Category: Food

May the best chilis win

Great Bowls of Fire Chili Cook-off returns

If you think you make the best bowl of chili around, here’s your chance to show it off — the Great Bowls of Fire Chili Cook-off, returning to Goffstown Ace Hardware on Saturday, Oct. 22, is a friendly competition and fundraiser that will feature a variety of homemade chilis available to taste from local community members and restaurateurs.
Chili entrants are welcome to bring a slow cooker of their best batches by 10:30 a.m., with sampling beginning at 11 a.m. No pre-registration is required for entrants, nor for tasters who just want to come and vote. Prizes in the form of Goffstown Ace Hardware gift cards — $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place — will be awarded to the winners.
“We started doing it … just sort of casually, and now people are really excited about it, and so we keep doing it in October,” said event coordinator Pat Barss of Goffstown Ace Hardware, who herself took home second place in last year’s cook-off, her first year participating as an entrant.
The cook-off was introduced in 2018 as one of several fundraising events sponsoring Goffstown Ace Hardware owner Karen Henderson’s annual running of the Boston Marathon. While they did have to skip a year in 2020 due to the pandemic, Barss said they experienced a great turnout at last year’s cook-off, with around 15 chilis for attendees to sample.
“There are chili competitions all over … and I guess the word gets out,” she said.
But part of the draw of this cook-off is that you’ll never know what’s in store to taste until the day of. In the past, Barss said the event has been known to feature all varieties of chili, from traditional beef chili to some white chilis, vegan or vegetarian chilis and even a venison chili. While any individual can enter, the cook-off in the past has garnered participation from local agencies like the Goffstown Fire Department, as well as The Village Trestle and some other restaurants in the area. All of the slow cookers are placed under tented tables out in front of the store. Each entrant is assigned a number that’s displayed in front of the chilis, enabling attendees to blind taste each one and vote for their favorite. Some people, Barss said, have even turned the cook-off into their own lunch outing.
“We have little sampling cups … and once it’s gone, it’s gone,” she said. “If most people are there to sample early, then … some of the [slow cookers] are cleaned right out.”
Vote counting will take place at the conclusion of the cook-off around 1 p.m. Donations will also be accepted during the event, with proceeds benefiting Boston Children’s Hospital.

Great Bowls of Fire Chili Cook-off
When: Saturday, Oct. 22, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Goffstown Ace Hardware, 5 Depot St., Goffstown
Cost: Free to enter in your chili or attend as a taster; no pre-registration required
Visit: goffstownhardware.com
Entrants are asked to bring their chilis to Goffstown Ace Hardware by 10:30 a.m. First, second and third place prizes — Goffstown Ace Hardware gift cards of $100, $75 and $50 — will be awarded. Proceeds from gathered donations will benefit Boston Children’s Hospital.

Featured photo: Scene from the Great Bowls of Fire Chili Cook-off.

The Weekly Dish 22/10/20

News from the local food scene

• Come, we fly! Have you seen Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2 yet? Decorated candy apples featured on screen in the film were made right here in New Hampshire, at Nelson’s Candy & Music in Wilton — that’s according to owner Nancy Feraco, who told the Hippo she received a special phone order nearly a year ago for a large quantity of them. “We didn’t know it at the time, but they were for the filming of Hocus Pocus 2 in Rhode Island,” Feraco said in an email, adding that the apples were prepared for use in the film by Nelson’s confectioner Maria Marini. Feraco even recently brought her whole Nelson’s candymaking crew together at the nearby Copper Kettle eatery on Main Street for dinner and a special screening of the film. Leading up to its release, Feraco said she had been “dying to tell people” of Hocus Pocus 2’s connection to the Granite State. “We have been keeping quiet about it as we didn’t know if those shots were edited out or not … [but] we never guessed it was part of the plot,” she said. The film was released Sept. 30 and is available to stream now on Disney+. Visit nelsonscandymusic.com.
• Brews and tunes: Join Twin Barns Brewing Co. (194 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith) for a harvest festival on Saturday, Oct. 22, kicking off at 10 a.m. with a full schedule of live local music acts all day. Also included will be several local food trucks, a cornhole tournament with prizes, and specialty brews — Twin Barns even just held a release party last week for a seasonal Pumpkin Fest ale, declared the official beer of the upcoming New Hampshire Pumpkin Fest in Laconia on Oct. 29, according to the brewery’s Facebook page. Tickets to the harvest festival are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Funds are being raised for student music education, with event proceeds benefiting the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Modern Band Initiative. Visit givebutter.com/harvest-fest-22.
• OakCraft Pizza coming to Salem: Nashua’s OakCraft Pizza will soon open a second location inside the Tuscan Village development in Salem, according to recent announcements made on the company’s website and social media pages. Construction on the new space is underway and regular updates will be made on its progress, the posts read. OakCraft Pizza owner and Hollis native Rick Carvalho opened the fast-casual eatery in Nashua’s Amherst Street Village Center in September 2021, specializing in made-to-order wood-fired pizzas cooked in an imported Italian oven. The restaurant offers completely customizable options on an assembly line before your pie reaches the end, along with additional items like cheesy garlic bread, salads, meatballs with red sauce, and hand-filled whoopie pies. Visit oakcraftpizza.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @oakcraftpizza for updates.

Negroni

I’ve got a firm rule for buying old photographs at flea markets; I’ll definitely buy one, if the price is right, but there has to be some sort of identification on it, so I can do some research and find out who the subjects are. I want to know more about them. Where did they live? How were they related to each other? What happened to them? Were there any shocking skeletons in their closets?

vintage photograph of 5 member family, serious expressions, a man, a woman, 2 boys, a girl

One look at this family, though, convinced me that they almost had to have a minimum of three literal skeletons. In the time it took me to get $5 out of my pocket, I constructed a backstory for each of these (technically unknown-to-me) people. I named the daughter Hortense.

From the quality of the photograph and the style of their clothes, I suspect that the picture was taken in the very early 1900s, perhaps 1904 or 1905. In very old photographs, from the mid-1800s, subjects did not smile, for fear of blurring the image in the several minutes that the film was exposed, but by the beginning of the 20th century the exposure time was down to a few seconds, so this somewhat forbidding-seeming family did not have to look this way. I get the feeling that it was just their default expression.

I don’t know about you, but I feel like drinking something bitter.

Negroni – Two Ways

Perhaps the best-known bitter cocktail is the Negroni, a mixture of gin, Campari, sweet vermouth and a splash of soda water. If you are a fan of bitter-sweet flavors, it’s a lovely break from the sweet/sour/boozy rut a lot of us find ourselves in from time to time.

One of the reasons you’ve heard of Negronis but rarely see anyone drinking one is the Campari. I like Campari enormously and use it for background bitterness in many drinks, but there are some cocktail fans, perhaps with less enlightened palates, who are not strictly fans of the red liqueur.

So here are recipes for two variations on the Negroni theme:

Mostly Traditional Negroni

  • 1 ounce Campari
  • 1 ounce botanical gin – I’ve been enjoying Uncle Van’s
  • 1 ounce sweet vermouth – I’ve been using Dolin Rouge
  • 3 to 4 ounces plain seltzer
  • 1 very large ice cube

Pour the Campari, gin and vermouth over a large ice cube in a rocks or highball glass.

Pour the seltzer over the other ingredients, and stir gently to combine.

Drink while looking at a photo of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday.

As advertised, this version of the Negroni is both bitter and sweet. The addition of so much soda is somewhat controversial, but I feel that the cocktail benefits from the dilution and carbonization. It is a complex, adult drink.

But pink.

An Alternate Negroni

  • 1 ounce Campari
  • 1 ounce gin
  • 1 ounce sweet vermouth
  • 1 ounce Amaro Lucano
  • ½ ounce plain seltzer
  • Another very large ice cube

This version is made in the same way as a traditional Negroni except that it replaces the Campari with another bitter Italian liqueur, Amaro Lucano, which uses different herbs and is less flamboyantly colored. The resulting cocktail is less frivolous-looking and doesn’t need the extra soda.

Is it bitter? Yes. Is it delicious? Yes. Is it pink? Not even a little. Would the mother from the antique photograph drink one out of a teacup? Probably.

Featured photo. Negroni. Photo by John Fladd.

Cheesy sausage balls

The chill of fall is officially here! Last week’s salad may be my last hurrah into cold main dishes for a while. This week it’s all about food served piping hot.

Meatballs are one of my favorite appetizers because they are easily made ahead of time, can be served with just a toothpick, and have the ability to deliver many flavors. This week’s recipe starts with hot turkey sausage, which already has a substantial amount of flavor and keeps this recipe a pinch healthier. However, this recipe is in no way a healthy dish — three-fourths of a pound of cheese is in these. They’re well worth the indulgence.

The first time I made these sausage balls, I served them with pasta sauce for dipping. Since then I have tried pairing them with buffalo sauce and tzatziki. Both worked well. In fact, I’m sure there are many more options. Of course, you also can eat them as they are, but doesn’t dipping make a snack even more fun?

As for the recipe itself, it is about as straightforward as a recipe can be. Yes, you could use regular sausage instead of turkey sausage, but they might be a bit on the greasy side. (You have been warned.) I prefer sharp cheddar in this dish to give more of a bite, but mild cheddar works fine also. In fact, you could use mozzarella as well. It definitely will add some gooeyness to the sausage balls, but you will also lose some flavor. It’s your call.

Make a shopping list according to your preferences. Then let the appetizer making begin!

Cheesy sausage balls
Makes 24

20 ounces hot turkey sausage
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups shredded cheddar, mild or sharp
1 large egg
Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove sausage from casing, if needed.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix by hand to thoroughly combine.
Form mixture into 2-inch balls.
Place sausage balls on lined baking sheet, leaving space between them.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

Featured Photo: Cheesy sausage balls. Photo courtesy of Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Krystal Hudon

Krystal Hudon and her husband, Chris, of Nashua are the co-owners of Comfort Spice Co. (comfortspiceco.com, and on Facebook), now offering nearly two dozen homemade premium spice blends and several fruit jams since their launch two years ago. The couple started their company with an authentic Mexican spice blend that Krystal Hudon, who grew up in southern California, learned how to make from her neighbors at the time. Since then, their product lineup has grown to include everything from a roasted chicken rub, a steak and beef rub, a lamb seasoning and a pork seasoning to a house curry blend, a pumpkin pie spice and an apple pie spice. Comfort Spice Co.’s blends can be found at Trombly Gardens (150 N. River Road, Milford) and at Gigi’s Country Store (10 Main St., Wilton), as well as at Creative Vibes, inside the Pheasant Lane Mall (310 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua) — four-ounce bottles are available inside each of the stores, or you can contact them directly via email or Facebook Messenger to inquire about eight- or 12-ounce bottles. As for the jams, those come in eight-ounce jars and are available at Creative Vibes only.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Normally, I would say a sturdy stirring spoon or a type of wooden paddle. … But no matter what you use in the kitchen tool-wise, nothing is going to come out well unless you have good, quality ingredients.

What would you have for your last meal?

For me, it’s cheesecake. I don’t even care what kind. … For [my husband] Chris, he said tacos and tequila.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

We love the Copper Door. It’s a scratch kitchen. They source most of their ingredients locally … and the food is always excellent.

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

We picked Jason Mraz, for an interesting reason. … He has a farm in California where he grows all of his own vegetables, and his wife is also a chef. … I would have to talk to him and find out what he likes, because our spice blends are all very, very different.

What is your favorite spice blend that you make?

Chris says his favorite is the Cajun blackening mix, and he likes to put it on everything. … Mine is the roasted chicken rub. I think my favorite thing to use that on is pan-seared chicken legs and thighs with roasted vegetables and a nice pan gravy.

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

A lot of people seem to be into … locally sourced [foods], but it definitely should not be a trend.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Any comfort food or anything that feels cozy. Things like beef stew and chicken soup. … I love making a Lancashire hotpot, which is so good. … It has fall-apart beef on the bottom, [with] carrots, peas and onions, all roasted, and then you layer potatoes on top that are sliced in discs and you bake it.

Homemade Lancashire hotpot
From the kitchen of Krystal Hudon of Comfort Spice Co. in Nashua

2 pounds shoulder roast, diced, or stewed beef, cut into slightly smaller chunks
1 ½ large onions, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 carrots, chopped into ¾-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup Marsala
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
4 cups beef stock
4 to 5 potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
2½ Tablespoons Comfort Spice Co. steak and beef rub
¼ cup melted butter
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 to 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Massage the steak and beef rub into your beef. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven, then add onions and garlic and saute on medium heat until soft. Turn the heat up and add the beef. Brown the beef, stirring often so that the onions and garlic don’t burn. Cook until most of the liquid is gone, then add the Marsala and the Worcestershire sauce — this will loosen any bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about three minutes. Add the beef stock. Simmer, covered on low, for about an hour and stir occasionally. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix your cornstarch with equal parts cold water and pour into your beef, stirring until thickened. Turn off the heat. Add the frozen peas and the chopped carrots and mix well. Layer your potatoes on top and brush them evenly with the melted butter. Sprinkle a little more of the steak and beef rub evenly on top. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover, turn up the heat to 400 degrees and continue to cook for 30 more minutes to brown the potatoes. Remove from the oven, let it cool for five minutes and enjoy.

Featured photo: Krystal Hudon. Courtesy photo.

Brews for vets

New brewfest coming to Goffstown

A new event coming to Goffstown this weekend will feature more than a dozen beer options from area breweries — along with local food vendors and live music — all to raise money for local disabled veterans in need. The inaugural Mount Uncanoonuc Brewfest is happening on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the parking lot of the town’s former Shaw’s supermarket.

The event is being presented by the Worker Bee Fund, its beneficiary nonprofit organization, in conjunction with Mountain Base Brewery. Plans to hold a brewfest were conceived shortly after the brewery’s opening late last year, according to Worker Bee Fund founder Brian Hansen, following some conversations he had with co-owner Carrie Currier and her daughter, event coordinator Candice Pendagast.

To date, the Worker Bee Fund has completed around 30 home projects to date benefiting disabled veterans within an hour’s drive of Manchester.

“In a nutshell, what we do is fix up houses for people in really low income brackets,” Hansen said. “The idea is to help them age in place, and what that basically means is that when folks get older, it’s really nice that they can stay in their homes as long as possible. … As a result, we may go in and fix up their kitchen so that it’s wheelchair-accessible, or we’ll do like a full kitchen model or bathroom model or something like that. And we raise all of the funds ourselves.”

Set to take place rain or shine, the brewfest will take place in a cordoned off area in the south end of the parking lot, Hansen said, with plenty of tents and bar-height cafe tables for attendees. He expects around 14 breweries — nearly all from southern New Hampshire — to be represented, either via their beers being donated for the festival or the brewers pouring the beer themselves. Four-ounce samples of each featured beer will be available to ticket holders, encompassing several styles.

In addition to the beers, the brewfest will feature food options from a few local purveyors, including those that have hosted pop-ups at Mountain Base Brewery in the past. Squaloo’s BBQ of Manchester, for instance, which held its first pop-up at the brewery back in late July, will be there — chef Ira Street is known for traditional Midwestern barbecue staples and smoked meats. Other vendors at the brewfest will include Granite State Whoopie Pies, which will have fresh baked cookies, and The Bakeshop on Kelley Street, with its soft baked pretzels. Live music will be featured by the Robyn V Group, a young rock cover band based in Nashua.

At the conclusion of the brewfest, attendees can cross the parking lot and visit Mountain Base Brewery, which will be open that day and evening. The brewery recently debuted the release of its Grand Pumpkin, a vanilla pumpkin porter.

A three-barrel commercial nanobrewery, Mountain Base originally began as a homebrewing passion project for the Curriers — longtime residents of Goffstown — in their basement more than a decade ago. The brewery opened in the site of a former RadioShack inside the Shaw’s Plaza in mid-December 2021, across the parking lot from where the brewfest will take place. Currier said Mountain Base features anywhere from six to 12 rotating brews on a regular basis.

“[We keep] four or five [beers] on pretty consistently, just because we’ve … established some regulars at this point who drink specific ones,” she said.

Mount Uncanoonuc Brewfest
When: Saturday, Oct. 15, 1 to 5 p.m.
Where: 553 Mast Road, Goffstown (at the southern end of the parking lot)
Cost: $25 in advance or $30 at the door; admission is free for designated drivers
Visit: workerbeefund.org/events/brewfest
Event is rain or shine and 21+ only. All proceeds benefit the Worker Bee Fund.

Featured photo: courtesy photo.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!