9.30.09
He’s your lobster!

…And apparently, his name is Fred.  Just in time for Taste of Rhode Island this weekend, Chef Mike shows us how to make a true Rhody “lobstah” boil, with chourico and all!  Read on after the video for the full list of ingredients and step-by-step yumminess.

Read on…

9.24.09
Your Taste Buds are Calling

The Stop & Shop Taste of Rhode Island is almost a week away!  So a quick reminder that the discounted advanced ticket price of $8 ends tomorrow, Friday, September 25th.  For only $8, you have access to continuous live entertainment and all of our festival happenings - culinary demonstrations and pairings by local chefs, games, contests and prize, children’s activities, and the opportunity to meet your favorite local cookbook authors.

For only $8! That’s 8 singles, a fiver and 3 ones, a $10 bill with $2 in change, a quick swipe of the debit card, or 700 pennies and a Sacagawea - start digging in those couch cushions!

And have you heard who is going to be there?  Fantastic restaurants all serving up Rhode Island staples, from cannolis to clam cakes and Del’s to dogs (saugy dogs, that is).

Seagulls are infamous for their “unconventional” eating habits, but not this bird.  Rather than swoop in and steal, I’ll be lining up with other true Rhody revelers to see what’s on our menu. One thing we’ll be sure to get a hearty helping of - pride in our home state!  So stop on by, we hope to see you there!

9.18.09
Fancy a cocktail?

What’s better than a Bloody Mary on a boat first thing in the morning?  In honor of the Newport International Boat Show this morning, some heavy hitters, Newport Harbor Corporation’s Supreme Beverage Director Lenny Panaggio and Newport Yachting Center’s Top-Notch General Manager Michele Maker Palmieri, braved the friendly September sun to create custom cocktails harbor-side on the Rhode Show - a tough job, indeed!    Lenny reveals the secret recipes to the perfect Dark & Stormy and Bloody Mary below.  And if you need convincing that these drinks are delicious, take it from Michele, who exclaimed “yowzas!” and “yum!” at first taste!  See her reactions and more in the video below.

Read on…

9.16.09
Cookin’ up a Storm

What is your favorite (delicious and quirky) and distinctly Rhode Island recipe? Share with us for for your chance to win prizes and cook live with a host of the Rhode Show! Two winners will be chosen on Monday, September 28 to cook live on either Saturday, October 3rd at 6pm or Sunday, October 4th at 5pm at the Taste of Rhode Island event.

Just think, your name in lights, people traveling from near and far (mostly near) to see what you are serving…

So let’s get cookin’ people!  Click here to enter your recipe.

9.10.09
Set Sail for Newport

A week from today will officially kick off the Newport International Boat Show, a fantastic show with exhibitors, boats and products sure to sway any boating enthusiast to take a peak at their seaside stash.  As the show likes to tout, “If you harbor a passion for boating, there’s only one place to be.”

So, although I am a bay bird myself, it may surprise you to know that I prefer riding the wind with wings rather than sails, and have never learned how to navigate a boat.  That’s why this announcement knocked my webbed socks off - visitors “can take a free sailing lesson or just a quiet sail around Newport Harbor courtesy of Sail Americas Discover Sailing program.  Crews and sailboats will be on-hand Thursday through Sunday at one of the docks within the show to demonstrate how easy it is to sail…a great opportunity for anyone who might be thinking about the sport.”

Excuse me?  Free sailing lessons? Sign me up!  Click here to learn more!

9.4.09
Guinness Beer Battered Fish & Chips

In the spirit of the Irish festival this weekend, Executive Chef Michael Conetta from Waterman Grille shared the recipe for his Guinness Beer Battered Fish & Chips this morning on the Rhode Show!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Guinness 1can
Egg White, lightly whipped 1each
Milk, whole 2/3 cup
Canola Oil 1tsp
Baking Powder 1tsp
Cayenne Pepper, ground ¼ tsp
Salt, kosher ¼ tsp
All Purpose Flour 1-1/2 cup
All Purpose Flour for Dipping ½ cup
Canola oil for Frying 4 cup
Russet Potatoes cut into wedges
2lbs Fish (Cod, Pollock, Halibut, ect…)

Directions:
1. Pat potato wedges with paper towels to remove extra moisture and reduce splattering when frying. Add wedges to deep fryer when the canola oil has reached the appropriate frying temperature of 375 degrees F.
2. Remove potato wedges from the canola oil with slotted spoon when they reach a golden brown color, drain them on paper towels, and season to taste.
3. To prepare batter, mix together beer, egg, milk, and canola oil. Add baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt and flour all at once, mixing only enough to dampen the dry ingredients.
4. Coat fish pieces in flour before dipping fish in batter and place in 375 degrees F canola oil to deep fry. Cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from canola oil with slotted spoon, drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

A Breed with a Brogue

The great Newport Waterfront Irish Festival is ready to step-dance its way back into your hearts & bellies starting tomorrow!  Local lore ensures that everyone in town knows only here you can learn to pour the perfect pint, eat great food, and enjoy some seriously shamrockin’ entertainment, but did you know that Guinness is celebrating its 250 anniversary at the festival?  Or that there will be a Celtic fashion show?  Or, even better, you could be lucky enough to cross paths with a real Irish Wolfhound?  Almost as legendary as the unicorn or a blogging bird, these beautiful canine beasts will be on hand to help celebrate all things Celtic!

Though an exact point of origin has yet to be identified, the Irish Wolfhound is an ancient dog breed that is still shrouded in some degree of mystery and legend. Nearly made extinct in the mid-19th century due to its popularity among royalty, the Irish Wolfhound was slowly re-bred and its numbers again grew.  Visit here to learn more about this canine conundrum featured at the festival.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!  Hope to see you at the festival!

9.2.09
Harvest-Time Hoopla!

Autumn breezes and long sleeves are back in season.  And the September E-411 Newsletter has officially hit the stands!  Check it out to learn more about upcoming fall events, including the Newport Waterfront Irish Festival and the Newport International Boat Show.  Want the newsletter delivered directly to your inbox?  Sign up here!