Wine and Cheese on a Rainy Day

 Photo by Scott Mulin

Most people hunker down on a rainy day, but not me...I like to enjoy it, which is great 'cause so does K.  I guess we're training Sweetie to do the same thing because on Sunday we decided to get out together and explore a little.  Okay, okay, so it wasn't pouring down rain---just a little drizzle, but that made our discovery of this quaint, cozy wine bar that much more exciting.   We were walking through downtown Ridgefield, which if you've been there you know it's adorable, and we decided to go back behind the shops on Main Street.  After browsing through the Milillo Farm store (which is another absolute must), we noticed a tiny restaurant tucked back in the parking lot.  We noticed it was a wine bar so K suggested we stop in for a glass and a nibble.  Most people aren't brave enough to go into a place like that with a 10-month old but I guess we're a rare

breed and we're so glad we did.  First of all, like I said, it has great ambience.  The servers were unbelievably nice and solicitous.  They brought Sweetie all the olive oil she wanted, as she's a big fan of bread dipped in olive oil.  We tried a couple of their reds by-the-glass (both from Italy but they also have California wines) as well as a three-cheese platter with a delicious goat cheese from Westfield Farm in Massachussetts, an amazing Pecorino Tartufello (sheep's cheese with black truffles!), and finally an incredibly unique aged mimolette, which was nutty with a full flavor. 

Of course we can't forget to mention their olive mix....just go and try it.  You'll love it!  We can't wait to go back for dinner for more of the chef's Northern Italian, seasonal cuisine.  They also have a $14 lunch special that's a great deal--let me know if you head out there!

Better Connecticut, TAKE TWO!

The Gourmet Observer was on Better Connecticut again on Tuesday, January 5th at 10am on Channel 3 (WFSB).  Here's a clip of my appearance!
Here's the recipe I presented:

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
This recipe makes 10 servings, great for two pans of enchiladas. Serve both, or freeze one for later!
12 oz. Sour Cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 small cans of diced green chiles (or use jalapenos for more heat)
1 cup sliced green onions
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded (buy rotisserie chicken, discard skin and pick off meat or buy packaged pre-cooked chicken from grocery store)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
1/2 cup milk
1 package of corn tortillas (25-30 tortillas)
Oil for frying tortillas
Extra chopped green onions for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 large baking dishes. Combine sour cream, chicken soup, green chiles and green onions in large bowl. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture and set aside. Mix in chicken and 1 cup of the cheese into the large bowl. (The rest of the cheese will go on top of the dish.)
Heat oil in small fryer (available at Wal-Mart/Target for approximately $25) or on stovetop to 350 degrees. Place tortillas, one at a time, in hot oil for approximately 20 seconds. Tortillas should be easy to remove from oil with tongs but still pliable. Fill each tortilla with about 2 Tbsp. of sour cream and chicken mixture from the large bowl, roll, then place seam side down in baking dish. Fill baking dish with stuffed and rolled tortillas.

Mix milk into the reserved 1 cup of sour cream mixture, until it is the consistency of gravy. Cover tortillas with the milk mixture and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes to brown cheese. When cheese is brown and bubbly, remove from oven, sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve hot.

This dish is economical and can easily be frozen, then defrosted and heated for a great meal on another day when you don’t have much time! You can also use any other type of meat you have available, which is great if you have leftover turkey from the holidays or a big family meal.

Better Connecticut

The Gourmet Observer appeared on "Better Connecticut" today, December 8th!  Thanks to WFSB, Channel 3 for this opportunity!  Check out the clip of my appearance here!

Here are the recipes I presented on air today, which are examples of some great hors d'oeuvres for your upcoming holiday parties.

Onion Canapes
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 Medium Onion, finely diced
3/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
French Baguette from grocery store bakery, sliced thinly (about 1/2 inch) on the diagonal
Chives, finely diced, for garnish (can use dried if desired)
Smoked Paprika for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast one side of the baguette slices for about 3 minutes in oven on a large baking sheet. Combine first three ingredients. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the creamy mixture onto the non-toasted side of each baguette slice and place back on the baking sheet, creamy side up. Place canapes in oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the creamy mixture is slightly bubbly and toasted. Remove from oven and garnish with chives, serve immediately, or can be made up to an hour ahead (minus chives) and reheated for a few minutes in the oven before serving.

There are MANY variations you can make to this recipe based on the occasion and the amount of time you have. Instead of using a baguette, you can use a loaf of simple white sliced bread, cut with cookie cutters into whatever shape you like--simple round, Christmas trees, whatever! You can also use purchased brioche if you're really in a hurry, eliminating the time it takes to cut the bread and the first minutes of toasting. To spread a little holiday cheer, you can use the paprika along with the chives for garnish and you've got a Christmas-themed hors d'oeuvre. There are endless possibilities and this simple appetizer truly is a delicious crowd-pleaser.

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Many folks love bacon-wrapped scallops or dates, but this is a little more economical as you can easily use frozen shrimp if desired, which will turn out much better than if you use frozen scallops. Additionally, the shrimp are marinated in chili sauce which really adds punch to this delicious combination. Here's the recipe:


1 lb. large shrimp (approximately 20 shrimp), raw, shelled, and deveined (you can use defrosted frozen shrimp or fresh shrimp)
1/2 jar chili sauce (approximately 6 oz.)
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced strips of center cut bacon cut in half width-wise (enough to wrap the number of shrimp you have, i.e. 10 strips for 20 shrimp)
toothpicks

Combine chili sauce and sliced garlic in medium bowl. Mix in shrimp and cover; marinate in refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour, up to 6 hours. When ready to assemble, preheat oven broiler, or set to 500 degrees. Fry bacon half-strips in skillet on stove over medium heat until just about half done. (Bacon should still be pliable.) Drain on a paper-towel lined plate and allow to cool. Wrap one half-strip around each piece of shrimp, taking care to keep some of the chili sauce on the shrimp but discarding the slices of garlic. Secure the bacon to the shrimp using the toothpicks, pushing all the way through so the ends of the toothpick are sticking out both sides of the shrimp wrap. Place each shrimp wrap on a broiler pan (which is a slotted upper pan placed over a deeper, solid lower panpanpan called a drip pan--you might consider wrapping tinfoil around the lower pan to expedite your cleanup!), pushing the toothpicks through the slots so the shrimp wraps stay upright. Cook under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes, until the shrimp become opaque and the bacon appears fully cooked with a little charring on the edges. (The charring adds a LOT of flavor.) Let sit for about 2 minutes (as the shrimp wraps will be VERY hot) and then serve on your favorite holiday platter.

This recipe is great because there's a LOT of flavor in one small package, and you can also assemble the shrimp wraps and place on the broil pan in advance, then pop the pan in the oven at the last minute as your guests arrive. Everyone loves the smell of cooked bacon and these Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp are sure to be a hit with everyone.

It's Almost Turkey Day!

Everyone getting excited for Thanksgiving?!?  Only a week away...K and I are heading out to California to visit family for the holiday with Sweetie. 

I wanted to take some pies over to K's office before we left to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and, of course, show off our cute daughter.  Mission accomplished---I made pumpkin pie from a Cook's Illustrated recipe--it was the best pumpkin pie I've ever eaten.  (Sorry, Mom!)  You have to pay to look at most of the recipes on the site, but I am telling you it is well worth it.  All recipes are tried and tested--I love Bon Appetit and Food and Wine as much as everyone else, but I promise you will be more satisfied with the recipes at Cook's Illustrated on the whole.  And of course they have a print edition, too.

So believe it or not, we're actually going OUT on Thanksgiving this year, but I think it will be a wonderful dinner.  We'll be heading to the Montage in Laguna Beach for their Thankgiving feast.  While in L.A., we're also going to check out The Must Bar, which is a popular gastropub that was recently written up in Bon Appetit.  Will let you know how everything turns out!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

New Local Favorite

As new parents, date nights are rare so you want to make the most of it.  K and I got the opportunity last night to get out of the house so we tried a restaurant I've been dying to go to for a while: Chris's American Restaurant on Federal Rd in Brookfield.  I'm really excited to report that this quaint little restaurant did not disappoint. 

Chef Owner Chris Bruno has clearly poured his heart and soul into this restaurant and has reason to be proud of his 19 years of work and the resulting menu which is inventive and varied--I'm loving the international influences, particularly Asian.  (More on the food in a minute.)  The space is small but cozy and we loved the fireplace and candles.  It was a little disappointing to be seated at the smallest table in the corner of a nearly empty dining room, however it quickly became clear that was necessary as the place filled up--surprising on a Wednesday night during a supposed recession!  The by-the-glass wine list was small but clearly well thought out and I chose the Harlow Ridge Pinot Noir (with which I was extremely pleased) and K had a Bass. 

It was hard to choose off the extremely interesting menu, but we started off with the Avocado "Carpaccio" which was great.  Plated like you expect carpaccio to be, it consisted, of course, of thin slices of avocado, but the sauces and condiments were clever and delicious--rice wine vinaigrette, wasabi mayoinnaise, and soy mirin, along with pickled ginger, nori strips, and cucumber salad.  I was really pleased.  We followed that up with Chicken Ferrara (tender chicken with spinach, mushrooms, roasted peppers, sherry and cream over penne) and Wok Fried Panko Crusted Tilapia (perfectly cooked with red chile sauce, Japanese black rice and baby bok choy--which was a tiny too undercooked for me, but that's a personal preference.)  We really enjoyed every bite, which means the portions were right on, too.  I did have to add salt and pepper to the chicken ferrara--and it's extremely rare for me to salt anything--but that did the trick.  Oh and the entrees came with a delicious salad and house vinaigrette--sadly, a complimentary salad that the chef actually takes pride in is something that is all too rare these days.  Unfortunately we didn't have time to stay for dessert, but I'll report on that the next time we go, which hopefully will be soon.

As for service, we can't complain--one of the best things was that the server knew the menu which is extremely important to me, and usually is to chefs but the passion for the food doesn't always translate to the front of the house.  I'm glad it does at Chris's.  Oh and thank goodness they marked our table (took our used utensils and brought new between the courses)--why in the world is this still the exception as opposed to the rule?  I did have to ask for a to go box as I was not offered one, but I think we threw the server  for a loop by asking for the check before we were finished eating--hey, we were enjoying ourselves but this was date night and there was a movie to catch!  Next time we'll make a point to linger longer.

So check out Chris's website at http://www.chrisamericanrestaurant.com/ (you'll need some time to decide what you want...but don't forget the menu is printed daily and might have even more choices) and then head over to the restaurant for a great dining experience.  From the site to the ambience to the food and even the plating, the attention to detail at this restaurant is really inspiring.  Let me know what you have and how you liked it!