There was a time at my table when the brussel sprout was boiled to oblivion, and was mixed up with gravy and mashed potatoes. The only hint of it was a little overcooked green leaf here and there that gave off an unpleasant flavor. How could we be so mean to such a cute little bud? Had we only known you can prepare it shredded with strawberries, pears, walnuts, Romano cheese and lemon dressing. The simplest of ingredients that rest on a bed of sprouts.

It’s a perennial favorite on our menu and is often paired with chicken or salmon.

Shredded, grilled, roasted and even boiled, if done right, it’s a delicious addition to any meal for any season or cuisine.

We celebrated Christmas this year by purchasing a tabletop pasta extruder, or more delicately put, a pasta maker. Our new toy is churning out linguine, penne, shells, gemelli, rigatoni and fettuccine. Oh! What fun! What chef doesn’t love a brand new toy? It’s a thrill to be able to find the right equipment for the job; making fresh pasta. So in the process to create the final pasta dish, how important is it to have fresh pasta? Very. Fresh pasta is made with eggs and flour, and it’s light consistancy absords the flavor and ingredients of the sauce more willingly, elevating the dish.

fettuccine

rigatoni 

The exact ratio of eggs, egg yolks and three different kinds of flour have been meticulously measured to produce a dough that delivers a sweet, silky bite. When the shape of the pasta is paired perfectly with the sauce, it’s a match made in heaven. For example, the veal of the bolognaise sauce tucks itself very comfortably inside the rigatoni. The pasta should capture and hold the flavor and ingredients of the sauce, otherwise all the wonderful flavor and ingredients gather on the bottom of your plate.

Starting with only the best flour available, we have refined the recipe down to a trifecta of flours that achieve the qualify of dough we want. The three different kinds of wheat flour have a specific purpose.

           The OO Flour * soft and powdery, giving the pasta it’s silk.

The Durhum Flour * strong, providing the diversity in pasta shapes.

The Semolina Flour * pretty in yellow, soft with a sweet, nutty flavor

There are so many other shapes we’ll be adding to our repetoire. Until then, we hope you get what you want for Christmas too!

penne

    linguini

gemelli 

shells

Our 5 distinctive teas, with their beautiful colors and textures, offer a wide range of wonderful flavors. The folks at Fazenda, our local supplier for tea and coffee, have a mission to “ethically and sustainably” source their products. That works out perfect, as a hot cup will sustain you well. Here are the options. Above, from left to right, we have the Blue Flower Earl Grey, a black tea with pretty bright blue cornflowers and a citrusy bergamot. Next over is the Dragonwell green tea which has a nice sweet and nutty flavor. In the middle is the classic English Breakfast. Can’t go wrong. Last are the Spiced Chai and Vanilla Rooibos, which are both flavorful treats in the afternoon. All of the teas have a unique blend of ingredients that you can only fully appreciate when you see them dry, so when the aromas and flavors pour from your teapot, you know their origin, and that the Blue Flower Earl Grey is not just a fancy description. It actually has blue flowers.

The woods in fall is enchanting, covered in a carpet of golden pine needles and finished leaves, crimson, orange and yellow. Everything that was once green is gone, opening up a clear view of the trees. Below the wet carpet, with it’s decaying mush of limbs, leaves and logs, thrives a web of fungus, the mycelium, that is the root system of the mushroom. While the rest of the woods settles down for it’s long winter nap, it’s spring time for the mushroom. Popping up on your lawn, under your trees, or literally squeezing out of the bark, the fast growing mushroom, which can double in size in 24 hours, appears overnight, and it’s not a pretty sight.

Take for instance the Hen of the Woods, named for it’s resemblance to the feathers of a hen, which is a huge stretch of the imagination. But what it lacks in looks, it makes up for in flavor, and when our chefs wave their magic spoons, voila, behold a puff pastry. We love our Hen. Picked locally, it’s fresh and organic. Growing on and under oaks, it’s elusive, but it’s unique shape makes it easy to identify. Mushroom Master and Mycologist, Gary Lincoff, actually finds them in Central Park. He equates foraging mushrooms to a “treasure hunt, where you can feel like a kid again and connect with nature.” Like the Big Bad Wolf in the forest, the Hen of the Woods is hard to find, lurking around trees, and when the forager, a determind hunter with a basket, finally finds one, he skips for joy like a girl in a red cape.

We use it in our goat cheese duxelles, or on top of a pizza with sherry reduction sauce, fontina and crispy pancetta. It’s hearty flavor is perfect with a pork loin. Besides it’s wonderful flavor, it’s great for the immune system, has cancer fighting qualities, is loaded with potassium, and is good for your blood pressure. The veal tenderloin medallions with sauteed hen of the woods mushrooms, and a mustard and brandy cream sauce over pappardelle pasta will extend your life. We love the hen of the woods pate with goat cheese on top of a crostini. So come forage our special’s menu at Cibo Matto where we get down and dirty with the mushroom. Go to our facebook page for nightly specials.

The Hearts for Hope Foundation and Cibo Matto invite you to the 2nd Annual Sip For A Cure Wine and Beer Tasting Event on Sunday, September 13, 2015 from 2-5pm. The Hearts for Hope Foundation is a “non-profit organization started in 2009 with the mission to provide financial aid to families battling Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The foundation has raised over $400,000 and has been instrumental to many families in alleviating the financial burden that comes with having a CF patient to care for.” Cystic Fibrosis is a life threatening disease for which there is no cure.

The Hearts for Hope Foundation was founded by the Finegan family from Mansfield. Their two daughters, Katherine and Fallon, were diagnosed with CF, and their son James carries the gene. During their most difficult times, the donations from the Foundation gave them the financial and emotional support they needed. When their daughter Fallon passed away in 2010 at the age of 16, their mission grew to include so many more families. Diane Finegan says, “The most important thing about the Hearts for Hope Foundation is that what started off as a foundation that our family had established for us when we were in crisis, has really turned into Fallon’s greatest legacy.”

In honor of “Fal”, we hope you can join us and support these families who need your help.