll have somebody helping out to take the purchased bottle to a table … for pickups at the end of the evening or when people leave.”

As for food, Gaffrey said several church members are contributing everything from assorted meats and cheeses to Italian wedding soup and some Cajun dishes like jambalaya — he himself is planning to cook a shrimp gumbo. Frank Howard of the church’s Lazarus Ministry of Praise will provide live music, and attendees will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win special baskets that the participating wineries are putting together.

Proceeds from the festival, Gaffrey said, benefit some ongoing church renovation projects, in addition to some outreach programs and initiatives, like its food pantry.

Second annual Mardi Gras wine festival
When: Saturday, Feb. 18, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: The Aquinas Center at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 26 Crystal Ave., Derry
Cost: $40 per person, or $70 per couple; tickets are available at the door or in advance online
More info: Visit stthomasderry.org or see “A Mardi Gras Wine Festival” on Facebook
Event is 21+ only. Smart casual or business casual attire are recommended. Mardi Gras masks are optional.

Featured photo: Last year’s Mardi Gras wine festival at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Derry. Courtesy photo.

From the heart, for the heart

Crafts, Drafts & Barrels tasting benefit returns to Concord

February is American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness of cardiovascular health nationwide. In New Hampshire it also marks the return of a special tasting benefit for the cause.

The fifth annual Crafts, Drafts & Barrels, happening on Friday, Feb. 17, at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, will bring together local restaurants, drink purveyors and other organizations together for a night of bites, pours, live music, raffles and a silent auction, all to raise funds for Concord Hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute.

The event had previously taken place in March, according to Concord Hospital Trust philanthropy officer Moriah Billups, but the decision was made to move it up by a month this year to take advantage of the Valentine’s Day holiday the same week.

“It’s a great opportunity for attendees to taste beer, spirits or wine, but there are also a lot of other things to do,” Billups said. “I think, with it having a lot of opportunities for so many attendees, we thought it would be a good way to pair it with Valentine’s Day. … You can go out with friends or family. It doesn’t have to be a spouse or a loved one. It can be anyone.”

Organizers are taking over the entire space of the Discovery Center for the duration of the event, giving attendees full access to all its exhibits with the exception of the planetarium. Billups added that, weather permitting, the center’s observatory will also be open for viewing.

Admission also grants attendees access to all of the food and beverage samples provided by the vendors. Those who purchased VIP tickets can get into the event an hour earlier than general admission ticket holders — at 6 p.m.

“We try to make sure that every group brings something a little different, so that there aren’t three tables with the same thing,” Billups said of the benefit’s participating vendors. “I’m very excited about Live Juice — they’re going to be bringing some vegan and heart-healthy options. They’ll have a curried chicken salad, some cheese and cracker samples and then a vegan dessert option. … They’ll be located in an area of the Discovery Center that will be focused on hydroponic growing … so we’re doing that to just kind of bring awareness to eating your vegetables and making sure that you’re doing what you can to keep your heart healthy.”

Other eateries will include The Common Man, which will have their house-made chips and French onion dip; O Steaks & Seafood, serving their own macaroni and cheese; and Bone Daddy’s, a Bedford-based barbecue competition and catering team that will serve pork sliders. As has been the case during previous years, Billups added, all attendees will receive a $15 gift card to T-Bones Great American Eatery and a chocolate chip cookie.

Wine and spirits will be provided by Martignetti Companies of Northern New England, with craft beer coming from New Hampshire Distributors — both will offer a diverse range of selections, Billups said. New this year will be mocktails offered by Wood Stove Kitchen, a producer of small-batch all-natural drink mixers in a variety of flavors.

Libation Education ticket holders will attend a special 45-minute class beginning at 5:30 p.m. that will be taught by representatives of Martignetti Companies and Concord Craft Brewing Co. The theme is “He Said Beer, She Said Wine,” and the class will focus on different food pairings for beer and wine. Billups said those who participate can then join VIP attendees around 6:15 p.m.

Live music will be provided by The Lone Wolf Project during the tasting, while a silent auction will be available to all attendees. Billups said most of the prizes are experiential — there will be chances to win everything from four tickets to an upcoming New Hampshire Motor Speedway race in 2023 to a four-course chef’s tasting with Corey Fletcher of Revival Kitchen & Bar. Bidding begins at 6 p.m. and continues until about 8:20 p.m., in order to give general admission ticket holders enough time to see all the available items.

“We have a sparkling raffle which is called ‘Date Night for a Year,’ and so it includes essentially 12 different date night ideas … or they could be during the day too,” Billups said. “Some of those include a one-night stay at the Hotel Concord and some ski passes to Pats Peak.”

Crafts, Drafts & Barrels raised nearly $85,000 last year. Billups said the goal is to at least exceed that amount this year. All proceeds benefit the hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute, a one-door access service combining cardiac and vascular care that’s also available at Concord Hospital’s locations in Laconia and Franklin.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, and so we aim to bring awareness to the cause as well as raise funds,” Billups said. “Last year we raised funds for a new operating room … dedicated to the cardiovascular suite. … So it [supports] different resources and equipment for our doctors … and also just programs that help our patients live a better life.”

Fifth annual Crafts, Drafts & Barrels
When: Friday, Feb. 17; general admittance is from 7 to 9 p.m., and VIP admittance begins at 6 p.m.
Where: McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, 2 Institute Drive, Concord
Cost: $75 per person general admission; $125 VIP admission and $175 Libation Education admission, which includes access to an exclusive 45-minute beer and wine food pairing class with Concord Craft Brewing Co. and Martignetti Companies of Northern New England, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available both in advance online and at the door the night of.
More info: Visit ch-trust.org, find the event page on Facebook @craftsdraftsbarrels or call 227-7162
Event is 21+ only. Each attendee also receives a $15 gift card to T-Bones Great American Eatery and a chocolate chip cookie. All attendees will receive access to exhibits at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. Depending on weather conditions, the center’s observatory may also be open for viewing.

Participating food and beverage purveyors

• Bone Daddy’s Competition BBQ (@bdbbq)
• Coca-Cola (cokenortheast.com)
• The Common Man (thecman.com)
• Concord Craft Brewing Co. (concordcraftbrewing.com)
• Concord Food Co-op (concordfoodcoop.coop)
• Concord Hospital Catering Services (concordhospital.org)
• Gibson’s Cafe (gibsonsbookstore.com/cafe)
• Granite Restaurant & Bar (graniterestaurant.com)
• Live Juice (livejuicenh.com)
• Martignetti Companies of Northern New England (nhwines.com)
• New Hampshire Distributors (nhdist.com)
• New Hampshire Doughnut Co. (nhdoughnutco.com)
• O Steaks & Seafood (osteaksconcord.com)
• T-Bones Great American Eatery (t-bones.com)
• Wood Stove Kitchen (woodstovekitchen.com)

Featured photo: Scenes from NOFA-NH’s annual winter conference. Courtesy photos.

The Weekly Dish 23/02/16

News from the local food scene

• Diner days: Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord) welcomes longtime New Hampshire radio personality and author Mike Morin on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m to present his newest book, If These Walls Could Talk: Celebrating 100 Years of the Red Arrow, America’s Most Beloved Diner. Released Nov. 1, the book chronicles the 100-year history of the Red Arrow Diner, originally founded by David Lamontagne as a tiny lunch cart in October 1922 on Lowell Street in Manchester, where it continues to operate today as a full-service diner. No admission to the event is required, and for those who can’t make it, signed copies of If These Walls Could Talk may be ordered at gibsonsbookstore.com.

• For the sweet tooth: Oddball Brewing Co. (6 Glass St., Suncook) is partnering with the Little Vintage Venue of Pembroke for its second dessert board and beer night in two weekends, happening on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants will be guided through the process of how to create their own dessert-themed charcuterie board while enjoying a craft beer pairing from Oddball Brewing Co. The cost is $100 for up to two guests per board and will include all the necessary materials and ingredients to put it together, along with two beers. Boards are courtesy of Red-Tailed Creations of Suncook, and wrap will be available for those who would like to take their ready-to-eat creations home. See littlevintagevenue.square.site for more details or to purchase tickets.

• Coffee break: A new shop due to open in Manchester this weekend will offer a full lineup of espresso-based drinks using locally roasted beans, in addition to a food menu of breakfast and lunch wraps and sandwiches, soups, grab-and-go pastries and more. Cool Beans Cafe — the brainchild of owner Kris Gabbard, whose daughter Madilyn picked the name — will hold a grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 18, according to a recent announcement on its Facebook page. The Queen City storefront is located in the former home of the Siberia Food Market at 100 Willow St., a stone’s throw away from the fork between Willow and Pine streets. Visit coolbeanscafe603.com or check out our story about the shop on page 22 in the Jan. 12 issue of the Hippo. Find the e-edition at issuu.com/hippopress.

• A bakery farewell: Dulces Bakery, a Manchester shop perhaps best known for its nearly two dozen flavors of tres leches cake cups, permanently closed its doors on Feb. 10 after nearly a decade in business. “It is with great sadness to have to post this,” read a recent Facebook post from the bakery owners announcing the closure. The post includes thanks to the families and customers of owners Jose and Angela Mojica for their support. Dulces Bakery was on Amory Street on the Queen City’s West Side from 2015 to 2017 before moving to the larger space on Chestnut Street. The shop took its name from the Spanis word meaning “sweets” and featured a mix of traditional baked goods from Angela’s native Colombia and Jose’s native Puerto Rico.

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