Chowdafest VII 2014: Recap, Winners, Results + Our Faves at Calf Pasture Beach

Click through to see a full album of competitors, soups, and other good stuff!

This past Sunday just might have been the perfect fall day. The air was crisp (but not too cold), the sun was shining bright, and the leaves had just started to flame into color. Oh, and it just so happened to be the day when Chowdafest scuttled down by the water at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk. The same Chowdafest that started off at a church, then at a school, quickly grew to Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, then grew so big this past February that they needed to expand to an even bigger venue…and that takes us Chowdafest VII!

Bacon Contest, BBQ + More @ Pork in the Park 2014 – Stamford, CT

Pork in the Park is back…bigger, badder, and BBQ’er than last year!

“That’s too much bacon.” -No one ever.

Yeah, we say that you just load that bacon on. For breakfast, for lunch, for brunch, for dinner, for linner, for snack time, and for dessert. Bacon: it’s what’s shaking and what we’re making. And…speaking of Makin’ Bacon, let’s take you to Day 2 (7/13) of The 2nd Annual Pork in the Park Festival. Along with live music, BBQ shops via the

Who will take home the bacon?

new BBQ Town, food trucks, and drink vendors, there will be a contest to see which restaurant in Stamford makes the best bacon dish. Entry to this special event from 2-5 costs just an additional $10 or less (TBD) in addition to the $10 admission fee, gets you tastes of all the dishes, and gives you a shot to vote on your fave.  The winner gets some major bragging rights and gets to take home a cash prize.  Plus, all proceeds go right to The Mill River Collaborative and The Mayor’s Youth Employment Program, so your addiction to bacon can serve some altruistic value.  If you’re a Stamford restaurant or chef and would like a spot in the contest, there just might be a spot for you.  Call up Shelly Kapitulik at (203) 898-1501 or e-mail her at shelley@splashpr.us.

Best Balls? You Decide! The Meatball Challenge of Fairfield County Plops Down June 5

Oh balls, this looks magical…

Ladies and gents, haven’t you always been in search of the biggest, juiciest, and most savory balls in Fairfield County?  Well, let’s face it, finding the perfectly sized and shaped balls is no easy feat…let alone finding ones so good you moan in pleasure as they enter your mouth.  Are you still in search of that meatball that will be yours forever, that tried and true love that will stay with you through thick and thin?  Ah, then you’ll definitely want to attend the first ever The Meatball Challenge of Fairfield County hosted by Savor Productions that’s being held on 6/5/14 from 6-9 at The Factory Underground in Norwalk.

Yeehaw! Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Spans Two Days

Oh yeah!

Dagnabbit, Ridgefield’s done and gone all country up in this here place!  Yup, yup…check out The Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival on May 3 (11-9 pm) and May 4 (11-5 pm).  Entrance is $10 for adults, $5 for students 12-18, and $0 for children under 12.  Proceeds from Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival go to The Ridgefield Rotary Club, who is putting on this event with the Ridgefield Community Center.  Speaking of the Ridgefield Community Center, when you arrive at 316 Main Street, be ready for some BBQ madness and to be intoxicated with the smell of burning wood and smoking pork.  Here’s what you can look forward to:

1st Annual Charity Chili Challenge Hits Trinity Catholic H.S. in Stamford

 

You eat, you vote…everyone wins

After the past few days of bitter cold weather and that crazy day of waking up to a thick layer of ice on our cars, you know it’s the perfect time to warm up a bit.  And, that’s exactly what the North Stamford Exchange Club has in store for you with their 1st Annual Charity Chili Challenge on 4/27 from 1-4 pm at Trinity Catholic High School.  Local residents and plenty of home cooks have been prepping and perfecting their chili recipes just for this cook off.  Also, there will be some professional chefs competing such as Old Post Tavern, Bridge Street Wienery, LaRocca’s Country Market, and Parkway Diner.  When you attend ($10 donation is suggested), you’ll get to sample all the chili and vote on your favorite.  The winners will get prizes and there will also be a 50/50 drawing so you could win big, too.  To wash all that chili down pick up some water for $1 or a brewski for $4…not too shabby. 

Donations and money collected from the Charity Chili Challenge will go directly to the Exchange Club Parenting Skills Center.  Here’s the mission of the Parenting Skills Center:

Sierra Nevada Cask Night and 1st Homebrew Contest at Cask Republic Stamford and New Haven

Introducing Cask Republic Stamford‘s first ever beer event:  Sierra Nevada Cask Night!  The brew-haha goes down on 2/5, starting at 7 pm in the back room/private bar.  Don’t worry, there’s a fireplace there, too. :)

They’ll have Bigfoot Barleywine, Torpedo, and Ruthless Rye IPA all up for tasting and downing.  Oh, but there’s more…there’s always more with Cask Republic.  The entire back room will have a tap takeover of their 8 draft lines featuring (of course) Sierra Nevada brews.  

Casting Call: Guy’s Grocery Games Looking for Chefs for Season 2

Guy Fieri and the crew of Food Network‘s “Guy’s Grocery Games” are looking for talented chefs and professional cooks for Season 2.  Do you think that you or someone you know can handle the craziness of this brand new food competition show that has a surprise around every single grocery aisle?  If so, you’ll want to submit your info for a chance to compete (like our buddy Chef Plum of Newtown, CT did) and get up to a $20,000 prize.  

If you’d like a shot, send an e-mail here that includes:

City/State in the subject line of your e-mail

In the body of your e-mail, share…

• your name
• phone number
• your current title of occupation
• a description of your culinary background
• a recent photo of you
• a few photos of dishes that you’ve created
• and why you think you have what it takes to win

Good luck everybody! 

Discounted Chowdafest 2014 Tix on Sale at Stop & Shop

The Sixth Annual Chowdafest that goes down on SOUPer Bowl Sunday is just around the corner.  So, whether you just love soup, you’re upset that your team never made it past the regular season, or you just want to pre-game at Webster Bank Arena, ChowdaFest will be the place to be from 11 to 3 on 2/2.  There will be 28 restaurants competing to win your votes for best chowda in three different categories, yes…but there will be so much more that we can’t wait to share with you as one of the sponsors for this year’s event that helps to benefit The Connecticut Food Bank.

Local Chef Represents Connecticut in Bacon World Championships in Las Vegas (Recipe Included)

Beautiful

Apple-woody

Cholesterol-friendly

Opulent

Naughty

Bacon.

Yes, we know you’re hungry now, but imagine how Chef Carol Koty feels.  She’s the Kitchen Supervisor at The Waterview in Monroe, Connecticut who first started as a part-time seasonal kitchen intern.  You could say 27-year-old Koty has a P(ork)hD.  That’s because she won the right to represent Connecticut in the Bacon World Championship.  To get the honor to represent our state, Koty had to enter the #FoodChamp Challenge.  Her winning dish was the (you ready?) Spicy Bacon and Corn Stuffing, prepared with grilled sweet corn, caramelized onions, garlic, jalapeno, crusty Italian bread, and (of course) hickory smoked bacon.    Wouldn’t you love that recipe?  Well, let’s just say that Chef Koty has given it to us and it’s at the end of this post!  

The Momma’s Boy Cook-off: Moms Battle Their Famous Local Chef Sons

•••

Aww, mother and son.  The love and the bond between both is inseparable and is stronger than that guy in a hardhat who is glued to the beam in that Krazy Glue commercial.  Ah, yes, mother and son.  While we could wax poetic about the bond more, we’ll leave it to Woman to Woman Magazine.  They recently published an article written by Linda Kavanagh about five chefs and how their moms influenced their careers.  As an outgrowth of this great article, there is going to be a contest between mom and son to see who’s best.  Well, we don’t dare take sides.  If we say mom will do best, the chefs will be mad at us, but if we say the chefs will do better then we’ll get yelled at in strange languages and/or hit with spoons, pizza servers, or sandals by the moms.  Really, you can’t win…oh, but you do win at The Momma’s Boy Cook-off because you get to sample all the food that the chefs and their moms are making, get some recipe ideas, and even do some schmoozing.  Here are the contestants and all the info:

Thursday, April 11 @ 6 PM at Aitoro of Norwalk

$40 per ticket, advanced purchase only

• Chef Pat Pascarella of Bar Sugo faces off against his mother, Gina Pascarella.
• The Singing Chef, Neil Fuentes (also a spokesperson for Sabra Hummus) tries to out-cook his Italian mother-in-law, Dee DiCrosta.
• Chef Biagio “Gino” Riccio of Quattro Pazzi/Osianna/BOCA goes up against his Greek mother-in-law, Anna Giapoutzis.
• Chef Kausik Roy of Tawa will be fighting for bragging rights against his mom, Shibani Roy.
• And, finally, we have Chef Michael Marchetti of Columbus Park Trattoria/Applausi Osteria/Tarantino Osteria who must somehow go against Marie Marchetti who is well known for her awesome handmade pasta.

Anybody care to take bets?  Who do you think will win in each battle?