In the kitchen with Paige Melanson

Paige Melanson is the owner of Crumb to Mama (find her on Instagram @crumbtomama), serving as the in-house baker for The Brothers’ Cortado (3 Bicentennial Square, Concord, 856-7924, brotherscortado.com). A Concord native, Melanson is a longtime family friend of the shop’s owners, having worked together with founder Chuck Nemiccolo at Starbucks nearly a decade ago. The Brothers’ Cortado opened in November, with Melanson joining the team in mid-February — currently you can find her there every Monday, Friday and Saturday, with a rotating offering of freshly baked treats like vegan strudels, gluten-free buttermilk blueberry muffins, apple loaves, protein egg bites and cinnamon rolls. The goal, Melanson said, is for her to eventually take over the kitchen space adjacent to the coffee shop full time.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

My bench scraper. It’s very versatile because it’s great for baking but also for cleanup.

What would you have for your last meal?

It would be a double smash patty on a brioche bun with extra pickles.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

One that I’ve been going to a lot more recently is Sun Shui in Bedford. … I love the dan dan noodles and the basil chicken.

What celebrity would you like to see trying something that you’ve baked?

Action Bronson [rapper Ariyan Arslani]. He’s a musician but also a trained chef. He loves good food and sharing it with people, so I’m a fan of [his] music and also a fan of his food.

What is your favorite baked treat that you offer?

I know the crowd favorite is the strudel, but [recently] I made these cheese Danishes with a triple berry jam. It’s a really awesome combination of a nice fluffy dough with a slightly sweet cheesecake filling and a really good homemade jam. I think I’m going to be trying to make it as often as I can and probably rotate out the flavor.

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

Those loaded Korean corn dogs. … The Hop and Grind over in Durham has them on their menu and I’ve been dying to get over there to try one because they look so good.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

My favorite meal to make is anything that I can just do totally from scratch. … I love having pasta nights, doing homemade pasta and some sort of sauce that you can just put a little effort into and let simmer for a while. … Vodka sauce is delicious, and it’s a nice quick one that you can make in about 20 minutes.

Homemade vodka pasta sauce
From the kitchen of Paige Melanson of Crumb to Mama

3 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 shallots, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced and grated
4 Tablespoons tomato paste
⅓ cup vodka
1 cup heavy cream

Saute shallots and garlic in one tablespoon of butter until soft. Add tomato paste and cook for two minutes while stirring. Add vodka and let simmer lightly for two minutes. Stir in cream and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the last two tablespoons of butter. Toss in a half pound of cooked pasta of choice with ¼ cup of pasta cooking in water. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil (optional).

Featured photo: Paige Melanson. Courtesy photo.

New Italian option

Bellissimo opens in former Fratello’s space in Nashua

Less than three weeks after Fratello’s Italian Grille closed its downtown Nashua restaurant, a new concept has already arrived in its place. Bellissimo Italian Steakhouse and Bar opens on March 31 and will feature a variety of steak, chicken and seafood entrees, pastas and wood-fired pizzas, plus rotating house cocktails and regular live entertainment.

Although some Fratello’s employees have remained on staff during the eatery’s transition, Bellissimo — named for the Italian word meaning “beautiful” — is under new management from its predecessor. It’s the latest venture of Jason Fiore Sr., David Raptis and Justin Hoang, co-owners and partners of a local restaurant group that also includes Luk’s Bar & Grill in Hudson and Joey’s Diner and The Black Forest Cafe & Bakery, both in Amherst.

With the exception of only a few options, Bellissimo’s dinner menu is almost entirely brand new for the space, said Hoang, a Nashua native who is the group’s executive chef.

Filet Oscar. Courtesy photo.

“I wanted to make it slightly more upscale than Luk’s [and] to get a little more creative,” Hoang said. “Luk’s is considered more of a tavern and bar, and it’s very broad as far as the menu goes, so here I really wanted to focus more on the pasta dishes, and the steaks and things like that.”

Plated entrees are indeed among Bellissimo’s many highlights, with a number of signature menu items that include filet oscar, saffron lobster risotto, chicken Francese, almond-crusted salmon, and steak tip Gorgonzola alfredo with penne pasta. You’ll find appetizers like meatballs, arancini, bruschetta and mussels fra diavolo, and premium sides like grilled prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and Parmesan risotto. As for the wood-fired pizzas, those options run the gamut from traditional flavors like cheese and pepperoni to meatball and ricotta and prosciutto and arugula.

“We’re using the same dough that we’ve been doing at Luk’s, but the whole dynamic of the pizzas has changed, because that wood-fired oven completely changes the texture,” Hoang said. “It gives the pizza this super-rustic look and taste, which is really awesome.”

For desserts, there’s tiramisu, a limoncello cake and a raspberry doughnut cheesecake. The drink menu features a lineup of Italian wines and specialty martinis.

While Bellissimo is starting out with just weekly dinner service, Hoang said he’d like to eventually begin offering lunch — he’s thinking perhaps sandwiches, paninis, salads and other similar items to serve the working demographic among the neighboring downtown businesses. Sunday brunch is also a possibility for the restaurant sometime in the future, Fiore said.

Bellissimo Italian Steakhouse and Bar
Opening Thursday, March 31
Where: 194 Main St., Nashua
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 4 to 10 p.m. The bar will remain open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
More info: See “Bellissimo Italian Steakhouse & Bar” on Facebook, call 718-8378 or email co-owner Jason Fiore Sr. at jason@bellissimoitalian.com to make a reservation.

Featured photo: Wood fired oven pizza. Courtesy photo.

Ready, set, decorate

Franco-American Centre to host amateur cake competition

Eight amateur bakers will show off their cake decorating skills to attendees and a panel of judges during the Franco Foods Fleur Délices challenge, a new friendly baking competition and fundraising event happening on Saturday, April 9, at Anheuser-Busch’s Biergarten in Merrimack.

Countries and regions spanning multiple continents around the world will be represented, but all of them share one commonality, either their French-speaking language or French culture, said Nathalie Hirte, event organizer and office manager of the Franco-American Centre, based in Manchester. A native of Québec and an avid home cook, Hirte is also the host of Franco Foods, a how-to YouTube series on French-inspired recipes that her son Oskar directs and produces.

“We were looking to do a live event … and, pre-pandemic, we had planned a cupcake challenge that was going to be a professional competition,” Hirte said. “That obviously got shelved, and especially now that it’s all hands on deck for businesses post-pandemic, we decided to do an amateur baking competition instead. … I know too just from seeing [posts from] my friends on Facebook and whatnot that there are so many talented amateur bakers out there.”

Each of the eight entrants has chosen from a list of nearly 90 International Francophonie-recognized countries and regions, or nations where French is a primary or secondary language or has a historical connection to the culture. France, Canada and Haiti, in addition to Croatia, Belgium and even Egypt and Mexico, have all been selected, and contestants will be tasked with creating a cake that is decorated to reflect that country in some way.

“They will pre-make everything at home, and then they will be bringing that to the event and will be putting together the cake and decorating it there,” Hirte said. “There are certain rules, so for example every cake has to have a minimum of two tiers. One of the tiers must be a sponge, so a regular cake batter, and then every cake must have a buttercream element and a cookie element.”

Once at the venue, contestants will be timed — one hour for single decorators and 45 minutes for teams of two — to create their cakes, and attendees are free to watch. There will also be a cash bar and light finger food appetizers to be provided by Celebrations Catering.

The judge panel will include local chefs Alex Waddell and Matt Provencher, as well as Marie-Josée Duquette, a representative of the Québec Government Office in Boston. Waddell is the owner of Crémeux French Patisserie in Merrimack, and he also studied at Ferrandi, an internationally recognized culinary arts school in Paris. Provencher is an award-winning Manchester chef and a two-time champion of the New Hampshire PoutineFest, another Franco-American Centre event. Each will grade the cakes based on everything from taste and texture to overall appearance, creativity and representation of their country or region.

There will also be a people’s choice winner for the best appearances as voted by attendees. Prizes include an engraved cake platter and bamboo cutting board, and winners also receive bragging rights and the opportunity to be a featured guest on an upcoming Franco Foods episode.

“I think the fun part will really be getting to watch the bakers go at it,” Hirte said. “We also have two very nice baskets for door prizes. Everybody gets a raffle ticket, but if somebody really likes something and they want to win, we’ll have an opportunity to buy more tickets.”

Franco Foods Fleur Délices Challenge
When: Saturday, April 9, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: The Biergarten at Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack
Cost: Admission is $27 per person or $50 per couple; all attendees receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win a door prize. Franco-American Centre members receive three tickets each.
Visit: facnh.com/fleur-delices-challenge
Reserve your admission spot to the event by Monday, April 4.

Featured photo: Scenes from Franco Foods, a YouTube series hosted by Franco-American Centre office manager Nathalie Hirte. Courtesy photos.

The Weekly Dish 22/03/31

News from the local food scene

• Keep on brewing on: New Hampshire Craft Beer Week, an annual 10-day celebration of the Granite State’s craft brewing industry, is returning for its eighth year. Starting Thursday, April 7, and continuing through Saturday, April 16, breweries all over New Hampshire are showcasing special beer releases, hosting events and participating in various collaborative social media efforts to keep the community connected and engaged. It’s overseen by the New Hampshire Brewers Association, which represents the more than 90 craft brewers statewide. Visit nhbrewers.org or follow the Facebook page @nhcraftbeerweek for the most up-to-date Craft Beer Week happenings. The Association is also planning to bring back its long-awaited Keep NH Brewing Festival this summer — that event is set for Saturday, July 9, at the Everett Arena Waterfront Park in Concord, and tickets are expected to be available soon.

• Ukrainian wines: Join WineNot Boutique in Nashua for a special virtual wine tasting on Friday, April 1, from 7 to 8 p.m., featuring selections from ArtWinery, a producer of sparkling wines based in Ukraine. Scheduled pours during the tasting include several of its white and rose sparkling wines, which are available for sale at WineNot, and admission is free via Zoom with a minimum purchase of two bottles. WineNot will be donating 10 percent of the proceeds to the Ukrainian Red Cross, and its importer, Saperavi USA, will be matching all donations as well. Visit winenotboutique.com or find the event page on Facebook @winenotboutique to register.

• Grilled cheese and ice cream: Manchester food truckers Alex and Marcie Pichardo of Prime Time Grilled Cheese have a new brick-and-mortar restaurant, which opened March 18 at 119 Hanover St. in the Queen City. The space operates in a fast casual atmosphere with both bar and table seating inside, offering a menu of all kinds of unique takes on the traditional grilled cheese sandwich, from Buffalo chicken and pulled pork grilled cheeses to a Philly cheese steak option, a jalapeno macaroni and cheese sandwich and more. Other menu items include a lineup of a few soups, sides and drinks, with a few domestic and local craft beers, craft cocktails, and a small space for regular live local music planned. The eatery also shares space with Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream, which is the franchise’s first location in Manchester. Prime Time Grilled Cheese is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit primetimegrilledcheese.com.

• Seafood worker study: Seafood workers were twice as likely to contract Covid-19 as workers in other food industries during the height of the pandemic, according to a recently published University of New Hampshire study. Researchers looking at the effects of the pandemic on the country’s seafood industry found that a majority of Covid cases from the summer of 2020 through the beginning of 2021 involved workers in seafood processing who tend to work in close proximity to each other for long hours. “Even though … precautions were set in place reducing the number of workers on processing lines, it meant longer shifts and increased exposure overall,” UNH assistant professor of biological sciences Easton White said in a statement. “Fishing vessels had similar issues, where crews on crowded boats faced challenges wearing PPE, or masks, in wet and windy conditions.”

On The Job – Samantha Ross Langlois

Samantha Ross Langlois

Metaphysical shop keeper

Samantha Ross Langlois is the owner of Rock Bottom in Belmont, a shop that sells crystals, stones and other metaphysical items.

Explain your job and what it entails.

Building vendor relationships, shipping and receiving, ordering items, maintenance upkeep, cleaning and inventory control. Then, we have the fun stuff — we work with rocks, crystals and other metaphysical items to help others on their journey of life. Stones hold a lot of energy, and we help our customers who come learn how to use stones to help them with their everyday life. We are beginning to offer services as well.

How long have you had this job?

We have been selling rocks and crystals through Facebook Live for about two or three years now, but we were fortunate to finally be able to find a wonderful location with a fantastic landlord. We started selling at our location in December of this past year, and the pylon signs we received three weeks ago are becoming more noticeable for walk-in traffic.

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

I started collecting as a kid and loved it, but life happens, and I moved away from it. When my former husband started getting sick, I went back to look for natural remedies and crystals to help him, and that is how we continued.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I started with energy work and massage therapy back in 2004. I am a reiki master and teacher and a certified tuning fork practitioner; and I hold a master’s degree in operations and project management, and a bachelor’s in human resources, and an associate’s in marketing.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Comfortable clothing — no dress code. I want myself and others who work with me to be comfortable being themselves.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

Before the pandemic hit, we were looking for a location. Then we stopped due to Covid, but, honestly, I think it helped, because it forced me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to learn how to provide Facebook Live [sales]. This is how we began to build our audience. Then, we were able to start doing craft fairs, and that helped as well.

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

How to develop my memory more. So many people want to know the metaphysical properties of all the stones, and I am lucky enough to just be able to remember the names of them, but we love Google, so we use that to help with the properties and the ‘What does this do?’ portion of questions.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

Google is a great tool to look up the metaphysical properties and uses for stones.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked at a video store.

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

Take your time, and slow down. Life is a journey, not a race. Enjoy it, look around and remember to breathe for you.

Five favorites

Favorite book: Do It Afraid by Joyce Meyer
Favorite movie: Working Girl
Favorite music: Rock, metal, rap, dance, pop — I like any kind, really.
Favorite food: Thai, Indian and overall spicy food.
Favorite thing about NH: The waterfalls. I love them so much.

Featured photo: Samantha Ross Langlois. Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 22/03/31

Family fun for the weekend

Thursday night live

Cowabunga’s Indoor Playground (725 Huse Road in Manchester; cowabungas.com, 935-9659) will hold a “Dinner & a Dance Party” on Thursday, March 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. For $25 per kid, children get a meal, two hours of play time and a meet and greet with a special character. Similar events are scheduled through April — the guest for Thursday, April 14, is scheduled to be the Easter Bunny.

See a show

• The Epping Middle High School Drama Club will presentBeauty and the Beast Jr. on Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 3, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10 at the door in cash or check. The show, a youth adaptation of the 1994 Broadway play and 1991 animated film, will feature kids in grades 6 through 12, according to a press release. The show will take place at the Epping Playhouse (38 Ladd’s Lane in Epping). See eppingtheater.org.

• The Methuen Ballet Ensemble will present an all-ages-friendly ballet of Cinderella on Saturday, April 2, at 2:30 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry). Tickets cost $25. See derryoperahouse.org.

• The Palace Youth Theatre will present The Descendants The Musical on Monday, March 4, and Tuesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Tickets cost $12 to $15. The show features student actors in grades 2 through 12.

The spring sky

• “The Stars and the Planets of Spring” is the focus of the virtual Super Stellar Friday Online program on Friday, April 1, at 7 p.m. via the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827). Register for the free discussion to find out what planets can be seen in the spring sky without a telescope.

The center itself is open to the public Fridays through Sundays with sessions from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m. There will be four planetarium shows daily, according to the website, which recommends purchasing timed tickets in advance. Admission costs $11.50 for adults, $10.50 for students and seniors and $8.50 for kids ages 3 to 12 (admission is free for children 2 and under; masks required for visitors over the age of 2). Planetarium show tickets cost $5 per person (free for children 2 and under); see the website for the schedule of planetarium shows.

Spring storytime

• The storytime and craft at the Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St. in downtown Manchester; bookerymht.com) on Saturday, April 2, will celebrate spring. The book will be First Notes of Spring by Jessica Kulekjian, illustrated by Jennifer Bower. The craft will be making spring wands, according to the website.

A little more syrup

Ben’s Sugar Shack, with locations in Temple and Newbury, has its final scheduled weekend tours of maple season this weekend, Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See the syrup process from tree to finished product and enjoy some maple samples, according to bensmaplesyrup.com.

Save the date: For PJ Masks

To celebrate National Superhero Day, local theaters will present PJ Masks We Can All Be Heroes, an event featuring a four-part PJ Masks adventure, music videos and other PJ Masks clips. The presentation will screen Saturday, April 23, at 2 p.m. at AMC Londonderry (16 Orchard View Drive in Londonderry) and Cinemark Rockingham Park (15 Mall Road in Salem) and at 10 a.m. at the O’neil Cinemas Brickyard Square (24 Calef Highway in Epping). Ticket prices vary at the different theaters; see fathomevents.com.

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