In the kitchen with Kerry Fay

Originally from the Detroit area, Kerry Fay, owner of Kerry’s Culinary Creations & Curb Appeal Meals Food Truck, moved to New Hampshire to attend the former Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts at McIntosh in Dover. After further schooling and internship opportunities in Italy and working off the coast of Maine, she returned to New Hampshire, and has since called Salem home. Seven years ago she started her food truck, figuring she could go to where the people are instead of waiting for them to come to her as would be the case with a traditional restaurant. While the menu is always changing, tacos, sliders and paninis are usually served.

What is your must-have kitchen item?
Definitely the chef’s knife. Aside from your hands it’s your No.1 tool. There’s a chef instructor who used to say the best tools in the kitchen are your two hands but after that comes your chef’s knife for sure.

What would you have for your last meal?
Authentic carbonara or maybe some duck confit with mashed potatoes.

What is your favorite local eatery?
It depends on what I’m hungry for. … If I want sushi I like Wasabi, which is in Salem, if I want Indian food I like Kashmir, which is also in Salem. I’m also a huge fan of Street in Portsmouth.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant?
Anthony Bourdain would have been fun but he’s not with us anymore, so I’d probably go with Alton Brown.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?
The slow-roasted pulled pork, which I make into a taco or I add on top of fries or nacho fries or sometimes I [make] a Cuban panini with it.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I think probably [the] focus on plant-based [food] is pretty popular right now and seems to be the trend. When I have a fried avocado on my menu … or a falafel wrap [those are] … really popular. Farm to table is pretty popular around here [too].

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I like to cook slow and low at home, so things like short ribs and collard greens and corned beef. I also really like doing pasta because I can pretty much make a meal with pasta out of almost anything.

Chipotle Aioli
From the kitchen of Kerry Fay.

1 quart mayonnaise
Half of a 7.5-ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo with some of the sauce (if you like spicier food, use the whole can)
1 teaspoon dry cilantro or 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped
1 Tablespoon sugar

Put half the mayo in the bowl of a food processor, then add the chipotle in adobo. Process on high for two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula every 30 seconds until no large chunks of pepper remain. Add the cilantro and the sugar and process for another minute scraping down the bowl halfway through. In a mixing bowl, put the remainder of the mayo and then add the contents of the food processor bowl. Whisk the mixture until fully incorporated. It will be a light orange color with no light or dark streaks running through it.
Use as a dip for fries or veggies, serve on tacos, sandwiches, avocado toast etc.

Tough apple year

Concord grower discusses this year’s harvest

Diane Souther of Apple Hill Farm in Concord provides insight into a frost’s devastating impact on their apple harvest this year.

Can you describe what exactly happened this year with the harvest and how that affected you?

On the night of May 19, we were bracing for the predicted cold spell. We have measures in place to safeguard our crops, like our wind machine and [techniques such as] irrigating the strawberries. Around 11 p.m., Chuck went out to monitor the temperatures. It’s common for the coldest part of these frosty nights to be around 5 or 6 in the morning, but this time, temperatures dropped significantly earlier, starting around 11:30 p.m. and remaining low until the next morning. … [The apples] were past the sensitive blossom stage and had already started forming on the trees, some even bigger than pea size, so we thought they’d be alright. But as the day warmed, the apples just started dropping. They had been frozen solid. There was about three weeks when we just didn’t talk about it. We were hoping that some would just stay on the tree and still survive, but they weren’t. The very few apples that did survive had visible frost rings, a scar-like mark around them. The blueberries, the raspberries, the corn — they all pulled through. But it was just too cold for the apples.

What have you heard from other farms around the state?

The cold spell affected a stretch right down the Merrimack Valley. But the impact varied based on factors like elevation. Seacoast growers, for example, were a bit shielded due to the tempering effect of the ocean. For us, the cold seemed to roll right off Mount Washington and sweep down the river valley, and the orchards in its path felt it the most. However, farms like Carter Hill, which is slightly higher in elevation than ours, experienced slightly warmer conditions — maybe by a degree or two. Even so, they too had challenges to address as the season progressed. What’s the plan moving forward?
Where do we go from here? Luckily, we’ve been in the apple business for a number of years, and we have lots of good friends. … We’ve made calls to them, and they’ve got apples that they’re sharing with us. We’re able to purchase apples from them so we’ll have apples in the farmstand. And we’re trying to keep positive; our vegetable crops are doing great. We grow more than one thing here at Apple Hill: Our corn is coming in, tomatoes are coming in, cucumbers, beans, all of that stuff.

Have you ever had to do that before? Source products from other farms?

Not to this extent, no. We’ve always supplemented a bit. We go back and forth: if we had a good year and had lots of Honeycrisps, some of these farms that we’re purchasing from this year are ones we used to sell apples to. This year, we’re buying apples from them. It’s a great support system, the fellowship of the farmers here in New Hampshire, and even extending to New England. They’re a fantastic group of people. When one is struggling, the others will step up and assist as much as they can. With the “pick your own” option affected [Apple Hill will not offer pick-your-own apples, according to its website] this year, do you have alternative experiences for visitors at the farm?
Absolutely. We have a few hiking trails. We feature pollination plots, which are fascinating to wander through as different flowers bloom and attract various pollinators as the season shifts. We’re anticipating the arrival of fall raspberries, though I can’t provide an exact date. It depends on having about 10 days of sunlight. Our grapes are another attraction; while the initial batch was affected by the frost, the second blooming — often referred to as a secondary set of fruits — managed to thrive.

How have your customers responded to the situation?

It took us a while to address it … but we announced it on our website. The overwhelming support from our customers has truly uplifted our spirits. Many expressed their sympathy as if we’d lost a family member when they heard about our apple loss. They’ve been supporting us by buying our other products. The community has been great.

Diane and Chuck Souther of Apple Hill Farm. Courtesy photo.

In the kitchen with Heidi Piotrowicz

Heidi Piotrowicz created 603 Perfect Blend, a loose-leaf tea and spice company, two years ago with her husband, John, when they wanted to find healthy alternatives to soda and sugary drinks for their three kids, who also have roles in the business. They started by offering 15 teas and have expanded to more than 40 different tea blends, flavored sugars, rubs and spice blends. The blends change depending on the season but include flavors like alpine apricot tea, classical creme brulee tea, ginger snap and apple fritter sugar. You can find them at the Milford, Bedford, Candia, Hooksett and Church Street (Deerfield) farmers markets. They will also be at the Deerfield Fair from Thursday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 1.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Our must-have kitchen item is our glass mason jar steeping pitcher for hot and iced tea. We love to cold-steep iced tea and you can always find several of these pitchers steeping in our refrigerator.

What would you have for your last meal?

A nice rib-eye steak with Big Fripp Coffee Rub and fresh pasta with our Italian Pesto Blend Seasoning served with a big glass of sangria.

What is your favorite local eatery?

We are a huge breakfast family and hands-down Tucker’s is our favorite local restaurant to visit for breakfast. When we travel we always find ourselves comparing other breakfasts to them.

Name a celebrity you would like to see trying your blends?

Martha Stewart and of course Snoop Dogg. We would love to serve them up some tea-inspired cocktails and a sangria using Snoop Dogg’s wine.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Our family’s favorite tea blend is Wicked Pissah Supa Tea, which has notes of acai, elderberry and blackberry. This tea is delicious both hot and iced, but we prefer it as iced tea.

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

In the tea industry, boba has become a huge trend alongside the popularity of mocktails.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

John is the cook in our family. When we’re not at an event or market, he loves to make big pots of chili and comfort foods. He has an award-winning chili recipe from our chili cook-off days that is unique and very delicious.

603 Perfect Blend White Tea Sangria
From the kitchen of 603 Perfect Blend

4 Tablespoons loose-leaf white tea
4 cups boiling water or cold water
1 bottle white wine (750 ml)
2 cups white grape or white cranberry juice
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

In a teapot or mason jar, cover the tea leaves with 4 cups of boiling water and steep for 4 to 7 minutes. Strain tea leaves and let tea cool. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
OR
Cover tea leaves with 4 cups of cold water and steep in the refrigerator overnight. Strain out tea leaves or remove tea steeper.
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Add the fruit of your choice. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours to let all the flavors combine. Serve over ice and add fruit from the sangria for garnish.

Remote care

Telemonitoring patients at home

Granite VNA, New Hampshire’s leading home health care provider, has launched a telemonitoring program for patients with chronic illnesses. Leveraging advanced tech tools, the program aims to empower patients to proactively monitor their vital signs. Suzanne Olszak, RN, who has more than 30 years of experience in home health care and manages the program, discussed its impact, benefits and future.

Can you provide an overview of your program and its significance in the context of home health care?

We operate a telemonitoring program at Granite VNA, having launched it almost a year ago in October. With my 30 years in home care and a decade in telemonitoring with other agencies, this new program encompasses 50 telemonitoring units. … We provide these patients with a tablet, scale, blood pressure cuff and pulse oximeter for home use. They’re trained to daily monitor and record their weight, blood pressure and oxygen levels. The tablets, equipped with Bluetooth, transmit this data directly to our telemonitoring nurse’s computer. This allows for immediate tracking, enabling us to detect any detrimental trends. … Typically, we monitor patients for approximately 60 days. … If any alarming trends emerge, we communicate with both the patient and their health care providers to proactively intervene and adjust their care plan, to prevent potential hospitalizations.

Who is this program specifically designed to serve and support?

Our focus is on high-risk patients with chronic diseases such as congestive heart failure (CHF), COPD, and high blood pressure, particularly those with medication changes or frequent rehospitalizations. … We solely cater to patients from Granite VNA who have been recommended for skilled nursing or physical therapy. This telemonitoring service complements the assistance provided by their home care nurses and therapists.

What is the primary purpose and intended outcome of this program for high-risk patients?

Our goal is twofold: reduce hospitalizations and empower patients to be more engaged and informed about their health. … The objective is to instill in these high-risk patients — CHF, hypertension, COPD patients — the significance of daily vitals monitoring. We educate them about diet and the critical aspects of their specific condition. Ultimately, we want patients to become autonomous in managing their health, particularly in identifying when they need medical attention. … Our hope is that with this knowledge and monitoring, patients can become more proactive and independent in managing their conditions.

How are the patients adapting to using this technology?

Many patients initially feel nervous about using the new technology, primarily because the majority of our users are elderly. However, they adapt surprisingly well. We provide hands-on guidance, having them practice while we’re present in their homes. The process is relatively simple for most — stepping on a scale or using a pulse oximeter. The biggest challenge tends to be the blood pressure cuff, as it requires positioning the arm correctly and tightening the loop, but we’ve designed it to be as user-friendly as possible.

Does this program help in freeing up time for the nurses?

Absolutely, it does. Instead of requiring multiple weekly visits for nurses to see a patient, the frequency can be reduced to once a week or even every other week. This is possible because a nurse constantly monitors the vitals, and this data is transferred to the patient’s matrix care chart, which is their home care record. … Additionally, patients appreciate this setup since they don’t have to always wait for a nurse to visit, yet they’re reassured that someone is monitoring their vitals throughout the program duration.

Do you plan to extend the program to other medical conditions or broaden its reach in any way?

The decision is primarily made on a case-by-case basis. If a nurse reaches out to me about a patient with a complex situation whom they believe would benefit from this technology, I’m fully on board with setting it up in their home.

Featured photo: UNH system libraries are located in Manchester, Durham, Keene and Plymouth. Courtesy graphic.

In the kitchen with Amanda Baril

Amanda Baril is the owner of NH Doughnut Co., a small family-run doughnut shop with locations in Concord and Bedford. The company, which Baril started in 2018, serves yeast and cake doughnuts made fresh each morning. While the menu rotates monthly, the doughnuts come in a wide variety of flavors like guava cheesecake, blueberry lemonade and honey dipped glazed. They also offer other baked goods like French crullers, with flavors like key lime pie and toasted coconut, apple fritters, as well as vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options. You can find them at the Concord farmers market on Saturday mornings.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Scissors. I like to keep at least six hanging around since they seem to disappear.

What would you have for your last meal?

Mashed potatoes. Last meal, every meal, give me all the potatoes.

What is your favorite local eatery?

This is a toss-up between Cotton and Mangia Italian Restaurant.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Definitely the French crullers.

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

I know I am biased, but doughnuts are hot right now. They are popping up everywhere, including restaurant dessert menus and pairing events.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Shepherd’s pie.

On The Job – Ivelis Rodriguez, Jeimy Rojas and Rose Viger

Video booth rental providers

Ivelis Rodriguez, Jeimy Rojas and Rose Viger are the family behind Take Two Visions, a 360 video booth rental company based in Derry.

Explain your job and what it entails.

Take Two Visions LLC is a 360 video booth company that offers booth rentals to anyone hosting weddings, birthdays, large parties, corporate events and more. With our booth rentals, you receive a large platform that fits up to six people, fun props, customized extras and two lovely attendants for a hands-free experience. We take care of the setting up and taking down of the equipment as well as making sure the videos are looking great and sending them out to guests right away.

How long have you had this job?

Just opened in July 2023.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

We wanted a job that would be fun for our family. We love to work with people and decided to open a business that revolves around fun.

What kind of education or training did you need?

No education or training needed, just lots of research and positive mindset training.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

At Take Two Visions we have our black polo shirts with the company logo in front and back, plus comfortable pants and shoes.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

The most challenging thing right now is getting the word of our business out there. To help with this issue, we’ve been prospecting, reaching out to new people and other businesses as well as using social media platforms for promotion.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

I wish we had known more about the software we use. Before our first event, we thought we had it all figured out until we were there. Every mistake was a learning curve.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

That we truly love what we do. We love making people happy and adding uniqueness to any event.

What was the first job you ever had?

The first job Ivelis had was at Texas Roadhouse. Jeimy’s first job was at Kohl’s and this is actually Rose’s first job, technically; she’s still too young to work but this is definitely a start.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice we’ve received is someone telling us that our minds will determine our success. A positive mind is what enables you to have anything you want in life.

Five favorites

Favorite book:
A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
Favorite movie: Charlotte’s Web
Favorite music: All kinds of music
Favorite food: Spanish food
Favorite thing about NH: We love all of the beauty this state has. We love going to visit the Kancamagus Highway and going to the White Mountains for vacations.

Featured photo: Rose Viger, Ivelis Rodriguez and Jeimy Rojas. Courtesy photo.

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