Tag: 220630

In the kitchen with Tony Elias

Tony Elias is the owner of The Spot To-Go (thespottogofoodtruck@gmail.com, and on Facebook and Instagram), a food truck specializing in scratch-made Puerto Rican street foods that launched in 2020. He’s known for items like beef and chicken empanadas, as well as combo plates with pork, rice and beans, and jibaritos, or Puerto Rican fried plantain sliders with pork, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo ketchup. Elias’s Puerto Rican tacos and canoas (roasted yellow sweet plantains sliced down the middle — like a canoe — and stuffed with beef, melted cheese, cilantro and an aioli) are also huge hits. A native of Philadelphia and a former professional wrestler, Elias got his start in the food truck world when he launched Made With Love 603, a food trailer offering a similar menu of Puerto Rican eats, in Manchester in 2014. Now known as Superstar Tacos, the trailer recently became an official vendor for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and can exclusively be found at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester) during home games. When Elias is not slinging tacos at the ballpark, you can find him at other locations on The Spot To-Go truck — as of right now, he’s most often in the parking lot of Paul’s Car Care (84 Elm St., Manchester), but will regularly post his whereabouts on social media.

An empanada press, because I sell a ridiculous amount of empanadas. … When I make them, I do like 500 at a time.

What would you have for your last meal?

My last meal has to be a real Philly cheesesteak, with rib-eye steak, Cheez Whiz, grilled onions and ketchup. … There’s a difference between a real Philly cheesesteak and the steak and cheese subs you get up here, for sure.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I have two. Rice and Beans 603 in Salem, and Prime Time Grilled Cheese [in Manchester]. … Rice and Beans has a delicious roast pork and their fried chicken is also really good. Then for grilled cheese, I mean, you can pretty much give me any flavor that they have at Prime Time and I’ll take it.

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

The Rock. When I was a kid, he and Stone Cold Steve Austin were my guys. I’ve just been a very big fan of his forever now.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

The canoa and the empanadas. … I love watching people bite into the empanadas because it’s always the same reaction. They’ll bite into it and their eyes open up wide and they go, ‘Whoa!’ … With the canoa, I like catching people off guard that have never had one.

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

Birria tacos. That’s the style of taco that comes with a consomme dip on the side. It’s slow-cooked beef, cheese, onion and cilantro, and then I throw in my touch of Puerto Rican [spices] in there. Once you’ve got that nice and grilled up, you take that very same consomme and you splash it all over the taco that is on the grill. … I’ve seen people now make pizzas and quesadillas out of them.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Wings. I love them in every style, [but] if I had to pick my favorite flavored wings, I’m going with Buffalo and blue cheese.

Beef empanadas
From the kitchen of Tony Elias of The Spot To-Go food truck and the Superstar Tacos food trailer

Pre-made empanada shell (Goya brand, 10-pack)
1 pound ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
¼ cup diced onions
¼ cup diced peppers
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
½ Tablespoon adobo seasoning
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 packets sazón

Brown the ground beef and drain the fat. Put the beef pack in the pan and add tomato sauce, onions, peppers, onion powder, garlic powder, adobo, minced garlic and sazón. Simmer all together for 10 minutes, then cool off before filling the empanada shell, adding a slice of American cheese. Once filled, close the empanada and press around it with a fork. Fry until golden brown.

Featured photo: Tony Elias. Courtesy photo.

Watermelon blueberry feta salad

Summer is here! With it come hot weather, outdoor gatherings and many barbecues. Whether you are heading to a cookout over the Fourth of July weekend or at some other point this summer, this is a great (and simple) recipe to have on hand.

What makes this recipe one of my summer favorites is that it offers so much in so little time. It’s basically a good-for-you fruit salad with a little indulgence. Delightfully chilled, it’s a bit of relief on a hot afternoon. Plus, it has a wonderful blend of sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy. Never mind that it is about as patriotic a salad as you can imagine.

This recipe’s ingredients are not fancy at all. You want ripe watermelon, so seek one that is a nice, deep red (not pink) and firm. For blueberries, locally picked would be amazing, but that is probably not possible just yet. For the feta, almost any will do. However, if you are buying more than you will need for this recipe, try to find some that is sold in its brine.

If you are thinking this recipe is too simple, I assure you it is not. Put it in fancier bowls, serve it with a beautiful spoon. This recipe is a star on its own.

Watermelon blueberry feta salad
Serves 4

4 cups cubed watermelon
1 cup blueberries
¼ to ½ cup crumbled feta
Divide watermelon among 4 small salad bowls.
Divide blueberries among the bowls.
Toss fruit.
Sprinkle each with feta.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Featured Photo: Watermelon blueberry feta salad. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

Cheers to beer

Craft brews and good times at annual Keep NH Brewing Festival

After a two-year hiatus, the state’s largest collection of craft breweries for one event is back in person — attendees will be able to sample more than 130 locally produced beers at the Keep NH Brewing Festival, which returns to Kiwanis Waterfront Park in Concord on Saturday, July 9.

beer festival participants in tent
Photos courtesy of the New Hampshire Brewers Association.

It’s the main fundraiser for the New Hampshire Brewers Association, a nonprofit promoting the craft beer industry in the Granite State. As in previous years, executive director CJ Haines said, the participating brewers encompass a variety of geographical locations across New Hampshire.

“I would say there are probably about 10 or 12 breweries that have never been to the festival that will be there this year,” Haines said. “Each of them [is] bringing at least two different styles of beer as part of the event and some bring up to three or four. … The styles range all over the place, so there are Pilsners, sours, lagers and of course IPAs and some dark beers.”

Some will likely even pour certain beers that you may not be able to get outside of the brewery’s onsite tasting room, or they might serve special collaborative options among brewers.

“That’s one of the big things that we try to do,” Haines said, “so that way it’s kind of a unique experience for people to try something new, or something that you have to get at the brewery.”

Upon entry into the festival, attendees are given a program with a record of all the participating brewers and the selections they are pouring that afternoon. Admission grants you access to 4-ounce pours of each beer, as well as a souvenir tasting glass. There’s also a VIP rate that welcomes ticket-holders an hour earlier to enjoy some exclusive selections.

New names in the local craft beer scene include Feathered Friend Brewing Co., which opened its doors just a few miles down the road from the park in Concord’s South End earlier this year. TaleSpinner Brewery of Nashua, the sister establishment of Rambling House Food & Gathering on Factory Street, just opened in February and is also on the list of festival participants. Both breweries are known for their New England-style and double dry-hopped IPAs, but have already dabbled in other styles from stouts and lagers to some sours and blond ales.

Several local food trucks and mobile food vendors will be there, featuring various options like pizzas, Bavarian-style soft pretzels, loaded baked potatoes and even some Asian fusion items. Haines said the Brewers Association is partnering with New Hampshire Music Collective to present two live sets throughout the afternoon, while a few other non-brewery vendors will also be participating.

“One of the local hop growers, Champlain Valley Hops, will be there, so you can actually nose some different hops,” she said. “So there’s also that educational component of learning what goes on behind the beer and how hops are selected. … We’re also focusing on outdoor recreation in New Hampshire, so Granite Outdoor Alliance will be there and they’ll have a mini campground area that will be set up on display to check out.”

Other vendors expected to attend include DraughtPick, a locally created website and mobile app providing users with the most up-to-date details on craft breweries and beers; Morrill Dairy Farm, which produces local grain and barley; and some members of the Concord Fire Department Union, the festival’s partial beneficiary.

Participating Breweries

• 603 Brewery (Londonderry, 603brewery.com)
• Backyard Brewery & Kitchen (Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com)
• Branch and Blade Brewing (Keene, babbrewing.com)
• Canterbury Aleworks (Canterbury, canterburyaleworks.com)
• Chapel + Main (Dover, chapelandmain.com)
• Concord Craft Brewing Co. (Concord, concordcraftbrewing.com)
• The Czar’s Brewery (Exeter, theczarsbrewery.com)
• Dam Brewhouse (Campton, dambrewhouse.com)
• Daydreaming Brewing Co. (Derry, daydreaming.beer)
• Deciduous Brewing Co. (Newmarket, deciduousbrewing.square.site)
• Elm City Brewing Co. (Keene, elmcitybrewing.com)
• Empty Pint Brewing Co. (Dover, emptypintbrewing.com)
• Feathered Friend Brewing Co. (Concord, featheredfriendbrewing.com)
• Frogg Brewing (Marlborough, froggbrewing.com)
• Garrison City Beerworks (Dover, garrisoncitybeerworks.com)
• Great North Aleworks (Manchester, greatnorthaleworks.com)
• Great Rhythm Brewing Co. (Portsmouth, greatrhythmbrewing.com)
• Henniker Brewing Co. (Henniker, hennikerbrewing.com)
• Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Co. (West Ossipee, hobbsbeer.com)
• Kelsen Brewing Co. (Derry, kelsenbrewing.com)
• The Last Chair Brewing Co. (Plymouth, thelastchairnh.com)
• Liars Bench Beer Co. (Portsmouth, liarsbenchbeer.com)
• Lithermans Limited Brewery (Concord, lithermans.beer)
• Loaded Question Brewing Co. (Portsmouth, loadedquestionbrewing.com)
• Long Blue Cat Brewing Co. (Londonderry, longbluecat.com)
• Martha’s Exchange Restaurant & Brewing Co. (Nashua, marthas-exchange.com)
• Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewing Co. (North Conway, moatmountain.com)
• Modestman Brewing Co. (Keene, modestmanbrewing.com)
• Muddy Road Brewery (New Durham, find them on Facebook @muddyroadbrewery)
• Northwoods Brewing Co. (Northwood, northwoodsbrewingcompany.com)
• Odd Fellows Brewing Co. (Nashua, oddfellowsbrewery.com)
• Oddball Brewing Co. (Suncook, oddballbrewingnh.com)
• One Love Brewery (Lincoln, onelovebrewery.com)
• Out.Haus Ales (Northwood, outhausales.com)
• Post & Beam Brewing Co. (Peterborough, postandbeambrewery.com)
• Rockingham Brewing Co. (Derry, rockinghambrewing.com)
• Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton, schillingbeer.com)
• Smuttynose Brewing Co. (Hampton, smuttynose.com)
• Spyglass Brewing Co. (Nashua, spyglassbrewing.com)
• Stoneface Brewing Co. (Newington, stonefacebrewing.com)
• Stripe Nine Brewing Co. (Somersworth, stripeninebrewing.com)
• TaleSpinner Brewery (Nashua, ramblingtale.com)
• Throwback Brewery (North Hampton, throwbackbrewery.com)
• To Share Brewing Co. (Manchester, tosharebrewing.com)
• Topwater Brewing Co. (Barrington, topwaterbrewingco.com)
• Tuckerman Brewing Co. (Conway, tuckermanbrewing.com)
• Twin Barns Brewing Co. (Meredith, twinbarnsbrewing.com)
• Vulgar Brewing Co. (Franklin, vbc.beer)
• Wildbloom Beer (Henniker, wildbloombeer.com)
• Woodman’s Brewery (Bristol, woodmansbrewery.square.site)

Keep NH Brewing Festival
When: Saturday, July 9, 1 to 4 p.m. (VIP admittance begins at noon)
Where: Kiwanis Waterfront Park, 15 Loudon Road, Concord (behind the Douglas N. Everett Arena)
Cost: General admission is $50 in advance and $55 on the day of the festival; VIP admission is $65; Designated driver admission is $20
Visit: nhbrewers.org
Event is rain or shine. No children or pets are allowed. All attendees, including designated drivers, must be 21 years of age or older.

Featured photo: Photos courtesy of the New Hampshire Brewers Association.

The Weekly Dish 22/06/30

News from the local food scene

• Get your Greek eats: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St., Concord) will hold its next boxed Greek dinner to go, a drive-thru takeout event, on Sunday, July 10, from noon to 1 p.m. Now through Wednesday, July 6, orders are being accepted for boxed meals featuring chicken with orzo, Greek salad and a dinner roll for $15 per person. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — email ordermygreekfood@gmail.com or call 953-3051 to place your order. More takeout and pickup meals are expected at the church in the coming months. Visit holytrinitynh.org.

• Grape expectations: Join LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) for its next Walks in the Vineyard wine class, the second of a four-part series, on Sunday, July 10, from 11 a.m. to noon. Wine educator Marie King and vineyard manager Josh Boisvert will lead attendees through a fun and educational walk through the vineyard, focused on the life cycles of the vines. Attendees will learn how the wine enjoyed in a glass starts as grapes on vines, and will also get a chance to taste four LaBelle wines during the session. The growth pattern of the vines and the seasonal stages each one goes through, from the onset of ripening to post harvest, will all be covered. More events in the series are scheduled to take place over the coming months through October — no previous attendance or prior knowledge of wines are necessary to attend any of the walks. Tickets are $30 per person plus tax, and reservations are suggested. Visit labellewinery.com.

• Tastes of Thailand: Daw Kun Thai Restaurant held a ribbon-cutting on June 17 to celebrate its reopening at a new location at 93 S. Maple St. in Manchester, according to an announcement from co-owner Desmond Holman. The eatery had previously been open across the Queen City, at 2626 Brown Ave., since May 2017. Holman’s wife, Nipaporn, who came to the United States from northeastern Thailand more than a decade ago and learned to cook from her grandmother, serves as the head chef. Named after the national flower of Thailand, Daw Kun features a menu of appetizers, like Thai-style crab rangoons, spring egg rolls with shrimp and deep fried tofu with ground peanuts and a sweet sauce; more than a dozen lunch options like curries, vegetable dishes, fried rice and noodle plates, with beef, chicken or pork; and house specials, like choo chee salmon, with coconut milk, lime leaf, fresh chili sauce and jasmine rice, and Daw Kun spicy ribs, which are served in a spicy curry sauce with black pepper, steamed veggies and rice. At its new spot, Daw Kun Thai is open Tuesday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Visit dawkunthai.com.

• Caribbean spirits: Faraday West Indies Rum, an ultra-premium blended rum featuring three small-batch spirits from artisanal distilleries in Barbados, the Dominican Republic and Martinique, is now available in New Hampshire, according to a press release. It’s named after the cable ship Faraday, which began its journey in Rye Beach and laid the first transatlantic cables between Europe, the United States and the West Indies. The rum features a citrus and grassy note that’s balanced by butterscotch and vanilla, finishing with a smooth, oak-charred whiskey flavor. “Our promise is that this is a unique rum like none you have tasted,” founder Owen Hyland, a UNH graduate, said in a statement. “It’s authentic [and] made by artisans who have been at it for a long time.” According to the release, the rum recently won a gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Visit faradayrum.com.

On The Job – Andrew Budrick

Upholstery repairman

Andrew Budrick is the owner of Budrick’s Mobile Upholstery Repair, an automobile interior and furniture upholstery repair service based in Manchester.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I own a mobile upholstery repair business that specializes in auto interiors and furniture. I typically repair burn holes, rips and tears in leather, worn out and faded seats, or seams that are coming undone. I sometimes get calls for boat repairs or even restaurant furniture. I mix my own colors to match the upholstery, hand-sew seams back together and have a specialized process of repair for each individual job. Almost all jobs are different, but when it comes to automobiles, certain vehicles have the same defective areas of wear.

How long have you had this job?

I have been doing this for 16 years, but started working for myself nine years ago.

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

I had moved to Florida from New Hampshire at the age of 21 with three years of college and no degree and no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I happened to meet a guy who offered me a job which I knew nothing about. He hired me as his helper and taught me everything I know about this specialized line of work. I worked for him for about seven years before moving back to New Hampshire in 2012. Now that I had the knowledge, I started going from car lot to car lot, passing out business cards.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I had on-the-job training for the seven years I was in Florida. The hands-on experience was the best kind of training I could have gotten. I had a really good teacher who gave me one-on-one training six days a week for seven years or so.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

I don’t have any type of uniform. I dress according to the weather, and nothing too nice, because the dyes and paints I use get on my clothes.

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

During Covid, just like most people, I was out of work. When things started opening up again, I started getting calls again from my old accounts. At the end of Covid, my girlfriend pushed to help me advertise more by helping me build a website and posting my business on Google and Facebook. She does all the advertising, which helps me focus on just doing my job. I’m busier now than before Covid because of this.

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

I wish I knew more about running a business, but I’ve learned along the way.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

I wish they knew how much patience and attention to detail goes into what I do. It took me about four years to get really good at all aspects of my work. It’s not something you can learn overnight.

What was the first job you ever had?

I was a stock boy at Market Basket.

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

If you enjoy what you’re doing, you’ll never work a day in your life.

Five favorites

Favorite book: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Favorite movie: Gladiator
Favorite music: Depends on my mood, but classic rock is always good.
Favorite food: Pizza and coffee Oreo milkshakes.
Favorite thing about NH: That we get to experience all four seasons.

Featured photo: Andrew Budrick. Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 22/06/30

Family fun for the weekend

Shows galore

• O’neil Cinemas’ Summer Kids Series starts on Monday, July 4, with a 10 a.m. showing of Trolls: World Tour (PG, 2020). The movie will also screen on Wednesday, July 6, at 10 a.m. The series continues through the week of Aug. 8, with a new family-friendly film screening Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $2 for attendees age 11 and lower, $3 for ages 12 and older, and the cinema is offering a $6 popcorn-and-drink combo pack. For movie times, visit oneilcinemas.com/epping-nh/events.

• The Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. E. in Laconia) continues its kicking off its Kids in the Park Summer Series on Monday, July 4, with live production ofSleeping Beauty by professional acting troupe Impact, will have an hour long runtime, and will begin at 10 a.m. A prince must work with a good fairy to wake up the princess and save her kingdom from the sleepy spell it was put under, according to the website. Attendance is free. The line-up of events includes storytimes, live dance, nature events and more. See belknapmill.org/mill-events.

• The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) begins its Children’s Summer Series with magician BJ Hickman, Tuesday, July 5, to Friday, July 8. Hickman, a Manchester native, is a member of the Academy of Magical Arts, Hollywood Magical Castle, and the International Brotherhood of Magicians, according to the website. His one-man shows are filled with comedy, audience interactions and mystifying illusions, the website said. Showtimes are at 10 a.m. on all days and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday. Tickets cost $10.

Fairs for the crafty

• Artisans from across New England will be selling their homemade goods at the Hampton Falls Liberty Craft Festival, in the Hampton Falls town common (4 Lincoln Ave.) this weekend. There will be more than 75 juried artisans selling everything from custom smartphone cases and handmade beef jerky to decorative throw pillows and paintings. The festival will run Saturday, July 2, deom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See castleberryfairs.com.

• Celebrate Independence Day with American-made and handmade products at the Gunstock 4th of July Weekend Craft Fair on Saturday, July 2, and Sunday, July 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gunstock Mountain Resort (719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford). More than 90 artisans will be selling carefully crafted goods, including cedar wood furniture, wildlife photography, gourmet oils and vinegars, New Hampshire maple syrups, and much more. The event is rain or shine and free to attend. Leashed dogs are welcome. Visit joycescraftshows.com.

Children’s Museum fun

The Children’s Museum (6 Washington St., Dover) has a whole host of activities for families to do in July. Every Tuesday and Saturday at 11 a.m., the Learning Garden will have Edible Education to help teach children about healthy food options and what is healthy for the environment. Wacky Art Wednesdays will run at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Wednesday of July. Kids will get to create a unique art project that fits the museum’s weekly theme. Every Thursday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is World Culture Thursday. Kids will do a craft, play a game, or make some art that celebrates a different culture from around the world. Science Fridays will have curious kids conducting experiments that launch into larger lessons about different topics in science. All of the programs above are drop-in and are included when families sign up for playtime at the museum. For more information visit childrens-museum.org.

Pick your own

• Have big berry fun over the long weekend at area pick-your-own strawberry farms. In last week’s (June 23) issue of the Hippo, Matt Ingersoll and Jack Walsh took at look at this year’s strawberry harvest, including a list of farms where you can pick your own or just buy berries and get right to the shortcake eating part of your day. Go to hippopress.com and look for the e-edition version of last week’s issue; the story is on page 22.

• Pumpkin Blossom Farm’s annual U-Pick Lavender is slated to start Wednesday, July 6 and will run through Sunday, July 24, at the farm at 393 Pumpkin Hill Road in Warner. Participants will receive sanitized picking supplies and will get instructions on how to bundle their freshly cut flowers. Picking is daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bundles will be discounted on Monday through Thursday, costing $10; Friday, Saturday and Sunday the bundles will cost $12. Visit pumpkinblossomfarm.com or call 456-2443.

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