Category: Food

Maple bacon scones

These scones are the most indulgent ones I make. Filled and topped with bacon and coated with a maple glaze, they are definitely not a healthy food. However, every single bite is amazing. From the crispy, salty bacon to the tender dough to the nicely sweet glaze, these scones are an edible delight.

This scone recipe takes a little longer than a typical recipe because you need to add time for cooking and cooling the bacon. Of course, it’s bacon, so it’s worth the extra effort.

When making these scones, there are a few important ingredient notes. I would not use thick cut bacon in this recipe. You want a thinner cut to make it easier to bite into. Also, these are maple scones, so real maple syrup is required. Don’t use pancake syrup. They won’t be the same. Finally, if you don’t usually buy buttermilk, you can skip it. Add a little less than a tablespoon of white vinegar to the milk, and let it set for 5 minutes: instant buttermilk.

With ingredient notes in hand, it’s time to shop and make these extra special breakfast treats.

Maple bacon scones
Makes 12

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, diced
10 strips cooked bacon, divided
⅓ cup maple syrup
½ cup buttermilk
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Add butter.
Combine dry ingredients using a pastry blender (or two forks) until butter is reduced to the size of grains of rice.
Dice 5 strips of bacon. (Set aside remaining 5 strips for topping)
Whisk 1/3 cup maple syrup, buttermilk, egg yolk and maple extract in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl.
Add liquids to dry ingredients; mix until dough forms a ball.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and press into a 10-inch square.
Cut into 12 rectangles.
Transfer wedges to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the scones are crusty on top and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Transfer scones to a baking rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Combine powdered sugar and 1/4 cup maple syrup in a small bowl.
Spoon maple glaze over scones.
Cut remaining bacon into 1- to 2-inch sections, and place atop glazed scones.

Featured Photo: Maple bacon scones. Photo courtesy of Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Matt Berry and Dante Marino

Matt Berry and Dante Marino, along with Dante’s brother Vinny, are co-owners of Deadproof Pizza Co. (deadproofpizza.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @deadproofpizzaco), a mobile pizza pop-up company launched earlier this year that now regularly appears at local breweries, events and private catering gigs. The group made their debut at Taco Tour Manchester on May 5 — since then, they’ve appeared at several events, including 603 Brewery’s 10th anniversary celebration in Londonderry in June, and the annual Keep NH Brewing Festival in Concord earlier this month. Deadproof Pizza Co. features a core menu of eight pies, all served in 10-inch sizes, from a classic cheese to a meat lover’s pizza, a Hawaiian pizza and a prosciutto and fig pizza, along with rotating specials. With his wife, Lauren, Berry also co-owns Dahlia Restaurant, a series of New England-inspired farm-to-table pop-up dinners oftentimes organized in collaboration with area businesses. Marino, meanwhile, is the owner of Ethos & Able Creative, a local marketing and branding business. You can find Deadproof Pizza Co. next at Lithermans Limited Brewery (126B Hall St., Concord), where Berry and Marino will be slinging pizzas on Saturday, July 23, from noon to 8 p.m.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Matt: We use spoons constantly. … We also stumbled across this mini 12-inch pizza turner when we were testing different peels we wanted to use. It’s the best thing we’ve ever bought.

Dante: When I cook at home, I underestimate how much I use a spatula. I feel like I’m always doing something with it.

What would you have for your last meal?

Dante: My grandmother’s fried eggplant and chicken cutlets.

Matt: A bacon double cheeseburger with French fries and a strawberry milkshake.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Matt: Earth’s Harvest in Dover. [Chef] George [Bezanson] makes the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. … He’s such a good dude, one of the sweetest, genuine people in my life, and his sandwiches are unreal.

Dante: If I had to go with someone more recently, we met The Traveling Foodie at the Keep NH Brewing Festival, and their stuff was nuts. They do some absolutely amazing food.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from Deadproof Pizza Co.?

Matt: Pauly Shore. I’ve always wanted to see him. It’s low-key on my bucket list.

Dante: Ryan Reynolds. I just think he fits our vibe. He’s deadpan funny, and also he’s Deadpool, and we’re Deadproof.

What is your favorite pizza on your menu?

Dante: For me, it would definitely be the Trust Fund. It’s a pie with whipped Boursin cheese, truffle hot sauce and prosciutto.

Matt: Our classic OG. It’s such a good pie. I’ll eat it cold and it’s still delicious.

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

Matt: Cliche enough, I’m going to say right now that it’s pop-ups. Some people have been starting their own pop-up businesses like myself, just after quarantine. … They’re definitely becoming more and more relevant in New Hampshire, and luckily ours have been very well received.

Dante: People are realizing that starting their own pop-ups are more accessible now than ever, and it’s a nod to how closely knit businesses have become. … They may not even be in the same industry, but they work together.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Dante: I guess my favorite thing would be smash patties or fried chicken, because I like to find ways to be experimental with different flavors.

Matt: At the end of the day, it’s whatever’s quick and simple and what my daughter will eat. She just turned 2 and she has a palate that’s better than most adults I know. We definitely feed her some not very traditional things. She’s absolutely not picky.

“The perfect pie”
From the kitchen of Matt Berry and Dante Marino of Deadproof Pizza Co.

For the dough:
¼ cup warm water
¼ Tablespoon sugar
¼ Tablespoon active dry yeast
Heavy pinch of kosher salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for forming
2 teaspoons garlic oil
Heavy pinch of fine cornmeal

Toppings:
2 ounces pizza sauce of choice
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 ounce grated pecorino cheese (grated Parmesan also works)
4 to 5 fresh basil leaves
Pinch of Maldon salt (flaky sea salt)
5 whole cloves garlic
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig each of thyme, rosemary and fresh oregano
1 Tablespoon kosher salt

Combine the olive oil with thyme, rosemary, oregano and whole cloves of garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Let it cook for about 30 minutes, or until the garlic has turned golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add a tablespoon of kosher salt; stir to dissolve. Strain and let cool. Dissolve the sugar, yeast and salt into the lukewarm water. Add the strained oil. Add the flour — start with 5-and-a-half cups, adding as needed — and mix by hand or with a stand mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let it sit for about one to two hours. If you have a pizza stone, place it in an oven set to 450 degrees at least 30 to 45 minutes before you intend to bake. Remove dough and form into a circle by hand on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out to roughly 10 inches, keeping it as circular as possible. Once rolled out, slide onto a peel (or a flat cookie sheet with no edges) that’s been lightly dusted with cornmeal. Add your sauce and cheese. Carefully slide the pie off the peel onto your preheated pizza stone and let it cook for roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Pull out of the oven and immediately dust with pecorino. Sprinkle evenly and let your pie cool for about two minutes. Roll up your basil leaves and slice thinly, throwing some on your pie to taste. Slice up, sprinkle your slices with Maldon salt and enjoy.

Featured photo: Left to right: Vinny Marino, Matt Berry and Dante Marino, co-owners of Deadproof Pizza Co. Courtesy photo.

Griddles and fiddles

Bluegrass BBQ returns to Concord

“A foot-tapping, lip-smacking good time” is promised at the annual Bluegrass BBQ, returning to White Park in Concord for its third year on Saturday, July 23. One of the chief fundraisers for the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, the event will feature several barbecue options to choose from, along with a full lineup of local bluegrass artists performing throughout the day.

“We launched this event during Covid and it’s been very, very well received by the community,” said Greg Lessard, CCEH’s director of housing initiatives. “It’s been growing, too. We served 200 meals the first year and 550 the next year. … This year, we’re planning on 600.”

Scenes from the Bluegrass BBQ. Photos courtesy of Mulberry Creek Imagery.

The menu includes a total of five ordering packages for food. The “pitmaster special” is the most generous portion of barbecue and includes a meal of Texas-style brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausage, baked beans, coleslaw, pickled red onions and a pecan garlic barbecue sauce, along with a bun and a drink. There’s also a pulled pork sandwich meal with each of the same sides, or you can order the sandwich separately. A grilled hot dog meal with a bag of chips and a drink and a vegetarian meal featuring a hummus and tabouli wrap round out the food offerings.

Bill Wilcox of Wilcox & Barton, a local civil engineering company with a corporate office in Concord, is also a barbecuing enthusiast. He’ll be the chief pitmaster at the event, Lessard said.

“He’s a civil engineer, but he’s a chef as a hobby. … He has a custom-made smoker that was built down in Houston,” Lessard said. “He basically does all of the cooking, and then we’ve partnered with the Concord Food Co-op … [to do] all the prep work for the non-meat products.”

As during previous years, the event is tailgate-style — attendees are encouraged to place their barbecue orders online and then arrive at the park with chairs and picnic blankets to pick up their food and enjoy the music. A total of four bluegrass acts are each expected to play 90-minute sets. Paul Hubert will kick things off at 11 a.m., followed by Concord bluegrass and Americana group Bow Junction at 12:30 p.m., Whiskey Prison and 2 p.m. and soloist Hank Osborne at 3:30 p.m.

The Coalition has already raised more than $51,000 through 70 business sponsorships, and all food sale proceeds will go directly toward its programs. In the event of inclement weather, Lessard said, the barbecue will take place the following day, Sunday, July 24.

Live music schedule
• Paul Hubert: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Bow Junction: 12:30 to 2 p.m.
• Whiskey Prison: 2 to 3:30 p.m.
• Hank Osborne: 3:30 to 5 p.m.

3rd annual Bluegrass BBQ
When: Saturday, July 23, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (food service runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.); rain date is Sunday, July 24
Where: White Park, 1 White St., Concord
Cost: Options include a pitmaster special ($40), a pulled pork sandwich meal ($25), a hot dog meal ($10) and a vegetarian hummus and tabouli wrap meal ($25); place your order in advance online for pickup at the event
Visit: concordhomeless.org/bluegrass-bbq

Featured photo: Scenes from the Bluegrass BBQ. Photos courtesy of Mulberry Creek Imagery.

The Weekly Dish 22/07/21

News from the local food scene

• Fresh from the sea: Join the Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford) for a New England lobster bake on Thursday, July 28, at 6 p.m., outside on its Grand Terrace. The evening will kick off with a cocktail hour, followed by assorted hors d’oeuvres, a family-style dinner and a unique tabletop s’mores service for dessert. Dinners will be plated per guest, featuring Maine lobster and a variety of fixings, including Prince Edward Island mussels, New England steamers and little neck clams, as well as chile butter corn on the cob, Three Rivers Farm potatoes, poppy seed coleslaw, a Heron Pond Farm and Brookford Farm salad blend, and house made rolls with whipped Vermont butter. As for the s’mores, those will be served with assorted flavored house-made marshmallows. Tickets are $125 per person (event is 21+ only) and a cash bar will also be available all evening (additional cocktails, beer and wine are not included). In the event of inclement weather, the lobster bake will take place inside the restaurant’s Great Hall. The Bedford Village Inn’s regional summer dinner series, meanwhile, will continue with a four-course South Carolina dinner on Thursday, Aug. 4, from 6 to 10 p.m. Visit bedfordvillageinn.com or call 472-2001 to make reservations.

• Cocktails and sangria wines: The next installment in The Winemaker’s Kitchen Cooking with Wine class series at LaBelle Winery’s Amherst location (345 Route 101) is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 3, at 6 p.m. and will focus on cocktail party recipes. Owner and winemaker Amy LaBelle will lead this interactive demonstration, preparing a classic daiquiri and a French 75 cocktail, as well as an artisan cheese display and mini crab and corn cakes with mustard and white wine crema. Attendees will have a chance to sample each recipe, as well as wine pairings throughout the session. Take-home recipe cards for each item will also be provided. The cost is $35 per person plus taxes, and registration is required. LaBelle Winery is also set to hold a special sangria release party in Amherst on Wednesday, Aug. 10, at 6 p.m. — that event will feature tastings of its Sangria Blanca (white), Verano Sangria (red) and Sangria Rosé, along with a cheese display. Admission is $35 per person. Visit labellewinery.com.

• Pearls Candy to close in August: Longtime Salem candy shop Pearls Candy & Nuts will permanently close its doors by the end of August, citing “health and other reasons,” according to announcements posted on its website and Facebook page addressing its customers. “We truly appreciate you and your patronage,” the message reads in part. “We will continue to have fresh fudge into August, but we will not be ordering any new candy.” The shop is known for its thousands of varieties of nostalgic and hard-to-find novelty candies, as well as fresh hand-roasted cashews and peanuts. According to its website, the first iteration of Pearls opened in Salem in 1976, when Lenny Pearl followed in the footsteps of his father, the owner of Louis Pearl’s in Lawrence, Mass. Online ordering is still available at Pearls, in addition to in-store shopping — the July 8 Facebook post goes on to advise customers to “stock up now while inventory lasts.” The announcement comes just a few months after Manchester’s Candy Kingdom, another longtime family-owned candy shop, also permanently closed in April. Visit pearlscandynh.com.

Cool rosés for hot days

Think pink to pair with summer meals

It’s summer and it’s hot! Summer arrived on June 21, and except for just a couple of days when we experienced some relief, it’s been hot. Summer is the season when we move outdoors. We mow the lawn, clean out the planting beds, fire up the barbecue and spend as much time as we can outdoors.

We are blessed to be in New England where we can enjoy the change of seasons. Fall brings along its cooler temperatures, where cabernets are brought to the table to pair with steaks or pasta. Winter has us playing in the snow or on the ice, to be followed by robust food paired to deep, heavy reds. Summer is the time to enjoy the abundance of the ocean with fish, seafood and farm-fresh vegetables paired to white wines — or, better, rosés!

For this column I decided to try rosés sourced from three different locations: Italy, France, and two from California. The differences were amazing.

Our first, a 2020 Pasqua Y By 11 Minutes Rosé,available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, originally priced at $34.99, reduced to $16.99, heralds from Verona, Italy, the land of Romeo and Juliet. Starting in 1925 as négociants, or traders of wines, the Pasqua brothers shortly became vineyard owners. Three generations later the company has entered the international market, selling wines in 50 countries. A blend of corvina, which offers hints of cherry and herbs, trebbiano, which brings elegance and a long finish, syrah, which brings intense fruit and spice, and carmenere, which brings the wine structure and stability, this is a wine with an intense and complex bouquet. The name 11 Minutes refers to the duration of the skin contact with the juice, then pressed softly prior to fermentation. The Pasqua family believes this is the optimal length of time to extract the best qualities of the grapes and obtain the slightly rosy shade of this wine. The must is then cooled and transferred to a steel tank, where it remains for 11 hours for the solids to settle out, then is inoculated with yeast for fermentation to begin. After 3 to 4 months on lees, the wine is filtered, bottled and ready at the first of the year.

Our second wine, a 2020 Thierry Delauney Le Manoir Rosé, alsoavailable at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, originally priced at $39.99, reduced to $10.99, comes from the Loire River Valley. The wineries are located on hilltops, high above the north bank of the river. Composed of 70 percent gamay and 30 percent pineau d’Aunis, also known as chenin noir, this is a wine that is delicate, creamy, with notes of red currant and raspberry. The Thierry Delaunay vineyards have been cultivated for five generations of the same family, but only since the 1970s has the family also bottled the wine extracted from these vineyards, which has become highly rated.

We don’t often think of it, but California produces some pretty good rosés. Our 2019 La Crema Monterey County Pinot Noir Rosé, originally priced at $24.99, reduced to $11.99, and our 2020 Longford Estate Pinot Noir Rosé, originally priced at $12.00, reduced to $6.99, both from the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, are outstanding examples of light, bright rosés at exceptional values. The La Crema rosé has aromas of mandarin oranges that carry through to the tongue. The Longford rosé has notes of watermelon and strawberries and is pretty good slightly, but not overly chilled. Perfect for the patio table.

These are all light, dry wines that pair well with soft cheeses and seafood, or can just be enjoyed with a summer green salad. Give them a try and compare the different blends by their color, their aromas, and the subtleties in taste, because as we have noted in the past, the grapes and the places of their origin contribute to a wealth of nuances. Not all rosés are created equal. And that’s great news!

Featured photo. Courtesy photo.

Chilled blueberry lemon soup

When blueberry season arrives, so does the heat of summer. While freshly picked blueberries may make one think about baking, it also makes me think about cold dishes. This simple soup recipe is a way to make those blueberries shine in a refreshingly delicious way.

Paired with a sandwich or just a crusty loaf of bread, this soup will be a wonderful dinner at the end of a hot summer day. However, if you are planning on making this for dinner, you need to start your preparations earlier in the day. Although the active cooking time requires only 15 or so minutes, the soup needs at least two hours of cooling time. All of this advance planning is worth it!

Now, let’s talk about ingredients. As someone who grew up in a small town filled with farm stands, I am inclined to want freshly picked blueberries in this recipe. However, you can use whatever you find in the produce department of the grocery store or even frozen berries. For the wine, you can use any dry white wine that you enjoy — chardonnay, pinot grigio, etc. Just keep in mind that you want a simple white so that it doesn’t add too many other flavors. Finally, the amount of yogurt is a suggestion. If you like your soup to be thinner, start with 1 cup. If you prefer a thicker soup, you can add 2 cups.
Here’s to a cooling dinner at the end of a hot summer day!

Chilled blueberry lemon soup
Serves 4

1 lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups plain Greek yogurt

Slice lemon into 8 thin rounds. (You may have extra lemon; save for a different use.)
Combine blueberries, lemon, water, wine and sugar in a medium-sized pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil; stir to make sure that sugar dissolves.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
Remove from heat, uncover, and allow soup to cool for an hour.
Remove and discard lemon slices; transfer soup to a blender.
Purée until smooth.
Transfer to a serving bowl and cover.
Store in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
When you are ready to serve, add yogurt, whisking to combine.

Featured Photo: Chilled Blueberry Lemon Soup. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

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