Home Place: March 2015

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Community Plates Events Fairfield County Announces May 7th 2015 Event Date

Community Plates, the technology-fueled, direct-transfer food rescue organization dedicated to ending food insecurity in America, is thrilled to present their signature fundraiser, “Food for All”. The event highlights Community Plates Fairfield County’s goals for the coming year, celebrates its accomplishments, and pays gratitude to the many volunteers and supporters who share in the desire to put an end to food insecurity in our community.

Food for All, in keeping with Community Plates’ forward thinking and innovative methodology, is an event like none other in the area. The high octane evening features Fairfield County’s newest restaurants and artisans, in addition to Food for All’s popular craft cocktail bars spearheaded by creative mixologists. An added highlight this year is the Dessert Café, which will feature sweet treats and libations. Attendees will be treated to a special surprise upon their arrival by one of Community Plates’ legacy restaurants, setting the tone for a delicious and celebratory evening. Tickets can be purchased: http://communityplates.org/ffa15ffld/

Another fundraising element to be featured at Food for All is a photography exhibit where attendees have the opportunity to purchase works from some of the food industry’s most provocative food photographers. An eclectic array of photography which infuses various food elements and takes them into a more artistic direction will be on display for all to enjoy and purchase with 100% of the profits going to Community Plates.

“Community Plates has already picked up and delivered well over 5 million meals at a value of almost $9 million to food insecure people in Fairfield County. This means over 8 million pounds of food has been kept out of landfill and gone to where it’s needed most. Every bit of this food rescued has been completed by volunteers from all over our area, caught up in this food rescue revolution, powered by our GoRescue technology and our innovative hunger relief model. We’re focused on meeting the need of 110,000 people right here who struggle to know where their next meal is coming from, “ says Kevin Mullins, executive director and co-founder of Community Plates, “The Food for All 2015 fundraiser helps sustain and propel us toward our mission of bringing hunger to an end here in Fairfield County. Our current impact is twenty meals rescued and delivered for every one dollar donated! This type of impact would have been unheard of before and offers real hope for ending this senseless problem. Food for All is a lot of fun. The food and the energy in the room is amazing - and we do a lot of good in the process.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about Community Plates and their GoRescue application, the organization’s award-winning web and smartphone enabled interactive food rescue scheduling tool. GoRescue connects food-service organizations that gather and donate food that would otherwise be wasted; to food runners, who give of their time to pick-up and deliver food donations; to the receiving agencies that ensure donated food gets to those in need throughout the community.

Event Details:

Thursday, May 7, 2015 6-9 PM

The Loading Dock375 Fairfield Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902

Tickets: $75 ($60 each for groups of 6 or more)

On the Web: http://communityplates.org/ffa15ffld/

Or direct: https://end-hunger-here.chirrpy.com/

Featured Restaurants (as of 4/1/15):

Abigail Kirsch
Aji 10 Latin Cuisine & Pisco Bar
Amore Cucina & Bar
Cafe Madrid & Tapas Bar
Dante's Restaurant & Bar
Fortina
Golden View Firenze
Greenwich Cheese Co.
Jax & Co.
K is for Cookies
LeRouge Chocolates
NEAT
Palmwich
Paloma
SOOSH
Strada 18
Table 104 Osteria & Bar
Vespa

Craft Cocktail Creations:

bartaco
The Fez
The Spread
Walrus & Carpenter

About Community Plates

Founded in January 2011, Community Plates is committed to ending American food-insecurity through direct-transfer food rescue. Established as a 501(c)3 non-profit food-rescue platform, Community Plates is focused on transferring healthy, usable foods to where it can help feed those in need. This volunteer-driven, technology fueled process coordinates with restaurants, grocers, bakeries, caterers and other food-service organizations who have foods destined to be thrown away, and delivers the food to soup-kitchens, food-pantries and other hunger relief organizations who serve food-insecure individuals and families. Since launching in Fairfield County, Community Plates food runners have rescued over 5.3 million meals, saving over 8 million pounds of food from going into landfill. Community Plates currently operates in Columbus, OH; Albuquerque, NM; New Haven, CT; New Orleans, LA; and Fairfield County, CT with plans to open six to eight additional sites in 2015.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Tuttorosso Tomato Inspirilize Giveaway

Spring is almost here and it's time to make room for light and delicious Italian inspired dishes featuring Tuttorosso Tomatoes and spring ingredients.

Tuttorosso is teaming up with Ali Maffucci of Inspiralized to host a "Inspiralize the Spring" Facebook promotion.

Tuttorosso is so excited about this partnership that they want to share the wealth with Home Place Blog readers! That's right! THAT MEANS YOU!

They want to send one of our readers a Tuttorosso Sample Kit that features springtime recipes, and 28 oz cans of Tuttorosso Crushed with Basil, Tuttorosso NSA Peeled Plum and Tuttorosso Diced Tomatoes.

And I'm so happy that over here at Home Place we're even joining in the giveaway FUN with a second prize of a pair of Home Place stemless wine glasses.

Hand Painted Wine Goblets by PaintedByTheShore
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaintedbytheShore

Just enter below using the Rafflecopter below - and happy spirilizing!

This giveaway is open to continental U.S. residents only and runs 3-27-15 through 4-15-15

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spiralizing vegetables is a great new way to eat light and healthy!

The Tuttorosso facebook promotion will run from March 25 - April 15, and gives fans a chance to win weekly prizes. The prizes from that campaign include Spiralizers (20/week), Inspiralized Book (5/week) and Aprons (250/week). There is also a grand prize package of a Spiralizer, Inspiralized Book, Apron, Picnic Basket and Kitchen Gadgets.

Just go to https://www.facebook.com/tuttorossotomato to enter!

To give you an idea of the recipes that Ali has developed with Tuttorosso, Here's the Spiralized Turnip Mushroom and Tomato Risotto.

Spiralized Turnip Mushroom and Tomato Risotto

Time to Prepare: 20

Time to Cook: 20

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 large turnips, peeled, Blade C

16oz sliced baby Portobello mushrooms

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

1 (28oz) can Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 tablespoon finely minced flat-leaf Italian parsley, to garnish

Directions

Place the turnip noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like.

Place a large pot over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the onion, mushrooms, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes or until onions turn translucent and mushrooms begin to wilt.

Add in the turnip rice and season with oregano, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and then add in the tomatoes.

Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until turnip rice softens and cooks to your preference. Once cooked, fold in the cheese and stir until fully combined.

Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

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Disclaimer: I received a complimentary gift package of Tuttorosso tomatoes in exchange for promotion of this campaign.

Mystic Aquarium South African Cocktail Party

CLICK HERE

Ocean Blue Catering and Mystic Aquarium are hosting an annual South African Wine Dinner. Always a sell-out, they have extended the festivities with the introduction of the South African Cocktail Party, allowing guests to enjoy a ‘bite’ of the experience!

The menu will feature passed and stationed ‘mini bites’ of the items served at popular dinner like Peri-Peri Shrimp Crustinis, Sosaties, Melktert, and more, plus a selection of South African wines. The complete menu is available upon request. There will also be live music and a cash bar.

The guests of honor are none other than Mystic Aquarium’s South African penguins!

They are among our most popular species. And while, they are a fan favorite, the presence of African penguin at Mystic Aquarium is important to the survival of this endangered species. Mystic Aquarium invites you to learn more at mysticaquarium.org.

Tickets for Mystic Aquarium’s South African Cocktail Party are priced at $34.95 per person and must be purchased in advance by visiting mysticaquarium.org or by calling Reservations at 860.572.5955 ext. 520. Guests must be at least 21 years of age.

Some of the best wines come from the South African region. Here's your chance to try some of them, along with hors d‘oeuvres, and maybe even meet one of their ambassadors - a South African penguin!

You know they'll come dressed for this one of a kind event!

Live music will add an extra dimension to your evening!

Ticket price of $34.95 includes one glass on South African Wine.

Click here to get yours now!

Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Blvd. Mystic CT

Thursday, April 16th, 2015

6:30pm - 9:30pm

**Must be 21 or older to attend.**

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Westchester Magazine's 5th Annual Wine and Food Festival

Restaurants Announced!

Westchester Magazine’s 5th Annual

Wine & Food Festival June 3^rd- 6^th

Westchester County - New York

Chefs Begin to Line Up for Burger & Beer Blast and Grand Tasting Village!

Westchester Magazine’s 5th Annual Wine & Food Festival, to be held June 3^rd- 6^th, will feature more than 100 of the County’s top restaurants over the course of four days.

As one of the premier culinary gatherings in the Northeast, the Festival draws more than 4,500 people from across the New York Metro area and beyond. The event will also feature 150 world-class wines selected by the experts at Zachys of Scarsdale.

“The buzz surrounding Westchester Magazine’s 5th Annual Wine & Food Festival has continued to grow since we began five years ago. This year’s theme is farm-to-table, giving our participating restaurants the opportunity to spotlight some of their favorite locally sourced seasonal ingredients,” said Ralph Martinelli, Publisher of Westchester Magazine. “We are pleased to welcome back many of our favorite chefs along with numerous trendsetting new restaurants to our lineup.”

Burger & Beer Blast

This extremely popular event will be held at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla on Thursday, June 4 from 6:00-10:00 p.m. Participating restaurants will feature top-rated burgers from a wide array of restaurants from all corners of the county. The 2015 lineup includes:

5 Napkin Burger (opening soon in Yonkers)

42 Restaurant and Events (White Plains)

105-Ten Bar & Grill (Briarcliff Manor)

An American Bistro (Tuckahoe)

AJs Burgers (New Rochelle)

Beascake’s Bakery (Armonk)

Brother Jimmy’s BBQ (White Plains)

Bull and Barrel Brew Pub (Brewster)

Cedar Street Grill (Dobbs Ferry)

Coals Pizza (Bronxville and Port Chester)

Dan Rooney’s Café & Bar (Yonkers)

Emma’s Ale House (White Plains)

Good-Life Gourmet (Irvington)

Le Jardin du Roi (Chappaqua)

License 2 Grill (Thornwood)

Memphis Mae’s (Croton-On-Hudson)

MP Taverna (Irvington)

MTK Tavern (Mt. Kisco)

Nonna’s Brick Oven Pizzeria & Restaurant (Peekskill)

Peekskill Brewery (Peekskill)

Piper’s Kilt (Eastchester)

Rye Roadhouse (Rye)

Thyme Restaurant (Yorktown Heights)

Westchester Burger Co. (White Plains)

X20 Xaviars on the Hudson (Yonkers)

Specialty food trucks will also be featured including the Souvlaki Truck, Road Hog, Jimmy’s Soft Serve, Walter’s Hot Dogs and Dough Nation. Additionally, beer will also be provided by Manhattan Beer Distributors and live music will set the tone for an exciting evening!

Grand Tasting Village

Entirely new this year, the Grand Tasting Village will also take place at Kensico Dam Plaza on Saturday, June 6 from 12:00-5:00 p.m. Chef Demos will be held at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. Guests can revel in the best of Westchester’s food and wine scene with a special focus on farm-to-table including a first-ever Mini Farmers’ Market. Among the participating restaurants to date are:

Amore Cucina & Bar (Scarsdale)

Brother Jimmy’s BBQ (White Plains)

BLT Steak (White Plains)

Blue Moon Mexican Café (Bronxville)

Cafe of Love (Mt. Kisco)

Campagna (Bedford)

Cathy’s Biscotti (White Plains)

Chocolations (Mamaroneck)

Clock Tower Grill (Brewster)

Coffee Labs Roasters (Tarrytown)

Cooper’s Mill (Tarrytown)

Crabtree’s Kittle House (Chappaqua)

Dan Rooney’s Café & Bar (Yonkers)

Dolphin Restaurant (Yonkers)

Fifty Two Soups

Good-Life Gourmet (Irvington)

Iron Horse Grill (Pleasantville)

Ladle of Love (Mt. Kisco)

L’inizio (Ardsley)

Lola’s Mexican Kitchen (White Plains)

Mambo 64 (Tuckahoe)

Nonna’s Brick Oven Pizzeria & Restaurant (Peekskill)

One Twenty One Restaurant (North Salem)

Penny Licks Ice Cream (Irvington)

Polpettina (Eastchester and Larchmont)

Red Plum (Mamaroneck and White Plains)

RiverMarket (Tarrytown)

Ruth’s Chris Steak House (Tarrytown)

Sonora (Port Chester)

Texas de Brazil (Yonkers)

TRUCK Restaurant (Bedford)

Wolfert’s Roost (Irvington)

Zuppa Restaurant (Yonkers)

The Mini Farmers’ Market, which will feature a variety of meats, cheeses, produce and baked goods, will include: John Boy’s Market, Plum Plum’s Cheese, DoReMe Farms, Larchmont Charcuterie and Meredith’s Bakery. And Roaming Pizza will have its food truck on site. Stay tuned! More restaurants are being added each week.

In addition to these events, the Wine & Food Festival will include:

Wednesday, June 3: Celebrity guest Kathie Lee Gifford will be back to host a special evening of Fashion, Food and Wine at Bloomingdale’s in White Plains.
Friday, June 5: An Evening with Westchester’s Tastemakers at 42 Restaurant and Events in White Plains will showcase 10 of Westchester’s top chefs at a “dinner by the bite” reception (chefs to be announced soon!).
Saturday, June 6: Jr. Chefs Academy - Kids in the Kitchen at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester in White Plains will give children ages 7-17 a unique culinary experience.

Westchester Magazine’s 5th Annual Wine & Food Festival proudly supports two local not-for-profit organizations: Friends of Westchester County Parks, committed to the preservation and conservation of 18,000 acres of parks and trails, and the Food Bank for Westchester, dedicated to ending hunger in Westchester County.

Zachys returns as a partner with Westchester Magazine’s 5th Annual Wine & Food Festival. A multi-generational business, Zachys is devoted to promoting the connection between great food and high-quality wines and spirits.

Tickets on Sale Now! Visit westchestermagazine.com/winefood for complete details.

Westchester Magazine’s 5th Annual Wine & Food Festival brings together the top chefs and wine experts in Westchester County with more than 100 top restaurants and 200 world class wines from June 3-6, 2015. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Food Bank for Westchester and Friends of Westchester County Parks.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Spring into New Haven Restaurant Week March 22-27th 2015

New Haven Restaurant Week returns March 22 – 27, 2015

#NHRW15

Are you looking forward to spring as much as I am? The days are warmer, daylight is longer, and it's time to go OUT!!

What better place to start then New Haven, to celebrate New Haven Restaurant Week!

Thirty-six of downtown New Haven’s award-winning and diverse restaurants are featuring $18 lunch and $32 dinner prix fixe menus during the week of March 22nd through March 27th!

Participating restaurants will offer a multi-course, prix fixe menu typically consisting of an appetizer, entrée and dessert.

Reservations are highly recommend, so be sure to make your reservations early!

116 Crown – RW Menu – (203) 777.3116

Adrianna’s – RW Menu Coming Soon – (203) 865-6474

Barcelona – RW Menu Coming Soon – (203) 848.3000

Basta Trattoria – RW Menu – (203) 772.1715

Bentara – RW Menu – (203) 562.2511

Briq – RW Menu – (203) 891-7155

Caffé Bravo – RW Menus – (203) 772-2728

Caseus Fromagerie Bistro – RW Menus – (203) 624-3373

Cask Republic –  RW Menu Coming Soon – (475) 238-8335

Christopher Martin’s – RW Menus – (203) 776-8835

Fornarelli’s Ristorante – RW Menus – (203) 745-5677

Goodfellas – RW Menu – (203) 785.8722

Harvest Wine Bar & Restaurant – RW Menus – (203) 777-2500

Heirloom – RW Menus – (203) 503-3919

John Davenport’s – RW Menus – (203) 974.6858

L’Orcio – RW Menus – (Lunch on Friday only) – (203) 777.6670

Miya’s Sushi – RW Menus – (203) 777.9760

Oaxaca Kitchen – RW Menus – (203) 859-5774

Olea – RW Menu – (203) 780-8925

Pacifico – RW Menus – (203) 772.4002

Roía – RW Menus – (203) 200-7045

Soul de Cuba Cafe – RW Menus – (203) 498.2822

Stone Hearth – RW Menu Coming Soon – (203) 691-1456

Tarry Lodge – RW Menus – (203) 672-0765

Taste of China – RW Menu Coming Soon – (203) 745-5872

Temple Grill – RW Menus – (203) 773-1111

Thali – RW Menu Coming Soon – (203) 777.1177

Tre Scalini – RW Menus – (203) 777.3373

Union League Cafe – R W Menus – (203) 562.4299

Zafra Cuban Restaurant & Rum Bar –  RW Menus – (203) 859-5342

Zaroka – RW Menu Coming Soon – (203) 776-8644

Zinc –  RW Menu Coming Soon – (203) 624.0507

For more information visit InfoNewHaven at http://www.infonewhaven.com/restaurantweek

or

Connecticut Restaurant Week at http://www.connecticutrestaurantweek.com/restaurant-weeks-ct/new-haven-restaurant-week

The Fall 2015 NHRW will be Nov 1-6, 2015.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

St. Patrick's Celebrations all Week at Parallel Post in Trumbull CT

Social Media Promotion

The Luck of the Irish - Parallel Post Celebrates St. Patty's Day with Weeklong Specials ‏

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Parallel Post at the Trumbull Marriott in Trumbull CT is switching things up by offering patrons a week-long opportunity to celebrate and enjoy traditional Irish menu samplings.

That's right! The Irish are coming to Parallel Post!

From Tuesday, March 10 through Tuesday, March 17, get into the shamrock spirit and enjoy dishes such as Corned Beef Sandwiches, Shepherd's Pie, and Irish Themed Cocktails!

Never one to pass up a good Irish meal - we ventured out to Trumbull this weekend to sample some good Irish fare! Our hosts for the evening were Chef Chris and Mixologist Greg (aka Bootleg Greg!)

Bootleg Greg and Chef Chris Molyneaux

We started with that delicious Corned Beef Sandwich! Made with house cured corned beef!

Corned Beef Sandwich made with sliced house cured corned beef,
stone ground mustard, Gruyere cheese served on Peasant Rye Bread ($9)

And then moved on to the delicious Shepherd's Pie! So good we asked for spoons to get every last morsel!

"Ox Hollow" Shepherd's Pie with sautéed beef,
seasonal vegetables, and truffle mashed potatoes ($17)

And the Irish Breathylzer was minty good! Similar to a grasshopper - but a bit more potent!

Irish Breathalyzer Test Cocktail
blended with Godiva, Creme de Menthe and Vodka ($8).

Irish Breathlyzer Test cocktail recipe

1 part Godiva

1 part Creme de Menthe

1 part White Godiva

1 1/2 vodka

Combine all ingredients and shake well. Garnish with Irish colored thin mints or colorful candies

Of course we finished the night with some amazing desserts!

And we finished the night off with an Irish Coffee!

The Irish Specials are all available through March 17th, 2015!

The Irish are Coming to Parallel Post!

My sister Sue and Me!

Stop by and enjoy some modern Irish Fare now until March 17, 2015!

Parallel Post Restaurant

180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull CT 06611

Phone/Reservations 203-380-6380

Located in the Trumbull Marriott - Merritt Parkway

On the Web: http://parallelpostrestaurant.com/

Like them on facebook https://www.facebook.com/ParallelPost

Follow them on twitter: https://twitter.com/ParallelPostCT

visit www.parallelpostrestaurant.com for more information

Overseen by James Beard nominated Chef Dean James Max, Parallel Post www.parallelpostrestaurant.com is a modern-American restaurant based in Trumbull, CT. focused on seasonal and regional cuisine. Offering a bold and flavorful menu featuring modern American cuisine with Northeastern regional flair, Parallel Post brings an unseen level of quality and creativity to the culinary landscape of Trumbull, Connecticut. The intimate, yet casual eatery uses seasonal, local ingredients prepared with contemporary, healthy techniques. The menu is comprised of a wide array of options from snacks to small plates, large entree, and a multi-course tasting menu.

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Disclaimer: Although some of the items shown in this post were complimentary through Parallel Post's Marketing and Management, the views expressed are herein our own.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Versace at Milan Fashion Week for Fall-Winter 2015-2016

Versace blasts pops of primary colors against black neutrals in the Milan Fall-Winter 2015-2016 show.