Category: Q&A

For Collin Beckemeyer, every long day in the kitchen is worth it to see the look on someone’s face when they taste something incredible. With 10 years of cooking experience, Beckemeyer has been the sous chef at The Birch on Elm for the last three. From preparation to line work, helping with menus and organizing, he plays a key part in making sure things run smoothly and consistently. He credits his mother for his love of food, recalling how she would always have baked goods waiting for him and his siblings when they got home from school. No matter what kind of day he was having, they were always enough to reprieve him. He says, “A great meal cures everything, at least for that moment.”

What is your must-have kitchen item?
My must-have item in the kitchen has to be a perfect flexible fish spatula. It’s multi-purpose [and] has great flexibility. I’d be lost if I didn’t have one on a busy Saturday night. Also having a fresh stack of neatly folded kitchen towels makes every night better.

What would you have for your last meal?
I think a perfect cheese pizza with great sauce and a perfect crust hits the spot every time. Pizza is done so many different ways, but when you find the perfect slice it’s heaven. For the dessert I would have my mom’s homemade pumpkin pie, which has to to be one of my favorite foods of all time. I have about two of these pies a year and I look forward to it every time.

What is your favorite local eatery?
My favorite local eatery in Manchester is the Bagel Cafe. They have fantastic fresh bagels and it’s my favorite breakfast meal before a long day at work. My favorite place to go for lunch and dinner has to be Street in Portsmouth. They have street food inspired from around the world and everything on the menu is fantastic.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant?
If I could have one celebrity come into The Birch on Elm it would have to be the Sandman himself, Adam Sandler. I’ve been a huge fan since I was a kid and the fact that he is a local guy makes it pretty awesome.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?
My favorite thing on the menu is anything we put in our house bao buns. They are made fresh every day and have such a perfect fluffiness to them, the texture is incredible. We have a banh mi bao with crispy pork belly, duck fat aioli, pickled daikon and carrot with cilantro that is a perfect classic combination. It is done with such care and careful preparation you really appreciate each bite.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I think the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now is simplicity at its best. It’s taking classics or food that people are knowledgeable about and bringing fresh ingredients and your own twist on them.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
My favorite thing to cook at home has to be huge “Scooby Doo and Shaggy”-type sandwiches or subs. Tons of fresh vegetables, an array of sliced meats piled high with whatever sauce I can think of. When I’m home I just like to treat myself and build crazy combination sandwiches that I know is too much food but I’m going to love it. — Mya Blanchard

Gochujang BBQ sauce
Yield 1½ quarts
From the kitchen of Collin Beckemeyer

8 roasted Roma tomatoes
2 white onions, julienned
8 cloves garlic
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup gochujang
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, diced
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup Sriracha
1/4 cup ketchup
water or chicken stock to cover

Roast tomatoes in the oven.
Sweat down onion, garlic and ginger to a medium caramelized color
Add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients.
Add water or chicken stock to your pot, just enough to cover the ingredients in it.
Cook down on medium to low heat, cooking down about 1/4 of the liquid that was in the pot.
Blend in a Vitamix or blender to get the right consistency
Put through a china cap to get the right texture.
Enjoy this with wings, ribs, pretty much anything!

Featured photo: Savannah Nemiccolo. Courtesy photo.

Growing up, much of Savannah Nemiccolo’s time spent with her grandmother was in the kitchen. The mother of three from Loudon has been a part of Brother Cortado in Concord (3 Bicentennial Square) since its first day in 2021, as their social media manager and eventually as a barista. In addition to being the social media manager, she is now a full-time baker for the specialty coffee shop, where 300 to 400 pastry items are made weekly. For her, food is an expression of love.

What is your must-have kitchen item?
Of all the items I use on a daily basis the one I cannot live without would have to be my giant mixing bowl. When I say giant bowl I mean twice the size of my head!

What would you have for your last meal?
For my last meal I would have to go with something seafood-related. A good seafood risotto combining all my favorites: lobster, scallops and shrimp.

What is your favorite local eatery?
My favorite downtown Concord eatery is a toss-up between Sour Joe’s Pizza and Curry Leaf. You will catch me visiting Sour Joe’s at least once a week for their mushroom pizza because it is hands-down the best I have ever had. At Curry Leaf you will find me loving their shahi paneer.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant?
My dream would be to make some cinnamon buns for my favorite New England artist right now, Noah Kahan.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?
My favorite item on our menu is our bacon, cheddar and scallion scone. I love the combination of flavors. If you were to ask my children what their favorite items would be, it would be a toss-up between the s’mores cookie or our cinnamon buns that we have only on Saturday.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
A significant food trend that I see in the Concord area is creating unique limited-edition menu items. A small business that excels at this is DeadProof Pizza. They encourage their customers to get their unique flavor combinations now while available before the opportunity is no longer there.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
My favorite dish to make is one my dad always requested, which is my sausage, potatoes and kale soup.

Spinach & Feta Frittata
From the kitchen of Savannah Nemiccolo

24 eggs
2 cups half & half
salt & pepper to taste
3 cups of spinach
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of feta cheese crumbles

To start, saute your garlic in olive oil on medium for a minute or until you see some slight color on the garlic. Then add your spinach (season to taste) into the pan until slightly wilted. Turn off the skillet and set aside while you crack your eggs into a big mixing bowl.
In the mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, pepper and any other of your favorite seasonings (some great additions: onion powder, parsley, minced onions or whatever flavors you want to incorporate) until all the yolks are broken.
Next, combine two cups of half & half and whisk until combined.
Next, add the spinach to the mixing bowl, take a spatula, and fold it together. Take a glass 13×9” baking dish and coat it with your preferred cooking spray, then add the egg and spinach mixture.
Top the dish with crumbled feta spread evenly over the top of the dish. Top with a final sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until the eggs are cooked thoroughly.

Featured photo: Savannah Nemiccolo. Courtesy photo.

Photos courtesy of Fresh Chef Press.zxFor Clifford Passero, head chef and kitchen manager at Patty B’s, an Italian American restaurant in Dover (34 Dover Point Road), cooking food is like building a house. “I take the knowledge I have learned, I use the tools I have, I start at the foundations and put things together until I have a finished product,” he said. Growing up in Portsmouth, he was influenced in the art of cooking by his mother and grandmother. His time in the food industry started with serving ice cream and busing tables and for the past nine years he has been at Patty B’s, where he says he has learned a lot and continues to be inspired.

What is your must-have kitchen item?
All my staff and a good sauce pot.

What would you have for your last meal?
Homemade buttermilk biscuits and gravy with a poached egg (medium) and delicious home fries with ketchup.

What is your favorite local eatery?
Sara Thai in Dover.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant?
Giada De Laurentiis. I love her.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?
Eggplant Parm and Patty’s Bolognese.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
Asian fusion. Hot pots and noodle bars.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
It’s really tough to say what my favorite is, but I love grabbing stuff from my garden and getting creative.

Creamy Marsala with mushrooms
From the kitchen of Clifford Passero.

7 cloves of chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6 medium sliced shallots
Cremini mushrooms
1 cup of Marsala wine
4 Tablespoons of butter
1 quart of light cream
½ quart of heavy cream
mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon of Essence seasoning
½ pound of cream cheese
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
¼ cup of locally foraged mushrooms
Grated pecorino Romano
Pasta (penne or cavatappi is recommended)

In a large sauce pot take 5 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 6 medium sliced shallots, cook until shallots get soft. Add in sliced Cremini mushrooms, cook until browned. Add 1 cup of Marsala wine, cook to reduce, remove from heat.
In another pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and sweat 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Add 1 quart of light cream and half a quart of heavy cream. Whisk until cream rises.

Add half pound mascarpone cheese and 1 teaspoon of Essence to the cream mixture. Add half pound cream cheese to cream mixture, melt and stir until smooth (do not boil).
Combine all into one large-size pot and reduce over medium-low heat for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan and add a quarter cup of locally foraged mushrooms. Cook until browned. Add cream mixture; cook until thickened. Mix in your favorite cooked pasta (penne or cavatappi is recommended). Finish with grated pecorino Romano.

Featured photo: Clifford Passero, head chef at Patty B’s. Courtesy photo.

What is your must-have kitchen item?
Dandido Hot Sauce.

What would you have for your last meal?
Rib-eye steak medium, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables.

What is your favorite local eatery?
Bond Brewing and Barbecue.

Name a celebrity you would like to see trying your hot sauce?
The Rock.

Which hot sauce is your favorite?
Our original Dandido Hot.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I think it’s a toss-up: Those acai bowls are big right now and also, like we have at Bond Brewing and Barbecue, the Chipotle-style bowls and burritos.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
Traditional breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage [and] toast.

Chunk Chili
From the kitchen of Ed Barooney.

Dandido Hot Sauce
onion
peppers (bell peppers or hot peppers)
2 to 3 Tablespoons flour
stewed tomatoes (14.5-ounce can)
beans (optional)
steak tips (or ground beef or other meat)

Cut steak tips into medium-size chunks, season with salt and pepper and put in a bag. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons flour. Shake bag to fully coat the chunks.
On medium heat in a medium to large pot, add 3 tablespoons of Dandido Hot with a chopped onion. Cook the onion down until golden/brown.

Once the onion is browned, add the steak chunks into the pot. Brown the outer parts of the meat, careful not to cook the meat all the way through.
Once browned, remove the meat and add in a can of stewed tomatoes, add desired seasoning to taste and add half of the can filled with water.

Once rendered down and simmering, place steak back into the pot, adding beans (any choice of beans), peppers and one to three bay leaves.

Cook for 1 hour until the meat is tender.
Top with cheese and/or sour cream if desired.
For a thicker chili we recommended our Dandido Black made with the Carolina reaper.