HAMPTON ROADS, Va - To find a good way to close out a great meal in the autumn, think apples and cider says Chef Patrick Evans Hylton (www.VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com). He show us how to make a Candied Apple Cidertini just in time for Virginia Cider Week, and has some other great foodie tips.
RAISE A GLASS WITH OUR CANDIED APPLE CIDERTINI
There are several Culinary Calling Cards across the Commonwealth, and this time of year one that is front-and-center are apples.
We love apples in all shape and form, whether eaten out of hand, fried and served with a hearty country breakfast, or baked in a pike and spiked with nutmeg and cinnamon. We also love apple cider, a timeless taste and tradition that has been part of Virginia’s cuisine scene for centuries.
Its that drink that is celebrated during Virginia Cider Week, from Nov. 9 through 18. We raise a glass to this excellent elixir with our Candied Apple Cidertini, which is a great cocktail for autumn and winter meals. Here’s how to make it:
Put a bottle of cinnamon-infused whiskey, such as Fireball, in the freezer the day before you are making the cocktail.
In a martini glass, add 1 ounce of the whiskey, and top with cold cider. For the demonstration on Coast Live, we used Submersive, a hard cider from Sly Clyde Ciderworks in Hampton. Using a cinnamon stick, stir the drink and leave the stick in the drink. Garnish further with a cinnamon-sprinkled apple slice.
About Submersive, from the Sly Clyde Ciderworks website: “A deeply delightful cider, just sweet enough, it surrounds your taste buds with the goodness of Virginia apples.”
Sly Clyde Ciderworks is at 207 E. Mellen St., Hampton. Call 757-755-3130 or visit www.SlyClyde.com
More information on VIrginia Cider Week at: www.CiderWeekVa.com
YOU’LL GOBBLE UP THIS CRANBERRY BUTTER
One of the most familiar fruits this time of year are cranberries.
In our Cranberry Butter, the little red gem is takes centerstage with complimentary flavors in a rich, creamy spread that you’ll want on your table throughout autumn and into winter.
Try this at breakfast spread on bagels, flapjacks, muffins, and waffles. At lunch smear it on bread to accent a chicken, ham, or turkey sandwich.
At dinner, put a pat on hot veggies like asparagus, green beans or peas, or on entrees such as pork or poultry and let it melt into a quick, sumptuous sauce. For a delish dessert, spread some of the Cranberry Butter on top of a grilled piece of pound cake and drizzle with chocolate sauce.
Here’s how to make it:
In a medium mixing bowl add two sticks of soft butter; you can leave the butter at room temperature overnight for them to soften. Add a half-cup to three-quarters cup of cranberry relish or cranberry sauce, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and the zest of one orange.
If you’d like a spicy version, add a half or whole jalapeño - depending on the amount of heat you are looking for - seeded and finely minced.
Using a spatula, mix all ingredients to incorporate. Either spoon into a ramekin or small bowl, smooth over the top, cover, and refrigerate until use; it will last refrigerated for up to a week. Alternatively, add the butter compound onto a length of plastic wrap in a log shape and roll to shape. Refrigerate up to a week, or freeze up to six months, and cut off a medallion for use.
Bagels courtesy: www.YorgosBageldashery.com
THE NEW TALL TOQUE AT PASTA E PANI
Salvatore Robilotta is the new chef and owner of the longtime Beach favorite, Pasta e Pani. The Italian eatery originally opened 1990 and operated in a number of Virginia Beach locations before settling in the current location in the Great Neck Village Shopping Center on North Great Neck Road.
This is his first time owning a restaurant, but by no means his first time in the kitchen.
“My love for food comes from my grandparents and my mom,” says the Naples, Italy native. “My mother’s father, Gennaro, was a chef, and I remember as a little child skipping school and hanging out with him in the kitchen. My mom use to get mad at both of us.”
Pasta e Pani is at 1340 N. Great Neck Rd. Call 757-301-7488 or visit www.PastaEPaniOnline.com
FOODS & FEASTS OF COLONIAL VIRGINIA
During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, learn more about the foods and foodways of 17th- and 18th-century Virginia during Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia. The three day event runs from Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, until Nov. 24 at Jamestown Settlement and at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
At Jamestown Settlement, visitors can see turkey, venison and other game roast over an open fire while stews of corn, beans, and squash cook in clay pots. Hunting techniques, open-hearth cooking demonstrations, an exploration of a typical sailor’s fare of the day, and more take place.
At the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, visitors learn about the rations of the Continental Army including dried beans, salted meat, and hard bread. In the period farm a number of dishes are prepared in the farm kitchen over an open-hearth.
More information at: www.HistoryIsFun.org
