Small Town Love Baked Into The Big City

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Adam

When I think “Small Town America,” Greenwich, Connecticut isn’t necessarily the first place that comes to mind. After being ranked by CNN/Money and Money magazine as one of the “100 Best Places to Live in the United States,” it’s no surprise that the population numbers more than 60 thousand. With all the trillion-dollar financial institutions and hedge funds in the area, it also ranks high up the “Biggest Earner” list.

But don’t be fooled. As a big city resident (Washington, D.C.) and frequent traveler, I can attest that Greenwich still retains a small town feel.

During a recent stay in Riverside, one of the town’s notable neighborhoods, it was only a short walk to find the shop-lined sidewalks that lend to that feel. Neighboring towns—from Stamford and their downtown concert celebrations to Norwalk and its small-and-humble, but amazingly delicious restaurants (like The Spread)—mirror this vibe.

There’s no place where that heart-and-roots hometown feel is more present than DiMare’s bakery, an Italian pastry shop with locations in Greenwich, and now two in Stamford, including a new storefront downtown.

One of the reasons DiMare’s is close to my heart is because it is family owned-and-operated—by MY family. Cousins Maria and Sabrina and their families, following in the footsteps of their mom and dad, Ugo and Bice, capture everything I know about Italian cookies and pastry into their creations. Every bite I’ve ever sampled sends me back to my childhood, reviving vivid memories of family gatherings overflowing with giant throngs of Italian aunts, uncles and cousins. I simply can’t imagine anything better. During my recent travels to Stamford, I got the chance to connect with these cousins, and get in touch with my DiMare family roots.

In 1962, Ugo DiMare came to America from Italy to make a better life for his family. Living in Yonkers, he worked in different bakeries, starting in Egidio’s Pastry shop. In ’76, he started his own business in Greenwich.

“When they first started,” Maria explains, “[We served] cannolis and people didn’t know what that was. We were making biscotti and cappuccino before Starbucks. In the beginning, we’d sweat to reach $100 [in sales], and now we are closer to a $2 million company. For my dad, it’s like the true American dream.”

Thirty-nine years later, they’re still going strong and deeply involved in their community.

“We live and work here and want to be able to hold our head up high and reflect it in how we work and give back to where we live,” Maria says. They love doing anything to support community-based activities, whether it’s the arts, library events or Stamford’s “Dinosaurs Rule!” sculpture event. The DiMares see this involvement as a better and more rewarding way to earn customers than paid advertising.

And customers are happy. The bakery has won an avalanche of awards, including best wedding cakes, best desserts and best bakery from Best Of The Gold Coast.

But, to be clear, it’s that familial love and tradition that really makes DiMare’s stand out. My wife is completely addicted to their Italian Wedding Cookies, though I have loved everything I’ve tried. It’s hard to imagine how to pick a favorite. When I asked Maria hers, there was no hesitation.

“My dad’s original recipes are most dear,” Maria says. “Cannoli creams and custards—the originals are my favorites. The way things have changed! We used to have to buy cookbooks and go to the library. Now, things have changed so much you just have to google it and get a [new] recipe. The things my dad used to make … that’s what I hold true to who we are.”

Maria says being a big-town bakery with a small-town heart presents some amusing challenges.

“Lots of crazy things happen. One of the craziest [was when] we were delivering a wedding cake and as we were carrying the cakes in, we came out to get a tier and saw someone running down the street [with it.] Happened thirty years ago. My husband was a cop at the time, and wanted to get a police report, but [the thief] was long gone. The venue was in the Bronx. We always give a big enough window and bring extra ingredients “just in case,” so we had it covered.”

I swear, it wasn’t me! But if my cousins leave cannolis lying around, we might have a problem …

DiMare’s Sponge Cake

Yields 2 10-inch cakes

30 eggs
750 g sugar (about 3 1/3 cups)
1.5 kg all purpose flour (about 6 cups)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix eggs and sugar together slowly. Stir in the flour. Add vanilla.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Make sure it’s done by lightly touching the center to ensure it is firm.

Sponge cakes works well when filled or covered with strawberries and whip cream. Also, you can moisten the cake with simple syrup or a liquor.

Tagged with: biscotti, Cake, cannoli, connecticut, cookies, Dessert, DiMares, family, Greenwich, Italian, pastry, small town, small town america, stamford
Posted in On The Road

Erin Go Bragh

Posted on March 28, 2014 by We The Eaters

: William Murphy via Flickr

AMY: That’s right. As you read this, two of your founding foodies are saddling up to their first pint of Guinness in the Emerald Isle. Erin go bragh, Eaters!

SARAH: Yeah baby! But it’s not just about the pints. Did we mention the whiskey? It turns out there’s a bunch of delicious spirits to be had at this not-so-tropical island destination.

As always, we are in search of yummy breakfast, lunch, elevensies, tea and dinner. And we believe we may find it here! But first, we’re stopping off for some history. Then it’s off to some historic pubs, where I’m sure we’ll get a different kind of history lesson.

AMY: Yeah — participating in one of Ireland’s favorite pastimes: getting sauced! Now, before you think I’m getting all judge-y here, I’m talking the kind of sauce you EAT, not the aftermath of a night of hard-core drinking and dancing your fanny off to a little trad.

Turns out the food scene in Ireland is just as interesting as the one from the corner pub (and I mean, there’s like, a pub on every corner here.) Take Food & Wine‘s December article on Dublin, which highlighted the city’s new indie foodie scene. The article mentions The Fumbally and their breakfast option Cais & Mil, which is a mouth-watering buffalo ricotta made in West Cork and dressed with honey. Or there’s the chili-infused pisco at 777, used to make one awesome-sounding cocktail concoction El Gigolo de Goma.

: Morning treats at Queen of Tarts in Dublin. Charles Haynes via Flickr

SARAH: It’s easy to get your mouth watering before you head off on your next adventure. Before you even start packing, check out the scene. Ask around. Google around. You can find some sweet recommendations from some pretty interesting people. Asking one native islander and a guy from Virginia turned us on to Johnnie Fox’s, a legendary pub south of Dublin with great food, traditional dance and sing alongs. We’re heading there Saturday night. Chef Cathal Armstrong, the founder of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Va., shared his favorite places to eat in this article.

AMY: We lunched at Doheny & Nesbit today, where I had fish and chips for the first time. My chastity in that arena was saved for just such a venture. The fish wasn’t super flavorful, but the batter was just fabulous — so crispy and delicious! Sarah had bangers and mash, and I kind of envied her dish a bit. Yum. Thankfully, I was able to negotiate a trade!

I’m also really excited about trying another place Armstrong mentioned: Queen of Tarts. So excited that I just may burst.

SARAH: Or we may go and eat so much we burst!

: Regan Buker via Flickr

AMY: Semantics! And it’s not just Dublin that has an interesting food scene. There’s Galway, too. We’ve got a couple places lined up there, including The Quay Street Kitchen. There’s more to this island that boiled meat and potatoes … and next March, we’ll be doing a whole series on Ireland, including interesting recipes, chef interviews and great spots to try on your next trip.

SARAH: But getting back to the drinks…

It doesn’t hurt to be related to a man known for making the best Irish coffees (my husband’s cousin, according to my ma in-law). Or having a father-in-law from Tullamore, home to … yes, Tullamore D.E.W.!

AMY: Don’t you worry if you’re homebound, we’ve still got you covered. The pot of gold at the end of this month’s rainbow of island goodness just happens to be our resident Irishman’s (yes, my hubs also bleeds green!) famous corned beef recipe. He usually uses Guinness, which surely would make his ancestors proud, but this year, to allow Sarah’s Irish gluten-intolerant lad to participate, he made a batch with whiskey. ‘Twas divine intervention, I tell you.

So hurry up and go buy that last corned beef leftover from St. Pat’s at the grocery, and get it in the oven. Fix yourself a plate, pour yourself a pint and follow our culinary adventures for the next week or so on Facebook and Instagram. It will be just like we saved you a snug at the best pub in town.

You’ll have to look that one up!

Jamesons Corned Beef and Cabbage

thebittenword.com via Flickr

Adapted from Land ‘O Lakes Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Beef
1 (3- to 3 1/2-pound) corned beef brisket
Seasoning
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups Jamesons Irish Whiskey (alternatively, 2 Guinness beers)

Vegetables
10 (about 1 pound) small whole white onions
4 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into quarters
1 medium (4 cups) rutabaga, peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 small head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

Mustard Sauce
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup horseradish mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

I roll this classic out each Saint Patrick’s day. For the first time, however, I experimented with using whiskey instead of beer (to make it gluten-intolerant accessible) and it tasted great!

First, prep the horseradish-mustard sauce. You can even do it the day before so it has plenty of time to chill in the fridge. Beat the whipping cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Carefully, stir in the horseradish mustard and vinegar. Stash it in the fridge and let it chill some more.

When you’re ready to cook your brisket, heat the oven to 325. Put your brisket in a roasting pan and add the juices and spice packet from the package. No spice pack? You can wing it. Add some garlic (I used about a tablespoon of garlic salt the last time I was in a pinch). The other ingredients will bring a lot of flavor, so you don’t have to get too worked up if you don’t have that spice packet.

Next, mix all the seasoning ingredients in a bowl: the apple cider, peppercorns, bay leaves and, of course, the whiskey (or Guinness). Honestly, I tend to wing it quite a bit when measuring out the whiskey or beer. I usually add until it slightly surpasses my better judgment. Pour that over your brisket, cover it and bake it for 2 hours.

While that is cooking, cut your cabbage into wedges, peel and chop your potatoes and rutabaga. You can also swap out your cabbage for brussel sprouts. I did this the last time I made this dish (for a big crowd of 14) and it worked out really well.

After the brisket has cooked for 2 hours, add in the vegetables and cook for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Enjoy with your favorite (Irish!) pint.

Tagged with: corned beef, food adventure, guinness, ireland, island, jameson, st. patricks day, Travel, whiskey
Posted in Dear Diary, On The Road

The Best Souvenir: Balinese Cooking Lessons

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Adam

Here’s what I envisioned when I thought about my honeymoon: rest, relaxing on some amazing beaches, maybe some touristy adventures, and, of course, delicious dining. Man, oh man – Bali delivered.

One of the most fun things we did was learn to make some of those dishes. The resort we stayed at, Samabe, offered cooking classes. Being the foodies we are, well … we jumped at the chance. What better way to bring our trip home with us? Food makes a pretty awesome souvenir.

At the first class we attended, one of the chefs from the resort taught us how to make the local fried rice called Nasi Goreng. It starts with bumbu, the base for most dishes in Bali. Ingredients can include galangal, shrimp paste, shallots, soy sauce and bird’s eye chilies. It added a delicious kick to the meal. We surprised our instructor by adding plenty of chilies. The dish comes topped with an egg. Normally, that is deal breaker for Amy, who likes her eggs over hard – no runny middles. But since we were feeling pretty adventurous out there, she decided to try it. It was a huge hit. As the egg breaks over the rice concoction, it adds a delicious, sauce-like component – a warm coating of happiness!

The second class was just as interesting. We made satay with minced fish and shrimp. Fish isn’t typically the first thing I turn to on a menu, but this dish was excellent. The most interesting thing for me was the fact that we formed the satay around a lemon grass stalk before pan frying it. It all magically held together and provided for another amazing meal.

The last class was a real treat. During the time we spent under the chef’s instruction, we had talked about We The Eaters and he teased Amy about teaching him an American dish. After we learned how to make soto ayam, a traditional soup, I convinced my wife to bestow upon him her incredible deviled eggs recipe. Amy held court and the chef and his assistant followed along fascinated. They were all particularly amused when, while carefully spooning the filling into the eggs,she explained that she normally used a plastic bag with a corner cut off to pipe the filling in.

The deviled eggs were a success — even Chef Jozef, the resort’s head chef, came out to try one. They were so impressed that the dish ended up on the resort’s breakfast buffet!

Now, thanks to those classes, whenever I feel like I want to hearken back to a time with baby monkeys, elephant rides, dirty ducks, rice paddy hikes and an overall amazing vacation with my wife, I can whip up a romantic candlelit Balinese dinner for us.

As an added bonus, we can revel in the fact that we not only brought home some great cuisine, we got to leave some behind.

Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

2 cups long grained rice, rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
3 eggs (2 beaten)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 tablespoon oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 chinese cabbage (white cabbage) finely shredded
1 bok choi, shredded
4 -5 small red chilies (birds eye chilies)
2 -3 large shallots
12 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of ginger
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Boil, drain, then spread your rice to cool.

Create the paste by chopping the tomatoes, garlic, shallots, ginger and birds eye chilies. Cook the mix in oil for 15 minutes. Blend the cooked mix until smooth, adding in some water if necessary (1/4 cup). Once done, simmer for 30 more minutes.

Stir fry the eggs (2 beaten). Add the carrot and cabbage. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then add the bok choi. You can, if you’d like, add some protein at this point too. Say, shrimp or chicken. Add 2 tablespoon fulls of your paste, the cooled rice, fish sauce, oyster sauce, the soy and kecap manis. Cook until everything is coated, stirring constantly.

Serve it on a plate with a sunny-side up egg on top for garnish.

Indonesian Satay
1 cup shallots 6 – 8 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 tablespoon galangal
2 tablespoons small red chilies (birds eye chilies)
1 tablespoon ginger
3 tablespoons candle nuts
1 1/2 cups tuna (minced)
3 large prawn (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon lime juice
lime leaf zest
3 – 4 lemon grass stalks
cooking oil

Make bumbu paste by sauteing shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, birds eye chilies, ginger and candle nuts in cooking oil until the shallots are translucent. Lower temperature and let it sit on heat. Once it’s cooked down, blend it completely in a blender until smooth.

Mix the tuna, prawn, salt, white pepper, lime juice,lime leaf zest and 2 – 3 tablespoons of the bumbu paste. Form “drumsticks” with the mix on the lemon grass stalks. Fry this in hot oil (just enough to coat the pan). Keep turning the satay until it is cooked thoroughly.

Tagged with: bali, birds eye chile, bumbu, egg, garlic, honeymoon, islands, kecap manis, lime leaf, monkey, nasi goreng, prawn, rice, satay, tuna, turmeric
Posted in Dear Diary, On The Road