Good Eats for a Good Cause

Twice a year, the Connecticut Chapter of the American Liver Foundation puts on a truly amazing Gala which offers ticket holders a unique and at times over the top dining experience. FLAVORS of Southeastern Connecticut is held in the Spring and Fall, and features up to 40 of Connecticut's most favorite restaurants from all over the state. Instead of your run of the mill black tie gala, Flavors offers guests a seat at a table which is operated entirely by the chefs of these amazing restaurants. Not only do you get a fabulous 5 course meal with wine pairings, but the chef is literally 5 feet away from you cooking your dish to order. It is an amazing operation, and takes a lot of coordinating on the part of the ALF. Not only do the chefs have to be persuaded and booked, but the sheer logistics of 40 different teams in one space cooking at the same time is truly something to marvel at. The chefs and their teams are responsible for cooking not only an incredibly thoughtful and elaborate meal but also designing the table at which the guests are seated, adding a whole different dimension to the evening. Some restaurants opt to stick with the 5' round table they are given to work with, but most really think outside the box. Last year one team built their own wooden dining table with a river running through it. Nuts! Not to mention the canopies, lighting fixtures, and other ingenious table decor that the restaurants employ to make their tables stand out.

The Spring FLAVORS event is this coming Tuesday March 31 at Aqua Turf in Southington.

Tickets are $200 for the evening, and completely worth it!

The experience itself is worth it and the fact that it benefits a great cause only makes it sweeter.
For more information or to purchase tickets: www.flavorsct.com or Contact Marla Sadler (Event Coordinator) at msadler@liverfoundation.org or at 203-234-2022.
We'll see you there!

5 Random Things About Us

Stealing a page from Facebook... Thought we might share with you a few things about us!

#1

We love to celebrate and drink champagne! We may be busy but we try to never miss an opportunity to show each other we care – birthdays, babies, employment milestones, engagements and very soon our first GG family wedding! Life is short … celebrate!

#2

Our kids (so far) range in age from 2-18. College, high school, middle school, elementary school and almost preschool – we’ve got it covered. Not to mention the ones that may not even be a twinkle yet! The stories we could tell!

#3

We love New York – really! We can’t get enough. Of course it’s all about the food – from Citarella, Zabar’s, Fairway, and Whole Foods to Balthazar, Daniel, Public, and countless faves in the outer boroughs. But the BEST is the Farmer’s Market in Union Square. In pairs, on our own or a special whole group day in the city, we’re there.

#4

We’re involved. We belong to Rotary, the PTO, Band and Drama Parents, we volunteer with the VNA, the American Liver Foundation, and the American Cancer Society, and try to keep in touch with our churches, our neighborhoods.

#5

We’re still home town girls. We’ve all lived here most of our lives. Four of us live within a mile of Gourmet Galley. We love to travel, see new places and try new foods – then bring those feelings, stories and tastes back here to share with our clients and families – and you.

If you find yourself in New Haven...

Check out Modern Apizza. It is a really cool, rustic pizza place that specializes in brick oven thin crust absolutely delicious pizza. We had our favorite, Spinach, Bacon, and Tomato, along with a couple of beers - what a perfect lunch on a Saturday afternoon! The service was friendly and (mostly) efficient and the atmosphere is comfortable. And though they may say that Pepe's is the best, Modern Apizza is certainly worth a try.

www.modernapizza.com

One of our Favorite Brews...

The Brooklyn Brewery is truly an amazing place. If you haven't been, we totally recommend a trek into Williamsburg. The brewery tour is optional (which we love as this makes your 2nd and 3rd trips worth while!) and the beer is flowing. For the scant price of $20 you get 4 pints of your choice. They always have their regular ales - Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn Brown Ale, and Brooklyn Penant, all of which are positively tasty, and they will often feature a special beer that you can't necessarily just buy at your local spot. We love the seasonal brews, as well as the Brewmasters Reserve and the Brooklyn Local 1 is truly not to be missed. The packaging alone makes it intriguing!

The vibe at the brewery is totally chill and really relaxed and many Brooklynites, Hipsters, and even the occasional Manhattan-dweller can be seen there spending their entire Saturday afternoon eating pizza (from the local Fornino, absolutely perfect thin crust) and playing board games with buddies. It's almost magical, and brings a bit of a tear to the eye as we reminisce about all of our very, very fond memories there.

But, if you can't make the trip to Bedford Ave, trust that picking up a six pack or a mixed pack at your local liquor store won't disappoint. Bring a bit of Brooklyn to you this weekend!
www.brooklynbrewery.com

Where it All Began...

We were recently given this photo of Anna Lathrop, the owner of Gourmet Galley back when she was about 9 years old... we won't tell you what year that was, just to keep the bit of mystery alive.
Look at that determination! Should have known she'd end up in the food biz.
Happy Wednesday!

Ode to St. Patrick's Day

As your resident foodie caterers, we would be remiss if we did not post something for everyone's favorite (excuse to drink beer) holiday - St. Patrick's Day.
Today we bring you a recipe for the tastiest corned beef and cabbage you've EVER had.
Test us on it, we dare you.

Start with a flat cut, cap off corned beef brisket (they are usually 5-6 pounds and can be found in your butcher case at any grocery store. Now, don't buy a blade beef brisket, as these have very little to no fat and you neeeeeed the fat - it's what makes it worthwhile!

So anyway, take your beef brisket and sprinkle a bunch of pickling spice all over it - and some salt and pepper won't hurt. You can buy pickling spice in the grocery store, or you can opt to make it. (It typically has cinnamon, all spice, mustard seed, bay, dill seed, cloves, ginger, peppercorns, coriander, juniper berries, mace, and cardamom -so, it may be a good excuse to empty out those almost-finished spice jars in your pantry!)

Lay your seasoned brisket in a baking dish and add a can of beer (Guinness, of course. We recommend buying it in a six pack so you can sample the other five first to make sure the quality is up to snuff). Add water until the brisket is about 3/4 covered, but not swimming.

Pop it in the oven at 350 for 4 hours or so, until it pulls easily. Oh man, mouth = watering.

We opt to roast our carrots and potatoes separately, and poach the cabbage with a bit of salt and pepper.

It may take a little time, but this recipe is easy as could be! It almost makes us wish St. Patty's came around more often!

Enjoy, and Slan agus beannacht leat!

(Gaelic for 'Goodbye and blessings be with you!')

Check Out...

Bespoke! A fabulous blog by the very fabulous Christine Toner of Stonington Design and Paperie. This week's update is featuring our very own Victoria Sorensen!

http://stoningtondesign.squarespace.com/

Wedding Bee

So, looking around online last night we stumbled across Wedding Bee - this really sweet website that serves as a forum for brides to be. They have extensive comment pages and discussion threads on everything having to do with wedding planning - the decor, the ceremony, the food, and even etiquette! It's always helpful to hear from others in your same situation, and this site doesn't disappoint. Take some time to look through it, it just may have an answer to your burning questions!

We love... Jennie Fresa!

So, in keeping with our 'bridal beauty' theme, we're so excited to feature Jennie Fresa! She is an amazing make up artist who is located in the New Haven area. Bridal make up is a very specific, important thing - certainly not something that you should leave to the last minute to figure out.

Our philosophy is that you should look like the best version of yourself on your wedding day - not too much and not too little on the make up front. Jennie takes time to get to know her clients and really get a feeling for what their wedding day is going to feel like - modern and clean, vintage, or maybe with a touch of whimsy - and designs the bride's make up with these sorts of indicators in mind. If you're looking for someone to do your make up for the big day, do yourself a favor and check out her website - www.jenniefresa.com

AND! If you're planning to be in the Mystic area this coming Saturday, check out this great collaborative event happening at Hana Floral in downtown Mystic... space is limited, so rsvp early!

Give Em the Slip!

What girl doesn’t want to pamper herself on that Special Day – or any other for that matter!

Delivered in a sweet gold box with pale pink writing and a tiny white ribbon, The Lip Slip by Sara Happ is truly a treat. We couldn’t help feeling extra special. The scent is heavenly – a cross between soft spring flowers and your favorite dessert, the texture like frosting. It leaves your lips soft and shimmering and dare we say supremely kissable. It's a great idea for a bridesmaids gift or even just a bit of something special for your big day! Spoil yourself rotten!

Spring Awakening

Well, this Sunday starts Daylight Savings Time. Thank Heavens! All of this snow is getting us depressed. So, in honor of Spring being just around the corner, we're bringing you a short list of our favorite Springtime dishes!

Asparagus - Did you know it takes over three years to cultivate a crop of this delicious vegetable? It's worth the wait though, as this versatile veggie is easy to prepare and available all year round! We love to simply saute ours with olive oil and lots of garlic... salt and pepper and you've got a veritable meal in and of itself!

Mushrooms - Where to begin? There are so many yummy ones to choose from - Oyster, Shiitake, Portabella, and even plain old Button Mushrooms can spruce up any dish. They are full of Vitamin D and the earthy flavor and unique texture just can't be beat. We love wild mushroom pizza! You can make your own dough if you're feeling adventurous, otherwise the stuff you can buy from the grocery store in the bakery section is perfectly passable. So you saute a big pile of mushrooms, probably at least 3 pounds of assorted fungi will do. Add olive oil, a bit of garlic and maybe some onion, and top with a sharp, salty cheese - asiago works well. Pop in the oven til the crust has browned and you have yourself a fabulous, easy meal.

Sweet Pea Risotto: Risotto is one of those things that takes time and practice to perfect. While some may say that you don't really need to stand at the stove for 45 minutes stirring, we disagree. The heart and soul of any great risotto is in the labor of love it takes to prepare it perfectly! Start with a half an onion and a few (or a lot of) chopped cloves of garlic in your pan. We like to use our fabulous Le Creuset pans for making risotto - the heat retention is right on.

Anyway, saute your garlic and onion until translucent and add 2 cups of arborio rice. Now, resist the urge to add your liquid too quickly, you really need to toast up that rice and completely coat it with the fat until you can move forward to the next step. Once you feel like you've let it go just a minute too long, its perfect and you begin to add your warmed chicken or vegetable stock.

Continue to add by ladle full, just as soon as the liquid in the pan dries up. Stir and stir until you just can't stir any more, and when your risotto has reached the proper texture - creamy but not mushy, with a bit of bite to the outside, you can add your shelled green peas and a crack of fresh pepper. Simply mouth watering...

Lamb: Lamb is certainly one of those things you either love or hate. If you fall under the latter category, stop reading and have a great weekend! If not, here is our recipe for a great grilled lamb chop. We like to marinate our with olive oil, chopped garlic, lots of rosemary, salt and pepper. So whip something similar up and toss it in a ziplock freezer bag. Toss in your frenched lamb chops (your butcher can do this for you) and let sit for at least an hour. Once you're satisfied with the marination, slap those babies on a hot grill for 3 minutes on each side until they're cooked to your liking.

So, take this and maybe try a few new things this weekend - what better way to celebrate the turning of the seasons!