Author: Elizabeth Keyser

Pork from the Farm

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Our friend farmer Patti Popp of Sport Hill Farm asked how we cook pork hocks. Patti raises pigs and sells excellent pork. We got this pork hock from Sport Hill Farm. Pork hocks like to be cooked in moist heat. So first, I put the hock in a pot of cold water and brought it to a boil. Then I removed the hock, rinsed it, dumped out the water and rinsed out the pot. Then I put the hock back in the clean pot, added cold water, a bay leaf, a couple peppercorns, and some salt.  After it simmered for about three hours, and the meat was tender, I removed the hock, cut everything off the bones — meat, skin and the white blubbery-looing stuff — and chopped it up. This has to be done while the meat is still warm.  Note: Don’t throw out the cooking liquid. You’ll need some for the hocks and you can cook  a delicious green pea or bean soup in the broth. Then, I added a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, a …

My Favorite Ethnic Restaurants in Bridgeport, CT

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It surprises people that even though I’m a restaurant reviewer, I really don’t go out that much. It’s rare for me to go to a restaurant more than twice, unless it’s work-related. But there are places that I’ve been to many times, the regular spots I go to with my husband. These are my favorite ethnic restaurant in Bridgeport. I’ve written about most of these places, for the Hartford Courant, CTBites and others. Click on the links to read the full reviews. Mexican   El Paraiso for lunch.  Hearty plates of enchiladas, chile rellenos, or weekend Sunday pozole. La Mexicana for lunch. Carnitas tacos and fresh melon drinks.  Vietnamese Pho Thom for Vietnamese pho and spring rolls. The link is to their Pho Thom’s FB page because my article in the Courant has disappeared. Where oh where did it go? Thai It isn’t easy to find good Thai food. The best place to find excellent Thai restaurants is Queens, N.Y.  So I was thrilled to discover RuuThai serves dishes you won’t find anywhere else in Connecticut. Mussels pancakes. Full-flavored curries. Desserts for the adventurous. Here’s a …

Best Apple Cake Ever

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My mother-in-law Renate is an excellent baker. One of the stars in her repertoire is apple cake. Whenever Renate visits she asks, “Shall I make a cake?” We always say yes and “How about the apple cake!” It’s not  a cake in the way you’d think, with flour and a leavener. It’s more like French clafoutis, with a bottom crust.Renate uses an unusual method with the dough (made with butter and an egg, giving it a more cookie-like rather than flakey structure). After it’s chilled, she slices the dough and presses the pieces into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a spring form cake pan. Then she adds a particularly German touch. She sprinkles unseasoned homemade breadcrumbs over the dough. The recipe comes from Chef Tell, one of her favorite chefs. He was a German chef who had a PBS program “In the Kitchen with Chef Tell” in the 70s and 80s. Renate scores apple halves, places them on the breadcrumbs, and pours a custard of eggs, sour cream, cream  and vanilla over the apples. After it bakes and cools, …

Paris Moment

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Lunch at La Chope des Puces On a recent trip to Paris we avoided tourist spots as much as possible, save for a night tour on the Seine. Sunday we went to the Marche aux Puces, the flea market. We took the Metro to Port de Clignancourt. We walked through cramped aisles, looking at antiques, paintings, furniture, and some cool metal letters I regret not buying. We squeezed past lots of people. We grew weary. Time for lunch!  We asked a sleepy vendor what direction we’d find restaurants, and he directed us “a droit.” So we walked down the Rue de Rosier, looking at cafes and bistros, at menus, at the food people were eating.  (“Does the food smile at you?” was our question to ourselves.)  We kept walking. Then we heard live jazz. We’d stumbled upon La Chope des Puces. A temple to Django Reinhart, with a jazz school in the back, La Chope is one of the best places to hear jazz in Paris. We sat at a table right next to the musicians, and ordered from the blackboard. Around …

Kansas City Cool

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What to Do in Kansas City People from the east coast seem surprised when I say that Kansas City is a cool city. But it’s true. Kansas City is happening. It’s artsy, with good music, theatre and food. Local and sustainable food is serious here. The Crossroads Arts Section is the center of a creative revitalization. We spent 24 hours in Kansas City recently. Here are our recommendations. Stay at the Jefferson House Bed & Breakfast In the Westside neighborhood on a bluff overlooking downtown, within walking distance or a short car ride to the Crossroads Arts section, Jefferson House is a grand old brick house lovingly restored by Peter and Theresa, a transplanted English couple. The Mulkey Suite is furnished with substantial antique furniture, decorated with engravings and quirky touches. Breakfast, made by Theresa and served on her homemade pottery, was scotch eggs, salad, fruit and awesome Fervere Artisan Bread, baked a block away. Fervere makes organic, multi-grained breads. We loved the heirloom polenta bread made from locally grown heirloom corn. Eat in the Westside neighborhood Our flight from New York arrived around lunch time on a quiet …

The Best Lobster Roll

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What Makes a Great Lobster Roll I’ve eaten lobster rolls on Cape Cod, along the Connecticut Coast and the rocky shores of Maine. Here’s a few things I’ve learned: If you want a top quality lobster roll, $19.99 is the starting price. The best lobster rolls are made to order. It’s not a question of mayo or butter, but the right amount of both. The roll should be toasted. A microwave should not be involved. Eating outdoors or in a lobster shack with a view of water is necessary — but atmosphere cannot save a mediocre roll. That list sums up the sad and sodden lobster rolls I’ve eaten — prepared ahead of time and sold in a refrigerator case in one over-lauded spot on Martha’s Vineyard. The Best Lobster Roll Clam Shack, Kennebunkport Served on a butter-griddled soft, round bun spread with mayonnaise, and piled with nuggets of knuckle, tail and claw, drizzled with butter, this lobster roll has the perfect balance and texture, with the freshness of  pink and white lobster starring. A …

Trying to Stay Hungry in Portland, Maine.

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Trying to Stay Hungry in Portland Maine The cobblestone streets of Old Port, the vibrant waterfront of Portland, Maine are busy  with people, shops and restaurants. Restaurants with national reputations for being on the forefront of the local and sustainable food movement. We had a day and a half there, vacationing with friends. We looked for casual places with good food — and we found them. The only challenge was trying to stay hungry. The creative energy in Portland provokes associations to Brooklyn, N.Y., which is annoying to people living in Portland. Sure, some people have moved from Brooklyn to Portland. But Portland has a rugged energy and intimacy all its own. Duck Fat Duck Fat serves irresistible fries. Belgian-style, hand-cut Maine potatoes fried in duck fat and served in a cone with a choice of dipping sauces. But why order the fries alone? Go for the poutine. It’s lathed with duck gravy and dabbed with soft, melting cheese curd. This hip little joint serves sandwiches, fries and milkshakes. Everyone seemed really happy to be here. We started lunch with Brussels sprouts fried in duck fat and tossed …

Jacques Pépin’s Stuffed Eggs

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Cooking from La Technique Jacques Pépin has been my greatest teacher in the kitchen. I’m a home cook, constantly learning and re-learning. Pépin’s La Technique, an illustrated guide to the fundamental techniques of cooking, was published in 1976. My paperback copy has black and white photos and a formidable look. But the chef breaks down each step, explaining the all- important techniques. I took the good book down recently to learn how to make proper stuffed eggs, or as they are more elegantly called in French, Oeufs Mimosa. To begin, and this is very important, you make proper hard-boiled eggs. Proper hard-boiled eggs do not have a green-gray line around the edge of the yolk. Proper hard-boiled eggs also have a beautiful consistency. A basic technique to memorize by heart: lower eggs into boiling water,  simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, remove and place in bowl of cold water. Have you noticed how important the sieve is to French cooking?  The key to the light texture of the filling is pushing the egg yolks through a …

Shooting Practice Hits a Nerve

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A year ago I wrote a short one-act play called Shooting Practice. Since then, the play has been performed in four shows in New York City and Connecticut. Currently, it’s in Zeller & Squires show of one-act plays at the Lyric Theatre in New Haven. It will be performed Nov. 4 & 5 and 11 & 12. Allan Zeller and Kimberly Squires are a husband-and-wife acting team, and they are riveting in Shooting Practice. Allan Zeller is ominous as the father teaching his daughter the rules about guns. Kimberly Squires, as the daughter, takes us through a harrowing, and sometimes humorous, experience. Someone asked me if Shooting Practice is about gun control. My answer is: it’s about the characters, rather than an issue. To me, the play is about how the person who teaches you the rules breaks them. It’s about a child watching a father, and learning lessons the father never intended to teach. Allan Zeller, who plays the father, says “The gun he uses to exact his righteousness… is just the tool at hand. The real …