Tag: 230907

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.

Off the hook

Seafood Festival returns to Hampton Beach

By Curt Mackail
[email protected]

The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival keeps reaching higher. Now in its 34th year, the event has an all-time high of more than 50 food purveyors scheduled to line Ocean Boulevard, reports the Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce. And a high-in-the-sky air show by New Hampshire›s own Rob Holland, a star pilot from Thunder Over New Hampshire, will have you looking up.

“We’re also bringing in more than 70 local artisans to showcase their crafts and products,” said Colleen Westcott, marketing director for the Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Bands are booked for continuous performances on two stages, and the festival boasts what it says is New England’s largest outdoor drinking establishment — albeit serving beer only under temporary tented cover.

Other entertainment includes a lobster roll eating contest, two cornhole tournaments, fireworks on Saturday at 8 p.m., the Harvard Pilgrim Seafood Fest 5K Road Race on Sunday, and a pop-up art gallery all days.

At the gallery site on the sand near the bar, you›ll be able to observe and greet painters creating new works. The artists’ paintings will be judged for prizes and auctioned on Sunday.

Seafood stars come out

Fresh seafood abounds with awards for the best bisques, chowders, lobster rolls, fried food and desserts, and best non-seafood dishes.

“This is the 20th year Rye Harbor Lobster Pound will be participating in the Hampton Seafood Festival,” said Lobster Pound owner Sylvia Cheever. “If you want award-winning soups and lobster rolls, we are your first stop.”
Their most famous dish is their award-winning fluffy chowder, a New England-style creamy clam chowder topped with lobster in a butter sherry sauce. This year they will offer a lobster quesadilla as well.

Last year Rye Harbor Lobster Pound took top prize for its chowder and was first runner-up in the lobster roll category. Winning the 2022 best lobster roll and best non-seafood item prizes, Pat’s World Famous, a self-proclaimed beach hot dog joint, returns this year with its eyes again on the prizes.

“Our seafood chowder is to die for and has been in the family for more than 50 years,” owner Pat Sullivan, who cheffed professionally before opening his beach food stand at 3 D St

Pat’s World Famous lobster rolls and their unique award-winning LobDog — a
hot dog topped with lobster, cheese sauce, potato sticks and scallions — will again be served along with other beach food at Pat’s festival booth.
Perennial local favorites also include the North Hampton Fire Department, serving breakfast sandwiches for early goers, and Hampton’s Saint James Masonic Lodge #102, a former champ in the fried seafood category.

Swell Oyster Co., a mollusk farming operation with its harvest area in Hampton Harbor, will be dishing oysters on the half-shell, shucked to order. Co-founder Russ Hilliard said the Swell suspended aquaculture system produces consistent, deep, easily shucked shells with plump meat.

“We’re very excited to be participating in the seafood fest again this year. In addition to fresh oysters, our menu includes two types of grilled oysters, classic Rockefeller style and a tasty chipotle bourbon sauced half-shell fresh off the fire. We’ll have extra-large shrimp cocktail too,” Hillyard said.

More than seafood

There are plenty of options if you’re not a seafood fan. Roast beef sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, barbecue, gyros, french fries, pizza, pastry and desserts promise deliciousness too.

Shane’s Texas Pit BBQ, a past winner in the non-seafood category, is one vendor to look for if your taste runs to Austin-style smoked fall-off-the-bone meats and classic southern fixin’s on the side.

Mexican food is showcased at Lupe’s 55 Cantina booth. But don’t overlook its seafood. Last year Lupes 55 Cantina picked up a winning blue ribbon for its fried seafood and runner-up awards in the bisque and dessert categories.

“We always pride ourselves on bringing a unique vibe to the New England seafood scene with fresh, vibrant flavors of traditional Mexican ingredients fused with new ideas,” Lupes 55 Cantina owner Nicole Leavitt said.

“We’re taking some of Mexico’s favorite street foods and bringing them to Ocean Boulevard. We’ll be featuring classic elote served in a creamy cotija,” she said. “We also will serve lobster chowder topped with more lobster, corn and Mexican spices.”

Ronaldo’s Ristorante, an Italian dining room in North Hampton, makes its debut appearance at the festival this year.

“This year, Ronaldo’s Ristorante is excited to showcase an array of ravioli varieties at the festival,” said proprietor Paula Stanca.

Ronaldo’s Ristorante will also serve up homemade cannolis.

“Our homemade cannolis are prepared with a delicate, crispy shell and a velvety ricotta fillingt,” Stanca said.

Hampton Beach Seafood Festival
When: Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10. Hours are Friday noon to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Ocean Boulevard, fanning out from the center of Hampton Beach.
Tickets: $10. Tickets are available at the entrance gates or online at seafoodfestivalnh.com/tickets. Tickets do not include the cost of food and drink from vendors.
Parking and shuttle finder: First Student bus company offers free parking and shuttle service to the festival from in-town satellite parking lots. Organizers say shuttle service is the fastest, safest, and cheapest way to get to the festivities. Shuttle hours are Friday, Sept. 8, 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last shuttle departs the festival at 10 p.m.
Satellite parking lots:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Town Hall Parking Lot, 100 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton
Municipal Parking Lot, High Street, Hampton
Hampton Park & Ride, Timber Swamp Road, Hampton
Friday after 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
Center School, 53 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton
Hampton Marston School, 4 Marston Way, Hampton
Saturday and Sunday only
Winnacunnet High School Student Lot, 1 Alumni Drive, Hampton
Merrill Industrial Drive, Street numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10, Hampton

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 23/09/07

News from the local food scene

Launch party for Botanica #9: Manchester Distillery (284 Manchester St., Manchester) launches Botanica #9 with a Gin & Jam launch party on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with an official toasting at 9 a.m. There is no cost to attend.

Meet Austrian winemaker: Stop by Wine on Main (9 N. Main St., Concord) on Friday, Sept. 8, between 5 and 7 p.m. to meet Austrian winemaker Paul Direder and try his wines.

Decorate cookies and drink wine: Get your tickets now for fall cookie decorating and wine tasting at Wine on Main (9 N. Main St., Concord) on Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. Kate, from Confections by Kate, will teach you techniques for cookie making and how to pipe icing and will provide all materials and step-by-step instructions. Each baker will get four cookies, sprinkles and four icing colors and will also be able to try four wines from around the world.

Wine at the museum: Vintage & Vine fine wine and food festival, a fundraiser for the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, will take place Saturday, Sept. 9, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. (with a VIP admission at 4 p.m.) on the museum’s grounds. Enjoy wines along with appetizers created by Seacoast area chefs, according to strawberybanke.org, where you can purchase general admission tickets for $95, $35 for designated drivers.

Wine and doughnuts: LaBelle Winery in Derry (14 Route 111; 672-9898) will pair doughnuts and wine at a tasting on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $40 per person.

Glendi: Don’t miss the 44th anniversary celebration of the Glendi Greek festival at the St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester (650 Hanover St.) from Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17. Immerse yourself in the culture and enjoy Greek cuisine and treats like pastichio, dolmathes, lamb shanks, spinach pita, koulourakia cookies and baklava, live music and traditional dancing. Enter raffles, shop at the Aegean Market and stop by booths showcasing Grecian imports and jewelry. Glendi is free to attend and open to the public.

Treasure Hunt 23/09/07

Dear Donna,
Can you give me a reason to not toss this item? Found in the attic of my parents. Looks to be building blocks but all pretty much the same. Any help appreciated.
Stacy in Andover

Dear Stacy,
Your box of blocks is actually from the late Victorian Era into the early 1900s. It’s a self-contained building block toy. In this case it would construct a mansion-type building. There were many different ones made. When you’re done playing, it all tucks away back into the wood box.
Stacy, the value is in having a complete set. With blocks or doors, roofs or other pieces missing the values drop. Complete and in good clean shape these tend to run in the $150+ range.

So now you have to figure out if it’s complete. Building it is one way, or doing further research on this one and seeing the complete version.

I hope this was helpful to you. Thanks for sharing, Stacy.

Donna Welch has spent more than 35 years in the antiques and collectibles field, appraising and instructing. Her new location is an Antique Art Studio located in Dunbarton, NH where she is still buying and selling. She is a member of The New Hampshire Antiques Dealer Association. If you have questions about an antique or collectible send a clear photo and information to Donna at [email protected], or call her at 391-6550.

Cooking and gardening: a marriage made in heaven

Grow basil, eat pesto, let the kids help out

I love to cook, and I love to eat. I got started gardening in the vegetable garden more than 70 years ago, in part, because everyone I knew loved to eat homegrown vegetables — raw in the garden, fresh in the kitchen or cooked for dinner. I’d pull a carrot and rinse it off with a hose — or just wipe off the dirt on my shirt. My mother didn’t care if I ate some fresh (organic) soil with my carrot; she was just glad I liked carrots.

This is the season for pesto, a dish that is heavenly — and simple to make. It has just four basic ingredients: fresh basil, garlic, Romano or Parmesan cheese, olive oil and nuts (and salt and pepper to taste). I used to use pine nuts, but when their price went north of $20 a pound I switched to walnuts. They taste great, too.

We grow a lot of basil each year — 20 plants or more this year. You can grow it in big pots if you don’t have space for a vegetable garden. But this year, if you didn’t grow basil, visit your local farm stand and get a couple of big bunches. For my recipe you will need 2 cups of basil leaves packed down in a 2-cup measure.

If you grew your own basil, hopefully it has not started to bolt — get tall and flower. It will still be usable even if it has, but it is tastier before that happens. Throw away any flowers that have appeared — and snip off flowers on other plants that you are not harvesting today. Blossoming makes the basil a bit bitter.

Wash the basil, then spin dry in a salad spinner if you have one. Remove the leaves from the stems and then pat the leaves dry with a cloth towel. You need enough basil to fill a 2-cup measuring cup with leaves packed down firmly, which is a lot of leaves.

Place leaves in a food processor and add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of roasted walnuts or pine nuts and pulse a few times. I brown the raw nuts in a cast-iron fry pan at medium heat. They brown better if you lightly oil the pan. But be careful: They can easily be burned, so stay right there, stirring constantly until they just brown. I find roasting improves the flavor considerably.

Next, prepare the garlic. You can use a lot or a little, depending on your love of raw garlic. I crush three large or six small cloves of garlic in a garlic press, add to the blender and pulse. I grow my own garlic but you can buy it if you don’t. Har-neck garlic is more flavorful than soft-neck — ask for it at a farm stand, as grocery stores don’t tend to sell it.

Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive oil slowly with the food processor running. Blend the ingredients until the leaves, nuts and garlic are totally blended. Finally add half a cup of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and pulse until well mixed in. Taste immediately on a toasted baguette or an English muffin. This is heaven.
This has not been a stellar year for tomatoes. All the rain and the paucity of sun has caused many tomatoes to get overwhelmed by fungal diseases. Fortunately, one of my favorites has done well. It’s called Sun Gold. It’s a cherry tomato that is not only delicious but also relatively productive and disease-resistant. I grow a dozen plants each year and each plant gives me 100 tomatoes or more. They grow in clusters of 10 to 20, producing from early to late in the season.

I dehydrate most of my Sun Golds, but also love them fresh in salads, in sandwiches, or cut in half and mixed with pesto. When I put them in a food dryer, I cut them in half with the cut side up. They turn into little nuggets of summer I use all winter in soups and stews.

Pesto is also good with boiled homegrown potatoes. I serve it as a potato salad with fresh tomatoes and a little celery. Yes, after giving up on celery years ago, I grew it this year and it has done well with all the rain. Although in the past it was tough and stringy and attracted slugs, this year it has been a pleasure to grow. I don’t harvest it all at once, but go down to the garden and cut what I need for that day. The stems are much smaller than commercial celery, but I’m glad I grew it.

I think the world would be a better place if every child learned to garden and learned the joy of eating fresh vegetables. You can teach your kids or grandchildren to love gardening the way my family did: Welcome kids to the garden, offer them meaningful jobs that are easy and fun, and never leave them alone to pull weeds. Let little ones ride in a wheelbarrow on top of a pile of weeds you pulled.

One of my first jobs in the garden was to stir the “tea” my Grampy brewed in a wooden barrel full of rain water and hen manure. I stood on an apple crate and stirred it with a long stick. It was a messy job, and a bit stinky, but it seemed like real work to a 3-year-old. Eventually I was allowed to dip out the tea in a metal frozen orange juice can, and give each tomato plant one full can. I’ve been hooked on gardening ever since.

Gardening really should be for everyone, so get your little people to spend time with you in the garden, even if they only search for toads and bugs or push trucks around.


Henry is a lifetime organic gardener living in Cornish, N.H. He presents at garden clubs and libraries around the region, and is the author of four gardening books. Reach him at [email protected].

Featured photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 23/09/07

Family fun for the whenever

Music on the farm

Mr. Aaron will perform on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 3 p.m. at the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford; theeducationalfarm.org). Tickets cost $20 per family. The afternoon will also feature food trucks, vendors and face painting, according to the event’s Facebook post, where you can find a link to tickets.

Save the date for comics

The American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane in Exeter; independencemuseum.org) will host a series of free Constitution Comics workshops on Saturday, Sept. 16. New Hampshire-based cartoonist Marek Bennett (marekbennett.com) will hold a workshop at 10 a.m. for educators about how to use comic-making in the classroom to explore primary sources, according to a press release. At 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., participants will practice what they learned by instructing families and kids on basic techniques of cartooning, the press release said. Preregister on the museum’s website; the events for kids and families have a suggested donation of $10, according to the website.

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