Tag: 211021

Baseball and beers

There’s something about fall ball

“Are you OK?” my wife asked.

I was gripping — white-knuckling — our living room coffee table as the Red Sox clung to a slim lead in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the division round of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

I was not OK. While I’ve increasingly become a fair-weather Red Sox fan as the game has evolved to be (too) heavily focused on analytics, rather than the good old-fashioned eye test, this was still the playoffs and this was still the Red Sox.

I took a pretty hefty swallow of my beer, in this case a Patina Pale Ale by Austin Street Brewery in Portland, Maine, and took a deep breath. It didn’t help, as the Sox quickly gave up three straight hits to allow the Tampa Bay Rays to tie the game. By now you know the Sox ended up winning so all’s well that ends well. But you get it. Things were dicey in the moment.

There is something about the flow of a baseball game that lends itself to drinking. It’s actually not that complicated. In addition to inning breaks, there’s a little mini break after each pitch that begs for a sip of beer.

If you do like baseball, fair-weather fan or not, there is something truly special about October baseball. It is so intense. The game hangs in the balance on every pitch. Beer does help with calming the nerves for overly intense viewers like myself.

Now that said, in a close playoff game, you’re not going to be paying close attention to your beer. I don’t think pulling out the most coveted can or bottle in your beer fridge is a great move in the middle of the game — you’re just not going to be able to appreciate it as much as you should because your attention is going to be on the game. (Save it for the post-game celebration.)

That’s not to say I think you should drink something lousy either. I’m just suggesting you choose something you don’t have to think about as much.

Super-hoppy beers are great but they tend to be high in alcohol and I feel the need to remind you that baseball games can run very, very long. The team needs you there for the ninth inning.

Big stouts and porters can be a nice choice but I wouldn’t bother with overly complex brews — again, you’re just not going to be able to take the time to pay attention to layers of complexity.

For game time, I’m looking for something simple. I’m talking Pilsners, pale ales and dry stouts. Maybe toss in an amber ale or something along those lines. I still want the beer to taste good but I don’t want to contemplate its nuances.

Here are three New Hampshire beers that I think pair quite well with October baseball.

Auburn American Red Ale by Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. (Merrimack)

The pour on this is quite dark but don’t let that fool you: This is about as sessionable a beer as they come. The brewery describes it as “smooth, crisp and satisfying” and I can’t do better than that.

Hank’s Pale Ale by Throwback Brewery (North Hampton)

This has a nice backbone of grapefruit in a very crisp and dry package. You’ll want to have a couple of these, regardless of how the game is going.

Dirty Blonde Ale by Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth)

Take a sip, don’t think about it and repeat. This light-bodied ale is a perfect choice when you just want a beer that tastes like a beer.

What’s in My Fridge
Pale Ale by Navigation Brewing Co. (Lowell, Mass.)
First, we should talk about the fact that I love that this brewery just left the name as “Pale Ale.” I love the simplicity. I enjoyed the beer right in its taproom, which is a neat spot in an old mill building. The beer was fresh and clean and featured some light grapefruit notes — very sessionable. Cheers!

Featured photo: Beer and Red Sox playoff baseball. Courtesy photo.

Savory Parmesan biscotti

Homemade biscotti have been in my baking repertoire for ages. However, the majority of my biscotti baking has been focused on sweet baked goods. More recently I have come to discover the delightfulness of savory biscotti.

This is the perfect time of year for an introduction to these savory biscotti. With cooler weather arriving, fall is practically begging you to turn your oven on and create some baked goods. Plus, this season usually heralds the returns of soups and stews, which are even more enjoyable when served with a carb-centric side. But forget cornbread and biscuits next time and try biscotti instead.

There are so many reasons to pair these biscotti with your soup or stew. As they are twice-baked and crunchy, they have the perfect consistency for dipping in the broth. Plus, biscotti keep really well, so you can make them when you have a little bit of time and store them until you need them.

Ingredient note: If you don’t have Parmesan on hand, any other hard cheese could be used as a substitute, such as romano or asiago.

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Savory Parmesan biscotti
Makes 24

1/3 cup salted butter, softened
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (for sprinkling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on speed 2 for 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.
In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking powder, salt, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano and basil together.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix on speed 2 for 1 minute..
Divide dough in half.
Shape each half into a 10″ x 3″ rectangle, using floured hands.
Set loaves 2″ apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is set.
Leaving the oven on, remove the biscotti loaves and cool for 15 minutes on baking sheet.
Using a butcher’s knife, cut the loaves into diagonal slices, 3/4″ thick.
Place slices on cookie sheet with the cut sides down.
Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
Turn over slices, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan.
Bake for an additional 8 to 9 minutes.
Remove biscotti from oven, and transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.

Photo: Savory Parmesan biscotti. Courtesy photo.

In the kitchen with Leo Short

Leo Short and his wife Shannon of Milford are the owners of Sammich NH (sammichnh.com, and on Facebook @sammichnh), a food truck specializing in made-to-order hot and cold sandwiches they launched late last month. Popular sandwiches include the house pastrami Reuben with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, spicy bread and butter pickles and Russian dressing on marble rye; the Speziato, featuring Italian cold cuts, mozzarella, pickled red onion and hot cherry peppers on focaccia; and the hickory smoked pulled pork sandwich, which has freshly sliced jalapenos, cilantro and a spicy barbecue aioli, served on a ciabatta roll. Soups, chili and other comfort foods will soon be added to the menu as well. Originally from Connecticut, Leo Short has decades of industry experience, most recently as the chef of St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua for nearly five years. Find Sammich NH at 589 Elm St. in Milford every Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon, for breakfast sandwiches and other items.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A good, sharp knife.

What would you have for your last meal?

It would be vanilla Swiss almond ice cream from Kimball [Farm] in Jaffrey.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Here in town, it would be Union Street Grill [in Milford]. Fantastic breakfast and fantastic people.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your food truck?

Danny DeVito.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

My personal favorite is our chicken cutlet, [which has] roasted peppers, provolone cheese, greens and prosciutto. It’s a twist on a sandwich I had at a deli down in my old stomping grounds in Connecticut, at a place called Gaetano’s.

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

I think it’s finding a niche or something that’s missing, not necessarily a specific type of food. There’s a lot of good stuff out there, and a lot of people who do something outside the box or reinvent the classics.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

We love to cook breakfast, be it hash and eggs, bacon and eggs, or baking scones. … My wife is the baker in the family, and she’s tremendous.

Bacon and cheddar scones
Courtesy of Leo and Shannon Short of Sammich NH, sammichnh.com

1 stick cold unsalted butter
2½ cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
½ cup milk
¼ cup chopped cooked bacon
¼ cup shredded white cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine butter and flour until the butter is the size of peas. Incorporate the baking powder, salt and sugar into the flour and butter mixture. Add milk, bacon and cheese to dry ingredients and mix gently until incorporated. If sticky, add another tablespoon of flour. Fold dough over twice and cut into approximately eight pieces. Bake on parchment paper or a lightly oiled cookie sheet for 12 to 15 minutes.

Featured photo: Leo Short. Courtesy photo.

Drive-thru Greek eats

Nashua church to host gyro and baklava pop up

It’s been a full year since St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church in Nashua has had any type of food festival or takeout event, but the demand for more has never gone away. On Saturday, Oct. 23, the church will welcome foodies back for a one-day-only drive-thru gyro and baklava pop-up.

“We know just from conversations with our friends and neighbors here in Nashua that this is something that has really been missed in the community. It’s very much a tradition for people,” said Christina Eftimiou, who is co-chairing the pop-up with fellow parishioner Tina Alexopoulos. “This is our first foray into co-chairing an event like this, and so far the support has been great.”

Unlike at other pandemic-era Greek food events you may have attended, this one does not require any pre-ordering. Visitors can simply arrive at the church between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

“It’s going to be like ‘Welcome to St. Philip, how may I take your order?’” Alexopoulos said.

On the menu will be gyro sandwiches, featuring a combination of lamb and beef, homemade tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and crumbled feta cheese wrapped in pita bread. Each gyro order also comes with a bag of chips and bottled water, Coke, Diet Coke or Sprite for a drink.

Sold separately will be a four-pack serving of baklava made using an old church recipe.

“We don’t purchase anything and bring it in,” Alexopolous said. “We’re known for offering everything homemade and fresh, so the baklava is all being prepared by us within a week [of the pop-up], and the gyros are made on the grill right then and there.”

In preparation for the pop-up, Eftimiou said she and Alexopolous looked at gyro and baklava sales from St. Philip’s previous festivals, and they also also reached out to other local church communities that have put on similar takeout events with success.

“We saw how they were run and knew that we could take them on as well,” she said.

Plans are still up in the air to have St. Philip’s Greek food festival return to its traditional in-person format in May 2022, but Eftimiou said another pop-up featuring Greek cookies and pastries is already in the works, likely to take place near the holiday season.

“Beyond just baklava, we’re hoping to also have a few other pastries available for people who want to have a plate of them around their Christmas or Hanukkah tables, or if they want to ship them to a loved one,” she said.

Gyro & Baklava Pop Up

When: Saturday, Oct. 23, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church, 500 W. Hollis St., Nashua
Cost: $10 for a gyro sandwich with chips and a drink; $12 for a four-pack of baklava (drive-thru only; no pre-orders necessary)
Visit: nashuagreekfestival.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Local bites and brews

Junior Service League of Concord presents annual Fall Festivus

After its cancellation in 2020, Fall Festivus returns in a new location to showcase an array of craft beers, appetizers and desserts from local breweries and restaurants.

The event, a fundraiser for the Junior Service League of Concord, is coming back for its fourth year on Thursday, Nov. 4, this time at The Barn at Bull Meadow. Originally planned as a much smaller gala, the Fall Festivus has consistently grown over its short lifespan, first taking place at the warehouse of Lakes Region Tent & Event for two years before moving to the Eagle Square Atrium in downtown Concord in 2019.

The Barn at Bull Meadow is only a year old — the 7,000-square-foot wedding and event center was built from the ground up and completed last fall. Attendees of this year’s Fall Festivus are encouraged to wear their favorite flannel to go with the center’s rustic barn setting.

“The venue itself is gorgeous,” JSL special events co-chair Sarah Vaida said. “I think it provides us with a lot of room. … Nobody will have to leave one section to go to another. They’ll be able to hear the bands and be near the food all at the same time.”

Both sweet and savory items will be on the menu to try. Georgia’s Northside of Concord, for instance, will have macaroni and cheese, brisket burnt ends and chicken, while the Washington Street Cafe will offer a hummus and pita tray. The Common Man will have assorted dips and crackers, and Live Juice is expected to bring a few types of salads.

Great Events Catering of NH, the parent company of Fratello’s Italian Grille and The Homestead Restaurant & Tavern, is serving Buffalo chicken bites and mini cannolis. Other offerings will include fresh apple cider doughnuts from the New Hampshire Doughnut Co., a sampler tray of desserts from The Cannoli Stop at The Candy Shop, and hot mulled cider from The Works Cafe.

As for the beers, Vaida said nearly a dozen Granite State beverage purveyors will pour samples during the event, like Lithermans Limited Brewery of Concord, Out.Haus Ales of Northwood, Rockingham Brewing Co. of Derry and others.

“They typically will bring a bestseller from the brewery and then maybe one other [beer] that they are trying to advertise,” Vaida said. “We will have a cash bar as well, so if people aren’t finding something they like, they can get whatever they want to drink there.”

Flag Hill Distillery & Winery of Lee will be there too, as well as Cathedral Ledge Distillery, an organic distillery and tasting room that opened in North Conway last year.

Local bands Sunday Ave and David Shore’s Trunk of Funk will each perform sets. A silent auction is also planned, featuring a chance to win a variety of items from gift certificates to day passes and tickets for all types of venues across New Hampshire.

Proceeds benefit the Junior Service League of Concord, a women-run volunteer organization now in its 91st year supporting women and children in the community in crisis.

Participating local food and beverage vendors

• Aissa Sweets (Concord, aissasweets.com)
• Backyard Brewery & Kitchen (Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com)
• The Cannoli Stop at The Candy Shop (Concord, thecannolistop.com)
• Cathedral Ledge Distillery (North Conway, cathedralledgedistillery.com)
• The Common Man (Concord, thecman.com)
• Concord Craft Brewing Co. (Concord, find them on Facebook @concordcraftbrewing)
• Flag Hill Distillery & Winery (Lee, flaghill.com)
• From the Barrel Brewing Co. (Derry, drinkftb.com)
• Georgia’s Northside (Concord, georgiasnorthside.com)
• Great Events Catering of NH (greateventsnh.com)
• Lithermans Limited Brewery (Concord, lithermans.beer)
• Live Juice (Concord, livejuicenh.com)
• New Hampshire Doughnut Co. (Concord, nhdoughnutco.com)
• Out.Haus Ales (Northwood, outhausales.com)
• Rockingham Brewing Co. (Derry, rockinghambrewing.com)
• Spyglass Brewing Co. (Nashua, spyglassbrewing.com)
• Washington Street Cafe & Catering (Concord, washingtonstreetcatering.com)
• White Birch Brewing (Nashua, whitebirchbrewing.com)
• The Works Cafe (Concord, workscafe.com)

4th annual Fall Festivus

When: Thursday, Nov. 4, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
Where: The Barn at Bull Meadow, 63 Bog Road, Concord
Cost: Early-bird rates are $25 per person or $80 per four. Tickets are $35 per person at the door.
Visit: jslconcord.org/events-cfvg
Event is 21+ only. Flannel attire is encouraged.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/10/21

News from the local food scene

• Riverside brews: There’s still time to get your ticket to the Manchester Brewfest, happening on Sunday, Oct. 31, at Arms Park (10 Arms St., Manchester), with general admittance from 1 to 4 p.m. and VIP admittance beginning at noon. The seventh annual festival will feature more than 100 craft beer options to sample from, in addition to some ciders and hard seltzers. Several local restaurants are expected to attend, and other activities will include live music, face painting and a petting zoo from Candia’s Charmingfare Farm. Tickets are $40 general admission, $50 VIP admission and $15 for designated drivers (prices do not include food). Proceeds benefit Value of Sport, a new nonprofit dedicated to giving Manchester students in fourth grade and up equal access to programs in sports, art and music. Visit manchesterbrewfest.com or, for more details on the event, check out our story on page 26 of the Hippo’s Oct. 14 issue.

• Tucker’s coming to Bedford: Local diner chain Tucker’s will open its new location in Bedford on Oct. 25, in the former Outback Steakhouse at 95 S. River Road, according to its website and social media channels. This will be the sixth Tucker’s restaurant and also its largest — the other five locations are in Hooksett, Dover, New London, Concord and Merrimack. Tucker’s features a menu of breakfast items like omelets and scramblers, and lunch items like sandwiches and bowls, plus a rotating selection of specials. Meghann Clifford, executive vice president of business development and marketing for Tucker’s, told the Hippo earlier this year that the Bedford location will also introduce new menu concepts for the brand, like fresh juices, smoothie bowls and brunch-based cocktails. Visit tuckersnh.com.

• Lakes Region Uncorked postponed: For the second consecutive year, Lakes Region Uncorked will not be taking place during its normal early November time frame. “In 2020 it was a foregone conclusion to cancel,” a message from Lakes Region Community Services, the event’s organizers, read in part. “This year looks to be just as frustrating and results in once again announcing the postponement.” In a statement, LRCS President and CEO Rebecca Bryant said that she is cautiously optimistic about finally bringing the signature event back in 2022. “As Lakes Region Uncorked was to near its 10th anniversary soon, even before the pandemic hit, we had turned to question how we could possibly make this terrific event even better,” she said. “With indoor tightly spaced evenings feeling like a thing of the past, we are excitedly looking into bringing Uncorked outside and into the spring.” Visit lakesregionuncorked.com.

• Farewell to Mile Away: Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford) will be permanently closing its kitchen space on Jan. 1, 2022, according to a recent announcement on its website. “The owner … has decided to close the restaurant and become an event center,” it reads in part. “We will host indoor and outdoor events, weddings, functions and other gatherings year-round.” The message goes on to request that all gift certificates and gift cards to the restaurant be used by the end of the year. Mile Away is in a historic spot in town, the site of one of the earliest settlements in the 18th century. Visit mileawayrestaurantnh.com.

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