Category: Food

Thyme and brown sugar apples

It’s fall in New Hampshire, which likely means you’ve been apple picking or at least stopped by an orchard. You now have more apples than you know what to do with. After you’ve made apple pies, apple muffins and caramel apples, I have a recipe that will use those apples for a dinner side dish.

This recipe is perfect for a dinner on a busy fall night for a multitude of reasons. First, only four ingredients are required. Second, from start to finish these apples are ready in 10 minutes or less. Third, between freshly picked apples and thyme, this dish smells and tastes like fall.

I have a few notes about the apples in this recipe. As you may notice, I don’t specify the type of apple. This recipe is pretty flexible, so you can use whatever you have on hand or whichever you prefer. Also, these apples don’t need to be peeled for two reasons: It streamlines the recipe and saves time, and the apple peel adds a nice amount of texture to the dish.

You need to keep a careful eye on the apples while you cook them. You want to saute them until they are fork tender, but you don’t want them to become soggy. Be sure to stay attentive. Once they get just the least bit tender, add the thyme and brown sugar, saute quickly and transfer to a serving dish.

If you haven’t been to an orchard yet, this recipe is all the reason you need.

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.

Thyme and brown sugar apples
Serves 4

2 apples, approximately 1 pound total
1 Tablespoon salted butter*
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Slice the apples into quarters, and remove the core from each section. (Do not peel the apples)
Cut each apple quarter into six evenly sized slices, so that you have 24 long slices per apple.
Then cut all of the slices in half.
Place a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.
Melt butter, and add apple slices.
Saute for 4 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Sprinkle the apple slices with thyme and brown sugar, and cook for an additional minute.
Serve immediately.

*If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt along with the thyme.

Photo: Thyme and brown sugar apples. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Cheri Coco

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

What is your must-have kitchen item?

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

What would you have for your last meal?

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

What is your favorite local restaurant?

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

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

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

What is your favorite meal to make?

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

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

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

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

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

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

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

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

Featured photo: Cheri Coco. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/09/23

News from the local food scene

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

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

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

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

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

Boxes and cans

Eye-catching packaging, tasty wines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

De-simplifying tomatoes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered.

A tomato spritzer.

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

Step 1 – Making cucumber-infused gin

Ingredients:

Cucumbers

Gin

Wash and weigh your cucumbers.

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

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

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

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

Step 2 – Tomato shrub

Ingredients:

128 g. roughly chopped cherry tomatoes

125 g. sugar

3½ ounces white wine vinegar

¾ ounce raspberry vinegar

1½ ounces dry vermouth

1½ ounces sweet vermouth

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

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

Add the vermouths, and chill the mixture.

Strain and jar the mixture.

Step 3 – Juicing your tomatoes

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

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

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

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

Strain your tomato glop.

The glop will turn into beautiful juice.

The actual cocktail – Tomato Spritzer

Ingredients:

1 ounce cucumber gin

2 ounce dry vermouth

1½ ounces fresh tomato juice

½ ounce tomato shrub

2 ounces cold prosecco

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

Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass.

Pour into tall glasses.

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

Much like you.

Featured photo: Photo by John Fladd.

Sweet potato biscuits

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

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

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

Welcome back, baking season!

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Sweet potato biscuits
Makes 10

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

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

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

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

In the kitchen with Jessica Radloff

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

What is your must-have kitchen item?

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

What would you have for your last meal?

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

What is your favorite local restaurant?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

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

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

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

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

Featured photo: Jessica Radloff. Courtesy photo.

Wood-fired deliciousness

OakCraft Pizza opens in Nashua

A new eatery in Nashua is inviting you to build your own wood-fired pizzas, featuring fresh dough, quality cheeses and house sauces cooked in an imported Italian oven.

OakCraft Pizza, which opened Sept. 13 in the Amherst Street Village Center, also has a selection of specialty pies to choose from, as well as starters, salads and several local craft beer options. It’s owned by Hollis native Rick Carvalho and his wife, Taylor, who took over the former Cold Stone Creamery space and began renovating it earlier this year.

Carvalho, whose family formerly owned franchises for four Dunkin’ Donuts stores across Nashua, said pizza making started out as a passion project for him a few years ago. In the spring of 2019, he went on to enroll in an intensive course in Staten Island, New York, where he learned how to make and serve pizzas in a restaurant setting.

OakCraft Pizza’s fast-casual concept, he said, can be compared to that of Chipotle, with completely customizable options on an assembly line before your pizza reaches the end. It’s then ready to be cooked in a Forza Forni wood-fired oven, which came overseas from Italy.

“You pick your sauce, your cheese and your toppings, and we take it from there. The oven cooks your pizza at close to 800 degrees in about three minutes, give or take,” Carvalho said. “So we throw it in our oven and in the time that you’re getting your drinks, it’s probably coming out and you’re good to go. … We really wanted to bring quality to the concept. We have fresh homemade sauces, fresh homemade dough every day, and we’re just trying to make the best.”

Diners start with either regular or gluten-free crusts, and while you can load it up pretty much however you’d like, there are some specialty options if you’re having a hard time deciding. There is the Old World Margherita, featuring fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and red sauce; or the Sunny Side, a breakfast-style pizza with bacon pieces, farm eggs and Parmesan.

“My personal favorite is our Vodka Pie. It’s a vodka sauce that’s made in house, with prosciutto, mushroom, fresh basil, peas and a really good mozzarella,” Carvalho said. “We think our crust is awesome. It has a really good crunch that’s just doughy enough but not soggy. It’s baked right on the stone, so you don’t get that spongy undercarriage.”

Other featured menu offerings include a rotating selection of salads, also with customizable options; starters, like meatballs with red sauce and shaved Parmesan cheese; and sweeter items, like hand-filled whoopie pies that can be rolled in toppings like sprinkles and Oreo cookie crumbles. Wines and local craft beer options are available too.

Online ordering will be implemented through OakCraft Pizza’s website. Carvalho said he also hopes to begin offering third-party delivery services within a radius of a few miles.

OakCraft Pizza

Where: 2 Cellu Dr., Suite 111, Nashua
Hours: Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
More info: Visit oakcraftpizza.com, follow them on Facebook and Instagram @oakcraftpizza or call 521-8452

Featured photo: Old World Margherita pizza, with fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and house red sauce. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

Glendi returns!

Annual Greek food festival to celebrate 42nd year

A three-day celebration of Greek culture through homemade food, music, dancing and crafts, Glendi is making a highly anticipated return this weekend a year after its first cancellation in more than four decades. The 42nd annual festival is happening at Manchester’s St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where from Friday, Sept. 17, through Sunday, Sept. 19, a diverse menu of authentic Greek items will be served, from lamb shanks to pastichio, plus dozens of homemade cookies and pastries available and imported Greek items for sale at an Aegean Market.

Originally known as the Harvest Bazaar, a small three-day fundraising event for the church and community center, the festival was renamed Glendi, which means “good times” in Greek, in 1980. The first event as it’s known today was held that year — since then, generations of church members and volunteers have gathered throughout each year to prepare Glendi’s featured dishes.

This will be the first in-person Glendi since the fall of 2019, although the church has presented a series of several “Taste of Glendi” drive-thru events in the interim.

Past Glendi event. Courtesy photo.

“I really do feel that there is a lot of pent up demand out there for events, especially our Glendi,” said George Skaperdas, festival co-chairman and president of its board of directors. “We decided in April that we were going to go ahead with it … and so it was full speed ahead, just doing our part to make sure that people are safe but still have a good time.”

Food preparation has been underway since early June and will continue right up until just days before the festival begins. As with previous years, dozens of tents will be set up on the church’s grounds all weekend, housing the food servings and outdoor dining tables.

“Everything that everybody expects out of Glendi will be there,” Skaperdas said. “The setup is pretty much the same. We’ve got everything to make everybody happy.”

Several returning favorites will be served once again, like the seasoned and marinated lamb that’s barbecued over charcoal; the baked lamb shanks with tomato sauce; the marinated chicken with Grecian herbs; and the pastichio, a Greek lasagna dish with a creamy cheese sauce. Stuffed green peppers with rice and meat, and dolmathes, or stuffed grape leaves with rice and meat covered in a lemon sauce, will be available too. All of these options can be ordered as part of a full meal, which comes with rice pilaf, a salad and a roll, or you can order them a la carte.

Other items will include gyros, served with a blend of beef and lamb; loukanikos, or Greek sausages; and chicken souvlaki that is topped with lettuce, red onion and tzatziki sauce and wrapped in pita bread. There will also be a small offering of non-Greek items like hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy and freshly squeezed lemonade.

Inside the church’s community center will be an assorted display of desserts and pastries, including multiple versions of baklava; as well as loukoumades, or fried dough balls soaked in syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, that come in quantities of six, 12 or 20. Several types of cookies are also returning, like finikia, or honey-dipped cookies with walnuts; and kourambiethes, which are dusted with powdered sugar.

The community center will once again have its Aegean Market open for the duration of the festival, where you’ll find items like Greek olive oil, coffees, jewelry and T-shirts for sale. Gift baskets, local restaurant gift cards and certificates, and other items will be raffled off.

Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided to festival attendees. Skaperdas said the state’s mobile vaccination van is expected to be parked at the church each day.

Glendi

When: Friday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Sept. 18, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (food services end at about 9:30 p.m.), and Sunday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St., Manchester
Cost: Free admission; foods are priced per item
Visit: stgeorge.nh.goarch.org, or find them on Facebook @glendinh
Free parking is available at Derryfield Park (Bridge Street) and at the McDonough Elementary School (550 Lowell St.), with shuttle services to the church that will be available throughout the day on Friday and Saturday.

Featured photo: Past Glendi events. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/09/16

News from the local food scene

• Flavors of Egypt: The annual Egyptian Food Festival returns to St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (39 Chandler St., Nashua) over three days, from Friday, Sept. 17, through Sunday, Sept. 19. There will be a full menu of freshly prepared items to choose from, including beef or chicken kebab platters, beef shawarma, and vegetarian dishes like falafel and koshari, a popular Egyptian dish featuring rice mixed with brown lentils, chickpeas, macaroni and sauce. For desserts, attendees will have the opportunity to try several types of sweets and pastries, from baklava and fried dough to om ali, a puff pastry-like delicacy with nuts soaked in milk, baked and served warm. According to the Rev. Kyrillos Gobran of the church, a gift bazaar is also planned, as well as live music, face-painting and family-friendly games and activities. Festival hours are from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, rain or shine each day. Admission is free and foods are priced per item. Parking is available nearby at BAE Systems (95 Canal St., Nashua). Visit stmarycoptsnh.org.

• Pristine poutine: Tickets to the New Hampshire PoutineFest Spooktacular, a special Halloween edition of the popular poutine festival, will go on sale on Saturday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. The event itself is set for Saturday, Oct. 23, at Anheuser-Busch Tour Center & Biergarten (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack), resuming the friendly competition among local and regional restaurants, food trucks and other vendors for the best poutine dish as voted by attendees. Costumes are encouraged at the festival, which will also feature craft beer, children’s activities, games and a DJ. Tickets are $39.99 for general admission and entry at 12:45 p.m., $49.99 for VIP admission (early entry at 11:30 a.m.), $14.99 for kids ages 6 to 12 with sampling, and free without it. All kids ages 5 and under also receive free admission. Visit nhpoutinefestspooktacular.eventbrite.com to get your tickets.

• Crescent City cravings: Join the Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way Bedford) for a New Orleans dinner on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m., the next installment in its summer dinner series held on its Grand Terrace. This five-course dinner will feature options inspired by the city of New Orleans, where executive chef Tina Verville spent three years of her culinary career. Items will include broiled oysters, shrimp and sausage gumbo, andouille jambalaya arancini and more — each course will be paired with a classic handcrafted New Orleans cocktail. Tickets are $125 per person plus tax (the dinner is open to attendees ages 21 and up only), and all proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief to help Louisianans affected by Hurricane Ida. Visit bedfordvillageinn.com.

• Soups and chowders: The Collins Brothers Chowder Co. (59 Temple St., Nashua), which offers homemade hot soups and chowders in addition to prepared meals, reopened for the season on Sept. 15. The takeout-only eatery usually features several soups and chowders that are available daily, in addition to different specials that will run depending on the day. Homemade comfort meals to go have also been available, like shepherd’s pie, chicken pot pie and American chop suey. The Collins Brothers Chowder Co. is open Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., usually through the winter and early spring. Visit collinsbrotherschowder.com or follow them on Facebook @collinsbrotherschowder.

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